Effectively Wild Episode 2387: GIDPodcast
Date: October 15, 2025
Hosts: Ben Lindbergh (The Ringer) & Meg Rowley (FanGraphs)
Episode Overview
Ben and Meg deliver in-depth analysis and lively conversation about the 2025 MLB postseason, focusing on marathon playoff games, the latest division and championship series action, unexpected heroes, wild plays, and the aesthetics of baseball commentary. The episode is characterized by Meg’s emotional ride as a Mariners fan, critical and humorous takedowns of postseason TV coverage, and granular breakdowns of innovative pitching strategies and memorable moments from recent games. There's also time for notable news outside the playoffs, odd fan antics, and playful jabs at baseball’s labor narratives.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Mariners-Tigers ALDS Marathon & Meg’s Emotional State
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[02:17-08:11]
- The heart-stopping 15-inning clincher: Meg describes watching as “simultaneously begging for it to end and terrified that it would.”
- Key performances: Kirby’s “very good job,” Skubal’s “magnificent” outing, Castillo and Gilbert’s rare relief appearances.
- The surreal ballpark atmosphere: a “second seventh inning stretch,” two salmon runs, and the previously hapless mascot “Humpy” finally winning the race, sparking new lore.
“You had this very odd experience... all the starters pitched. Eventually...” - Meg [03:00]
“Let us not forget the contribution of Humpy. And now there's a weird, mystical decision for Mariners PR to make...” - Meg [03:30]
- Emotional highlights and unexpected heroes:
- Leo Rivas: Bench player comes up big on his birthday.
- Jorge Polanco: Continues his postseason heroics, earning repeated admiration from Meg.
“You just feel lucky, Ben, that your team employs the best player in baseball, Jorge Polanco, about whom you have never said a bad word...” - Meg [07:19]
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Fan and personal reactions: marathon game anxiety sets off actual labor rumors among Meg’s pregnant friends.
-
Cal Raleigh’s ironman performance as catcher, catching every pitch through several games.
2. Game Management, Baserunning Chat, & GIDP Oddities
-
[22:32]
- Ben’s impromptu Stat Blast: Negative baserunning value with 30+ SB seasons, citing Randy Arozarena and Harold Reynolds.
“It has been accomplished by AL or NL players 74 times... Randy Rosarena has accomplished... it twice.” - Ben [22:24]
-
[36:46-37:30]
- The infamy and futility of John Smoltz’s TV commentary: hosts lament his curmudgeonly perspective and contrast it with other more exuberant color commentators.
“He is such a drip.” - Meg [35:24]
“Even when he's celebrating something, it's as a means of denigrating everything else, really.” - Ben [35:38] -
[50:23-56:22]
-
Dodgers-Brewers NLCS Game One—the “8-6-2” double play that confounds everyone:
- Sal Frelick’s defensive near-miss turns into an unprecedented “grounded into double play,” even though “the ball was not hit on the ground.”
“A scorer’s nightmare... the system only allows for scoring this a ground ball..." - Anonymous MLB scorer via Ben [53:07]
-
General bewilderment, humor, and pathos: both in the moment and in post-game interview quotes.
“Resting confused face... trying to decipher traffic rules in a foreign country.” - Meg [55:17]
-
3. ALCS Analysis: Mariners Rise, Superstition, and More
-
[25:41-31:34]
- Game One: Mariners rally after a rough first inning to shut down the Blue Jays’ potent offense.
- Game Two: Mariners jump on Toronto’s promising rookie, weather a less-than-sharp Logan Gilbert, and prevail on the strength of the bullpen and timely homers.
“Everything’s coming up Mariners at the moment.” - Ben [27:04]
- Meg’s internal war between confidence and superstition, and analysis of home-field advantage versus road crowds.
4. Commentary Critique: The Good, The Bad, and Smoltz
-
[33:33-42:35]
- The qualitative difference between broadcast crews: joy in “goofy” booths (Pierzynski, Wainwright, Amin) vs. Smoltz’s dour takes.
- The analytics audience vs. the “broad tent” of postseason TV, longing for local broadcast options for diehard fans.
“SMOS just seems over it. And I'm like, surely you have enough money that you don't have to keep doing this.” - Meg [44:38]
- Ongoing gripes about Smoltz’s fixation on small ball and his lack of energy.
5. Brewers-Dodgers Series: Labor Narratives & Underdog Rhetoric
-
[63:36-67:08]
- Pat Murphy plays up the “nobody knows our names” underdog trope, to Ben and Meg’s skepticism.
