Los Dodgers Series Preview

Wanna win? Gotta play right? Well, the benefit of not playing is you can't lose either which made yesterday's off-day fairly relaxing after the frustration that was the Giants series.

But, it's back to business with a 3-game series starting tonight in Los Angeles. But first, I wanted to draw your attention to a few things:

- Gaslamp Ball (http://www.gaslampball.com/) has a great post about whether Trevor Hoffman blows more games in tie games than in save situations. He then compares those numbers to Mariano Rivera. I can't do it justice really so head over there, say hello and check it out.

- Arizona Diamondback pitcher Doug Davis pitched his last game before undergoing treatment by having his thyroid removed. If you want to send well wishes, AZ Snake Pit is your place. http://www.azsnakepit.com/2008/4/9/391144/doug-davis-get-well-soon-t

- Through the first week and a half of games the Padres offense has looked great and terrible all at the same time. Case in point: The Padres team batting average of .282 is tops in the National League. However, that great average has only lead to 32 runs, good enough for 13th out of 16 NL teams. Getting guys on is great. Getting guys in...better. Let's hope we see more of that batting average with runners on (when the Padres team batting average drops to .244).

Padres vs Dodgers

If I have to get you pumped up for Padres/Dodgers, then you're probably reading the wrong blog. We know what this is and we know we hate the Dodgers. There's a slight bit of urgency right now as the Padres have dropped their last two series (1-2 against L.A., 1-2 against S.F.).

Game 1 will feature a rematch of the April 5th game in which Peavy spun a 2-hit complete game. This is also the first start for Peavy since the "infamous" mystery smudge pictures surfaced. Peavy vs Penny is by far the best matchup of the weekend and should be enough to draw attention away from that "other" rivalry across the country.

LCB prediction for the series: Padres take 2 of 3 behind Peavy on Friday and Young on Saturday.

Injury Update from San Fran

Very quick post here today.

Michael Barret is going to be placed on the 15 day DL after hearing a "pop" in his throwing elbow in yesterday's 8-4 win against the Giants. The Padres are not ruling out a ligament tear which, if that is the case, will likely shelve Barrett for the season. Fingers crossed here. The Padres have recalled Colt Morton from Double-A San Antonio. This is likely to mean more playing time for Josh Bard and will put an early test to the Padres supposedly strong farm system of catchers.

The "mystery smudge" on Peavy's right hand has become somewhat of a national story. Rome is Burning and PTI discussed it yesterday and now it appears that umpires will be paying special attention to Jake on the mound. To me this remains a non-issue as it appeared to be no more than dirt and rosin but, in the era of baseball in which we find ourselves it is no surprise that any thing out of the ordinary is being analyzed to this degree.

AGon went 4-5 yesterday! And against Matt Cain which is no small feat! Well done AGon.

Road trip continues tonight in San Fran. I will miss the game as I have an appointment with one Mr. Bruce Springsteen in Anaheim. Baby, I was Born to Run!

One Week In, 25 to Go

If you follow me on Twitter then you may have been aware that this weekend I was in Las Vegas. Now, while it happened to be Final Four weekend, that had little to do with why I was in Vegas.

Now, I thought I would pass along the Sports Book at the Stratosphere line on the Padres winning the World Series. Vegas has them at 22-1 to win the World Series, with NL teams such as the Cubs, Mets, Dodgers, D-Backs, and Phillies with better odds. Just an FYI.

I was able to catch some of the Padres game on Saturday and boy am I glad I did. Peavy looked unbelievable on Saturday with a biting slider and from what I read 18 change-ups.

Now, am I excited that Peavy went all 9-innings? Of course. Last year coming out of the All-Star Break the bullpen got rocked and part of that I think can be attributed the amount of innings they have on their arms. That said, I'm not sure how to feel about a 116 pitch inning from the ace of the staff in the first week of April. I lived in Chicago for 3 years while Dusty Baker was the manager and I watched him overwork two of the greatest young pitchers in the NL at the time: Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. There are literally dozens of stories of pitchers that "could have been." In recent years, injury issues involving Francisco Liriano and Felix Hernandez are most notable to me.

This isn't to say that I think Peavy is going to join that group. There is a school of thought that says that pitch counts are over-rated. Supposedly, Dice-K threw 300 pitches IN BETWEEN starts in Japan. So maybe this is nothing. Let me just say that 116 pitch outing in early April on a young arm makes me nervous.

The other Peavy issue from Saturday was the mysterious "smudge" on his hand. Here is a pic of what I'm talking about:
This reminds many of the infamous Kenny Rogers World Series "smudge." Here's what Peavy had to say about it:

"I laughed, to be honest with you. Anybody that wants to check me, feel free. There’s nothing on my hands that’s not supposed to be. I thought it was funny that it was such a big deal. I’ve got no problems with anytime anybody needs to check me.

"I can’t imagine my hands being that dirty. That being said, your hand doesn’t look clean when you’re out there. Obviously I pick up rosin, pick up dirt, I do hit. I found it hard to believe my hand was that … there’s no way. I laughed.

"There’s no way you could have a foreign substance on your hand that’s black. I don’t know what you could put on your hand. My whole hand was covered, the picture I saw. Wouldn’t that come off on a ball? How could you throw a ball with pine tar on your hand?

"I’m not out there cheating, that’s the bottom line.''

Hoffman Issues

The Padres ended up dropping two of three from LA despite tremendous pitching performances by CY on Sunday. Hoffman was tagged with the loss on Sunday by giving up a lead-off walk to Russell Martin, who advanced to second on a ground out and scored on an RBI single without a run.

A lot can be said about this game. Giles costing the Padres a run on a base-running gaffe, taking advantage of runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs. But I would be lying if I said I'm not concerned about Hoffman. His stuff I have faith in. The change-up looks as filthy as it ever did and his fastball looks to have a few more MPH on it. At this point, I'm beginning to wonder how his psyche is holding up. Hoffman has always been one of if not the best closers at moving on from a blown save. However, in the last 6 games (dating back to last year's series in Milwaukee) Hoffman has blown 3 saves and was tagged with the loss on Sunday (in a non-save situation).

Next to Tony Gwynn, Hoffman is my favorite All-Time Padre and I refuse to lose faith. That being the case, it is very hard as a fan to watch one of your favorite players struggle like this. If Hoffman's psyche can stay in tack, I firmly believe that Hoffy will still save 40 games and be the closer by the end of the season. But right now, you have to wonder what his head space is like right now.

Upcoming:

For those who aren't aware, San Francisco was awarded a Double-A team and they are called the Giants. The Padres go to visit them for three games starting Monday and then, mercifully, the Padres will get a day off on Thursday.

A Wolf in Pads Clothing

6 innings and 1 earned run from your number 4 starter? I'd say you'd take that everyday and twice on Sunday! Randy Wolf made his Padres debut yesterday and did exactly that. Very encouraging.

But not as encouraging as seeing Hell's Bells played a little over 12 hours after Hoffman had blown the save against the Astros the night before. For the doubters, Hoffman went 1-2-3, all lazy groundouts.

Every year fans in San Diego yell and scream that Kevin Towers won't spend money, won't get high-profile players. Last season, KT brought in Scott Hairston, an afterthought in many people's minds, including some of the Padres. All Hairston has done since is hit 8 HR in 87 at-bats. Between Randy Wolf (ex-Dodger) and Hairston (ex-DBacks), I think the Padres have found a new strategy...take the enemies weapons!

Speaking of the enemies, the Dodgers head to town. With the way the NL West is shaping up, every inter-division series is huge. Germano goes tonight, Peav on Saturday and CY on Sunday and you have to like your chances when your sending those arms out there.

Finally, Lake Elsinore Storm (A) opened their season last night by retiring number 22 in honor of Jake Peavy. Jim Edmunds got the start on his rehab assignment, going 0-3.

That's all for now. Don't forget to answer the poll question and I'll see you back here on Sunday for a recap of the Dodger series.

