Vedder Cup: Required Reading

Here we are kiddies. Vedder Cup Eve. It comes down to this (and 3 games later in the season). The Padres were embarrassed last year, dropping all but one game (and winning that one thanks to a 3 ball walk).

Lest you head into the most important series of the year ill prepared, here is your required reading (and viewing) on all things Vedder Cup.



First Things First:

- RJ's Fro and Avenging Jack Murphy do an excellent write-up of the origins of what has become the most heated rivalry no one knows about. This article takes us all the way back to biblical times, 1936 (sorry, little too much Book of Mormon in this house post-Tony Awards), where it all began.

Is this confluence of events a mere coincidence, something to be chalked up to happenstance? Perhaps it is nothing more than the randomness so frequently presented by our universe. History is always something that must be evaluated time and again based on the discoveries of those who demand answers and continue the search for them. Sometimes we don’t like the answers unearthed by the curious. These truths can be painful. It should be noted however, that no matter how unpalatable the truth may appear, it is not our duty to pay for the sins of our fathers.

- Then there is this blogs first post about the heated rivalry. As can often happen on lazy March days as we wait for the regular season to begin, the mind wandered to this "rivalry" that MLB had bestowed upon Seattle and San Diego.

The rivalry exist. No one knows how this fight started. Much like the Hatfield and McCoys, those of us carrying on this rivalry couldn't even tell you what we are fighting about.

But I know one thing. This rivalry needs a name.

- Then, of course, came the naming of said rivalry. Any great rivalry worth its salt has a name. The Big Game (Stanford vs Cal), Red River Shootout (Texas vs OU), and of course The Archie Wars (Betty vs Veronica). After a late night Twitter session that may or may not had been fueled by beer (spoiler alert: it was), the fans spoke, and The Vedder Cup was born.

However, for non-Pearl Jam nerds, Eddie Vedder has roots in San Diego. It was in San Diego that Eddie Vedder formed Bad Radio and it was in San Diego that Eddie Vedder was approached by Jack Irons to write songs for a three song instrumental demo for a band in Seattle, then known as Mookie Blaylock. Eddie Vedder, as the story goes, went surfing with the songs in his head, and penned the Mamasan Trilogy (Alive, Once, Footsteps).

Game One:

- In an exercise I'm not likely to repeat any time soon (read: laziness), I "nearly" live blogged Game 1 of the Vedder Cup. The Padres lost 4-1 that day. The highlight of the night: a Jack-in-the-Box shake.

8:13pm Direct quote from Mrs. Left Coast Bias, out of nowhere. "I'm getting the feeling...that a Jack in the Box shake is in my future. My immediate future."

- Geoff Young of Ducksnorts provided a far more intelligent recap of the 2011 Vedder Cup. As with most things Ducksnorts related, it is far better researched and insightful.

This marked the 13th time in 83 games the Padres had been blanked in 2011. Only one team in club history was shut out more often through the same point in the season: The inaugural 1969 team failed to score 17 times in its first 83 games en route to a franchise-record 23 shutouts.

It is good to have goals.

Onto 2012:

- On March 4th, the Vedder Cup grew up. Dan Hayes of the North County Times wrote an article, in an actual newspaper read by actual people that are not related to be by blood or marriage, about the Vedder Cup. If the rumors are true, this is one of many reasons Dan Hayes will be missed by Padres fans in the near future.

But what about the Padres and Mariners? You can't play a series to determine who has the best beverage. Coffee versus craft beer has a nice ring to it, but is that really going to cut it when you're discussing a fiercesome rivalry? No.

Are they going to play for who has better weather? No. Is that even up for debate?

How about which fan base is more bitter, according to Forbes? Yawn.

That's when we arrived at Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder with the help of some of our Twitter friends.

- The Avenger at Avenging Jack Murphy prepares all for the opening salvo of the 2012 campaign. Spring Training and what would (never) become known as "The Battle for Peoria Park."

To fully engross oneself in the narrative, is to seek understanding and ultimately education. Know your history and prepare for the 2012 Battle For The Vedder Cup.

