Effectively Wild Episode 2470: The Closer Who Became an Archaeo-Lidge-ist

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon. Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether JR Ritchie should want to keep the ball that was hit for a homer on his first major league pitch, José Soriano&#8217;s season-starting hot streak, and the Yankees&#8217; new alternate uniforms, plus follow-ups on accidental challenges, player pecks on the cheek, jersey numbers, and Nolan McLean&#8217;s apology, and a mini-Blast about the Rockies&#8217; 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. An infamous manager once proclaimed, &#8220;The closer is the closer because he&#8217;s the closer.&#8221; 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&#8217;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&#8217;s moneyball, and much more, followed by his thoughts on fellow fastball-slider artist Mason Miller. Audio&nbsp;intro: PJ Harding, &#8220;Effectively Wild Theme&#8221; Audio&nbsp;outro: Philip Bergman, &#8220;Effectively Wild Theme&#8221; Link to The Only Rule closer line Link to line&#8217;s EW wiki entry Link to Lidge&#8217;s SABR bio Link to postseason saves leaders Link to best post-&#8217;88 RP seasons Link to Pujols homer Link to 2008 WS victory Link to Episode 2323 Link to Wood&#8217;s HR Link to Ritchie game story Link to Yankees jerseys report 1 <a href="https://www.nytimes.