Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Sacramento River Cats play-by-play announcer Johnny Doskow joins us to recap the AAA season for the Giants Pacific Coast League affiliate. We evaluate the best San Francisco prospects at the top level of the minor leagues, including recently promoted Chris Shaw who hit 24 home runs this season, flexing his muscles on shots in all directions:
“I’ve seen home runs to left center, down the left field line. We saw one the other day 458 feet to deep right center, so it’s to all fields. It’s massive power. He’s got that big bat and he can crush it. I’d like to see what happens his first two weeks up there because that’s when a guy gets really hot sometimes and he’s really going to show the Giants fans.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Ray Woodson joins us to look ahead at what the Giants needs will be for the 2019 season. Brandon Belt’s future with the club was a focus:
“Belt’s been one of the very best defensively at first base in the Major Leagues this year. He’s very inconsistent with his bat, he’s very streaky. The year ends, the numbers are there…He’s also got a contract that I don’t think is egregious. There are teams that look at Belt and say, hey he could hit 30 home runs at our place. So, you’ve got to look at possibly dealing him.“
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
New York based talk show host Seth Everett joins us to talk about the Giants situation, Barry Bonds and the state of Major League baseball. Everett is troubled by the lack of action in the game today and he is concerned about the future of the sport:
“I firmly believe that our generation is the last generation that really cares (about baseball)…I’m 44. When I am 75 years old, I don’t think the 50-year-olds and the 40-year-olds who are now in their 10’s and 20’s are going to give a crap. It’s alarming …This sport is missing something. They talk about all of these relief pitchers that throw 100 miles an hour, that’s not entertaining.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Ray Woodson joins us to assess the wreckage after the Giants were swept over the weekend in Cincinnati:
“…It’s just not happening…They’re not mathematically eliminated yet, but whatever spark they had in LA died in Cincinnati. They not only lost, they got boat raced. They not only were not hitting, they weren’t making solid contact. That was up and down the lineup. They looked like a very tired team.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
New York Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner gives his thoughts on the Giants and the NL West and we talk about his Thursday story detailing an alarming strikeout rate in MLB and the possibility of K’s surpassing hits this season. Click to read Tyler Kepner’s story
We talk about his new book, K: A History Of Baseball In 10 Pitches, which has some interesting references to Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner and former Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry.
We also go down on the farm again with Augusta Green Jackets play-by-play announcer Joe Laurendi and Melissa Lockard from The Athletic joins us to talk about the entire Giants minor league system.
In his book, Kepner focused Madison Bumgarner:
“…I go really deep into the final pitch of the ’14 World Series and the sequence to Sal Perez and why Bumgarner went only fastballs there, why he didn’t try anything else and why his fastball even though he doesn’t throw it 97 is so good and why it was the only pitch that he relied on in that whole at bat.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Ray Woodson joins us to talk about game 1 of the Giants/Dodgers series. We analyze the Giants 9th inning comeback and decisions made by managers Bruce Bochy and Dave Roberts. Just when Brandon Belt is set to make his return, the Giants might be without Brandon Crawford, who is going through concussion protocol. Plus, a little follow up on Barry Bonds’ number retirement ceremony.
Joe Panik was also a topic of conversation. Joe Castellano said he looked like he was “perpetually seething” sitting on the bench. Ray stated the importance of his presence:
“…It’s been an injury-plagued season…You could just see he was grinding, he was chewing nails. He should be in there, that’s what he’s thinking. He’s an every day player and to have to sit against a lefty, especially in a marquee game like this against (Clayton) Kershaw, it’s got to hurt your pride…This is a guy they’re absolutely going to need to have and be right down the stretch if they have any hope of making the playoffs.”
Join us again Thursday when Tyler Kepner from the New York Times is our guest. Plus we will check on the Giants farm system with Melissa Lockard from The Athletic and hear from Augusta broadcaster Joe Laurendi.
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES.
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Giants 3B Evan Longoria talked about his defense and the urgency to win now, Austin Slater chatted about hitting and playing first base. Jon Miller discussed the Giants season and Barry Bonds’ great moments. It’s all part of the Thursday podcast before the first game of a four-game series against the Pirates.
Longoria knows time is running out for the Giants to contend for a playoff spot:
“…I think we need to play with a little more urgency. This is the time that we really need to buckle down…I really do believe that we have the guys in here to win. This is a good baseball club. This is a team that knows how to win with a bunch of guys who have been around for a long time. We need to take that collective group effort out there on the field with us every night…Every team has a turning point, positive or negative and I don’t think we’ve reached that yet. There will definitely be a point in the next week or two where we look up and say we didn’t play well enough and we don’t have a chance anymore or the chance has become very real, we’ve put ourselves in a situation where the post-season hopes are right in front of us and that will flip the switch the other way.“
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Ray Woodson joins us from an East Bay laundromat of all places as the Giants season continues to be stuck on the .500 spin cycle. Getting swept by the Astros left many fans blaming the Giants late-inning relievers, but the offense could only muster 2 runs in those 2 games. Joe and Ray contemplate who deserves playing time and have a discussion about the thickest beards in sports, providing a nice diversion during a rough start to the homestand. They also chat about the upcoming number retirement ceremony for Barry Bonds.