- Padres and Pints is a VLog about the Padres that includes beer. During Spring Training, Dan Hayes was a guest to discuss, among other things, Vedder Cup. Discussion begins about 8:35 mark.


- Ray Kroc's Ghost updates us all on the latest contract deal at the Peoria Sports Complex, ensuring the Vedder Cup rivalry will be fueled for Spring Trainings to come. Leave it to the ghost of a fast food giant to take a business approach to this issue.

The Padres and their hated rivals, the Seattle Mariners [Because Bud tells us they are rivals.], announced this week that they have both signed agreements with the city of Peoria, AZ to keep their Spring Training home, the Peoria Sports Complex, the same for an additional 20 years.

- And finally, yesterday's post. This time it matters (because, well, what else do we have).

If you have some Vedder Cup reading that wasn't mentioned here, let me know and it shall be added. I also have it on good authority that before nights end we will have an official Vedder Cup logo, designed by friend of the blog Jeremy Nash


***UPDATE***
As promised, a black and white sketch of the Vedder Cup logo.

Vedder Times Ahead

I know. I know.

Horrible pun to title this post with. I blame the lack of coffee in my house right now, forcing me to utilize pumpkin spice coffee left over from last fall.

Do you have any idea what it does to your brain to drink pumpkin spice coffee in June?

But, horrible puns aside, we have bigger fish to fry. It is safe to say that the 2012 San Diego Padres campaign has meandered between apathetic to appalling. A quick rundown of the suck that has been 2012 in Padres land (not an exhaustive list):

- Ownership in flux. Who writes the checks? Josh Byrnes doesn't know. And that seems like a problem.

- The San Diego U-T has chosen, for no apparent reason, to turn on Tony Gwynn, posting two unflattering and unnecessary articles on him. The logic behind this fails me.

- 416* players have been placed on the DL. And counting. *estimate

- Carlos Quentin, in 9 games, already leads or is in the Top 3 in pretty much every major offensive category. While this is good news, it is also ominous news for what the offensive output has been without him.

- Going on the road. 6-20

- Being 18 games back of first. On June 10th.

- The Mets no-hitter. Leaving San Diego alone as the only team without one.

But there is something that can turn this thing around. I think we all know and have grown to accept that this is likely a lost season. Josh Byrnes has said as much, calling this season "unsalvageable."

I beg to differ. Because there is a little matter of The Vedder Cup.

In college, there is a thought that keeps fans of even the lowliest squads going. "As long as we beat 'State U' this season was a success." Whatever that rivalry is, a season is salvaged by beating them. Ohio St. going 1-10 on the season? Fine, if that 1 was Michigan.

So it is for the Padres. 100 losses appears probable. The high point of 2012 may end up being the draft. But beating our "hated rivals" to the north will give me something to hang onto the rest of the season.

Is it petty? Yes.

Is it pointless and have no actual meaning? Yes.

Is it somewhat cruel to hope for bad things to happen to a city that is watching its franchise play in the NBA Finals...as the Oklahoma City Thunder? Absolutely.

I don't care. I need a reason to care about the outcome of a game this year. Even if it's a manufactured one.

Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
Guide me towards you.


See you in Seattle.

All Those Yesterdays

One week from today the Padres will play their first Spring Training game of 2012. This news is, in itself, exciting and interesting.

But this isn't about that. This is about who they play. And a rivalry renewed. A rivalry steeped in tradition. If tradition means completely manufactured for no apparent reason. The Vedder Cup returns on March 5th. My blood is already boiling.

For the unacquainted, here is a quick primer on the Vedder Cup. And also where the name "Vedder Cup" came from.

2011 was a dark time for Padres fans and the Vedder Cup. In total, the Padres went 1-5 against Seattle. The Padres scored a total of 4 runs in those 6 games. 4 runs. Total.

