Pitchers Park Podcast - A San Francisco Giants Podcast

Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 52 - Posey made a tough but correct call to sell at the trade deadline

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 13:19:00 -0000

Giants traded away fan-favorites Camilo Doval, Mike Yastrzemski, and Tyler Rogers in exchange for 8 players (7 prospects). Jeff and Brooks break down the decision to sell and the players San Francisco received in return. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 51 - It's time for the Giants to make an upgrade at 2nd Base

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 12:31:00 -0000

Tyler Fitzgerald was optioned to AAA. Casey Schmitt is banged up. Jeff and Brooks discuss the Giants' need for more production at 2nd Base, while exploring some potential options to trade for next month. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 50 - The Raffy Devers Show: Giants shock the baseball world

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:15:00 -0000

Buster Posey pulled off the unthinkable, trading Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and two prospects for perennial All-Star slugging DH/3B 28-year old Rafael Devers and his $260M~ remaining for the next 8+ years. A deal like this just never happens for the Giants... until now. Devers will wear #16 when he debuts Tuesday night at Oracle Park. Jeff and Brooks give their initial reactions. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 49 - Bryce Eldridge levels up, now one step closer to SF

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 19:37:00 -0000

The Giants' top prospect has been promoted to AAA at only 20 years old. His future is bright, but how long can the Giants wait while hoping for steady production at the first base position? Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 48 - First Base Reset: Giants replace Wade Jr. with Dominic Smith

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:35:00 -0000

The offensively challenged Giants made some moves, designating LaMonte Wade Jr. and Sam Huff for assignment, while adding Dom Smith, Daniel Johnson, and Andrew Knizner. Will these moves be enough to get SF out of this funk? Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 47 - Troubling Trends: Wade, Bailey, Walker, and apologizing to Verlander

Mon, 12 May 2025 22:19:00 -0000

The Giants have been solid overall, but several negative trends stand out: the struggles of Ryan Walker, LaMonte Wade Jr., Patrick Bailey, and Willy Adames' defense. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 46 - Positive signs from the Giants as they near the quarter-mark of the season

Fri, 09 May 2025 13:18:00 -0000

The Giants keep rolling in the ever-competitive NL West. Brooks and Jeff examine some of the positive signs that have led San Francisco to a solid 24-14 record. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 45 - Closing out Spring with a battle for Giants' #5 SP: Birdsong vs Roupp

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:45:00 -0000

The Giants had an excellent Cactus League in the Win/Loss record, but now it's about to get real. With Kyle Harrison being optioned to AAA, Jeff and Brooks talk about that last, undecided rotation spot. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 44 - A Giants Bullpen with only one lefty?

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 14:32:00 -0000

Catching up on recent roster movement, including a significant Giants trade and a few smaller minor league deals. Is San Francisco in a tough spot with only one left handed reliever? Brooks and Jeff weigh in.Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 43 - Giants' spring season officially begins as pitchers and catchers report to camp

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:50:00 -0000

Bob Melvin names his Closer, outlines the 5th SP competition, and provides the early favorites for reps at DH. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 42 - Giants land 2nd best prospect in the 2025 international class

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:11:00 -0000

After being heavily connected to him for months, Giants added the highest-ranked position player in the class for just under $3M. Brooks and Jeff also detail some trades that helped the Giants obtain an extra $500K in international bonus pool money. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 41 - Verlander chose the Giants

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:50:00 -0000

Jeff and Brooks take a closer look at Verlander's 1-year contract and how he fits in the Giants rotation. Plus, friend Taylor Wirth gets a very special shoutout for a funny and memorable gaff during Verlander's Zoom presser. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 40 - Focusing on the Giants rotation and the remaining impact bats on the market

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:11:00 -0000

Recorded a few hours before the news broke of Justin Verlander's agreement with SF, Jeff and Brooks discussed possible additions to the rotation and analyzed the slow movement after Willy Adames signed. Do the Giants need to bring in a lefty masher? Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 39 - Power Play: Giants and free agent Shortstop Willy Adames have a deal

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 13:04:08 -0000

Buster Posey swings big when the fans need it most, and landing his first major free agent acquisition was no different. Jeff and Brooks break down the thrilling news of Willy Adames and SF agreeing to terms for 7 years, $182M - which is set to be the largest free agent contract in franchise history. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 38 - Posey continues to add familiar faces to the Giants' front office staff

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:25:35 -0000

Is Buster Posey following Farhan Zaidi's path by adding known colleagues to his front office staff? Bobby Evans, Randy Winn, and Jeff Berry are back. Plus, a farewell to Alyssa Nakken, who is Cleveland bound. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 37 - Giants add a pair of Carsons & tender contracts to five players at the deadline

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 15:08:42 -0000

Buster made sure that Carson Ragsdale and Carson Seymour won't be stolen away from the Giants organization in the Rule 5 draft. Brooks and Jeff discuss the Giants' roster decisions at the non-tender deadline. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 36 - Might the Giants' new GM Zack Minasian go fishing for Trout?

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 16:33:20 -0000

San Francisco's General Manager search lasted just hours into the offseason. With Zack Minasian now working under Buster Posey, it begs the question: How often will they tap into their connections within the LA Angels front office? Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 35 - The aftermath of the Giants' biggest rival hoisting the WS trophy

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 21:01:59 -0000

LA winning the WS is the rotten cherry on top of a very disappointing 2024 for Giants fans. Jeff and Brooks ponder how the Giants can compete with the Bums in 2025. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 34 - Pondering Snell's future and praising the Giants' two All Stars

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:24:30 -0000

Hopefully it's not another 40 years until the next Giants homegrown outfielder makes the All Star Game. Jeff and Brooks give props to Heliot Ramos and Logan Webb for their exceptional seasons, and then look at the bigger picture between Blake Snell and the Giants. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 33 - Farhan OUT, Buster IN: Initial reaction to the Giants' new President of Ops

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 23:15:25 -0000

Is this a risky move from the organization? Or perhaps Buster Posey will eventually be the front office MVP: Most Valuable President. Only time will tell, but things are about to get really interesting in Giants Land. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 32 - Storylines to watch for during Giants' final series of 2024

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 11:26:11 -0000

Right before San Francisco officially failed to secure a winning season for the third consecutive year, Matt Chapman received the prestigious Willie Mac Award honor on Friday night at Oracle Park. Jeff and Brooks discuss some of the storylines they'll be watching for as the season comes to a disappointing end. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 31 - Giants still cannot pitch the promise of competitiveness to top shelf free agents

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:42:19 -0000

A much too early look into what the Giants are up against if they choose to pursue Soto, Adames, Santander, etc. this winter in free agency. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 30 - The 2024 Giants - What went wrong?

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 11:53:40 -0000

Jeff and Brooks break down some of the Giants' many failures, starting with roster construction. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 29 - Does the Chapman extension expose the Giants' developmental difficulties?

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 11:56:01 -0000

With Chapman sticking around for the long haul, how is the Giants infield affected? And what does it say about the Giants' inability to produce a difference-making third base prospect? Jeff and Brooks weigh in. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 28 - As playoff chances keep dwindling, are Giants fans gearing up for a September to....forget?

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:56:47 -0000

Tough reality = Giants are 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot in a crowded NL Wild Card race with less than 30 games remaining. And don't forget -- they have the toughest remaining schedule in MLB. Jeff and Brooks prepare for a disappointing end to the 2024 Giants season, with hope that the fans will see even more young players get playing time in September. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 27 - Is Ryan Walker running away with the Closer job?

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 11:34:35 -0000

What will Bob Melvin do when Camilo Doval returns from AAA? Keep Walker in the 9th, go with a committee approach, or let Camilo close once again? Jeff and Brooks weigh in. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 26 - Giants bid farewell to the Oakland Coliseum and focus on beating bad teams

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:40:30 -0000

Jeff and Brooks pour one out for Oakland, and then ponder if the Giants have the mental toughness to take advantage of the next couple of easy (on paper) matchups. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 25 - Players that Giants fans should be excited to see at the 2014 WS Reunion

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 16:38:17 -0000

Of course we will cheer loudly for Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, etc. But what about some of the unsung heroes from the World Series run 10 years ago? Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 24 - Giants taking advantage of a light schedule, but should we be concerned with the pitching depth?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 22:08:18 -0000

Giants have won 7 of their last 10 games, including series victories on the road in Cincinnati and Washington D.C. Jeff and Brooks question the pitching depth and its ability to not only make it to October, but to have enough in the tank for a deep run. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 23 - Giants give fans excitement by trading Soler & Cobb for salary relief

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:05:50 -0000

Jeff and Brooks try to make sense of the trades that sent Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson back to Atlanta for lefty reliever Tyler Matzek and infield prospect Sabin Ceballos, as well as Alex Cobb heading to Cleveland for milb lefty Jacob Bresnahan and a PTBNL. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 22 - Giants add veteran OF Mark Canha at the trade deadline

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 01:50:42 -0000

Local Guy. A connection to Farhan Zaidi & Bob Melvin. Didn't cost much to acquire. Chef's kiss. Jeff and Brooks break down the deal that brought Mark Canha from Detroit to SF for pitching prospect Eric Silva. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 21 - Flipping through the Giants' 2025 schedule

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:32:48 -0000

The release of the 2025 schedule has Jeff and Brooks looking ahead to next season and taking a look at some of the interesting series on the calendar, highlighted by the Giants' first ever regular season games being played in Sacramento, CA. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 20 - Giants enter critical stretch that will shape their trade deadline strategy

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 12:55:51 -0000

Jeff and Brooks talk about the 11 games in 10 days (against Rockies & Dodgers) leading up to the trade deadline and the impact it will have on Farhan Zaidi deciding to sell off pieces, add reinforcements to the active roster, or something in the middle. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 19 - Giants select college outfielders with their first two picks of the MLB Draft

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 16:55:14 -0000

Highlighting the top picks James Tibbs III and Dakota Jordan and what they bring to the Giants organization (pending official signing). Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 18 - Webb & Ramos are first-time All-Stars! Which Giant would you put in the HR Derby?

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:19:42 -0000

If you could send one Giants player to the Home Run Derby (and not completely embarrass the club), who would you choose? Brooks and Jeff make their picks and also give a shoutout to Helito Ramos and Logan Webb for their deserving All-Star selections. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 17 - Giants focus on youth after saying farewell to veterans Slater & Ahmed

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 11:12:04 -0000

San Francisco makes a swap with the Reds to add to their left-handed relief depth and also makes a 40-man move to pave the way for younger players to collaborate at Shortstop. Jeff and Brooks wonder if the Giants will attempt to upgrade the offense at SS from outside of the organization. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 16 - Giants now enter a difficult stretch, featuring dates with Dodgers & Braves

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 13:05:59 -0000

Beat LA. And then... Beat ATL. Brooks and Jeff go over the upcoming series vs Dodgers (last regular season matchup at Oracle Park in 2024) before catching a flight to Atlanta to face the Braves' formidable rotation. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 15 - Trying to stay positive while watching the Giants chase .500

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 12:02:42 -0000

The NL Wild Card race is packed with teams and the Giants find themselves toward the bottom of the standings. Jeff and Brooks admit that the frustration is mounting and the fanbase may really need something to be optimistic about. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 14 - Remembering our beloved Willie Mays and looking ahead to the Rickwood Series

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:53:49 -0000

A difficult but important episode, highlighting an ounce of what The Say Kid means to Brooks, Jeff, Giants fans, and the baseball community. They also share some thoughts on Thursday's matchup between the Giants and Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Alabama, which will pay tribute to the Negro Leagues. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 13 - A deep dive into Camilo Doval's recent struggles

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:48:12 -0000

Giants' All-Star closer has allowed more earned runs in the first half of June than he allowed in April & May combined. Brooks and Jeff take a look under the hood to see what's going on with the talented right-hander. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 12 - Giants' former top outfield prospects promoted to AAA

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:03:30 -0000

"It is never too late to be who you might have been." That could be the case for former first rounder Hunter Bishop, who is now sharing the Sacramento outfield with recently promoted speedster Grant McCray. Jeff and Brooks also chat about RHP Hayden Birdsong's fast track to AAA. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 11 - While Wilmer is working, Heliot is on a heater

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:42:45 -0000

A pair of right-handed hitters are providing a big boost to the Giants lineup. Jeff and Brooks examine Heliot Ramos' breakout season, and highlight Wilmer Flores' recent power surge while handling first base. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 10 - Giants are still deploying a 4-man starting rotation

Fri, 31 May 2024 11:51:34 -0000

Bullpen Games are still a thing in San Francisco. The topic of discussion revolves around the Giants starting staff and whether prospect Carson Whisenhunt might soon be an option. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 9 - Who will step up at first base while Wade Jr. is out?

Thu, 30 May 2024 12:28:43 -0000

Brooks and Jeff examine the Giants' options at first base from now until the All Star Break, including potential adds from outside the organization.

Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 8 - Giants' left-handed relief options & trade targets

Sat, 25 May 2024 13:43:35 -0000

San Francisco signed lefty reliever Drew Pomeranz hours after this recording... so clearly the Giants realize they need some help from the left side. The co-hosts present a pair of southpaws from outside the organization that could help the bullpen this summer. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 7 - Highlighting recent success from Randy, Marco, Heliot, & Chappy

Fri, 24 May 2024 13:40:12 -0000

Brooks and Jeff breakdown what they've been seeing out of young players Randy Rodriguez, Marco Luciano, and Heliot Ramos, they also give props to Matt Chapman for having a brilliant series in Pittsburgh. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 6 - Center Field future without Jung Hoo Lee

Fri, 17 May 2024 10:06:18 -0000

The co-hosts discuss Luis Matos getting a look in center field and if Marco Luciano will stick around when Jorge Soler returns. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 5 - Where the Giants sit after 40 games

Mon, 13 May 2024 16:13:50 -0000

Jeff and Brooks take an above-the-surface look at how the Giants have performed thus far. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 4 - Giants' injuries giving minor leaguers a look

Sun, 12 May 2024 12:29:06 -0000

The guys discuss the recent injury overload that's providing some of the Sacramento River Cats players an opportunity to make an impact with the big club. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 3 - Chapman pressing at the plate, struggling in the field

Wed, 08 May 2024 12:17:52 -0000

Approaching the quarter-mark of the season, Matt Chapman's rough start is analyzed. On defense, his -4 Outs Above Average (tied for worst in MLB) ranks 34th among 3rd Basemen. On offense, he's slashing .204/.257/.338 and a 72 wRC+. Luckily there's plenty of baseball left to right the ship. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 2 - Giants are still not stealing bases

Tue, 07 May 2024 13:56:28 -0000

Jeff and Brooks question the reasoning behind the Giants lacking in the steals department once again. Is it management? Is it personnel? Is it time to switch up the offensive approach? Also, the GOAT receives a special birthday shoutout. Pitchers Park Podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Hosted by Jeff Young and Brooks Knudsen.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 1 - Mason Black not a Snell replacement?

Thu, 02 May 2024 12:15:13 -0000

Welcome to the Pitchers Park Podcast, the new San Francisco Giants podcast on FFSN. Hosted by Brooks Knudsen and Jeff Young, the show is a short, focused look into the Giants world. On today's episode, Jeff and Brooks talk about the Blake Snell injury and why Mason Black wasn't called up to replace him.

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Pitchers Park Podcast, Episode 0: Welcome to the new show!

Wed, 01 May 2024 20:50:33 -0000

Welcome to the first episode of Pitchers Park Podcast, the new San Francisco Giants podcast on FFSN. Hosted by Brooks Knudsen and Jeff Young, the show is a short, focused look into the Giants world.

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Giants Chroncast #45: The Big Pivot

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 04:57:54 -0000

In their last episode, Bryan and Doug proclaimed it YAMAMOTO OR BUST... well... we're in BUST territory, and so now both hosts pitch their ideas for what constitutes the next pivot for this strange offseason. They also discuss the Jung Hoo Lee deal and the decade-plus of decisions and philosophy that have put the Giants so far back of their once archrivals.

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Giants Chroncast #44: NOHTANI

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 03:40:47 -0000

What's the Giants' big move or series of moves this offseason now that their archrival has added the best player on the planet to its roster? Bryan and Doug return not to lament but to plan out what the team could do that might help them save face while keeping pace with a team they were supposed to compete against, but after five years of a new front office, have only fallen farther behind. Then they talk about what the Ohtani signing could mean for the future of Giants Baseball before discussing how new Old School Pitching Coach Bryan Price could impact the team's present.

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Giants Chroncast #43: What's the Giants' budget for free agents?

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 06:43:21 -0000

The San Francisco Giants announced most of their coaching staff for the 2024 season this past Friday night, and Bryan and Doug examine the highs and lows of everyone's resumes. They also discuss Michael Conforto's decision to opt-in to $18 million for 2024 (a bummer? a shrug?) and the player awards season. All that before the (30:50) mark where they get into free agency and where the Giants can go based on their budget and based on need. Point of fact: FanGraphs projects 7 years/$196 million for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. For some reason Bryan said $96 million. The team has the ability to go big and still fill some needs, but just like their chances for next season even if they land a big fish this offseason, it's a little foggy when it comes to seeing where they stand with all the big fishes in free agency.

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Giants Chroncast #42: The Bob Melvin-Farhan Zaidi Alliance

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:03:20 -0000

Bryan and Doug return to evaluate the San Francisco Giants' first big move of their offseason: hiring Bob Melvin away from the San Diego Padres. It's a move that crosses a lot of t's and dots a lot of i's but leaves very little to the imagination. Are there any actual surprises in store for the team or are they following a script written by season ticketholders? Meanwhile, some listener questions are finally answered including one important question the hosts had never before considered.

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Giants Chroncast #41: Farhan Zaidi's press conference & Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for September

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 06:45:57 -0000

The Giants fell face-first while running down the stretch and the President of Baseball Operations' end of season press conference did little to assuage any fears that next year would be different. Bryan and Doug delve into the obvious but also deeper meanings of some of the highlights from Farhan Zaidi's conference and toy with the premise that we're living in a new era of Baseball stubbornness. They also give their final trust power rankings of the season (32:08) and the results are shocking.

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Giants Chroncast #40: Gabe Kapler was fired

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 03:32:45 -0000

The San Francisco Giants fired their manager in an attempt to course correct, but it's a maneuver that might create more questions than it answers. Bryan and Doug look at Farhan Zaidi's lame duck status, the termination itself, and how nothing can meaningfully change restrictions put in place by ownership. After a terrible 79-83 season, the team enters yet another make-or-break offseason in an increasingly uncertain future. SF: Nothing Like It.

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Giants Chroncast #39: The state of the Giants is uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:12:15 -0000

Bryan and Doug try to pull out some positives from the collapsing structure that was the 2023 San Francisco Giants season. The problem is the list of negatives is much longer and fan and player grievances are warranted. Neither host thinks the front office needs to be excused, but that doesn't make them immune from criticism over this next season. The last few weeks have revealed some really janky process, a facet of the Baseball Operations department that was supposed to be world-class. What's a fan to do? Be angry. What's a front office to do? That's what we'll find out. FACTUAL ERROR NOTE: Bryan thought Rhys Hoskins was still arbitration-eligible and would therefore need to be acquired via trade. He will be a free agent.

