Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Before the Giants home opener at AT&T Park against the Mariners, TheSportsVirus sat down with RHP Chris Stratton, RF Andrew McCutchen and 3B Coach Ron Wotus.
McCutchen photos courtesy Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Fan Rags Sports
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.
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated twice a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Once again we have a wide range of Giants guests as spring training continues in the Cactus League. Jeff Samardzija, Nick Hundley and Derek Law were interviewed at media day in San Francisco prior to Fan Fest. Javy Lopez joined us outside the Giants dugout at Scottsdale Stadium at the beginning of March.
Samardzija talked to The Sports Virus about his mindset after a difficult 2017 season for San Francisco: …“When you pitch through situations you become a stronger guy on the back end. Whether that’s a minor injury you pitch through or a rough patch you pitch through or a rough season that you go out and no luck is going your way and you keep pitching. When you do get a normal situation after that you kind of sit there and understand that hey, you don’t take it for granted. A healthy team, a strong team, a team that’s bonded together doesn’t happen all the time. It’s not the norm. It’s a special case when 25 guys come together and you have a nice long stretch. You appreciate certain situations a little more when you go through rough patches. Whatever that rough patch is when you come out on the other end usually you are a little stronger for it. For me, I’m just excited to go through that and then have a clean slate and start all over with great spirits and a team that’s ready to win..”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated once a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
We have a wide range of Giants guests as spring training continues in the Cactus League. Austin Jackson joins us (while getting some ribbing from Pablo Sandoval when talking about the 2012 World Series), as well as Tyler Beede and Mark Melancon from Scottsdale Stadium. Mac Williamson and Austin Slater were interviewed at media day in San Francisco prior to Fan Fest.
Mac Williamson is off to a great start in Cactus League play with a .412 batting average, 4 HR, 13 RBIs in his first 15 games, but he is realistic about the meaning of those numbers: …“I don’t think it’s super important to look at the numbers in spring. Everybody is trying to work on something and get in the rhythm and that includes the opposing pitchers. They’re not immune to making mistakes in spring that they’re not going to make during the season…I’ve had ok springs in the past and it hasn’t always translated to the season…For the most part it’s important to remain healthy.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated once a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Hensley Meulens is making the move from Giants hitting coach to bench coach, Steven Duggar is vying for a spot in the SF outfield and Gregor Blanco returns to his favorite team. All 3 men joined us from Scottsdale Stadium last week.
Blanco is hoping to bring a spark back to the Giants: …“I really saw that they were missing the extra fight that you always need to win games (in 2017). Extra energy. It was hard to find that, that’s the way I saw it from the outside (while with the Diamondbacks)…Now coming here in spring training and I see Pablo Sandoval and all of those guys who have a really good connection with each other, we are starting to have fun again.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated once a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
Giants General Manager Bobby Evans joins us to talk about the changes the club made during the off season and what to expect in spring training.
We also chat in the Giants Scottsdale Stadium dugout with new 3B Evan Longoria, one of San Francisco’s key 2018 acquisitions.
Longoria talked to The Sports Virus about the being a Giants newcomer: …“I’m just trying to find my role, see where I fit in…It’s a different feeling. You’ve got to kind of feel the guys out, see how the personalties are and how the clubhouse vibe is. All of that has been pretty seamless. It’s been great. The clubhouse is loose. I think everybody has fun playing the game and playing together and that kind of makes it easy for me.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea joins us for our final Giants podcast of 2017. We look ahead to the 2018 draft (the Giants will have the #2 overall pick) and what SF needs to do to improve. Plus, a little MLB post-season forecast.
Shea gave The Sports Virus a scouting report on Seth Beer from Clemson, whom the Giants will probably consider for the #2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft: “…He’s the real deal. He’s probably a first baseman, maybe somebody like (Brandon) Belt would move to LF…He’s a legitimate power guy. 6’2,” 200-plus (pounds) and he hits the ball a long way…He’s not a real great athlete. He’s not going to be a great outfielder if you put him in left. He’s probably more equipped for first base. He’s not fast, he’s not going to have much range, but he hits the ball and (Bruce) Bochy was telling us lately and he’s saying it multiple times, hey we’ve been talking behind the scenes about getting these guys. Maybe not necessarily contact guys, but power guys. If they strike out, they strike out. They’re kind of behind the curve on that. Every other team seems to be getting these guys.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
In advance of the final weekend of the Giants 2017 season, SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea joins us to talk about Matt Cain’s retirement announcement and the emotions that might take place when he takes the mound one final time on Saturday at AT&T Park. In Part 1 of a 2-part conversation, we also talk about whether or not it’s necessary for the Giants to make some drastic changes to the roster this upcoming off-season.
Shea told The Sports Virus about Matt Cain’s good attitude toward the end of his career: “…Cain was sent to the bullpen last September, he was sent to the bullpen two or three times this year. Each time he said fine, I’ll do what it takes. (Bruce) Bochy wants me to go, I’ll go. That’s pretty classy stuff that other pitchers might not do…It’s going to be an emotional day (on Saturday). It’s well deserved.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
John Shea rejoins us for part 2 of our conversation and we talk about the feature he wrote with Henry Shulman in the SF Chronicle about Giants manager Bruce Bochy.
Shea talked to The Sports Virus about the possibility of Bruce Bochy retiring soon: …“As he said, a lot of guys want to retire because they want to do the things they enjoy. Bochy tells me the thing I enjoy the most is managing. So, if I retired I would want to manage…He wants to come back, he’s healthy, he’s feeling good. He said absolutely this team can contend again next year. He doesn’t want to oversee a rebuild.”
Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Baseball Podcast
Updated 3 times a week on TheSportsVirus.com!
SF Chronicle Columnist John Shea joins us for a final month evaluation of the Giants and a glance at the Dodgers, who host San Francisco for three games over the weekend.
Shea talked to The Sports Virus about Joe Panik’s September surge: “…Does that improve the Giants pursuit if they do want to trade him in the off-season to get more for him? Here’s the one guy in the lineup who has good numbers but doesn’t have a huge contract. So, he would be the first guy that a lot of teams would ask for when they’re giving up a player close to free agency or they’re giving up a prospect that the Giants like. To move Panik would be a huge deal, much bigger than moving Matt Duffy which was a huge deal. In a lot of way they haven’t recovered from that.”
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We have a wide range of Giants guests as spring training continues in the Cactus League. Austin Jackson joins us (while getting some ribbing from Pablo Sandoval when talking about the 2012 World Series), as well as Tyler Beede and Mark Melancon from Scottsdale Stadium. Mac Williamson and Austin Slater were interviewed at media day in San Francisco prior to Fan Fest.
Hensley Meulens is making the move from Giants 
hitting coach to bench coach, Steven Duggar is vying for a spot in the SF outfield and Gregor Blanco returns to his favorite team. All 3 men joined us from Scottsdale Stadium last week.
Giants General Manager Bobby Evans joins us to talk about the changes the club made during the off season and what to expect in spring training.
