There R Giants (Roger Munter)

Giants’ RHP Keaton Winn is one of the Giants’ most recent 40-man members and he’s got a good chance to help the big league club in 2023. Winn joins the podcast this week to talk about the long-journey back from Tommy John surgery and one amazing month of November!

Stay up to date on the entire Giants’ farm system by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber today!

Intro/Outro: “I Want You Back” by Hoodoo Gurus

My guest in this week’s podcast is There R Giants’ #16 prospect in the Giants’ system: Landen Roupp. He explains what he calls his outstanding breaking ball and how he’s developed the pitch over time, how he separated himself from the pack in 2022, and what he’s working on for the year to come.

Roupp has been in Scottsdale getting ready for the 2023 season, and There R Giants will be out there to see him soon! Which makes now a great time to become a subscriber to get all There R Giants posts direct to your Inbox.

Intro/Outro: “I Wanna Destroy You” by The Soft Boys

The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard returns to the There R Giants’ pod to discuss her ranking of the Giants’ farm system and the Giants’ player development progress. We take some time to enjoy the progress of David Villar, discuss how Kyle Harrison might be transitioned into a big league role, how quickly Casey Schmitt might move, and who the best bounce back candidates in the system are.

Intro/Outro: “Emerge” by Fischerspooner

I’m so excited to have camps open and baseball back that I can’t wait until Thursday for this week’s podcast. Alex Pavlovic, the Giants’ beat reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area, joins me from Scottsdale to talk about some of the young guys who are generating excitement in the early days. There’s a lot of Kyle Harrison talk, of course, but also some David Villar, R.J. Dabovich, Casey Schmitt, and even Joey Bart talk in the course of the show.

Make sure you follow all of Alex’ content coming out of camp, on both Twitter and Instagram @PavlovicNBCS (and I can’t recommend Alex’ Instagram feed enough!). And of course, follow me on Twitter @rog61 — and once I get out to minor league camp in March, I promise to get a little Instagram action going myself @rmunter. Or just become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my Giants’ prospect content.

Intro/Outro: “Here It Comes” by The Doves

Baseball America’s Executive Editor J.J. Cooper was gracious enough to join me on this edition of the There R Giants podcast to talk about the negotiations between Major and Minor League Baseball and what developmental baseball might look like in the future.

Hope you enjoy this one!

The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly joins me from Scottsdale on this week’s edition of the There R Giants podcast. We talk about the Giants’ tumultuous off-season, their hopes for the upcoming season, their continual reliance on Brandon Crawford’s good health (knock on wood!), and, of course, we talk about a lot of young players bringing excitement to the Giants’ camp (and hopefully their future).

If you’re not already a There R Giants’ subscriber, now’s a perfect time to become one. I’m just finishing up the Top 50 and will soon be reporting from Papago Park minor league camp myself.

Intro/Outro: “TKO” by Le Tigre

I’m joined this week by the great Jim Callis, lead prospect writer for MLB, to talk about MLB’s brand new prospect rankings list for the Giants’ system. Jim has been handling the Giants’ system for years, and his knowledge of their player development system is as extensive as anybody in the industry! Plus, he’s a great guest and always fun to talk to.

You can find MLB’s Giants’ rankings on the MLB Pipeline website as well as Jim’s overview of the system, leapers and fallers, best tools, and more. You can follow Jim’s work on twitter @jimcallisMLB. And you can follow my work @rog61.

And, of course, if you want more There R Giants’ content, become a subscriber and you’ll get daily reports from the farm system starting in just over a week! I’ll be out at Papago Park for the final two weeks of spring camp bringing you player interviews, video, and plenty of scouting observations. So now’s a great time to become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

* System Overview (1:10)

* Harrison and Luciano at top (10:00)

* The Second Tier: McCray, Schmitt, Brown, Arteaga (14:10)

* Luis Matos (22:10)

* Mason Black (25:10)

* Patrick Bailey (28:30)

* Rayner Arias hit tool (33:50)

* Favorite Sleepers (35:15)

* Trevor McDonald (37:20)

Intro/Outro: “Temperature” by Kaiser Chiefs

This week’s guest is Chris Langin, the Director of Pitching for Driveline Baseball, a driving force in many of the revolutionary changes that have taken place in baseball player development over the last decade. Chris joins me to talk about the kinds of improvements that pitchers can make with Driveline’s biomechanics technology and data-driven approach that would have seemed miraculous to generations of pitchers over the last two centuries.

It’s a fascinating conversation that gives a glimpse into how pitching development is changing for the better in today’s baseball.

Intro/Outro: “Pressure Point” by The Zutons

I’m joined this week by my friend Wrenzie Regodon, Giants prospect writer for Giant Baseball Insider, a FanNation site. Wrenzie and I go through the opening day rosters for all four affiliate, talking surprises, guys we’re excited to see, under the radar dudes we have our eyes on and much more for each level. It’s a super stuffed edition of the pod to get you ready for the season.

Surprises (who was pushed higher than expected, who was kept back) (2:30)Who were you most bummed to see start in XST? (10:15)Sacramento Roster (16:15)Richmond Roster (25:45)Eugene Roster (37:45)San Jose Roster (46::30)

Intro/Outro: “Disconnect the Dots” by Of Montreal

On this week’s episode of There R Giants podcast, I have two short interviews I did with Giants’ prospects Patrick Bailey and Ismael Munguia. I spoke to both at media day just before the new season began (with a little BP noise going on in the background). Bailey begins what is sure to be an important season for him as he climbs to the upper minors for the first time, and hopes to show a better all around offensive game to go with his Gold Glove-winning defense. Munguia, with the help of coach Lipso Nava’s translating, talks about staying strong through a season lost to injury and where his high energy game comes from.

If you’re not a There R Giants’ subscriber, now is a great time to join as the new season gets underway. You can try a free 7-day trial to get going and after that, pay just $6.99 per month.

Patrick Bailey Interview (1:46)Ismael Munguia Interviw (12:42)

Intro/Outro: “Hoola” by Archie Bronson Outfit

In this edition of There R Giants podcast, The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard joins me to talk about the Giants’ Instructional League camp and how lost development time of 2020 will impact future baseball decisions.

If you have a subscription to The Athletic you’ll want to keep Melissa’s Giants’ Instrux roster primer nearby while listening, as well as my own dissection of the roster.

Music Intro/Outro: “The Wanting Comes in Waves” by The Decemberists

I’m joined this week by a couple members of the Richmond Flying Squirrels: RHP Mason Black, the Giants 3rd round pick in 2021 out of Lehigh University, and infielder Hayden Cantrelle, whom the Giants acquired from Miami last year.

Mason and I talk modern training methods, arm care regime, the mental side of the game, searching for the perfect breaking pitch and much more. Hayden tells me what it felt like going through three different organizations in little more than a month’s time and how he maintained his course through that experience. He also gives some insight into a question that many fans had in the days of 40 round drafts — why do teams draft some high school players they don’t intend to sign? There are reasons!

If you like the podcasts, you might enjoy being a full-time subscriber to There R Giants as well!

Mason Black (2:00)Hayden Cantrelle (16:00)

Intro/Outro: “Alright” by Supergrass

As an experiment, I’ve had some readers write in to say that they don’t enjoy listening to podcasts, but would like to have access to the content, so this week I’m trying out a transcribing app to see if that helps bridge the gap. These voice interpreting software apps are far from perfect, but maybe it helps? Let me know what you think!

MASON BLACK TRANSCRIPT:

RM: All right, Mason, how you doing? How's the how's how you feel about the start of the season?

MB: Everything's been great. A lot of fun being back on the East Coast obviously had some family you got to come see last week so really enjoyed it here. Especially Richmond weather's beautiful, so can't say enough good things.

RM: This is actually one of the best Aprils I've seen on here. So far. This is pretty sweet weather. Sweet. Yeah. Awesome. So I think a lot of people know that, in an alternate universe you might have gone to med school. I wonder if I could rely on some of your your Med School knowledge to ask you some things that we're seeing in pitcher training regimens that I think people hear about a lot, but they maybe don't understand.

MB: Okay, I'll try my best but I did not go to med school. That's just a disclaimer.

RM: Right. Not a real doctor, right? Yeah. Well, let's start with pylo balls. Okay, they're everywhere in the game. They seem to have really revolutionized training. What exactly are they and what did they do for you?

MB? There's overspeed and under speed one so either heavier than the traditional weight of a baseball or lighter and what they've helped for me at least I know the guys might use it for different mechanisms, but I like to use them as kind of like training how my body should feel so like put a heavier weight in your arm and just move how your body should feel. It gives you almost like a hypersensitivity to like how you're supposed to be moving that way you get a feel for and you can apply it in your actual catch by what's the lighter one did the lighter one is more of like an arm speed thing that allows you it's a little bit like gives you a little bit more fluid motion. So you can kind of train the the heavy stuff first and then move into the lighter ball and just feel like that looseness in your arm. Like just really relax it.

RM: Do some of them help you with with spin. Are there other pylo balls that help you get shape on pitches better?

MB: Not necessarily. Or at least that's not what I use it for. I'm sure if you talk to probably 10 other guys they would have different answers. But I like it. There is just like the aspect of like supinating when I throw the ball or when I throw a plyo ball I tried to supinate and just like try to mimic my natural arm slot so I guess you can say it does have some aspects of turning that that spin but it might not be directly spin grade correlated more of like a spin. Like altering like getting that good supination around the ball.

RM: There's a thing I see so I'll come in the the word visitors guys are warming up. There's a thing I see all the time. And it's like, pitchers get down on their knee with their back to a wall and then they take what he's saying and throw it backwards against the wall as hard as they can. And you look at it like looks like my shoulder would come out of it’s socket. what what are you doing? What are they trying to do when they do that?

MB: That is called a reverse throw. It's almost like step A when you learn how to use bio balls. That's like the first thing you always do. And I think I speak for almost 90% of our pitches where we just all do that one. It's just something that we're taught. And I mean for me at least I like the counter rotation aspect of it like you feel like you're reverse like pulling a seatbelt. Like you're almost unclipping a seatbelt so it takes you from like that lower left side to that upper right side for right hander, and it's kind of like I use it as like a priming the system kind of thing. Like just get the scab engage. Get like the mid back to, you know, that lower left side really firing.

