Welcome to The Sports Virus Podcast !
Sportscaster Joe Castellano talks to a variety of sports figures from around the country about the latest news. These in-depth conversations take you inside the personalities of the people involved in the sports we love to watch, listen and read about.
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Injuries derailed the Giants 2018 season. 2B Joe Panik was one of the walking wounded last year, but now he’s healthy and has been tearing up the Cactus League hitting over .400. Bench Coach Hensley Meulens is optimistic about this season, especially because Buster Posey should be back to his All Star form.
Unlike many hitters in the Major Leagues, Panik is not concerned with launch angle :
“Everybody wants to hit home runs, but the 
moment I start thinking about that, that’s when I go bad. I’ve been really trying to focus on contact point. If I hit the ball in the right contact point that’s when the ball will go. Don’t think about lifting the ball because that’s when bad things will happen.”
Meulens talked about Posey coming off hip surgery:
“Hitting wise it restrained him (last season) from being at his best, powerful and driving balls. Catching as well he wasn’t feeling like himself…I’m hoping he can get back to where he was the year before (hit .320 with .400 on base percentage).”
Join us again next week when we hear from Giants 3rd Base Coach Ron Wotus.
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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
For our final spring training podcast of 2018 we hear from the Giants double play combination of Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik at media day prior to the Cactus League. Plus conversations with RHP Cory Gearrin and C Aramis Garcia from Scottsdale, AZ.
Join us next week for our final spring training podcast!
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES.
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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
San Francisco Chronicle columnist John Shea joins us from San Diego to talk about what to expect on the trade front and the return of Madison Bumgarner as the Giants play the Padres following the All Star break.
Shea suggested to The Sports Virus that Joe Panik might be on the trading block: “…He’s three years until free agency. He’s a very good defensive player. He can get in a groove offensively. He’s a good teammate. He’s got some value on the market. I think a second baseman can be replaced… He’s not a power guy, they’re not going to miss any kind of power. He’s not a speed guy, they’re not going to miss any kind of speed. They would miss his defense and his presence, but if you could get a left field prospect and a pitching prospect for Joe Panik I think you’ve got to make the move.”
Come back FRIDAY for Part 2 of our conversation with John Shea as we talk about what the Giants might do before the trade deadline and the return of ace Madison Bumgarner.
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES. PLUS YOU CAN NOW FIND US ON SOUNDCLOUD, PLAYER.FM, STITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.
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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
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.”
Come back FRIDAY when we hear from
Giants Bench Coach RON WOTUS IANTS BENCH and CHRIS BERMAN from ESPN.
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES. PLUS YOU CAN NOW FIND US ON SOUNDCLOUD, PLAYER.FM, STITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.
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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Sacramento River Cats Play-By-Play announcer Johnny Doskow joined us Saturday to talk about the Giants Pacific Coast League affiliate.
Doskow was asked by The Sports Virus about Hunter Pence’s rehab assignment:
“ …There’s no reason to rush him. They are going to slow play it and I think it’s smart. You’d rather have a healthy Pence go in mid-August than rush him and have something else happen. Even watching him leg out a double, he’s obviously not 100 percent, but he’s gonna get there and I think the slower you play it the better.”
Come back MONDAY when we podcast from AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES. PLUS YOU CAN NOW FIND US ON SOUNDCLOUD, PLAYER.FM, STITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.
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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
San Francisco Chronicle Columnist John Shea joined us for our on site podcast from Keeble and Shuchat Photography in Palo Alto in Part 1 of our conversation.
Shea talked to The Sports Virus about the Giants superb infield defense: “… You talk about gold glovers. The only one with one is (Brandon) Crawford, but there’s gonna be more. I put down the computer (on a) ground ball. It’s a must watch because they’re turning double plays, it’s so swift, it’s clean and the essence of defense and glove work. It’s beautiful to watch right now.”
Come back FRIDAY for Part 2 of our conversation with John Shea.
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES. PLUS YOU CAN NOW FIND US ON SOUNDCLOUD, PLAYER.FM, STITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.
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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Giants bench coach Ron Wotus is our guest in a conversation we had just prior to spring training at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Wotus tells The Sports Virus that Gold Glove winning SS Brandon Crawford is “kind of like Omar Vizquel, JT Snow and these guys that love playing defense. I don’t have to worry about him. I think he’ll work smarter. He’ll take care of his body and not overdo it. You just expect him to keep getting better.”
Come back WEDNESDAY for Giants infielder Conor Gillaspie and LHP Javier Lopez
Check out our other Podcasts all year long. INSIDE CHINA BASIN is also available on ITUNES. PLUS YOU CAN NOW FIND US ON SOUNDCLOUD, PLAYER.FM, STITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.
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This podcast is sponsored by (Click each image to visit the sponsor’s website):
Podcasts about the world of sports — all brought to you by Joe Castellano
Tim Flannery spent 36 years in the major leagues as a player for the Padres and coach for San Diego and the San Francisco Giants. Following retirement, does he miss being in uniform? How does he feel about the way analytics are controlling the way front offices evaluate players? And, what made Buster Posey and Joe Panik great before they decided to hang ’em up in 2022. The answers are all found here on this week’s TheSportsVirus Podcast!
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