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Giants Chroncast #38: Front Office Follies

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:12:28 -0000

The Giants are very close to simply playing out the string and that puts Bryan and Doug in a cranky mood. On top of the team's disappointing 76-76 record, Alex Cobb's season and Brandon Crawford's Giants career appear to be over. Bryan also asks Doug some pointed questions about the shape of the offseason.

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Giants Chroncast #37: Can the Giants put it all together over these final 16 games?

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:24:51 -0000

The San Francisco Giants managed to have a successful homestand, but it still didn't answer every open question we have about these 2023 Giants in what's now the final 3 weeks of the regular season. Do they have what it takes to get in as the last Wild Card? Guess we'll find out. What we do know is that Ross Stripling WILL return in 2024, to the surprising of exactly none of us. Also, what's eating the Giants' attendance? They're 17th out of 30 teams now. Is this the new normal?

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Giants Chroncast #36: Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for August 2023 & more

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 08:01:24 -0000

There are just 22 games left in the season and it's getting harder and harder to see what's so great about the San Francisco Giants. That won't stop us from ranking the trustworthiness of their bullpen, once the team's greatest strength. Bryan and Doug also take some time to examine some comments Farhan Zaidi made while the team was in Chicago. Is 2023 a speedrun of the 2019 season... or a season far more haunting? They also play Interesting & Concerning.

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Giants Chroncast #35: The pitching is all that matters for the Giants

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:44:00 -0000

The Giants went up against the best teams in the league in August and looked overmatched; but, it didn't kill their postseason odds and now they have a chance to bulk up over the final month of the season thanks to some salary dumps by the Los Angeles Angels. Even if the Giants don't take advantage of some modest upgrades, they've shown with Kyle Harrison's promotion and sharp pair of starts that they have the talent to scare teams, especially if they make it into the Wild Card round.

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Giants Chroncast #34: Kyle Harrison debuts and a daring escape from Philly

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:57:57 -0000

The San Francisco Giants called up their #1 overall prospect, the #20 prospect in all of Baseball, LHP Kyle Harrison. What caught Bryan and Doug's eye and why should Giants fans be excited to have him now that he's up? Meanwhile, they ponder the team's view of Heliot Ramos, the utility of Paul DeJong, and swap things they found interesting and concerning (32:30) about the team from what has been a very busy week.

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Giants Chroncast #33: The Giants aren't as bad (or as good) as they look

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:30:58 -0000

Bryan and Doug reunite after a week off to look at the dreadful state of the lineup, the team's chances over the final month and a half of the season, and state what they've found interesting and concerning about the team since their last episode together.

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Giants Chroncast #32: Losing to and wooing Shohei Ohtani

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 17:29:00 -0000

The San Francisco Giants surveyed the trade market and opted to stand (mostly) pat in hopes of an offensive resurgence, despite most evidence suggesting one was not forthcoming. Now, the pitching has to be perfect in order to win. Is there a chance that the dog days of August could help a moribund group of hitters even for a time or will the team being susceptible to the same pitchers' fatigue as every other time flatten out any offensive gains? Bryan is solo this week and he looks at the good and bad from the Angels series while previewing the next couple of weeks -- a schedule that only gets tougher for a struggling team.

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Giants Chroncast #31: Swept by the A's? What now?

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:59:13 -0000

Getting swept by the A's sure does have Bryan and Doug feeling some kind of way about the San Francisco Giants and it prompts them to examine every part of the team. There's also discussion about the team's new jersey sponsor (19:44) and a new Interesting/Concerning segment (33:09) before a quick preview of the Angels series that begins tonight.

If you're enjoying the show, consider rating us five stars in Apple Podcasts or right there in your Spotify app or anywhere you get the show. Follow us on Twitter @GiantsChroncast; and, we're a part of Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).

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Giants Chroncast #30: Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for July plus... AJ Pollock?

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 07:25:31 -0000

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone and the Giants came away from it with OF AJ Pollock and INF Mark Mathias. Hardly a haul for a fanbase expecting a postseason run, but the team's strength all season long has been their bullpen, and after another strong month, Bryan and Doug don't see a reason why that should stop, especially considering all the movement that happened in this month's bullpen trust power rankings.

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Giants Chroncast #29: On the eve of the 2023 trade deadline

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:08:42 -0000

This episode was recorded when Bryan might've been experiencing a bit of heat exhaustion so apologies for any disjointed speaking on his part. First thing's first. There's a discussion of Run Value for pitch arsenals and within it there's a factual error that there wasn't time to correct before publishing: positive run values are good for pitchers and hitters. Tristan Beck's four-seam fastball has a +10 Run Value. Very good! Very bad, Bryan! Meanwhile, the Giants fought back against a good Red Sox team to take two out of three just in time to kick off a four-game series against division rival Diamondbacks who haven't had a good July (7-16). With MLB's August 1st trade deadline looming, Bryan and Doug wonder what possible moves the team could make to improve the lineup (19:56). It truly is a tough market for deals with very few -- if any -- impact bats available that won't cost a farm system's ransom (30:07). Also, Doug coins the phrase, "Just throw some scans at him until he fails one." For context, you'll just have to listen!

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Giants Chroncast #28: Marco Luciano debuts

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:25:00 -0000

The Giants made themselves feel better about a six-game losing streak by calling up their top hitting prospect, Marco Luciano, who is easily one of the most buzzed about Giants prospects in the last 40 years; but, will the 21-year old solve all the team's problems? Bryan and Doug explore that issue as well as the factors that might've contributed to his sudden callup after just six games in Triple-A.

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Giants Chroncast #27: The trade deadline deals the San Francisco Giants could do and why

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:19:00 -0000

The San Francisco Giants have to be buyers at the August 1st trade deadline, right? They've got two big problems: the lineup and the rotation, but they might only have prospect capital to address one of them. Bryan and Doug toss out some names who might be worth a high acquisition cost in what's a sellers market while also throwing out the names of some players who might not cost very much to get. Every team has good weeks and bad throughout the season and the Giants' streakiness is pretty familiar, but will 1-2 guys really make all the difference over the final third of the season, especially if it's not a gamechanger like Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto? If you're liking the show, consider rating us five stars right there in the Spotify app or in Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter/X (lol why did they change the name?) @GiantsChroncast. We're a part of Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter and fansfirstsports.com on the web).

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Giants Chroncast #26: Polar Scoretex

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:59:10 -0000

Bryan and Doug play Interesting/Concerning after discussing Camilo Doval's impact on the roster. Is he the best closer in team history? Meanwhile, who could the Giants get at the trade deadline that'd help the team, because what do they need most urgently? They also share their concerns about J.D. Davis and preview the rest of the road trip. If you're enjoying the show, consider rating us in the Spotify app or on Apple Podcasts!

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Giants Chroncast #25: Of course the Giants won't trade for Shohei Ohtani... right?

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 16:20:14 -0000

If you've paid any attention to the news cycle, then you've heard the notion that the San Francisco Giants could be or should be in the mix for Shohei Ohtani, should they make him available ahead of the August 1st trade deadline; but, does any such deal make sense for the Giants? What about the Angels? Bryan and Doug get into some particulars in a vain attempt to reverse jinx the situation while alos tempering fan expectations (starts at 12:51). It's a longshot for so many reasons. Meanwhile, they look at some other longshots: namely, players in the draft. They preview the week ahead with the Reds. Stay on top of the latest news about the Chroncast on Twitter: @GiantsChroncast, and about the brand new Fans First Sports Network on Twitter: @FansFirstSN.

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Giants Chroncast #24: What's interesting and concerning about the Giants as they begin the second half

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:27:00 -0000

The trade deadline looms and it's time to figure out what kind of team the Giants are -- but before that can happen, Bryan and Doug point out some highlights and lowlights from the first half. Bryan calls out one of the Giants' key hitters and his need to do better, Doug explains to Bryan why it's a sellers' market instead of a buyers' market, and both talk about what they find most concerning as the Giants kick off the second half of the season with a tough four-city, eleven-game road trip.

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Giants Chroncast #23: Roger Munter on the state of the Giants farm system

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:20:00 -0000

The Giants might not have any secret sauce when it comes to their recent success with player development, but they do have a guru in Roger Munter who has devoted most of his time to studying, interviewing, and exploring all facets of the farm system and what he's determined is that the team has put together a sound process involving good people. For the first time in the Giants Chroncast era, he stops by to give his thoughts on everything that's gone right and how everything going wrong sometimes needs to happen, too. He also talks through Carson Whisenhunt's development, explains Jimmy Glowenke's feelings about swing decisions, and why confidence can be a skill in the major leaguer's tool kit. If your a Giants prospect hound, it's a far-ranging conversation you don't want to miss. Check out Roger's substack: rogermunter.substack.com and his companion podcast, There R Giants. Don't forget to rate our podcast, Giants Chroncast, five stars right there in your Spotify app or on Apple Podcasts.

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Giants Chroncast #22: The Giants were the dark horse winners of Draft Day #1

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 05:17:00 -0000

Bryan recaps the first day of the 2023 MLB Draft which saw the San Francisco Giants -- that's right, the GIANTS -- get **three** players projected to go in the first round. Have they earned the respect and admiration of their peers in player development circles or simply taken advantage of a deep draft? Only the next couple of days of drafting will help us figure it out. In the meantime, get to know Bryce Eldridge -- a player who has the raw talent to follow in Shohei Ohtani's footsteps as a two-way player -- Walker Martin, the best high school power hitter in the country this season, and college draftee LHP Joe Whitman. If you're liking the show, consider rating us 5 stars right there in the Spotify app or on Apple Podcasts. We're a part of Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter). We'll be back with two more episodes this week!

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Giants Chroncast #21: Uh, hey Giants, it's time to hit

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week's Interesting/Concerning brings up something that's **really** interesting and **very** concerning. Meanwhile, did Barry Bonds unlock Blake Sabol's power swing? Can the team survive this new run of injuries? Can they handle a terrible Rockies team?

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Giants Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for June 2023

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:14:00 -0000

The San Francisco Giants ended June with the best bullpen in the NL and so it's getting difficult to make these trust power rankings (10:31) have any measure of controversy, but this month Bryan really goes for it. He and Doug also discuss Camilo Doval getting a well deserved spot on the 2023 NL All-Star roster but also mention a few other deserving candidates. They also preview the Mariners series beginning Monday.

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Giants Chroncast #19: Trade deadline needs and the 2023 Futures Game

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

After a series loss in Toronto against old chum Brandon Belt, the San Francisco Giants head to New York to face the struggling Mets, a team that might be sellers at this year's trade deadline. Will the Giants be buyers? And, if so, what kind of player will be at the top of their shopping list? Kyle Harrison and Carson Whisenhunt are two starting pitching prospects who might be able to help the team in the future, but maybe not today. This week, they were named to the 2023 Futures Game roster. On Monday, we'll unveil our Bullpen Trust Power Rankings.

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Giants Chroncast #18: Just how good are the Giants after a 5-2 week?

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 06:06:00 -0000

The Giants went into their weekend series against the Diamondbacks perhaps viewed as the underdog in the matchup, but after taking two out of three from the NL West division leader, it's clear there's not nearly as much separation between the two teams as previously thought. Part of that had to do with the lineup stepping it up and another part of it involved their rookie catcher. That's... all we'll say about that for now. But, can the team continue to persevere in the face of mounting injuries? It's something every team must contend with during the season, of course, and the front office's focus on depth is really being put to the test. If you're enjoying the show, consider rating us 5 stars in the Spotify app or on Apple Podcasts. We'll be back on Thursday with a preview of the Mets series.

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Giants Chroncast #17: The win streak ends, the battle for the division begins

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:12:00 -0000

The San Francisco Giants swept through St. Louis and Los Angeles and took three of four at home against the San Diego Padres. Bryan and Doug take a look at what's been working and what will keep on working. They're doing well, looking great, and while they do have some concerns (mainly, the starting rotation), there's plenty of positives to take into this weekend's series against the division-leading Diamondbacks. Will the Giants be able to mount a serious challenge for the top spot? Meanwhile, the Giants' All-Star worthy players were snubbed by the first round of All-Star voting and that causes Bryan to lose his mind. If you're enjoying the show, consider rating us five stars in the Spotify app or on Apple Podcasts. For more information about Fans First Sports Network, check out @FansFirstSN on Twitter.

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Giants Chroncast #16: LA Swept

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:19:00 -0000

Is Luis Matos the next Ronald Acuna Jr.? Probably not, but the Los Angeles Dodgers sure did treat the San Francisco Giants' rookie like it on their way to getting swept this weekend in their home stadium. That's right: the Giants are good. Better than a .500 team, and in sort of an all hands on deck situation, their run of success is thanks to everyone chipping in. That includes 36-year old Brandon Crawford, presumed "baseball dead" a little over a month ago, but he's flashed a lot of life in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, Mike Yastrzemski has now played 500 career major league games, all with the Giants. Not all of them have been superstar-caliber performances, but on the whole, he's been a solidly above average player and everything the team has needed, even if it hasn't always been up to everyone's expectations. Bryan and Doug also discuss what they found interesting and concerning after the team's historic week of success.

They close with their thoughts on the protest held outside Dodger Stadium before Friday night's game.

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Giants Chroncast #15: Sweep Three in St. Louis

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 16:22:00 -0000

Luis Matos and Keaton Winn join Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey as part of the Giants' youth movement and the team is already starting to see dividends. Have the Giants achieved their final form? Meanwhile, Bryan and Doug take a look at some real life heartache as they briefly discuss what's going on with the A's before jumping into a preview of the big series this weekend against the Dodgers. Still a good team, but one where the Giants have a clear advantage.

If you've been enjoying the show, consider rating us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on Twitter @GiantsChroncast as well as our network parent, Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). We'll be back on Monday looking at what interested and concerned Bryan and Doug. Go Giants!

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Giants Chroncast #14: Brandon Crawford pitches! The farm system thrills!

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 06:59:00 -0000

The San Francisco Giants went 4-2 this week thanks in part to solid pitching, but the bigger news was the preponderance of great news coming from the bats in Double-A and Triple-A. Has the organization really put it all together in player development? Dare we hope to dream?

Of course, the biggest news happened right as we ended our recording: Brandon Crawford appeared in his first professional game as a pitcher and looked great doing it! Meanwhile, the Giants optioned Joey Bart. A sign of the end or is there a chance he and the team can still salvage some value? And, is it weird, wrong, or both that the Giants are really into cutting corners when it comes to spending on their Spanish language broadcasts?

There's also a quick preview of the St. Louis Cardinals series opening up this week. We'll be back Thursday with a new episode previewing the Giants-Dodgers series. Get all the updates on our show on Twitter @GiantsChroncast and follow @FansFirstSN on Twitter to stay up on all the developments with the all-new Fans First Sports Network.

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Giants Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for May 2023

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The San Francisco Giants have seen their bullpen flip the switch from BAD to GOOD and Bryan and Doug capture it all in the legally-binding, absolutely definitive ranking of how to trust every arm. Thing is, the turnaround was so stark that ranking low on the list shouldn't qualify as some sort of an insult. Ryan Walker, Tristan Beck, even Sean Manaea -- if you consider him a reliever -- all really stood out. Led, of course, by Camilo Doval, the National League Reliever of the Month Award for May, every guy give our hosts something to cheer about. Listen to hear how the rest of the 'pen shakes out when it comes to trust.

Meanwhile, Bryan and Doug take a quick look at the legacy of former manager Roger Craig, who passed away over the weekend. He was Bryan's first Giants manager and left an impression. This is our first Thursday episode in our new twice a week schedule going forward. Get all the updates on our show on Twitter @GiantsChroncast and follow @FansFirstSN on Twitter to stay up on all the developments with the all-new Fans First Sports Network.

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Giants Chroncast #12: Listener Questions & Splash Hit #100

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to our first mailbag episode of the 2023 season! Please note: this episode was recorded before the news Sunday evening that Roger Craig had passed away. Bryan and Doug will discuss Craig's legacy on Thursday as the Chroncast shifts to a twice a week format.

This week, we're grateful for our listener questions, which dwell on the Giants' record, David Villar, and Tristan Beck as a starting pitcher. What do **you** think it would take for fans to turn on the Giants? Also, don't forget to vote for Thairo Estrada, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Michael Conforto of Phase I of the All-Star Game Voting; and, check out our new logo.

On Thursday, we'll be back with the Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for May. Check out @FansFirstSN for more information about our shows!

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Giants Chroncast #11: Does Patrick Bailey vaguely resemble A.J. Pierzynski?

Mon, 29 May 2023 08:05:00 -0000

A successful week doesn't bring much to critique, and the San Francisco Giants have managed to weather the losses of Joc Pederson, Austin Slater, and now Thairo Estrada with aplomb, thanks to Casey Schmitt, Michael Conforto, and now even Mitch Haniger. There's also the matter of young catcher Patrick Bailey, whose skill with the glove could be the difference maker as the Giants try to navigate a tough schedule. At the same time, Bryan and Doug can't nag this feeling that Bailey's skills are being rivaled by his physical similarities to one A.J. Pierzynski, former Giant, eternal a**h**e. Are they on to something or off the mark?

Also, they discuss the things they found interesting and concerning about the Giants this past week. Have they uncovered a couple of trends that could spell bad news for the team in the coming weeks? You'll just have to listen to find out.

NEXT WEEKEND we'll be recording a mailbag podcast concurrent with our Bullpen Trust Power Rankings. Send us your questions on Twitter: @GiantsChroncast. And don't forget to follow @FansFirstSN, the official Twitter account of Fans First Sports Network, our new podcasting network.

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Giants Chroncast #10: The Giants have started their youth movement

Mon, 22 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

How much of the Schmitt and Bailey callups is the result of panic and how much have they been the result of nimble risk assessment paired with data from the first quarter of an MLB featuring new rules? Bryan and Doug try to reverse engineer the San Francisco Giants' decision-making that has led some recent moves that have netted the team some badly needed success.

The 5-1 week (sweeping the Phillies and taking two out of three from the Marlins) leads to some other thoughts about what's working (the bullpen, the fanbase negging the team) and what's concerning (Brandon Crawford). There's also a review of the Andrew Baggarly interview with Farhan Zaidi that took place on The Athletic last week -- an article well worth your valuable time.

If you're enjoying our show, consider subscribing, rating us five stars on Apple Podcasts, and helping to spread the word. We're on Twitter @GiantsChroncast and a part of the brand new Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter).

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Giants Chroncast #9: The Giants are toast (?)