RM: So you're I think we're two days out from your next start. So where in the whole kind of arm care regimen between starts, would you be doing something like that?

MB: I do those every day, actually. Every day and that's something that our our front office and pitching coordinators all the way from the top down really emphasize is just having that consistent routine that like gets you going for every single day. So I do the reverse throws as well as a couple other quiet ball drills every day just to feel good, whether it's 11am 9am like yesterday or or nice five feet here

RM: just kind of wakes wakes up the system

MB: Oh yeah.

RM: There was the other night Sean Manaea was pitching in the Giants game and I forget who it was. It was Javy Lopez with somebody was saying that he said this year is the first time he'd ever had an arm care routine, which is kind of hard to imagine. Is that something new that you guys get when you come to pro ball? Is it just like does this anything you guys know about when you're college or is this is this pro and how do you like figure it out?

MB: It really is trial and error. I do have to say I mean coming into pro ball I really didn't have like an arm care like are a day after I got to do this day two days after I got to do this. It was just kind of like in college. I mean, you always feel you're like a rubber band and you're at 19 years old feels great. You're like I could do a couple arm circles that I'm good to throw whereas like now it's like now you're throwing every day. It's like you do have to kind of structure your weeks around when you're going to pitch and I actually enjoy it just because like we've had incredible like strength staff and everything that'll work with you a ton and just finding what works for you. I've really enjoyed doing that so far.

RM: So there's what you're doing now like basically the same or very different from what you're doing a year ago and you're in San Jose.

MB: It's a lot of parts of it are the same. I do that another lift in like the day before but for the most part it's been like pretty consistent just like hopped on the Giants, rotator cuff and SCAP strengthening programs and then kind of pick and choose what I like add that in there but the structure is almost the same. So it's been enjoyable. People smarter than me foot made that so I'll take their word for it. It's been helping. I was able to throw a lot of things last year so it ain't broke don't fix it.

RM: Is a lot of it just listening to your body like I'm four days out from the starter How do I feel kind of thing? Is that just basically feeling your body?

MB: Yeah, a lot of it is just like feeling it out with like, Oh, I'm like I'm kind of hanging today might be a good day to take it easier on the throwing side of things and really focus on the weight room side.

RM: When you were at Lehigh I think the story was that that you kind of changed your mechanics going into your final year and then changed more or back or something once you got into pro ball. How did that sort of progression go? Like what were you changing and what were you trying to accomplish when you're going through those various changes?

MB: Well, if you went ahead and did some advanced scouting on me, my freshman and sophomore years at Lehigh, I had this real long arm action like at footstrike My arm was never in the same spot twice. And while it was like I was good, I was able to throw strikes for the most part and really just like command my off speed. It wasn't I didn't think what was gonna get me into pro ball or make me make that like next step in my development like it was almost like a cap. So I went ahead and took a risk and change my arm action a little bit alongside of one of our coaches. At Lehigh. And while it did backfire in the short term, I think like long term I was able to get to where I am now and had not done that it probably would have. I probably wouldn't be here. I could tell you that much. But yeah, just as like, it was almost like an overemphasis of like a shorter arm action and trying to get that arm consistent at footstrike and then once like as the year progressed, it kind of went back to more of like a neutral position between my old arm path and that recent like for short one so kind of like averaged out and got me into a good spot.

RM: So where are you now? Are you kind of at the shortest end of where you've been, are you in between?

MB: I'm in between. So I mean, I still had some control issues when I shorten things up a lot. So I think going back to like that neutral in between my really long one and that shorter one is out

RM: Basically the last year last year and so far this year your control had been pretty impeccable. I don't think you've walked a guy yet this year. Certainly in San Jose, you know, the walks have been very, very limited as a pro. Have you gotten into a place where you feel like I'm a reliable strike thrower. I feel confident that I'm going to be able to get ahead of counts at this point.

MB: I think so. Yeah. And a lot of that is not only like physical but it is on the mental side of things like just from the top down like pitching coordinators and pitching coaches like oh, he preaches it as well as like, we do have to own the zone and if your stuff is is good enough, then you should be able to throw the ball in the zone and kind of limit damage so that's the mentality I've kind of taken into pro ball is just like, at the end of the day, I'm not going to get beat by myself by walking guys. I want to force contact and force the other team to beat me. And just like from the mental skill side of things, I've had a lot of help to with that. So I've really appreciated it

RM: I was gonna ask you a breaking ball, but now that you bring up mental skills, that's that's kind of like a fascinating part of player development to me. How do you use kind of the mental skills resources that the the organization has to help kind of refine your craft or help develop yourself whether it's as a player or as a person?

MB: Definitely, it's something I definitely didn't take enough advantage of in college because we had a school psychologist, a baseball psychologist, and I just like I almost saw it as as something you needed if you were struggling and instead of someone who's there for you, whether you're doing well or not well, so it's it was something that getting into pro ball and we had Kellen Lee with us last year and he spent a lot of time in San Jose that so just picking his brain up and talking about visualization and just like the mental steps that you can take going into an outing yourself tremendously. Yeah.

RM: It's a big thing, obviously for this organization that it's not a weakness, right. It's helping make your strength. Okay, I do want to talk about your breaking up. I was watching a game years in spring and I was just talking to a scout who had seen you really early last year in San Jose says oh, the shape of his sliders are different this year. And I'm like, Oh, do you mean it's less weepy? And he said, No, it's more sweeping. I'm like, well, that's weird. When I saw him in Eugene, the end of the year. I thought it was pretty sweeping. It's like, Oh, I saw him the early in the year in San Jose and it was it was more vertical. How have you been experimenting? What experimentation you've been dealing with the shape of your breaking ball the last two seasons?

MB: like everything is trial and error. I do have to say coming into pro ball really didn't have that any shape in mind as to what I was looking for. So finally getting on track man. This was early on, like last spring training. Just like them telling me oh, we want you to throw a sweeper and I was like, okay, cool. So it just I would try it and it just naturally swept across the zone. So I was like, Alright, I think I could do this stick on board. And then we'd like it would come and go lose it here and there and I think this year I've taken the approach of like recognizing why it's going south, and why it's turning into more of a traditional slider. And then there's also like the crossfire aspect that they you've mentioned in one of the tweets in the past that's helped to get more east west on things and just try to create separation between that and the sink or

RM: is it something where you you'd actually like to be able to manipulate a couple shapes on it, you know, based on right hand or left hand or or guy swings or something like that. Is that a place you want to get to? Or do you want to have one really consistent shape?

MB: I think manipulation is the ultimate goal just being able to to throw it you know if a left hander is up you want to get more depth on it or right hander you want to get off the barrow some more sweep, but I mean right now I think it's folks it's just get it in the zone at a consistent rate and then we'll worry about that stuff later. I've been lucky to to get away with like throwing like four seems didn't sinkers and everything else change up in the zone a little bit more. So definitely have to get that change or slider working more this year.

RM: you mentioned the change up. You've been drilling something that has like a pretty good downward movement or is that the changeup Are you throwing a splitter this year? What's going on with your your your other pitch for pitch,

MB: I like to call it a “splange” for lack of a better term, it's got a splitter spin but splitter spin rate I guess you could say but you kind of oriented more so of a way that it it has like a changeup action where it grabs the seams in such a way that it has that more downer shade.

RM: What was it? What was the word used for that

MB: A “splangeup.”

RM: Yeah. I like that term. I will now we seem like you're in a pretty good place this year. Yeah, I mean, just like mentally physically performance on the field and things are going pretty well for you this year.

MB: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. We have a great group of guys here and obviously having fat Bailey catch me a lot but also Martorano and Andy Thomas and [Auerbach] to like having that group behind the dish. Let's see worry a lot less about catching and just more about pitching and because you know they're gonna pick you up as well as our whole defense. Like, guys have been killing it this year. So I can't say enough good things about this team in this group.

RM: When I talked to Bailey last week, he said basically, he doesn't want you guys to think on the mound. Like just do it. Just get out there and do it. Is that that kind of what you want to do too.

MB: Yeah. Well, I know he knows me. He knows I like to think so, sometimes he’ll yell at me like give me a little kick every once in a while but it's all in good nature. Good fun.

RM: Well, things have been going pretty pretty good so far this year. Great last year, obviously. wish you continued success and I can't wait to watch.

MB: Appreciate it! Thanks.

HAYDEN CANTRELLE TRANSCRIPT:

RM: All right. Good to meet you. How are you feeling? How are things going this year for you,

HC: you as well. Happy to be here with a new group of guys. You know, things have been going great so far. You know, it's a good chemistry group of guys, you know, you know, motivating everybody to get better in their craft and so you know, coming out and playing on a nightly basis and entertaining here in Richmond. It's been fun so far.

RM: So you talk about a new group of guys, obviously, you know, a lot of people at this level are going to be this is the only organization they've ever known. That's not the case for you. You went through, like to in a month, basically last year, what was that like for you?

HC: It was, it was very chaotic. I, I think I had a lot of a lot of questions about you know, where I was gonna go or, you know why or you could ask all that but, you know, for myself, you know, I just grew to my routines day to day, you know, that's what got me through that transition. And then you know, getting placed with the Giants eventually has been a good fit. And, you know, it's been great to work with my craft with a bunch of really good developers in this organization. You know, as I as I've had the other organizations but you know, it's more people, you know, invested in my career and grateful for that. You.

RM: One thing you'll often hear from from guys is when you get into pro ball, there's obviously a lot of really smart people bringing you information. Sometimes it can be overwhelming confusing. I assume when you go through a lot of several different organizations, they all have their own kind of way of doing things. It can be even more confusing. How'd you like stay true to kind of your path through that stuff?

HC: Yeah, I think one thing's for sure is you know, I had my own you know, adjustments I was looking to make and that in that sense and so for for every ballplayer I guess you know, I can speak for myself, you know the day to day grind is about bettering yourself and bettering your craft. So in more ways than one, you know, you have indicators of success and measures of things you need to work on. And that's that's what you really try to focus on, you know, going from team to team and then you know, when you step in between the lines with whoever it is, you know, it's that the theme is about winning. So that makes it simple. So, you know, day to day you work on your craft, you know, so at nighttime, you know, you can go play for your boys.

