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.
Tag Archives: baseball
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.
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.
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.
Timmy now looks like Harry; Hates In-N-Out now
Chad talks to San Francisco Giants’ 2 time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum about his off-season training regimen, if the Giants have a target on their back, timing differential between his fastball and changeup, his new haircut, and why he’s not eating In-N-Out burgers anymore.
Episode 40: The MadBum Episode and WORLD FREAKIN’ SERIES Preview
Willie, Ben and Chad get together for a NLCS review that just blew everyone’s pants off, followed by questioning the meaning of life and how the frick the Giants pulled off 6 consecutive elimination game wins. Oh yeah, we talk a little World Series Preview and about that Verlander guy…he’s pretty good.
Talking Points
- Um, how’d that happen?! 3 consecutive wins vs Cin, and 3 consecutive wins vs STL, first team to win 6 consecutive elimination games to reach WS
The Week In Review
- Giants won their 5th consecutive NLCS (62, 89, 02, 10, 12)
- Hunter Pence’s magical triple-double
- Where were you during NLCS Games 5-7?
The BIG Question
- Can the Giants hit Verlander?
- Will Bumgarner do well, if not, Giants could be down 2-0.
ArmChair Manager
- Lincecum in pen? Rotation: Zito, Bum, Vogey, Cain.
Tweet At Me, Bruh
- @hankschulman: Seriously, folks who still insist Gs should add Melky now need to study his departure and what the team has done since, or just stop talking
Our New Favorite Guy
- Zito: Chad
- Scutaro: Willie
We Should Hate This Guy
- Chad: Most of the national media, who continually put the Giants as the underdog.
- Willie: the twitter handle https://twitter.com/BestFansStLouis
Why We Will Win It All
- Beat Verlander like Lee and Halladay in 2010, and in the previous 3 World Series that featured an LCS that swept vs a team that won in 7, the team that went 7 won all 3 times. LA vs Oak 1988, Cards vs Tigers ’06, Red Sox v Rockies ’07
- Sloppy Joes at Zeke’s cannot lose
Filed under Episodes
Episode 39: The Roberto Kelly Playoff Special
The three of us finally get together since they clinched the NL West, and it appeared that this would be a post-mortem episode they way the Cincinnatti series started. Alas, the black and orange comeback kids have extended their season against another magical comeback team, the St. Louis Cardinals.
Willie, Chad and Ben review the NLDS, criticize Dusty Baker for his managerial moves or non-moves in Game 5, and discuss how the Giants won the series, despite getting out-hit and out-pitched.
All 3 of us predict the Giants will beat the Cardinals in 6, but Chad thinks the series may go 9 games due to the nature of both teams’ inability to quit.
With magic on both sides, it may be Harry Potter vs. Voldemort.
TortureCast Goes to the PressBox…wait…WTF?! And “Bonusode” 38.5
Click above, right here, that little arrow, to play our “Bonusode” 38.5 from 9/20/12.
The article below, written by Chad King, summarizes his thoughts about the TortureCast’s trip to the Giants’ press box during the Rockies/Giants game on September 20, 2012, 2 days before the Giants clinched the NL West. Excuse the USA Today writing style, but it was written and submitted to a local newspaper.
The podcast embedded above was recorded by Willie and Chad right after the game.
Enjoy!
Confessions of a Press Box Rookie
Chad King
So why was a marine biologist suddenly thrust into the world of sports journalism? Much like George Costanza followed his lust for a woman who was worried about a beached whale in “Seinfeld,” I was coerced by my love for writing, podcasting, and the Giants.
Podcasting is a relatively new form of media. Anyone with a recording device and an internet connection can record and upload spoken words for the potential of millions to listen to. Many are trying and become the next Walter Cronkite or Ryan Seacrest (laugh track). I aspire to become neither. I follow my passion for parenting, gaming and the San Francisco Giants through podcasting. A trained sports journalist or radio DJ, I am not. Neither are most of those who occupy those professions, however.