Joe thinks the lineup is a collective disappointment. Ray has optimism regarding center field but points out issues with run production:
“…The thing I do like is they’ve got Steven Duggar in centerfield. They’ve been leading him off. Get this guy at bats. That’s a guy that they’re going to hope can take to that role and be the guy to lead off and set things up. But, you also need guys to drive him in and nobody on the Giants has 50 runs batted in. What’s the date today? August 8th? And nobody on the Giants has 50 runs batted in. That’s pathetic.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Ray Woodson joins us to talk about the Giants non-activity at the trade deadline, what Dereck Rodriguez pitching well means to the club and he gives his take on the Giants retiring Barry Bonds’ jersey number 25 during the next homestand, as well as his Hall of Fame candidacy:
“…When he left the game I think he was all square with the Giants. Whatever disgrace (referring to Steve Bitker’s comment on Inside China Basin on Wednesday) he brought to the Giants he brought a lot of fans too and brought a lot of excitement. If you’re going to talk about the character clause, you might as well take half the people out of the Hall of Fame…Barry Bonds was going to be a Hall of Fame level player no matter what.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
KCBS Sports Anchor Steve Bitker joins us with strong opinions about the Giants retiring Barry Bonds’ jersey number 25 during the next homestand:
“…whenever the Giants talk about Bonds, whenever the announcers talk about Bonds it’s as though the entire steroids run never existed. I don’t like it. Nothing I can do about it…Bonds was an extremelyintelligent and sophisticated steroid user and he knew what he was doing and he knew how it was benefitting him. For me, he disgraced the Giants uniform, he disgraced the game and he did so for nearly a decade. For them to welcome him back doesn’t sit well with me.”
“I’ve seen home runs to left center, down the left field line. We saw one the other day 458 feet to deep right center, so it’s to all fields. It’s massive power. He’s got that big bat and he can crush it. I’d like to see what happens his
first two weeks up there because that’s when a guy gets really hot sometimes and he’s really going to show the Giants fans.”
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“Belt’s been one of the very best defensively at first base in the Major Leagues this year. He’s very inconsistent with his bat, he’s very streaky. The year ends, the numbers are there…He’s also got a contract that I don’t think is egregious. 
There are teams that look at Belt and say, hey he could hit 30 home runs at our place. So, you’ve got to look at possibly dealing him.
Join us again Friday when Sacramento River Cats play-by-play announcer Johnny Doskow joins us to talk about the Giants AAA affiliate.
“I firmly believe that our generation is the last generation that really cares (about baseball)…I’m 44. When I am 75 years old, I don’t think the 50-year-olds and the 40-year-olds who are now in their 
10’s and 20’s are going to give a crap. It’s alarming …This sport is missing something
Cincinnati. They not only lost, they got boat raced. They not only were not hitting, they weren’t making solid contact. That was up and down the lineup. They looked like a very tired team
Join us again Wednesday when Seth Everett from iHeart Radio joins us to talk about the Giants/Mets series.
We talk about his new book, K: A History Of Baseball In 10 Pitches, which has some interesting references to Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner and former Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry.
We also go down on the farm again with Augusta Green Jackets play-by-play announcer Joe Laurendi 
and Melissa Lockard from The Athletic joins us to talk about the entire Giants minor league system.
Sal Perez and why Bumgarner went only fastballs there, why he didn’t try anything else and why his fastball even though he doesn’t throw it 97 is so good and why it was the only pitch that he relied on in that whole at bat
the Giants 9th inning comeback and decisions made by managers Bruce Bochy and Dave Roberts. Just when Brandon Belt is set to make his return, the
Giants might be without Brandon Crawford, who is going through concussion protocol. Plus, a little follow up on Barry Bonds’ number retirement ceremony.
grinding, he was chewing nails. He should be in there, that’s what he’s thinking. He’s an every day player and to have to sit against a lefty, especially in a marquee game like this against (Clayton) Kershaw, it’s got to hurt your pride…This is a guy they’re absolutely going to need to have and be right down the stretch if they have any hope of making the playoffs
Slater chatted about hitting and playing first base. Jon Miller 
discussed the Giants season and Barry Bonds’ great moments. It’s all part of the Thursday podcast before the first game of a four-game series against the Pirates.
really need to buckle down…I really do believe that we have the guys in here to win. This is a good baseball club. This is a team that knows how to win with a bunch of guys who have been around for a long time. We need to take that 
collective group effort out there on the field with us every night…Every team has a turning point, positive or negative and I don’t think we’ve reached that yet. There will definitely be a point in the next week or two where we look up and say we didn’t play well enough and we don’t have a chance anymore or the chance has become very real, we’ve put ourselves in a situation where the post-season hopes are right in front of us and that will flip the switch the other way.
laundromat of all places as the Giants season continues to be stuck on the .500 spin cycle. Getting swept by the Astros left many fans blaming the Giants late-inning relievers, but the offense could only muster 2 runs in those 2 games. Joe and Ray contemplate 
who deserves playing time and have a discussion about the thickest beards in sports, providing a nice diversion during a rough start to the homestand. They also chat about the upcoming number retirement ceremony for Barry Bonds.
Duggar in centerfield. They’ve been leading him off. Get this guy at bats. That’s a guy that they’re going to hope can take to that role and be the guy to lead off and set things up. But, you also need guys to drive him in and nobody on the Giants has 50 runs batted in. What’s the date today? August 8th? And nobody on the Giants has 50 runs batted in. That’s pathetic
“…When he left the game I think he was all square with the Giants. Whatever disgrace (referring to Steve Bitker’s comment on Inside China Basin on Wednesday) he brought to the Giants he brought a lot of fans too and brought a lot of excitement. If you’re going to talk 
about the character clause, you might as well take half the people out of the Hall of Fame…Barry Bonds was going to be a Hall of Fame level player no matter what