RM: Obviously, one reason why that's probably a good fit for you is you do a lot of things at this organization values. You have a really good eye at the play, you're disciplined you tend to walk you know more than you strike out. What's your kind of approach? At the plate? Who do you think of yourself when you're getting in the box?

HC: Well, I guess without telling you everything, you know, secrets quite quite simply, you know, you know if I'm in a funk or whatnot, you know, a little simple thing I'll tell my friends and myself is you know, just swing it swing at strikes and take balls. So, you know, in essence, you know, that's all that approach entails, you know, granted what day to day scouting reports and feels and you know, all of the other stuff that plays into the point four seconds of decision making is all is always that so you know, but to keep it simple, you know, just swing at the strikes and take the ball

RM: It’s the old like Ted Williams approach, but it sounds easy, but it's it's not that easy.

HC: Yeah, no, it's definitely been a lot of development. You know, there's a lot of work that goes you know, goes into scenes, you know, to make sure that you're in a position to do that, you know, at game time but you know, in the best way possible. If I can do that I'll have a good day at the park.

RM: You're also the switch hitter, which is your like natural side. When did you pick up switch hitting and where do you feel which side do you feel best that

HC: I've, I've been switching since I was six. I probably did it in T ball. I did it religiously. You know like left when there's a righty pitch and hit lefty by age 10 I was doing it full fledge. I grew up a righty originally though. So I would say you know when I'm really locked in, you know on lefties, right he's really fun, I would say but, you know, general day to day you know, it's could be flip of a coin for success on each one. So try not to put either one in a corner, you know, and limit the success there. But, you know, I do feel my switching and gives me a great opportunity to win each play to parents.

RM: It's funny because Bailey was saying he picked it up like pretty early 210 or so did you actually have opportunities to to hit right hand now? Did you see left handers when you're a kid much

HC: very, very interesting. You know, because once I started switching by age 10 You know the amount of times I hit right handed was very limited and it was it would beat me up mentally as a kid you know, grew up being really good right handed and I'd never get ready at bats. And then I remember at one point in high school, my coach suggested Hey, why don't we just hit left handed and I was like no, there no, there's a reason I just I feel like I haven't seen a lefty you know ever or at least a competitive lefty because you know, the left that you would see would be thrown 75 miles an hour or something like that. So right after college, you know, I'd say you know, in my first year of independent ball, I really started getting consistent as righty and that's when I really started seeing the you know, the switch hitting really start to flourish the way I'd wanted to, you know, my college career I was relatively successful righty compared to lefty but you know, in general the whole switching things just about how many times you see the guy you know, face more lefties you're gonna feel good and they're variety. You know, I'd say the hardest days are when they probably flip flop you for at bats, you probably go right left, right left but who knows sometimes that's what gets you you know on time and you know, maybe those are the fours that you hit on the button. So there's a switch here you try not to put any trends into that, you know, and the benefit to that is when you get to go in the batter's box it's it's always a brand new one slates always clean. You're always you know, just trying to compete.

RM: So you’re talking about growing up. I want to ask you about that. You know, you have all these like they're famous baseball hotbeds in the country, like we always have the Florida guy as well as other California guys. You grew up in Louisiana. What was the like, amateur youth baseball scene like where you grew up?

HC: Yeah, I mean, for me, I played a play a little bit of travel baseball, and so about 12 competitively, and in the state of Louisiana, the 12 year old circuit we all play like do triple is a major and there's probably a good six teams in Louisiana and we would all find each other on the weekends on the you know, on the tournaments and we would all go play the best baseball and there was among those kids, there's probably 50 division one college baseball players from that 12 year old circuit. So I dropped out doing that in high school. You know, I kind of was out of summer baseball and showcase baseball because I played football. So I was always training for the fall and you know, doing seven on sevens, you know, thrown all of those and then on the weekends, you know, never really got to play much travel baseball, but as far as the talent you know, in high school, you know, very, very competitive and Lafayette Louisiana and then there's tons of Louisiana talent you know spread throughout of all of those Division One universities and a lot of kids leave you know, because they have the opportunity to so very, you know, very warm weather climate. So, you know, for the kids who want to throw down year round, you know, they had the opportunity I wasn't one of those kids and I think that really saved my fire for it. You know, I got to go baseball hat this year. And that football you know, just go you know, let it rip. So, you know, and every year baseball comes around it was time to go again. So would you play football, I played I played quarterback my senior year, junior year I played receiver and return the punts and kickoffs. So I was probably probably the best receiver we got my got my my my opportunities for college football as a receiver. So yeah, running kicks back sometimes pawns, whatever. So sometimes that's scarier than getting in the bystanders 95 when that ball goes up, and you just you don't look down again, so

RM: Yeah. I still remember that myself to play. Well, you two sport guy in college?

HC: No, I didn't know I didn't think physically I was in a position to play division one football so maybe in another life perhaps? Yeah.

RM: I was looking at your baseball card. Before I talked and you actually played in some interesting kind of places. In your college career. One was like when you were maybe a rising freshman. You're up here. in Gaithersburg, Maryland, actually lived in gaithersburg for a while and never knew they had a competitive summer league. How did that happen? How do you find your way up here?

HC: That was so after my senior year, right after the draft, I got courtesy picked by the Yankees in the 48th round. And that opened up an opportunity for me to play in a college collegiate summer league. So you know, I was able to reach out as a prospect type player. And you know, I was able to go out there and gaithersburg Maryland was one of the few places that were allowing high school players as freshmen. So I got to play out there actually, Daniel Cabrera was my teammate in that league that summer on the other team. And, you know, it was a good opportunity, my first taste of college arms prior to going into my first fall as a freshman and so then that definitely prepared me but you know, definitely, definitely some empty environments you could say but you know, it's all about digging. It's all about digging deep and seeing what you got. Anyway, so it was about ball and getting innings in regardless of we enjoyed gaithersburg we had a good time. So

RM: That’s actually I think something fans never really understand is why the courtesy picks exist, but it's kind of like that way it opens doors and opportunities

HC: yeah, you know as much as you know, and I had no idea I actually tell the story of when I got drafted in high school. It's not as people don't really ask about that when they want to ask about the one that happened recently but when I was with that when that happened that summer, you know my family was going out for some trip or some run some errands and I was at home by myself for a good five hours last day of the draft you know, it all had fizzled any opportunity I was gonna go it was an automatic no at this point. So everybody was gone and I went and took a nap and I woke up to open my phone and it was frozen. But yeah, just a little something like that. You know where maybe the Yankees at the time were respected me as a player, whatever and but just little things like that, you know, opened a big opportunity. And, you know, turns out that's why I ended up getting invited to the Cape because I played that summer, the summer before so I'd got to play in the Cape Cod and that had changed my life as well. So big, big series of events, you know, that happened that way but you know, definitely help helps. And I'm grateful for that.

RM: Yeah, unfortunately, those those those rounds where the teams used to do that don't exist anymore, right. really psyched for kids. Exactly. Yeah, you played 22 years in the cape, which is unusual. The other thing you did that I thought was really interesting, what's 2020 When obviously everybody was scrambling to try and figure out how to how to help develop themselves. Yeah, you were in a little tournament. Joliet, Illinois, Chicago area or limited 14th thing to get an action. How did you how'd you find that?

HC: Yeah, very interesting. You know, 2020 hit very, very odd time and I'm like, you know, I love I'm a park rat. I love to go to the field and play I love to throw the ball take fungos wherever so 2020 hit and all of the local college players in Louisiana we're all looking to get some reps. So I have my YouTube channel that you know we like dude making content with and stuff and so we had actually rented out a couple of venues back home and prior to that to get some reps and we had actually hosted some nine inning games, you know, with just a bunch of we call them sandlot games where we had we had fans come in we had some pa music all that stuff so but you know that went on and then you know I got opportunities i Hey, they're you know, they're putting together League and Juliet and so the super thrilled to just go play or whatever. So we're getting reps from doing wherever we could in that time to get reps and then now is getting opportunity to go facing arm so that was really that was really good for me. I got to go live with some guys up in in Joliet, Illinois and make that drive over there and you know definitely draw from that experience. A lot of a lot of a lot of things I needed to work on at the time, but you know, just to like, get my feet settled professionally, if you will. But it was a good environment to do that.

RM: That was also the summer you got drafted. Was that before the draft or after the draft? Correct,

HC: right. It was after. Yeah. So a couple months after

RM: I don't know if you know this, but Pelfrey was like involved in putting something like that together in Kentucky that like Fitzgerald played in and Logan Wyatt there was like, four team Kentucky league.

HC: I didn't know that. Yeah. I thought we were the only one. But we were just happy to be out there. It was weird, but that people telling us you know, it'll like we're all sitting in the dugout and they're like telling us to move away from each other. It was weird, but whatever we were doing where everybody couldn't play ball. Everybody was being weird about everything but you know, we got we got we needed and then that was that was a weird time.

RM: So it feels like your career has been really weird because like Milwaukee pushed you really hard so you like moved up levels quick. Then you like go through Miami back San Francisco. San Francisco takes you back down to like, complex was that just to like, get your feet under you kind of integrate you in the system. Get to know people what was that whole process like for you? Yeah,

HC: that was kind of it was kind of weird. I made a YouTube video about that too very without with my actual on scene like reaction to it. But I remember just being real like, like it had already happened to me. And it was like weird what before the guy my coach was gonna tell me like I already had the sensation they knew it was happening again or whatever but you know getting like getting getting traded to the Giants and then not coming straight here I guess was maybe like a shock to me. But at the same time, you know, like, I was reminded myself that I still had like adjustments I had to make anyways wherever and so to be honest, at that point, I was very like, very like whatever I was very motivated to to fix my craft and make my adjustments so bummed out to probably go to Arizona at first and but that's not my job to understand that so I wasn't trying to like push back on it or I didn't even I didn't feel like I made a fuss about it either. I was just I was happy to go play on a team and I got to play with a bunch of younger kids who kind of rejuvenated my love for the game regardless so I was able to you know, I whenever I got promoted to San Jose on that bus ride, you know, there's there's kids were so happy for me and they had never met me before but they were so happy to see me get promoted from rookie ball to Loei. So it was like, if nothing else, it was a great perspective. Enhancement alongside with the adjustments I may made for that. You know, a good a good full circle a year later to be back in the same spot. You know, it's a good opportunity. So that's, you know, if nothing else, I've tried to see it for that and, you know, try to work in that that lens. That's pretty cool.

