Episode Details

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the temperature in Phoenix, writers taking photos of bases, and Meg taking photos of the writers, then discuss Meg’s takeaways from MLB’s presentation to media members about this season’s new rules, MLB.TV adding minor league games, the Padres signing Michael Wacha (and changing their revenue-sharing classification), and early pitcher injuries, followed by (29:32) a Stat Blast about how much major league talent comes from a typical farm system. After that (46:44), they talk to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich about his new book about the Astros, the sign-stealing scandal, and modern front-office culture, Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess, plus Past Blasts from 1969 (1:34:25) and a few follow-ups.

Audio intro: The Waterboys, “Bigger Picture”
Audio interstitial: The Rolling Stones, “Winning Ugly”
Audio outro: Dag, “The Bigger Picture”

Link to Levi’s tweet about deGrom
Link to Levi on the Arizona weather
Link to Defector on base photos
Link to Nightengale’s first photo
Link to Meg’s photos
Link to Reddit post of Meg’s photo
Link to Meg’s clock buzzer photo
Link to AP story on new rules
Link to Bleed Cubbie Blue on new rules
Link to Noah Woodward on pickoffs
Link to Russell on throwing over
Link to Russell on the pitch clock
Link to Jeff Passan on balks