TortureCast (SF Giants Podcast)

Somehow the baseball season is still pushing forward, despite the Cardinals are now the "infected" team. In fact, although the Giants have played 16 games, which is more than a quarter of the way through the season, the Cards have only played 5 games....FIVE. The Giants went 3-5 since our last recording, but the main hurdle was Colorado, where they lost three of four, despite having late inning le...

Although the Giants had an average week, it included a dramatic splash-hit walk off, another great comeback stalled by a bullpen that exploded, Chad got credentials to cover a game, and well, basically most of the Marlins have COVID-19 (and now the Cardinals, too), which is putting the MLB season in dire jeopardy due to the number of postponed games. Eric and Chad chat about all of this and more i...

Willie Dills Gregory and his two friends started this podcast on June 12, 2011. Nine years later, we've finally reached episode 200. However, that's with the caveat that if you add all of the bonusodes, season previews and interviews, it's really recording number 258. That said, it's something to celebrate, especially as we recorded during the Giants' home opener (which they sadly lost 5-3 to SD)....

Honestly, we can't believe it. We are having a season preview episode. In July. Whatever. We'll take it. Joining Chad and Eric are long standing podcast veterans including a founder of TortureCast, Willie "Dills" Gregory and a woman who has joined us for numerous season previews and drunken "bonusodes," Jennifer (formerly Cosgriff) Kent. The four of us discuss the new rule changes, the potential r...

We have a schedule! We also have injured players and others that might sit out this season. Chad and Eric discuss the first week of summer camp, the positive COVID cases, and more in this episode of TortureCast!

After months of frustrating negotiations...the owners and players failed to come to an agreement. But alas, MLB Commish Rob Manfred instituted a 60 game season, players agreed to the health protocols, and voila! We officially have a 2020 baseball season! Here are the main points: 60 game season (40 against NL West, 20 against AL West) Universal DH In every extra inning, a runner starts the inning...

Wow! What a change 24 hours can bring. After MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week that he's '100 percent' certain that a 2020 season would happen, he flipped yesterday and said he was not '100 percent' certain. This brought ire and backlash from the players, and quite honestly, the owners and Manfred don't look good to the public in this situation, despite their leverage. This (Tuesday) mor...

Things are tough in the nation right now. From the pandemic to civil unrest, there are many more important things happening than a podcast about baseball and the Giants. Yet, Eric and I decided to go ahead with our recording, as we only do so every two weeks at this point. Perhaps our conversation can be a distraction from these troubling times. There have been a few developments in the negotiatio...

Do we think this is likely? Not really. But, that is the latest bit of news coming out of the baseball world. Last week, MLB owners sent the players association a proposal that would start an 82 game season in July. Some of the main points of how the season would work include the DH for the NL, an expanded 14-team playoff, games restricted to mainly geographic opponents to reduce travel, and a myr...

We're back to talk about developments in a plan that may bring baseball back in some form by June. Currently, the plan is to essentially put all players and personnel in a bubble, test them for the virus every week, and make sure they only travel to and from the stadiums and hotel. However, the PPE and test kits required would put a huge strain on medical resources, and there are players with fami...

It's April 8, 2020. Just six weeks ago, we thought we'd be talking about the first week of the regular season by now. Instead, we are without baseball, and without sports worldwide. I found myself watching old Giants games on YouTube as an exercise in remembering what it's like. Eric and I chat about how we're doing during this crisis, but we dive into plans that are being floated that may, just m...

The founder of this podcast, Willie Gregory (@williedills) invited Eric and I to join himself and his friend and Astros fan Ty (@tyberius_asher) on a special Twitch streamed episode to talk about the Astros cheating scandal. However, in the days that passed, the corona virus had taken over the headlines and canceled or suspended sporting events around the world, including Major League Baseball. In...

The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the warm rays beating down on the fans. Baseball is officially back as spring training and the cactus league is a week into the 2020 season. Eric and I chat about our impressions of the first week of Giants' baseball, and to be honest, although this team may not be that good, what if they surprise us. No, not playoff surprise, but maybe a 75...