The one game they won was on July 2, 2011. You may remember this game for the 3 ball walk. In the Top of the 5th, Cameron Maybin was awarded first base on ball 3. Thanks to a scoreboard mistake that showed Maybin had a full count prior to ball 3 being thrown, Maybin was awarded first. He later came around to score the lone run of the game. (Fun fact: Joe Montana threw out the first pitch that day. Ok, not that fun. But still a fact.)

The Padres won only 1 game in the Vedder Cup series. And they only won it because of a scoreboard error. Not a great showing.

My "Wishlist" for 2012? (Oh oh, are the Pearl Jam puns coming on? They are tough to stop once they begin). Do better than that.

Winter is coming. And by winter I mean Spring. And by that I mean...let's get those dirty hippies from the North.

Vedder Cup. 2012. Reclaim the Eddie!

Vedder Cup Fallout

“I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong” - Benjamin Franklin

In this past weekend series vs the Mariners, the opening series in the inaugural Vedder Cup, the Padres did not, perhaps, fail the test. But boy did they find 100 different ways to play baseball the wrong way.

It was, quite simply, the worst three day collection of baseball I've seen the Padres play in memory. How bad was it?

The Mariners are the worst hitting team in the AL by batting average and the second worst in runs scored, yet managed to score 14 runs in 3 games at Petco Park.

What the Mariners do have is pitching. There are second in the AL in ERA and 5th in the AL in Runs Allowed. They also have the benefit of being able to throw the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner (Pineda) and the reigning AL Cy Young Winner (King Felix) on back to back days. And with all that pitching, the Mariners had little problems stifling the Padres bats (hardly an accomplishment) by allowing a total of 2 runs in 3 games while striking out 35 Padres over the weekend. Put another way, the Padres had 81 outs during the 3 game series vs Seattle. 35 K's makes up 43% of the Padres outs made over the weekend.

The starting pitching was mediocre, the defense worst and the offense atrocious. It was a less than remarkable beginning to the Vedder Cup. And now the Padres are 8-18 at home this year. It's May 23 and right now the Padres do not have double digit wins at home. The odds of going to a game at Petco and seeing a win right now? Not great, so I'd make sure you like the giveaway that night.

A 1-5 homestand thus far and a sweep by the Mariners in which they looked barely competitive was going to lead to changes. And today, that change took place (whether its the first of many remains to be seen).

Venable was optioned to AAA Tucson today. This is the right move that I don't think many would disagree with but it does mark that the plan for 2011 is not working.

If you play any fantasy sports, particularly through ESPN.com, you no doubt know who "The Talented Mr. Roto" is (AKA Matthew Berry). Every year, TMR does a pre-season column called "You Heard Me" which is essentially bold predictions from a fantasy perspective. This year he broke it down by team, making one bold prediction regarding a player on every team. Here is what he wrote for the Padres:

"Will Venable becomes this year's Drew Stubbs, going 20/30. I'm thinking: He needs to stay healthy and get regular playing time, but the power/speed skills are there."

That article was written on March 30th. And to be honest with you, I didn't even think this was that outrageous a prediction. I, like many, saw the September Venable had in 2010, saw the raw physical ability and thought "this guy is due to breakout." When he got regular playing time in 2011, it seemed that finally the stars had aligned for Venable.

It just hasn't happened.

7 extra base hits. 0 homeruns. At times he looks completely lost at the plate which has accounted for 36 K's in 151 PA.

I for one feel bad for the guy. Again, I don't disagree with this move in the slightest. But I've always like Venable and, behind Headley, there is no Padres I've had more patience with than Venable. I, like everyone else, kept waiting for him to put all the physical skills that are plain to see together.

Taking his place is Blake Tekotte from San Antonio. I'm not going to pretend to know anything about him, but here is what Corey Brock wrote at Padres.com:

Tekotte, who turns 24 on Tuesday, was hitting .291 with nine doubles, three triples and six home runs for San Antonio, also had 24 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Tekotte, a left-handed hitter, is considered a good defensive outfielder.

Tekotte was a third-round Draft pick in 2008 out of the University of Miami and becomes the second member of that Draft class to reach the Major Leagues. Infielder Logan Forsythe, who was recalled from Tucson earlier this month, was the first.

