Episode Details

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a J.P. France postgame quote and ballplayer clichés, the death of first overall pick Mike Ivie, and how Masataka Yoshida’s debut season stacks up to the MLB rookie years of other ex-NPB stars, answer emails (36:57) about Mike Trout’s and Shohei Ohtani’s futures, a Trout/Hunter Renfroe trade deadline scheme (with a bonus Meg movie pitch), undoing pre-pitch-clock time-saving measures, and batters catching pitches to knock pitchers out of games, plus Stat Blasts (1:19:13) about robot umps in Triple-A, the most top 100 prospects to debut for one team in a season (or a two-season span), and Immaculate Grid efficiency, followed by a Future Blast (1:47:08) from 2037.

Audio intro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to France quote
Link to Ivie obit
Link to other Ivie obit
Link to Ivie wiki
Link to 1980 Ivie article
Link to Athletic mental health article
Link to more on mental health
Link to Laurila on Yoshida
Link to ex-NPB rookie batting leaders
Link to Renfroe/Renfrow article
Link to Seinfeld clip

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