Tag Archives: major league baseball

Former Giants SS Rich Aurilia

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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

Updated 3 times a  week on TheSportsVirus.com!

We continue our coverage in Scottsdale, Arizona chatting with former Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia, who is now an analyst for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Aurilia tells The Sports Virus: “…I want guys up the middle that make routine plays. Anyone can make a great play…but give me the guy who can make the play right at him, turn the easy double play. (The Giants) have two guys right now (Crawford and Panik), that’s exactly what they do. They work on the fundamentals of the game and it shows in their play.”

Listen To Rich Aurilia

Come back MONDAY for Giants SS Brandon Crawford and 1B Brandon Belt

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.FMSTITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.

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Giants Pitcher Matt Cain and Catcher Andrew Susac

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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

Updated 3 times a  week on TheSportsVirus.com!

We continue our coverage in Scottsdale, Arizona chatting with two players who battled injuries last season, pitcher Matt Cain and catcher Andrew Susac.

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Photos courtesy of Shutterstock and Andy Lopusnak Photography

Cain tells The Sports Virus his injuries: “…are going to benefit me in the long run. It’s not something you want to go through, but it’s a part of the game. It’s a hurdle you have to go through. It shows who you are as person.”

Listen To Matt Cain and Andrew Susac

Come back FRIDAY for former Giants SS Rich Aurilia of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area

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.FMSTITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.

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Giants Pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Tyler Beede

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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

Updated 3 times a  week on TheSportsVirus.com!

We continue our coverage in Scottsdale, Arizona chatting with a pair of right handed pitchers: Jeff Samardzija, who signed with San Francisco as a free agent this off season,

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and Tyler Beede, who was a 2014 first round draft choice out of Vanderbilt.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Samardzija tells The Sports Virus about working on mechanics: “…the only way to get back to normal is to clean the slate.”

Listen To Jeff Samardzija and Tyler Beede

Come back WEDNESDAY for Matt Cain and Andrew Susac 

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.FMSTITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.

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Giants GM Bobby Evans and CF Denard Span

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Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

Updated 3 times a  week on TheSportsVirus.com!

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We continue our coverage in Scottsdale, Arizona chatting Giants Senior Vice President and General Manager Bobby Evans, and new CF Denard Span, who hit over .300 three times in his eight-year career.

Span photo courtesy of Wiki Media

Span tells The Sports Virus about playing in the spacious AT&T outfield with his new teammates: “…It’s going to be big that we’re all on the same page.”

Listen To Bobby Evans and Denard Span

Come back MONDAY for Jeff Samardzija and Tyler Beede 

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.FMSTITCHER and our STITCHER WIDGET.

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Catch It: Back in SF After Spring Training

BALL, GLOVEWelcome to CATCH IT! — Joe Castellano’s personal observations about what’s going on in the world of sports.

Spring Training 2016 for me was brief and hot, but special nonetheless.

The Giants players were relaxed and confident and why wouldn’t they be? High priced acquisitions Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija (Listen Here to Podcast with Samardzija) should pump life into a rotation that outside of Madison Bumgarner was subpar in 2015. Denard Span is the perfect lead-off man. Can he stay healthy IMG_HUNTER PENCE 2 FROM NOR CAL PHOTOthough? Can Hunter Pence have a healthy season? It didn’t start out well for Pence with achilles tendinitis right off the bat. It also was a bummer for Matt Cain to have minor surgery to remove a cyst before he could even throw in a spring game. How is Joe Panik’s back? Andrew Susac’s wrist? I saw Susac hit a bullet to left field for a homer. (Listen Here to Podcast with Cain and Susac). That’s a good sign.

As I was leaving Scottsdale Stadium on a 90-degree day last week I got to the centerfield bleacher area on my way to the parking lot. Suddenly I heard the PA announcer, “…now batting for the Giants, WILLIAMSONMac Williamson!” Ok, I’ve seen the kid in San Jose and briefly with San Francisco. Gotta watch this AB before I head to the airport. Well, Mac, I was getting nervous about making that flight. You had quite an AB. I couldn’t just watch one or two pitches. Had to see the whole drama play out. Nasty slider, he lays off, ball one. Blazing fastball, fouled straight back, one and one. Curve, taken outside ball two. Fastball in, and Mac lines a bullet to left field driving in a run. Nice job.