Mon, 15 May 2023 07:22:00 -0000

Last week, Bryan and Doug ranked the relatively weak talent of the San Francisco Giants bullpen and this week they tackle the relatively weak 2-5 showing from the entire team this past week. Sure, the big headline grabber was the debut of their #4 prospect (per MLB Pipeline), Casey Schmitt, who did great -- very exciting, can't wait to see him play more, hope he figures out how to lay off the slider when it's headed out of the zone -- but was the move itself a suggestion that things are uneasy in the Giants' front office?

Meanwhile, Bryan and Doug swap interesting and concerning developments about the Giants this past week before segueing into a discussion about the future of the Giants broadcasting team.

We're also interested in gathering questions for our first mailbag of the year, so send them to us on Twitter: @GiantsChroncast.

Don't forget: Giants Chroncast is now a part of Fans First Sports Network, which has shows for all your favorite teams!

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Giants Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for April 2023

Mon, 08 May 2023 07:15:00 -0000

Last year's Bullpen Trust Power Rankings saga saw us putting a lot of unintentional hexes on Giants relievers almost as soon as we published the list. Will the team's bad luck hold or will our rankings actually be how the team sees things with the eight guys currently in their pen?

Beyond trusting relievers, there's some pretty exciting talk about how well Alex Cobb is doing as well as some Giants prospects. Do these positive outweigh the negatives? What are those negatives? You'll just have to tune in and listen.

And if you have the time to spread the word or donate, please check out the GoFundMe we mentioned a couple of weeks ago that's still ongoing for one of our listener's students: Fundraiser by Lucille Whiley : Family start over needed miracle (gofundme.com)

Giants Chroncast is a part of the brand new Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter).

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Giants Chroncast #7: It's only one month... right?

Mon, 01 May 2023 16:00:00 -0000

We sure did see a lot of dingers this past week, from Blake Sabol's walk-off blast to whatever the heck that was in Mexico City between the Giants and Padres, but despite all that excitement, the cold reality of an 11-16 start begins to set in: will the Giants be able to turn things around? For the first time in a long time, they might actually have some movement down in the farm system that could help remake the team as the season goes on.

Meanwhile, Bryan and Doug talk about Gary Sanchez's opt out and the major things interesting and concerning them about the 2023 San Francisco Giants.

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Giants Chroncast #6: Are the Giants better than their 8-13 record?

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

**IMPORTANT: Listen to the top of the episode for more details about the GoFundMe for Andrew Bader's student: https://gofund.me/79fd52d2 **

The Giants ended a 1-7 stretch with their first two-game winning streak of the season by splitting a four-game series with the red hot Mets. Now they'll look to build off this success over the next six games, four at home against the Cardinals and two in Mexico City against the Padres.

Doug and Bryan see plenty of positives from a mostly negative week, including J.D. Davis' surprisingly average defense and Logan Webb's continuing ability to strike dudes out. Will this week's return of Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater be just the spark the Giants need to take their on-paper decent team closer to realizing their potential? It couldn't come at a better time. Seasons aren't won in April, but they can be lost.

Meanwhile, news of Madison Bumgarner's availability following being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks (on account of being just unbearably awful) promoted Bay Area media to ask current Giants if MadBum would be a good fit for the 2023 team. Bryan and Doug have a laugh about that. Then they get disgruntled about John Fisher's ownership of the A's and the preliminary plan to move them out of Oakland to Las Vegas. Setting aside the pain being inflicted on Oakland's fanbase, do you foresee a situation where the Giants *don't* screw this up? They're already having trouble selling out their stadium even when the Giants are far better than the A's.

If you're digging the show, consider rating us on Apple Podcasts and leaving a review. And don't forget to check out the rest of Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter).

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Giants Chroncast #5: 2 Walk-off losses in Detroit with Wendy Thurm

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:59:00 -0000

The Giants did not have a good week and to talk about it we've brought in the estimable Wendy Thurm who writes about MLB on her Substack, Hanging Sliders. Does the concerning play portend a rough season or given that we're just 14 games into the season, is there not plenty of time to turn things around? They also preview the week ahead, discuss the rule changes and how they're impacting the Giants, and what might be Zaidi's biggest issue as the Giants' President of Baseball Operations. And, as a bonus, Bryan and Wendy talk about the time she gave him dating advice.

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Giants Chroncast #4: 13 Longballs in Chicago

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 09:32:00 -0000

This week, Bryan and Doug find a lot of positives in their 4-5 start on both the pitching and hitting sides of the ball. Was it all really just a bad week of Ross Stripling that has left a sour taste in the mouths of some Giants fans? They also take a look at a couple of pitch clock-induced violations that have a very simple explanation but which still doesn't promise smooth sailing the rest of the season.

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Giants Chroncast #3: 41 Strikeouts at Yankee Stadium

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The Giants leave New York with a pair of shutout losses under their belt but Bryan and Doug find a few shreds of positives to take from the season-opening series loss against the Yankees. Obviously, they might've fared better had Aaron Judge been in their lineup as opposed to the other team'sm but it wasn't meant to be! On the other hand, maybe Casey Schmitt is meant to be? He won the Barney Nugent Award for most inspiring Spring Training performance, but he wasn't the only surprise leading into this past weekend:

Trading for Matt Beaty doesn't move any needles, but it does prove that Farhan Zaidi has one mode of operation and nothing's going to stop him from getting the players he wants. Is Joey Bart still one of those players? Bryan and Doug considering the thinking behind the signing of former Yankee and Twin catcher Gary Sanchez; they also preview the series coming up against the White Sox.

Check out the all new Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter). If you want to submit questions to us for a future mailbag, find us on Twitter @GiantsChroncast. And, if you're enjoying the show, consider rating us five stars on Apple Podcasts and leaving a review. Thanks for listening! Go Giants!

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Fans First Sports Network 2023 NL West Preview Show

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0000

With Opening Day later this week, hosts from Fans First Sports Network’s NL West teams gather together to gas up their own division, talk some trash about each other’s favorite teams, but also preview and assess the goings on with the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rockies, and Diamondbacks.

Come get to know hosts from the Dodgers podcast (Three Inning Save), Rockies podcast (Rocky Mountain Rooftop), Giants podcast (Giants Chroncast), and Padres podcast (Talking Friars), all available RIGHT NOW on the brand new Fans First Sports Network (FFSN).

Follow us on Twitter: Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN), Giants Chroncast (@GiantsChroncast), Three Inning Save (@ThreeInningSave), Rocky Mountain Rooftop (@RockyMtnRooftop) and Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars). Music for this show is track “Drive and Motion” from Alex Kizenkov on Pixabay.

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Giants Chroncast #2: 2023 NL West Preview & Predictions

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A quick tour of the NL West compels Bryan and Doug to state their fears about each team before diving into a segment on predictions about the 2023 Giants: who will be the best hitter? Best pitcher? Which reliever will suddenly turn rotten? Will the Giants trade Marco Luciano? Will Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto combine to play in 200 games? Finally, and most importantly, what will the Giants' record be?

Giants Chroncast is a part of the all-new Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter)! Our new theme mysic is by Alex Kizenkov via Pixabay (track: "Epic Heroic Dubstep Trailer"). You can still follow us on Twitter @GiantsChroncast -- send us your questions and we might answer them in a future episode!

We'll be back on April 3rd to talk the opening series versus the Yankees. Go Giants!

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Giants Chroncast #1: A New Beginning

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:50:00 -0000

Ah yes, Baseball. The noble 162-game quest that spans spring, summer, and fall. One team stands above the fray if for no other reason than its name: the Giants. Bryan Murphy and Doug Bruzzone are just two humble observers of the San Francisco Giants, moving through the Baseball landscape, sometimes terrifying their opponents, sometimes scaring their own fans.

This week, in what is the first episode of an entirely new podcast, we talk Spring Training injuries, Spring Training surprises, the World Baseball Classic, and the national mood regarding the Giants. We are now a part of the all-new Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN on Twitter)! Our new theme music is by Alex Kizenkov via Pixabay (track: "Epic Heroic Dubstep Trailer"). You can still follow us on Twitter @GiantsChroncast

We'll be back on Thursday with an NL West Preview and our predictions for the 2023 Giants.

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Chroncast #119: The Last Chroncast Ever

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 19:49:12 -0000

There was quite a lot of news on the first day of Spring Training for the 2023 Giants, starting with some injury concerns but then followed up by some surprise position player news. That's right, in this podcast finale, Bryan & Doug go through the news and talk about what they're excited to see in the new season before delving into your mail questions for the final time.

This will be the second finale for the Chroncast, and we wouldn't have come this far if not for all you dedicated listeners over the years. Thank you for indulging in our rants and raves over the years. We hope you'll stay subscribed to this feed in the event there becomes a platform for us to talk about our obsession with the only baseball team that matters: the San Francisco Giants.

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Chroncast #118: Did the Giants have a successful offseason?

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:35:00 -0000

What didn't happen for the Giants this past offseason got the headlines, but the team still managed to make some moves that were a part of their master plan. Do they add up to a much better team than last season? Do the new players recreate the lost players in the aggregate? Do these moves and the way everything shook out help or hinder the team next offseason? And, what did Bryan and Doug learn from the Correa Imbroglio?

Meanwhile, the pair look back on the Brian Sabean era, which included the most famous years of Jeff Kent and Brandon Belt, both headliners in their own right within the past month. Then, they share some big news about the future of the podcast.

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Chroncast #117: The Carlos Correa Era ENDS

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 01:56:00 -0000

Like Carlos Rodon and Kevin Gausman before him, the San Francisco Giants allowed Carlos Correa to walk. The publicly stated reason was over a difference of opinion on his medical report. The publicly public fallout doesn’t have such a simple reason. Why did the Giants let the situation get so chaotic? The Giants maybe don’t owe anybody — the fans, the press, their own players — anything, but don’t we owe it to ourselves to wonder why they’re comfortable with that arrangement?

And just because it’s being dictated to us doesn’t mean we have to like it. The Giants’ behavior surrounding the situation is as irrational as walking away from a $350 million deal might be rational. Torching the team’s reputation in the industry, with their own fans, their own players is a risk, and it feels a lot like one with no calculation.

In this final Chroncast of 2022, Doug and I go through all the particulars and come to a vaguely logical conclusion about what happened. None of that changes the fact that the Giants backing out of a massive free agent deal is a supreme embarrassment. It might not wind up being a failure on the field, but the knock-on effects seem like they’ll be numerous and long-lasting.

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Chroncast #116: The Carlos Correa Era Begins

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 03:36:00 -0000

With all due respect to Mitch Haniger, the Giants just added the most impactful player of the offseason in Carlos Correa, and all it cost them was $350 million spread out over 13 years. It's almost a bargain in the modern baseball market.

Bryan and Doug go full fanatic in their conversation about all the plusses of the deal and how much he impacts the Giants.

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Chroncast #115: The Mitch Haniger Era Begins

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 08:13:00 -0000

Who knows how the Giants offseason will wind up, but all Bryan and Doug can talk about is where it is now. Six weeks or so ago, so much hope. Now, no hope and no Aaron Judge. Or Brandon Nimmo. Or Kodai Senga. Who's to blame (Bryan and Doug have a firm answer). And does it really matter whose fault it is (yes and no)?

Judge's denial isn't the first time the Giants missed out on somebody and it disappointed fans. Bryan and Doug recount missed opportunities of yore before getting into possible moves that might be on the horizon. This episode was recorded hours before news broke of the Giants signing LHP Sean Manea to a 2-year, $25 million deal, which you can read more about on McCovey Chronicles. Does the signing move the needle for fans? What about moving the needle for next season? Doug posits that the Giants need to be active now if they have any hopes of making a play for Shohei Ohtani next season. Do you agree? Let us know.

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Chroncast Special: The Bullpy Awards

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0000

The return of Doug’s Bullpen Trust Power Rankings coincided with an historic yet confounding season that saw the Giants’ bullpen pitch a franchise-record 650 innings, besting their previous record of 623.2 innings pitched, which they hit last year. Before that, you’d have to go all the way back to the pre-pandemic days to find any other season in which the Giants’ bullpen pitched at least 600 innings in a single season, and that season was 2019.

So, the relievers keep getting more and more run. By now, they’re household names. Camilo Doval, John Brebbia, Zack Littell. These are the guys whose performances combined for a -1.4 Win Probability Added. At the very least, they combined to cost the Giants 1-2 games over the course of the season. Seem like they’d be involved in more pain? Well, they weren’t all bad, and the Giants’ defense was pretty bad, too. So, it was a group effort.

In the final Chroncast before we switch over to a monthly release schedule for the offseason, Doug and I hand out awards to all the obvious and not so obvious dudes who tested our patience more often than not, and caused the Giants to lose more often than they helped the Giants win, though, they did still do that — at least some of them, anyway.

We’re calling it The Bullpy Awards, because why not?

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Chroncast #114: Brady Klopfer checks in

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

In the penultimate episode of the Chroncast's sixth season, McCovey Chronicles' managing editor, Brady Klopfer, takes time out of his busy schedule to discuss the season that was and the breaking baseball news that is. The Bruce Bochy era in San Francisco had run its course -- is there still a chance for him to have a positive new experience in Texas a la Dusty Baker in Houston? And does the Pete Putila hire do anything to alleviate concerns about the team's targeting of major league personnel figures involved in scandals or prove something more? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Bryan, Doug, and Brady make some B-O-L-D predictions about the offseason. And one wish.

Also, Doug comes up with a tremendous idea for either 1) a whole new TV show or 2) the perfect idea for a Ray Donovan spinoff series. You've simply got to hear it.

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Chroncast #113: The 81-81 Season

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 06:00:00 -0000

After a two and a half year hiatus, this podcast returned just in time for the Giants to have what Bryan calls an "oatmeal season." As bland as it was, Doug manages to point out some of the raisins for the raisin-lovers out there while Bryan calls into question why it even has to be oatmeal. And now to ditch this sweaty metaphor.

There were certainly things to like about the year and some of things beyond the record and defense to dislike -- what would you add to Bryan and Doug's list? Listener questions are asked and answered, too. What will the Giants do in free agency? What makes the most sense? What will be the most rational course of action in the marketplace? Has the league already caught up to the Giants' creativity and cutting edge modeling or are they smart enough to remain just ahead of the curve?

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Chroncast #112: Roger Munter Returns!

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 07:01:00 -0000

The most difficult part of the Giants' fart season of 2022 has been the developing story of the farm system's lack of star power development in the upper minors. This week, Bryan and Doug are joined by former McCovey Chronicles contributor, Roger Munter, who now runs his own site about the Giants minor leagues, and he has a lot to say about the state of the farm, that both is and isn't consistent with the season-long story we've been tracking.

Who are the surprises that might contribute at some point next season? Who are the disappointments, if any? What does Gabe Kapler have to do with player development? The answer will surprise you!

Next week is our season finale, and we need YOUR questions. The easiest way to get them to us is on social media. You can @ the McCovey Chroncast on Twitter: @McChroncast

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Chroncast #111: New Owner, New GM, Same Ol' Brandon Crawford

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 04:01:00 -0000

After a 6-1 week that clinched the Sound Sabermetric Principles record of 75 wins, Bryan and Doug discuss what made those wins just so special: Brandon Crawford, defensive wizard. They also get into the slightly bigger news of the week: Buster Posey is a half billionaire and bought into the Giants' ownership group. Their GM also departed for Detroit, which you already knew, but the discussion veers into speculating just what Harris' departure / arrival means.

And then there's the news that the Giants' organizational pitching genius has opted out of COVID vaccine protocols and has been doing his very important job remotely all season. How much of an effect did this have on the farm system and the major league team and just how much of someone's personal preference is a Major League Baseball team supposed to abide before it creates unintended consequences?

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Chroncast #110: Go Go Carlos Rodón

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 05:35:25 -0000

The Giants sure did have a lot of off-field news this past week on their way to clinching their worst record against the Dodgers in a season since moving to San Francisco. Zack Littell v. Gabe Kapler seems like so long ago! The Giants actually won two out of three games to start the week, even. But it's hard to look at the good when the Dodgers are there to remind you that even when things seem good, they're not good enough. Does the Wilmer Flores signing mean anything beyond a continuation of a sound process? Nah. Does that mean the sound process is all that's required for the team going forward? No!

And then there's the matter of next year's rule changes and how that could impact a certain up and coming Giant. But is the future only grim? No again! There's still something really cool to look forward to: Carlos Rodón and the MLB strikeout leader. Think he can do it?

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Chroncast #109: Wheel of Random!

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0000

Just to get this out of the way up top: Bryan and Doug make NO MENTION of Barry Zito's pitch count in our 109th episode of the show, mainly because it's unclear to Bryan if this even is the 109th episode, what with all the wonderful Happy Hours Sami did or the Untitled Prospects Podcast with Roger that were done, so, please just be aware of that.

But if you can stomach that omission, strap yourself in, because Bryan and Doug opine about the new rule changes, minor league unionization, and the Evan Longoria-J.D. Davis-David Villar intrigue for next season all before introducing a new segment: The Wheel of Random!

What's the Wheel of Random? You'll just have to listen to find out.

Like what you hear? Be sure to rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to the show, and if you'd like to participate, send us your questions for the end of season mailbag either in the comments below or at the show's Twitter account: @McChroncast

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Chroncast #108: Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for August

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0000

The Chroncast returns from the Labor Day Weekend to find the Giants having ended their seven-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak, which may or may not have continued heading into the recording of this episode (an hour before first pitch of last night's Giants-Dodgers game). Bryan and Doug both express their hopes for the rest of the season now that the Giants have demonstrated a version of themselves that had been planned since the offseason.

And then they tackle those gnarly bullpen trust power rankings for the last month, when the Giants bullpen was superficially not terrible (a 3.46 ERA -- but how?). This month, though, rather than try to peg the order of trust, they use a three-tier system and assign the bullpenners accordingly. Which Giants reliever would you trust (albeit begrudgingly) with a lead? Which would you not trust with a lead of any kind? And, which reliever would you not trust even if the Giants were trailing by 3+ runs?

Here’s the xml link to our feed. You can check out the show page right here. We’re also on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Our intro/outro music is by Lesfm.

You can find all new episodes and our archive on all feeds and listen to everything in the embedded show player down below. If you like our show, give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts or like/thumbs up us anywhere you listen to podcasts.

And we are looking for a transcription service to begin offering transcripts to our audience.

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Chroncast #107: A Frustrating And Disappointing Season

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 02:21:00 -0000

No reasonable person expected the Giants to radically change direction after their historic 2021 season, but no reasonable person should be expected to consider this year anything other than frustrating and disappointing. And since Farhan Zaidi is a reasonable person, he agrees! In a recent interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Zaidi went through some of his thoughts on this year's team and what their process last offseason could mean for this year's.

This is all during a time when the Giants' 2022 season has fallen into a ditch that is already being filled with concrete. It would be a criminal act to stick a fork in the actual players, but metaphorically, they're done. They're toast. They're not going anywhere. A lot of these guys have written their seasons, even with a few dozen games left. The mathematical possibility of still being in contention for a playoff spot is just that -- math. In the hearts and minds of reasonable people, there's nothing worthwhile or competitive about the remainder of this Giants season.

