Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea joins us for part 2 of our conversation. Just prior to the start of the Giants/Marlins series in Miami we discuss the possibility of Giancarlo Stanton being acquired by the Giants. Plus, Mark Melancon’s goals for the rest of 2017.
The Sports Virus suggested that it might be far-fetched to think the Giants would have a chance to acquire Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Shea weighed in: “…Is it far fetched? Here’s a Giants team that will have Matt Cain off the books, $20 million…we don’t know yet about Johnny Cueto and whether he opts out or remains next year, that’s $20 plus million…There are players with big contracts that they may not necessarily appreciate anymore…The Giants sort of owe their fans something.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
San Francisco Chronicle columnist John Shea joins us to talk about the first leg of the Giants road trip in Washington, DC, which included an injury to Bryce Harper of the Nationals.
Shea discussed the slippery base injury sustained by Bryce Harper with The Sports Virus : …“If health and safety means better bases, maybe not so high, maybe not so slick, maybe not so hard, then yeah, change it. It sometimes takes a star to bring attention to a case like this.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Giants LHP Josh Osich and INF/OF Kelby Tomlinson joined us Wednesday from AT&T Park to talk about their progress this season.
Osich talked to The Sports Virus about how the Giants are dealing with a losing season : “…It’s hard for a lot of these guys because they’re used to winning every single time, so it’s definitely a learning experience for all of us and no one likes to lose, but sometimes it’s good for us”…On recent series wins vs the Diamondbacks and Cubs: “When you’re taking down some of the better teams in the league and we start playing better ball that momentum will take us into next year.”
Tomlinson talked to The Sports Virus about the life of a pinch hitter: “You’re either 0 for 4 or 4 for 4 every day. Being able to keep that in check emotionally is big so when you get into that next game, your next chance you can’t be thinking about the last game and how you struck out…If you can swing at the right pitches and not swing at the wrong pitches then you’re setting yourself up for success. It’s even more important when you get that one at bat to be very disciplined…When you get that one chance you gotta real focus in on your pitch selection.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale is in town for the Cubs/Giants series and we catch up with him to talk about the two teams, the deaths of Darren Daulton and Don Baylor and the suspension of umpire Joe West.
Nightengale told The Sports Virus he thinks the Giants still have a hangover from losing to the Cubs in game 4 of the 2016 NLDS and gave his thoughts on their future: “…I think it was a psychological blow, the first time in 11 post season series they finally lost one. They didn’t quite have their swagger…I think they’ve got to go get a slugger. It’s imperative, whether it’s a Jay Bruce, whether it’s a J.D. Martinez, they can’t go into 2018 without some guy. I can see them moving a Joe Panik or a Brandon Belt. I think they’ll be creative in the off season…They need to shake up that lineup.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Today we visit the California League and check on San Jose Giants infielder Jonah Arenado, the younger brother of Colorado Rockies All Star 3B Nolan Arenado. He was San Jose’s MVP in 2016 and now he’s battling to have a hot finish this season. As of Monday, Jonah was hitting .262, 9 HR, 58 RBI.
SAN JOSE, CA. JUNE 2- San Jose Giants play the Lake Elsinore Storm on June 2, 2017 at Municipal Stadium in San Jose, California. (Tim Cattera/San Jose Giants)
Arenado talked to The Sports Virus about growing up playing baseball and sometimes wiffle ball with his older brother Nolan (Rockies All Star 3B): …“When I was younger Nolan was always focused, he always worked the hardest. I worked hard, but I was never on his level. We always had something going on… wiffle ball all the time with the cousins and brothers…We’re a competitive family so fights break out in wiffle ball, that’s not a surprise for us, that’s just how it goes. Honestly, I think that helps us for when things like this (pro ball) matter, when you want to get competitive it’s not like a switch I need to turn on, I know it’s there because I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Former KNBR talk show host Ray Woodson talks to us about the state of the Giants and who he likes to win the World Series.
Woodson talked to The Sports Virus about the future for LHP Matt Moore: “…What are you going to do with Matt Moore? He’s young enough that you figure you could work with him on some of the problems he’s had this year and I think some of them are between the ears. It probably drives the coaching staff a little crazy trying to get him out of this because he’s got great stuff.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea joins us for part 2 of our conversation. We discuss the Dodgers moves at the trade deadline and what might happen with Johnny Cueto and the Giants. Plus, Bill King and the Ford Frick Award at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Shea told The Sports Virus that he could envision Johnny Cueto not opting out of his contract with San Francisco: “…This might be a blessing in disguise for the Giants believe it or not. Last year we all remember how dynamic he was. He started the All Star game…This year he has a bad ERA, he’s got the blister issues and now he’s got the elbow issue…If he had last year’s production, he would opt out and he would get more money than what’s on the table for him in the next four years, which is $84 million. But, do you opt out now with the injury issues, with the ERA that’s ballooned, with the fact that you’re not pitching deep into games? You’re not the same Johnny Cueto.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
San Francisco Chronicle columnist John Shea joins us to talk about the Giants non-activity at the trade deadline. We take a peek into the future and discuss playing time decisions for the last two months of the 2017 season.
Shea talked to The Sports Virus about making the value of Kelby Tomlinson: …“He’s great off the bench. He’s got this wiffle ball, right field swing, like a slow pitch softball swing. Everything is to right field…Pitcher’s pitch you away and that’s how they’re want to beat you and he’s prepared….He’s not the prototypical 2018 player who needs to hit home runs. He’ll choke up, he’ll go the other way…It’s fun to watch him run.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Baseball writer Doug Padilla joins us from Los Angeles to talk about the Giants/Dodgers series this weekend.
Padilla gave The Sports Virus his thoughts about a possible Giants strategy to be competitive in 2018: “…What model do you want to choose? Does the Cubs model make sense? Probably not. Not a franchise like the Giants. The Dodgers model seems to make more sense, maybe adding a key component here and there. Count on guys to rebound to more of their norms and to fill in holes…Even if they roll the same guys out there next year they wouldn’t be this team, they would be better, even a year older. I think we could safely assume that. I think it would make sense to maybe get a little younger in some spots.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
We sat down Wednesday with Giants RHP Cory Gearrin to get his thoughts on the Giants bullpen and his reaction to Eduardo Nunez getting traded in the middle of a game earlier this week.
Gearrin described the scene when Eduardo Nunez got traded earlier this week during a game against the Pirates: “…We loved having him here. A ton of energy, obviously the numbers speak for themselves for how good of a player he is…You hate to see him go. I’ve never actually been a part of a team where the guy was traded mid-game like that…We see Boch give Nuney a hug and we (all said) wow did he just get traded? Then we kinda find out a couple of minutes later that that’s what happened.”
Gearrin also talked about how daunting it is for young relievers to come into key situations out of the bullpen: “…First time coming into a game in the Major Leagues, especially with the bases loaded, you’re just trying to not pass out. You’re just trying to breathe and throw strikes. The guys you talk to who are more veteran, they’ve been in those situations before, it’s nothing new. It’s still a challenge. It’s not easy to go out and get outs no matter if it’s your first day or your 1000th day.”
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Come back FRIDAY when we hear from LHP Josh 
Osich and INF Kelby Tomlinson of the Giants from AT&T Park in San Francisco.
