Passion for the Pastime

Giants Baseball is Back! How the Giants stack up in the National League and what the Giants could still need as the Season approaches

Where in the world is Shohei Ohtani? The latest update and more from the Winter Meetings

Ohtani talks in "final stages", What do the Giants do if he decides to play elsewhere?

Uprooted in Oakland as Owner's vote sends A's to Vegas + Ohtani Updates/Potential teams & more Rumors as the Hot Stove heats up

MLB Hot Stove Talk, Better MVP Ohtani or Acuna + the Latest rumors surrounding Ohtani and others

Bruce Bochy is back on top of the Baseball World + Interview with Martin Gallegos to discuss the World Series, Bochy and what the Giants gain from adding Bob Melvin

Minnesota Twins beat writer of The Athletic, Dan Hayes joins the show to break down the start of the series between the Giants and Twins, Carlos Correa's struggles and much more

Sacramento Rivercats Play-by-Play voice, Zack Bayrouty, joins the show to discuss Casey Schmitt showing out with his bat as well as updates on other top tier prospects in Sacramento

Scott Braun joined the show to discuss the new rules, NL West outlook and if Ohtani will be in a new uniform next season

Robert Flores talks BIG Picture around MLB, tight division races and teams who have a legitimate chance at making noise this season

Martin Gallegos joins the show to talk Ohtani getting the start on Opening Night in Oakland, describes him as MUST WATCH TV and discusses some young A's who look to make their presence know in MLB

Jeff Fletcher talks Ohtani's rise to become the best player in the World and discusses what may be next for the two-way superstar

Dan Hayes talks WBC and fall out of Edwin Diaz injury as well as the latest on the Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa

Katie Woo joins the show to discuss the electric WBC as well as Yadi Molina's desire to coach and some nuggets from Cardinals Spring Training

Joe Ritzo talks Giants Spring Training Baseball, Conforto & Haniger first impressions as well as the future of the Giants who may not be too far from the big leagues

Susan Slusser joins the show to break down the new look Giants, key position battles as well as some young talent that is making their presence know at Spring Training

Derek Togerson breaks down rule changes & the latest Machado contract extension and the Padres future spending plans

Tim Britton joins the show to discuss the 2023 Mets, Pete Alonso's rise, the addition of Senga & Verlander as well as what type of player the Giants get in Michael Conforto 

Anthony Castrovince recaps the Offseason moves as we get ready for the start of the season

After an absence of six years, the World Baseball Classic is back!!! 20 Countries compete to be recognized as the best in the world, and Team USA is the defending champion. How their chances to repeat look entering the tournament, the All-Star Team that is the Dominican Republic, the spectacle of Shohei Ohtani as well as potential future stars to keep an eye on. A lot to discuss in this one as the WBC returns and the Fireworks begin March 7th.

Welcome back to another baseball season with Passion for the Pastime. With Pitchers and Catchers reporting to camps and everyone else shortly after that, it can only mean one thing, Spring Training is right around the corner! With the incoming season, there are a few rule changes that everyone needs to be aware of, and we speak with Baseball writer from the LA Times, Jorge Castillo, to break it all down. We discuss the four big rule changes coming to MLB and how they may effect the game: Bigger bases, limited Pickoff attempts, Pitch Clock, and Defensive shift restrictions. 

What the HELL Happened??? Dan Hayes of The Athletic talks us through what happened with the Giants and Correa and all the fall out from the Giants missing out on the big free agent

On this episode of the podcast, we are talking baseball with Washington Nationals beat writer Marck Zuckerman of MASN Sports. We discuss his experience hopping on an MLB broadcast as the color analyst for the first time as well as wrapping up the first half for the NL East. We also discuss the Juan Soto contract extention negotiations, as well as some possible deadline, moves the Nats could make as the Trade Deadline approaches.

Talking New York Mets Baseball with Mets beat writer for New York Daily News, Deesha Thosar, as the Mets continue to prove to be serious contenders even without their top Aces.

Talking about Giants baseball, past & present with NBC Sports Bay Area Analyst and San Francisco Giants World Series Champion, George Kontos. We remember the legend of Buster Posey, discuss the importance of the catcher position for the 2022 Giants as well as how well the Giants stack up against some of the top teams in the NL, Padres and Mets, who are coming to town on the next homestand.

On the 75th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947, we remember a man who sacrificed so much for those who would follow and sparked a movement that would change the country forever. We are also reminded, of how far we have come but also how much further we need to go. Joined by KNBR's Adam Copeland to discuss Jackie Robinson Day and remember the man who made everything we see today possible.

The wild wild NL West did not disappoint last year and the same might be said for the 2022 season. The heavy favorite to win it all, Los Angeles Dodgers against a San Francisco Giants team that is asked to prove that 107 wins a year ago wasn't a fluke. Then you have the Padres with their pitching depth and the added piece of manager Bob Melvin who will be looking to flip the script of the Padres in recent years of always coming up short. The Rockies look to play dark horse in the division as they just added former Giant Kris Bryant and the Dbacks at the bottom of the division looking for any kind of hope. A full slate of guests to join the podcast to help preview the 2022 NL West.

