Effectively Wild Episode 2511: Will the WPBL Be a W?

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the end of Ben’s jury duty and Meg’s first colonoscopy, then discuss an investigation into Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s finances, Roki Sasaki’s big glove, Munetaka Murakami’s performance against good velocity, a squirrel sighting (and top prospect Max Clark’s arrival) in Detroit, baseball’s animal kingdom, who gets to claim Jimothy, the frustrating Mariners, Curtis Mead’s im-mead-iate injury, and pre-deadline unrest in Philly. Then (1:05:16) FanGraphs contributor Kiri Oler joins to preview the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural season and consider its prospects for long-term success. Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to WSJ on Walter’s finances Link to WSJ on Walter’s stroke Link to Ben on the Dodgers in 2015 Link to WSJ on Sasaki Link to June FG post on Sasaki Link to Roki’s rolling WAR Link to Roki’s four-seamer speed by start Link to Murakami vs. velo article Link to extended squirrel video Link to MLB.com squirrel article Link to BP squirrel article Link to PAWS page Link to animal appearances video Link to MLB.com on Clark’s call-up Link to BP on Clark’s call-up Link to baseball exceptionalism wiki Link to Jimothy wiki Link to M’s Jimothy promotion Link to Trash Pandas’ Jimothy promotion Link to food guarding info Link to Mead injury article Link to Mead recovery report Link to BP IL Triage tool Link to Gelb on the Phillies Link to Paine on the Phillies Link to WPBL wiki Link to Kiri on the WPBL teams Link to Kiri on WPBL managers Link to Kiri’s 2025 pod appearance Link to Kiri on other women’s leagues Link to WPBL team pages Link to AP on the WPBL Link to ESPN’s WPBL press release Link to 2025 WPBL announcement Link to Women’s Baseball World Cup article Link to Ben on the OWL Link to A League of Their Own scene Link to Roki game story Sponsor Us on Patreon Give a Gift Subscription Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Effectively Wild Subreddit Effectively Wild Wiki Apple Podcasts Feed Spotify Feed YouTube Playlist Facebook Group Bluesky Account Twitter Account Get Our Merch! Source