An All-Star Game at Petco Park

There are few San Diego media members who, when they say something or spout an opinion, I listen. And listen closely. Darren Smith of XX1090 is at the top of that list.

Tonight, he tweeted something interesting. On the day that a new ownership group was announced, and simultaneously Petco Park was once again passed up for an All-Star Game (being awarded to Target Field in Minnesota in 2014), Darren Smith tweets this:

Off air, one of the #Padres new owners told me that getting the All Star Game to PETCO was a priority:"We've got to get that here".

— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) August 30, 2012

Was this an off-the-cuff comment in light of the news of the day? More importantly, does this comment imply that the ownership groups interest in an All-Star Game is a vital component to having one awarded to your home park?

I don't know the answer to this. But I do know this. I want an All-Star Game in Petco Park. Consider this the official kick-off of the Left Coast Bias campaign to bring the Midsummer Classic to San Diego. I intend to take full credit for when this actually happens (knowing full well I have little, if any, actual ability to effect this decision).

Here is a list of venues that have not hosted an All-Star Game, in order they were opened:

Tropicana Field (opened in 1990; Rays played there since 1998)
Great American Ballpark (2003)
Citizens Bank Ballpark (2004)
Petco Park (2004)
Nationals Park (2008)
New Yankee Stadium (2009)
Target Field (2010)
Marlins Park (2012)

Here's what is more interesting to me. Since Petco Park opened in 2004, here are the venues that have hosted an All-Star Game, and more importantly, when those parks opened:

2004 - Minute Maid Park (Opened in 2000)
2005 - Comerica Park (Opened in 2000)
2006 - PNC Park (Opened in 2001)
2007 - AT&T Park (Opened in 2000) Also, a break from the typical NL/AL split.
2008 - Yankee Stadium (Opened in 1923) It's last year in existence.
2009 - Busch Stadium III (Opened in 2006)
2010 - Angel Stadium (Originally opened in 1966; Renovations in 1998)
2011 - Chase Field (Opened in 1998)
2012 - Kaufman Stadium (Opened in 1973; Renovations done in 2009)
2013 - Citi Field (Opened in 2009)
2014 - Target Field (Opened in 2010)

Of these venues, 3 have previously hosted an All-Star Game. New York ('39, '60, '77); Anaheim (1989); Kansas City (1973). So let's remove those from our list.

The longest gap between a park being opened and an All-Star Game being awarded is 13 years with Chase Field in Phoenix. Per Darren Smith yet again:

@leftcoastbias @sdrhythm Very political.Some thought Arizona getting it was directly due to Moorad leaving (think Reinsdorf)

— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) August 30, 2012

Otherwise, on average, a brand new venue is awarded an All-Star Game 4 to 5 years after opening. So, who was it in San Diego that became the albatross upon which MLB would not grant a Midsummer Classic to San Diego? Sandy Alderson, Jeff Moorad, Neil the Beerman? Who knows?

But those people are gone now. And in comes new owners, clearly respected by the MLB fraternity of owners (as evidenced by how quick the approval vote went).

The point really is this.

San Diego is a fantastic sports town. And has proven time and again to be a marquee city when hosting major sporting events. And it's been since 2008 (PGA U.S. Open) since America's Finest City has had the opportunity to do so.

The Park at the Park packed with fans. A homerun derby that will bring more controversy then any before it (assuming the fences aren't moved by then). The San Diego harbor as the backdrop for 3 days, while the spotlight of MLB shines brightly.

And maybe this time, the Padres representative will actually get to play.

2014 is heading to Minneapolis. An AL city. An NL city is on deck. 2015 will make 11 years since Petco Park has opened.

It's time MLB.

Heath Bell Twitter Q & A

In what has become somewhat of a regular event for Heath Bell, the Padres closer and lone representative at the All-Star Game in Phoenix on Tuesday took some time Sunday night to answer fan questions.

As before, here is a sampling of his answers of more interesting questions:




@joshspence Who will you be flicking pumpkin seeds at in the bullpen during the All Star Game?
@HeathBell21 pumpkin seeds are going to go everywhere to everyone!

- Apparently the Heater has a bullpen reputation.

@ryannahartley Would you rather 1 arm or 1 leg?
@HeathBell21 One arm. My right arm.