But this Kawakami interview suggests maybe next year might also be a forgettable one, too. Bryan and Doug discuss. Do you agree?

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Chroncast #106: The Churn

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0000

A 60-61 Giants squad is not one to get too excited about. Maybe not even one to crack a smile over. And certainly not one to believe has even the ~3.5% odds of making the postseason, according to some sources. Instead, it's just a team to watch because we like watching baseball, and for most of us the Giants were are portal into the professional game.

None of that less than stellar though still objectively true perspective stops Bryan and Doug from getting into just what's so frustrating about the 2022 team, but it also gives us -- Doug, mostly -- some reasons to convey to you, Dear Listener, as to why there's something worth watching about this clearly unremarkable and clearly struggling team.

And then there's talk of the Giants' record against the NL West, Brandon Belt's fate, and some eye-opening recent performances in a sea of letdowns.

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Chroncast #105: The Giants' Rebuild Is Still In Progress

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 04:46:19 -0000

The 2012 World Series team reunion this past weekend got Bryan and Doug thinking: was this actually the best team of the Giants' early 10s dynasty? So many memories from start to finish and a series of redemptive stories throughout the postseason -- maybe it has been unfairly minimized as the dynasty's middle child.

Meanwhile, in the present day, Bryan brings to Doug's attention Melissa Lockard's interview with Grant Brisbee at The Athletic that gave him a modicum of hope for the farm system over the next couple of years. Maybe the Giants aren't quite as far behind as it looked like they were heading into the All-Star Break. Still far away -- but not 2026 or 2027 far. Maybe!

And then, Doug wrote about what the Giants need to do the rest of the way to have a shot at the postseason. Do your numbers match up with his? What about Bryan's shot in the dark prediction about the team's final record? 48 games to go! These next two weeks will be critical.

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Trade Deadline Chroncast: RUF IS ON THE MOVE!

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 23:30:00 -0000

First off, hat tip to Crazy Crabbers (and Duane Kuiper) for inspiring this episode's title, which tracks the moves the Giants made at the 2022 deadline. Did they do enough to make the final two months of this season more interesting and/or set themselves up to be more interesting in the next couple of seasons? Bryan and Doug have answers to both! Do you agree?

They also discuss the big trade of the day and what that means for the Giants going forward. Does the Padres acquisition of Juan Soto mean that Giants fans should go mad, break each other's heads open, and feast on the goo inside? Some sources say yes, but we're Bryan and Doug aren't so sure.

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Chroncast #103: Vibes-Based Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for July

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 03:00:00 -0000

For years Bryan has said that the Giants have reached the end of the line with a core group of players. Is this finally the year when he's right? The Giants don't seem to be firmly in the buy or sell camp, but given the dismaying results from the farm system, surely, obviously, they must be sellers looking to add some near-ML talent, right? RIGHT? RIIIIIIGHT?

In other news, it's clear that the Giants bullpen is a place where hope goes to die and so it's difficult to say that anyone in the bullpen is trustworthy; therefore, before getting into their player rankings, Doug and Bryan rank the five things in their worldview that they trust more than the Giants bullpen.

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Chroncast #102: Forget Juan Soto -- Sell! Sell! Sell!

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 14:24:14 -0000

Let's ignore for the moment that the Giants are 16.5 games and $100+ million in payroll behind the Dodgers and focus on the clearer fact that they're just 48-47 with 67 to play. Oh sure, they could definitely go 37-30 and hope that 85-77 is enough to get into the playoffs, but does that seem probable even if it's plausible? Bryan thinks that with Carlos Rodon's obvious departure after the season and the team's average performance and NO hope of getting better on defense over the final 67 games it's the perfect time to be sellers at the trade deadline. Doug thinks ownership isn't going to like that, even if last year's success has in no way boosted this year's bottom line.

They also talk about the Giants' week of transactions, from the All-Star Game, the Futures Game and, of course, the draft, where the team opted to get a little weird with their drafting formula. There's also some Juan Soto talk, because he's noteworthy!

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Chroncast #101: Giants Broadcasters: The Next Generation

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 05:54:37 -0000

The Giants had a stellar week with at least one historic highlight, but was it all just a blip in a rudderless season or evidence of the good team they've actually been all along? Bryan and Doug discuss some surprising numbers that describe a different team than the one that's just on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

And after that first half analysis, they get into a discussion about the future of the Giants' broadcasting team, specifically, what happens when Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper, and Mike Krukow decide to spend their days doing something other than provide us with tremendous entertainment and memories to last a lifetime?

Here’s the xml link to our feed. You can check out the show page right here. We’re also on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Our intro/outro music is by Lesfm.

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Chroncast #100: Joc Pederson is an All-Star, Carlos Rodón is... trade bait?

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 03:20:00 -0000

Can you believe we've done 100 episodes of this podcast? Oh sure, the network has expanded at times to include Sami's wonderful Happy Hour, our unnamed prospect podcast with Roger (RIP to both), but the pure, rambling Chroncast celebrates it's 100th episode by celebrating the trio of Giants' All-Stars recognized this past week by the industry: Joc Pederson, David Villar, and Kyle Harrison. Whither Carlos Rodón and Logan Webb? Well, that's a whole other issue.

Our listener questions this week wonder if the Giants might try to take on salary to get talent or if they'll simply be sellers at the trade deadline, why is Larry Baer still unemployed by the Giants, and what kind of YouTube ads do you think Gabe Kapler sees before he watches a video. You can always submit your questions in the comments below and to our Twitter account: @McChroncast. ]

And we can't thank you enough for listening to our show. Although Bryan would probably talk to his own reflection, it has truly been a lot of fun talking about the Giants over the years and having so many people listen along. If you like our show, give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts or like/thumbs up us anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Here’s the xml link to our feed. You can check out the show page right here. We’re also on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Our intro/outro music is by Lesfm.

You can find all new episodes and our archive on all feeds and listen to everything in the embedded show player down below.

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Chroncast #99: Bullpen Trust Power Rankings for June

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week, Bryan and Doug escape from the suck vortex that was the past week of Giants Baseball (1-4) to rank the trustworthiness of the bullpen arms after their middling June performances. Last month, the lists were split on who was number one -- does that trend continue? Do you agree with the rankings? Login and comment below!

Also, Doug gives some insight into the Giants' secretly lackluster offense while Bryan wonders if this 2022 team is a more logical follow-up to the other most recent Buster Posey-less season, 2020, than whatever miracle fate hiccup last season was.

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Chroncast #98: Bad Giants Defense and Bad Giants Trades

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 04:24:00 -0000

When last the McCovey Chroncast covered the Major League Giants (check out our minor league episode with Roger Munter last week), the Giants had just swept the Dodgers. Did they carry that moment into the past two weeks of games? They did not! The defense has been unflinchingly terrible for a pitching staff designed around having an at least average defense, and Doug suggests exactly what the problem is.

With the Giants leaking oil five and a half weeks before the trade deadline, Bryan and Doug try their hand at finding one player who might make the team a little bit better this year, because oh baby, do they have some things to work out on the defensive side of their game.

We also revisit trades of Giants Past and figure out which of six famous trades was actually most regrettable, with Doug pointing out a key factual error in Bryan's reasoning to call into question the reasonableness of one of the Giants' most famous trades ever. Do you agree? You'll just have to listen.

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Chroncast #97: Minor Lines with Roger Munter

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0000

For years, Roger Munter paired with your morning cup of coffee through Minor Lines on McCovey Chronicles, covering every game in the team's minor league system the night before. Now, he's writing and podcasting about the team's system in his newsletter, There R Giants. He joins Bryan and Doug on this week's special episode to talk about the Giants' system in general as well as some potential breakout contributors who don't necessarily get all the dazzling prospect coverage. If you're a fan of minor league baseball or just want to know who might be among the next generation of San Francisco Giants, this is one you won't want to miss!

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Chroncast #96: Sweep LA

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 05:41:46 -0000

Doug returns from vacation just in time to witness the Giants pitch their first shutout of the season: a game that secured a weekend sweep of the loathsome Dodgers. What was the best part of it besides everything? Bryan and Doug break it down. They also answer your Twitter questions.

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Chroncast #95: Why are the Giants so mid?

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0000

The Giants finished off their 10-game road trip with a 4-3 week. A couple of bullpen meltdowns cost them a more successful trip. To talk about that "mid" week is guest co-host Kenny Kelly, formerly of Beyond the Box Score and McCovey Chronicles! He gets roped into talking about the sequels to last week's big stories: the Kapler protest and the Fantasy Baseball Kerfluffle before singing the praises of the good things to come out of the week.

And then Bryan and Kenny really get into it with a debate on which part of the Giants' game is most responsible for their mediocre 29-24 record: the pitching or the hitting. The Giants have one of the best offenses in baseball, so it would seem that whoever decides to argue that the lineup is what's responsible for the Giants' 6th seed in the NL playoffs is pretty, pretty stupid. You'll just have to listen to find out -- and then, vote in the poll to choose who won the debate!

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Chroncast #94: Bullpen Trust Power Rankings #2 & Joc Week

Mon, 30 May 2022 05:15:36 -0000

Joc Pederson made a lot of loud contact this week thanks to Barry Bonds’ hitting advice and Tommy Pham’s gambling hand, which made for a lot of entertainment off the field when the Giants weren’t being very good on it. Bryan and Doug determine the key lessons to learn from both incidents.

They also talk a bit about Gabe Kapler’s protest of the national anthem in response to the Uvalde, TX school shooting and the hollowness of the criticisms directed towards his stance.

But what of the Giants’ bullpen, which had a stellar April only to back it up with a putrid May? Will John Brebbia retain Bryan’s #1 spot? Will Jose Alvarez remain Doug’s #1? Tune in to find out.

Have questions you want us to answer? Submit them in the comments below or at the podcasts’ Twitter account: @McChroncast.

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Chroncast #93: Juan Soto & The First 40 Games of 2022

Mon, 23 May 2022 13:00:00 -0000

*Of course* Bryan and Doug are going to talk about that wild Juan Soto trade article that floated around earlier in the week, but only briefly, because we know you've already heard about it and read about it. Guess which side Bryan takes in the pro/con debate. Would you agree with his argument, even a little?

The Chroncasters (is that a good label for them or no?) also talk about two former Giants before getting into their views on the current Giants and their 22-18 start to the 2022 season. If you could only use one word to describe this first quarter of the season, what would it be? Do Bryan and Doug's choices match yours?

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Chroncast #92: Sixteen Transactions and a Patch

Mon, 16 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

This week's episode was recorded before the end of the drubbing by the Cardinals, so there's no talk of pitcher Luis Gonzalez or pitcher Albert Pujols. BUT! Bryan and Doug do talk about Mauricio Dubon's Giants tenure and the other trades the team made over the past week, a subject nearly as entertaining as that ninth inning in St. Louis... They also talk about the team hiring WME to find a new sponsor for the team patch they'll wear beginning in 2023. We also answer some listener questions, which are very sci-fi TV focused!

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Chroncast #91: Who is the most loathsome Dodger?

Mon, 09 May 2022 05:59:00 -0000

The Giants went 2-4, which is not great, but they did celebrate the legacy of Buster Posey, which is beyond great. Still, in losing four out of six, Bryan and Doug were reminded that there are a quite a lot of players on the Dodgers and Cardinals they simply do not like, and they don't think they're alone in disliking quite a lot of players on the other teams, and so, the great quest to identify the worst of the rest of the NL commences.

Aha! But after going through all the other NL teams, Bryan and Doug just couldn't decide who was the most loathsome Dodger, and that's where you come in. Vote in the poll at McCovey Chronicles or on Twitter (@McChroncast). Is it Justin Turner or Max Muncy?

We're also taking your questions for a mailbag episode we want to do next week. Send us your questions on McC or on Twitter. Our intro music is by Lesfm.

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Chroncast #90: We're Back! Bullpen Trust Power Rankings

Mon, 02 May 2022 04:00:00 -0000

We've dusted off our microphones to bring back the McCovey Chronicles podcast, the McCovey Chroncast. Bryan Murphy (no, not the one from radio) and Doug Bruzzone just couldn't stay away from talking about their favorite baseball team.

This marks our 90th episode of the show after a 28-month absence. Quite a lot has happened during that time and after the guys blaze through the last two seasons, they get right down to business: ranking the Giants' impressive bullpen. Who stands as the most reliable arm after the first month of the season? Who's least trustworthy and why? What impact might the roster cutdown have on the Giants' decisions?

If you want to become a part of the show, send us your questions, either by posting in the comments below or at'ing our Twitter account: @McChroncast.

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SB Nation's 2021 World Series Preview - presented by T-Mobile

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 09:00:00 -0000

John Stolnis, Kris Willis and Ashley MacLennon set the table for the World Series showdown between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros!

Presented by T-Mobile

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SB Nation's MLB NLDS Giants-Dodgers Preview - Presented by T-Mobile

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 09:00:00 -0000

Eric Stephen (True Blue LA) and Brady Klopfer (McCovey Chronicles) go head-to-head in SB Nation's special preview of the Giants-Dodgers NLDS showdown!

Presented by T-Mobile

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SB Nation's MLB NL Playoff Preview - Presented by T-Mobile

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 09:00:00 -0000

Talent from all around SB Nation come together to preview the MLB NL Playoffs as John Stolnis, Brady Klopfer and Kris Willis debate all the biggest topics and make their predictions!

Presented by T-Mobile

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SB Nation's 2021 MLB Home Run Derby LIVE w/John Kruk - Presented by T-Mobile

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000

MLB great John Kruk joins Sam Wilson, John Stolnis, Brady Klopfer and a host of community guests from around SB Nation to watch the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby!

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SB Nation’s 2021 MLB Draft Recap – Presented by T-Mobile

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000

SB Nation’s all-star cast (Sam Wilson, John Stolnis, Eric Stephen and guest Jeremy Brener) breaks down everything that happened in the 1st round of the 2021 MLB Draft!

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SB Nation's 2021 MLB All-Star Game Preview! - Presented by T-Mobile

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0000

SB Nation welcomes you to it’s coverage of the 2021 MLB All-Star Week, powered by T-Mobile!

On today’s episode, Sam Wilson, John Stolnis, and Brady Klopfer break down the rosters, set the state of the league, discuss trade rumors PLUS Talking Chop's Demetrius Bell joins the show to talk about the move from Georgia to Colorado!

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Giants - Rockies series review

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 00:23:55 -0000

The San Francisco Giants had a historic trip to Coors Field, beating the Colorado Rockies 23-5 in the first game of a two-game series. But after blowing a lead in the second game, they settled for a series split.

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Giants - DBacks Series Review

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 01:57:37 -0000

The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks played a three-game series from Aug. 28 - Aug. 30. They lost the series opener, but won the series 2-1. The bullpen excelled, as did Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt, and Wilmer Flores.

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Chroncast #89: D.B. Firstman

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 17:06:18 -0000

You might know D.B. best Baseball Twitter’s Chief Spoonerizer, and it’s in this same spirit that they’ve written a book, Hall of Name: Baseball’s Most Magnificent Monikers from “The Only Nolan” to “Van Lingle Mungo’ and More, which we talk about in a fun, quick chat.

We also revisit some of the best spoonerisms out there, our favorite Simpsons episodes, and, of course — because I really wanted to take these last few episodes to explore how people felt about the state of the game — the state of the game.

When I dragooned Doug into doing a podcast with me back in 2015, I had no idea where it would go. I think we can all agree that the results have been . . . mixed . . . at best, but I think it’s given us some great things such as voices to names we read, interviews with people who don’t ordinarily get a spotlight, spinoff showcases for Sami and Roger, and a very loyal listenership for which I’m grateful.

Thank you, D.B. for the chat, and thank you all for your time.

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Chroncast #88: Craig Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 02:10:02 -0000

What’s in store for the sport as the 21st century marches on? How has the present evolution complicated analyzing a sport where grown men wear pajamas? What’s the next market inefficiency? What kind of person keeps change in their wallet? Craig answers all these questions and more with unflinching kindness and a surprising amount of grace.

A fair warning: Craig is a Dodgers fan, but I promise that the conversation doesn’t devolve into Bum talk. We do take some time to talk about our cats, though, so stick around for that.

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Chroncast #87: We were fired!

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:18:36 -0000

Hi! This will be the final Chroncast with Bryan & co. There will be a few more episodes to end the year, including an interview with author D.B. Firstman, Craig Goldstein (EIC of Baseball Prospectus), and a final prospects podcast with Roger before . . . it all goes away.

If you saw the news, SB Nation will be converting management of its California team sites, including McCovey Chronicles, from a freelancer model to an employee model in compliance with California's AB5 law set to go into effect January 1st.

There's a decent amount of overlap between the new law, SB Nation's decision, and the current state of the business of baseball, and so where those things overlap, we talk about them. And when they don't, we talk a little bit about the Giants.

We laugh, we cry, and we say goodbye.

Thank you for listening!

CONTENT WARNING: There is an awful lot of profanity in this episode.

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Chroncast #86: Grant Brisbee Returns Again

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:06:28 -0000

At long last, the site's founder returns to talk about the state of the Giants, the state of the game, and the state of the site. This was recorded Tuesday evening just before the Gerrit Cole deal broke, but the conversation is pretty evergreen.

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Chroncast #85: Three Men and a Press Conference

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 16:00:07 -0000

Bryan and Sami talk about everything that went down at Gabe Kapler's introduction to Giants fans and suggest how it might've gone better. They also venture a guess at what the offseason will be like before getting into the big transactions of the week: Will Smith's contract with Atlanta and Madison Bumgarner's free agency.

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McC Happy Hour #10: Bryan Murphy

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:00:00 -0000

This week, Sami conned our fearless leader into being on the podcast. She put him through his paces with the usual questions so that you guys can get to know him a bit more and we talked about what it’s been like for him since taking over the site.

They also talked about the Giants, where Sami got Bryan’s take on the season that was (so far), what he thinks the future might look like, and Bruce Bochy’s impending retirement. In the venting corner, Bryan had a positive topic whereas Sami went on a one woman crusade against Fall.

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McC Happy Hour #9: Kenny Kelly

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

This week, Sami was joined by none other than Kenny Kelly, of our own staff as they discuss the normal fare, such as what Kenny would do as commissioner for a day (spoiler: he would have a busy day) as well as Kenny’s take on the current Giants season.

Then they dig in on some not so expected topics, such as the concept of the five-star review system, the worth of apologies, and Sami rants about an obsession a lot of people seem to have with finding the worst things possible on the internet. And their pets make an appearance, fun times!

