A podcast by and for fans of the San Francisco Giants
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TortureCast Podcasts
The MLB season is officially over, and it ended in agonizing fashion with the Dodgers squeaking out their second consecutive championship over a Toronto Blue Jays team that just couldn't put the nail in the coffin. We beat the dead horse that should have been a ring for Toronto, but before that, we break down Tony Vitello's presser at Oracle, Gold …
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Today, the Giants announced that University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello will be their new manager. Vitello becomes the first college coach to move directly to MLB manager without previous professional coaching experience. He turned a Volunteers team around, accruing a .722 winning percentage, and winning the 2024 College World Series and w…
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Chad and Eric conduct a partial autopsy on the corpse of the 2025 San Francisco Giants, but before that, there's a long conversation about who the Giants are going to replace Bob Melvin with. That's right, after signing Melvin to an extension on July 1, the Giants parted ways with Melvin and now will search for their next skipper. No, it won't be B…
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We strung out this episode because during the recording, the Giants blew a 5-run lead they had in the 7th against the Cardinals, then Ryan Walker came in and failed to close out a 1-run lead, allowing 2 runs in the 9th. We waited out the episode to watch Wilmer Flores feebly strike out with the tying run on second to end the game and their official…
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Chad and Eric were hopeful that their trip to Arizona would bear witness to the Giants leapfrogging the Mets into the third wild card position, but instead were witness to the final nail in the coffin to their postseason hopes. Although we did get to see Bryce Eldridge's Major League debut, we also witnessed an 8-1 drubbing followed by a walk-off w…
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Chad traveled down to Arizona to meet Eric for a couple of Giants games, but we wrapped up the last 10 games in a special live and in-person episode! We thank the Mets for their 8-games losing streak that enabled the Giants to get to within 1 1/2 games, despite the Giants going 4-5. And, our timing couldn’t be better because Bryce Eldridge has been…
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324: Just When We Thought We Were Out....
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1:13:58
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...they pull us back in. Yes, we are all Al Pacino. The Giants have suddenly forgotten how to lose. In fact, they've only lost one of their last 11 games and suddenly find themselves two games above .500 and four games back of the Mets for the third wild card with 22 games to play. We are still in snowball's-chance-in-hell territory, but it's bette…
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Just when they had us down, they sweep us back into their arms. Well, maybe not quite yet, but the Giants have quietly put together a 4 game winning streak and are 3 games under .500. Their offense is finally clicking, and they've even homered in 10 straight games. Devers went off tonight in game 2 of their series against the Cubs, going 4-4 with 2…
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322: Two Old Men Talk About Things They Hate
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We came up with this title at the end of this episode. If you're brave enough to listen to the end, you'll understand why. But seriously, the Giants have lost 15 of 17 at home and are no where close to orbiting the playoffs. They would have been if they had just played 7-10 in that stretch. They went 2-4 for the week and are now a solid 5 games und…
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The Giants may be a bad team after all. They followed up a historic winless six game homestand with a 4-2 roadtrip, and came right back home and lost five of six, meaning the Giants have lost 13 of their last 14 at home. They last time the franchise did that was 1940 in New York. They are below .500 for the season, on the road, and at home. Their o…
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320: Trade Deadline Review: Was it Worth it?
