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Welcome to the latest episode of Hot Takedown, FiveThirtyEight’s sports podcast. On this week’s show (May 10, 2016), we break down the Chicago Cubs’ start to the season and ask if they have the potential to become the G.O.A.T. Then, we talk about the WNBA and ask Kate Fagan why so many star players have to travel overseas in the off-season. Finally, “Whiz Kid” Harry Enten makes his Hot Takedown debut to talk to Neil Paine about the fallibility of predictions in sports and politics. Plus, a significant digit on the winning percentage of National League teams in interleague play.
- FiveThirtyEight’s Rob Arthur says the Cubs’ start to the season is even more dominant than it seems.
- And Dave Cameron at FanGraphs says this Cubs team looks pretty much perfect.
- ESPN Stats and Info breaks down whether a 24-6 start portends a championship.
- You can subscribe to Joe Sheehan’s baseball newsletter, which Chad mentions, here.
- FiveThirtyEight’s Elo rankings for the best baseball teams of all time.
- Kate Fagan went to Russia to write about WNBA stars who play overseas in the off-season.
- And here’s Kate again on why Diana Taurasi’s decision not to play in the 2015 WNBA should have sparked clearer thinking about salaries.
- Deadspin breaks down the Collective Bargaining Agreement that leads many players to seek riches overseas.
- The Washington Examiner asks what Donald Trump’s rise has to do with Leicester City.
- Harry Enten tells us the four things he learned from Donald Trump’s primary victory.
- Significant Digit: 58.1 percent. That’s the winning percentage of National League teams against their American League counterparts so far this season. The last time the National League finished above .500 for a full season against the American League was in 2003.
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