RM: I now know that I have to go and watch your YouTube channel. So it's okay, so I'll end here. So now let's do your second year your backup to double a kind of full circle. Do you feel like comfortable? Do you feel like you're in a place that fit that? You know? How do you feel at this point going forward now?

HC: Yeah, I think last year I came in just with the thought thinking it was the same mindset of you know, I'm comfortable with I've prepared very well. You know, and just like last year I've there's a lot of offseason adjustments I've made based on last season that I feel like in the exact same way I'm equally as prepared with as much information as I had, you know, going into this year so I feel like I feel like lately just been going to come to the field and playing with my hair on fire. And that's what I love to do. So kind of been offered results, you know, because my career has kind of taught me that and I like playing that way. So that's the approach and you know, I feel adequately prepared as it did last year, but I definitely feel better because I've definitely made some improvements. So excited to see what's gonna happen ready to let it rip.

RM: You've got good hair to set on fire when you're playing it. Good luck. Yeah. Well, you know, I'm really glad to kind of get to know you and I can't wait to sort of watch your development through the season and good luck to hopefully you have great successes.

HC:Appreciate it. Thanks very much. Yes, sir. Thank you

My guest this week is fellow Substack writer (and my former colleague back in the McCovey Chronicles days), Doug Bruzzone, who writes the wonderful “It Would Be Nice If the Giants Weren’t Bad” substack newsletter (which, as I note in the show, is a factually correct statement!).

Doug and I talk mostly Sacramento River Cats action this week, focusing on the improved group of home-grown prospects that are finally making it up to the top level of the farm system. We talk Heliot Ramos’ improvements, the pitching usage strategies we’ve seen in Sacramento, Will Wilson’s spring, and much more!

Intro/Outro: “I’m Not Angry” by Elvis Costello

Richmond reliever Evan Gates is my guest this week — and like most of the players in this system, he’s a terrific interview: thoughtful, funny, and engaging. Evan talks about learning the game in a cold weather area, his long journey to becoming a professional and some of the reasons behind the tremendous success he’s enjoyed in his career. We also talk about his memorable appearance with Team WBC this spring in their warm up to taking part in the World Baseball Classic. This is fun one!

Intro/Outro: “Shake Some Action” by the Flaming Groovies

My guest this week is Josh Norris of Baseball America. Josh has covered the Giants’ system for BA for several years, doing the rankings and writeups for the system in the Prospect Handbook. He also made a recent visit to see Eugene take on Spokane, so we spend plenty of time talking about progress made (or not) this spring in Eugene, some of the complications involved with sharing a facility with a college, and early season risers and fallers on the Giants’ farm. The use of the word “vanilla” is mentioned a disconcerting amount of times in today’s pod, but it’s still going to be a fun listen for you!

There R Giants podcast is entirely supported by subscribers to the site, so if you’d like to support my work — good news, you can!

Intro/Outro: “Hey Eugene” by Pink Martini

On this week’s edition of the podcast, it’s more interviews from The Diamond in Richmond (which means a little more noise in the dugout, BP music on the loud speakers, Will Clark hooting and hollering, etc), but the end result is well worth it. First up, Richmond Pitching Coach Paul Oseguera talks about the performance of his staff, as well as the development elements that the Giants are looking for from their pitching prospects. We also talk a little about how technology has changed the way coaches can help their players.

Next up, Richmond 3b and outfielder Carter Aldrete talks about trying to improve his game everyday, the search for consistency, and why he no longer likes to think of himself as having a defensive position. Aldrete is off to an excellent start and could be the next guy moving up in what has been a real tidal wave of player movement this year.

If you like There R Giants podcast, you might also enjoy becoming a subscriber to the website, for daily content from around the Giants’ farm system all through the minor league season.

Intro/Outro: “Every Day I Write the Book” by Elvis Costello

My guest this week is Richmond Flying Squirrels’ staff Nutritionist, Rachel Rodriguez. I’m SO excited to have finally gotten to sit down and talk with Rachel — this is one I’ve wanted to do for awhile now. Rachel talks about her professional journey, the unique challenges of trying to keep professional athletes fueled up, the role that food can play in bringing a clubhouse together, and the growing gender equity that is starting to take place in hiring in the baseball industry. It’s a great conversation that I’m sure you’re going to enjoy!

If you want to read more of my work on Giants’ prospects, you can always subscribe to There R Giants to get daily reports from around the Giants’ farm system!

Intro/Outro: “Beans and Cornbread” by Jouis Jordan and the Tympany Five

My guest in the latest There R Giants podcast is the voice of the San Jose Giants — as well as one of the voices of the San Francisco Giants — Joe Ritzo.

Joe and I talk about what’s been an extraordinarily fun team in San Jose this year, including his thoughts on Carson Whisenhunt, Reggie Crawford, Carter Howell, Gerelmi Maldonado and many many more!

You can follow Joe and his observations of the San Jose club on twitter at JoeRitzo, and of course you can follow me on twitter at rog61, or on Substack Notes and you can read all of my Giants’ prospects-related writings by subscribing to There R Giants, where you get daily updates throughout the week of all the action around the Giants’ farm.

Intro/Outro: “I Was Meant for the Stage” by The Decemberists

It’s been a flurry of podcasts lately, I know! But when you have interviews this good in the can, you just can’t wait to space them out! So enjoy my conversations today with OF prospect Vaun Brown and RHP Carson Seymour. Why did Vaun return to “The Ninja?” What is Carson Seymour’s connection to Ted Lasso? All will be revealed!

Vaun Brown (1:50)Carson Seymour (15:40)

Intro/Outro: “We Looked Like Giants” by Death Cab for Cutie

This is going to be a fun one! My guests this week are Giants’ LHP prospect Carson Whisenhunt and Richmond Hitting Coach Cory Elasik.

I caught up with Whisenhunt the morning after his Double A debut with Richmond to talk about rapid promotions and the history and evolution of his plus plus changeup. Cory Elasik was the hitting coach for Eugene in 2022, before moving to Richmond for 2023, which gives him a great perspective to talk about the developments that have led players like Patrick Bailey, Luis Matos, and Casey Schmitt from A ball to the majors in such head-spinning fashion. Elasik also gives me a little lesson in how exactly to watch a batting practice session.

There R Giants is completely supported by readers and listeners like you. If you want to get daily reports on the Giants’ farm system delivered to your Inbox every day, just subscribe to the website.

Carson Whisenhunt (1:45)Cory Elasik (15:35)

Intro/Outro: “Move On Up” by The Jam

On this week’s podcast, Giants’ infield prospect Jimmy Glowenke talks about how cool it is to hit a championship winning home run and also the importance of failure as a tool of development. And left-handed pitcher Juan Sanchez talks about growing up on the game in Venezuela, and what it was like being stuck in a motel for months on end in 2020.

Jimmy Glowenke: (1:50)Juan Sanchez (17:20)

Intro/Outro: “My Shot” by Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton

It’s time to start thinking about the upcoming draft (July 9 for rounds 1 and 2) and I can’t think about anyone better to help me get ready than my old friend Brian Recca, who does such a great job helping out with the draft coverage for Prospects Live.

Brian and I talk about the Giants’ recent draft classes, Brian’s shadow Giants draft, and, of course, who they might take with the 16th pick of this year’s draft.

Check out Brian’s latest “College Fringe Five” and definitely give the PL Mock Draft Simulator a twirl.

And, of course, subscribe to There R Giants to get all of my Giants’ prospect writings.

Intro/Outro: “The Only One” by the Black Keys

My guest on this week’s pod is Marc Delucchi who covers the SF Giants and their farm system for Giants Baseball Insider, a Fan Nation site. Marc and I talk about the Giants’ recent draft haul and then dive into the stories of the first half of the season on the farm. We get into how wrong we were about Patrick Bailey, the joy of watching Luis Matos, and many of the pleasant surprises of the first half of the season.

Draft Talk (2:30)First Half Storylines (8:30)Major Surprise Players of First Half (16:30)Players We’re Concerned About (28:30)Ranking the Top 3-4 Players in the Giants System (36:30)Top Trade Chips (49:40)Top Things We’d Like to See in 2nd Half (1:00:45)

Intro/Outro: “Surprise, Surprise” by the Rolling Stones

It’s my very favorite annual tradition on the There R Giants’ podcast when MLB’s Jim Callis stops by to deliver his vast knowledge on the Giants’ newest draft class. Jim and I talk about the latest haul from the sluggers at the top to the sleepers down below and parse out some of the Giants’ strategies for finding talent.

You can follow all of Jim on twitter @jimcallisMLB or just read his work, including his upcoming re-ranking of the Giants Top 30, at MLBPipeline.com.

And, of course, you can get all of my work by subscribing to There R Giants for daily updates on all the happenings around the Giants’ farm system.

Intro/Outro: “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James

This week we have a few recent interviews from The Diamond in Richmond. For the second time this year, I talk with Hayden Birdsong, who reflects on the amazing success he’s had in his first full season. Then I speak with reliever Ben Madison who’s had a slower path to Richmond, with injury and the pandemic halting his progress early in his career. Finally, I talk with Richmond Manager Dennis Pelfrey about a variety of players who have come through this talented roster over the course of the year.

Pardon the noise — BP time in a stadium is a noisy environment! But the quality of the conversations more than make up for it, I hope!

Hayden Birdsong (2:50)Ben Madison (16:00)Dennis Pelfrey (30:30)

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Come on, Feel the Illinoise” by Sufjan Stevens

This week I’m joined by Danny Emerman, the terrific Giants’ beat reporter for KNBR. We talk about Kyle Harrison’s debut — among many debuts — and the complications of trying to compete and develop at the big league level at the same time.