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We last recorded in between trades, but we break down the Yaz and Doval trades from last week. All in all, the Giants received eight players for the three they traded away, and with Yaz and Rogers being free agents of the end of the year, it made sense to exchange rentals for potential future talent. But, it is weird seeing Yaz in Royal Blue, Roger…
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After the Giants defeated the Dodgers on June 13, they were tied for first place in the NL West with LA and held the 4th best record in baseball. Since that time, they have been the worst team in baseball (yes, even worse than the Colorado Rockies), going 13-26 and plummeting out of the playoff race. They had an 0-6 homestand, something the Giants …
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Patrick Bailey's walk-off inside-the-park homerun on Tuesday night is something that will be burned into Giants' lore for decades to come. Pagan's similar feat happened 12 years ago, and we still talk about it. This one was better. We open the episode discussing Bailey's round-tripper and how the Giants have picked themselves up after a horrific st…
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In a truly stunning, out-of-left-field event, the Giants traded for slugger Rafael Devers. It really did come out of nowhere, but it's genesis was the discontent that was brewing in Boston after Devers was not being treated like a franchise player, being promised third base, only to have Alex Bregman usurp it. The Giants gave up relatively little a…
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It's in the title. The Giants are on a 7-game winning streak, bookended with our recording of 315 during game 1 of the streak and tonight's recording of 316 during the 7th game of the streak. They're just 1/2 game back of LA and if they complete the sweep of the Rockies tomorrow, the Giants will go into Chavez Ravine tied for first. This incredible…
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It must have been somewhat depressing or bittersweet for Buster Posey to make the decision to DFA LaMonte Wade Jr., a consistent player in this lineup that suited up with Posey for the 2021 season when they both performed well and won the NL West as teammates. Yet, it was a move they had to make. The Giants ranked last or near last in all offensive…
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We are one-third of the way through the season, and it's episode 314. So, pi. Anyhoo...we are beginning to fear that the Giants are whom they've been the last few years, aside from the outlier of the 8-1 start. Since then, they've been mediocre. They're bullpen is the best in baseball, by a lot, but starting has been middle of the pack (aside from …
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After an impressive 8-1 start to the season, the Giants have come back to Earth, going 17-18 since and have lost 5 of their last 6. That said, they are only 4 games out of first and hold the final wild card spot, the path that seems most likely for their entry into the postseason. They lost 4 of those 5 games by just one run, and the other by two. …
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The Giants have gone 14-13 since their 8-1 explosive start. That doesn't sound amazing, but it's still good for the 4th best record in all of baseball. Unfortunately, the NL West has the two best teams in baseball with the Dodgers having won 8 of 9 games and the Padres have won 6 in a row. That said, the Giants are in the best shape at this point i…
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So, the title of this episode is not lying. As of the evening of April 6, the Giants do indeed have the best record in baseball. No matter that it's only been nine games. Hey, it's one of the best starts in franchise history, with most great starts ending in the postseason, so there may be something to glean from that. Clearly, this team is exceedi…
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The gang gets back together to preview the San Francisco Giants' 2025 season. We break down the roster and speculate on the remaining spots and share our season predictions, including wins, playoff hopes, team leaders, and more. Plus, we had a great response on social media in responding to our question to YOU, how many wins? As promised, we read a…
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NOTE: We had some audio issues that we tried to clean up and since uploaded a new version on 12/16/24. Chad and Willie "Dills" talk about the impact that newly signed Giants' shortstop, Willy Adames will have on this team. The left side of the infield is pretty strong right now and the outfield is set. Second and first may have a little work, but w…
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Buster Posey and the Giants hired a general manager! Zack Minasian (his brother is also the GM of the Angles, btw) has spent six years with the Giants and prior to that, was with the Brewers organization for 15 years. He grew up in the Rangers' clubhouse, as his dad was a clubhouse attendant. In his teens, Zack realized that he wasn't going to make…
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307: The World Series That No One and Everyone Wanted Preview
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Look. Many Giants and fans of other franchises did not want to see Dodgers and Yankees. Chad certainly doesn't. He's rooting for a cancelation of the World Series. But, even though Eric and Willie would never want the Dodgers to win, they are intrigued by the superstar spectacle that this is. It's a far cry from last year's small market, wild card …