Pence is back, along with the Panda. Pretty soon we might see Barry Zito as the batboy. For all the analytical signings that Farhan zips out, he signed two fan favorites. We talk about all of the signings, FanFest, media day, Giants players adjusting to life without Bumgarner...and ALERT, PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TOMORROW! What a sweet sentence that is. Alas, we know there is some overlap with...

Happy New Year! Oh, and the 49ers are in the Super Bowl!! We last recorded in November, and WOW, what a difference a holiday season can make. MadBum signed with Arizona, the cheating scandal saw three managers and a GM get fired, Farhan Zaidi is acquiring young talent faster than his hairline is receding. Eric and I talk about the off-season moves, the Hall of Fame vote, the mostly brand-new coach...

We told you we would be back for episodes when the manager was hired. What we didn't foresee is the hiring of a controversial manager, a new GM, the loss of two HUGE Giants, the 2019 season awards, and a cheating scandal that is rocking the baseball world. Boy, did we have a lot to talk about in this meaty episode!  We dive into the controversial hiring of Gabe Kapler, the hiring of Scott Harris a...

Much like the "Mattress King" did, we thought the Astros would win the World Series. Unlike the "Mattress King," we did not bet 3 million bucks on it. Congratulations to the Washington Nationals for bringing home the coveted Tiffany trophy for the first time in the city's history. It wasn't the most exciting seven game series that we've seen, with only one game decided by one run and the rest by 3...

Jose Altuve won it for the Astros with a dramatic pennant-winning homerun in the bottom of the ninth to send them to the World Series to face the up and coming Washington Nationals who surprisingly swept the Cardinals. It's the first such pennant-clinching homerun since Travis Ishikawa did so for the Giants against the Cardinals in 2014. Let's just thank the baseball gods that it's not a Dodgers-Y...

Schadenfreude (/ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə/; German: [ˈʃaːdn̩ˌfʁɔʏ̯də] (listen); lit. 'harm-joy') is the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another. This is what us Giants fans experienced on Wednesday night. Despite seven consecutive NL West titles, despite a club-record 106 wins, despite setting a record for ho...

The 2019 San Francisco Giants' season is over. We gave a tribute to Bruce Bochy's incredible career in episode 182, but this episode wraps up the last week of the 2019 season. Chad and Eric cover the week that was, and venture into predicting the playoffs for the 10 qualifying teams, and even review the predictions we had at the beginning of the season. Thank you for your support all year long!

Thank you, Boch. There's no other way to put it. 2003 wins. 3 World Series Championships. Innumerable memories. Bruce Bochy managed his last major league game on Sunday, and we were witness to one of the greatest send-offs a manager could ever have. He is forever Giant. Check out episode 183 for a summary of the last week in Giants' baseball, our playoff predictions and more, but episode 182 is al...

We weren't sure if it was going to happen, but it did. Bochy reached 2,000 wins in his managerial career, with the help from a certain Yaz. Chad and Eric talk about Bochy's magical milestone and the week that was in Giants' baseball. Yaz hit a homerun where his grandpa hit homeruns. A rookie won in Atlanta where the veterans couldn't. Changes to the park are afoot. www.torturecast.com www.facebook...

Yaz's dash to home in Sunday's game was an analogy for this year's Giants' team. Heart and hustle, but not the highest level of talent. But, heart and hustle will win games, as it is obvious in their 33-15 record in 1-run games, best in MLB. The Giants went 3-4 this week against the Pirates and Marlins at home, securing a losing record at Oracle Park. That said, their road record is above .500, an...

The Giants beat LA. Ok, they won 2 of 3 after losing 3 of 4 in St. Louis, but Bruce Bochy single handedly won the LA series with shrewd moves with the bullpen. Maricio Dubon hit a pair of jacks, including one against Kershaw, while the Giants improve to 33-15 in one run games.  Eric and Chad talk about the week in Giants' baseball, the rookies, a record number of players on the roster, a tribute t...

The Giants fell out of the playoff race in a huge way this week, going 1-6 and falling 8 games behind the Cubs for the second wild card. As of now, they need to shoot for 2,000 wins for Bochy (8 more) and maybe a .500 season as a silver lining. Eric and Chad talk about the bad week that was, transactions, the roster expansion, and their first 20 homerun hitter in 4 years. It's not all bad news...j...