Tag Archives: kansas city royals

Episode #320: Trade Deadline Review: Was it Worth it?

Mike Yastrzemski homers in his first at bat with the Kansas City Royals after he was traded from the Giants. Photo by AP.

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

We last recorded in between trades, but we break down the Yaz and Doval trades from last week. All in all, the Giants received eight players for the three they traded away, and with Yaz and Rogers being free agents of the end of the year, it made sense to exchange rentals for potential future talent. But, it is weird seeing Yaz in Royal Blue, Rogers in the throwback Mets unis, and Doval in Yankee grey. Posey also played with all three, and he admitted it was tough making that phone call to his former teammates. 

As far as their performance on the field, they followed up a horrible 0-6 homestand with a 4-2 road record against the same Mets and Pirates. With the focus on the future seasons, no one is holding their breath that the Giants will make a run at the wildcard, a position they solidly held for the entire season until a few weeks ago. That said, it will be a good opportunity to showcase new blood in the majors and minors. Bryce Eldridge is HOT in Sacramento, blasting four bombs in his last three games, but Posey said they aren’t rushing him up. And…the first female umpire in MLB history will be working the plate during the second game of a double header this Sunday in Atlanta. It’s crazy that this hasn’t happened sooner, especially with female officials in the NBA and NFL. We also ponder what happened to LaMonte Wade Jr’s ability to hit a baseball, as he was released by the Angels over the weekend. Late night LaMonte might have had his last day in the majors.

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Episode #256: Riding the Rollercoaster

Joc Pederson receives his World Series ring prior to the Giants/Braves game. He also wore his iconic pearl necklace for the first time as a member of the Giants. Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

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

The Giants’ hot streak has been muffled by losing 4 of their last 5, all by 1 run and 3 by walk-off. Although they are still in contention, they can’t afford to continue to lose these close games. Eric and Chad talk about the last 2 weeks of Giants baseball, a trade, injuries and more!

You can join us for every episode with our live stream on Facebook. A recording of this episode’s video is embedded below. Our next episode will stream around noon pacific on Monday, July 11. We will be missing one week due to a long research expedition for work!

Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code TORTURECAST at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod

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Episode #119: Jarrett Parker’s Collarbone is the Giants

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Jarrett Parker broke his collarbone catching a fly ball against the fence on Saturday. Let’s hope the Giants have already hit their fence and come back over the next few weeks to turn this season around. (photo: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)

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

We thought they’d turn it around this week.

They didn’t.

After a 2-4 week, the Giants sit in last place at 5-9, but we look at two seasons since 2000 when the Giants were worse (4-10) and both seasons they finished above .500. In 2000 they won 97 games and the west after starting 4-10.

Ok, so we’re looking for silver linings here.

Eric and Chad discuss MadBum’s winless start to the season, Cueto’s 3-0 start, the bad luck, who’s hot and who’s not, if Cain should be skipped, Marrero’s first MLB HR, Strickland and Gearrin haven’t allowed a run, and well, anything else positive we can point towards.

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Episode 99: World Series Review and a Very Hot Stove

He’s like a creepy cousin. But, we want him. Does that make this weird? Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Download episode #99 here, or stream it below!

[audio http://torturecast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2015-11-05T14_06_35-08_00.mp3]

So, the Giants are no longer reigning champs. Big deal. They’ll do it next year, of course. Eric and Chad get together on Skype to discuss how the scrappy Royals made it all the way back to the World Series and how they won it after 8 of their 11 wins secured in comeback fashion, and the parallels drawn to the Giants’ 2012 six elimination game wins against the Reds and Cardinals.

The Giants are also banking cash in large piles after declining the options on Nori Aoki and Marlon Byrd. Greinke, Price and Cueto may all be #1 targets of Bobby Evans and his staff, but we also ask if they may spread the money around a bit to a greater quantity of second-tier pitchers and a couple of outfielders. All we know is that this will be an exciting offseason as the Giants attempt to reload with more available cash than they’ve ever had, and during an offseason flush with quality starting pitchers.

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Episode #90: Duffman

I wonder how many beers Duffy can actually chug after a game while holding Skeeter?

Download Episode 90 here, or stream it below!

[audio http://torturecast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2015-06-29T23_50_35-07_00.mp3]

The Giants went 4-2 for the week, which is something amazing considering they were under.500 at home. Despite a 12-13 June (ok, they can still be .500 with a win tonight), the Giants are only 1/2 game back of the Dodgers. Chad and Ben discuss the month of June, the All Star game voting, Duffy and more!

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Out of Left Field

Before I joined TortureCast in August 2011, I regularly contributed a segment on the show called, “Out of Left Field.” It was usually a short 60 seconds of me rambling on about some esoteric stat, streak, or oddity of the Giants’ season.

I’ve decided to resurrect it, and potentially in audio format once again. Because, who doesn’t like listening to themselves? Ok, I don’t, so here it is in digital print. At least most fonts aren’t embarrassing. Except for Comic Sans, of course.