No doubt more moves will follow throughout this season. Depending on how the month of June and beyond goes, the 2011 season may ultimately cost the Padres their All-Star closer. By September, it will not surprise many to see plenty of new faces on this starting roster, likely to include Anthony Rizzo, who at this point pretty much needs to be Roy Hobbs to meet the expectations.

But by far the most substantial move the Padres have made thus far in 2011 has been demoting Will Venable. Was he the only problem? Hardly. There is not one facet of the game, beyond the bullpen, that is working right now. And Venable is far from the only player struggling at the plate. But demoting him does provide for Venable to "get right" as he put it.

And it shows that after mustering 2 runs and 35K's in a sweep at the hands of Seattle, the status quo is no longer acceptable.

Step one is admitting you have a problem. Jed Hoyer did that today.

Vedder Cup Round 1 (Nearly) Live Diary

We are sitting mere mins away from the first pitch of the inaugural Vedder Cup. The Mariners have landed, the Padres have Orlando Hudson back. The only thing left to do is play ball!

As this is the first game of the first Vedder Cup battle, it seemed appropriate to attempt the first ever (nearly) live running diary on Left Coast Bias. I've had the idea to do this in the past but it never quite seemed to work.

If ever there was a reason to attempt it again, the Vedder Cup is that reason.

(Yes, I know this is a Bill Simmons "Sports Guy" concept. I have 50 readers, he has over a million. He'll get over it.)

(Also, I have to imagine that beer will be drunk during this game, so apologies ahead of time if the conversation goes off the rails.)

7:05 pm: Team Latos time...first pitch a strike. We are underway.

7:06 pm: And Ichiro down on strikes. No easy feat and a great start for Latos. Also, our first Mudcat-ism. Ichiro = "The Sultan of Slap"

7:07 pm: DEFENSE! The errors by the Padres defense continues to be the most confusing aspect of 2011. That's all on Bartlett.

7:09 pm: Bartlett off the hook. Smoak hits into DP to end the inning. No damage done. Who wants to play 21 more?

7:14 pm: It can't be a good sign that my wife, when the Padres get a hit, says "HEY" like she just saw a shooting star.

7:18 pm: This Ludwick at-bat has been going on for about a year and a half. Unofficial count.

7:20 pm: Bedard doing his best Gaylord Perry impression with his not doctoring (but doctoring) of the ball.

7:23 pm: Padres stole a base. Padres didn't score. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

7:30 pm: Mariners release the first salvo in the Vedder Cup with a triple on a hit and run followed by an opposite field single. This is always where I worry about Latos. He seems to get rattled easily when he gives up a few runs. Other than the triple though, these balls are just missing gloves. Rather be lucky than good sometimes.

7:38 pm: Maybin SMOKES a ball right up the middle. A reminder of why I never wanted to pitch in Coed, Slow-Pitch softball. Basically a firing squad standing out there.

7:43 pm: Nice barehanded grab by a fan for a foul ball. Great form too.

7:46 pm: Padres threat snuffed out by DP. In other news, it was decided that Arnold's transgressions were worst than Tigers by Mrs. Left Coast Bias. So there's that.

7:57 pm: Padres game on via MLB.tv on PS3. Mrs. Left Coast Bias reading "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen and our cat has a small bald spot. Every time I've ever been asked "what would you do if you have 1 day left to live", this has never been the answer.

7:58 pm: Dick Enberg "NL Manager of the Year...Buddy Bell." I guess that beats calling Trevor Hoffman Dustin Hoffman?

8:02 pm: AFLAC trivia question "Who is the Mariners all time Wins leader?" No idea, but my guess is Randy Johnson though I don't feel like he played there long enough to be the all time Wins leader. Meanwhile, Olivo with a ground rule double to lead off 4th.

8:04 pm: Dick Enberg "It's a hitters park just not a homerun hitters park" In principle I agree with this statement.

