SF Giant Austin Slater rips a 3 run double against the A’s on July 20, 2020. Photo by SJ Mercury News.
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Honestly, we can’t believe it. We are having a season preview episode. In July. Whatever. We’ll take it. Joining Chad and Eric are long standing podcast veterans including a founder of TortureCast, Willie “Dills” Gregory and a woman who has joined us for numerous season previews and drunken “bonusodes,” Jennifer (formerly Cosgriff) Kent.
The four of us discuss the new rule changes, the potential roster, guess on the number of wins for the Giants, the World Series champs and even discuss the importance of Gabe Kapler and several Giants that took a knee during the National Anthem before the exhibition game against the A’s.
Eric and Chad met each other for the first time in 7 years in Las Vegas last week…masks and all! We talked a lot of shop, drank, and caught up.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
After months of frustrating negotiations…the owners and players failed to come to an agreement. But alas, MLB Commish Rob Manfred instituted a 60 game season, players agreed to the health protocols, and voila! We officially have a 2020 baseball season!
Here are the main points:
60 game season (40 against NL West, 20 against AL West)
Universal DH
In every extra inning, a runner starts the inning on second base
60 player pool; camp opens today, July 1
Season starts July 23 or 24
Trade deadline is Aug 31
30 man roster the first 2 weeks of the season, 28 the next 2 weeks, 26 the rest of the way
Playoffs remain the same (3 division winners, 2 wild cards in each league)
Separate COVID-19 injured list. A player has to test negative twice to resume play
Players and personnel not in game must be in stands, 6 feet apart
Eric and I talk about the ramifications these new rules have on the Giants, including who’s going to be DH most of the time, the Giants actually have a shot at a playoff spot with so few games, how do they handle stats of runners scoring in extra innings, and much, much more.
We are so excited to actually discuss real baseball, but we hope that the season not only starts, but can come to a conclusion. There is serious worry about what the virus may do to halt the season. But, in the meantime, we’re moving forward and will be back with an episode in mid-July and our annual season preview around July 22.
As noted in the photo above, Eric and I met up in Las Vegas last week, the first time we’ve seen each other in 7 years! We talked shop, drank, and caught up. We highly recommend “BEER PARK” at the Paris Hotel, a great outdoor venue. Next time, we’ll make a podcast out of it.
Mike Yastremski slides safely into home plate to score the deciding run in the Giants’ 2-1 victory over the Marlins at Oracle Park on Sunday. (AP Photo/John Heft)
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Yaz’s dash to home in Sunday’s game was an analogy for this year’s Giants’ team. Heart and hustle, but not the highest level of talent. But, heart and hustle will win games, as it is obvious in their 33-15 record in 1-run games, best in MLB. The Giants went 3-4 this week against the Pirates and Marlins at home, securing a losing record at Oracle Park. That said, their road record is above .500, and they can finish that way. A weird juxtaposition that the Giants will contend with next year. If they had a winning home record this year, they would be in contention.
Bruce Bochy only needs 2 more wins to reach 2,000 in his career, with 12 games to go. The Giants find themselves in Boston and Atlanta this week. Eric and Chad talk about the week that was in Giants’ baseball.
From a record-setting number of players on the roster, who’s hot and not, Cueto’s fabulous return, and the bullpen having the best ERA in the NL in September, despite the trades and injuries. All this and more in episode 180 of the TortureCast!
Will Clark shortly after it was announced that his #22 will be officially retired in 2020. Photo by Ryan Leong (@ryanleong).
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
It’s been a wild two weeks of Giants baseball. The Giants went 5-8 since we last recorded, but they only dropped from 2.5 games back to 3.5 games back. Alas, their playoff chances keep plummeting (down to 3% per fivethirtyeight.com). In episode 175, we covered the trade deadline, the fact that both Bumgarner and Smith will be with this team through the end of this season, Panik getting DFA’d, the losing streak, the 1989 Giants’ reunion, Will Clark’s #22 getting retired next year, Will Smith’s first AB, hit and RBIs…literally we couldn’t have chosen a worse regular season stretch to miss our weekly podcast. Nevertheless, Chad and Eric are back with a vengeance in an extended episode to catch all of us up on the happenings of Giants baseball.