You can follow Danny on Twitter @DannyEmerman or read all of his work at KNBR.com. And, of course, you can read all of my Giants’ prospect related work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Radio Radio” by Elvis Costello

This week’s episode of There R Giants’ podcast features a couple of my player interviews at The Diamond in Richmond (and thanks again to Trey Wilson and Blaine McCormick, the terrific communications staff that helps me arrange these conversations). First I spoke with Giants’ reliever Tyler Myrick, a 14th round pick in the 2021 draft out of Florida International who is turning into one of the really good stories from that draft.

After that, with the assistance of Richmond Fundamentals Coach Lipso Nava, I talked with breakout hitting star Victor Bericoto about his baseball journey from Venezuela to Double A.

Also, something new this week. Substack has added an AI transcription feature. This is something some of my readers have requested in the past and I’m thrilled to finally be offering it. Just hit the Tab that says “Transcription” at the top of this post and you’ll see all of the English from today’s show transcribed (there are also Spanish portions in this week’s show). I hope this helps those of you who prefer the written experience to listening!

Today’s pod is something a little new and different. Former Giants’ beat writer and current KNBR personality, Kerry Crowley and I are going to team up for a series of conversations about Giants’ baseball, both major and minor league versions. We’re planning to do these regularly going forward. I’ll still be mixing in my minor league conversations in the podcast as well, and possibly at some point I’ll spin these conversations with Kerry into a whole new brand (you’ll also be able to find them on Kerry’s feed in full You Tube “glory.”).

Let me know what you think in the comments and reviews. Personally, I’m excited! Thanks so much to Kerry for taking the time to talk Giants’ ball with me.

You can find Kerry on Twitter @KO_Crowley or see all of the episodes of the Kerry Crowley show on his You Tube channel, youtube.com/@KOCrowley. And of course, you can follow me @rog61 or become a subscriber to There R Giants to read all of my work on the Giants’ minor league system.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “You Can Have It All” by Yo La Tengo

This week’s episode features my conversation with the MVP of the Richmond team, Shane Matheny, talking about the team’s run to the playoffs. I also talk with reliever Sam Delaplane who discusses his baseball journey which has seen plenty of ups and downs as he battles his way back from injury and rehab. Two great conversations with two great guys!

Substack now has AI-generated transcriptions of all episodes, so if you’d prefer to read the conversations rather than listen, just click on the “Transcription” tab above.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “First Date” by Blink-182

Once again, I’m teaming up with my friend Kerry Crowley to talk all things Giants. This week, we discuss whether it’s important whether or not the Giants finish .500, tell our origin stories as Giants’ fans, and delve into the all important topic of baseball entertainment. We also talk a little Brandon Crawford as the all time great Giant possibly prepares to say goodbye.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “That’s Entertainment” by The Jam

It’s a two pod week, as I finish uploading my player interviews from Richmond with two more highly entertaining and informative players, 1b Logan Wyatt and RHP Wil Jensen. Both have gone through injuries and pandemic in their long journeys to this point, and both were just finishing up the best seasons of their pro careers when I caught up with them. Hopefully past the health issues that have tripped them up in the past, Wyatt was able to show off his power potential this year while Jensen had one of the lowest ERAs in the competitive Eastern League.

In case you haven’t noticed it yet, Substack now has a transcription feature available for podcasts, so if you prefer your interviews in AI-generated written form, click on the “Transcription” tab above.

Logan Wyatt (2:56)Wil Jensen (14:30)

Intro/Outro: “Sad Sad About Us” by The Jam

This week’s There R Giants podcast is another conversation with the wonderful Kerry Crowley. We’re talking about the shocking dismissal of Gabe Kapler and the path forward. Kerry talks about what exactly clubhouse culture is and how it works. We try to sum up Kapler’s four years with the Giants. And we talk about the other changes that we think will be necessary to get the organization where they want to go.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “It’s Too Bad” by The Jam

My guest this week is Richmond Manager Dennis Pelfrey, who is coming off three consecutive trips to the post-season for his teams (Eugene and Richmond). Pelf talks about how he sees his role as a minor league manager and how he works to help develop both the players and coaches under his charge. He’s one of the most thoughtful coaches I’ve been around, and I loved getting the opportunity to let him talk, not about players, but about the player development process in general.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “I Was Meant for the Stage (Live)” by The Decemberists

It’s time once again for the cross-over/spinoff podcast that is sweeping the nation! Or, at least, sweeping Kerry Crowley’s Soundcloud and my Substack corners of the nation. I’m half thinking, in honor of Kerry’s work in radio, of referring to our conversations as “KROG,” but that idea probably needs a little vetting before it’s ready for its coming out party.

Anyway, this week, Kerry and I talk playoff baseball. We talk free-agency — and particularly the Giants’ interests in a couple of free agents from Asia — and we talk about how the team can restructure a roster badly in need of restructuring.

You can find all of Kerry’s non-Roger podcasts (which are also great!) by following him on Twitter (@KO_Crowley) or You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/@KO_Crowley). And me, well you know where to find all of my work!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Nowhere Train” by Carlene Carter

This week’s guest is NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic. The Giants’ Insider explains why he thinks the Giants managerial search will end on an external candidate (and takes a guess at who that candidate might be). Then we talk about how much change could be coming to Giants’ roster management, who the team might be adding in free agency, and who the crucial pieces seem to be going forward.

Don’t forget, if you prefer to read rather than listen, Substack now has an AI-generated Transcription function. Just click on the tab above.

You can find all of Alex’s work by following him on Twitter — or check out his excellent Instagram feed — @PavlovicNBCS

And, of course, you can find all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber:

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Waiting for the Man” (or Woman!) by The Velvet Underground

My guest on this week’s There R Giants podcast is 2023 San Jose Giants Manager Jeremiah Knackstedt. We talk about a little about Jeremiah’s Indy Ball background and his history with Farm Director Kyle Haines, and then we plunge into talking San Jose Giants’ players — Carson Whisenhunt, Hayden Birdsong, Reggie Crawford, Diego Velasquez, Bryce Eldridge and much more!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Dreamer in My Dreams” by Wilco

It’s another conversation with Kerry Crowley on this week’s There R Giants’ podcast as Kerry and I discuss the Bob Melvin hiring and what it means for the Giants going forward. There’s also a little Rule 5 talk before we wrap things up this week. But mostly, it’s a lot of BoMel!

Follow Kerry on Twitter @KO_Crowley to see all of his great work on the Giants and other Bay Area sports topics. And, of course, you can read all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “I’m Waiting For the Day” by the Beach Boys

My guest this week is The Athletic’s Senior Editor and Writer Melissa Lockard who does such a great job covering the Giants’ and A’s farm systems. Melissa is also a life-long A’s fan, and we talk a bit about what it’s been like to cover the A’s in 2023 before turning to discuss the Giants’ farm. As always, it’s a thrill to get to spend time talking ball with her and hearing her insights into the system.

If you prefer reading to listening, Substack now has an AI-generated transcription of the podcast available. Just hit the transcriptions tab above to read our full discussion.

You can follow Melissa on Twitter @melissalockard to see all of her work with The Athletic. And, of course, you can follow me as well @rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work delivered straight to your Inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James

My guest on this week’s podcast is Carlos Collazo, who heads up the draft coverage for Baseball America. Carlos drops by to take a look back at the Giants’ 2023 draft class which, spoiler alert, he’s a big fan of!

If you prefer reading to listening, Substack now offers an AI-generated transcript of the program which you can find by clicking on the “Transcript” tab above.

Carlos’ work is absolutely essential for anybody interested in the draft — as is everything that comes from the Baseball Bible of BA! Follow Carlos on twitter at @CarlosACollazo.

And you can follow me at @rog61 or, to get all of my Giants’ prospect writings, simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Song 2” by Blur

Sneaking in one more podcast before the holiday, as my friend Kerry Crowley, editor for The Athletic and KNBR show host, joins me once again for what is now officially dubbed the KROG podcast.

Kerry and I talk winter needs for the Giants, look at Marco Luciano’s winter in the Dominican, and think about perfect free agent or trade fits for the team going forward.

You can follow Kerry’s work on twitter @KO_Crowley or listen to his non-KROG podcasts on his You Tube channel. And, of course, you can follow me on twitter @rog61 or, to read all of my Giants’ prospect work, become a subscriber at There R Giants.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “The Price You Pay” by Bruce Springsteen

Alex Hinz is a Player Agent who works for BPA Agency and represents quite a few players in the San Francisco Giants’ organization, including Ryan Walker, R.J. Dabovich, Ben Madison and more! Alex is good enough to take some time before the winter meetings to talk to me about what player development is like from the player’s perspective. We talk off-season plans and work, in-season logistics, and the mental strength and stamina that it takes to play in this game.

For those of you who prefer reading interviews to listening to them, don’t forget that Substack now provides AI-generated transcriptions of the program which you can find my clicking on the “Transcription” tab above.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “We Ain’t Got Nothing Yet” by Blues Magoos

Kerry Crowley returns for another KROG discussion where we go over the dearth of news made at the MLB Winter Meetings, return to exciting moments from off-seasons past, and wonder how big a move to hope for.

You can follow all of Kerry’s work on Twitter @KO_Crowley and watch his non-KROG podcasts on his You Tube channel. And, of course, you read all of my work by becoming a subscriber to There R Giants, or perhaps giving the gift of There R Giants to the Giants’ fan in your life!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “So Tired of Waiting for You” by The Kinks

Kerry Crowley and Roger Munter team up for another KROG pod, talking over the highs and lows of a crazy week on the free agency front.

You can follow Kerry’s work on twitter @KO_Crowley and watch The Kerry Crowley Show on his You Tube channel.

And you can read all of Roger’s work by subscribing to There R Giants. From now until Dec. 24, Roger is offering a Christmas savings of 20% off of annual subscriptions, for you or the other Giants’ fans in your life!