OK I lied, one more thing:

This season marks the first year the Padres have introduced a "Frequent Friar" program. Before, the program was called the Compadres Club and all one had to do was swipe a card at each game and they would accumulate points which were good for rewards. Pretty cool, FREE program. NOW, the program is not free and only rewards the amount you spend not the number of games attended. Gaslamp Ball has a great post about this and I second there thoughts. I call shenaigans on this program. BRING BACK COMPADRES!

http://www.gaslampball.com/

Opening Series vs Houston

Well, the 2008 campaign is underway.

Here's a rundown of Opening Day from the view about 10 feet to the right of the Western Metal Building in the upper deck.

- Settle down with the beer prices Petco! $9 for a premium beer, $8.50 for a domestic. Yikes

- There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like the Garlic Fries at Petco. It has been a long winter without you Garlic Fries.

- So, I'm sitting in Sect. 327 in the second row. In front of the first row is about a 50 ft drop. In front of me in the first row is a 4 year old girl which seems to have no problem hanging on the railing, jumping on her seat, and all in all giving me a panic attack. No worries, her mom was as calm as can be, enjoying her beer and chatting with friends.

- Checked out the block party for Opening Day, pretty cool to add some festivities to the neighborhood. Had a distinct Wrigleyville feel.

- Onto the game: Peavy, after a shaky first inning, seemed to settle in. The guy threw a shutout, how much more can you ask for? How about 2 RBI to help his cause? Some areas of concern, the Padres left 12 runners on, had double digit hits and only 4 runs to show for it.

- PMac looked pretty good at the plate in the first two games (NOTE: with Wandy Rodriguez pitching tonight, PMac was given the night off as a left-handed hitter.)

- Wednesday night the bats came to life with Adrian going yard (after narrowly missing on a home run Opening Night. That Michael Bourne can run!) Scott Hairston is swinging a hot bat right now and I love the approach Kouz is taking at the plate.

- Some obvious concerns: 1) Heath Bell was nowhere to be seen tonight in an obvious set-up situation. I thought it was odd when Bell came in on Opening Day in a 4-0 game considering the concern the team had of his workload last year. 2) of potentially bigger concern? Hoffman, after looking great in Game 2, blew his first save of the season. It was an odd sequence. Hoffman got the first two batters out, relatively easily. Then an inexcusable walk to Jose Cruz Jr., a line drive by Hunter Pence JUUUUSSSSTT out of the reach of Adrian at first and then a 3-1 pitch to Berkman that was simply grooved right down the middle. A 6-5 win became a 9-6 loss in the matter of moments.

Now, one can only assume that tomorrow on 1090 and in the UT the Hoffman Haters will be out in force. Calls saying he's done will no doubt rain down tomorrow. And I would be lying if I don't get a bit nervous these days when I see Hoffman in there. But I know that his change-up is working (see Game 2...filthy) and tonights game was a bit of an anomaly. Count me as a Hoffman Believer. Look, you don't step on Superman's Cape and you don't tell a future Hall of Famer and the second most prominent player in your franchises history that he's done. He tells you. He's earned it.

Discovered today that we are being linked by Ducksnorts.com! Great website about the Padres as well with a TON of statistical analysis. Cool stuff, check it out.

Final thought. Thought it was very classy of the Friar Fans to give Geoff Blum, Doug Brocail and Jose Cruz Jr. and nice round of applause on Opening Night. Wouldn't mind seeing more fans at the games though! It's not that cold San Diego, let's go!

Top 10 Things to Look For This Season

The Padres head to China today for the first MLB game to ever be played in China. It's an exciting trip and once I hear how it goes, you will know!

But for now, the season is near, the Spring is in full swing (pun intended!) and it's time to take a cursory view of the Padres as they get ready for the 2008 campaign. So, without further adieu, here are the Top 10 Things to Look For This Season:

10) Chris Young - For half the year, Chris Young was a Cy Young candidate. He had a record of 9-3 with an ERA below 2.00 heading into the All-Star Break. Then he hurt his oblique and lost 5 in a row. The biggest concern for Young is pitch count. Last season he only got through the 7th inning twice, typically leaving in the 6th. His walks were a career high last year which lead to very high pitch counts. Did this lead to his injury and his subsequent swoon? Young is a legit number 2 starter, but this year the pitch count has to come down.

9) Iguchi vs Antonelli - Matt Antonelli is the heir apparent to the Padres second base position and at this point the question isn't if but when. Iguchi was signed to a 1 year deal to play second but if Antonelli continues to impress in the Spring, how long will the Padres wait. It's safe to say that if Antonelli isn't the starter by September of this season, he will be by this time next season.

8) Catchers, Catcher Everywhere - The Padres appear to be going with the catcher-by-committee strategy this year with Josh Bard and Michael Barrett. Three years ago Barrett was one of the most prolific offensive catchers in the NL. That offense has wanned considerably recently. What both catchers lack is an ability to throw out base-stealers. The Padres were dead last in the NL last year in throwing out would-be base stealers.

7) Koooooooz! - Kouzmanoff's rookie season started off pretty much as bad as any player can expect. He hit well below .200 in the first month of the season and but for the lack of a third base option, Kouz would have likely been sent back down to Portland. Then something clicked and Kouz went off, batting well over .340 for the rest of the season and becoming a staple in the middle of the Padres lineup. Now we are on the cusp of his sophomore season, can he keep the momentum from last year going?

6) Peavy, Young, Maddox and then...who? - The bottom of the rotation is up for grabs with some intriguing options all around. Justin Germano appears to be the presumed 4th/5th starter leaving the final spot open between Randy Wolf, Shawn Estes and Mark Prior. Estes has been shaky during the Spring so far, giving up at least 4 runs in just over 3 innings pitched so far. Randy Wolf is returning from elbow surgery and it is unclear whether he will be ready to go by Opening Day. Then there is Mark Prior. The Padres have spent little on him ($1 million plus incentives) and the potential is high. In 2003, Prior was the elite NL starter. Then Bartman happened, then a rash of injuries, some of the freaky variety, destroyed the next two seasons. Now he is in San Diego, rehabbing again, and is set to be ready to play by June. If he can play, Prior may turn out to be the steal of the Winter. If he can't...the Padres will play their third straight season without a definitive 5th starter.

5) Khalil Greene's Contract - The Padres were able to resign Greene this off-season but it wasn't without some controversy. The contract is not for the length desired by San Diego and has left some wondering if Greene wants to be in San Diego long term. His dislike for Petco is well-documented, however, that did not keep him from leading San Diego in RBI's, Doubles, and HR's last year and earning Team MVP honors. Will the contract issues be a distraction this year?

4) Jim Edmonds Knee - Kevin Towers has made a reputation for himself in getting prime players past their prime in an attempt to bring them back to their glory days. Jim Edmonds is the latest adventure, brought here to replace Mike Cameron. It wasn't to long ago Edmonds was an All-Star and, when healthy, he is considered one of the best defensive CF's in the league. When healthy...Edmonds is already plagued by a sore knee and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks. CF back-up plans are few and far between for San Diego, essentially beginning with Scott Hairston. The Padres are working some prospects out at center so far but the question remains, how much will we get out of Edmonds?

3) Hangover from Denver - The Padres went to Milwaukee last year having to win 2 of 4 to win the Wild Card. Tony Gwynn Jr. hit his infamous triple and ultimately the Padres found themselves in a 1-game playoff with the suddenly streaking Rockies. Hairston's HR in the 13th inning appeared to have propelled the Padres to the playoffs, only to have it taken away with MLB's All-Time Saves Leader on the mound and a dubious safe call at home (never touched home!). The question now is, as a team, how will the Padres rebound from such a disappointing ending to a season. At 41, how much does Hoffman have left and can he shake the two blown saves to end the season?