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The "Fire Farhan" brigade got their wish, but his replacement was a bit of a surprise. Buster Posey was named President of Baseball Operations of the San Francisco Giants. It's not often that a franchise icon gets a chance to run their team, but if anyone can succeed, it's Buster Posey. He was introduced Tuesday at Oracle Park and he promised to pl…
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Be honest, you don't really care about the Bay Bridge Series, but now that it's gone, you pine for it. The Giants made their last visit to the Oakland Coliseum over the weekend for the final Bay Bridge Series, splitting the two games with their soon-not-to-be cross-bay rivals. Next year, the Giants will travel to their OWN AAA ballpark to play the …
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The Giants have been slowly creeping up in the standings and suddenly find themselves 2 games above .500 and only 1.5 games back of the wild card with 42 to play. We discuss their playoff chances, their recent trades, the demotion of Doval, Snell's resurgence and no-hitter, the all-important 4-game series with the Braves this week and much, much mo…
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Well, they are. At the All Star break, the Giants stand at 3 games under .500, and while they are only 3 games back of the final wildcard spot, they have 5 teams ahead of them. That's a tough assignment. Should they sell, buy, or stand pat? Eric and Chad discuss the Giants prospects of making the playoffs with 67 games remaining. We also had an All…
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Willie Mays, a legendary figure in baseball history, forged an incomparable legacy throughout his illustrious career. Born in 1931, Mays made his Major League Baseball debut with the New York Giants in 1951, quickly capturing attention with his exceptional athleticism and prowess both at bat and in the outfield. Known for his remarkable catches and…
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Our own Willie Dills went down to Oracle Park and the Willie Mays statue on the day after Mays' death and shared a few thoughts while standing in front of the "Say Hey Kid." RIP to the GOAT. We'll miss you.
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The Giants had a good two weeks going, winning 10 of 12 games and getting 2 games north of .500. Until they faced the Yankees. Aaron Judge went off at Oracle, something Giants fans dreamt of a couple of years ago. Except, he did it in Yankee road grey going 6-10 with 3 bombs and even 2 stolen bases. It didn't help that Camilo Doval blew a 2 run lea…
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Ok. Full transparency. I started the podcast by opening with a clip of Russel Crowe bellowing, "Are you not entertained?!" to honor our 300th episode. I forgot that clip is not from the movie "300." It's Gladiator. Eric, Willie, and I talk about the milestone that is our 300th episode, how the podcast got started, and a few interesting podcasting s…
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Well, that didn't take long. Blake Snell gets rocked in his first three outings then goes on the IL with an adductor strain. The boys chat about our biggest surprises and biggest disappointments in the first 26 games of the season, which finds the Giants just under .500. At least they haven't lost the division in the month of April. Our surprises i…
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The season is officially underway, and Chad and Eric review the first five games of the Giants' 2024 season. Despite the 2-3 start, there are a lot of positives to take away with the hitting of Lee, Conforto, Chapman, and Wade, and the starts by Webb, Harrison, Hicks, and Winn. However, the bullpen has been the worst in the majors to start the youn…
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It's one of our favorite episodes to do every year: the season preview episode! This also begins our FOURTEENTH season of covering Giants' baseball. Everything is fresh as a daisy. Everyone has a 0-0 record (well, except the Dodgers and Padres), and you can just smell the scent of fresh-cut grass in the office. Eric and Chad review what's happened …
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The Giants "said" they were done signing free agents, but it was a ruse, just as we thought. News broke late Friday night that the Giants signed prized third baseman Matt Chapman to a 3 year, $54 million contract, with opt-outs after years 1 and 2. The Giants have significantly upgraded their lineup with the additions of Soler and Chapman, and now …
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The Giants officially opened up spring training this week, and we had a lot to catch up on. First and foremost, the Giants plugged in some desperately needed power by signing Jorge Soler to a 3 year, $42 million contract. He's slotted to bat fourth and be the Giants' primary DH. Zaidi also said that they are essentially "done" with acquisitions and…
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We break in the new year by reflecting on the signings of Jung Hoo Lee, Jordan Hicks, and the trade for Robbie Ray. Bye Disco and Haniger, we barely knew ya! The Giants avoid arbitration with three key players, but will probably face an arbiter in February with JD Davis. The need is obvious: at least a healthy starting pitcher and some power, but t…
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293: Shohei, hei, hey...wait a minute?!! No, not THAT team!
