Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the major leagues’ sudden influx of 24-year-old right-handed pitchers with the surname “Miller,” the Rays’ surprisingly precarious position in the AL East (7:48), and the Cubs, the Brewers, and the state of the NL Central (12:45), before focusing their bat-resuscitating powers on Trea Turner (17:22), with almost immediate effect. Then they talk to David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic performer, Gritty co-conceiver, frequent team mascot consultant, and founder of the Mascot Boot Camp and Mascot Hall of Fame, about all of their mascot questions, the mascot design process, and what it’s like to be inside a mascot costume, plus updates and a Past Blast from 2011 (1:26:54).

Audio interstitial: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG preseason top prospects

Link to The Board

Link to article about Bryce Miller

Link to LPGA naming convention

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to BP on the Rays-Jays blowout

Link to BaseRuns standings

Link to high-leverage pitching splits

Link to FG pitching clutch

Link to pitching LOB%

Link to Turner quote

Link to Meg’s mascot rant

Link to NYTM on Raymond

Link to Gritty on Twitter

Link to info on Slider

Link to Dinger assault story

Link to Dandy wiki

Link to Mascot HoF wiki

Link to Mascot HoF ballot

Link to Raymond Entertainment site

Link to David’s speaking site

Link to David’s book

Link to 2011 Past Blast source

Link to 2012 HS bat change

Link to more info on bat change

Link to latest college HR uptick

Link to David Lewis’s Twitter

Link to David Lewis’s Substack

Link to Turner’s homer

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