Thomas Harding of Mlb.com - Colorado Rockies (6:12)

Derek Togerson of NBC San Diego and Co-Host of On Friar Podcast - San Diego Padres (25:51)

Nick Piecoro of Arizona Repulic - Arizona Diamondbacks (52:21)

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic- Los Angeles Dodgers (1:06:45)

Walter Icabalceta of KNBR and host of Passion for the Pastime and contributor to Talking Baseball (SF Giants Pre Game Show) - San Francisco Giants (1:23:11) 

Welcome back to another episode of Passion for the Pastime. Carlos Correa signed with the Twins in a deal that took the baseball world by surprise. Minnesota Twins beat writer for The Athletic, Dan Hayes, breaks down the Twins Offseason moves and what moves the Twins still need to make in order to make this offseason a bigger success than it already is.

Talking Giants Baseball with the voice of the San Francisco Giants pre-game, Marty Lurie as we look at big questions for the Giants heading into the start of Spring Training. How will the Giants utilize the DH now in the National league? With the loss of Buster Posey behind the plate, is Joey Bart ready to command the pitching staff and how do the Giants supplement the loss of his bat in the lineup? 

MLB's lockout is now over! Welcoming back to the podcast Oakland A's beat writer for MLB.com, Martin Gallegos as we talk about the return to baseball and what may be in store in free agency, and what the plan may be for the Oakland A's as we near the 2022 season. 

The MLB Lockout continues: Lockout Update and what happens when baseball returns?

Welcome back to Passion for the Pastime, after a long lay off, we are back with Hot Stove Talk. Where will some key free agents end up this offseason. Hall of Fame ballot drama for players first years on the ballot and the looming question for players entering their final year of eligibility. Also some time has past since the World Series and the retirement of Buster Posey, some reaction as we get the ball rolling once again.

On this final episode of the 2021 regular season, we will look at the NL West division race as well as the crazy scenario that could unfold in the AL Wild Card, with four teams, Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and Mariners, fighting for two spots. Also lets get into the MVP talk. Who do you have? Vlad Jr or Shohei? Harper, Soto, Tatis or other? Should the MVP go to the best player on a winning team or the player with the better numbers? Also with Tingler more than likely out in SD, who will step into that role in 2022? A lot to get into with so little time. What a insane season of so many surprises and with one game left, we may be in store for one more shocking moment for the 2021 regular season.

On this episode of the podcast we are joined once again by San Francisco Giants beat writer for Bay Area News Group, Kerry Crowley. Following a tough series against the Brew Crew, the Giants are in first no more. Kerry and I talk Giants baseball and what troubles may lie ahead with injuries, the starting rotation and more.

On this Saturday edition of Passion for the Pastime Podcast, we are joined by ESPN inside for MLB and Host of the Baseball Tonight podcast, Buster Olney. Buster will help guide us through the chaos of what is the trade deadline. First, we discuss the Nelson Cruz trade and what the fallout will be for the AL East. Speaking of the AL East, we get into what the #Yankees plans are going into the week of the deadline. Buster also provides what he believes will happen with the #Cubs and where players such as Bryant, Kimbrel, Rizzo and Baez may end up. Also discuss the wild west with the Giants and Dodgers and how recent events may have changed strategy of the NL West rivals heading into the deadline. A lot of unravel on this Trade Deadline edition of Passion for the Pastime podcast. 

We are joined once again by Oakland Athletics beat writer for MLB.com, Martin Gallegos. A lot has gone down in the week leading up to the trade deadline, and a trade wasn't the reason why. Oakland city council had their vote on the new stadium plans for the baseball club and the result isn't what it seems. Martin explains what the vote represents and what it means moving forward. Also included is trade talk around the Oakland A's. How aggressive will they be? What players are on the team's radar? A busy week looks to get busier.

We head on over to the Bronx to talk Yankees baseball with New York Yankees beat writer for the New York Daily News, Kristie Ackert. An injury update on Luis Severino and Corey Kluber. The burning question is whether or not the Yankees will buy or sell. If they buy, what position or player are the Yankees looking to add? If they sell, who is on the move? Will Aaron Judge remain a Yankee in the near future? With the deadline approaching, these are the questions that need to be answered.

On this episode we are joined by beat writer of the St. Louis Cardinals for The Athletic, Katie Woo, to discuss the trade deadline for the Cardinals and what the plan of attack is for the second half of the season. Also discusses whether or not there should be concern of a departure from Nolan Arenado and much more.

Nationals beat writer for MASNsports.com, Mark Zuckerman joins the show to discuss the hard decisions the Nationals have entering the All-Star Break. After having a strong finish to the month of June, are the Nationals remind people what was done in 2019, but is that enough to keep the team together? 

On this episode we will stay with the orange and black but this time with a focus on the minor leagues. The perfect person to help us do that is Play-by-Play broadcaster for the San Jose Giants, Joe Ritzo. We discuss the new world of broadcasting due to Covid, Duane Kuiper's impact on Joe as a broadcaster. We also get to talking about Marco Luciano and the depth of the minor league system and much more.

On this episode of Passion for the Pastime, we speak with Kerry Crowley of Bay Area News Group to talk 2021 Giants Baseball. Also included is a discussion about Duane Kuiper and what he means to Kerry as well as a funny story he has with Kuip. Also, we will talk about the greatness of the 2021 Giants, including Crawford's record-breaking night and possible trades at the deadline. It's all orange and black talk in this one.

We are going north of the border to speak with the beat writer of the Toronto Blue Jays, Sportsnet's very own and Co-Host of At the Letters podcast, Ben Nicholson-Smith. We will be catching up with what has changed since we last spoke including the great signing of Marcus Semien, George Springer's health, and Vlad Jr emerging as one of the elites in the game today. Plenty to talk about with Ben on this episode of Passion for the Pastime.