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Not that we're shocked, but the greatest unicorn player since Babe Ruth and most prized free agent in...well, maybe forever, decided that his services should stay in southern California but with the Bums. That's right, the ONE team we didn't want to see him go to was the Dodgers. $700 million over 10 years. The richest sports contract in history. T…
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Once we heard that the San Diego Padres gave the Giants permission to speak with Bob Melvin, we knew it was just a matter of days before Melvin was signed and announced as the 39th manager in franchise history. That was made official this morning with an introductory press conference. What a strange turn of events. On July 18, the Giants were 1.5 g…
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The Championship Series are set, and we find two ex-Giants' managers against each other in the American League with Texas vs Houston, while the powerhouse Braves and Dodgers were eliminated in the division series, leaving the upstart Diamondbacks against the slugging Phillies in the National League. The teams with the best five best records in the …
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The firing of manager Gabe Kapler wasn't unexpected, but his firing with three games left was. We speculate on why he was fired with three games left, and where the Giants go from here. This is a meaty, longer episode where we dive into the psychology of the firing, and whom they may hire as Kapler's replacement. The Giants finished below average i…
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Welp, that's it. The Giants are all but mathematically eliminated from postseason contention after losing 3 of 4 in Colorado, both games in Arizona and the first game in LA. They are also under .500 with 9 games remaining against the Dodgers and Padres and have a very good chance at finishing the season with more losses than wins, something that se…
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Episode 278: 288: Playoff Chances are Dimming
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The Giants are sabotaging their path to the playoffs that, 4 weeks ago, was still looking very likely. However, they have gone 9-23 since Aug 5, including a current 6-game losing streak, and now stand at an even .500 and 2.5 games back of the wild card with 22 games remaining. The big issue is not just the 2.5 games, but the fact that they'll have …
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After a break in recording, we come back to the mic to find the Giants buried in the NL West, but still firmly in the wild card race. With a 7-11 record in August, and the Dodgers going 17-2 during that same period, the Giants are now 11.5 games back with 38 to play, so they can kiss the division title goodbye. That said, the playoffs are still wit…
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During our show today, the Giants made a trade for AJ Pollock and Mark Mathias from the Mariners for our favorite "player to be named later." Other than that, the Giants have less than 24 hours to pull off additional trades, and this one certainly doesn't move the needle with an aging 35-year-old Pollock hitting under .200 on the year and currently…
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Ok, we're borrowing this title from our friends over at Giants Chatter, sue us! The Giants are riding a 5-game winning streak after a sweep of Pittsburgh, and they'll continue their road trip into Cincinnati, DC, and Detroit. During this streak, the Giants have come within 1 1/2 games of the first place Dodgers and have passed the Diamondbacks into…
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The Giants have cooled off considerably after their 10 game winning streak. They've lost 7 of 10, and although they're currently just outside of a wild card spot, they are only 2.5 games back of Arizona for the NL West...with the Dodgers in between. Eric and Chad chat about the lack of offense over the last 10 games, and look forward to the All Sta…
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Since the Giants have won 12 of 14 (including 10 in a row!), they have surged into second place in the NL West, a mere 2.5 games back of Arizona and ahead of the Dodgers. They currently hold a wild card spot, and the 4th best record in the bigs. Eric and Chad review what was the catalyst to this amazing surge, and can the Giants actually sustain it…
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Eric, Willie, and Chad review the last week in Giants' baseball, and they are HOT and in the hunt. Now 3 games over .500 and holding a wild card spot, the Giants are poised to make a run at the postseason. The bad news is that Mitch Haniger will be out for a couple of months with a broken right forearm, and moments before he was hit by a pitch, J.D…
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