Tag Archives: Boston Red Sox

Episode #188: Is this Real Life?

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Madison Bumgarner signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in December. The Giants lost their ace and may face him up to 5 times each the next 5 seasons.

You can download the episode here, or stream it below!

Happy New Year! Oh, and the 49ers are in the Super Bowl!!

We last recorded in November, and WOW, what a difference a holiday season can make. MadBum signed with Arizona, the cheating scandal saw three managers and a GM get fired, Farhan Zaidi is acquiring young talent faster than his hairline is receding. Eric and I talk about the off-season moves, the Hall of Fame vote, the mostly brand-new coaching staff, including the first MLB full-time female coach, Vegas doesn’t like the Giants, and much more in this episode of TortureCast!

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Episode #127: We Called This Episode 128

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Remember this? Yeah, it’s about the only real memorable contribution made by Connor Gillaspie, who was DFA’s by the Giants yesterday. But, oh what a moment it was. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

You can download the episode here, or stream it below!

So, we lost track of the number. 127, 128…it’s about the same difference as in Matt Moore’s expected and real ERA.

Speaking of Moore, we talk about the huge disappointment he’s been, among other Giants. They are flirting with a 100 loss season, but are throwing in the towel with the youth movement, DFA’ing Connor Gillaspie, sending down Hwang, and calling up Suarez, Jones, Parker and others. If Beede and Arroyo weren’t hurt, we just might have the RiverCats playing out the rest of the Giants’ season!

And yes, we talk about the reunion with the Panda, and trading away a solid player in Eduardo Nunez to the Red Sox for some pocket lint that may not amount to anything.

At least we can look forward to 2034?

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Burn Your Panda Hat, Unless You Just Bought It

“Thank you, San Francisco. I can’t sell more than the three rings, as seller Bl0

So, why did you just buy that hat? Ok, so maybe you caught the bandwagon.

So, we say that facetiously.

No, we here at TortureCast don’t hate pandas, as they’re endangered. And no, we don’t hate Pablo Sandoval.

But, we are puzzled by his decision. I think, like most Giants fans, and even the media, we thought, if the Giants offered close to top dollar, which by all accounts they were within a couple million total from Boston’s offer, he would easily sign with the Giants. And why wouldn’t you? Guaranteed money. Adored by the fans. Go into a slump for 2 months? No problem! We just throw on our Panda hats; we got your back! Oh, and there’s the three rings, too.

Boston is NOT San Francisco. If, and I mean, IF, Panda under-performs in Beantown, no one will be smiling and cheering for him while a dead panda is strapped to their head.

However, that last point sounds nice as a fan, but as a job seeker, have you ever thought to yourself, “Jeez, I don’t know if I should take this job because those people may not like me if I suck?” Of course NOT! Professional athletes have egos of the combined mass of all egos of internet trolls within a 6-node circumference. Rest assured, Pablo has all of the confidence in the world that he will perform well in Boston, so the fan-ramifications of his potential disappointment is not a consideration. Otherwise, Pablo would probably have a different career at this point.

So, why did Pablo leave his heart in San Francisco?

We don’t know, really. We can only surmise. The foremost thoughts are that he can eventually DH in the American League. At 39 years old, David Ortiz is looking for an heir apparent, and apparently, he courted Pablo during his recent visit to Boston. Seems like a good plan, right?

Let me ask you this: if you were offered $100k per year to work 8 hours a day and ALWAYS be physically active at your job, you’d take it, right? Of course, that’s good money! Well, what if another company called and said that you could earn $100k a year for the first 2 or 3 years, working hard at both ends, but in a while, you could move up to the cushy executive pad and only put in roughly, a 5 hour day for the same money? Yeah, I’d take that, too!

Granted, Pablo takes pride in his defense, and he proved it by making the final 3 for the Gold Glove award this year. However, he’s young and looking toward the future, and his future entails 4-5 at bats and nothing more.

Disrespect. Ok, so, I’m not agreeing with this one, but there are reports that the Giants disrespected Pablo by not extending his contract to the likes of Pence, Posey, Bumgarner and Cain. There is some validity to that, but there is validity to the Giants not wanting to throw $100 million towards the more athletic version of John Candy. Those others have had no question about their training habits and physique. Pablo, no matter how physically gifted, tends to throw down a few more Big Macs than his teammates, something most of us can relate to. (I’m looking at you!).

Ultimately, it was Pablo’s decision, and I don’t blame the Giants for not offering $20 million above market, as that would be shooting their own foot and slicing the tendons off with a blade fashioned from the said leg they just shot off, which makes no sense, by the way, unless you’ve just been bitten by a walker and need to cure yourself and fashion a weapon immediately.

Now the Giants have about $100 million ($20 million per year for 5 years) that they can commit to one or more players. Clearly third base is a hole, and NO, BUSTER POSEY WILL NOT PLAY THIRD! So, aside from Joaquin Arias, the logical choice would be Cuban free agent Yasmany Tomas, or Chase Headley. These options make me sad, so…

I’ll turn your attention to starting pitching. The Giants NEED starters, and who better to take up Pablo’s would-be contract than Jon Lester?!

Or, perhaps, a new kale garden to keep the sell-out streak going.

So, this is like, the last time Pablo touched a ball for the SF Giants:

Yep. Last MLB player to touch a ball in official play until April.

Chad

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Episode 22: “The One-Game Postseason”

A little late posting due to technical difficulties, so it’ll be a double TortureCast weekend.  More torture for everyone!

This week (or rather last week) Chad and Ben get together and discuss the hurriedly revamped MLB Wild Card structure and its implications for teams that make it as the Wild Card.  They also discuss alcohol in the Red Sox clubhouse, Sergio Romo (because he’s Sergio Romo), the first week of Spring Training games, astronomy, and Pilates.

SFG article on Bryan Stow’s moving to new rehab facility

San Jose Inside article on Giants-A’s territorial rights battle

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