2) Revamped NL West - The Diamondbacks got Dan Haren, the Dodgers got Joe Torre and Andruw Jones and the Rockies hung on to their nucleus. The NL West is far more competitive this year and some may argue that the Padres have done little to help their situation. Still, Kevin Tower's predicts only 90 wins will carry the Division. Can San Diego hit that magic number?

1) Left Field - A month ago I wrote about this and not much has changed except now the Padres may need a CF as well. Hairston once again leads in the LF competition but the Padres are attempting to figure out a way to get Chase Headley into their lineup. A third baseman by trade, Headley has been playing LF in the Spring and will likely continue to play LF for Portland to start the year. Over/under on Headley being a Padre: mid-May. So who will play left? Your guess is as good as mine right now.

Winter Meetings Start in Nashville

It is that time of year again where the movers and shakers of baseball front offices convene in one area for a high stakes baseball convention. This year the focus in Nashville is directly on Johan Santana, the Minnesota Twins ace that has the Yankees and Red Sox continually upping their ante. In the past week, "untouchables" Phil Hughes of New York and Jacoby Ellsbury of Boston have both been mentioned as no longer "untouchable," each time in response to the other teams offer. The end game is this, Johan Santana will get traded and will then sign a multi-year deal making him the highest paid pitcher in baseball.

How is this important regarding the Friars? Between last years ridiculous Barry Zito contract and the impending Johan Santana contract, not to mention the major deal Carlos Zambrano made with the Cubs during the season, the market for pitchers is moving out of the Padres price range. That's why the best news of this week were reports that Jake Peavy and the Padres were nearing an extension keeping Peavy in San Diego until 2012. Barry Axelrod meet with Kevin Towers on Sunday night and it appears that they are both close to a deal, one that would pay Peavy $17.5 million a year. For the caliber of pitcher Peavy is, this is a bargain if the current pitching market continues to increase like it currently is doing. I don't think I need to tell you that having a top of the line starter is key to a teams success. An ace pitcher can be built around and at worst gives you a great chance to win every 5th day.

In other news, the Padres did sign lefthander Randy Wolf. Wolf is recovering from shoulder surgery and is expected to fill in the vacant spot left by David Wells.

Mike Cameron and Michael Barret were offered arbitration. It is believed that Cameron will turn it down, making him a free agent and giving San Diego 2 compensatory picks by virtue of Cameron's Class 2 free agent classification. As the search for a centerfielder continues it may be that Cameron will come right back here. Cameron will miss the first 25 games of next season due to his amphetamine test.

That's all for now. If anything comes out of the winter meetings, I will post it here.

Where the Hell Have I Been?

It's been brought to my attention that a little note informing you all that I'm not dead would be appreciated.

For those who don't know, I'm currently in law school and once school began my time to commit to this blog decreased. That's not the death knell of Left Coast Bias of course, we will return in force when the season begins. For now, look here for the latest in Padres off-season moves and acquisitions.

Here's a quick update of Padres news:

- Jake Peavy became the 3rd Padre to win the National League Cy Young Award by a unanimous vote. Peavy lead the league in the Triple Crown of pitching statistics: ERA, Wins, Batting Average Against

- Greg Maddox was re-signed for a 1 - year deal worth $11 million.

- No trades yet but lots of rumors...a full rumor mill post will follow in a few weeks


Quick Chargers Note:

I am also an avid Chargers fan and as one have been somewhat disappointed in the 6-5 start to the season. Here's hoping the game against Baltimore was the beginning of the revival. Otherwise it will be a 1 and done for new head coach Norv Turner.

All's Wells that Ends Wells

And we're back! Sorry for the week long delay but Left Coast Bias has returned with plenty of Padres news to talk about. The latest news concerns David Wells. Kevin Towers this morning appeared on the Scott and BR show on AM1090 in San Diego and was asked if David Wells would make his next scheduled start on Saturday. Wells has been in a tailspin for about 2 months now which culminated with Monday's performance in which he could not get out of the 5th inning, giving up 7 runs in what turned out to be a 10 run inning for the Cardinals. So, when asked about Wells making Saturday's start what did Towers say? "I do not expect David to start on Saturday." According to Kevin Towers, a meeting is to take place today between himself, Bud Black and David to discuss his future whose options, as outlined by Towers this morning, are these:

- Come home to San Diego and retire
- Place David Wells on waivers and try to trade him if he wants to keep pitching
- Outright release him

Either way, Kevin Towers has said that within 24 hours, we will know.
David Wells has been a great pitcher his entire career and a great Padre. His from the area and has a passion for the game and the games history. He just doesn't have it anymore. He has been rocked in most of his starts this year and at this point, for a team trying to win a division, he has become a liability. The Padres cannot simply afford to sacrifice a game every 5 days to accomdate David Wells. You'd like to see him either retire or be traded and here's hoping he chooses retire. Enjoy yourself David. Hunt, fish, spend time with the family, and bask in the glory of an amazing career.

Padres Back on Track

The Padres, after getting July off to a rough start, appear to be back on track. Over the past weekend the Padres swept the Giants (even though you know who tied a certain record). They did it in surprising fashion as well. It looks like Scott Hairston was given WonderBoy to bat with because this guy is on fire. A 3 run homerun on Friday to tie the game and a walk-off later that day. If this guy can stay hot, can't wait to see what he has in store for his old team that gave up on him. How perfect would it be to have Hairston play a major role in knocking Arizona out of the top spot in the West? Pretty perfect.

And luckily Hairston is performing because the injury bug has hit the Padres outfield. Brian Giles was back in the lineup despite twisting his ankle making a great catch against the fence at Petco. Milton Bradley continues to rest a strained hamstring that, if it is not healed within a few more days, may force the Padres to place him on the DL. And this folks, is why KT made those deadline deals. Hairston and Mackowiak have played great ball in the outfield in spot starts. It takes a village, or in this case, it takes everybody.

Notes

- With the impending release of David Wells it leaves open the question as to who will take his spot in the rotation. Clay Hensley and Mike Thompson are not available (at least for Saturday) due to a 10 day rule for players that are sent down being brought back up. That leaves, in all likelihood, Wil Ledzema, another deadline deal from KT.

-Termel Sledge was brought back up to help the injured outfield. Good to see Sledgy back.

-Chris Young is reportedly to come off the DL on Thursday. With Peavy and Young back and healthy, the Padres have perhaps the best 1-2 pitching punch in baseball.

OUT OF TOWN THIS WEEKEND

Just to let everyone know, I will be out of town this weekend so no updates until next Tuesday. By then:

- Barry Bonds MAY have hit number 756 in Petco.

- ARod MAY be a member of the 500 HR club.

- And with any luck, the Padres MAY still be in the race.

Heartbreaking game last night as the Padres scored 4 in the bottom of the 9th (thanks to a 2 run HR by Milton Bradley) only to blow it two innings later with Heath Bell giving up 4 runs. The Padres slide to 3rd in the NL West, 2.5 games back.

Clay Hensley will get another shot to make the rotation as Bud Black revealed today that Hensley will start on Saturday.

Tim Stauffer was sent down to Portland with Will Ledzema and Jose Cruz Jr. was outright released to make room for the Padres recent additions.

Jake Peavy goes to the mound today with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. The Padres need a win and Peavy is the stopper for this club. In 2005, when the Padres went 82-80 it was Peavy's starts that became must win due to the inability of the team to win with anyone else starting. For now, we are in the same boat. Must win with Peavy.

See you on Tuesday! Keep the Friar Faith!

Tony Gwynn Heads to the Hall, pt. 2

Let's start with a number. 434. On it's face, doesn't mean anything, simply a number. Now put it in context. 434 is how many times Tony Gwynn struck out. Ever. Tony Gwynn has 9,288 career at-bats and only 434 times did those at-bats end in a strike out. Thats .04% of the time. For comparison sake, Adam Dunn this year has already struck out 113 times. In less than one season. 434 in 20 seasons. That my friends, is ridiculously good. Scary good. Ted Williams once said that the hardest thing in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely. Few did it better, or with more consistency, than Tony Gwynn.

