Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
USA Today baseball writer Jorge Ortiz joined us from San Francisco. In part 1 of our conversation he chats with us about Jarrett Parker and the outfield situation as well as Pablo Sandoval.
Ortiz talked to The Sports Virus about Pablo Sandoval: “…(Bruce) Bochy said that he thinks his swing is really close. If they can get a semblance of the old Pablo they’re in a no lose situation with him because for one they wouldn’t mind giving Christian Arroyo more time to develop in the minors particularly since so much of this has been a wasted season. You have a guy who’s lively, who maybe can still swing the bat well and who can buy you that time at third base so you don’t have to rush Christian Arroyo.”
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.”