Effectively Wild Episode 2389: Max Effort

A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast
Hosts: Ben Lindbergh & Meg Rowley
Release Date: October 18, 2025

Overview:

This episode of Effectively Wild provides a blend of stat-based postseason baseball analysis, live fan reactions (as Meg nervously watches the Mariners in real time), and big-picture discussions about intense personalities in baseball, the shifting line between starters and relievers, the challenges of modern fandom, and the enduring frustrations around postseason media presentation. The hosts critique team strategies, question the culture around high-strung pitcher behavior, and capture the emotional rollercoaster of playoff baseball with humor, candor, and a touch of exasperation.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Mariners-Blue Jays Series Anxiety & Mascot Drama

• Live Anxiety: Meg is extremely on edge as the Mariners prepare for a crucial playoff game against the Blue Jays, cracking jokes about ritual mascot sacrifices to appease the baseball gods.
  • “I might be laying out a multi step plan to find and kill Humpy.” — Meg (01:13)
• Mascot “Humpy” as Scapegoat: The fanbase swings from loving to blaming their mascot for bad luck, highlighting the irrational rituals fans embrace during tense playoff moments.
  • “It's not a sacrifice if you hate Humpy. It's only a sacrifice if you love Humpy.” — Meg (01:46)

2. Mariners’ Pitching Uncertainties

• Brian Wu’s Status: Discussion around the confusion over Wu’s availability post-injury and the challenges the 15-inning game created for Seattle’s pitching plans.
  • “I am kind of confused by the status of Wu… can he pitch at all? Is it less stressful to pitch in relief…?” — Ben (03:01)
• Pitching Plan Chaos: How injuries and long extra-inning games disrupt carefully laid out rotation and bullpen strategies.

3. Brewers’ and Dodgers’ Playoff Pitching Deployments

• Jacob Misiorowski’s Role: Celebratory comments on Misiorowski’s breakout, his unique emotional presence on the mound, and the Brewers’ heavy reliance on starting pitchers as relievers.
  • On Misiorowski's mound presence: “He has this goofy, happy face… I just appreciate there being a range in the departing mound face”— Meg (09:01)
• Starter vs. Reliever Lines Blurred: Ben questions whether the traditional divisions between starting pitchers and relievers still have meaning in modern postseason baseball.
  • “Maybe I'm just making too much of these almost arbitrary distinctions now between the categories of pitcher.” — Ben (10:17)
• Failed Opener Strategies: Both hosts express growing skepticism about the effectiveness of bullpen openers in the playoffs:
  • “I feel like the openers have not really worked… Even when they have won the game.” — Meg (11:49)

4. Offense: Bluing Bats and Attributing Blame

• Brewers Can't Hit: Milwaukee’s offensive struggles are dissected—strong pitching, but “their bats have just disappeared.”
  • “Brewers pitching has delivered. Dodgers pitching has been better… but it's the brewers bats that have just disappeared”— Ben (12:52)
• Is It Pitcher Brilliance or Bad Approach?: The age-old question; was Max Scherzer really that good, or did the Mariners help him out?
  • “Was Max Scherzer really great or was there a problem with the Mariners approach… It's always hard for me to say that.” — Ben (14:52)

5. Max Scherzer and the Culture of Competitive Rage

• Scherzer’s “Must-Win” Mentality: Scherzer himself says, “Every game in the postseason's a must win. Every game, every game is a must win.” (15:55)
• Managing Intensity: Both hosts debate the acceptability of Scherzer’s intense, occasionally abrasive persona and its workplace implications.
  • “If this is what you are comfortable displaying where everyone can see, like what are you behaving like behind the scenes?” — Meg (23:21)
  • “You are a future hall of Famer… but some amount of emotional rage toward your co-workers... that's not unreasonable to ask of you.” — Meg (24:21)
• Generational/Cultural Shift: Scherzer as a relic of an earlier era, with modern baseball “largely rendered a judgment” that most don't behave this way anymore.
  • “We know him and that was in character for him…” — Ben (18:43)
  • “I don't see young starters doing this.” — Meg (32:41)

6. On-Field Celebrations, Boundaries, and Changing Norms

• Discussion on the evolving balance between celebratory emotion and disrespect, with both hosts expressing preference for excitement directed at oneself, rather than opponents.
  • “You get to be excited. You get to celebrate your achievement… I'm excited for me. I'm not being an asshole to you.” — Meg (34:26)
  • Ongoing negotiation as MLB’s player population changes.