There are players you watch that spoil you. If you were a Jordan fan, you expect every shot to go in. Tiger to win every major. Current MLB players like ARod you expect homeruns from, or Peavy you expect to throw shut out ball. This of course is an impossible request of any athlete. It was a request that was asked of Tony Gwynn and more often then not he obliged. You expected a hit and were shocked when he didn't get on base. Near earth shattering shock when he struck out and if he struck out swinging...well...it happened so rarely I can hardly remember if it ever did. Of course it did though, but with such irregularity that every time he struck out or popped out it was as if the sky was falling. Growing up in Oceanside began my respect of Tony Gwynn but moving to Arizona made it harder to follow him on a day to day basis. This required box scores (pre-internet of course) that would reveal the numbers but never the story of the game. First things first, check Gwynn's line, and it would be a very rare day that the hit column didn't have at least the number 1 underneath it. Consistency. If it was the 7th or 8th inning and Gwynn didn't have a hit, it was a shock. Just like when Tiger doesn't win a major. Unfair to ask of Gwynn? Perhaps. But he did everything possible to respond to the request.

Tony Gwynn won 8 National League Batting Titles, a number that was good enough to tie Tony Gwynn with the National League All-Time Record with Honus Wagner. Only Ty Cobb won more batting titles (11) than Tony. Of those 8, Gwynn has stated, and for those who remember it agree, the most exciting of those titles was 1989 against Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants. Going into the last day of the season both Gwynn and Clark were batting .333. And in somewhat poetic fashion, the Padres finished the season playing the Giants. That day Will Clark went 1 for 4. Tony Gwynn...3 for 4, winning the batting title. It is games like this when impossible request are answered.

This year Tony Gwynn received one of the highest honors any athlete can receive. He got himself on the cover of a Wheaties box. When she heard about the Wheaties box, Tony Gwynn's mom could only laugh. The scrawny kid from Long Beach, who played basketball at San Diego State (and was drafted by the Clippers) is on the cover of the Wheaties box. What a ride.

In our next posting, Left Coast Bias will discuss the final season for Tony, including his last game which I was lucky enough to be at. We'll also discuss his two World Series appearances and his current job as head coach of San Diego State's baseball team.

News and Notes:

- Statement series! Perhaps somewhat under the radar but the Padres won the series from the Mets last night with a thrilling 5-4 win. The Mets are widely considered the best team the National League has and with their lineup you can see why. David Wright's 3-run homerun last night off Linebrink to tie the game in the 8th took all the life out of the stadium. That life was quickly restored thanks to something the Padres haven't had much of all year, 2 out hitting. Blum's 2 out single scored Greene. Hoffman racked up yet another save in 1-2-3 form. The Padres open a 4 game set with the Phillies tonight.

- Marcus Giles has been benched for the next few games while he works with hitting coach Merv Rettemund. Giles has hit .197 since May 14th.

- Hiram Bocachica was designated for assignment yesterday as the Padres activated Terrmel Sledge from the DL. The Padres now have to trade or waive him. Bocachica showed flashes of brilliance and adds much needed speed to a lineup terribly void of that commodity. Considering the Padres bench is not what it was the last few years, Bocachica may be an integral part of this team yet. Here's hoping the Padres hang on to him and send him to AAA.

- Milton Bradley hit his first home run as a Padre yesterday, a 427 foot bomb to right-center field. For the naysayers (of which I count myself as one) Bradley has been an offensive spark and, as for attitude, so far, so good.

- Someone told Maddox it was 1996. Mad Dog was dealing last night, going 5IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, and 6 K's.

- Chris Young bought every player on the Padres an embroidered robe with their name and team number on the back as a thank you for helping get him elected to the All-Star Game.

- The Padres head to the weekend 1 game back but tied in the loss column with L.A. With the trade deadline approaching (July 31) Towers has stated a major move is unlikely. However, a starter or a bench player may be in the works. The Padres have been lucky with health in their starters, but with Wells and Maddox over 40 and the insurance plans of Hensly and Thompson struggling in AAA Portland, the Padres may be looking elsewhere for some backup help. As for bench help, I think I speak for many that it's time to welcome Mark Loretta back with open arms.


Saturday is the Tony Gwynn Ceremony and unveiling of the first statute at Petco Park. I'll be on hand and give a full report afterwards. Till then, keep the faith Friar Faithful!

2nd Half Preview; Wells Being Wells; Final All-Star Thoughts

Are you rested? Feel refreshed and rejuvenated? Good, because now it's time to get serious. The first half of the season for the Padres was great, but now the stakes get raised. The playoff push begins today.

A quick housecleaning item of something I meant to do in the last post. So, without further ado, the Top 5 Padres Moments of the First Half:

5) April 25th - Jake Peavy strikes out 16 Diamondbacks including 9 in a row.

4) April 8th - The Padres win a 2-1 game against Colorado thanks to a walk-off single by Kevin Kouzmanoff, breaking his 2 for 20 slump.

3) June 23rd - Padres beat the Red Sox 6-1 thanks to Chris Young's one hit performance.

2) June 7th - The Padres complete a three game sweep of rival Los Angeles by scoring 5 runs in the 9th inning off of Jonathon Braxton.

1) June 6th - Future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman notches save number 500 against the Dodgers, making him the first player to ever record over 500 hundred saves.


All-Star Game Final Thoughts

-Some final thoughts on the Mid-Summer Classic. Jake Peavy was named the starter for the National League and did not disappoint, pitching one scoreless inning, giving up one hit to Ichiro.

- Chris Young was the tough-luck loser in the game giving up the inside the park homerun to Ichiro thanks to a quirky bounce off the right field wall. At the time it had only given the AL a 2-1 lead, however, the National League bats were silence for 8 2/3rds of the game.

- Trevor Hoffman did what he does, pitching a scoreless inning. No rematch with Michael Young though.

- Tony LaRussa thinks he is smarter than he is. Bases Loaded, game on the line and he keeps Pujols on the bench. Slump or no, give me Pujols.

So for the 11th year in a row the National League is unable to beat the American League, giving home field advantage to the American League.


2nd Half Preview
- The Padres open the 2nd half of the season in Arizona against division rival Diamondbacks. Greg Maddox was tagged with the loss last night in the desert. Superman had kryptonite, Maddox has Phoenix, where he is 0-6 with an ERA over 5.00.

- Jake Peavy's scheduled start on Saturday was pushed back to Tuesday due to tightness in his arm. Pitching coach Darren Balsely has stated it is merely precaution coming off the inning Peavy threw in the All-Star Game.

- Chris Young gets the start tonight having served his 5 game suspension. The Padres shrewdly set it up for him to serve the suspension around the All-Star Break, four games before and one game after, ensuring that Young would not miss a scheduled start.

- David Wells was suspended 7 games for "violent and aggresive actions" toward umpire Ed Hickock on July 7th. David Wells was upset with the strike zone and, after walking a batter and then giving up a home run to Jeff Francouer of the Braves, went over to discuss the strike zone. According to Wells, and from the perspective I had at the game, Wells was pretty calm in asking questions. After a few mins, Hickock got tired of it and told Wells to get his "fat ass back on the mound." Obviously, this didn't go well, Wells, exploded, got tossed and then things got quite heated.
As a pitcher, you should be allowed to simply ask questions about the strike zone so you can tailor your pitches accordingly. Umpires should not be given carte blanche and they certainly shouldn't be allowed to escalate the situation without punishment. The NBA kicked out a ref for picking a fight with Tim Duncan. MLB should adopt a similar policy, holding umpires who make a situation worse, accountable for their actions. A 7 game suspension for arguing balls and strikes is ridiculous, and rightfully so, is appealing the suspension.

- Padres former first round pick shortstop turned pitcher Matt Bush has been shut down for at least a week due to soreness in his arm.

And Finally...

