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Look. Many Giants and fans of other franchises did not want to see Dodgers and Yankees. Chad certainly doesn’t. He’s rooting for a cancelation of the World Series. But, even though Eric and Willie would never want the Dodgers to win, they are intrigued by the superstar spectacle that this is. It’s a far cry from last year’s small market, wild card World Series between Arizona and Texas. In their 12th meeting in the World Series (5 ahead of the Yankees and Giants), and their first Fall Classic together since 1981, the Yankees and Dodgers square off in a Fox wet dream. Between the US and Japan viewership, this could be the most watched World Series in a decade or more. The boys make their picks, lament about Bay Area sports in general, and wrap it up with a little Giants’ news (3 Gold Glove finalists!). We’ll be back to review the World Series and get into the hot stove season with Buster Posey commanding the ship.
Buster Posey appears at the Giants’ press conference that introduced him as the Giants’ new President of Baseball Operations on October 1, 2024.
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The “Fire Farhan” brigade got their wish, but his replacement was a bit of a surprise. Buster Posey was named President of Baseball Operations of the San Francisco Giants. It’s not often that a franchise icon gets a chance to run their team, but if anyone can succeed, it’s Buster Posey. He was introduced Tuesday at Oracle Park and he promised to please the fans and players and get back to what San Francisco Giants’ baseball is all about. This man appears to care deeply about this team, and is somewhat putting his reputation on the line. A few call this move desperate, but it seems that most Giants fans are 100% behind this move. I mean, could it be worse than Farhan? One playoff appearance and one winning record in 6 years suggests not. Farhan’s time ran out. Maybe he was given too much rope as it is. Chad and Eric talk about this monumental decision in Giants history and the potential good and bad ramifications it could have on the franchise (we think mostly good!).
The San Francisco Giants have named former catcher Buster Posey their new President of Baseball Operations and fired Farhan Zaidi. Photo by Getty Images.
Wow, what an announcement this morning.
Farhan Zaidi’s reign as President of Baseball Operations is over after six years. One of the most beloved Giants in recent memory replaces him…Buster freakin’ Posey.
Chairman Greg Johnson made the announcement this (Monday) morning:
“As we look ahead, I’m excited to share that Buster Posey will now take on a greater role as the new President of Baseball Operations,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are looking for someone who can define, direct and lead this franchise’s baseball philosophy and we feel that Buster is the perfect fit. Buster has the demeanor, intelligence and drive to do this job, and we are confident that he and Bob Melvin will work together to bring back winning baseball to San Francisco.”
“We appreciate Farhan’s commitment to the organization and his passion for making an impact in our community during his six years with the Giants,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, the results have not been what we had hoped, and while that responsibility is shared by all of us, we have decided that a change is necessary.”
Some say it reeks of desperation, some think it’s a great move. I’ll have to think about it a bit more, and the three of us will bring our thoughts to the podcast airwaves soon, but my first impression is a big thumbs up. But, because Posey is so beloved, it also opens him up to the ire of Giants fans if he doesn’t produce. Yes, he’ll have a one or two year grace period, but if results aren’t apparent, he will and should draw the appropriate criticism. Some of us would not like to see one of our heroes fall from grace, but it’s not unprecedented in professional sports. Many stars have taken their shot at management with little to no success (Alan Trammel, Isiah Thomas, Brett Hull, Kevin McHale, Bart Starr, Ken Harrelson…and look at Derek Jeter with the Marlins), while others have done average to pretty damn good (John Lynch, Danny Ainge, Magic Johnson (eh), John Elway, Jerry West to name a few).
I would hate to see Buster’s legacy tarnished. So, this has to work, right?
As far as Zaidi is concerned, I was a staunch proponent of his hiring, and was still defending him after the 2022 season. My tune changed after the 2023 season, and I was rooting for an ingrown toenail ahead of his continuation in the role next year. Although he achieved success with Oakland and the Dodgers, the Giants only made the playoffs once. If you take away that (now known as an outlier) season of a franchise-record 107 wins, the Giants were under .500 in the other five seasons at 346-362. They never had a winning record in those five seasons, only breaking even at 81-81 in 2022.
Six seasons was plenty of rope. Plenty.
Most likely, Buster Posey will bring a more traditional style of management and scouting back to the Giants. I don’t think he’ll eschew analytics, but I don’t think you’ll find the revolving door that is the Giants roster needing as much grease.