@BrewerBaseball do you think Jonathon Axford should have been an All-Star this season based on his moustache alone?
@HeathBell21 his stache is pretty sweet. But Gregerson has a nice one goin

@drewdayton what did you think after your first pitch of the all-star game last year?
@HeathBell21 I'm not gonna lose THIS one.

@clintonbrannen If you could have any other job, what would it be and why?
@HeathBell21 work at Disneyland. I want to be Gaston in the beauty and the beast.

@billstrunk How do you feel about the wave at games?
@HeathBell21 I like it. I do the wave in the bullpen.

- that's disappointing, but since he is an All-Star and overall bad ass, I'll let it slide.

@Twine23 best teammate ever? Funniest teammate? Best prank you have pulled off?
@HeathBell21 best teammate: Hundley best prank; can't tell you.

- I would literally pay money to hear what that prank was. Anyone want to start the "Heath Bell Prank Fund"?

@cowsarecool220 Please ask your wife her fave road park to watch you pitch & why?
@HeathBell21 Philly because they were really nice there and gave her sushi after the game.

@Jack_In_Tosh Last person you argued with?
@HeathBell21 my 13 year old daughter...slug bug contest. I won. Still love her though!

@philzfan15 Why #21?
@HeathBell21 that's the number they gave me and 19 was taken

@esslingerj who u got in the derby? And why didn't u fly?
@HeathBell21 i got adrian in the derby and spending some quality time with the kids

This might be my favorite question of all time.
@_TonyHudson_ Hey Heath! Do you think pigeons have feelings?
@HeathBell21 yes! One was born in my golf bag in triple a Virginia. It was cool except I had to throw away my golf bag.

Chase Headley: Savior, Switch Hitter, All-Star?

I was going to write up a post about whether the Padres should be buyers or sellers and whether this current winning streak is a good thing. But that felt too negative as I was going to come up with some angle how this winning streak, while fun, could prove detrimental to the Padres long-term goals.

See, negative.

I finally decided "screw it, winning is fun and I'm going to enjoy this while I can. Why rain on this parade?"

So, since it's been a few days since a post and today is an off day anyway, I decided to pick something more positive.

Who will the Padres All-Star Game representative(s) be?

Look, if you are a gambling man, the choice is easy. It's Heath Bell. Deserving no doubt. Bell is tied for second in the National League in saves and is easily the most recognizable Padres to fans that don't reside in the 619 area code (or have Padres games constantly running on their MLB.tv).

There have also been calls for Mike Adams. Another worthy candidate. In 36.1 innings pitched, Adams has given up 5 earned runs. 5 total. He has 40 strikeouts in those same 36.1 innings pitched.

I could even see an argument for Tim Stauffer, certainly after the last month he has put together.

But allow me to pause the adoration for Padres pitching staff (deserved as it may be) and present the case for Chase Headley.


This picture chosen specifically for you lovers of the brown uniform. You know who you are.













But this offense is terrible, you're saying. None of the position players deserve to go, you scream.

Respectfully, I disagree.

When Adrian Gonzalez was here, the Padres could pretty much count on at least one position player making an All-Star Game. Same with Tony Gwynn before him.

But look a little closer at Chase Headley's 2011, and you will see that, not only does Chase Headley deserve to go, he may deserve to start.

Admittedly, I'm a Headley apologist. I display his bobblehead on my desk at work proudly.


See, there he is.












Here is your Top 5 vote getters at 3rd base in the NL:
1) Placido Polanco
2) Chipper Jones
3) Pablo Sandoval
4) David Wright
5) Scott Rolen

Guess who leads NL 3rd basemen in BA?
Chase Headley, at .299 (note: to include Pablo Sandoval you have to look at a minimum PA of only 150, in which case Greg Dobbs of FLA leads NL 3rd basemen in BA at .300 with 203 PA vs Headley's 268. But I digress)

The five leading vote getters per BA?
1) Polanco - #5 (.288)
2) Jones - #10 (.252)
3) Sandoval - #3 (.293 in 150 PA)
4) Wright - #16 (.226)
5) Rolen - #9 (.252)

Headley is not being overlooked due to a power shortage either. While Headley has only 2 HR's, no one in the Top 5 of vote getters has double digit HR's (The most? Chipper, at 7)

If BA is a bit archaic for your taste, then keep in mind that Chase Headley leads these Top 5 vote getters in WAR (1.7). Second closest is Sandoval, at 1.5. Headley leads all 3rd basemen in Runs Created/27 outs and is 5th in the NL for extra base hits (The only member of the Top 5 ahead of Headley? Chipper Jones).

