There R Giants

David Flemming is once again my guest this week. We talk the World Series, how the Blue Jays can be a blueprint for the Giants going forward, what the Tony Vitello hire says about Buster Posey’s leadership, and the crucial process of putting together the new coaching staff.[Dave also very generously gives a happy testimonial as a paying subscriber to There R Giants. So be like Dave and sign up today, just in time to get my previews of 2026 rosters, complete depth charts for the organization, and, of course, the new year’s Top 50 ranking for the Giants’ organization.]There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Kerry and I talk about Tony Vitello’s introductory press conference, the dramatic (albeit tragic for Giants’ fans) World Series, and start thinking about the offseason to come. There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I’m joined by Jacob Rudner, who covers college baseball for Baseball America. Together we talk about the Giants’ historic decision to hire University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello to become the franchise’s 40th manager — and all the fascinating implications of this move.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

The Giants have rather shockingly named University of Tennessee head coach, Tony Vitello, as the franchise’s 40th manager — a historic and fascinating hiring. Kerry Crowley and I naturally had to crank up the ol’ podcast machine immediately to talk about it, in the Emergency Pod version of KROG!There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Baseball America’s Jesús Cano joins me this week to talk Instructional League, Bridge League, and Arizona Fall League action. We talk a bunch of Josuar Gonzalez, as well as the set up for Instructional League and the importance of game action in the fall.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Kerry and I dive into the manager search, and talk approaches to interviewing, potential favorites, and more wide-ranging organizational changes that could be on the horizon in the latest 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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rogermunter.substack.comThough the dugouts are all empty at this time of year, let’s drop another “In the Dugout” episode, this one featuring Drew Cavanaugh, who made it up to Double-A Richmond for the final month of the season. I caught up with Drew during the final weeks of his whirlwind season, in which he played for all four full-season affiliates in the Giants’ system — and hit a home run for all four of them, too! Drew talks through his baseball journey from freezing-cold Michigan to sunny Florida to making a name for himself in the Giants organization.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

My guest this week is Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes, who digs into the data to look at some of the best pitching breakouts of the season on the Giants’ farm. We also play a little game of “Prospect Showdowns,” stacking up Keyner Martinez vs Argenis Cayama, and Luis de la Torre vs Jacob Bresnahan in a ranking game. Geoff does incredible work at Baseball America, especially digging into the metrics, and he’s always a fun guy to talk ball 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 is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Kerry Crowley and I talk Giants’ 2025 season in the end game.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

It’s something of a theme pod today: Rehab Stories. I talk with three different pitchers who spent most of the last couple of years going through rehab together in the Giants’ Papago Park facility in Scottsdale. Ryan Murphy, R.J. Dabovich, and Chris Wright all give their own variations on the theme of life in rehab, and talk about the support and comfort that these players give each other while trying to work their way back to normal.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

The Northwest League Championship series begins tonight in Eugene, OR. And to help you get prepared for it — and recapture the feel of the amazing second half run that the Eugene Emeralds have been on — Eugene’s road announcer (and man of many behind-the-scenes talents) Jacob Archer rejoins the pod. We talk about the turnaround in pitching, the guys who really took forward strides along the way this year, the leadership that Charlie Szykowny and Jonah Cox have give the team all year long, and some of the recent additions to the team that have really supplemented the core. We also look at the Everett squad that they’ll be facing and give you a rundown of the important players in the other dugout as this Best of Five gets started.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

This week I have a matched pair to last week’s group of player interviews from my west coast swing. Where we had hitters in last week’s group, this week it’s the arms. I speak with one of the true break out stars of this season, left-hander Luis de la Torre, one of the hardest throwers in the Giants’ organization, right-hander Liam Simon, and the team’s 7th round pick in 2024, lefty Greg Farone, who is putting the finishing touches on a very strong first season of pro ball.All of my travel and player interviews are possible because of the support of There R Giants’ subscribers. If you want to support my work — and get a lot more of it — just click right here to start your subscription.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Kerry Crowley and I discuss the Giants’ recent power surge, whether this current incarnation of the team is what we should have expected all along or just a September chimera, and what to hope for in this final month. We also indulge in a little bit of looking forward to the off-season to come, because we just can’t help ourselves!Enjoy!There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

I put quite a number of player interviews in the can on my trip to the west coast affiliates last week, and I’ll roll them out over the next couple of weeks. First up, I have a trio of hitters — two trade acquisitions who have just gotten their first taste of action in the Giants’ organization this month, and a high school draftee in his second season. Nate Furman and Parks Harber talk about the unique situation of being traded while rehabbing injuries, as well as their approach to hitting. Furman is one of best contact hitters in the minors, and Harber owns some of the most intriguing hit data in the minors, including a howling 90th percentile Exit Velocity above 108 mph. Lastly, I spoke to Walker Martin about how he used his difficult first season as a learning opportunity, leading to a much improved second year in the system. All three of these guys were thoughtful and articulate, and gave some great insights into their personal growth process.If you want to get more of this kind of content, why not consider becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber so you, too, can support my 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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

For this week’s podcast, I’m joined by a couple of members of the Richmond Flying Squirrels who have traveled some long roads to get to where they are now. First we have Aruban native, Dayson Croes, who has hit ball everywhere he’s every played, but had to go through tiny colleges, Indy ball north or the border, and international competition to get the chance to play pro ball. And once again, he’s hitting the ball all over the field. Marques Johnson hasn’t had that long or circuitous a road, but from a SoCal JuCO to college to draft to trade to injury, he’s kept working at his craft and is making a name for himself in the upper minors.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Kerry Crowley and I sift through the aftermath of the trade deadline, talk about our hopes for the rest of the year, and maybe starter to side-eye the coming winter.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

Finishing up my tour of the affiliate broadcasters, I get to talk ball with Trey Wilson with the tape recorder going for once! Trey and I talk about trade deadlines in the minor leagues, the challenge and quality of the Eastern League, and the Squirrels’ hopes for making a spirited run in the second half to try to grab a playoff spot. And along the way, we talk a few players as well! It’s always great to chat Eastern League baseball with Trey!There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

After many scheduling conflicts that precluded us talking at happier times, Kerry Crowley and I come together to pick over the sorry spectacle that this Giants’ team has become, hazard a few guesses at trade deadline behavior, and respond live on air to a deal being made! What more could you ask for?There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

We had a little reunion of former Eugene outfielders last week in Richmond, when the Portland Sea Dogs came to town. I was able to talk to Scott Bandura, who was just settling in from his recent promotion to Double-A, and Portland outfielder, James Tibbs III about the crazy month he’s had adjusting to a new organization, a new league, new teammates, and a new time zone! Bandura talks about the impact that COVID had on his baseball journey, and why he thinks the best is still to come for him, while Tibbs gives some real insight into the human side of the game, and how difficult these transitions can be for players.There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe

The great Jim Callis joins me to talk about the Giants most recent draft class, and how it fits in with a farm system that has really turned over a surprising amount the past two years. Come for the draft talk….stay for a whole lot of conversation about what a dude Jhonny Level is!There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rogermunter.substack.com/subscribe