I Feel Good. ish.
Here’s the video the Giants streamed of the 1989 celebration on Sunday. We opened this podcast with the first minute of this segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYvQ4QprPUU
San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey hits a grand slam during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, July 12, 2019, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
The Giants have won 9 of 11 and lead MLB in homeruns for the month of July with 22. You read that right. They lead the league in homeruns this month. Did this team find their true identity, or is this just a phase like a cranky teenager going through a growth spurt? Eric and Chad talk about the series win in Milwaukee and recorded this during the Giants’ 19-2 demolition of the Rockies in the first game of their day-night doubleheader today.
To the surprise of everyone, the Giants are one of the hottest teams in the league. All the more surprising is the fact that they are winning on the strength of their offense. The team is 9-2 in its last 11 while averaging 8.5 runs per game. Suddenly, they’re just 4 games back of a playoff spot. At 750/1 to win the NL Pennant, there would be value betting on the Giants to squeak into the playoffs and make a run. However, Farhan Zaidi is still likely to sell at the deadline, so bettors wouldn’t actually be wagering on this Giants team; they’d be wagering on a team that may be without the likes of Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith. The guys at Sports Betting Dime think there is value betting on the Giants to squeak into the playoffs and make a run.
Brandon Crawford #35 of the San Francisco Giants scores ahead of the tag of Austin Hedges #18 of the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Petco Park March 31, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Chad and Eric host our annual season preview episode a little bit late…well, after 4 games into the season, but there is a good reason for that. Chad had the flu one week, then was traveling for work, then last week was having the experience of a lifetime, diving 2 miles under the ocean in the historic Alvin submarine, exploring a recently discovered “octopus garden” near an extinct underwater volcano while the BBC broadcast all this live back to the UK for their “Blue Planet Live” show. So, yeah, good reasons.
The Giants started off the season with a whimper, losing 3 of 4 in San Diego, while mustering only 5 runs in the process. They are hitting an NL-worst .177, but at least their pitching is 2nd! By the way, who expected Michael Reed and Connor Joe to be on the roster? We review this series, and preview the season, reading off all of YOUR predictions for total wins this year. Spoiler alert…most of you don’t think they’re going to win that many game. We also give our playoff, statistics, trade, and milestone predictions.
Spring has sprung, and baseball is back, baby! Can’t be sad about that.
Hunter Pence watches a mammoth homerun sail to the warehouse at Petco Park. It may have been his last in a Giants uniform, but he certainly played his last road game with the Giants in St. Louis over the weekend. Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
The Giants finished their abysmal road record at 31-50 after losing their final four roadies (1 in SD, 3 in StL). It marks only the 6th time the Giants have lost 50 or more games on the road and the first time they’ve done that in consecutive seasons since 1984-85. At least they’re guaranteed of a winning home record (they are standing at 41 wins).
Eric and Chad review the week on the road, a monumental bomb off the bat of Hunter Pence, the possibility that GM Bobby Evans might be replaced and what a new GM might do (trade Bumgarner?), Melancon’s struggles, our picks for the Willie Mac award, review the current playoff situation and pray and hope that the Giants can knock LA out of the playoffs this coming weekend as both teams close out the regular season.
We’ll be back next week to wrap up the season and preview the playoffs. Until then, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us @TortureCast.
Michael Morse with an improbable game-tying homerun in the 8th inning against LA, reminiscent of the one he hit in Game 5 of the NLCS. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Willie returns to the podcast to chat with Eric and Chad about the Giants’ historic poor start. We still believe it’s too early in the season to panic, but there are legitimate concerns, but there are also bright spots like Matt Cain, Christian Arroyo, Michael Morse, Buster Posey and Joe Panik.
2 outs, no one on.
-Weak slap hit that beats the shift
-Jam shot with 2 strikes that floats over third
-3 run HR o… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…1 day ago
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