I could go further down this SABR road but it's really a forest of numbers and acronyms. Suffice to say, Chase Headley is the most valuable offensive player on the Padres by nearly every statistical metric. And he is outpacing nearly every National League 3rd basemen in nearly every important statistical category as well.

Chase Headley, All-Star? If the idea of the All-Star Game is to showcase the best players in Major League Baseball, Headley deserves and has earned a spot. He doesn't need to start, but he deserves to be on this team.

That being said, a 37-45 team in 4th place (that's right, 4th! Suck it, Dodgers) is unlikely to get more than one player elected. And that player is going to be Bell.

Maybe it's for the best. As a team that must work within a budget, perhaps it is best left unsaid how good Headley is. Keep the demand for Headley low, keep his price low.

And keep him in San Diego.

So, mums the word. Headley? Headley who?

Who Needs a Break?

That got dangerously close to disaster territory for MLB. When the All-Star Game in Milwaukee ended in a 7-7 tie after 12 innings, the outcry across MLB was palpable. I for one didn't see the big hoopla considering the game is an exhibition game anyway but fans demanded there be a winner. That lead to the reactionary move of putting home field advantage at stake in the All Star Game, an idea that defies any sort of logic. As MLB is often criticized for, they continually trip over themselves when it comes to the All-Star Game. I for one have always been a fan of the idea of going to a "Home Run-Off" similar to a shootout in hockey to decide tie All-Star Games. That apparently is to gimmicky, but placing home field advantage in the most important game of the year, not gimmicky at all.

But the plan worked. No more ties, well-played games and on we went. Until last night when Terry Francona looked down at his bullpen around the 13th inning and realized that the only pitcher he had left was Scott Kazmir. Who threw 104 pitches on Sunday. And plays for a division rival. Clint Hurdle joked afterward (or maybe half joked) that David Wright was his emergency pitcher. One thing was for sure, this game had to come to a conclusion. This point was relayed to both dugouts during the later stages of the game last night. So what's more gimmicky? David Wright pitching to win home field advantage in the All-Star Game or a Home Run-Off?

Needless to say, as a fan, the game was thrilling. Some highlights:

- NL throws 2 guys out at home in the 10th with the bases loaded and no one out. This lead to the acrobatic play of Miguel Tejada, charging a slow grounder and throwing a bullet to first while falling down.

- Nate McCloth made a TREMENDOUS throw from Center Field to throw out the potential winning run. Russell Martin's scoop of the in between hop and blocking of the plate was equally impressive.

- Adrian Gonzalez played like 7 innings!!!! Nice game for AGon as he went 1-3 with an RBI (an RBI that, at the time, appeared to be the game winner). Lost in all this is the solid first base he played. In the 10th inning with the bases loaded, Russell Martin attempted to double up the hitter and appeared to slip as he threw. The throw was in the dirt and scooped nicely by AGon. Without that play the AL wins right there.

- If you stayed up to see it, George Sherrill formally introduced himself last night. 2 and a 1/3 innings pitched. Impressive display.

- All Michael Young does is win All-Star Games.

All in all, disaster was averted and the All-Star Game was what it is suppose to be. A showcase of the greatest sport in the world, played by the greatest players in the world.

Regular season starts up tomorrow and, sadly and amazingly, the Padres at 22 games under .500 are only 10 games out. Hopefully they give up that dream and let their young players play.

Reliving the Derby

There is an old adage about baseball that fans like to throw around. "Every day you come to the park you might see something new." Baseball is that kind of sport, the kind of sport where on any given day you could see something never before seen. Perhaps its an Indian rookie hitting the very first pitch he sees deep into the left field stands for a Grand Slam. Or a pitcher save his 500th game.

Last night at the Home Run Derby, baseball fans were given such a moment. While Josh Hamilton may not have won the Home Run Derby, such details seem secondary to the show he put on. But more then the display of raw, Roy Hobbs like power, is the story behind the show. By now, Hamilton's story of overcoming his addiction, working his way back and being reinstated into baseball, is well known throughout America. Hamilton made his Major League Debut last year, 8 years after being Tampa Bay's number 1 pick. But it was last night that he formally introduced himself to America.

