Dusty Baker reacts shortly after winning the World Series 4 games to 2 over the Phillies on November 5, 2022. Photo: Getty Images
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Dusty Baker finally got the monkey off his back and won his first ring as a manger as the Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2. Jeremy Pena won the first World Series MVP by a position player rookie, along with ALCS MVP and a gold glove. Yes, we talk a little Judge, since the hot stove is LIT! And, Carlos Rodon officially declined his $22.5m option, as expected. Barry Bonds will have another shot at the Hall of Fame in December. Also, who do you think will be the Giants’ uniform sponsor in 2023? And, why do we have to have a goddamn patch on these clean unis?!
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!
Shades of 2002: David Fletcher #22 congratulates Tommy La Stella #9 of the Los Angeles Angels after his game winning two-run homerun during the ninth inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants. Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Somehow the baseball season is still pushing forward, despite the Cardinals are now the “infected” team. In fact, although the Giants have played 16 games, which is more than a quarter of the way through the season, the Cards have only played 5 games….FIVE.
Willie Dills joined Chad this week to talk about what may be the most depressing week in regular season TortureCast history. Not only did the Giants drop 7 of 8, but they blew three consecutive save opportunities. The first was the worst: a 5-run lead in the 9th (first time since 1929 a lead this big was blown in the 9th), the next night it was a 3-run 9th inning lead, and last night it was a walk off 2-run HR by the Angels. All 3 were blown by Trevor Gott, who is officially out as closer. However, the defense helped put Gott in the situations in 2 of the 3 blown saves. Adding salt to the wound in between was a 15-3 blowout loss to the A’s. Sitting dead last in the NL West at 8-16, the Giants’ playoff hopes have dwindled to a microscopic level.
The corona virus has upended the world, and this includes the sports world with the suspension of MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS as well as the cancelation of March Madness and all D1 winter championships.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
The founder of this podcast, Willie Gregory (@williedills) invited Eric and I to join himself and his friend and Astros fan Ty (@tyberius_asher) on a special Twitch streamed episode to talk about the Astros cheating scandal. However, in the days that passed, the corona virus had taken over the headlines and canceled or suspended sporting events around the world, including Major League Baseball.
In this special episode, we chat with Ty about how he has dealt with the Astros cheating scandal as an Astros fan, and then we dive in to discuss this brave new world that we are in. Covid-19 has forced the suspension of the NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB and canceled March Madness. Even Disneyland closed! My son’s school closed, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the list goes on. Even Tom Hanks and his wife have it.
Join us for a long, interesting, fun, and inebriated episode of the TortureCast!
Photo of the winning team for calf roping at a rodeo in December. Yes, the man on the right is Madison Bumgarner. The story broke earlier this week, exposing MadBum, who competed under the alias “Mason Saunders.” This is so Madison Bumgarner. 🙂 (Photo from Rancho Rio’s Facebook page).
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the warm rays beating down on the fans. Baseball is officially back as spring training and the cactus league is a week into the 2020 season. Eric and I chat about our impressions of the first week of Giants’ baseball, and to be honest, although this team may not be that good, what if they surprise us. No, not playoff surprise, but maybe a 75 win season? Time will tell.
We also dive into “who is Mason Saunders?”, revisit the Houston Astros cheating scandal, Aubrey Huff, possible playoff expansion, and we even have our first music break, with a song sent in by a listener. Enjoy “Baseball always brings you home” by Shel Krakofsky and Dave Dresser.
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!
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
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
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!
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 30: Members of the Washington Nationals celebrate becoming World Series champions. The Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Much like the “Mattress King” did, we thought the Astros would win the World Series. Unlike the “Mattress King,” we did not bet 3 million bucks on it. Congratulations to the Washington Nationals for bringing home the coveted Tiffany trophy for the first time in the city’s history. It wasn’t the most exciting seven game series that we’ve seen, with only one game decided by one run and the rest by 3 or more, but it was seven games, nonetheless.
Eric and Chad review the World Series and then talk about the Giants who elected free agency, and the finalists for the Giants’ managerial position.
We’ll be back periodically throughout the offseason, even for short(ish) episodes when something big drops. Perhaps signing Cole? We kid.
Thank you for all of your support throughout the 2019 season. It was our most successful year after our inaugural season of 2011. We recorded 28 podcast episodes during the season, totaling over 30 hours of content, including a few interviews. We hope to bring as much or more audio content to you in 2020, and perhaps more video products. We want to hear what you want! Send us a line at chad at torturecast dot com.
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.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
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.
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](listen); 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).
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
The TortureCast 