7. Postseason Media Frustrations and the Oppo Taco Inquisition

• Radio & TV Ad Repetition: Meg, speaking as “Reg Mowley,” vents about repeated mid-broadcast “definitions” of the term “oppo taco” and a clumsy Mike Piazza/9-11 tribute running every inning break.
  • “Why am I having to listen to John Smoltz talk about the...lack of value of the home run, when...I am watching the Blue Jays hit home runs against the Mariners.” — Meg (41:21)
  • “I never want to see an oppo taco ever again in my life.” — Meg (48:48)

8. The Dodgers’ Likeability and the Core 4 Yankees Parallel

• Are the Dodgers the New Yankees?: Extended debate about whether the current Dodgers, with star-powered free agents and trade acquisitions, will be resented as much as the dynastic Yankees teams—concluding that dominance, not “likability,” earns eventual enmity.
  • “You’re just going to find a reason to dislike the team that spends the most money and is really good…” — Meg (60:52)
  • “They’re hateable now...even if you don’t hate Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman.” — Ben (65:02)

9. Trade Rumors: Tapping Into Fan & Front Office Logic

• Speculation on Tarek Skubal’s Future:
  • With the Tigers’ ace one year from free agency and a Boris client, would the team trade him if an extension can’t be reached? Both agree it’s unlikely unless the team falters early in 2026 and finishing competitively matters more.
  • “I would hate to see this offseason be dominated by Tarek Skubal trade rumors. I would avoid that at all costs. Whatever it costs to sign Tarek Skubal...you gotta keep him.” — Ben (77:28)
  • “I’d be really shocked. I just don’t imagine that’s likely to be a priority for them.” — Meg (79:43)

10. Real-Time Mariners Playoff Meltdown & Joy

• Live Reaction Thread: Meg narrates in real time through much of the episode’s end, her mood oscillating with in-game events—frustration, exclamations, and statistical asides about Mariners’ and individual player performance.
• Livestream Highlights:
  • Ben and Meg’s live reactions to major postseason homers, especially Shohei Ohtani’s historic performance (3 HR, 6 IP, 10 K in NLCS) and Mariners heroics.
  • Examples:
    • “Did he get all of it? There it goes. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.” — Meg on Eugenio Suárez's grand slam (91:06)
    • “That’s ridiculous... It’s so messed up.” — Ben on Ohtani’s third home run (92:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker/Context | |-----------|-------|-----------------| | 01:13 | “I might be laying out a multi step plan to find and kill Humpy.” | Meg, joking about mascot jinxes pregame | | 09:01 | “He has this goofy, happy face... I just appreciate there being a range in the departing mound face.” | Meg, on Jakub Misiorowski | | 15:55 | “Every game in the postseason's a must win. Every game, every game is a must win.” | Max Scherzer, reported by Ben | | 41:21 | “Why am I having to listen to John Smoltz talk about the lack of value of the home run when...I am watching the Blue Jays hit home runs against the Mariners?” | Meg/Reg, on TV broadcast | | 48:48 | “I never want to see an oppo taco ever again in my life.” | Meg, on repeated radio ad segments | | 65:02 | “They're hateable now. I don't think they're any less hateable if they repeat... even if they're likable.” | Ben, on the 2025 Dodgers | | 91:06 | “Did he get it? Did he get all of it? Did he get all of it? There it goes. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.” | Meg, reacting to Suárez's grand slam | | 92:59 | “That’s ridiculous... It’s so messed up.” | Ben, on Ohtani's third home run |

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• 00:43–06:44: Live playoff nerves, Mariners and mascot superstitions
• 09:00–13:00: Misiorowski, mound emotion, and deployment of pitching staff
• 15:10–25:30: Scherzer, "must-win" mentality, and the culture of playoff intensity
• 34:30–38:00: Modern on-field celebration vs. disrespect boundaries
• 41:20–50:00: Broadcast frustration: oppo taco ads and 9/11 promos
• 54:00–67:00: Dodgers’ construction, likability, and Yankees parallels
• 70:00–87:22: Tarek Skubal's pending free agency, value, and trade rumors
• 89:00–93:03: Real-time livestream reaction highlights: Mariners’ home runs, Ohtani’s NLCS dominance

Tone & Style

The episode is breezy, humorous, self-deprecating, and emotionally honest. Technical statistical analysis is interwoven with raw, candid fan reactions, especially as Meg’s Mariners play. Both hosts bring insight, empathy for the agony/ecstasy of fandom, and a sense of fun—even when questioning the rationality (or sanity) of their own feelings.

For Listeners Who Missed It

• If you love postseason strategy analysis:
  • Insight into evolving pitching roles, the tension between analytics and lived baseball realities, and in-game decision-making.
• If you’re a fan in the postseason blender:
  • Meg’s real-time anxiety and coping rituals (including fake mascot sacrifice) will ring true.
• If you’ve grumbled about baseball’s TV/radio experience:
  • Their “Oppo Taco” rant is cathartic and hilarious.
• If you’re pondering the state of superstar culture:
  • The “Max Scherzer Intensity Debate” and Dodger/Yankee comparisons dig into leadership, likability, and why winners eventually get hated.

Listen For

• Great quips about mascots, the power (and limits) of magical thinking, and the eternal struggle between nerves, hope, and baseball’s randomness.
• The best podcast encapsulation of “why do I keep watching this, it might kill me, but I can’t look away.”
• Rare: Honest self interrogation about why we “let” some players’ behavior slide and others not.

In Sum

A rich, funny, and vulnerable episode that covers the tactical, cultural, and personal sides of October baseball, showcasing what makes Effectively Wild a longtime favorite among baseball obsessives and anxious, superstitious fans everywhere.