Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about all aspects of the Home Run Derby spectator experience, both in the ballpark and from afar: the new format, the Netflix broadcast, the Philly fans, Jordan Walker’s win, and more. Then (49:12) they discuss how All-Star selections increasingly reflect same-season performance, Bruce Meyer’s and Rob Manfred’s comments to the MLBPA, negotiations over MLB players’ participation in the 2028 Olympics, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ceddanne Rafaela’s mutual lovefest, and the ice-cold A’s and red-hot Red Sox.

Audio outro: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG HRD recap

Link to LHB-heavy preview

Link to MLB HRD notes

Link to LHB park factors

Link to RHB park factors

Link to “Year of the LHH” post

Link to MLB.com on Walker

Link to list of youngest HRD winners

Link to Walker on inspirational value

Link to historical HRD results

Link to McGwire Simpsons scene

Link to Marchand on Netflix

Link to Sam on the Derby’s future

Link to HRD X wiki

Link to Meg’s Arozarena photo

Link to Posnanski on the HRD

Link to Philly Drew/batteries incident

Link to Philly Santa Claus incident

Link to Paine on All-Star selections

Link to past EW discussion on selections

Link to Manfred competitive balance quote

Link to Meyer on MLB.TV ads

Link to Passan on the Olympics

Link to Drellich on the Olympics

Link to The West Wing quote

Link to Rafaela/PCA article

Link to FG WAR leaderboard

Link to playoff odds changes

Link to A’s firing article

Link to team road FIP

Link to team home FIP

Link to team batting WAR

Link to Sheehan on the Sox

Link to conn wiki

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