Author Archives: TortureCast

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About TortureCast

The podcast by and for fans of the San Francisco Giants, hosted weekly by our duo of Chad King and Eric Nathanson.
by | April 9, 2013 · 10:55 PM

Episode 44: The Willie McCovey Episode

Stretch

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It’s been a while, but the boys are back with the first podcast of the 2013 regular season.

Talking Points

  • Giants return with 21 of 25 members from the 2012 WS team
  • Surprise guys who made the team, Nick Noonan and Guillermo Quiroz
  • We talk a bit about our amazing experience at Media Day in February, and the opportunity to interview many of the Giants players. (if you missed it, go to our YouTube channel for the treasure trove of video interviews with Posey, Lincecum, Belt, Crawford, Zito, Romo, Bochy)

The Week in Review

  • Giants first week of the 2013 season and they go 4-3, taking 2 of 3 from LA and losing the last 2 to StL, and winning the first one from Colorado.
  • Pence is HAWT: 3 HRs in the first 7 games, .292
  • Lots of cold hitters: Scutaro, Posey, Belt, Torres all under .200  

The Big Question

  • Any concern about Cain or Vogelsong or Lincecum? Nahhhh

Armchair Manager

  • Would you have pulled Cain earlier on Sunday?

Tweet At Me, Bruh

  • Chad: “Bay Area Sports Guy @BASportsGuy Get me some shots of sad cheerleaders, stat! AND Wendy Thurm @hangingsliders: Obligatory sad cheerleader photo dot tumblr”
  • Willie: @Nicolevolgelsong is now following us, we win

Our New Favorite Guy

  • Willie: Chad Gaudin – great pickup, really good stuff and looks like he’ll be a fixture in the pen this year
  • Chad: NICK NOONAN! first hit and fun name
  • Ben: Brandon Crawford, Honorary Mention: Aubrey Huff

We Should Hate This Guy

  • Chad: The designer for the Giants WS Gold jerseys…SF logo on a HOME jersey?
  • Willie: Clayton Kershaw
  • Ben: Jose Castillo

Why We Will Win It All

  • Chad: Because they have home gold jerseys with the SF on the chest
  • Willie: This team should be better with no Huff, Torres back and Lincecum should at least be better than last year, full season of Pence and Zito having a resurgence
  • Ben: SMALL SAMPLE SIZE

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

We also have a new TortureCast Mug for sale on Zazzle!

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by | April 1, 2013 · 6:27 PM

Clayton Kersaw is Leading the Giants by 1 Game

I think Kershaw closed his eyes on this swing

So today didn’t go quite as we all would have liked, and no, it was not an April Fools’ joke. Take solace in the fact that Clayton Kershaw beat the Giants, with his masterful pitching, and of course, his first career MLB home run off of Kontos in the bottom of the eighth to break a scoreless tie. Entering today’s game, Kershaw owned a 1.37 career ERA versus the Giants, and obviously lowered it by pitching a complete game shutout today.

Who knows what would have happened if Bochy had brought in Affeldt in the 8th instead of sticking with Kontos (Affeldt was warming up in the 7th, and the Dodgers had 2 lefties to lead off the eighth). I bring this up because I saw some buzz on Twitter (clearly full of even-tempered Giants fans) already chastising Bochy’s first non-move of the season. Kontos was solid in the 7th, and hey, shit happens. Yeah, Kershaw ain’t Don Robinson, Matt Cain, or Babe Ruth with the lumber, but every dog has his day, even at the plate.

The bullpen effort was a bit of a comedy show in the eighth, with a wild pitch, a walk, a botched bunt coverage, a hit batsman, extra base hits, and of course, the Kershaw home run, all leading to 4 runs, but they’ll be fine. There’s always more focus on the results of the first day of the season. It’s like a new toy you unwrapped as a kid at Christmas. You love it, caress it, play the hell out of it for the first hour or two before it usually ends up lost or in the toy bin to only get a little attention from time-to-time.

I mean, both the Astros and Dodgers are in first place right now. That won’t last long, right?

How to comfort the black and orange faithful out there:

  • The first game of the season is the equivalent to the first 18 SECONDS of an NBA game
  • The D’backs swept the Giants to open the 2012 season (and look what happened)
  • The Giants lost their first game against the Dodgers in 2012 (9-1) and lost 2 of 3 in that first series (and look what happened)
  • Panda went 2-4 and played good defense today (elbow, elbow, elbow)
  • Posey cut down a speedy Crawford attempting to steal third
  • Pence hit one to the left field wall
  • Posey lined out hard to third base that would have set up second and third with one out
  • Despite a tough first inning (29 pitches), Matt Cain looked solid out there, delivering 6 innings of shut out ball
  • I nice stiff rum and coke (or three)

Let’s hope the G-men can get back on track tomorrow.

