Tag Archives: bruce bochy

Episode #295: Soler Power

Jorge Soler is introduced to the media at Spring Training on February 18, 2024. Photo by Andy Kuno.

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The Giants officially opened up spring training this week, and we had a lot to catch up on. First and foremost, the Giants plugged in some desperately needed power by signing Jorge Soler to a 3 year, $42 million contract. He’s slotted to bat fourth and be the Giants’ primary DH. Zaidi also said that they are essentially “done” with acquisitions and trades for now, although Blake Snell is still sitting out there as a prized free agent, not to mention Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger. The Giants traded Ross Stripling to Oakland, but their opening day rotation looks a little light. Perhaps the Giants will stand pat with signing Jordan Hicks, who will become a starter after a long stint as a flame-throwing reliever, along with a trio of young starters, until Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray come off the injury shelf. Hey, the Panda is back! But, don’t expect him to make the roster out of spring training. We also talk about numbers, jerseys, and a LOT of 49ers talk.

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Episode #293: Shohei, hei, hey…wait a minute?!

FU#%!

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Not that we’re shocked, but the greatest unicorn player since Babe Ruth and most prized free agent in…well, maybe forever, decided that his services should stay in southern California but with the Bums. That’s right, the ONE team we didn’t want to see him go to was the Dodgers. $700 million over 10 years. The richest sports contract in history. The Giants were reportedly on the outside of the 3 finalists, which were Toronto, Anaheim, and LA, so they didn’t really have a chance in the end. Where do the Giants pivot? There is still a lot of talent out there, and signing a few all-starts versus one unicorn can still be a better value deal, despite missing on the marketing opportunities (which, by the way, may pay for most of Ohtani’s contract in LA).

Chad and Eric try and point the ship in the right direction for the Giants to sail, but seeing Ohtani in Dodger blue for the next 10 years has us….concerned to say the least. We review the available free agents, whom the Giants have signed, yet-to-be-signed arbitration-eligible players, and review the 2023 baseball awards.

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Episode #292: New Skipper, Who ‘Dis?

Bob Melvin was announced as the new manager for the San Francisco Giants today, October 25, 2023. In a surprising development, the Padres gave permission to the Giants to interview Melvin, the former Giants’ catcher. AP Photo/Eric Reisberg

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Once we heard that the San Diego Padres gave the Giants permission to speak with Bob Melvin, we knew it was just a matter of days before Melvin was signed and announced as the 39th manager in franchise history. That was made official this morning with an introductory press conference. What a strange turn of events. On July 18, the Giants were 1.5 games back of the Dodgers for the NL West, and had a firm grip on the #1 wild card seed. A few months later, not only is Gabe Kapler fired, but the manager of the All-star-studded Padres bailed ship with a year left on his contract for the Giants. Sounds similar to another ex-catcher and Padres manager that came north, eh? Chad and Eric review the positives and the challenges of the Melvin signing, and the fact that Farhan Zaidi was extended through 2026. Also, Bruce Bochy did it again! After winning Game 7 of the ALCS against another former Giants manager in Dusty Baker, he is now 6-0 in winner-take-all games, and it was his 13th managerial victory in an elimination game. Of course, 6 of those came in the 2012 postseason alone! We preview the matchup between Bochy’s Rangers and the speedy, 84-win Diamondbacks, who edged out Philly in 7 games. So much to talk about!

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Episode #291: Bochy vs. Dusty

Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker will be facing each other in the ALCS, but it’s not the first time they’ve met in the playoffs. The Giants famously came back from an 0-2 deficit to Dusty’s Reds in 2012 after “Preacher” Pence inspired the team to not quit.

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

The Championship Series are set, and we find two ex-Giants’ managers against each other in the American League with Texas vs Houston, while the powerhouse Braves and Dodgers were eliminated in the division series, leaving the upstart Diamondbacks against the slugging Phillies in the National League. The teams with the best five best records in the regular season went 1-13 in the playoffs! Willie, Chad, and Eric review the first two rounds, but focus on the Dodgers’ failures, and the matchup between Bochy and Dusty. We touch on the Giant’s managerial search and offer our opinions of what they need to look for in a candidate, and we make our LCS and World Series picks.

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Episode #267: Texas Ranger Bochy

Bruce Bochy was introduced as the next manager for the Texas Rangers earlier today (October 24, 2022). He signed a 3-year deal. The Rangers visit Oracle park Aug 11-13, 2023. That’ll be fun!