Intro/Outro: “Somebody to Love” by Queen

For the final There R Giants podcast of 2023, David B. Flemming drops by to chat about the Giants’ off-season hopes and plans, including their intense pursuit of Jung-Hoo Lee and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. We revisit the team’s turn to aggressive prospect promotions in 2023 and how successful that philosophical change turned out. And we talk about Patrick Bailey’s year and what will be necessary to take his game to the next level. (We recorded this pod at the end of last week, skant hours before the Giants officially announced the Lee signing.)

Thanks so much to everyone who has joined me this year on podcasts and posts. Your support is the best Christmas gift I could get (although having Dave stop by on the pod is pretty great, too!).

Don’t forget, for the rest of the week, I’m offering 20% off of annual subscriptions as a Christmas Special, so now’s a great time to become a full subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues

I’m totally geeked up about today’s podcast. Robert Orr wrote what, in my opinion, was the best piece of baseball analysis last year quantifying what he called the SEAGER approach to hitting (after Corey Seager, who is the preeminent examplar of this approach). We talked about what led him to discover the SEAGER approach and possible implications that this nuance on swing decision metrics could have for individual players and organizational Player Development philosophies going forward. We talk about Patrick Bailey, Marco Luciano, and dig into some numbers for the Giants’ farm system overall, and talk about how the SEAGER approach gives us a lens for understanding their strengths and weaknesses.

Check out Robert’s articles on the topic at Baseball Prospectus: “Quantifying the Corey Seager Approach,” and “SEAGER at the Team Level,” to get the full scope of his work. And follow Robert on Twitter NotTheBobbyOrr to see where he takes his work next.

If you enjoy the There R Giants podcast, you might want to become a There R Giants’ subscriber to see all of my work on the system. My Top 50 rankings will be rolling out soon! And after that it’s time for my annual trip to Papago Park for Spring Training, so now’s a great time to become a subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Personality Crisis” by the New York Dolls

Kerry Crowley is back for another KROG podcast as we take a look at the Giants’ options for the offseason, talk about the current shape of the pitching staff and middle infield, and discuss the concept of prospects being “blocked” by major league moves.

As always, you should check out all of Kerry’s You Tube podcasts at KerryCrowleyShow. And check out all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “On the Rebound” by Floyd Cramer

One of the top pitching prospects from a suddenly pitching-rich system, Mason Black joins me this week to talk about his approach to the offseason, his search for the perfect slider shape, and how he’s working towards what he hopes will be his major league debut in the not too distant future (and so do I!).

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Back in Black” by AC/DC

Once again this year, it’s my privilege to get to chat with Giants’ Senior International Scouting Director, Joe Salermo, to discuss the team’s latest class of incoming international free agents. January 15th opens the year’s signing period (it closes on December 15th), and the Giants introduced 20 new talents to the system. Joe talks about the team’s history with top signings Yoendry Sanchez and Jhonny Level, and points out a few of the real sleepers he thinks the Giants got this year. Salermo also talks a little about the team’s history scouting Jung-Hoo Lee and players from last year’s class who really stood out in their first season of pro ball.

I can’t thank Joe enough for taking the time at the end of a long, busy day to share his insights with There R Giants’ listeners.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “All Over the World,” by ELO

Kerry Crowley and I team up for yet another KROG podcast, diving into this long, slow winter of cold stove action. We talk about where the line falls between “bold action” and “silly money,” and wonder if the Giants’ new strategy is actually a return to the “soft rebuild?” And we try to find the perfect players additions that will allow the team to both develop and compete in 2024.

Watch all episodes of the Kerry Crowley Podcast on his You Tube channel, youtube.com/@KerryCrowleyShow or follow him on twitter at KO_Crowley. And you can follow all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber, the good folks who generously bring you this show.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Which Will” by Lucinda Williams

Baseball Prospectus’ prospect writer Eli Walsh drops by the pod to discuss this year’s BPro Giants rankings, and take a look back at the progress of last year’s group as well. We talk a lot of Marco Luciano and Kyle Harrison (and Casey Schmitt!) and get into the young bats, the pitching depth, and a few sleepers Eli likes.

Follow Eli on twitter @walsh_eli to find all of his prospect work. And follow me on Twitter @rog61 or just become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Girl of 100 Lists” by The Go-Gos

This week I’m joined by one of the best sources for Giants’ international baseball news, and a long-time essential Giants’ twitter follow known as GPT, or Giants Prospects.

We talk about the history of Giants’ scouting and development in the international realm, the importance of Marco Luciano’s success, the most recent international class, and a tease for next year. It’s always great to get to talk with Avi and dig into the international scene.

You can (and should!) follow GPT on twitter @GPT and follow his Substack as well GPT’s Substack

And, of course, you can follow all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Internacional” by The Brazilian Girls

Kerry and Roger get back together to talk about the risky nature of the Giants’ current roster which includes plenty of upside but little certainty. How will it come together?

Follow Kerry and Roger on Twitter at KO_Crowley and at Rog61. And don’t forget to watch Kerry’s solo pods as well, on You Tube at Kerry Crowley Show. To get all of Roger’s work, just become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Take a Chance on Me” by ABBA

This week I’m joined by Lance Brozdowski, Player Development Analyst for the Marquee Sports Network — which is pretty much the coolest job title in all of baseball as far as I’m concerned. Lance also has a fantastic You Tube channel on which he does deep dives into the prospect world, using the type of data-driven development lens that all modern front offices are using.

I particularly want to highlight two videos that Lance posted earlier this winter that we’ll be referring to a lot in this pod:

* An Overview of MiLB Organizational Hitting Philosophies

* An Overview of MiLB Organizational Pitching Philosophies

Those videos don’t highlight the Giants’ philosophies — that’s what today’s podcast is here for — but they do give a context for how philosophies differ across baseball.

You can keep up with all of Lance’s work by following him on Twitter at LanceBroz or right here on SubstackLance's Pitcher Notes

To read all of my thoughts on Giants’ player development, of course, follow me on Twitter at Rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber just in time for spring training.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire

While mired in the desolation of another heart-breaking 49ers loss, Kerry and I try to figure out what exactly the Giants approach to the coming season really is. We talked about why signing Jorge Soler (done!) and more still makes sense while overall pitching-focused rebuild provides long-range strategy.

Follow Kerry and Roger on Twitter at KO_Crowley and at Rog61. And don’t forget to watch Kerry’s solo pods as well, on You Tube at Kerry Crowley Show. To get all of Roger’s work, just become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “With Arms Outstretched” by Rilo Kiley

The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee joins me to talk about the Giants’ incredible pitching experiment, the “two timelines” theory of Giants’ roster construction, and exactly how much is on the line in the coming year.

You can (and should!) read all of Grant’s great work at The Athletic, and follow him on Twitter for the jokes and record collection talk @GrantBrisbee. You can follow me on Twitter @Rog61, or on Notes here on Substack, or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work delivered straight to your Inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “What’s He Building?” by Tom Waits

Kerry and I talk Brandon Crawford’s departure to St. Louis and Nick Ahmed’s arrival and how the two are joined. We also catch up to the Jorge Soler signing. And we continue to be fascinated by the burden the Giants seem to content to place on their young pitching. We also get into communications strategies and public messaging in today’s KROG podcast.

Watch all of the episodes of the Kerry Crowley show on Kerry’s You Tube channel. And you can follow all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Panda and the Freak” by The Baseball Project

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic drops by the pod to talk early buzz from the Giants’ spring camp. We talk about people sleeping on Kyle Harrison, all the young arms in camp, the chances that the Giants capture a generation of Korean baseball fans, and we get into a surprising amount of Tyler Fitzgerald love!

You can keep up with all of Alex’ reports from camp (after a short “Dad-cation”) by following on Twitter @PavlovicNBCS. You can also follow me @rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my Giants’ prospect work delivered ad-free to your Inbox. We’ve reached the top of the Top 50 and my spring reports from minor league camp will be coming in a couple of weeks, so now’s a great time to become a subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “First Date” by Blink-182

SF Chronicle’s great beat writer Susan Slusser joins me from Arizona to talk about a fascinating Giants camp. Susan discusses the importance of Bob Melvin’s presence, the clear need for more starting pitching, the shortstop situation and much, much more.

You can, and SHOULD, follow Susan on Twitter @susanslusser to keep up with her daily coverage of the team. (Also, follow her new colleage on the Giants beat @ShaynaRubin). And you can follow me @rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to keep up with and support my daily work covering the Giants’ farm system.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Turn It On” by Sleater-Kinney

J.P. Ricciardi, former GM of the Toronto Blue Jays and long time front office executive who has worked with the Yankees, A’s, Mets, and Giants has retired after more than four decades in the game. He graciously joins the pod to talk about his life int he game, people he’s known and worked with, and the changes he’s seen in the game he loves.

We also talk about his new podcast, The Brushback with JP, which you should definitely check out. You can always keep up with new episodes by following him on Twitter @RicciardiJP.

And, of course, you can follow by work by following me on Twitter @rog61 or by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber, just in time for my trip to Giants’ minor league camp.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “One Last Time” by the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton

Kerry Crowley and I talk about the late roster changes that brought a fantastic off-season all together and get excited for the coming season! We also talk a little about my time at Papago Park and the youth wave on the rise throughout the system and a lot about Marco Luciano and Nick Ahmed.

You can follow Kerry on Twitter at KO_Crowley and watch all episodes of The Kerry Crowley Show on You Tube. And, of course, you can follow me on Twitter at rog61 or to get all of my work, simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber. The season is almost here, so it’s a great time to join.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Can’t Hardly Wait” by The Replacements

With the 2024 minor league season beginning tomorrow, I wanted to talk a little minor league life with the voice of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Trey Wilson. We talk “good guys,” clubhouse culture, long days, and the joys of watching homegrown waves of talent ascend to the top.

You can follow Trey on Twitter (where you’ll see a lot of great photos from press boxes as well as tons of Squirrels highlights and facts) at treywilson757. And, of course, you can follow me on twitter at rog61, or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work delivered, ad-free, direct to your Inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “This Time Tomorrow” by The Kinks

To welcome in the start of the 2024 minor league season, I’m joined by fellow Giants’ prospect maven Wrenzie Regodon to preview all four Giants’ minor league affiliate teams, making our best guesses at what the rosters will look like. It’s a super-stuffed edition of the pod as we go level by level, talking about the most compelling parts of every roster and picking out a few sleeper candidates on top of the big names.