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Chroncast #84: Blog Days of August

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 15:00:00 -0000

The Giants' 4-2 week featured more standout performances from surprising sources. Will Farhan Zaidi continue to turn over the roster in search of the new high performer? Meanwhile, Sami joins Bryan to discuss the new community guidelines that went into effect this week as well as the constant undercurrent of discontent in the fan base on the subject of Brandon Belt.

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UPPWR: Untitled Prospects Podcast with Roger #4 with special guest Jason Pennine

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 07:33:00 -0000

Jason Pennini of the website Prospects Live joins Roger and Bryan to give his scouting reports on some of the Giants’ best and brightest talent at their lowest level, the Arizona League.

It’s not all about Marco Luciano, but it’s also not-not about Marco Luciano for a nice chunk of it; but, he also has more information than you’re likely to see anywhere else on the likes of Jairo Pomares, Garrett Frechette, Dilan Rosario, and Grant McCray, and if you’re not entirely sure who those guys are but you’re nevertheless interested in what’s going on deep down on the Giants’ farm, then you’ll want to listen to this one.

Jason also discusses what motivated him to ditch his old career to focus on scouting, which is an inspiring story worth your valuable time.

Roger and Bryan also go over the headline prospects acquired at the deadline — Jaylin Brown, Mauricio Dubon, Joe McCarthy, and Tristan Beck — as well as the Sacramento River Cats and their surprising playoff run.

The Untitled Prospects Podcast with Roger (UPPWR) is still looking for an official title, so, add your suggests down below. The next episode will come after the minor league season wraps, so if you have questions you’d like the show to tackle, add those down below, too.

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McC Happy Hour #8: Allison McCague

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:08:00 -0000

n this week’s episode, Sami was joined by Allison McCague. Allison covers the Mets over at SBNation’s Amazin’ Avenue and is a legit scientist. They talked about, you guessed it, the Mets (and some science!) and the general incompetence of the owners of the team.

They discussed the moves made (and not made) at the trade deadline and how that sets the Mets up for the future and the present. The Mets are in a similar position as the Giants with regards to the hunt for the Wild Card and we talked about whether they have what it takes to make a run at it.

They also touched briefly on the Giants’ moves, but you should really listen to last week’s Chroncast for more on that. Bryan and Doug broke it all down for you there. Speaking of which, you should subscribe to the Chroncast feed to make sure you get every new episode of all of our podcasts!

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UPPWR: Untitled Prospects Podcast with Roger #3

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 01:54:36 -0000

It might take us a while to figure out just how the new front office managed to revamp the existing farm system without razing it, but here we are with a revamped Giants farm system and with most of the high profile names still very much of a high profile.

Joey Bart! Heliot Ramos! They've even been joined by some new names, some of whom were acquired last year and some added to the mix by the new regime. Roger and Bryan go through the latest prospect rankings which see four Giants as consensus top `100 prospects, a situation that feels very unfamiliar.

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Chroncast #83: The Giants traded Mark Melancon

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 00:58:28 -0000

It was one of the busiest trade deadlines in Giants history and it didn't involve the two biggest names on the roster. Just exactly how did Farhan Zaidi get the Braves to take on all of Mark Melancon's contract? Who did the Giants get in exchange for Melancon, Sam Dyson, Drew Pomeranz, and Ray Black?

Join Bryan and Doug as they go over all that and hear Farhan Zaidi in his own words explain not only why the deadline shook out the way it did but also his philosophy for managing a baseball team. He's been extremely consistent for his entire professional career. Also, Bryan reveals two trades he thinks will help and hurt the Giants in the NL West.

This episode features audio clips of the 2013 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Thank you to them for granting permission of their use.

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McC Happy Hour #7: Sam Bradfield

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 02:49:00 -0000

Sami is joined by Sam Bradfield who is the assistant editor covering the Colorado Rockies over at Purple Row. For transparency’s sake, this was recorded last Friday night, so it will not involve any news that may have broken between then and now.

Sam talks about how growing up in both cities has given her her dual loyalties for the Rockies and division rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks. We talk about how she got into covering the Rockies and their farm system, including the Pebble Report, which is just the cutest name for minor league coverage ever and you can follow it over on Purple Row, as well as the two Purple Row podcasts she works on.

As a huge Troy Tulowitzki fan, Sam shares her thoughts on his retirement announcement, and she also shares a delightful story about the time she asked almost every member of the Rockies organization which musical instruments they have played, if any. So if you ever wanted to know which instrument Nolan Arenado played in school to use against him the next time the Rockies come to town, this is the episode for you!

But make sure to check out all of our episodes, as well as the original Chroncast and the Prospect Podcast, by subscribing to the McCovey Chroncast feed on the Apple podcast app, spotify, or however you get your podcasts.

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McC Happy Hour #6: Brady Klopfer

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 02:26:54 -0000

This week, Sami and Brady have a conversation about the Giants recent stretch of wins, what the team should do about the trade deadline, and how the Giants are bringing the fun back to baseball in a way that’s been missing since the 2016 season.

Brady breaks down the NBA G-League and talks about some of the wild times that take place at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and tells a horrifying and hilarious story of a poor, unknowing staff member who tried to shoo Jerry West off the court.

They also talk about two of his recent viral tweets, one of which earned a retweet from a famous musician and the other, which earned a rant from Sami. They rant about the way people treat famous wives of athletes and how the expectation of decency has disintegrated with regards to fans leaving players’ families out of their criticism and mocking of players.

No guest this week, but Brady fills in the gaps, telling us about how he got into sports writing and some of his big upcoming projects that you should not miss! You can follow Brady on Twitter @BradyKlopferNBA to keep up to date with all of his excellent writing (aside from his work at McCovey Chronicles, which you can find here several times a week).

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McC Happy Hour #5: Carmen Kiew

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0000

This week, Sami is joined by friend of the site Carmen Kiew, who wrote for us last season. Carmen takes some time out of her very busy schedule to talk about the Home Run Derby, the likelihood of trades for Giants players currently on the chopping block, and Carmen tells us why Duane Kuiper makes sure that she carries honey mustard in her bag (swag).

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UPPWR: Untitled Prospects Podcast with Roger #2

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 19:44:00 -0000

In this week's episode, we take a look at what Bart and Ramos's performance at the Futures Game "means" for the Giants' system, the unique quality of the excitement surrounding Marco Luciano -- and how to properly say his name -- and the recent international signings the Giants made.

We still don't have a title! Send us your suggestions! @mcchroncast on Twitter

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McC Happy Hour #4: Jamie Neal

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:54:00 -0000

This week, Sami was joined by the wonderful Jamie Neal to talk about the Oakland A’s and the bad blood between their respective fanbases as well as Jamie’s annoyances with bandwagons in general, while Sami nit picks her about her definition of bandwagon.

Jamie talks about her campaign to raise money for LGBT+ organizations through bat flips. And we get a little heated about the designated hitter, of which Jamie is not a fan of but Sami is, baseball salaries and how teams use them, and generalizing sports fans in one particular fandom versus the reality of sports fans across the spectrum.

Plus, we share some memories of the 1989 earthquake and decide that that is the reason why the Giants and A’s cannot be good at the same time anymore. Also, we answer your questions for her, even if the answers may not be exactly what you wanted.

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Chroncast #82: Will Smith is an All-Star

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 15:00:00 -0000

What do Drew Pomeranz, Alex Dickerson, Stephen Vogt, Will Smith, and Madison Bumgarner all have in common? They're not going to be on the next winning Giants team. So, what's there to talk about? Plenty. Doug has been off covering the Giants for the San Francisco Examiner and was the first to report on Austin Slater's new swing, which Slater put to good use Monday night in San Diego with a triple and home run.

Does the nascent stages of this rebuild necessarily preclude us from gaining knowledge about the team's future or is that just pessimism wrapped around a dark core of ignorance? Neither Bryan nor Doug proclaim to have the answer, but that won't stop us from talking it out.

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McC Happy Hour #3: Bradford William Davis

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 15:40:00 -0000

This week, Sami and Brady chat with Bradford William Davis of the New York Daily News. Bradford fills us in on all things Yankees and his life long love affair with the team and we all vent about the #Hashtag #Umpire #Tweet. We also discuss Bradford’s respect for Madison Bumgarner’s on-field antics and grumpy players in general.

Later, Bradford talks with us about one of his recent articles that goes into what CC Sabathia means to him, which you can find here. And Brady closes us out with yet another delicious cocktail recipe and a tale of family adventures.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel! We’ll have all the content you could desire, starting with the triumphant return of the McCovey Chroncast, our flagship podcast, which came out on Monday, in which Bryan and Roger kick off the new season. And Roger himself has a new prospect podcast as well, and you won’t want to miss it!

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UPPWR: Untitled Prospects Podcast with Roger #1

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Welcome to the newest show on the McCovey Chronicles Podcast channel! If you've listened to the McCovey Chroncast before, then you've no doubt heard our minor league guru, Roger Munter, come on from time to time. Now he has his own show... a show still searching for a title! Chime in with your suggestions in the comments section.

In the meantime, Roger and managing editor Bryan Murphy run through the Giants' 2019 draftees to find gems and divine a direction for the organization under a new front office regime. They also talk about the top of the Giants' farm system. There's definitely talent after Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos -- players you really ought to know about.

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Chroncast #81: Season Five Premiere with Roger Munter

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 15:00:00 -0000

The McCovey Chroncast is back! Bryan Murphy hosts this look at the week that was in San Francisco Giants Baseball. What's Madison Bumgarner's true trade value and is it even worth it? Why are Adam Eaton's comments about minor leaguers so frustrating? And, Roger Munter calls in to talk about the 2019 team and how it compares to the doldrums of the 70s and 80s.

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McC Happy Hour #2: Lana Berry

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 17:59:00 -0000

This week, Sami sits down with Lana Berry, of the internet, to discuss the fact that baseball has been particularly cruel to her, personally, in the last decade, as a Dodgers and Rangers fan. She fills us in on what is going right for the Dodgers this year, and why Dodgers fans should be concerned about that. Lana shares her advice for those aspiring to break into the industries of sports media or media in general, and they go off the rails a little bit talking about social media in the venting corner.

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McC Happy Hour #1: Ashley MacLennan

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:14:00 -0000

Sami Higgins and Brady Klopfer sit down with SBNation's Ashley MacLennan about the Detroit Tigers, the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ashley's YouTube channel "90 Feet From Home" where she breaks down the game for people at differing levels of baseball fandom. They touch on the Canadian bandwagon for the Toronto Raptors, as well as the pressing issue of living wages for minor league baseball players and fundamental changes to the arbitration process. And Brady schools us on the topic of simple syrups for cocktails.

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9/20/18: Episode 80 - The positive season finale with Roger Munter!

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 11:00:00 -0000

Now that we've reached the end of the minor league season, Roger Munter is here to break down the Giants' 2018 and give us a sense of the system as a whole. For the second consecutive season, the entire organization has been populated by losing teams and underperforming players. Is there hope for 2019? This is a POSITIVE PODCAST! Roger has great things to say about the top of the Giants system and so there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about the near and distant future of our favorite baseball team. We also answer a couple of Twitter questions. This is the season finale and next time you hear the podcast, it'll sound different and maybe even have a new host or two. We sought out your feedback for what you'd like to hear in the future and how you'd want us to consider improving the show, but if you missed that initial post, don't hesitate to post your comments down below. Thanks for listening!

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Chroncast Special: Roger Munter reviews the Giants' Draft

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 21:00:00 -0000

You know the Giants drafted catcher Joey Bart with the #2 overall pick, but was he the absolute right fit for the Giants? And how else did they do with their slightly unconventional selections? Did their draft strategy suggest a new organizational philosophy? All of these questions and more are answered as Bryan and Roger have a one-on-one about the 2018 MLB Draft.

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5/7/18: Episode 79 - Gran Torino

Mon, 07 May 2018 12:00:00 -0000

The Padres had been running circles around the Giants and the Braves had been pounding all of baseball with their vaunted youth movement, so it came as a welcome surprise when the Giants left Atlanta with a sweep. We talk all about the standouts from that series and how the new coaches might be helping out with this turn of events. We also make our picks to click and answer your Twitter questions.

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4/30/18: Episode 78 - Giants Punch Back

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 13:00:00 -0000

For all the rightful attention Pablo Sandoval has received because of his tremendous inning of relief Saturday afternoon, there’s still the small matter of the Giants maintaining relevance in the NL West and their industry as they close out the first month of the season. Without their #1 and #3 starter, despite their #2 starter lost to DL time for a time, their starting left fielder unable to compete and their hot-hitting backup suddenly knocked out with an injury, and a now uncertain future for their prime second baseman, the Giants will end the month around the .500 mark for the first time since 2016. That means we’ve seen a lot of positive results for a team that’s been mired in bad process for nearly two seasons and it certainly suggests that there’s perhaps been a change in the process. Naturally, we’re on the case discussing everything that happened this past week as well as projecting the week ahead. We also make our picks to click and answer your Twitter questions.

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4/23/18: Episode 77 - Beltcast

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0000

Brandon Belt gets a lot of guff because he’s not good all the time when many people think he should be. Well, he was good and more this past week and, so, it’s only fair that we dwell on that Belty goodness and enjoy how everything that happened could’ve only happened to Brandon Belt. But it’s not *just* about Belt, even though this is the Beltcast. Bryan and Sami are awestruck by how well the pitching staff has held up in the absence of Bumgarner and Samardzija. What's going on with Johnny Cueto's changeup? And how does the new coaching staff seem to be impacting Bruce Bochy's decision-making? Also, we explore Sami's ability to pick the right picks to click and we answer some of your Twitter questions.

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4/16/18: Episode 76 - 6-9

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 15:00:00 -0000

The Giants are off to a 6-9 start for the second consecutive season and Brandon Belt has been benched repeatedly for striking out at the wrong time... for the umpteenth consecutive season. Can Doug and Sami convince Bryan that the Giants *won't* change their ways at this point if they haven't shown a willingness to before?

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4/9/2018: Episode 75 - Joe Panik: The Most Hated Man in LA

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0000

After an eventful first week of the season, Bryan, Doug, and Sami try to figure out just exactly how it all went so well for the Giants. Were the offseason moves enough? Is the bullpen for real? Is Joe Panik reall the most hated man in Los Angeles? And there's also a lot of talk about Andrew McCutchen's walk-off home run against the Dodgers from Saturday night, because that's exceptional news. The Giants beat the Dodgers on a walk-off home run. Andrew McCutchen instantly became a part of Giants history.

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Chroncast Special: Minor Lines Recap and Forecap

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 10:00:00 -0000

Can the Giants break the boom and bust cycle of their farm system? Roger Munter was at the Spring Training complex in Arizona and got to see up close and personal a lot of the unknown players in the system. Who were the surprises? Were there any letdowns? And who's the secret player Roger thinks has a shot at being secondmost invaluable prospect behind Heliot Ramos? You'll just have to listen to find out.

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3/27/18: Episode 74 - NL West Preview

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 17:00:00 -0000

We’re just 48 hours from baseball cutting loose and letting it all hang out. The excitement of Opening Day is hard to replicate. Here is the Chroncast’s way of priming the pump for what’s sure to be a baseball binge for some of you and a “I can’t wait to watch Ty Blach hit a home run off of Clayton Kershaw” day of preparation for the rest of you. Eric Stephen of True Blue LA talks about how the Dodgers might not have a unanimous rookie of the year on their roster this season and that because of the competitive balance tax won’t have the infuriating level of depth in starting pitching. Will these weaknesses help the Giants stay in the NL West race? Probably not. Roy Thomasson comes over from Gaslamp Ball to describe a Padres team that feels like a complete unknown populated by total strangers to remind us that Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, and Chase Headley (yes, that Chase Headley) are anything but strangers and that the Padres, while being in a transition year, are still carrying a lot of interesting players who will make the Giants miserable. Again. Jen Mac Ramos chimes in with Diamondbacks notes and how the shift in organizational philosophy helped them get competitive in a hurry, but also warns that their belief in their own quality of talent depth might not match the reality. They also talk about how Tim Lincecum inspired a writing pursuit involving Filipino food. And, Adam Peterson of Purple Row grants us an interview not to gloat about his dead-on predictions concerning last year’s Rockies team but to talk about how this year’s prediction is tougher now that the team and organization have real expectations.

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3/19/2018: Episode 73 - Rule 5

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 13:30:00 -0000

The Giants' new-look lineup has done well in Spring Training, and now with only a week away from the season starting, it would seem the team has some big decisions to make regarding the roster. Who will be the bench bats? Who will land in the back of the rotation and/or the bullpen? Bryan and Sami put forth their predictions for these fringe spots as well as explore the entire week that was for our favorite baseball team.

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3/12/2018: Episode 72 - The Ghost and The Grantness

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:30:00 -0000

Now that the gang's all here, it's time to look at the sweet, sweet sample size of Spring Training and determine what, if anything, the Giants might have that will make them competitive in the National League this season. We also look back at the offseason that was, not just for the Giants, but for ourselves. It turns out, Sami might be living in a haunted building. You don't want to miss her story on that, because it contains advice on how to deal with a ghost that could save your life... And then award-winning site creator Grant Brisbee returns to regail us with stories of his offseason, tales from the Giants Outsiders booth, and what he thinks about everything the Giants did. He also reveals what's next for him as he transitions from splitting time on McCovey Chronicles to focusing 90%+ of his time on his national baseball writing. Then we answer your interesting Twitter questions and close with a discussion on the economics of baseball and how the victory of sabermetrics might have actually taken some of the fun out of following the industry.

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3/5/2018: Episode 71 - Season 4 Premiere Cutchcast

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 14:00:00 -0000

The Chroncast returns after a lengthy hiatus within which quite a bit happened to our favorite baseball team and our favorite Giants-related site. You'll notice a new intro and a new sponsor, and also how fantastic our first guest of the new year is. He's MLB Cut4's Michael Clair, and he's here to tell us all about Andrew McCutchen and what we can expect now that he's wearing the orange and black. Suffice it to say, there are some details in this interview that will surprise you and a lot of information about ghosts and ghost stories you would never expect to hear on a baseball podcast. And, of course, Bryan answers your Twitter questions.

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11/14/2017: Episode 70 - Season 3 Finale

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 13:00:00 -0000

The gang gets back together for one final show in 2017. What's in store for our favorite baseball team? What prospects might actually pan out? We also revisit the NL Manager rankings that Bryan & Doug put together before the start of the season. How well does the list hold up? And, of course, we answer your Twitter questions.

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10/3/2017: Episode 69 - Caincast

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:00:00 -0000

Was Matt Cain taken for granted? Does Hunter Strickland deserve more scrutiny? Was there *anything* good about the 2017 season? Sami toughs out another week with Bryan and together they discuss all things Giants' 2017, but not before doing an emotional deep dive on Matt Cain's legacy. And then there's a whole rant about Hunter Strickland followed soon after by a ranking of Buster Posey's top baserunning moments. What were you favorite moments of the 2017 season?

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9/25/2017: Episode 68: Is Tim Lincecum Dead?