I made the flight fine despite the car rental being in a different zip code than the Phoenix Airport and long lines at security.

This time of year fans and media are making predictions and wondering who THE key player or players are on a team. “If Cain can bounce back that will be the difference,” I heard someone say. “The lineup is solid, this team is going to the World Series,” said another fan.

The talk of the spring were the great arms in the Giants pen. No more Jeremy Affeldt. Can the young fireballers like Josh Osich and Hunter Strickland handle the late game stress if Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla fade? What about this kid Ray Black who throws over 100 mph? Jake Smith anyone? He throws in the high 90’s. I saw them pitch in San Jose and it is highly entertaining. Even Javier Lopez told me he is fascinated by hearing the pop of the mitt when these guys warm up (Hear entire interview with Lopez on March 30).

I was walking out of the dentist office today in San Francisco and chatted briefly on an elevator with an elderly woman who was wearing a spring training 2012 shirt. Her kid used to go every year and got her a shirt every year. I told her I just got back from Scottsdale and it was great. As we opened our umbrellas to walk out into the rainy weather she said, “I knew in 2012 we were going to win every even year. This is the year again!” I said, “Yeah, no pressure.”

Crawford jerseyThis city has been awash in Warriors fever all winter and with good reason, but now it’s time for baseball too. After my encounter with the even year prognosticator I walked into Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco and there were Warriors and Giants shirts everywhere. They have a Giants Dugout store in the mall filled with Posey, Bumgarner and Crawford jerseys. Even a single Joe Panik jersey hung in the middle of the store. What, no Matt Duffy? (Listen Here to Podcast with Duffy and Posey) Don’t these people know that he’s going to be a regular guest on my Inside China Basin podcast? Soon enough they will be clicking on the new Duffman’s corner tab and hear him all season.

Later in the day, I stopped at a Starbucks in Union Square. Grande, black, iced tea. Unsweetened. I am such a creature of habit. Can’t wait to read my SF Chronicle to see what John Shea and Henry Shulman are writing today. I look around and everyone is on their phone. They must also be reading John and Henry online. This city isjohn shea hey podcasts obsessed with the Giants. Soon enough, the Shea Hey podcasts as part of Inside China Basin will begin again (Listen Here to 2015 Podcast with John Shea). In the meantime, if you aren’t enjoying the Sporting Green newspaper, I encourage you check out John’s columns: John Shea on SF Gate

One topic I’m looking forward to chatting with Shea about is the new rule regarding slides into second base. You already heard Posey talk about it being a good move to eliminate the unnecessary rolling block slides like we saw from Chase Utley of the Dodgers in the NL Division Series last season against the Mets.

I like the rule, but the additional elimination of the neighborhood play actually worries me. That was another way to protect these middle infielders and I think it was ok as long as they didn’t miss the bag by more than a couple of inches. Former Giants SS Rich Aurilia will give his views on the subject on Inside China Basin on Friday so don’t miss that podcast.

There goes a person on Sutter Street wearing a Giants cap. Opening Day can’t come soon enough for a lot of people.

But, as I’m about to leave Starbucks, another San Francisco native puts it all in perspective in a city that has so much going on. “I don’t follow the Giants,” she said. “How are they doing?”

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Artwork courtesy of: Suzie Armagost.

Welcome to Your Podcast Home of the San Francisco Giants, 49ers, Golden State Warriors… and More

Looking for exclusive insider conversations and news about the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Golden State Warriors… featuring exclusive interviews with Giants players and former Niners Quarterback Steve Bono?

Look no more! You’ve found the home of exclusive Giants and 49ers podcasts, brought to you by nationally renowned sports announcer Joe Castellano. Our podcasts provide exclusive insider news throughout the week: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during baseball season we talk Giants baseball; on Tuesday during the NFL season we turn to the 49ers.

Simply scroll down to view each podcast, and click on the link to listen… or select your favorite from the list under the “Our Podcasts” link at the top of this website.

Other Podcasts: From time to time we check in on the Golden State Warriors with reporter Ryan Leong and the Oakland A’s  as well. We also have post game bonus interviews from AT&T Park.

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