As a co-host of “The TortureCast,” we’ve always had a passion for the Giants. A passion that has taken me and my two co-hosts to commit hours of pre-show research and preparation, hour long recordings, and hours of audio and website editing. There’s something to be said about the passion of the knowledgeable fan.
The San Francisco Giants recognized something within this passion and granted media credentials to the three of us to cover the Giants-Rockies game on September 20. Typically, Major League Baseball teams only grant media passes to “legitimate” media. We were officially legitimate media, if only for a day. With copious notes from hours of research, we hit the press room like kindergartners on the first day of school. We didn’t ask questions of manager Bruce Bochy in the pregame conference in the dugout nor the postgame conference, and pretty much relegated ourselves to scoring the game, tweeting satirical updates while consuming massive amounts of free caffeine. We gawked at KNBR broadcasters taking seconds in the media dining room, and tried to take “illegal” photos with our smart phones in the press box while skirting Major League Baseball’s official media dress code.
And yet, this was more of a service to the fans than what I saw around me as nine innings of baseball unfolded within the confines of the press box. First, I saw some journalists playing solitaire over several innings, many seasoned professionals reporting incorrect statistics, and found the “TortureCast” crew answering questions rhetorically asked by 30 year veterans such as, “how many homeruns did Buster Posey have coming into today?”
Although this day will be one of the most memorable in the “sports” section of my gray matter, one of the reporters left me with this little nugget: “The only thing that separates the sports writer from a truly knowledgeable fan is the credentials.”
Maybe George Costanza was more qualified that we give him credit for.
Episode 38: The Brian Wilson Episode
Chad finally podcasted without sleeping children upstairs, so he was a little boisterous in this one.
We talk about the Giants’ recent success, Dodgers recent failures, and the cautious optimism for the Giants clinching their 2nd NL West title in the last 3 years.
Talking Points
- On May 26th the Giants were 7.5 games back. Since then, they’ve gone 57-39 and reversed this margin +.5 game. Not. Too. Shabby. Conversely, the bums are 43-54 since lighting up the easiest schedule in the west early.
- Even if LAD went 19-0, the Giants would have to go 13-6, not impossible. If the Giants play 9-10 ball, Dodgers have to go 16-3 to tie
- Dodgers are 28-35 vs West, Giants are 9 games better
The Week In Review
- Giants take 2 of 3 from LA, could have been a sweep
- Giants dominant on road again, winning 12 of their last 15, and 21-7 since break
The BIG Question
- What’s going on with Panda? 3 XBH in a month since coming off the DL. 0-10 in COLORADO
- Is Posey MVP? Sports Illustrated thinks so
ArmChair Manager
- Would you sit Vogelsong for a start? 9+ ERA in last 6 starts, even he thinks he’s pitching like crap
Tweet At Me, Bruh
- “Brandon McCarthy @BMcCarthy32: With this sweet new haircut and homemade Bane mask I’m off for a big day of yelling at tourists in Union Square.”
- CSNBaggs: Well-traveled Scutaro ‘would love to’ re-sign with Giants: When Marco Scutaro first learned of his trade from Co… http://t.co/9fhyVeTb
Our New Favorite Guy
- Aubrey Huff for a couple of nice PH singles in COL, jovial enthusiasm in the dugout when he hurt his hand slapping Theriot in the ass.
- Jeff Kent, he’s on survivor yo!
- Ryan Vogelsong, because Josh Farenbaugh won a contest
We Should Hate This Guy
- Aaron Rogers for backing out of a bet with Boyz II Men. He was supposed to wear a Niner jersey this week
- Matt Kemp, because…Matt Kemp.
Why We Will Win It All
- No collapse in the last 19 games, take care of the Reds, repeat Cody Ross in NLCS and get the Blarney Stone flown over to SF for the World Series?
- National’s General Manager Mike Rizzo
- THIRTEEEEEEEEN
Filed under Episodes