  • The Giants finally broke their 9 game skid at home, which was the longest losing streak since 1940 at the Polo Grounds. I mean, that’s when gas was 18 cents a gallon and my grandmother was still in France about to hide from the Nazis.
  • Despite tonight’s 2-0 loss, MadBum pitched well and was perfect for 4 2/3 until a cleat-made divot caused a ball to bounce at Crawford’s insured face, necessitating the scorekeeper to laugh diabolically and mark it as a hit. Maybe that had a butterfly effect on the Giants’ offense. No, wait, no, that had about as much affect on their offense as I do screaming at the TV while I tear the wings off of a butterfly.
  • The Giants are 5-12 since their high-water mark of 30-20. After starting the season 4-10, that means the “meat” of the season sandwich was 26-10.
  • Giants are 8 GB of last year’s record after 67 games. In fact, they haven’t been worse at this point over the last 5 seasons: 2013: 0 GB, 2012: 2 GB, 2011: 3 GB, 2010: 2 GB
  • Marco Scutaro was symbolically re-signed by the Giants and immediately placed on the 60-day DL. He can now retire a Giant. And to think that I truly believed (last year) that he would certainly come back at some point to relive his glory days in 2012 and 2013. Sadly, he’s rehabbing his 2 fused vertebrae and hoping to “live a normal life, pain free” with his family. Egad. He might not ever play even beer league softball. I’ll stop my bitching about my injured wrist that prevents me from cleaning and jerking in my CrossFit sessions. And jerking.
  • Matt Cain and Jake Peavy are close to coming back into the rotation, but the Giants have stated that they will not go to a six man rotation, which begs the obvious, “who’s out?” I’d say take out Mike Murphy. There are no alternatives.
  • As of today, the Royals would have 8 starters in the All Star Game. If this holds, it’ll be the National League vs. the Royals, plus Mike Trout. I “kind of” want this to happen, if only to force MLB into changing this ridiculous ASG voting by the fans. Ok, well, Aoki is currently slated to start for the NL (being a former Royal), so maybe just this year…. In fact, wouldn’t it be something if Giants fans propelled 8 Giants starters to the final ballot? Man, the Royals could get their revenge…
  • Don’t look now, but Arizona is only two games back of the Giants. I thought Diamondbacks were not allowed to pray to their snake goddess.
  • Chris Heston was named NL player of the week. I wonder if anyone HASN’T been named that after a no-hitter. Glad someone else didn’t throw a perfect game that week, I suppose.
  • Maybe the Warriors can win every odd year championship.
  • Javier Lopez: 0.96 ERA, 0.64 WHIP. Dayum.
  • Giants are hitting .284 as a team on the road, which leads all MLB, 12 points higher than the next team. Can haz hitting at home? (.249)
  • Despite the last few downturns, they’re only 2.5 games back of the Bums. Could be worse. Let’s get back to that meat I mentioned earlier. Maybe it was grand salame?

Chad

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Episode 77: We are the Champions…Again!

Buster Posey dishes out his third championship #BusterHug to Madison Bumgarner moments after Pablo Sandoval caught a foul popup to secure the Giants’ third World Series in five years (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Download the podcast here, or stream it below!

They did it.

Again.

For the third time in the last five years, the San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions!

Riding the superhero left arm of Madison Bumgarner, the Giants squeezed out a 3-2 win in game 7 of the World Series to down the Kansas City Royals.

Willie, Chad and Eric record our longest podcast of the year to discuss this memorable World Series; the heroes, the almost-goats, and what it took to fuel a remarkable run that has placed the black and orange in “dynasty” status.

Even if you have to listen to it in two parts, sit back, relax, and bask in the glow of three Commissioner’s trophies!

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DYNASTY

You'll need to frame the third one, there on the left. Yeah, that one.

You’ll need to frame the third one, there on the left. Yeah, that one.

I really can’t write much. It’s been almost three hours since the impossible happened. Especially after that single-almost-turned-into-a-homerun took our collective breaths away.

But, Madison Bumgarner calmly stated, “I got this.”

After an improbable closing relief appearance, World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner earned the save with five innings of magical relief to preserve a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals that secured the Giants third World Series Championship in the last five years.

I really have no words.

And I need to SCUBA dive tomorrow.

Look for a giddy podcast sometime in the next day or two. I really have no idea what’s going on. A humpback whale might appear in the Mojave desert for all I care.

God dammit I love this game, this team, this City, and all of you fine people. And I’m not even drunk.

Chad

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Episode 76: One. More. Win.

Buster Posey congratulates Madison Bumgarner after another magical performance: a complete game shutout in a 5-0 victory over the KC Royals that have put the Giants up 3-2 in the World Series and on the precipice of a dynasty. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Download episode 76 here, or stream it below!

[audio http://torturecast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2014-10-28T00_30_54-07_00.mp3]

One. More. Win.

And the San Francisco Giants will be World Champions for the third time in five seasons.

We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to talk about our favorite team, potentially on the eve of the clincher as the Giants head back to Kansas City up three games to two. If not tomorrow, then perhaps game 7. Even if they don’t win it all, this has been a hell of a ride.

Listen to episode 76 as Willie, Ben, Chad, and lucky charm guest Eric break down the first five games of the World Series and look forward to a hopeful clincher in either game 6 or 7.

These moments, right now, are why we do this show.

The TortureCast, the podcast by and for fans of the San Francisco Giants.

Good luck, and let’s bring it home, boys!

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Episode 75: We’re Going to the World Series!

Unreal. The San Francisco Giants have won the National League Pennant and are in the World Series for the third time in the last five years.

Unreal. The San Francisco Giants have won the National League Pennant and are in the World Series for the third time in the last five years.

You can download episode 75 here, or stream it below!

[audio http://torturecast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2014-10-21T00_34_38-07_00.mp3]

Incredibly, our boys in black and orange have done it for a third time in five years! In a rousing 4-1 NLCS win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Giants move onto the fall classic to face the young upstart Kansas City Royals beginning Tuesday night. Willie, Ben, Chad and guest Eric Nathanson review the NLCS, including the momentous homeruns hit by Michael Morse and Travis Ishikawa that have left indelible marks in Giants’ lore. In the last half of the podcast, we preview the Royals, their strengths and weaknesses, and how the Giants might exploit them. We also talk about Hunter Pence’s lack of geography knowledge, a horrible ESPN article, our favorite guys and we make series predictions (hint, all 4 of us take the Giants). Tune in for a jam-packed special World Series episode of the TortureCast!

 

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