This may not be the forum for it but I think its worth commenting on, if only briefly. On the Sunday before the All-Star break, and on most Sunday's, the Padres held a promotion for kids 14 and under (a floppy hat in this case). Due to a scheduling quirk, that Sunday was also the day the Padres hosted a Gay Pride Day at the park. The events surrounding Gay Pride were having the Men's Gay Choir sing the National Anthem and a scoreboard message. That was it.

Because of the mix with a kids promotion, many people were up in arms, citing how it was irresponsible by the Padres. For a great, and highly fictional take on this, check out Bill O'Reilly (author's note: not a fan and normally wouldn't link to him, but its worth a read for shear ridiculousness). http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289103,00.html

Now, I wasn't at the game, but according to all accounts I have read, the day went off without a hitch. Unlike our buddy Bill states, there was not inappropriate displays of affection. The boycott planned for that evening fizzled, as the Padres drew over 40,000 fans that night. We cannot simply say that due to your sexual preference you shouldn't be at a game. If anything, it was a blessing in disguise that Pride day fell on a kids promotion. Maybe we can teach kids tolerance, a lesson the parents who complained need to learn.

Up Next:

- Beginning on Monday, Left Coast Bias will begin a preview of Tony Gwynn Weekend, to be held in San Diego the weekend of July 20th. Post will include a career retrospective, personal anecdotes, and a preview of the festivities. Tony Gwynn will forever be linked to the Padres and his induction into the Hall of Fame marks the culmination of one of the great careers in baseball. Stay Tuned for that!

And There's the Bell: 1st Half Review

And so ends the first half of the 2007 MLB season. A season where we learned that the best Japanese import pitcher isn't named Dice-K (his name is Okajimi). Where we can't stop the speeding train that is Barry Bonds and the home run pursuit. And where more times than you would expect (or ever want to see) 2 hits are enough to win a game. With an eye on the 2nd Half, here is the Padres 1st Half Review.

Standings:

The Padres finish the first half alone in first place atop the National League West. This is the 6th time in franchise history that the Padres have lead at the official halfway point. The other 5 times? The Padres went on to win the division.

The Padres finish 11 games over .500 with a 25-20 home record. This all despite the fact that the Padres rank last in team batting average, currently at .241.

So how are the Padres doing it? Run differential. The Padres post the best run differential in baseball with a ration of runs scored = 374 and runs against = 298. The Padres 298 runs against stat is by far the best in baseball, more than 50 runs better than the team in second in that category, the Boston Red Sox.

Players:

First the good.

Jake Peavy and Chris Young: As far as team MVP goes, these two are 1A and 1B. Young currently leads the NL in ERA with a 2.00 ERA. Peavy follows Young with a 2.19. By far the key to the Padres winning ways have been their pitching and the two key cogs of the best pitching staff in baseball is these two.

What makes the Padres dangerous as an October team is the proposition that in a 5-game series they could conceivably lineup: Peavy, Young, Maddox, Peavy, Young. Tough to win 3 games against that pitching lineup.

More good.

Mike Cameron post-April. Cameron started the season below the Mendoza line, batting .198 to end April. Since, he has batted .305 with 11 HR. This to go along with more gold glove play in center.

Adrian Gonzalez. Prior to the current slump that he appears to be on his way breaking out of (the All-Star Break will help as well, giving Gonzalez some time off). He is the team leader in BA, RBI, and OPS.

Bullpen. What is there to say. Nothing that hasn't already been said. Stellar work and a Hall of Famer closing out games. Keep playing "Hell's Bells" fellas! And oh yeah...did I mention 500 saves from Trevor Hoffman! 25 saves at the break, good enough for 3rd in the NL and a pace of over 50 saves for the season. Not bad. Off-Speed Does Kill!

Now some Bad.

Marcus Giles as a leadoff hitter. Way...WAY too man first pitch swings, too many hacks. The Padres need some more patience from their number 2 hitter.

Throwing out Baserunners. The Braves stole 3 more tonight, bringing the total of bases stolen on the Padres to 101. Amount thrown out? 18. Some of this is due to the pitchers (Maddox and Peavy for one do not hold runners very well). This has to get better.

Offense. The Padres have attempted to rectify this situation by making what may become the two biggest acquisitions in what appears to be a down year for trades. Michael Barrett and Milton Bradley will hopefully add some much needed punch to the middle of the Padres lineup. Bradley got his first Padres start on Saturday, a game I was able to be at (beach towel day people!). An interesting start, hitting an infield single, making a juggling catch in left-center, and hitting a 398 foot flyout. Welcome to Petco. Time will tell if these two moves will pay off. In two games with Bradley, he has hit the ball hard every time, getting two hits again today.

1st Half Awards

Team MVP: Jake Peavy- this team wins with pitching, and there may be no better pitcher in the National League than Jake Peavy. Honorable Mention: Chris Young, Trevor Hoffman, Adrian Gonzalez

Team Silver Slugger: Adrian Gonzalez- this guy is an All-Star in the making and can hit to all fields, hit for power and hit with runners on. Only negative. Too many strikeouts. Honorable Mention: Mike Cameron, Khalil Greene

Team Gold Glove: Khalil Greene- there may be no better defensive shortstop playing right now, especially on slow choppers and balls behind the bag. Anyone who saw Greene's spinning throw from behind second base knows this guy is for real. Honorable Mention: Mike Cameron, Adrian Gonzalez

Surprise Player: Jose Cruz Jr.- Cruz has been asked to play all three positions in the outfield at some point, can bunt, hit to all fields and is a switch hitter. Not bad. Honorable Mention: Heath Bell, Royce Ring


Looking toward the second half, the Padres continue to pitch well. One can only hope that the offense will start to pull their weight. Looks like another race to the finish with the Dodgers, making every LA/SD series huge. As for this last set, the Padres dropped 2 of 3 to Atlanta, a team that has had SD's number the last two years. Uncharacteristically, the Padres gave up 17 runs in the weekend set. On Sunday the Padres, after being somewhat punchless all game, strung together 5 consecutive 2 out hits to push the tying run to second before Marcus Giles struck out. A gutty performance, but where were the hits prior to 2 outs in the 9th?

The Padres need to hit better with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs. If they can increase their productivity in that one category, it will be near impossible for them to not win a 3rd straight NL West Division Crown.


Just For Fun

Quickly now, as this will be the only post until Friday when the Padres return from the break, here are the National League Awards as I see them for the first half:

MVP: Matt Holliday, Col - leads the league in BA

Cy Young: Jake Peavy, SD - Penny and Peavy will be battling all year. And now throw in Young to this race

Rookie of the Year: Hunter Pence, Hou - a bright spot in a bad year in Houston

Manager of the Year: Ned Yost, Mil - raise your hand if you thought the Brewers would be leading the Central at the break. Put your hands down, your lying.

Comeback Player of the Year: Ken Griffey Jr., Cin- vintage. Straight vintage.


See you all on Friday when the Padres head to the desert to take on division rival Arizona. Stay tuned next week for full coverage of Tony Gwynn Weekend in San Diego and of course the induction into Baseball's Hall of Fame. (22 games...and counting)

When Players and Coaches Can't Get it Right, Ask the Fans

Chris Young Heading to San Fran

It took 4.5 million votes, daily campaigning by his All-Star Teammates Jake Peavy and Trevor Hoffman and a little common sense to elect Chris Young to the All-Star Game today. In MLB's now traditional "Final Vote" competition (to elect the final player to each leagues team), Chris Young prevailed today, beating out Cubs Pitcher Carlos Zambrano.

Chris Young had a chance to make a lasting impression on Wednesday night as he got the start against the Marlins. Consider the message delivered loud and clear. Chris Young pitched 7 innings on Wednesday, giving up 5 hits, 0 runs and striking out 9. Chris Young lowered his now league leading ERA to 2.00 (lower currently than fellow All-Star Jake Peavy).