Zaidi is not dumb. His past shows his methods have succeeded before, but maybe he knew his fate while the Giants were in Arizona near the end of the season, when he said the following:
“There’s been a meeting of the minds over time,” he said. “I’ve made adjustments and we’re at a point now where I think we’re very much in sync about the vision of the team. We want a younger team, we want a more athletic team, we want some consistency in the rotation and lineup. … There are good teams we face that are doing some of the things that may not be some of our favorites. There has to be a balance of everything.”
“I think in a way, we have to connect the two,” Zaidi said. “The last couple of offseasons, we’ve been very active in free agency. And while maybe that’s created some excitement, I do think it’s blocked some opportunities for these guys to get over the hump. Over the last five years, this hasn’t been a typical rebuild. We’ve tried to compete every year.
“It’s not going to be a teardown with three top-five draft picks and going from there. It’s taken longer. But between the players we have, we’re kind of on the other side of that where we have a different nucleus now. We have the ability to put a young team out there and be more targeted in free agency rather than feeling like we have to sign five, six players.”
He seemed to adopt a more traditional offseason by signing big free agents, including Matt Chapman, who ended up being 7th in WAR in baseball, the Giants’ Willie Mac award winner, and proclaimed several times that playoffs will happen next year. After a bumpy start, Blake Snell proved to be worth his contract, but ultimately if he opts out, his contribution means nothing without the postseason. However, there were too many misses, too many mediocre, mid-level signings, too many trades with the Mariners, and a farm system ranked last by Bleacher Report (but most sites rank them in the lower third or so…still not good).
The Farhan Zaidi experiment failed and failed miserably. It was time to move on, but is Buster the right guy? That answer will come with time and time alone.
Blake Snell and the Giants played their last game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday, August 18, 2024. Snell allowed 1 ER in 6IP and has a 1.03 ERA since coming off the IL. / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports.
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Be honest, you don’t really care about the Bay Bridge Series, but now that it’s gone, you pine for it. The Giants made their last visit to the Oakland Coliseum over the weekend for the final Bay Bridge Series, splitting the two games with their soon-not-to-be cross-bay rivals. Next year, the Giants will travel to their OWN AAA ballpark to play the A’s…wtf? Chad is joined by special guest Ryan Leong (@ryanleong) from Bay Area Sports Wrap to discuss his 25+ years of covering pro Bay Area sports and of course, Giants baseball. We take a historical look into the Giants’ franchise and how the near-move in 1993 compares with the A’s move today. We also chat about his Starter jacket collection, favorite memories at the Coliseum, Blake Snell, Logan Webb, Matt Chapman, the Giants’ playoff chances (now officially on life support), and frankly, criticize both Melvin and Zaidi. Ok, we are two grumpy 50-year old men shaking our fists at the Giant clouds in the sky.
The 2014 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants were honored at Oracle Park on Saturday. Most of the team was there, including Bum, Posey, the core 4, Pence, Panik, Peavy, Vogey, Belt, Sabean, and more. How has it been 10 YEARS?! (Photo by SF Giants)
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The Giants have been slowly creeping up in the standings and suddenly find themselves 2 games above .500 and only 1.5 games back of the wild card with 42 to play. We discuss their playoff chances, their recent trades, the demotion of Doval, Snell’s resurgence and no-hitter, the all-important 4-game series with the Braves this week, the 2014 World Series team reunion, and much, much more.
Logan Webb did not pitch well in his first All Star game, giving up 3 earned runs in one inning of a 5-3 loss to the American League in Texas. (Photo by MLB video/FOX Sports)
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Well, they are. At the All Star break, the Giants stand at 3 games under .500, and while they are only 3 games back of the final wildcard spot, they have 5 teams ahead of them. That’s a tough assignment. Should they sell, buy, or stand pat? Eric and Chad discuss the Giants prospects of making the playoffs with 67 games remaining. We also had an All-Star game, where the two Giants didn’t do so well in another NL loss. And…we talk about the MLB draft with the Giants going outfield heavy in the early rounds.