“They won 97 games this season. Like, it wasn't like this was some plucky wildcard.” - Meg [66:23]
-
Fatigue with forced labor-battle narratives.
“Sort of straining for significance from a single series, which I understand the urge and the pressures to do that.” - Ben [75:34] “We're going to have a whole nother postseason before we get into a potential stoppage.” – Meg [75:49]
6. Dodgers’ Season: Battery Saver Mode or Built-In Redundancy?
- [77:00-84:03]
- Dissecting the claim that LA “took it easy” in the regular season. Did they load manage, or were they simply deep enough to cover for injuries?
- Ben and Meg draw a nuanced distinction between depth/roster construction and “intentional sandbagging.”
- Blake Snell’s dominance alongside bullpen questions. Praise for managerial flexibility with starters in relief roles.
7. Managerial News & Trade Rumblings
-
[86:10-91:19]
- Skip Schumaker named Rangers manager. Mike Shildt retires from managing the Padres.
- Tigers quietly extended A.J. Hinch—news kept secret for months.
- Pete Alonso is seeking a 7-year deal; Meg and Ben are skeptical anyone meets his demand.
“He sure is...I don’t think anybody thinks this is a good idea. But also sometimes you just do a little posturing, I guess.” - Meg [89:52–91:19]
8. Fan Oddities, News, and Oddball Addenda
- [94:06-94:57]
- “Swole Baseball Blue Jays Fan” and the infamous “Butt Plug Guy” get brief but memorable nods.
- Meg warns Ben: “Many protein powders and shakes have a lot of lead in them...”
9. Quick Hits & Statistical Nuggets
- [94:57]
- Brewers and Blue Jays have recently won MLB’s “Team Gold Glove” awards in their leagues.
- Only 30 prior “8-6-2” fielding plays in MLB history—none as grounded into double play before this postseason.
Notable Quotes and Moments
-
Meg on watching the 15-inning marathon:
“I was simultaneously begging for it to end and terrified that it would. I didn't have fun.” [02:17]
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On Mariners mascot Humpy’s unexpected lore:
“Let us not forget the contribution of Humpy... do you have him win every time? Do you just let the race run straight?” [03:30]
-
Ben on the relief heroics:
“It was more about each reliever coming in and ultimately holding the line and saying, no, you shall not pass...” [14:37]
-
On John Smoltz’s commentary:
“He is such a drip. It is...” - Meg [35:24]
-
Upon seeing the “8-6-2 GIDP” play:
“A scorer’s nightmare... Therefore the oddest looking GIDP in history.” - Anonymous MLB scorer (via Ben) [53:07]
-
Pat Murphy’s “underdog” rhetoric:
“I'm sure that most Dodger players can't name eight guys on our roster. No offense to them, they shouldn't have to know the names. But these are some guys that hopefully they know their names by the time it's over.“ [64:03]
-
Labor narrative skepticism:
“Sort of straining for significance from a single series...” - Ben [75:34]
-
On Pete Alonso’s contract ambitions:
“He sure is...[asking for 7 years] I don’t think anybody thinks this is a good idea. But sometimes you just do a little posturing, I guess.” - Meg [89:53]
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|-------------------| | Opening & Marinres-Tigers marathon recap | 00:31–14:55 | | Stat Blast: Negative baserunning w/ SBs | 22:24 | | Commentary Critique (Smoltz et al.) | 33:33–42:35 | | Dodgers-Brewers “8-6-2 GIDP” play | 50:23–56:22 | | ALCS Analysis – Mariners/Blue Jays | 25:41–31:34 | | Brewers’ Underdog Narrative | 63:36–67:08 | | Labor Narratives Skepticism | 68:37–76:15 | | Dodgers “Battery Saver” Mode Debate | 77:00–84:03 | | Managerial News & Hinch Extension | 86:10–89:07 | | Pete Alonso Contract Speculation | 89:52–91:44 | | Fan Oddities ("Swole Jays Guy," etc.) | 94:06–94:57 |
Summary
This episode captures the spirit of a deeply analytical and wryly humorous postseason baseball conversation: from the raw fan experience of tension and superstition (Meg’s journey as a Mariners fan), through in-game heroics and strategy (massive reliever usage, historic oddball double plays), to meta commentary on broadcasting style and the perennial search for labor/cultural meaning in playoff outcomes. Unmissable for listeners who want the feel and flavor of playoff baseball with every stat, narrative, and sideline story covered.