(Quick Note to avoid confusion: you’ll note in the podcast that some of our thoughts on the Eugene roster don’t quite jive with the written preview I published yesterday. This podcast was actually recorded a bit earlier than that written piece, which we now know to be more accurate).

You can follow Wrenzie’s work at his patreon, Around the Foghorn, or Bayside Baseball, but just follow him on twitter @giantprospectiv to get all of his work and thoughts on Giants prospects. And you can follow me at twitter as well @rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my daily Minor Lines posts throughout the season.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Begin the Begin” by R.E.M.

It’s a Flying Squirrels Opening Day edition of the podcast as I sit down with new Squirrels Carson Ragsdale and Hunter Bishop to talk about their development journeys that have been beset with health obstacles. They talk about keeping their spirits up and working through often painful rehabs and looking forward to a full, healthy season. I also get a team preview of the 2024 edition of the Squirrels from returning manager Dennis Pelfrey. The season is upon us!

Which means it’s a great time to become a There R Giants’ subscriber and get full coverage of the Giants’ minor league system.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Feeling Good” by My Brightest Diamond

MLB’s great prospect writer Jim Callis joins me once again to talk about the state of the Giants’ farm system, including prospects, post-prospects, and the recent draft — where we discover that we have something unknown in common! Jim also gets into some fascinating potential future plans for the Spring Breakout showcase!

You can (and should!) follow Jim on twitter at jimcallisMLB to keep up with all of his great work on prospects and the upcoming draft. And, of course, you can follow me on twitter at rog61 to find all of my Giants-related prospect work, or simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber. With the new minor league season just underway, it’s a great time to subscribe for daily coverage of the entire system:

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Are We the Waiting” by Green Day

[NOTE: Apologies for the false start on this post. An alert reader pointed out that I didn’t quite get the start of the video in the right place!]

Ok, I’m going to try something different this time! Since Kerry always posts his Kerry Crowley Show (including all of our KROG collaborations) to his You Tube channel, and since Substack supports both video and audio programming, I’m going to join the modern world and provide the latest KROG in both video and podcast format so you can enjoy our conversation however you’d like!

Kerry and I talk about the Giants’ slow start, our expectations going forward for many of the players, and we get into some of what’s happening on the farm as well.

Watch all of Kerry’s shows on his You Tube channel, at Kerry Crowley Show, or follow him on twitter to get all of his thoughts and output at KO_Crowley. You can follow me on twitter as well at rog61, or subscribe to There R Giants to get all of my coverage of the Giants’ farm system.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

On this week’s pod, I have one of the hardest working folks in the baseball business, Mike Ferrin, who has lent his voice to broadcasts, podcasts, radio shows, and much more over his more than two decades. Mike and I talk about how player development has and hasn’t changed over his time in the game, revisit some Giants’ prospects and coaches of old, and assess where the organization currently sits among its peers.

Mike absolutely loves the game of baseball in all of its myriad forms, and you should follow him on twitter @Mike_Ferrin to keep up with his many, many activities and thoughts on the game.

And, of course, you can follow my work on twitter @rog61, or simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work delivered direct to your Inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash

Everything about Reggie Crawford is immense. He’s a huge guy, with huge stuff and enormous talent. But he’s also a person with real star-wattage in his personality. He’s thoughtful, articulate, and incisive in the way he views his pursuit of greatness. And there’s no better way to bring that aspect of Crawford across than with another “In the Dugout” vi…

For this week’s podcast, I have a trio of interviews from the Diamond in Richmond (excuse the standard stadium noisiness!), all involving pitchers whose baseball paths have involved twists and turns.

First, I spoke with Reggie Crawford, the Giants’ top pick in the 2022 draft, who has just recently joined the Richmond pitching staff as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Crawford is, for the first time in his career, developing as a pitcher only, after being a two-way player at UConn and previously in his pro career. We talk about his time as a hitter in the AFL and the decision to focus on pitching, his health history, the path forward and much more.

Next I spoke with 2021 4th round pick, Eric Silva, who is negotiating a change from starter to reliever in his third full season. Eric talks about the relationship he’s built with fellow pitcher Jose Cruz, the value of being bilingual, and the improvements he’s made to the mental side of his craft.

Finally, Tanner Kiest discusses his long career in Independent leagues as he worked on his craft and worked his way back to affiliate ball. A decade after he was originally drafted by the Phillies in 2014, Kiest has made it to Double-A, where he’s doing quite well in the Squirrels’ bullpen, sporting an 0.82 ERA over his first seven games.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “You Learn,” by Alanis Morissette

Kerry Crowley and Roger Munter get together once again to talk over the Giants first month of the 2024 season. We talk about the wonder of Matt Chapman’s throwing arm, the likelihood that the offense will pick up, and the looming question of how far the Giants will stretch out their young pitchers.

Watch all of episodes of The Kerry Crowley show on his You Tube channel, and follow him on twitter at KO_Crowley. You can follow me on twitter at Rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my Giants’ prospect work.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Pieces of April” by Three Dog Night

This week on There R Giants podcast, I’m joined by the Sacramento River Cats’ play by play man, Zack Bayrouty. The long time Stockton Ports announcer, who took over behind the microphone for the River Cats last year, talks about the success they’ve been having on the field both individually and as a team. Zack and I discuss the plethora of pitchers vying for big league opportunities and the growth of hitters like Marco Luciano, Casey Schmitt, Brett Wisely, and Luis Matos.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “If and When” by the dBs

MLB.com’s Maria Guardado joins me to talk about the young wave of talent joining the Giants, and the struggles, adjustments, and improvements that are helping these young talents stick on the roster going forward.

You can follow Maria on twitter at mi_guardado to see all of her coverage of the Giants (including a special report on the upcoming Field of Dreams game from Rickwood Field).

Follow me on twitter at rog61, or you can subscribe to There R Giants to get all of my daily coverage of the Giants’ farm system.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It’s time for another installation of There R Giants’ ever popular video interview series, In the Dugout! In this installment, we talk with Giants’ right-handed pitcher, Eric Silva. The Giants’ 2021 4th round pick out of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA, Silva is going through multiple transitions this year: into the upper minors and to the bullpen. Through it all, Silva remains a thoughtful, introspective, and articulate young man, who is as interested in his growth as a person as he is his growth as an athlete. I hope you enjoy this super engaging talk with Silva, definitely one of my favorites to converse with.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This week’s pod features a couple of pitchers who have been carving up hitters this year without the normal huge velocity we tend to associate with great pitching performances. John Michael Bertrand has now won the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors twice, while Dylan Cumming was the Pitcher of the Month for the Northwest League in April — and has a decent shot at repeating the honor in May. Both of them were generous enough to share their baseball journeys with me and detail their preparation and thought processes when on the mound.

This one’s a little noisy — as happens with in-stadium interviews, but it’s well worth it. Both of these guys are thoughtful, articulate, and engaging!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” by Gladys Knight and the Pips

This week’s There R Giants podcast features Richmond Hitting and Pitching Coaches Cory Elasik and Paul Oseguera (respectively). Together they walk me through the Richmond roster talking about development growth they’ve seen from their players this year — many of whom they’ve coached in previous years as well. We talk about the recently promoted Grant McCray and Hayden Birdsong, and a wide variety of other Flying Squirrels including Victor Bericoto, Adrian Sugastey, Vaun Brown, Carson Ragsdale, Evan Gates and many more.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “But I’m Different Now” by The Jam

Kerry Crowley and I have finally gotten our schedules synced up — but things haven’t changed a whole lot in the NL or with the Giants since last we spoke. Kerry and I discuss whether this .500 club is just another variety of the one we’ve watched the past two years, or whether there’s something more interesting brewing under the surface. Along the way, we talk about the delightful surprise that has been Heliot Ramos, the pitching staff’s shortages, and the NL’s “race” for mediocrity.

Follow Kerry on twitter at KO_Crowley and make sure to look for all the episodes of The Kerry Crowley Show on his You Tube page. You can follow me on twitter at Rog61, and get all of my Giants’ prospect work delivered straight to your inbox by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “They Didn’t Believe Me” by Dinah Washington

Eli Walsh, part of the fine prospect-coverage crew at Baseball Prospectus stops by to join me and talk about a few of the players on the San Jose and Sacramento rosters. Eli writes the Giants’ organizational rankings for B-Pro, and helps fill in some of my West Coast blindspots with his first-hand reports from the Cal League and PCL.

We talk big players like Bryce Eldridge and Carson Whisenhunt, and a few more obscure discoveries, like Trent Harris and Cesar Perdomo. Check out all of Eli’s work at the Monday Morning Ten Pack (including this week’s report on Whisenhunt), and follow him on twitter at walsh_eli to find all of his prospect coverage.

You can follow me on twitter at Rog61 to find all of my work, or simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber and get it all delivered straight to your inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Twisting by the Pool” by Dire Straits

Carlos Collazo, lead correspondent for Baseball America’s draft coverage, joins me this week to provide an overview of this year’s draft class — a class Carlos calls one of the weaker ones in recent memory. We discuss the power at the top, the strengths and weaknesses (where are you high school hitters?), and why #13 isn’t the best position to be drafting from this year.

You can follow Carlos on twitter at CarlosACollazo, and, of course, find all of his draft work, mocks, and more at Baseball America dot com. And you can follow me on twitter at rog61, or better yet, become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my Giants’ work delivered straight to your Inbox with no ads, no sponsors, and no intereference.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Alison’s Starting to Happen” by the Lemonheads

This week I’m joined by my friend Kevin Cunningham to talk about his trip down to Birmingham, AL for the Field of Dreams game at Rickwood Field. We talk Willie Mays, history, stadium design, and sneak in a little prospect talk along the way as well.

You can follow all of Kevin’s Giant Futures work on his many different platforms by following him on twitter at sfgiantfutures, which should lead you to his Instagram and Tik Tok work as well.