The Padres had gone all out throughout the week in an attempt to get Chris Young elected. It got to the point that even Chris Young's competition for the Final Vote thought he should get in. Carlos Zambrano said on Tuesday that he was surprised that Chris Young wasn't named to the team and believed he deserved it. So, on behalf of Left Coast Bias, congrats to Chris Young! A well deserved first, and hopefully the beginning of many more, All-Star selections!

Series Split

The Padres dropped a 3-2 game to the Marlins this afternoon to split the four game series against the Fish. The most telling, and troubling, aspect of this series is unfortunately a common tale. The offense. Or, better put, the lack of offense. The Padres dropped today's game while racking only 3 hits. Padres 3-5 hitters went 0 for 10 today with 7 strikeouts. And who was pitching this Cy Young like game against the Friars. Byung Hyun Kim, who with his 4.50 ERA and 47 to 36 strikeout to walk ratio looked more Bob Gibson than Kim. A pitcher known this year for an inability to find the strike zone was made the benefit of over anxious hitters. The Padres, outside of Brian Giles, continue to swing at first pitches and bad pitches. Today's game was no different.

The Padres are also struggling to hit with runners in scoring position with an overall team batting average of .241, good enough for 29th out of 30 MLB teams and a slugging percentage of .388, good enough for 26th. Hardly numbers one expects to see from a first place team.

The lack of hitting leads to the Padres playing close games. Many close games. That leads to pressure on the pitchers, requiring the Padres pitchers to be perfect every time out due to lack of run support. Jake Peavy was the latest victim of this offense today, giving up 3 runs in 7 innings. Hardly Peavy-like numbers, but 3 runs qualifies as a quality start and usually translate to wins. In Peavy's last 4 starts he has gone 1-2 with a no decision. Peavy gave up 3 earned runs to the Red Sox on 6/24, a game in which the Padres slugged out 2 runs. Peavy gave up only 1 run 5 days ago in L.A against Brad Penny while the Padres mustered only 1 run. The Padres went on to win this game in extra-innings, a position they wouldn't have been in had it not been for Peavy. And then there was today, where the Padres had an outburst of 3 hits. On the 4th of July the Padres won a 1-0 game, thanks to an error in the 9th to score the winning, and only, run.

This is a recipe for more disappointment in October. Michael Barret has added some offense and eventually the Padres will add Milton Bradley to the lineup. Will that be enough? Hard to say. The lineup is slumping, most noticed by Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres best pure hitter, who has hit a serious slump. In the last 10 games, Adrian has 4 hits...total. That's a 4 for 39 slump.

Moving Brian Giles to the leadoff spot has helped, providing a base runner every few innings. But free swinging and too many strikeouts is making that move moot.

For many of these hitters, the All-Star break can't come soon enough. Here's hoping for more offense in the second half!!!

Up Next:

Atlanta comes into town for yet another reunion of Greg Maddox with his former team. This three game set ends the first half for the Padres.

Chris Young dropped his appeal and began serving his suspension today for the fight against Derrek Lee.

We are within a month of Tony Gwynn being inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame!!!

Only So Many 5 Run 9ths; Padres Forgotton for All-Star Game

Padres vs Dodgers

It is sometimes hard to say following a shutout loss to your rival, but, this was a pretty good weekend for the Friars. The Padres took 2 of 3 against Los Angeles this weekend, moving into sole possession of first place in the National League West with a 1 game lead over L.A. and a 1.5 game lead over Arizona. As for the series, is was what one would expect. Ultra-competitive with just a hint of September baseball in the air. The marquee matchup was Saturday night where Dodger ace Brad Penny went up against our man, Jake Peavy. The two pitched outstanding ballgames, both getting strikeouts when they had to have them. Notably, in the 7th and last inning for Peavy, with the bases loaded, Peavy struck out Saenz with a 94 mph to end the threat. In the end, neither pitcher would factor in the decision, both pitching 7 innings while giving up 1-run. Jose Cruz and Geoff Blum hit back-to-back doubles in the 12th to secure a 3-1 Padres win. Hoffman got the save, his 23 of the year. Peavy lowered his ERA to 2.09, behind only Brad Penny, and regained the National League in strikeouts with 119. Royce Ring picked up his first MLB win in this game.

While Saturday was the highlight matchup, the Padres also won on Friday, scoring 7 runs to take a 7-2 lead in a huge 6 run 4th inning. As it turned out, all 7 were needed, as the Padres gave 3 runs back in the 8th and another in the 9th.

As for Sunday, Germano suffered his second loss of the year while Billingsley pitched 3 hit ball over 7 innings, blanking the Friars.

Padres return home, alone in first, to take on Florida and Atlanta before the All-Star Break.

All-Star Game

And speaking of that All-Star Game, the teams were announced today and predictably (and deservedly), Jake Peavy was named to the team. Now, seeing as the Padres are a first place team with the best record in the National League, one would imagine that Peavy would be followed to San Fran with a bevy of Friars. But, as is often the case in San Diego, the Padres were snubbed, as the only other Padres other than Peavy going to San Fran is Trevor Hoffman (at 23 saves already, a deserved spot). Which means that:

Chris Young with his 8-3 record and 2.14 ERA will not be attending. Instead, LaRussa took Cole Hamels who, while striking out many, is 9-4 with a 3.87 ERA. Nearly 2 full points above Chris Young.

Adrian Gonzalez with his .275 BA and 14 Home Runs and Gold Glove play will once again be watching from home. Instead, taking Derek Lee, who although hitting .346, has only 6 HR's and is 10 RBI's behind Adrian Gonzalez.

The downside to playing on the Left Coast. The upside? Rest, much needed for many players.

Look, I know the All-Star Game starters are picked by fans and to that end, its hard to get fans outside of San Diego to vote. Bigger markets, more people, more votes. But for reserves. That's picked by coaches, and coaches know better. They know how good this Padres team because they remember watching the Padres when the rolled in and took 2 of 3 from most of these coaches. Luckily, by October, the All-Star Game is a distant memory. Looking forward to it.

Notes

Milton Bradley was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 21st, the last time he played. This is a somewhat expected move as Kevin Towers eluded to this weekend when discussing the trade with the A's.

Brian Giles was moved to the leadoff spot, a move I have said since last winter the Padres should make. No hitter on the Padres has better plate discipline, consistently makes contact, and is a smart (if not fast) base runner. The other plus is it moves Marcus to the more comfortable 2-hole for him. The Padres scored 7 runs in the first game with this configuration.

BEACH TOWEL DAY ON SATURDAY!!!

Some NL East teams come into Petco to close the first half of the season. Florida followed by Atlanta. Full reports on those series when they conclude.

Don't forget to subscribe to LCB using the link in the upper right hand corner. Thanks to Feedburner.

One month in for LCB and it's already building. Thanks for the continued reading. Much More to Come!!!

My Enemies Enemy is My Friend

A big weekend in Petco and a ton to get to so let's get right to it. First things first, the Padres are going into the Boston series on a small slide, losing two in a row to the Orioles. Yesterday, Orioles ace Erik Bedard shut down the Padres, recording 9 strikeouts. Bedard is a money pitcher with a unique side-arm, nearly slingshot left handed delivery. Very tough. The biggest story from yesterday's game though may have been the money ball (pictured, Padres ball girl picking up dollar bills). Supposedly, a fan in the third base suite threw money on the field, brining a strip club feel momentarily to the game. The fan was thrown out and all in all, a bizarre moment. (No word on whether Jose Cruz Jr. kept the couple bucks he picked up in left field).

Now, the Red Sox series. The Red Sox are an interesting team as far as fandom goes. Three years ago everybody was a Red Sox fan, helped mostly because of their unbelievable comeback against the Yankees (down 3 games to 0, yada yada yada). Since "my enemies enemy is my friend" and the Yankees are everybody's enemy (sorry Gabe!) everybody jumped on board. Cut to the 2004 off-season. Books, appearances, endless "I can die now" stories, and of course a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore. Frankly, I was done with the Red Sox and the backlash was on. Then the Red Sox became the Yankees North in terms of payroll, culminating in $52 million to TALK to Dice-K's Japanese team (note: no idea how to spell his name, so Dice-K it is). Hard to be a feel-good story when your spending more than most countries gross national product.