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:30:00 -0000

First, it's important to remember that the views presented on the McCovey Chroncast do not reflect the views of Grant Brisbee, SB Nation, Vox Media, most of the commenters on this site, or (and especially) the San Francisco Giants... Now that that's out of the way... I'm back. And, it is with a heavy heart that I must announce that I am at it again. Yes, I, the most negative human being ever born, have used portions of this podcast to be negative about the San Francisco Giants organization... in the form of swears. Don't worry, they're bleeped swears -- it's just one word in particular, used repeateldly -- and only directed at certain individuals in the abstract, as in, "this is what I say to people in the organization who want to use their second best hitter as a scapegoat for one of the worst seasons in franchise history." So, take from that what you will. But, beyond that, be prepared for the first 10 minutes or so to just be a lot of me talking at Sami and Doug as I catch myself up on the Giants after a long absence and finally get a platform to exhaust my dumb ideas. Oh, and there was a sound problem on my end regarding Sami & Doug's signal, so, they will sound a little soft. Also also, my new kitten is playing with her ball in the background for the first few minutes, if you're wondering what that batted ball sound in the background is all about. She never plays with that ball. She waited until I started recording. Haha, cats. They're the worst. We also your Twitter questions, which all, conveniently, were variations on the same question. Oh, but before that, we try to figure out just where Tim Lincecum might be, since nobody can seem to find him.

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9/18/2017: Episode 67 - Late Night Baseball and Forever Giants

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:00:00 -0000

This week, Sami and guest-host Joanne discuss Ryan Vogelsong’s triumphant return to the Bay Area to retire as a Giant. They defend his Giants' legacy against callous national writers who just don’t get it, as well as plotting a similar return for other Forever Giants. They also discuss the late-night shenanigans of the win over the Dodgers last week, as well as digging into some playoff expectations. Will the Giants make things difficult for the Rockies? Will they get a single win against the Dodgers? Odds are, no. But that doesn’t stop them from hoping! Even if everyone has long since stopped believing.

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9/11/2017: Episode 66 - At least the Dodgers are losing

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 12:00:00 -0000

The Dodgers are coming to town, so this week, Sami and Doug talk about how bad the Dodgers have been lately to distract themselves from how bad the Giants have been this whole year, and to try to get everyone hyped up for the series. And it worked! Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.! Will the Dodgers get to 100 wins? Will the Giants get to 100 losses? These are the hard-hitting questions facing 2017 Giants fans. Also, does Bruce Bochy hate Mac Williamson? Doug thinks so. And Sami continues to bemoan the lack home series against the Dodgers on weekends. Pablo’s hit-less streak was ended and the Giants even won two games. It’s better than the Dodgers’ week so we’ll take it.

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9/5/2017: Episode 65- So, How About Those River Cats?

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 13:00:00 -0000

In this Labor Day edition of the McCovey Chroncast, Sami and Doug talk about the varying levels of suck associated with the San Francisco Giants. But also, some good things! Like Gorkys Hernandez’s defense and Madison Bumgarner’s home run. But then there are the bullpen implosions, injury updates and under-performing offense. It’s a mixed bag, really, but Doug comes through with a great recap of the thrilling Labor Day victory for the Sacramento River Cats' final game of the season! And, as always, we hear from you, the very much appreciated listeners!

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8/21/2017: Episode 64 - Baseball Is Canceled

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:00:00 -0000

To the surprise of no one, the San Francisco Giants were eliminated from contention in the National League West this weekend. Some hoped they'd last a little bit longer, others were ready for the inevitable. This week, Sami and Doug discuss the week that was, including the split series with the Phillies and a little bit of Hunter Strickland schadenfreude, and we answer a lot of your questions about the present and future of this terrible, terrible team.

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8/7/2017: Episode 63 - Stop hitting Brandon Belt in the head

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 12:00:00 -0000

This week, Sami and Doug take a look back on what turned out to be a pretty successful and eventful week for the San Francisco Giants. We saw an injury to Brandon Belt, a triumphant return for Jarrett Parker, Ty Blach’s homer, George Kontos getting claimed off of waivers and a Panda reunion. Some good, some bad, but the Giants won four of the last seven games, so we will take it. Get better soon, Brandon. Wait, scratch that - just get better. No matter how long it takes you. You’re not missing much.

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7/31/17: Episode 62 - Haze From A Garbage Fire

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 10:00:00 -0000

This week, we chat with Lana Berry about this weekend's Giants vs. Dodgers series and the Dodgers playoff hopes. Meanwhile, Sami and Doug discuss the continued fecklessness of the San Francisco Giants: including the trade of Eduardo Nunez, a possible return of Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Belt's misadventures in base-running, and the looming trade deadline. The Dodgers are very good and the Giants are not. It's a lot of fun for the whole family.

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7/4/2017: Episode 61 - Fielding Independence Day Podcast

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:00:00 -0000

If you ignore their record, the Giants are playing like a very good team right now with plenty to be excited about. While you care for your frightened dog(s), barbecue various meats, and enjoy America's independence from the Brits, join us as we bask in the good times of a six-game winning streak, the found money quality of new closer Sam Dyson, the coolness of Jae-gyun Hwang, and the fact that Buster Posey is, once again, America's starting catcher. Has the mood changed with the Giants because of Ken Rosenthal's infamous report on the attitudes inside the clubhouse? Are we truly living in a Mouse Turds Era? Do you think anyone misheard "mouse turd" as "mustard"? Meanwhile, what's going on with the Giants' bullpen in general? We also answer your Twitter questions.

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Episode 60: 6/26/17 - Barry Bonds Stories

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 12:00:00 -0000

Sixty episodes! Who would've thought we'd make it this far? Neither Doug nor I did, mainly because I am one of the main components of the entire endeavor, and this week will remind you why I'm such a liability: deep into the 'cast there's ~political discussion~. You might say, "Hey dingus, stick to baseball!" and we are sticking to baseball as this particular political discussion relates directly to the Giants. Before all that, though, we talk about how Barry Bonds should be on the air to tell more stories, where it all went wrong for the Giants, what we as fans can do to stomach the rest of this season, and fathom what the Giants might do in 2017 and beyond to right the ship. There are no easy answers, of course, and so like the team, we try to keep it interesting. We also play a quick game and answer your Twitter questions.

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6/23/2017: Episode 59 - Draft & Farm Review with Roger

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 14:30:00 -0000

Doug is off this week so instead it's just me and Roger talking prospects, the current state of the farm system, the current state of the international development, and Austin Slater's swing. You can find our Minor Lines expert giving an in depth analysis of the Giants' top six picks in this year's draft and how it was both an atypical draft for the organization but also an exciting one. And what's the deal with the Giants' minor league system? Is it as much of a barren wasteland as it appears? And what are scouts around the league saying about the Giants? I'm an insecure fan and I need to know.

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6/13/2017: Episode 58 - Winning Isn't Everything (There's Also A Draft)

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:30:00 -0000

This is not, not, not, not an hour-long conversation about the beauty of Golden State Warriors basketball. Just wanted to get that out of the way right up front. There will be no references to Steph Curry's jumper or Klay Thompson's defense or Draymond Green's energy or Kevin Durant's completely dominant game or how they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers and won a championship *in the Bay Area* for the first time in something, like. 40 years. But at least my writing all this stuff made you think about all that instead of the Giants for any extra time than was necessary. Because, you know, the Giants are still a thing. We *do* talk about how being a casual to intense fanatic of baseball does offer you some refuge during a long losing season, better than the other sports, in that there are other things to look forward to and focus on as the year slogs on. In this week's case, there's the MLB Draft, which Doug and I know very little about, *but* it's exciting to talk about nonetheless. We also discuss the goals of any organization as it relates to winning and losing and keeping Hunter Strickland around. And, of course, we answer your sharp Twitter questions.

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6/5/2017: Episode 57 - Losing Builds Character

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 12:00:00 -0000

The Giants are, of course, famously bad and unlikely to get better soon. What does that mean for the Chroncast? We think the franchise’s descent into Rebuilding Mode will bring about some of our best work, actually. And this week is definitely proof of that concept. I go in on Hunter Strickland, Doug comes up with an idea to monetize the podcast that will net him a million dollars, we come up with some truly exquisite punishments for various Giants players for being so bad and/or selfish, and, as always, we answer your Twitter questions. Some additional warning: there are more swears than usual in this week’s episode, but no F words.

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5/22/2017: Episode 56 - Feud...?

Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00:00 -0000

We pack a lot into this week's hour and hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. First up, it turns out Buster Posey has beef with Brandon Belt. We get to the bottom of it without forgetting to stop to reflect on the Giants taking 2 out of 3 in St. Louis against Baseball's Greatest Team, the Cardinals. Always a pleasure to watch those wins. We also follow up on our trade proposal segment from a couple of episodes back: since the 2017 Giants are toast, how can they improve the team going forward? I nominated Joe Panik to be the player the Giants try to trade for prospects while Doug pitched Mark Melancon. Do you agree with our suggestions and/or rationale (probably not, and we're both definitely way wrong about what will actually happen, but it's fun to pose the question in this particular forum: an article on the site you're unlikely to read in the course of going to stream the latest Chroncast)? We also look ahead to this week's big series in Chicago, where the Giants will be helping the Cubs regain their mojo. But most importantly, we bring back our Game segment and this week we've got a really fun one with some terrific answers. And, of course, we answer your Twitter questions. Oh, and one last thing: during the part of the podcast where we talk about who might play Buster Posey and Brandon Belt in a season of FX's Feud, I completely forgot -- despite specifically making a note to mention it -- that Uproxx's Brian Grubb had already submitted the best idea for how to cast each season of Feud on FX and so I must mention here because after you read the Grubb article, I think you'll agree that he's got the right idea.

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5/18/2017: Episode 55 - Buster Posey Is Still Good

Thu, 18 May 2017 12:30:00 -0000

It should come as no surprise that the Buster Posey Death Watch has watched anything but the death of Buster Posey's baseball career. He's still pretty good! And he's hitting for more power than most Giants, which I think you'd agree are still struggling as a whole to hit for team power. We also look ahead at the Giants potentially bright future with their outfield. There are some interesting prospects down on the farm, so interesting, in fact, that following them might just be the best distraction from, you know... what's going on at the major league level. We also answer to excellent Twitter questions this week.

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5/8/2017: Episode 54 - Brandon Belt Is The Worst

Mon, 08 May 2017 15:30:00 -0000

There's no logical explanation for the Bay Area media's intense scrutiny of Giants' first baseman Brandon Belt when the entire organization is currently in the midst of its worst start ever and every single player not named Brandon Belt (or Buster Posey) is performing well below the caliber of a Major League Baseball player, so we decide to come up with additional irrational reasons to dislike the guy. #BeltBash is all the rage and we here at the McCovey Chroncast didn't want to miss out on the fun. And you won't want to miss out on the fun that comes from our *two* guests this week, both from the site -- skyblue17 (Joanne) and sami. (Sami Higgins)! They get in on the #BeltBash, too, but also talk about their Giants fandom and what attracted them to this wacky website in the first place. We also reflect on the career of Tim Lincecum, which really raised the question, "Is it better to burnout or fade away?" Also, last week was Willie Mays' birthday. We celebrate it in our own special way. And finally, as always, we answer your Twitter questions, but this week, we field the best #BeltBash from Twitter, too. Oh, and perhaps most importantly, we begin our proposals for rebuilding the Giants. You won't want to miss that discussion, unless you're steadfastily against the idea of the Giants tearing it all down, in which case, you'll still want to hate hear what we have to say about the Giants' new direction

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5/1/2017: Episode 53 - It's Gonna Be May

Mon, 01 May 2017 13:00:00 -0000

A 9-17 start is, as the kids say, a "suboptimal" start to the season, and there's no question that the team has a nearly impossible chance of making the postseason... so where does that leave our weekly podcast if there's nothing really to root for? Well, that's the thing -- there's still plenty to root for and plenty to talk about. What is there to root for, you may ask? Why, friendship and camaraderie. This Chroncast wouldn't have come into existence without the bonds formed on McCovey Chronicles during those post-2004 lean years. And Matt Cain being the only beacon of hope in terms of the Giants' next window of success begat such wonderful images as this (the Millenium Falcon racing away from an exploding Death Star -- courtesy of @SeanGothman), so, consider that the Giants being bad now could still be very, very good for you. We also rank the worst pitches to get hit by and give our theories as to why Brandon Belt of all playes gets all the blame for the Giants' current woes.

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4/24/2017: Episode 52 - It's Only April!

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 12:00:00 -0000

So, 2017 isn’t what you hoped it would be, but that’s okay. The Giants were never going to win every game and they were never built to be the best team in the league. Sure, they have been the worst team in the sport since last year’s All-Star Break, but they have a bunch of guys on the roster we and you really, really like. So, let’s still get together and talk about them. This week, we follow-up on Doug’s article which asked if “This is who the Giants are” — is the team really this bad? Is the franchise doomed? What did I have to do with a 6-13 start? Surely, I must’ve done something. And what about Gorkys Hernandez? Is he a major league baseball player? That seems like a question worth asking, given the circumstances. The Giants have to face off against a lot of major league teams over the next several months and it would be good for them to match those major league teams with major league hitters. But fielding a major league roster is sometimes difficult for major league baseball teams to do. We’ve seen the Giants struggle to field a competitive team before, only McCovey Chronicles didn’t have a podcast back then. Now it does, so come listen and enjoy the sarcasm. Oh, and Doug gives us some a AAA scouting report to fuel our hopes and dreams for how the farm might help the major league roster (although... yeah, don’t get your hopes up). We also answer your Twitter questions and play a couple of fun games, though I think you’ll admit that my answer for one of the games was Gorkys Hernandez-level bad.

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4/17/2017: Episode 51 - Don't Call for a Comeback

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 12:00:00 -0000

Sure, the Giants haven’t had a comeback win in the ninth inning since May of 2015, but as we approach the two-year anniversary of this bit of history, is there enough evidence on the current roster to explain or disprove just why it is that they’ve been so unlucky in this specific way? And how have the staples of the Giants’ lineup looked in the early going? More than a few of the hitters seem to get worse as the game goes on, and we try (in vain, to be sure) to diagnose just what it is that might be ailing them. Is Denard Span the best leadoff hitter? Does Chris Marrero have left field on lock?

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4/10/2017: Episode 50 - So Much for the Tolerant Left Field

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:30:00 -0000

We're back to talk about the Giants' first week of the season. Did blowing two saves in one game set them up for a historic run? Is there anything to the idea that the Giants' bullpen isn't hitting luck it's actually carrying over the same performances from last year because it's basically the same composition? We also look at the performances of each significant player from the past week and wind up honing in on left field, also known as a performance graveyard to start the season. Seriously, left field is so bad that the Giants started Aaron Hill out there. There are also some Twitter questions and the results from our first ever McCovey Chroncast poll: if you were a closer, what would your blown save style be?

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3/28/2017: Episode 49 - Who's the Best Manager in the National League?

Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:00:00 -0000

There are 13 rankable managers in the National League and by gawdness, we rank the everlovin' heck out of 'em. This comes just before the first pitch of the 2017 season and on the heels of the national baseball writers anointing Cool Joe Maddon as the greatest manager in the game. We think there's something wrong with that label and try to sort out just exactly where Joe and the other NL managers fall on that list of 13. But then, and perhaps most importantly, we mourn the loss of Buster Posey's peak performance. He just turned 30, you see, the age at which most baseball players begin to enter the "decline phase" of their careers. But catchers have a steeper slope on that phase and we can't expect Buster Posey to be an exception to that. Was 2016 a harbinger of 2017 results or is the unstoppable stampede of time just taking a minor detour on its way to dragging the beauty of Buster Posey's peak away from our collective consciousnessness? Oh, and we also answer your Twitter questions.

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3/22/2017 - Episode 48: NL West Preview, Part 2

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:30:00 -0000

It's difficult to look at the San Diego Padres and think "now there's an exciting baseball team!", but it's a lot easier to look at the FOX-TV show Pitch and think "now there's an exciting TV show about baseball!". We used that reasoning this week to close out the NL West preview as writer Jason Holtham of the aforementioned FOX-TV show Pitch joins us to discuss the fictional Padres, a far more entertaining subject. If you haven't watched Pitch yet, the entire first season (just 10 episodes!) is available to stream on Hulu. It's fun and interesting and has for a backdrop a recognizable world of Major League Baseball. They even managed to characterize the fictional Giants in ways that are familiar. That said, listen to Jason's story about when the TV show shot at AT&T Park... We also talk to Adam Peterson of Purple Row about those Colorado Rockies. It turns out, while the Giants have been focusing their attention on the Dodgers, the Rockies have been stockpiling pitchers. Will this obnoxious team annoy the Giants even more this season? Probably. But will that annoyance propel them into a playoff race? And, of course, we answer your Twitter questions. They were a bit more existenstial than usual, and that's okay.

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3/15/2017: Episode 47 - NL West Preview, Part 1

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 23:30:00 -0000

This week’s show begins our preview of the rest of the NL West, starting with the loathsome Dodgers and followed by the gritty Diamondbacks. We invited a couple of guests to help us out with those previews and we think that makes them far more entertaining than you, a single-minded Giants-only fan, could ever possibly imagine. Eric Stephen of True Blue LA helps us understand just how it is that the Dodgers seem to have a Springfield-esque roster of obnoxious characters (obnoxious, of course, from the Giants’ fan perspective) and how their incredible roster just might manifest this year and where we can expect a couple more surprises – because, really, what a team that’s projected to win 99 games needs is even more talented surprises. And then we bring back Mike Ferrin of SiriuxXM and the pre and post-game show host for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Is Paul Goldschmidt as amazing as Tim Lincecum thinks he is? What did the Mariners get wrong about Taijuan Walker and how is the superior scouting of the Diamondbacks about to cause a world of hurt for the National League. We also answer some Twitter questions which I think you’ll agree were extraordinary this week.

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3/8/2017: Episode 46 - Season 2 Premiere with kdl and... Optimism!

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 22:30:00 -0000

We’re back! And it’s — wait, what? Spring Training has been going on for a couple of weeks already? We’re still shaking off the podcasting rust, but we do manage to talk about some key items of Giants baseballery, including reasons to be optimistic this season. It’s a striking departure from the usual back and forth and we’re cautiously optimistic it will be a new trait of ours going forward. But the meaty goodness of the season’s first show is a how-to guide by our own kdl for getting to experience the entire Giants organization at Spring Training through the minor league camps. It’s literally the knitty-gritty... where to go, how to get there, what to do once you get there... even the best place to sit and when to grab a seat. So, if you’ve ever wanted to know how to best experience Spring Training as an absolute baseball junky, then you’ll want to listen to all of kdl’s gems. We also answer some of your Twitter questions and make jokes.

