Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Giants catcher Buster Posey and outfielder Mac Williamson join us for our first Inside China Basin podcast of 2019. Both players are trying to get back to normalcy. Posey underwent hip surgery and is getting back to 100%, while Williamson feels great after dealing with concussion symptoms for much of the 2018 season.
Posey explained to TheSportsVirus about his swing not having as much power in 2018:
“I think mechanically I wasn’t able to swing the way that I always had and I’m sure that had something to do with it overall, but I was kind of having to tweak things to change my mechanics which I hadn’t had to do in the past.”
Williamson thought back on the circumstances that caused his concussion last season:
“I’ve thought back on that night countless times, but I wouldn’t change it. I was going after a ball, trying to catch a ball in foul territory that was a meaningful out in our game…What are you going to do, let it drop? Pack my bags to Triple-A? It’s an unfortunate series of events…I just need to be more athletic and not trip (over the bullpen mound).”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
We go down on the farm and check on the progress of Giants AAA Sacramento outfielders Steven Duggar, Mac Williamson and Chris Shaw who all might see time in San Francisco this season. Plus, we catch up with River Cats General Manager Chip Maxson.
Today we hear from “Will The Thrill,” former Giants 1B Will Clark, who was a 6-time All Star while playing in the Major Leagues from 1986-2000, the first 8 of those seasons in San Francisco.
Clark talked to The Sports Virus about new rules protecting players at second base and home plate: … “They’re taking all of the contact out of the sport. They’re baby-fying the sport. It’s really bad to see. I understand with the salaries these guys are making they have to protect the players, but they’ve really baby-fied the sport and I don’t think it’s good for the sport at all….if you’re not allowed to at least make a little contact and disrupt the double play what’s the reason in me running down there to second base then.”
Papa talked to The Sports Virus about the early woes for Jake Peavy and Matt Cain: “… the bottom line, they make a lot of money. You’re talking $33 million. They’re not going to eat that on Cinco de Mayo or Mays’ birthday. They may entertain it on Memorial Day, but even then there’s DLs, you can do things. They have enough of a track record. I think overall they’ll be fine, you’ve just got to give them a little more time.”
During the last home stand at AT&T Park in San Francisco we talked to Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija and Senior Vice President and General Manager Bobby Evans.
Samardzija tells The Sports Virus about his “twist” delivery: … “you’ve got to use your whole body, your legs and your core. For me it’s just a way of generating a little bit more velocity with a little less exertion. It feels comfortable for me. As long as I’m nice and slow and calm in my lift and my turn and not ahead of myself it usually works out alright.”
Evans tells The Sports Virus about the chances of Tim Lincecum being back in a Giants uniform: … “We’ve kept an open door. For him, he’s got to really evaluate opportunities and situations out there that are afforded to him in terms of a role. He’s particularly interested in starting. For us, we really see it more in the bullpen. That said, we understand what his options will be and he’ll have to make a decision here soon I think.”
We talk about the Giants AAA affiliate in the Pacific Coast League with Sacramento River Cats Play-By-Play Announcer Johnny Doskow.
Doskow tells The Sports Virus that Mac Williamson told him: … “I didn’t want to be that bitter AAA guy. I wanted to come down with a good attitude. I knew there was a good chance I wouldn’t make the team out of spring training.” Doskow went on to say that Williamson “hit the ball so hard (with the River Cats), his average (.355) wasn’t indicative of how well he hit. He hit line drives right at people. He could have been hitting over .400.”
We continue our spring training coverage from Scottsdale, AZ chatting with a pair of Giants prospects, OF Mac Williamson and C Trevor Brown, who both made their Major League debuts in September.
Williamson tells The Sports Virus what he learned in September with the Giants… “The winning attitude, the selflessness, the hunger to win, the preparation. It’s really something to behold and something that I’ll try to emulate from here forward.”
Giants catcher Buster Posey and outfielder Mac Williamson join us for our first Inside China Basin podcast of 2019. Both players are trying to get back to normalcy. Posey underwent hip surgery and is getting back to 
100%, while Williamson feels great after dealing with concussion symptoms for much of the 2018 season.
“I think mechanically I wasn’t able to swing the way that I always had and I’m sure that had something to do with it overall, but I was kind of having to tweak things to change my mechanics which I hadn’t had to do in the past.”
times, but I wouldn’t change it. I was going after a ball, trying to catch a ball in foul territory that was a meaningful out in our game…What are you going to do, let it drop? Pack my bags to Triple-A? It’s an unfortunate series of events…I just need to be more athletic and not trip (over the bullpen mound).”
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