Willie Mays, considered the best baseball player of all time, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Willie Mays, a legendary figure in baseball history, forged an incomparable legacy throughout his illustrious career. Born in 1931, Mays made his Major League Baseball debut with the New York Giants in 1951, quickly capturing attention with his exceptional athleticism and prowess both at bat and in the outfield. Known for his remarkable catches and powerful hitting, Mays became a symbol of excellence and determination on the field. His tenure with the Giants, which continued when they moved to San Francisco in 1958, solidified his status as an icon for both the franchise and its fans. Mays’ impact transcended statistics; he embodied the spirit of the game, inspiring generations with his charisma, sportsmanship, and unwavering dedication. His contributions to the Giants’ success and his influence on the sport as a whole remain unparalleled, making Willie Mays a revered figure in baseball and a beloved hero to Giants fans everywhere.
Chad, Eric, and Willie reflect upon Mays’ life and career after his passing earlier this week. Mays’ was Eric and Willie’s favorite Giant, and Eric wouldn’t even be a fan of the Giants if it weren’t for Willie Mays. Willie Dills’ always wears 24 and heck, his NAME is Willie. It’s not sad, but it is somber that Mays passed away two days before the game at Rickwood Field was to honor him. We spend the majority of this episode talking about his career and impact on our lives, review the experience and game at Rickwood Field, then wrap up with where the Giants stand at almost the halfway point in the season.
Willie Dills also recorded a few minutes of audio while standing at Mays’ statue at Oracle Park the day after his passing. That audio can be found separately or at the end of this podcast.
Below is the video of the tribute inserted to the beginning of this episode:
Camilo Doval gets pulled after giving up four runs in the 9th to the Yankees. The game went from a 5-3 Giants’ lead to a 7-5 loss. Photo by Brandon Vallance/GettyImages
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The Giants had a good two weeks going, winning 10 of 12 games and getting 2 games north of .500. Until they faced the Yankees. Aaron Judge went off at Oracle, something Giants fans dreamt of a couple of years ago. Except, he did it in Yankee road grey going 6-10 with 3 bombs and even 2 stolen bases. It didn’t help that Camilo Doval blew a 2 run lead in the 9th to complete the Yankee sweep. We look into some of Doval’s metrics, and let’s just say his barrel and hard hit percentage are near the bottom of the league, where it’s traditionally near the top. Perhaps his stuff isn’t moving as much, because the velocity is there. After recording, the Giants went out and lost another heartbreaker to Arizona in walk-off fashion. They have lost 5 in a row and are 3 games below water. Not great, but still within 1.5 games of the wild card.
Chad, Eric, and Willie are actually pretty positive about this team. They ran into the Yankee buzzsaw, but also took 2 of 3 from the best team in the NL, so there’s that. Still, it’s going to be an uphill climb with the piling injuries (Lee out for the year, Wade out for 4 weeks, etc.) and young guys trying to find their place.
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Ok. Full transparency. I started the podcast by opening with a clip of Russell Crowe bellowing, “Are you not entertained?!” to honor our 300th episode. I forgot that clip is not from the movie “300.” It’s Gladiator. Eric, Willie, and I talk about the milestone that is our 300th episode, how the podcast got started, and a few interesting podcasting stats. Then we came to visit the hospital that is the current SF Giants clubhouse. Lee, Soler, Conforto, Winn, Slater, Ahmed, Murphy…all injured. There are 7 players on the current roster that were playing for Sacramento less than two weeks ago. And they have to compete with the All Star Dodgers? But hey, they just signed Curt Casali and an outfielder from the Mexican league! This team is certainly not performing the way we expected, and things could get much worse with all of these injuries. The good news is they are only 2.5 games out of the third wild card spot.
From the bottom of our orange hearts, THANK YOU for continuing to listen to TortureCast. We don’t get paid, we do this out of love for baseball and the Giants. If you didn’t listen, we wouldn’t speak.
Blake Snell’s ERA is a whopping 11.57 with the Giants before heading to the injured list. Photo by MLB.
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Well, that didn’t take long. Blake Snell gets rocked in his first three outings then goes on the IL with an adductor strain. The boys chat about our biggest surprises and biggest disappointments in the first 26 games of the season, which finds the Giants just under .500. At least they haven’t lost the division in the month of April. Our surprises include Conforto and Hicks, but aside from Snell, our biggest disappointments so far are the bullpen and Austin Slater. Also, the Giants welcome in the Pirates and Joey Bart this weekend after they traded Bart to the Bucs in early April. He’s off to a hot start with 3 bombs in 26 ABs. He hit only 11 homers with the Giants in 5 years. Go figure.
Chad is going out to sea on an expedition for work, but we’ll be back in a couple of weeks for the big 300!
The TortureCast 