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11/19/2016: Episode 45 - Season Finale with Grant Brisbee

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:30:00 -0000

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that the Chroncast is at it again, but just one last time in 2016. That's right, after this week's episode, you won't have me or Doug to kick around anymore! Joining us this week for an appropriate send-off is Baseball's Grant Brisbee. What's the best course of action for the Giants to take heading into 2017? Do the recent Gold Glove awards make a whole lot of sense? What does it mean that the pitching is good? Who were the top 2 homegrown Giants by OPS last season (without looking it up!). Beyond that, we answer one last round of your always excellent Twitter questions and decide, once and for all, what band reminds Joe Maddon reminds us of the most. Doug and I thank you for listening to and supporting us all season long. We'd also like to thank all of our wonderful guests, from Grant Brisbee to Grant Brisbee, and all the Grant Brisbees in between. Actually -- seriously -- thank you to Jen Mac Ramos, Roger Munter, Wendy Thurm, Reuben Poling, Carmen Kiew, Bryan Srabian, Mike Ferrin, my buddy Joe, Jason Wojciechowski, Dan Szymborski, Goofus, thirteenthirteen, jponry, and kdl for taking time out of your busy schedules to help make this thing a real thing. We'll be back next season

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11/9/2016: Chroncast Special: Odd Year Success?

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 22:00:00 -0000

The Giants' farm system has experienced a dramatic shift in quality over the past few years: they can grow position players now! That's cause for excitement, because in the coming years, the offense is going to need a boost from somewhere given how no free agent bat wants to sign with San Francisco. Is Christian Arroyo worth all your hopes and dreams now? One thing's for certain: the Giants' bullpen isn't going to get a whole lot of help from the farm. But there's still plenty of intrigue on the horizon.

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10/24/2016: Episode 44 - Wendy Thurm & The Offseason

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 14:30:00 -0000

Wendy Thurm returns on the penultimate episode of the season to talk about what lies ahead for our favorite baseball team. But we also talk about what exactly went wrong this year and why 2016's weaknesses won't necessarily cause the 2017 season to start from behind. Will new base coaches make a huge difference? Does the "final year" of Johnny Cueto's deal mean the Giants will treat the offseason like a last hurrah? Does the tarnished postseason legacy of Madison Bumgarner portend to, well, anything? We also answer your fantastic Twitter questions.

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10/13/2016: Episode 43 - Game 5 NLDS Preview

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 17:30:00 -0000

KNBR and the Internet's Carmen Kiew brings her mega Giants fandom to this week's Chroncast to help Bryan and Doug breakdown the Giants-Cubs series and the season that was as well as look at what's next for San Francisco and everyone else still in the playoffs. We also try to figure out the biggest d-bags remaining in the playoff field. Is Bryce Harper the #1 seed? Jake Arrieta?

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10/3/2016: Episode 42 - The Gordon Beckham Era Begins

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 14:00:00 -0000

Despite a calamitous second half filled with failure and frustration, the Giants find themselves as the National League's second Wild Card. Recently, on this very podcast and on this very website, it's been said that this is the most dislikable Giants team in recent memory strictly because of their performance. Well now it's playoff time so we're all changing our tune, right? The Giants are good, the Giants are great, we surrender our will as of this date. Doug and I talk abut the wild week that brought them to this point. There was a t-shirt, a surprise trade, some wrestling moves, and Ty Blach. None of those things seemingly go together and yet here we are, again, talking about the Giants in the playoffs. Sure, it's just a one game playoff where anything can happen, and the Giants and Mets have typically experienced some wackiness whenever they've matched up, but whereas Bryan is willing to use past events to predict Wednesday's outcome, Doug things there are many key factors that give the Giants the advantage. And then there's that whole thing about the Giants getting payback -- FINALLY -- for the Bobby J. Jones game back in 2000. In the meantime, we answer your Twitter questions and try to determine if Doug's prediction that the 2016 Giants would win mid-80s number of games means that he nailed his prediction or simply was the closest between the two of us without going over (recall that I had predicted a 57-win Giants team for 2016). We put it as a poll question below. The Giants won 87 games this year: do you consider 87 to be "mid-80s"? Finally, what do you think about the Chroncast? Should we do it again next year? Leave your vote or comments down below.

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9/26/2016: Episode 41 - Tough Times

Sun, 25 Sep 2016 14:00:00 -0000

You'll read many elegant tributes and tearful remembrances of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime, Doug and I dedicate the opening of our show to exchanges our favorite memories of him and discussing his impact on the baseball world and what his loss serves to remind us of -- because death doesn't have to be the end of memories and those memories that remain should inspire us to take stock of our own lives, what we have, and what we might leave behind. And then there's the whole matter of the dumb stupid Giants and their dumb stupid ways. What's wrong with them, you ask? Literally nobody knows, and for once, we have the same amount of information about the players as the front office does. What does 2016's historic collapse mean for the 2017 team and beyond? Can the Giants rally around the label of ending this year as the worst team in baseball when starting up again next year? Or is it all a hopeless cause and you, me, and everyone in between should focus on other pursuits like reading or watching TV or... whatever else it is that people do when they're not watching baseball...? How does the Giants' window of success compare to a long-running TV show? There are a surprising number of similarities between the San Francisco Giants and, say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or House. We also answer your Twitter questions.

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9/13/2016: Episode 40 - Sweep / Stakes

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 14:00:00 -0000

The Giants get their first sweep of the second half and they finally have a memorable game in September that harkens back to successful seasons of yore. Do the next few weeks promise more of this sweeptastic Giants team or something more akin to the majority of the second half? Meanwhile, Santiago Casilla's 8th blown save on Friday night means he's blown as many saves in a season for the Giants since Armando Benitez. But Casilla's frequent failures feel a lot less his fault and a lot more his manager sextupling down on one of his players just to prove to the clubhouse that he'll back his guys through thick and thin. Has Bochy really learned his lesson, or will Javier Lopez keep getting chances to walk the one guy he'll face in a series? We also answer your really good Twitter questions, explaining why Yoenis Cespedes will never be a Giant and why STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE is a slow movie. You might already know the answer to the Cespedes bit, but there's a good chance you'll learn something new about the Star Trek fact. Wait. What's that? You've already tuned out? Fair enough.

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9/8/2016: Episode 39 - To Boldly Go Down in the Standings

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 14:00:00 -0000

You're probably wondering if we have any insights into the Giants' second half of doom, but the whole point of fandom, and in particular fan analysis (or fanalysis), is that there isn't any insight to be had, only educated guesses based on intense observation. To that end, we're looking at the Giants' collapse simply for what it is: losing. Lots and lots of losing. Does it matter why they're losing? Does coming to some sort of understanding about the nature of their consistent loser performance help us come to an understand of what might be in store for them (and by extension, us)? No. The Giants are bad because they're losing. They're losing because they're not playing well. They're not playing well because the Giants are bad. That's all there is to it at this point. At least, that's how it seems to me. Doug's perspective is a little bit different... But not much different. The one thing we totally agree on is the cultural impact and significance of Star Trek and we try to compare 50 years of the show's history to 50 years of Giants history. Which Giant in Giants history is the most like Captain Kirk? Which Giants stadium is the Enterprise? We also answer your Twitter questions and suggest new ways to watch Giants games. It's a fun, loose chat that will soothe the latest walk-off monster in Colorado. Really!

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9/1/2016: Episode 38 - Wendy Thurm Returns

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 21:30:00 -0000

Doug's off this week, so it's Reuben who gets the start. It's our privilege to chat with Wendy Thurm from Sporting News. We cover the week that was -- the Giants nearly no-hit the Dodgers! -- and the week to come -- the Cubs might be so good that their goodness might very well be their undoing! -- and we answer some Twitter questions and consider the state of baseball writing in general. What's worse than being Butt-Ass? Wendy has the perfect answer that you absolutely must hear.

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8/23/2016: Episode 37 - Still In First Place! (Wild Card Edition)

Tue, 23 Aug 2016 14:30:00 -0000

It's easy to lose perspective in the middle of a tailspin, but if you close your eyes and keep 'em shut real tight and tell yourself over and over again that the Giants are still in first place of the wild card, then you're sure to pull out of the spin. Okay, so maybe we don't know a whole lot about piloting aircraft and perhaps our advice was the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do in those situations, but what we do know lots about is Giants baseball. Although, maybe that's not true, either. You'll have to decide for yourself after I tell Doug why I was *this* close to writing an article just before the season began about how the Giants might not be very good this year. What's absolutely true is that the Giants are set to begin their BIGGEST SERIES OF THE SEASON against the LA Dodgers. In the midst of a 11-23 tailspin, it's important to maintain perspective: the Giants are a game behind their blood rivals and they haven't really shown up in the second half. Or have they? What better way to find out than when they put up their best against the Dodgers' best? We also answer your Twitter questions and play a really quick game. We also try to figure out why there's a seafaring vessel in the Giants clubhouse. Oh, does that last part sound confusing? Well, you'll just have to listen to the show to find out what we mean.

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8/15/2016: Episode 36 - Still In First Place!

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 15:00:00 -0000

The second half of the 2016 season hasn't been kind to our favorite baseballing squadron and there's no guarantee that their bad luck and bad play will "balance out" before the season ends. And yet, they're still in first place. Playoff hopes spring eternal. We look at what's gone right and wrong over this stretch that's seen the Giants lose a league-leading 18 out of 27 games and from that mess what might actually be a portent of good things to come. Meanwhile, the Giants unveiled a statue for Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry and that compelled us to consider the next *two* statues the organization should commission. Who's deserving of statuesque immortality at China Basin and what famous pose from their playing days should it feature? We also answer your Twitter questions.

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8/2/2016: Episode 35 - Duffless

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 17:30:00 -0000

The Giants go another week without losing the lead in the division despite their Second Half Stumble. That's the good news. Well, there's other good news, but first the really bad news. The Giants made trades. Lots of trades. And it cost them a lot in terms of players. Quantity and quality. And Matt Duffy, a shining beacon of scrappy hope, the hot corner of a homegrown infield. But alas... that is no more. And our hopes and dreams have been dashed. Our minor league guru, Roger Munter, joins us to talk about what the Giants gave up in their trades for Eduardo Nunez, Will Smith, and Matt Moore, and why industry valuations of certain players may have differed so much from the outsider perspective (you know -- us). And there was certainly a method to the Giants madness, but that doesn't mean we can't be mad about who the Giants gave up to get in return. We also look back at the week that was (the Giants made history!) and answer your Twitter questions.

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7/25/2016: Episode 34 - The Butt-A** Giants

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 16:30:00 -0000

The Giants have their worst week of the season, a 1-7 run following the All-Star Game. But they're still in first place! They still have one of the best records in baseball! There's still awhole lot of talent on the team and time to turn it around! But it's also one of those things where the Giants have hit a bad stretch and you have to wonder if that run will stretch on for far too long. Will they be able to pull out of it before they fall behind in the standings? What do the Giants need as the trade deadline nears? And, we talk about the Chicago White Sox, who've made a lot of news this season for some big off the field reasons. But Doug and I wonder: have the White Sox players had a point this whole time? Are we wrong to laugh at them? We also answer your very strong bunch of Twitter questions.

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7/15/2016: Episode 33 - ALL-STAR CHRONCAST

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 19:30:00 -0000

The Giants were well-represented at this week's All-Star Game in San Diego, even though they were directly responsible for the National League's annihilation. We thought we'd recapture that same magic/trainwreck by making this week's show a group chat featuring some of the longest-tenured McCoven on the site. Learn how we all stumbled upon McCovey Chronicles! Learn what we think about some of the players and what some of the players think about us! Who has the closest relationship with Brandon Belt? How many of our guests have blocked or muted Bryan on Twitter? We also answered a previous week's Twitter question that got everybody reminiscing about some truly terrible Giants teams. It's a free-flowing conversation that somehow manages to never overstay its welcome. And there's a special guest McCoven who drops by to deliver a message you have to see to believe.

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7/11/16: Episode 32 - Simply the Best

Mon, 11 Jul 2016 14:30:00 -0000

The Giants have the best record in baseball at the All-Star break and we're all very happy about that. Brandon Belt won vote for the final spot on the National League All-Star roster and we're all even happier about that. RIGHT? You had better be, because why not? Brandon Belt has come a long way. So, that just leaves the only real unpleasantness of the entire week: Brandon Crawford's omission. It's a glaring one when you consider that he's the best shortstop in the National League and if not the best in all of baseball, then tied for the best. This is the perfect topic for we greedy Giants fans to gripe about, and this week's special guest co-host, Reuben Poling, does not disappoint. Why not have Brandon Crawford on the All-Star team? Why not have Madison Bumgarner in the Home Run Derby? We also try to figure out the official name of the colors for the Arizona Diamdondbacks' various uniforms before answering your very specific Twitter questions. Also, there's a second f-bomb in here that I could not find so, surprise!

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7/6/2016: Episode 31 - For Whom the Belt Tolls

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:30:00 -0000

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to complain about the All-Star Game selections, but after three world championships and an All-Giants 2012 All-Star Game, we could be forgiven for scrutinizing the glaring omissions of Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt from the festivities in San Diego. What gives with players around the league preferring Corey Seager to Brandon Crawford? He's won two world championships, a Gold Glove, and was an All-Star last year! And while Brandon Belt gets an opportunity to join the roster via the fan's Final Vote, he's competing against rookie Trevor Story, whose uneventful and practically celebrated inclusion on the list smacks of hypocrisy when you consider the backlash created by Yasiel Puig's placement on the same list midway through his rookie year in 2013. All that to say, poor Brandon Belt. But also, poor Giants bullpen. It's terrible, and it makes us not want to talk about the Giants very much. But we do anyway. FOR YOU. We also interview JEFF SAMARDZIJA and ask him how he feels about is first few months as a Giant. Did we really get Jeff Samardzija as a guest on our show? You'll just have to listen and find out (no, no we didn't. It's definitely not the real Jeff Samardzija; it is a vague parody of Jeff Samardzija). We also answer your Twitter questions and Bryan announces that The McCovey Chroncast now has an official Twitter account: @McChroncast. Follow us! We're also accepting submissions for our official avatar and banner. Think you've got a great idea? Tweet it at us or put it in the comments below.

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6/27/2016: Episode 30 - Madison Bumgarner Is The Worst

Mon, 27 Jun 2016 13:00:00 -0000

Wow, can you believe it? Thirty Chroncasts already. Where does the time go? Well, this week, it goes to discussing the Giants' unlucky ace, Madison Bumgarner, whose two pitching losses equaled the Giants only two losses. But we also talk about how his dynamic presence at the plate as a hitter means his presence at this year's MLB Home Run Derby is *essential*. What are the Giants needs as the trade deadline approaches? Who are our players of the week and what was the best game of the past week? In addition to answering your sharp Twitter questions (i.e. "What happens when some of these injured Giants come back? Who stays? Who goes?"), we also discuss how easy it is to tank a major league franchise, and, Bryan introduces Doug to his name for the Giants' dark persona -- their Mr. Hyde, if you will.

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Episode 29.5 - Dissecting the 2016 Draft

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 12:00:00 -0000

Minor Lines author Roger joins us to break down the Giants' 2016 draft, especially their #1 pick, switch-hitting outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Was there an organizational philosophy at play with most of these picks, or was it simply "best available player"? Also, what kind of pitching depth might the new draftees provide? We also take a look at some of the burgeoning stars currently in the Giants' system, especially Phil Bickford and Aldalberto Mejia. Might these be names stitched to the back of a Giants uniform in the very near future? Bryan and Doug certainly don't know the answers, and Roger does his best to tamp down their ridiculous prognostications and hopes (mainly Bryan's), but it's an informative hour that winds its way through all the really important notes about the Giants and the farm system. We also answer some draft-related Twitter questions. Definitely check it out.

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6/20/2016: Episode 29 - Let Us Speak of this 8-Game Win Streak

Mon, 20 Jun 2016 16:30:00 -0000

We're back after a brief hiatus, and wouldn't you know it, the Giants are doing quite well for themselves. What June Swoon? We go over all the games, celebrate the the short life of Splash 69 and discuss this awful t-shirt worn by Doug (you can't see it on the syndication stream -- you'll have to go to McCovey Chronicles.com to witness it). We also answer your Twitter questions and, surprisingly, talk about the aftermath of game 7 of the NBA Finals. It's the scattered, frantic conversation style you've come to expect from the McCovey Chroncast!

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6/6/2016: Episode 28 - June Swoon

Mon, 06 Jun 2016 19:00:00 -0000

You don't really believe that as soon as the Giants enter the month of June they become a collection of moronic, untalented, reprehensible baseball players in name only, do you? Well, if you did, you'd have ample evidence to back up your feelings. Over the past several years, the Giants have been... suboptimal in the month of June. June 2016 has been no exception, and we're only 5 games deep! Does Samardzija's 4-homer game mean we're doomed? Does Jake Peavy mean we're doomed? Does the bullpen mean we're doomed? And what about Matt Duffy? What's going on in his head? We ponder these important and somewhat existential questions as well as your Twitter questions in a light and humorous manner, perfect for any long trip or simple yet lengthy office task. Also, this week's Chroncast is a bit longer than usual, so you can listen to half today and half on the second off day this week. Or listen to it twice! You won't believe the words coming out of our mouths sometimes. Doug decrees that Cardinals fans are the best people on the planet! Bryan questions the Giants' ability to win!

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5/31/16: Episode 27 - Everyone But Duffy

Tue, 31 May 2016 20:30:00 -0000

The Giants had another winning week against the Rockies and the Padres. Grant Brisbee descends from Mt. Bloglympus to talk about everything working and everything that isn't -- namely, Matt Duffy and Javier Lopez. There's also some consideration as to which historical Giant is a home brewer.

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5/23/16: Episode 26 - Aces Every Day (Except That One Guy)

Mon, 23 May 2016 20:30:00 -0000

After a 5-1 week, the Giants have now won 9 out of their last 10 games, including a Sunday Night Baseball game. We talk about the dominant stretch by the top three starters and the sudden -- and welcome -- emergence/return to form of Matt Cain as a viable major league baseball player. Is Matt Cain back? And more importantly, does Matt Cain's potential "he's back-ness" mean that trading for rotation help is no longer a priority? Is there a move the Giants might make that would make them regret it a la the Orioles trading away Jake Arrieta? We also answer your Twitter questions, not all of which are baseball-related this week. Hear our thoughts on men's fashion and what constitutes the best party we've ever attended. You'll notice that we're trying out a new intro bumper. It's formal, cleaner, and pleasant to the ear before our voices (mainly Bryan's) assaults your senses.

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5/16/2016: Episode 25 - Winning Streak!

Mon, 16 May 2016 13:30:00 -0000

The Giants avenge getting swept at home by the Diamondbacks in a 4-game series last month by sweeping the Diamondbacks in Arizona this past week, led by a dominant turn through the Giants' 40%-beleaguered rotation. Does Matt Cain's recent success mean he's back? Did Jake Peavy not bursting into flames in either of his past two starts mean he's become slightly less flammable going forward? Are either of these questions as relevant as the still-questionable performance of the large bullpen? We attempt to answer all these questions as best we can and then I sort of spin us off into a tangent about Jose Bautists, Rougned Odor, and A.J. Pierzynski getting punched in the face. We also answer some of your Twitter questions.

