Episode Details

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss MLB’s clearing of Shohei Ohtani and banning of five other players for betting on baseball (including Tucupita Marcano’s permaban), touching on MLB’s culpability (or lack thereof), gambling ads, the future, and more. Then (39:32) they banter about the latest instance of Tommy Pham going aggro, which demotion is more surprising, Spencer Torkelson’s or Edouard Julien’s, leaguewide parity and a purported lack of good teams, a Garrett Crochet trade rumor, a memorable Brewers-Phillies game, a skills competition at the Futures Game, the Rangers’ resistance to Pride Night (1:16:18), a suggested Kyle Tucker nickname, a Reed Garrett update, a decrease in position-player pitching, why mid-PA pitching changes haven’t caught on, and SABR’s new determination about which Negro Leagues were major-league quality.

Audio intro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Davy Andrews, “Edouard Julien, Are You Gonna Rule Again?”

Link to MLBTR on Ohtani
Link to MLB bans press release
Link to Marcano MaML
Link to Baumann on the ban
Link to 2015 Cosart story
Link to naming rights story
Link to regulation article 1
Link to regulation article 2
Link to regulation article 3

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