Effectively Wild Episode 2470: The Closer Who Became an Archaeo-Lidge-ist
EWFI [http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ewlogofi.png]
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/effectivelywild].
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether JR Ritchie [https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jr-ritchie/31760/stats/pitching] should want to keep the ball that was hit for a homer on his first major league pitch, José Soriano’ [https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jose-soriano/22100/stats/pitching]s season-starting hot streak, and the Yankees’ new alternate uniforms, plus follow-ups on accidental challenges, player pecks on the cheek, jersey numbers, and Nolan McLean [https://www.fangraphs.com/players/nolan-mclean/33703/stats/pitching]’s apology, and a mini-Blast about the Rockies’ historically hot start (compared to last year). Then (50:36) they take a break from interviewing octagenarian former players to interview a youthful, quadragenarian former player: former All-Star Brad Lidge [https://www.fangraphs.com/players/brad-lidge/563/stats/pitching]. An infamous manager once proclaimed [https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Only_Rule_Is_It_Has_to_Work/Z-e2CgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22the+closer%27s+the+closer+because+he%27s+the+closer%22&pg=PT149&printsec=frontcover], “The closer is the closer because he’s the closer.” But what if the closer becomes an archaeologist? Ben and Meg talk to Lidge at length about his post-playing pivot to archaeology: what drew him to the field, how he’s pursued a second profession (and how it differs from his first one), ancient Etruscans, misconceptions about archaeology, what he could learn from excavating a ballpark, discovering dice (note: not a gambling ad), discussing his career reinvention at cocktail parties, the pleasures and procedures of communing with the past, archaeology’s moneyball, and much more, followed by his thoughts on fellow fastball-slider artist Mason Miller [https://www.fangraphs.com/players/mason-miller/31757/stats/pitching].
Audio intro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GaXmQoPFfbQdNZTyMqkTGmuPIRdlG22G/view?usp=drive_link]”
Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r_SutdDwCAJtoMBaw5CjiM-mhsRmG6ii/view?usp=drive_link]”
Link to The Only Rule closer line [https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Only_Rule_Is_It_Has_to_Work/Z-e2CgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22the+closer%27s+the+closer+because+he%27s+the+closer%22&pg=PT149&printsec=frontcover]
Link to line’s EW wiki entry [https://effectivelywild.fandom.com/wiki/The_Closer_Is_the_Closer]
Link to Lidge’s SABR bio [https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/brad-lidge/]
Link to postseason saves leaders [https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/sharing/0OPfB]
Link to best post-’88 RP seasons [https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&lg=all&type=8&month=0&ind=1&stats=rel&startdate=&enddate=&qual=0&season1=1988&season=2026]
Link to Pujols homer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsEuTYbDRwE]
Link to 2008 WS victory [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-dJtmTbvNY]
Link to Episode 2323 [https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2323-look-mascot-no-pants/]
Link to Wood’s HR [https://www.mlb.com/video/jr-ritchie-in-play-run-s-to-james-wood]
Link to Ritchie game story [https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48573771/braves-jr-ritchie-rebounds-first-pitch-hr-wins-debut]
Link to Yankees jerseys report 1 [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7217246/2026/04/22/yankees-players-alternate-road-jerseys/]
Link to Yankees jerseys report 2 [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7222735/2026/04/23/yankees-alternate-jerseys-decision-timetable/]
Link to Yankees jerseys report 3 [https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-players-propose-alternate-road-jerseys]
Link to jersey number history [https://books.google.com/books?id=j_zNttV8VSwC&lpg=PP1&vq=jersey%20number&pg=PA319#v=onepage&q&f=false]
Link to Gilbert “catch” [https://bsky.app/profile/cjzero.bsky.social/post/3mk4d6zhfzc2w]
Link to Gilbert “catch” rules [https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/106429/bsb-the-moral-arc-of-rule-5-09a/]
Link to Vargas “accidental” challenge [https://bsky.app/profile/themetsnewsletter.com/post/3mk6xmlupm22m]
Link to Gonzales “accidental” challenge [https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=b21e7051-d486-3b66-bd09-9d40c72302f9]
Link to Martin-Davis smooch [https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1su6y9j/white_sox_pitcher_davis_martin_practices_kissing/]
Link to Soriano’s six-start stretches [https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jose-soriano/22100/graphs?position=P&statArr=118&legend=1%2C2&split=base&time=game&ymin=&ymax=&start=2024&end=2026&rtype=mult>1=6&dStatArray=]
Link to Soriano’s 2025 stretch [https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&month=1000&ind=0&startdate=2025-06-04&enddate=2025-07-03&season1=&season=&team=0&players=22100]
Link to Soriano’s 2026 stretch [https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&month=0&ind=0&startdate=&enddate=&team=0&players=22100&season1=2026&season=2026]
Link to exit velo responsibility [https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-baseballs-exit-velocity-is-five-parts-hitter-one-part-pitcher/]
Link to Soriano article 1 [https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-soriano-start-against-blue-jays]
Link to Betteridge’s law 1 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines]
Link to Soriano article 2 [https://www.mlb.com/angels/news/jose-soriano-breakdown-april-2026]
Link to follow-up McLean report [https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-nolan-mclean-good-citizen-021454904.html]
Link to fastest team improvements data [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VFd6_vIFrbD4-7gyoOv7jVcI_VEPvjcpRPHBb7ZUknQ/edit?usp=sharing]
Link to 2018 archaeoLidgey article [https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/09/27/brad-lidge-archaeology/81688004007/]
Link to 2026 archaeoLidgey article [https://www.penn.museum/blog/major-league-archaeology/]
Link to Lidge Explorers Club [https://50.explorers.org/community/brad-lidge/]
Link to Poggio Civitate wiki [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poggio_Civitate]
Link to Under the Tuscan Sun wiki [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Tuscan_Sun_(film)]
Link to Etruscan civilization wiki [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan_civilization]
Link to Roman Empire meme [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/how-often-do-you-think-about-the-roman-empire]
Link to Lidge’s publications [https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Brad-Lidge-2311756295]
Link to Lidge’s dice paper [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400918910_The_Sacred_and_the_Mundane_Divergent_Dice_from_Poggio_Civitate]
Link to North American dice article 1 [https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121072]
Link to North American dice article 2 [https://theconversation.com/archaeologists-have-discovered-12-000-year-old-dice-heres-what-they-reveal-about-the-history-of-play-280545]
Link to Ben on Detectorists [https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/15/tv/detectorists-mackenzie-crook]
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Source [https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2470-the-closer-who-became-an-archaeo-lidge-ist/]