Boston fans, while emphatic, are unbelievably annoying. Sitting in Qualcomm this January when the Patriots came to town to play the Chargers hammered this point home. They are cocky and lack respect. Now they are "taking over Petco" and nothing beats an annoying Red Sox fan (well...maybe an annoying Yankee fan, but frankly, who can tell the difference these days). So, what does this series mean? It's a regular season series in June, interleague at that. That said, its a benchmark series. The Padres carry the best record in the National League thanks in large part to their pitching staff. But this staff has not dealt with an offense like this. Manny, Ortiz, Youklis. This team can hit. This weekend, in the large picture, means very little. But with San Diego relatively healthy, its a great chance to see how good the Padres really are.

Now to the games. Pound for pound you cannot beat these pitching matchups.

Game 1: Dice K vs. Maddox - 300 game future Hall of Famer against the "future" of pitching and the perhaps fictional gyro ball. Interesting side not, Petco is the park in which Dice K pitched Japan to a World Baseball Classic championship and earned MVP honors. In watching Dice K, his era is not great and he leaves a lot of balls up in the zone but he does strike out a ton of batters. He has 7 different pitches, all of which he can throw for strikes, and for teams facing him for the first time it has been a long day.

Game 2: Tim Wakefield vs. Chris Young - Chris Young is quietly having an All-Star season (6-3, 2.26 ERA) and will be pitching for the first time since his boxing match against Derrek Lee. Most notably, this will be first time the Padres have faced a prominent knuckleballer. As the National League does not have a starter that throws primarily knuckleballs, it will be interesting to see how the Padres hitters deal with that. Most notably of course, this game will mark the return of "ex-Padres" Doug Mirabelli. Doug Mirabelli infamously came to San Diego from Boston in the Mark Loretta trade and supposedly was upset when later that winter the Padres signed Mike Piazza. Mirabelli famously said to Padres GM Kevin Towers to take him out of a game against the Dodgers “because I'm not focused on the game . . . ” Towers replied, “I said, 'What?' ” Towers continued. “He said, 'My boys, the (Red) Sox have been calling me. I got to tell you, it's all I watch on TV; all I think about is the Red Sox. Do me a favor and you guys a favor (and make a deal).' ”

KT made the deal and brought Cla Meredith and Josh Bard here. No one here misses Mirabelli and should be an interesting reception he receives this weekend. By the way, Mirabelli is hitting south of .200 right now.

Game 3: Jose Beckett vs. Jake Peavy - The jewel of the weekend for pitching matchups between what could be both leagues Cy Young winners. Josh Beckett (10-1, 3.14) has the most wins in the Majors, certainly helped by the Boston offense as evidenced by his ERA. Jake Peavy is having a career year, earning his 9th win on Tuesday to move to 9-1 with a 1.98 ERA. Jake has giving up 3 earned runs in 3 of his last 4 games, although that stat is off-set by errors (2 runs on Tuesday scored on a scoring error but were credited to Peavy). This game could be a 1-0 game before it's all over.

Is this series a World Series preview? To early to tell. It's only 3 games in June, so why does it feel like 3 games in October?

Overall Breakdown

Starting Pitching: Edge - Padres
Numbers don't lie, the Padres ERA is superior to Boston, even if the records are not.

Offense: Edge - Boston
It's a video game lineup in Boston, scoring more than 50 more runs this year compared to San Diego.

Bullpen: Edge - Push
Boston's other Japanese import, Hideki Okajima may also be the better of the two, setting up for Papelbon who has been as good as anybody in the last season and a half. San Diego carries the best bullpen in baseball in ERA but has been hit a bit the last two days with Bell giving up 2 runs yesterday and Meredith being scored on again. If San Diego can get to the 9th though, they do have the only 500 save closer in baseball waiting for Boston

Defense: Edge - Padres
The unspoken hero to the Padres ERA is the outstanding defense they play, anchored by Khalil Greene at short and Cameron in center. The Padres are 6th in the majors in fielding percentage while Manny is cutting off balls in Left Field.

Overall: Padres take 2 of 3, winning Saturday and Sunday and dropping to Dice K on Friday.

NOTE: Here's hoping for a sweep though! =)

P.S. Big thanks to Gabe (who, as a Yankee fan becomes a honorary Padres fan this weekend) for the promotion of the site. Big thanks to Greg as well, whose F1 podcast (http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheRampageRacingReport)
inspired this blog and he continues to help me spread the blog across the web.

The Red Sox are Coming, The Red Sox are Coming

Quick post today. Heading down to Petco for tonight's game with Peavy going against the now manager-less Orioles. A few quick notes from the weekend.

- Chris Young and Derrek Lee were suspended 5 games each for their part in the fight at Wrigley. In all likelihood Young will appeal and rightfully so. Unless something was wrong with my t.v., Lee came at Young and swung first. Not sure what MLB would like Young to have done in that situation. Now, Lee is a classy player and one I personally like a lot. This was out of character for him. But he was the aggressor and should be punished accordingly, or, more to the point, Young should not be punished as severely. Either way, it would appear that this will not affect Young's availability this weekend when Boston comes to town.

- Congrats to Chase Headley on his first major league hit. Forgot to give him props when he got called up on Friday. Must have been quite a thrill to get your first MLB start in Wrigley Field. Congrats Headley.

- Mike Cameron is ridiculous hot right now, letting us all forget the terrible April he had. Interesting article in the U-T today about the Padres pitching and offense. Let me say this, the offense is not as bad as you think. Avg is low yes, but the Padres rank 9th out of 16 in runs scored and, when adjusted for ballparks, their slugging pct. plus on base pct. is fifth in the National League.

- That said, would still love to see Griffey Jr. in the outfield. Jose Cruz and Terrmel Sledge are good players, but not everyday players. Griffey Jr. has the power and speed to play into Petco and can protect Gonzalez. What is he worth? Clay Hensely perhaps? Mike Thompson? Wouldn't blow up the bullpen, but might be worth looking into. Pure speculation on my part though.

Full Boston Preview ahead on Thursday. For now, the Padres look to increase their lead in the West and build on what is now the best record in the National League.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR THE PADRES IN THE ALL-STAR GAME. 10 DAYS LEFT!!!

Sweep LA! Sweep LA!; 500 Saves

What a week! A ton to get to from the past three days so let's break it down, game-by-game:

Tuesday:

Classic Petco game here. Chris Young was dealing, lowering his ERA at home to 0.52 and an opponents batting average of .164. Not bad Young, not bad. As for the offense, it was more of the same unfortunately, unable to scratch across a run for most of the game and only compiling 2 hits in the game. One of those hits though...Marcus Giles RBI single to bring in Branyon in the 8th. Russell Branyon (who had quite the series!) pinch hit in the 8th for Linebrink, got hit, STOLE A BASE, and scored the winning run. Padres 1 Dodgers 0

Wednesday:

A bit more comfortable than on Tuesday and frankly, not much to talk about here...oh yeah, except for a little thing such as the 500th save by Trevor Hoffman!!! It may be superfluous to say that Hoffman is the first closer to reach 500, seeing as he is the all-time saves leader. However, 500 must be put into perspective. As 40 saves are considered a tremendous accomplishment for a season (think .300 for a hitter) a pitcher would have to average 40 saves for 15 years...to be 10 shy of 500. Unbelievable consistency by Hoffman. Now, there is consistently a lot of talk over the saves stat. Is it overrated? Ask teams who have attempted the "bullpen by committee" (looking at you pre-Papelbon Red Sox) how important a closer is. More, as the mid to late 90's Yankees how many of those World Series would have happened without Rivera. Hoffman may not have the post-season resume (thank a poor team throughout much of his career in San Diego) but when he is called upon, he delivers. Big time night at Petco and a huge congratulations to Trevor Hoffman. It may be sometime before any closer catches Hoffman.