Chad

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by | March 30, 2013 · 1:02 PM

Your #28 Giants Jersey is good through 2021

Posey can buy lots of jerseys for us, probably every fan to walk through the gates of AT&T.

Yesterday the Giants made sure that my Buster Posey jersey will not go out of date until the year 2021. Who cares about the money? It’s financially the equivalent to me as earning the Nobel Peace Prize; it’s out of the realm of possibility and into fantasy.

(view our interview with Buster Posey in February below)

Inevitably people will know the value of this deal, but I’ve had a completely opposite visceral reaction that I had to the Zito signing in 2006. At that time, I assumed Zito was on the downtrend of his career, and the Giants were overpaying for a “former” Cy Young award winner. However, even though Posey’s contract is bigger that Zito’s, I completely approve of it, as do many Giants fans and national baseball writers. How can you say no to the reigning MVP, batting title winner, Comeback Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. This often used stat really rings true, the SF Giants are 2 for 2 in World Series championship years with Posey and 0 for 53 without him.

I’m sure that later in his tenure with the Giants, he’ll be playing first base and DH in interleague games, and perhaps he won’t be today’s Posey in year 9 of this deal. However, even if the Giants don’t win another World Series while Posey is here, and even if he performs under our expectations in the second half of his deal, it’s still a worthy payment to a man who has helped bring 2 championships to the great city of San Francisco. That’s worth something, isn’t it?

Chad

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Video

Brandon Belt is a “low-energy” guy, Still Loves Olive Garden

Chad and Willie talk to San Francisco Giants first baseman, Brandon Belt at Giants’ “Media Day” about the Olive Garden, his nickname “Sparky,” the sight of all the baby giraffe hats in the stands, staying consistently calm, and the influence of Will Clark and JT Snow in the clubhouse.

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by | February 17, 2013 · 8:21 AM
Video

Zito Still Won’t Tweet, but Likes #RallyZito

Willie asks San Francisco Giants’ Pitcher Barry Zito about his awareness of #RallyZito, the fan support during the playoffs (Twitter is still not for Zito), and how the hell he got a hit off of Justin Verlander in the World Series.

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by | February 10, 2013 · 9:58 AM
Video

Brian Sabean Looks Like he Wants to Kill Willie, But Still Answers his Questions…

Willie leads of questioning about a recent Dodger signing that Ned Coletti had never seen, and then asks Sabean about the possibility of Brian Wilson coming back, as Bruce Bochy mentioned that he thought it was possible. Sabean essentially shut the door on his return, saying that Wilson’s camp is trying to get a large contract, while the Giants are seeking an incentive-based contract, and he doesn’t see it working out. They are in constant touch, as the Giants are still in charge of Wilson’s rehab.

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by | February 10, 2013 · 9:50 AM
Video

Questions We Didn’t Ask Giants Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong

The TortureCast crew didn’t ask most of the questions this time, but here are several minutes from Ryan Vogelsong, taped at Media Day at AT&T Park.

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by | February 10, 2013 · 9:23 AM
Video

As a Kid, Brandon Crawford Imagined being a Long-haired Shortstop for the Giants

Chad and Willie talk to San Francisco Giants shortstop, Brandon Crawford at Giants’ “Media Day” about growing up a Giants fan and imagining winning the World Series as their shortstop, how he celebrated the Super Bowl, and more.

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by | February 9, 2013 · 10:02 AM
by | February 9, 2013 · 2:13 AM

Bruce Bochy References “Weekend at Bernie’s;” Points to Sparky

Chad and Willie talk to San Francisco Giants Manager Bruce Bochy at Giants’ “Media Day” about the calming effect of Hunter Pence’s speeches, how he wasn’t planning on driving the 49ers down Market Street, the honor of managing for the Giants, and how Brandon Belt reminds him of Bernie from “Weekend at Bernies”

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Video

Buster Posey has a Baby Face; Wants a “Catcher Face” (Interview)

Chad and Willie talk to San Francisco Giants catcher and 2012 NL MVP, Buster Posey at Giants’ “Media Day” about his ankle injury, how the last pitch of the World Series was called, he thinks he needs a “catcher face,” the calming effect of Hunter Pence’s speeches, how he was pulling for the 49ers in the Super Bowl, and how he imagined himself as a pitcher in the major leagues when he was a kid.

 

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by | February 9, 2013 · 1:26 AM