8:09 pm: Mariners score on sac fly, though I was told that sac flys are boring. I think the run counts anyway though.

8:10 pm: Inexplicably, the Jackie Q song "Ring Round My Rosie" from Get Him to the Greek just popped into my head.

8:12 pm: AFLAC trivia question answer: Jamie Moyer.

8:13 pm: Direct quote from Mrs. Left Coast Bias, out of nowhere. "I'm getting the feeling...that a Jack in the Box shake is in my future. My immediate future."

8:16 pm: Cam Maybin is hitting the ball hard. Unfortunately this time he gets nothing to show for it. Still pretty sure a Maybin jersey purchase is in my future. Not sure if it's in my "immediate" future though.

8:22 pm: Latos threw a fastball that read 89 MPH. Keep in mind that this Petco gun read Aroldis Chapman's 105 MPH fastball last year. Not sure if Latos velocity is down or if he is saving bullets, but seemed noteworthy.

8:27 pm: Aki Otsuka and Trevor Hoffman held an autograph session for Japanese Tsunami relief before the game. Raised nearly $10,000. Great work all around.

8:32 pm: Padres keep taking bats up to the plate but I'm assuming it's for looks only. 2 hits through 5 innings. Bedard with 6 strikeouts. About 100 of those are called thirds.

8:35 pm: Miguel Olivo just missed a HR last time he was up. He didn't miss this time. Hit that into the Andruw Jones section in LF, underneath the scoreboard.

8:40 pm: The low throw thing needs to stop. It just...it needs to stop.

8:42 pm: Craft beer time. Pale Ale from Hangar 24 in Redlands, CA. Freshly filled growler that is soon to be freshly emptied.

8:48 pm: Padres grounded into a double play. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

8:52pm: The Pearl Jam song puns have begun on Twitter and I'm loving it. Most common and most appropo. "The Padres bats need to come 'Alive' in this game."

8:53 pm: Cory Luebke is in the game which sets everyone up for my favorite Padres player name joke "Girls love Lueb"

9:00 pm; Ryan Ludwick extends hitting streak to 9 games. Yes, that Ryan Ludwick. Really starting to come around, which is encouraging. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam song puns are multiplying on Twitter. Been a fun night.

9:02 pm: In the Padres defense, that was a much more unique double play than usual. Cantu crushes a ball to left only to be robbed of a HR. Ludwick doubled off first as he had taken off, assuming, at worst that that ball was a double. Brutal. Game literally went from 4-2 potentially to 2 outs, 0 runs, 0 on for the Padres in span of 10 seconds.

9:10 pm: Cory Luebke looking good as usual. I know it's only a matter of time before he is in the starting rotation, but I have to wonder, what is taking so long?

9:13 pm: If this was 2007, I wouldn't feel so bad about being shutout by Bedard.

9:21 pm: It has just dawned on me that if tomorrow is the end of the world, then my last meal was a turkey burger. That was a mistake.

9:25 pm: "Sounds like you have a lot to say over there about 0 runs." - Mrs. Left Coast Bias. You'd be surprised.

9:29 pm: 9th inning. Padres about to be shutout for the 9th time. Against Seattle. Who I was told had very little offense yet scored 4 runs off the "ace". Overall, barring a great comeback here, a less than great beginning for the Vedder Cup.

9:34 pm: Padres get caught in a bizarre force out after a fly ball to left is dropped. Bartlett forced at second. Should be bases loaded. Now Bartlett is on second and Ludwick is out. I don't know, this is making my head hurt.

9:40 pm: And it's all academic because Cantu grounds out to the pitcher. Game over. Round 1 of The Vedder Cup goes to those stinkin' Mariners.



Vedder Cup Round 1 Tale of the Tape

1st Hit: Ryan Ludwick, 1st inning, fly ball to center
1st Strikeout: Mat Latos, striking out Jack Cust, 1st inning.
1st Run: Peguero triples in Kennedy, 2nd inning.
1st HR: Miguel Olivo, 6th inning.

Mariners 4, Padres 1.

Until tomorrow...