As for the game, the Padres won 5-2 thanks to a 4 RBI game from Geoff Blum. Bats came alive a bit, giving Greg Maddox the win. Padres 5 Dodgers 2

Thursday:

Coming into this game, Padres fans were excited for the chance at a sweep and who better to send out there to sweep the Dodgers than Jake Peavy. Peavy pitched well, if not outstanding, and would have left the game only giving up 1 run had it not been for a bit of bad luck in the 7th. On a fly ball to left field, Jose Cruz Jr. had the Dodger runner picked off of first to double up and end the inning. Cruz's throw however knocks his foot, saving the inning. A borderline strike called a ball and two doubles later, Peavy was knocked out. The Padres offensively looked lost for much of the night. Then the 9th...As mentioned above regarding the importance of closers, ask the Dodgers Thursday night how important Saito is. With Saito out, and in a non-save situation, Johnathon Braxton came in. It started innocently enough...Blum infield single, then a misplayed ball by Garciparra to put two men on. Then a base hit to left to load the bases. Paul McAnulty, with a hit he will remember forever, hits a chopper off the plate and wins the race to the bag by MAYBE half a step. Gonzalez then steps up, slams a double to the gap, Cameron with a single up the middle. And then with the bases loaded, Russell Branyon, in only his third at-bat of the series, draws a 1 out, bases loaded walk off walk. Padres win, Padres Sweep, and with the Arizona loss, Padres take over first...by themselves. Padres 6 Dodgers

East Coast Love!!!!

The boys in Bristol have finally recognized the scorching Padres, placing them first in the latest Power Rankings. Red Sox Nation must be up in arms!!!

Padres Notes:

Khalil Greene is expected to make his start tonight, returning from his sore arm...The MLB draft was held yesterday and Vanderbilt left hander David Price was selected number 1 overall by the Devil Rays. The Padres selected Nick Schmidt, a left hander out of Arkansas with about an 88-92 fastball, good changeup and curveball. He sounds like a left handed Justin Germano.

Up Next:

Padres welcome in their American League "rivals" the Seattle Mariners into Petco with Germano taking the mound. The Mariners have hit a hot streak, moving into second in the AL West.

Give My Regards to RFK; NL Worst No More

- The Padres began June in the same fashion they ended May, by dropping the first game of a series only to come back and win the series. This weekend the Padres made there final visit to RFK (assuming they don't play there in October...I'll let the laughter die down...) and dropped their first game in extra innings. It was a game in which the Padres had come back from 3 down to tie this game only to have Cla Meredith give it up in extras. Now, I have not heard any panic in the struggles of Cla Meredith but one only needs to look into how Bud Black is using him. Meredith no longer is the 7th inning guy as that job, for the time being, appears to belong to Heath Bell. Meredith has not been demoted to mop up guy and certainly he is still an excellent pitcher but his struggles cannot be ignored (further reason why Scott Linebrink CANNOT BE ON THE TRADE BLOCK!!!)

- The Padres came back to score 18 runs in two games in RFK having a rare power outburst in a stadium that doesn't give up many homeruns. Josh Bard appears to be reacting to his impending suspension at the plate, including a 4 RBI game on Sunday. Bard is getting hot...just in time for the Padres to lose him.

- More good news from the trip to the D.C. was another outstanding performance by Justin Germano who appears to be going no where (Clay Hensley, your Germano voodoo doll is available at window 1).

- In 2005 the Padres won the division by playing .500 baseball (finishing 2 games over .500). They were the only team that year to finish above .500 in the NL West and were predictably sweep in the playoffs. That year, the NL West took over the name NL "Worst" and perhaps rightfully so. Those days, my friends, are long gone. The NL West currently holds the best overall winning percentage of any division in the Majors with three teams in a virtual tie for first, all 10 games over .500. The Padres team ERA is 2.94 and they are scoring enough to win. Although, when your holding teams to under 3 runs, not much offense is needed. The best race is in the NL West and the Padres are set for another division run.


Padres Notes:

Jake Peavy was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for May with a 4-0 record and .079 ERA. That's right, .079 ERA...The U-T is reporting that Brian Giles does not feel like he is close to coming back. This is a substantial blow to the lineup as evidenced by the amount of juggling Bud Black has been doing. Right now there is no clear #2 hitter with Jose Cruz Jr., Termel Sledge, and Mike Cameron all trying to fill the void (Note: Jose Cruz Jr. sore back kept him out again on Sunday). Brian Giles may not hit for power but he may be the most patient batter in a lineup full of free swingers...Kevin Kouzmanoff continues to thrive since being moved to the #5 spot as he continues to hit the ball hard with hits in 3 of his last 5 games...The Padres waiver wire pick up Hiram Bocachica made his presence felt on Sunday, hitting his first homerun as a Padres. The pickup doesn't light the world on fire but gives Bud Black a right handed option in the outfield.


What's Next:

The Padres return home for three games against division rival and co-leader of the West Dodgers with the expected return of Jason Schmidt on Tuesday night. The Padres entertain more interleague action when the Mariners come in this weekend. Obviously, the Dodger series is huge and we'll have a full series wrap up on Friday.


All-Star Voting:

No Padres is in the Top Five in any position! Let's get out there and make Adrian Gonzalez, Marcus Giles and the rest of the deserving Padres a trip to San Francisco. http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2007/index.jsp

Inaugural Post - I Miss May Gray!

Welcome to the inaugural post. The idea here is to provide some much needed attention to the San Diego Padres, a team routinely ignored by the mainstream (read: east coast) media. So enough of that, let's get to some Padres talk!

It's June 1st which has unofficially become somewhat of a melancholy day for Padres fans. The reason? It marks the end of the month of May which in the past two seasons has been the month that has propelled the Padres to the National League Western Division Championship. This year's 18-9 month of May record is second best in franchise history, second only to the 22-6 May in 2005. What's more? The Padres posted a 2.17 ERA in the month in May, a franchise record that was far and away the best in the majors this year. And it's a good thing as the Padres are only averaging 4 runs per game.

Now, local media here in San Diego are calling for a trade citing the 4 runs per game and the countless pitching performances that go for naught because of a lack of run support. The names that have been mentioned, in rumor only mind you, have been Alex Rios and Aaron Rowand. This is all well and good except for what the Padres would have to give up which, by all accounts, would be Scott Linebrink. Currently the Padres are 31-22 and Trevor Hoffman has the third most saves in the National League. A big reason for this is the Padres ability to shorten the game. Essentially, teams have until the 7th inning to get the Padres and if not it's the Meredith or Bell, Linebrink and Hoffman show. Good luck with that! Look, the offense struggles, especially at home, no one denies this but the team was not built to hit the cover off the ball. What wins games, at home and on the road, is pitching. What's more, pitching wins in the post-season. More offense would be great, but Scott Linebrink is not worth Aaron Rowand. Kevin Kouzmanoff and Mike Cameron are starting to heat up, Adrian Gonzalez is an All-Star and the Giles brothers, when healthy, are on-base machines. The offense will figure itself out, as long as the team is in first and 9-games over .500, I say don't mess with the formula.

Padres Notes:

Much maligned first round draft pick Matt Bush has lost his position at shortstop and will move to the mound. Matt Bush has not panned out as hoped after being made the first overall pick in the 2004 draft due to under performance and injuries. The solution, the mound, where Development Officials hope his electric arm translates. A certain #51 might be the template for this move... (http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20070601-9999-1s1bush.html)...

As expected, Josh Bard was suspended three games for his run in with Umpire Ed Rapuano after last nights game in Pittsburgh. After an apparent home run was called back (correctly it should be added) Josh Bard did his best George Brett impression and has now been suspended. Bard has appealed the suspension, allowing him to play until his hearing.

Up Next:

The Padres play 3 against the Nationals with Peavy on the mound to open it up tonight. Then the Padres head home for the rival Dodgers and interleague action against the Mariners. Both those series at Petco.