And you can follow me on twitter at rog61 or get all of my work sent directly to your Inbox by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Since You’ve Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)” by Aretha Franklin

Kerry Crowley and Roger Munter talk about the Giants’ better play of late, and look towards the future, trade deadline, All Star Game and all!

Catch every edition of The Kerry Crowley show by subscribing to Kerry’s You Tube page, or follow him on twitter at KO_Crowley. You can follow me on twitter at Rog61, or, to get all of my work on Giants’ prospects simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Let the Good Times Roll” by The Cars

This week’s podcast features interviews with two pitchers who have been through their battles with health issues: Richmond left-hander, Seth Corry, and right-hander Will Bednar. Both have had their share of ups and downs, and gained new perspective on this game the play for a living. After long rehabs, both are finally healthy again and getting to compete and play. I love having these two interviews together, because I feel like the interplay between the two of them makes each a little richer.

To get much more of my Giants prospect work, become a There R Giants’ subscriber. You’ll get daily coverage of the farm system, insight from players and coaches, tons of video from games, and much more, all ad-free and delivered straight to your Inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “The Century Plant” by Victoria Williams

It’s once again the time of year when I have my friend Brian Recca, from Prospects Live, on to dive into the Giants’ draft. Brian is a relentless field rat who works as hard as anybody I know covering the draft class in depth, and he’s always kind enough to come on the pod and share his opinions on a lot of players that he’s seen in person. We talk about a draft built on power, the progress of James Tibbs III, the incredible high upside of Dakota Jordan, and Brian finds me some sleepers in the lower rounds.

You absolutely should be following Brian on twitter at brian_recca, where he posts tons of first person looks and video from his travels, as well as his and his colleages work at Prospects Live.

And you can follow all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber to get my daily posts, ad-free, delivered straight to your inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Danger! High Voltage” by Electric Six

This week’s episode of the There R Giants podcast features two player interviews conducted in the not too distant past at The Diamond in Richmond. I caught up with shortstop Christian Koss just before his promotion up to Sacramento, and we talked defense, unexpected trades, and controlling the zone. Then I chatted with Carter Howell to talk about his baseball journey, including the impact of COVID, what happens when you go undrafted, and the things he’s learned about his game as a pro.

They’re both great conversations, and if you want to get much more of my coverage of the Giants’ minor league system, you can receive daily, ad-free posts by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Getting Better” by The Beatles

This week’s There R Giants podcast features two more player interviews from Richmond, with two outfielders who have dealt with some physical issues this year. We talk about staying healthy and physical with both Wade Meckler and Jairo Pomares, as well as touching on Meckler’s big league experience last year, Pomares’ experience growing up in baseball-mad Cuba, and more.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “World Without Tears” by Lucinda Williams

This week’s podcast includes conversations with the top two picks of the Giants’ 2023 draft: Bryce Eldridge and Walker Martin. The two have traveled different paths in their first season, never playing on the same team after spring training. But they each reflect on their journeys in thoughtful, confident ways. Both young players get strong reviews from scouts, and hopefully are on their way to becoming big parts of the Giants’ future.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “10th Avenue Freeze Out” by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

More player interviews from Eugene on this week’s edition of the podcast. I caught up with Trent Harris, one of the biggest pop up relievers of the year in the Giants’ system, Joe Whitman, the 2nd rounder from Kent State who his having a really strong first year, and Charlie Szykowny, who’s been having a sneaky good under the radar first season.

Of course, all of these conversations are thanks to the support of my subscribers, who allow There R Giants to exist. And if you’d like to become one of those who support my work, I have just the link for you!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “A Beginning Song” by The Decemberists

Kerry Crowley and I sweep up the ashes of a disappointing season, talk about the player development system, and look for signs of hope.

You can watch to all episodes of The Kerry Crowley Show on his You Tube channel, and to follow my work, simply click below to become a There R Giants’ subscriber.

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Intro/Outro: “Float On” by Modest Mouse

The San Jose Giants are facing a “win or go home” situation tonight at Modesto in Game 2 of their Cal League playoff series, and to get you all excited to root, root, root for the road team, I have Joe Ritzo, the long time voice of the San Jose Giants on to talk about the Giants’ changing team, and the rivalry they’ve had with this Modesto club the last couple of years. We talk a lot of Bo Davidson, which leads perfectly into a short interview that I recorded with Davidson a few weeks ago in San Jose.

Between the two, you’ll have all the information you need to watch tonight’s big game!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ranking season has come again, and to get us started thinking about Giants’ lists, Baseball America’s Josh Norris stops by to talk the year that was — who’s impressed (Bryce Eldridge), who’s moving up in industry evaluation (Bo Davidson) and much more.

Follow Josh on twitter at jnorris427 to find great video looks at players all over the baseball landscape and follow his invaluable work (along with his colleagues) at Baseball America dot com. And, of course, you can get all of my work on the Giants’ farm system by simply becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber. We’ll have rankings, depth charts, reviews, previews and much more coming this winter as we prepare for another year of ball in 2025.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Your Hands (Together)” by New Pornographers

With the minor league season fully concluded now, I’m going to finish off my backload of player interviews from the season with two more “2024 minor league season” podcasts. First up, I have interviews conducted with Jonah Cox in Eugene back in mid-August, and a couple of final homestand interviews I did in Richmond with Diego Velasquez (hat tip to Lispo Nava for helping out with that one for translation) and Turner Hill. All three of these guys were in my Organizational All-Stars post after really strong years, and all are fun and engaging guys who are very thoughtful about what it takes to succeed.

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Intro/Outro: “Don’t Cha Stop” by The Cars

Kerry and I talk about the Giants’ spate of hot play near the end, what it all means, and where the club goes from here in the final KROG of the 2024 season.

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Intro/Outro: “Where Do We Go From Here?” by The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

It’s a Fresno State-themed podcast as former Bulldogs teammates Zach Morgan and Andrew Kachel discuss baseball in the valley, playing for the team you grew up rooting for, and the baseball friendships made along the way.

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Intro/Outro: “Be True to Your School” by The Beach Boys

Kerry Crowley and I return to discuss the stunning turn of events at the top of the Giants’ Organization. There’s a whole lot of Buster Posey talk on this edition of the KROG podcast — what to expect going forward, who the major players in the organization might be going forward, and, the big one, will this all work?

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Intro/Outro: “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam and Dave

With the news that Buster Posey had taking the reins of the Giants’ organization as the new President of Baseball Operations, I wanted to get somebody on the podcast who understands the ins and outs of a baseball front office, and also knows a bit about Posey. So my dream guest was Eric Flemming, who spent nearly two decades in the Giants’ front office. Eric talks about Posey’s unique talents, the nitty gritty of working in baseball operations, and the value of optimism in player development.

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On this week’s episode, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris joins me to talk about Buster Posey’s ascension to President of Baseball Operations, the concept of over-steering, the worrisome brain drain that seems to be happening over time, the importance of critical listening skills, and the most effective ways to provide players with the resources to help them succeed.

Eno’s work at The Athletic is some of the best national baseball coverage on the data and technology revolution in player development, and his Rates and Barrels podcast is one of my very favorite listens every week. You can even watch it on You Tube.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Watch the Tapes” by LCD Soundsystem

Kerry Crowley and I dig into the mood surrounding this new world of Giants’ baseball. Is there a newfound sense of optimism with Buster Posey taking charge? Or are reports of lowering payrolls causing the Faithful to plunge into despair? One thing’s for sure, it’s a whole new ballgame! We discuss on this episode of the KROG podcast!

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “My Ever Changing Moods” by The Style Council

On this week’s podcast, I’m joined once again by our great Giants’ broadcaster, David B. Flemming. We talk tough times for radio and the Giants’ relationship with KNBR, Buster Posey’s vision for the Giants, and whether the young talent that we saw in 2024 has the makings of a competitive core.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Moving On Up” by Primal Scream

My guest this week is Eli Walsh, who once again this year penned the Giants’ prospect rankings for Baseball Prospectus. We spend a good lot of time talking about Prospectus’ always interesting 25 and Under talent list for the Giants, which has seen some surprising developments, before turning to talk of Bryce Eldridge, James Tibbs III, Carson Whisenhunt and others.

Be sure to follow Eli’s work on Baseball Prospectus, or at Twitter (at walsh_eli), Blue Sky (at eliwalsh.bsky.social) or the social media of your choice.

You can follow me as well, at rog61 on Twitter or rog61.bsky.social at Blue Sky to see all my work, or, more conveniently, just get a There R Giants’ subscription for you or the Giants lover in your family this holiday season.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Waiting for Superman” by The Flaming Lips

Kerry Crowley and I talk about the Giants’ vibe-based approach to roster building, the importance of having “top steppers,” and the pursuit of Corbin Burnes. We also make a Christmas wish for the return of good old fashioned baseball trades to the Giants’ off-season.

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Intro/Outro: Selections from “Nutcracker Suite for Guitar” by Stevan Pasero

This week, The Athletic’s Katie Woo joins me to talk about St. Louis Cardinals’ player development issues. Katie and I identify a few places where the Cardinals and Giants find themselves in similar circumstances, and she discusses the Cardinals’ plans to fix their development processes.

Follow Katie on Twitter at katiejwoo or on Bluesky at katiejwoo.bsky.social. You can follow me on Bluesky at rog61.bsky.social or simply become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work delivered straight to your inbox.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “Christmas Blues” by Ralph Willis

My guest this week is Joe Doyle, host of the fantastic “Over-Slot” podcast and prospect analyst for Future Stars Series_Plus. Joe and I talk about the the Giants’ draft and development identity, what types of players they have historically looked for in the draft, and how that might change under Buster Posey’s leadership.

You can become a Patreon subscriber to hear all of Joe’s conversations with Scouting Directors around MLB and other front office personnel, or follow him on Twitter at JoeDoyleMiLB or at BlueSky at joedoylemilb.bsky.social to follow all his work. You can find me at BlueSky at rog61.bsky.social to see all my work or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get it all delivered right to your Inbox.

For those of you who would rather read than listen, you can check the “Transcripts” tab to see AI’s version of our conversation.

There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Intro/Outro: “See Me, Feel Me” by The Who