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5/10/2016: Episode 24 - Shark Attack!

Tue, 10 May 2016 20:30:00 -0000

The Giants won 4 and lost 4, and the way they lost those 4 were bad enough to make you forget about those 4 wins. But that's why we're here: to remind you of the good times. Want more good times? We talk about Willie Mays! He's great. He's nothing but a basket of good memories. Less great but worth discussing is the possible return of Tim Lincecum. Remember him? We also answer your Twitter questions and wonder if the Giants should make a trade long before the deadline just to beef up that backend of the rotation. And in this week's game, we play a little Civil War. Whose side are you on? Angel Pagan or the disabled list's? Jake Peavy or Matt Cain's?

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5/2/2016: Episode 23 - Peavy & Cain Bring The Pain

Mon, 02 May 2016 13:30:00 -0000

The Giants end a 4-2 week on a high note by snapping the Mets' winning streak, but there are definitely some questions about the back of the rotation and the bullpen. Maybe the organization doesn't want to focus on that too much, but the near-traumatic impact of a Jake Peavy or Matt Cain start makes it difficult for us here at the ol' Chroncast to focus on anything else about the team. Just how long a leash do you think the team should give these two going forward? But we do manage to focus a lot of our attention on the truly great elements on the roster: Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Madison Bumgarner, and Matt Duffy. And we spend some time kicking ourselves for not talking up Santiago Casilla enough over the years. We also answer your Twitter questions. Did you know the Chroncast is now available on Stitcher? We're also available on iTunes and directly through our RSS feed. Like, rate, comment, and share! As always, you can listen on this page through the player below.

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4/18/2016: Episode 22 - The Giants Stunk

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:30:00 -0000

The second week of the season didn't hit the highs of week one but man oh man did the Giants get hit hard in week two. But there are some things worth talking about, like... Jeff Samardzija! And Johnny Cueto! And... and, um... uh... Derek Law! And very little else. EXCEPT, joining us this week for an overview of the Giants' minor league system is our own Roger. You know him from Minor Lines right here on this very site! We try to pick some players of the week, the best and worst games of the week, answer your Twitter questions and play a game where we pretend the Sunday Night Baseball version of the Giants is MLB's 31st team and proceed to review that organization top to bottom. Its strengths, its weaknesses, its weaknesses... and its weaknesses. Because man oh man do the Giants really, really, truly, genuinely suck on Sunday Night Baseball.

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4/11/2016: Episode 21 - Season Premiere

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 15:00:00 -0000

It's the regular season now, and that means I am going to start looking really, really stupid as all my really, really stupid predictions start to be really, really disproven. Doug and I look back on a 5-2 week that featured two near-sweeps and an historically great Giants-Dodgers game. Like, an all-timer. And it was nearly a top-10 Caining. We also examine Brandon Belt's contract extension (and deftly avoid making Belt-related jokes at Pablo Sandoval's expense), pick our player of the week (and an honorable mention), and focus on Matt Duffy a little bit more than you'd expect given everything else that happened in week 1 of the regular season. But the big news is that I talk positively about the Giants for five solid minutes. You won't believe your ears. All in all, a pretty amazing week of Giants baseball and a near-best case scenario to start off the 2016 season.

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Episode 20.5 - Predicting the Season

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:00:00 -0000

Last week's excellent Chroncast with Bryan Srabian went so well that it was over two hours! So, I cut this section in hopes of saving it for a day like today. Listen to us go through the Giants' schedule week by week and guess their W-L record. It's April Fool's Day, so it's up to you, dear listener, to figure out if Doug's sensible measure of the Giants' Spring Training results and Bryan's illogical assessment of the Giants' chances for the season are genuine or simply playing to the crowd. Oh! And because we don't know anyone associated with the Padres or the few Padres blogs in existence, Doug and I hastily do a "Know Your Foe" about this year's San Diego squadron. The Chroncast will return with a new episode on April 11th, and we'll shift to looking back at the week that was.

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3/25/2016: Episode 20 - Season Finale with Bryan Srabian!

Fri, 25 Mar 2016 21:00:00 -0000

Doug is back! I give him an overview of everything he's missed, Giants-wise, over the past three weeks. And then we try to figure out exactly what the Giants' Spring Training *means* for the upcoming season and if it's time to start panicking. Sure, they're just Spring Training numbers... but what if they're not? In this week's "Know Your Foe" segment, we talk to Eric Stephen of SB Nation's Dodgers blog, True Blue LA, to get a better sense of the Giants' primary NL West foe. And then we spend a good chunk of time talking to the Giants' own Vice President of Brand Development and Digital Media, Bryan Srabian! He's kind enough to stop by and talk about what he does every day as well as the Giants' approach to social media. We'll be going dark for a couple of weeks, so this is our last Twitter Q&A and the game of the week. When we return, we'll be shifting the format to review the regular seasons games of the week.

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3/18/2016: Episode 19 - Grant Brisbee Returns!

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 16:00:00 -0000

Grant Brisbee takes a moment out of his busy schedule to talk about the present state of the Giants. Sure, it's Spring Training, and only just last week did Bryan talk about how much he "doesn't care" about Spring Training results, but the Giants haven't really lit the world on fire and neither of their huge offseason investments have yet to show much of anything positive... so is it time too care? And, we decide to steer this podcast ship right into baseball's latest controversy: kids in the clubhouse! What's the deal with almost-Giant Adam LaRoche? And do those Giants who side against LaRoche in this instance really have a leg to stand on? We also answer a Twitter question or two and for this week's game we steer into another controversy: the present vacancy on the Supreme Court? Which Giant do we think could capably fill the position? It's a quick, fun 'cast that'll pump you up for the weekend. Maybe. At the very least, Grant's smooth podcast voice will give you funny feelings. Finally, a heads up: we're experimenting with limited ads through our hosting platform, BlogTalkRadio.

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Episode 18.5 - Special Features

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 16:00:00 -0000

If you're looking for an escape from the Madison Bumgarner injury news, then you've come to the right place. Reuben and I had so much content from last week's episode that we needed to split it in two. There's a lot of #synergy with upcoming pop culture releases, too. We try to put together All-Star teams managed by Batman and Superman as well as play a Game of Thrones-related game where we decide which Giants are best-suited for the Kingsguard. Unrelated, but related: isn't it absurd how grown-ass men where baseball uniforms? Like, really old men, even? And, if you like what you're hearing, rate and review us on iTunes!

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3/11/16: Episode 18 - Mike Ferrin

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 18:30:00 -0000

This week's co-host is our own Reuben Poling. He and Bryan talk about Spring Training, Sergio Romo developing a beef with Bryce Harper, and bring in special guest Mike Ferrin from MLB Network Radio and the Arizona Diamondbacks to discuss the Arizona Diamondbacks. How will Paul Goldschmidt devastate the Giants this season? Download and listen.

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3/4/2016: Episode 17 - "The Squire of Gothos"

Sat, 05 Mar 2016 04:00:00 -0000

Jen Mac Ramos fills in for Doug as we look back at the totally forgettable and somewhat regrettable 2006 Giants team. It's that team's 10-year anniversary, you know. And who wouldn't want to celebrate the 60 games of Shea Hillenbrand, Steve Finley's last full season, and Armando Benitez? Oh, you wouldn't? Well... that's okay! There's a new segment called "Know Your Foe", where we breakdown the NL West opponents before the start of the season. This week it's the Colorado Rockies. What's up with Dinger? How will they defeat the Giants? Will raising the outfield walls at Coors Field do any good? And then we answer your Twitter questions and try to figure out the pathology of the Hank the Dog conspiracy before playing a quick 90s sitcom game.

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2/26/16: Episode 16 - Jason Wojciechowski

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:00:00 -0000

Baseball Prospectus editor and ESPN Sweet Spot network writer... and... YOOOGE A's fan Jason Wojciechowski (@jlwoj) Skypes in to talk about the joy and pain of statistical projections, the fun parts of baseball even when the odds are against your favorite squadron, the possibility of a better labor deal, and the edibility of stadium sushi. Now, the official position of The Chroncast is that there's nothing wrong with someone being an A's fan. All points of view are welcome here. Doug does give Jason the radio equivalent of stink eye and Jason does gets out some of his angst regarding a last place team by taking some potshots at our favorite team, but in the end we all have a good time. We also answer your Twitter questions and play a new game: SCOTUS / POTUS, wherein we nominate Giants for either SCOTUS or POTUS.

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2/19/2016: Episode 15 - Carmen Kiew!

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:00:00 -0000

You know Carmen Kiew from her many .gifs and "The Social Media Minute" on KNBR and now from this week's McCovey Chroncast. Among the many topics covered: Spring Training and the many golf carts in Arizona, last weekend's Fan Fest, Madison Bumgarner's contract, Brandon Belt's friendship with Carmen, Willie Mays and mortality, and Kurt Manwaring for some reason. Trust me: it will all makes sense when you listen. We also try to guess the names of Bumgarner's horses, answer your Twitter questions, and play a new game that ties the Giants to the Grammy Awards. There is singing. And, yes, you can hear this all without an echo.

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2/12/2016 - Episode 14: Jen Mac Ramos

Sat, 13 Feb 2016 02:30:00 -0000

DISCLAIMER: I (Bryan) really, really blew it with our record this week. I didn't use headphones meaning the computer mic captured the audio from the speakers, which in this case the sounds were the wonderful voices of our own groug and our own Jen Mac Ramos. An attempt was made to repair the audio but, alas, I wasn't able to improve it very much. No excuses: I suck. Truly sorry about this, but if you can get through it, you'll hear some good stuff in this one. Also, there's a tangent on Mike Broadway. Really, REALLY sorry about that, too. * * * One of McCovey Chronicles' own, Jen Mac Ramos, joins us on the Chroncast to talk about prospects, Brandon Belt, the San Diego Padres, and Batman vs. Superman (which comes up in this week's game Belt / Barry / Thrill). Come for Jen and Doug, consider leaving because of the echo, but stay for the Tyler Walker reference.

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2/5/2016: Episode 13 - Dan Szymborski

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:00:00 -0000

Is Hunter Pence going to leave the Giants to become a professional gamer? What is Hearthstone and is it contagious? Dan Szymborski answers the important questions for us. This week's Chroncast chronicles everything from baseball to trolling to Skynet to Bill Murray-led heists and to Star Trek. Perhaps a smidge too much about Star Trek, in fact, as we play a game where we try to figure out which Star Trek crew fits a particular Giant best and what role that player might have on that particular ship. But only you, fair listener, can be the judge of that. Dan manages to troll Bryan, affirm Matt Duffy, denigrate the Giants for daring to wear orange & black, and pitch a revolutionary method for resuscitating old TV shows that have long since left syndication. There's also a heady discussion of mortality that might be a great conversation starter here, even: "Who was the first great baseball player younger than you to make you realize your own mortality?"

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1/29/2016: Episode 12 - "Beyond the Sea"

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:00:00 -0000

This week's Chroncast deals with a very sensitive subject: the designated hitter. Many points are made by me, but none of them are coherent. Meanwhile, Doug and our guest this week -- my buddy Joe -- both pitch their cases as to why it should never sully the National League and makes sense for the National League, respectively. There's also a general discussion of the collective bargaining negotiations that will take place over the course of 2016 and what concessions either side might make to continue to keep minor leaguers away from the bargaining table and money flowing into the pockets of the establishment. We also answer some of your Twitter questions, spend 137 seconds discussing fantasy baseball, and play an X-Files themed game.

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1/22/2016: Episode 11 - Wendy Thurm

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 16:00:00 -0000

The Internet's own Wendy Thurm stops by and talks Giants, but also the Mets, Minions, and your Twitter questions. We also play a new game, "State of the Union", and get an update on our old AAV game. This episode is also now our longest episode. There was some consideration about breaking it into two parts, but I opted not to do that because I'm a big believer in integrity. No DH in the NL, and no separating podcasts into two parts artificially. You could always stop it after a time and then come back to it later. No one's saying you can't do that. The first 45 minutes and the second 45 minutes are equally enjoyable.

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1/15/2016: Episode 10 - Grant Brisbee

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 16:30:00 -0000

It's finally happened: Grant has come down to the basement to check on us to make sure we haven't flooded the place or otherwise embarrassed the family. It's our longest chroncast and also our most ambitious. Or should we say... Grantbitious? No, no, definitely just ambitious. Forget I ever said Grantbitious. This week's game is called Oscar Names. Someone throws out a Giants player, the other two have to come up with the name of that player's Oscar-nominated film and the category. Will Doug or Grant be able to top Bryan's example Oscar Name: Bruce Bochy for Best Actor in the drama, Aneurysm? Probably. But just to be sure, you should listen. Also, we answer some of your Twitter questions.

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1/8/2016: Episode 9 - "The Hobo Code"

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 22:30:00 -0000

Episode 9 of the McCovey Chroncast drops with a discussion of the newest Giant, Denard Span, but also a frank and explicit examination of Angel Pagan and his dreaminess effectiveness. Will two injury-plagued outfielders add up to one stellar outfield? Or will the Giants going all in on high risk/high reward free agents betray them like a hanging breaking ball? Also, with the Hall of Fame in the news, we decline to discuss the obvious, well-trodden subjects and instead focus on the zero-vote guys who are still worthy of a conversation. We answer some Twitter questions, too. If you don't want to sign up for Twitter to ask us questions for the next Chroncast, *leave them in the comments below*! And since 2016 is still fresh, we take a look at possible New Year's Resolutions for certain Giants. As always, your feedback is encouraged in the comments below.

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12/25/2015: Episode 8 - "Confidence Man"

Fri, 25 Dec 2015 16:30:00 -0000

Merry Christmas! There's no chance you're reading this right now, but if you're not celebrating the holiday or just wanting to listen to something while making pie or taking a walk after eating pie or just got some new earphones and want to test them out, then you should consider giving the latest McCovey Chroncast a listen! This week, I share my mixed emotions over the departure of Ryan Vogelsong, Doug comes up with the perfect Christmas present to give to Sergio Romo, and we answer your Twitter questions in no particular order.

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12/18/2015: Episode 7 - "The Force Awakens"

Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:30:00 -0000

EPISODE VII - The Force Awakens Johnny Cueto has joined the Giants. With the approval of Giants' ownership, recently installed GM Bobby Evans has coordinated a strong offseason plan to bolster the Giants' most glaring weakness: its pitching. After agreeing to a 6-year deal, Cueto joins Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija, making the Giants competitors again in the NL West. The moves have excited Doug and scared Bryan. Now that the Giants are favored, does it mean they are doomed to fail? Also on the Chroncast, Bryan and Doug try to match Giants players with an appropriate Star Wars character. . . .

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12/11/2015: Episode 6 - "Our Mrs. Reynolds"

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 16:00:00 -0000

Why won't the top free agents take the Giants' money? Does Buster Posey have something to do with it? Bryan and Doug investigate. They also talk about the oddness of the GM meetings, the uncertainty of Jeff Samardzija, the promise of Jason Heyward, Justin Upton's likely price tag, and play a game called "James Brown or Record Scratch"... what's it all about? You'll just have to listen. Also, a score update from last week's game, "AAV": Bryan correctly guessed Samardzija's $18 million AAV and was within $1.2 million of Zack Greinke's $34.5 average annual value. Bryan leads Doug, 2-0. It's a best of 5 and the winner gets to write a roast piece on the loser's hottest/worst takes ever.

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12/4/2015: Episode 5 - "Five Votes Down"

Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:00:00 -0000

An eventful week of Giants news and potential news has led to the longest Chroncast yet! But don't fret, it's a good one. This week, Bryan (@Every6thDay) and Doug (@moonwalkmcfly/groug) tackle the big stuff: Hunter Pence proposes to his long-time girlfriend... AT DISNEYWORLD!!!Willie Mays receives the Medal of Freedom... AT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!Yusmeiro Petit and Hector Sanchez aren't tendered contracts... AT THE DEADLINE!!! And, they play a new game but sweeten the affair by adding a bet: the winner of this game will have written about him a roast of his hottest Giants takes. Want to know more about the game? Listen!

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11/27/2015: Episode 4 - "The West Coast Delay"

Fri, 27 Nov 2015 22:00:00 -0000

The McCovey Chroncast is an unstoppable content machine that demands to be made and consumed. This week's podcast was recorded earlier in the week and early in the morning and while Bryan was on the east coast. In it, Doug and Bryan attempt to do better than Grant's fake offseason plan posted last week. The results are... sorely lackeying. And the sound quality of this podcast is similarly bad because it was a recorded phone call. Technology is amazing, though. Just when you think you can take a week off you remember that a smartphone + the internet = unlimited work hours. Also, we get the riveting story of how the name groug came to be.

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11/20/2015: Episode 3 - "Encounter At Farpoint"

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 17:30:00 -0000

Doug Bruzzone (groug) and Bryan Murphy (NOT KNBR's Brian Murphy) are back for an all-new McCovey Chroncast. This week's podcast talks about the biggest news of the week (so far)... And with Thanksgiving coming up, the guys play a game called "Thanks or No Thanks", which puts 2015 Giants in their crosshairs. They also go off on tangents that rope in non-Giants subjects like Roger Clemens, Jose Fernandez, sinkholes, and the movie Blow.

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11/13/2015: Episode 2 - "A Proportional Response"

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 19:00:00 -0000

Welcome to yesterday's news! If you're still catching up on the week that was for the San Francisco Giants, filled with a Gold Glove and Wilson's Defensive Player of the Year award and due diligence on Ben Zobrist, then most of this podcast will be new to you! If, however, you're living in the present, then the Silver Slugger and David Price of last night and today are nowheeeeeeeere to be found. That's because podcasting is already an ancient technology. The last gasps of Gen X. Millenials, go check out Grant's junk all the latest breaking news at McCoveySnap. But if you insist on sticking with this dead podcasting technology, then you *will* be rewarded with more fun and games from Doug & Bryan. We also break down the free agents on the starting pitcher market and play a game that rivals last week's Big Spoon/Little Spoon. Check out this week's McCovey Chroncast!

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11/6/2015: Episode 1 - "Pilot"

Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:30:00 -0000

Hi, this is Grant. Just wanted to let you know there's a McCovey Chronicles podcast now! I know, I'm surprised too. On Wednesday, Bryan emailed me and said, "Hey, would you want me and groug to do a podcast?" And I was like, "Oh, sure," and then on Thursday, he emailed me a podcast. In this podcast, there is talk about Bruce Bochy and Dave Righetti spooning. It comes before the talk of Angel Pagan and Santiago Casilla spooning. You didn't know you needed this. I didn't know I needed this. We most certainly needed this.

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