We chatted with Giants hitting coach Steve Decker during the Diamondbacks series at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
The Sports Virus asked Decker about the Giants lack of power this season:
…”We fly out to the warning track a lot. If we’re playing in Cincinnati or Philadelphia we have just as many home runs as anybody else. I would say Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt fly out to the warning track more than any player in baseball…They’re not those big strong guys that just have that huge raw power…We’re one of the better teams in baseball in the doubles and triples department… We’re the toughest team in baseball to strikeout. That’s been a good formula for us and the Royals the last couple of years for winning the World Series.”
We talked to Giants pitchers Matt Cain and Will Smith on Tuesday at AT&T Park.
The Sports Virus asked Cain how he can improve his consistency throughout an entire game:
… “The biggest thing is staying the same mode, same mindset as I had been in the beginning and earlier in the game or any situation. That’s what I’ve always benefitted from in the past is not getting too overwhelmed in any spot or any situation. Just worry about executing pitches and it’s going to happen.”
Smith tells The Sports Virus he is enjoying being in a Giants uniform:
… “It’s fun here. You come in, there’s a bunch of big name guys here. That’s nice to have on your team. I’m glad I’m finally a good guy here. I don’t have to face those three over there (points across the clubhouse) Belt, Panik and Crawford. They were giving me nightmares. I’m glad to be a good guy in white now.”
Our special guests as the Giants open up their two game series against Diamondbacks are Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper and Giants outfielder Jarrett Parker.
Kuiper told The Sports Virus that a Hunter Pence hot streak could be on the horizon:
… “It’s clearly in there. You just need to be patient for it to come out. They need it to come out really soon. I do believe that he’s getting close. If he can have a hot September then it’s going to be a really good September because Hunter Pence is a huge, huge part of this offense.”
The Sports Virus asked Parker if there has been a competition with teammate Mac Williamson this season:
… “I’ve never looked at it like that. I believe in the abundance theory. I think there’s enough success for anybody and everybody. We kinda worked with each other coming through as rookies, making adjustments and trying to get better and trying to become the players we have been. He wishes the best for me and I wish the best for him. It’s never been an issue for us.”
We talk about clubhouse chemistry with our regular guest SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea in part 2 of our conversation.
The Sports Virus also talked to Shea about how the Giants trade deadline deals for Matt Moore, Will Smith and Eduardo Nunez are working out so far:
… “I think they would have pulled the trigger on all three (trades) if they had to do it all over again. It’s all about those guys progressing and performing and producing. The front office did its part. They all have track records of succeeding.”
We talk about the Giants loss to the Dodgers in game 1 of their key series in LA with our regular guest SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea in part 1 of our conversation.
The Sports Virus talked to Shea about the Dodgers overtaking the Giants in the standings:
… “Everybody stepped up…What have they had, 12, 13 starters this year? They’ve done just well enough to pull this crazy thing off.”
Our special guest before the Giants open up their big 3-game series in LA is Jerry Hairston, Jr. from SportsNet LA. Jerry played for 9 teams in his 16-year career including 2012-13 with the Dodgers. He won a World Series in 2009 with the Yankees.
The Sports Virus talked to Hairston, Jr. about the Dodgers becoming a first place team:
… “The best thing that ever happened to the Dodgers is having Clayton Kershaw get hurt. It does sound weird. Obviously you never want to see the best pitcher on the planet injured by any means. But, it forced the Dodgers to get better as a team and not rely on one guy.”
In the dugout and on the field at AT&T Park this week we chatted with Giants Bench Coach Ron Wotus and ESPN anchor Chris Berman. Despite the Giants recent slide into 2nd place in the NL West, both men remain optimistic.
The Sports Virus talked to Giants bench coach Ron Wotus about the club’s terrible slide since the All Star Game:
… “We’ve really improved at the trade deadline…We’re going to win our share of games. I think we’re too good to continue in the malaise that we’ve been and I think this will turn around.”
ESPN’s Chris Berman told The Sports Virus that a winning streak will provide a snowball effect:
… “Once it starts, the core here is good enough and they understand winning and it will all fall in place. I know that sounds like a fairy tale, but we have to believe that…They have most of their lineup now and they really haven’t had it all year.”
Giants second baseman Joe Panik and Bay Area News Group Columnist Carl Steward join us from AT&T Park in San Francisco as the Giants try to hang on to first place in the NL West.
Panik told The Sports Virus:
… “I’m a very emotional player. People just don’t see it. I hold it in. I hide it in certain ways, but I care, I give a damn. Just because you might show that you’re even keel doesn’t mean that you don’t care.”
The Sports Virus asked Steward about Denard Span’s hold on the leadoff spot:
… “It’s classic (Bruce) Bochy. He believes this guy is eventually going to come around and deliver for this team. He hasn’t been horrible. He just hasn’t maybe lived up to the expectation a lot of people had for him.”
Our special guests before the Giants Monday night series opener against the Pirates are Giants LHP Matt Moore and Steve Bitker from KCBS in San Francisco.
Prior to his first home start as a Giant, Moore told The Sports Virus about the vibe he felt when he first joined the team:
… “Just getting in the clubhouse, you can feel the winning mentality. You can feel the presence of a lot of these guys.”
Bitker tells The Sports Virus that even though the Giants have been slumping, they have the edge over LA:
… “They’ve got too much talent. They’ve got too much experience. Post season experience and pennant-chasing experience. I don’t see the Dodgers still as a legitimate challenger to them. If you look at the starting rotations, even though the Giants rotation has had ups and downs, it’s infinitely more skilled than the Dodgers rotation…I just see the Dodgers wilting down the stretch.”
Today we get the scoop on the visiting Orioles with MASN Sports reporter Roch Kubatko, we chat with National Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson and we hear from former Giants Hall all of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry who had a statue unveiled at the ballpark on Saturday .
The Sports Virus talked to Kubatko about Orioles manager Buck Showalter:
… “Once the best things (the Orioles) have ever done was hiring Buck Showalter. Reversing a losing culture is one of the harding things to do in sports and he had a huge part in that. Really he is the face of the franchise. He hates hearing that, but when you think of the Orioles you think of Buck Showalter in the dugout.”
The Sports Virus talked to Idelson about Brandon Crawford donating his 7-hit bat to Cooperstown:
… “He wanted to give it up right away, I even asked him today if he wanted it back. He said, ‘No, I’m doing well with the next one.’ It came to Cooperstown a few days (after the 7-hit game).”
Gaylord Perry tells us about being checked for his famous “Spit Ball”:
… “I started 40 games every year and I probably got checked 30 games each year. They tried to get me and they didn’t get me.”
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Come back MONDAY when former Major Leaguer Jerry Hairston, Jr. joins us to talk about the upcoming Giants/Dodgers series in Los Angeles. 
Giants Bench Coach RON WOTUS IANTS BENCH and CHRIS BERMAN from ESPN.