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

All three hosts have a very lively conversation about the Astros and Phillies in the World Series, and how the Phillies’ run is reminiscent of the 2014 Giants. Eric really, really hates the Astros, btw. Bruce Bochy comes out of retirement to become the next manager of the Texas Rangers (BTW, Rangers visit Oracle next Aug 11-13). Pete Putila is the new Giants’ GM, and Zaidi promises to be “very active” this offseason, with reports that they are targeting Aaron Judge and Trea Turner. This and Eric’s epic entry and run in a World Poker Tour 5 Diamond tournament at the Bellagio last week!

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Episode #188: Is this Real Life?

bumgarnerdbacks

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.

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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 #187: The Kapler Era Begins

Gabe Kapler

New Giants manager Gabe Kapler positing on the the field at Oracle Park on the day he was introduced to the press on November 13, 2019. Photo by Eric Risberg, The Associated Press. All rights reserved

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We told you we would be back when the manager was hired. What we didn’t foresee is the hiring of a controversial manager, a new GM, the loss of two HUGE Giants, the 2019 season awards, and a cheating scandal that is rocking the baseball world ALL THIS WEEK! Boy, did we have a lot to talk about in this meaty episode!

We dive into the controversial hiring of Gabe Kapler, the hiring of Scott Harris as the GM, Will Smith signed a three year, $40 million deal with Atlanta, Bumgarner officially declined his qualifying offer from the Giants, all of the season awards, and the Astros sign-stealing scandal that is likely to alter the course of Astros history going forward.

You may disagree with some of our opinions about Kapler. Let us know your thoughts on this topic, we’d love to dissect them in the next show!

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Episode #185: The World Series is Set

jose-altuve-inline

Jose Altuve moments after hitting a homerun off of Yankees’ closer Aroldis Chapman that sent the Astros to the World Series to face the Washington Nationals. Photo from Sports Illustrated.

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Jose Altuve won it for the Astros with a dramatic pennant-winning homerun in the bottom of the ninth to send them to the World Series to face the up and coming Washington Nationals who surprisingly swept the Cardinals. It’s the first such pennant-clinching homerun since Travis Ishikawa did so for the Giants against the Cardinals in 2014. Let’s just thank the baseball gods that it’s not a Dodgers-Yankees World Series!!

Chad and Eric review the league championship series, the latest in the rumor mill of potential Giants’ managers, Arizona Fall League developments, the passing of an MLB umpire that just worked the AL division series, and talk about Chad’s latest deep sea adventures.

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Episode #184: Schadenfreude

MLB: NLDS-Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw contemplates what happened after another postseason implosion. Kershaw gave up back to back homeruns on consecutive pitches in the 8th inning, tying the game at 3. The Dodgers later lost the game 7-3 in 10 innings. (Credit:Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

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

Schadenfreude (/ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə/German: [ˈʃaːdn̩ˌfʁɔʏ̯də] (About this soundlisten)lit. ‘harm-joy’) is the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another.

This is what us Giants fans experienced on Wednesday night. Despite seven consecutive NL West titles, despite a club-record 106 wins, despite setting a record for homeruns, the LA Dodgers somehow did NOT win the World Series. Clayton Kershaw, the anti-Bumgarner of the playoffs, entered with a 3-1 lead in the 8th inning of game 5 versus the Nationals and promptly gave up back to back homeruns on consecutive pitches, the second time he has done that in the playoffs. He’s never done that in all of his years of the regular season.

As we dance on the graves of the 2019 Dodgers’ season, Eric and I also review the first round of the playoffs and check it against our predictions. One thing to note, including the two wildcard games, 5 of the 6 contests (4 LDS) came down to ONE GAME. So, that said, I ended up getting 4 of 6 correct, Eric 3 of 6. We also preview the LCSs and we’ll be back to record episode 185 right before the World Series.

Go Nats?

Chad

P.S. I will be leading a scientific expedition to explore the deep sea off the coast of California next week. You can watch live video from the depths from our remotely operated vehicle at www.nautiluslive.org. We should be in the water from Monday through Thursday night. I will be audible on the coms between 8-12 both in the AM and PM (2 shifts).

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Episode #183: That’s All She Wrote

Los Angeles Dodgers versus San Francisco Giants

Bruce Bochy talks to Tim Lincecum at Bochy’s retirement ceremony. Photo San Jose Mercury News.

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The 2019 San Francisco Giants’ season is over.

We gave a tribute to Bruce Bochy’s incredible career in episode 182, but this episode wraps up the last week of the 2019 season.

Chad and Eric cover the week that was, and venture into predicting the playoffs for the 10 qualifying teams, and even review the predictions we had at the beginning of the season.

Thank you for your support all year long!

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