Peter Gammons writes a great blog entry about baseball heroes showing up at the right time. While the game continues to be entangled in the scandals of Balco (scandals that have claimed arguably this generations best hitter and best pitcher), one need only look to last night to see how bright the future of baseball is. Hamilton, Utley, Uggla, Morneau, Longoria. These are hardly household names...yet.

I like baseball for many reasons. I like that you can't hold the ball and run out the clock to win, everyone gets a fair shake at winning, that many different strategy's produce can produce a win and that there is room for many different kinds of athletes. I like the nuances of the game, the fundamentals as well as the follies. And I like stories like Josh Hamilton, or Rick Ankiel, or Jim Abbot, or Jon Lester.

Padres at the Break (Brink)

So, I've been a bit of a slacker in updating post here. What can I say? Work...and play, has gotten in the way. But we are back for an All-Star post to ease us into the break. A couple thoughts from over the weekend:

- The Padres lost last night 12-3. The nice thing about 58 losses by the All Star Break is that all the losses blend together, making it hard to remember any one. I barely remember yesterday's loss already.

- The UT did an interesting "By the Numbers" piece today here. What jumps out at me is the 0-48 record in games when trailing after 8. So at no point this year has San Diego come back on another team's closer.

- The Padres are 11-16 in 1-run games which, more then anything, means that they have played 27 1 run games. They have played 26 "blowout" games (games decided by 5 or more runs).

- The 1998 National League Championship Team was honored over the weekend. I was 3 when the Padres won the '84 pennant so the '98 team was really my first experience with the Padres in the World Series. I lived in Tucson at the time but I remember how excited I was to see my team on national t.v. with all the playoff fanfare. Finally, when I had had enough, I drove out to San Diego for a game during the NLCS and it remains one of the most exciting sporting events I have been to. The 1998 season was some of the most fun I have ever had as a baseball fan and I'm glad they were honored this weekend. So thanks to Greg Vaughn, Ken Caminiti, Sterling Hitchcock, Kevin Brown, Carlos Hernandez, Tony Gwynn, Steve Finley and the rest of the squad. You gave me memories I wouldn't trade for anything.

- Only 1 Padre in the All-Star Game, Adrian Gonzalez (who should be in the Home Run Derby). As is typical, the major markets lead the way in voting and players sent to the game. Not that San Diego warranted more than 1 this year though.

- Finally, Jayson Stark wrote a scathing article about ARod not taking part in the Home Run Derby in Yankee Stadium. A good read (as most of Stark's stuff is).

Aimless Tuesday Ramblings

I was out of town this past weekend so that would be the reason for the limited updates. Hope every one's 4th was fun. Here are some random thoughts on the Padres I had:

- Adrian Gonzalez was named to the All-Star team to the surprise of no one. He will be travelling alone however (also to the surprise of no one) as he is the lone Padres representative. Adrian is also a bit open about his desire to take part in the Home Run Derby. With 22 homeruns (4th highest in the NL) and an open NL spot, it would seem to make perfect sense. It would seem...

- Edgar will not be making the trip to New York because the All-Star Break is "wife time."

- To meet Adrian's 8-4 goal before the All-Star break, the Padres have to win 5 straight after last night's 3-1 loss. That loss moved the Padres to 3-4 in their last 7.

- Greg Maddux will NEVER WIN AGAIN!!!!

- Greg Maddux can still pitch though and last night was a great example.

- Interesting move by the Brewers this weekend landing C.C. Sabathia. A new high water mark for mid-market/small market teams.

- I've been a fan since he got here but I am over Khalil Greene. Look, we had some fun, some laughs, but its over. Time to move on.

- In things I know little to nothing about, the Padres scored big in the Amateur signing day last week, landing 5 of ESPN.com's 10 best prospects. Check Paul Depodesta's blog for far better information on that at It Might Be Dangerous.

- And speaking of Depodesta, he put a call out to fans for suggestions on what to do with this team. Essentially, play GM. My answer, sell. Forget this season, get rid of Wolf, Giles, Greene, load up on prospects and look toward next year. It doesn't take a Herculean effort to win this division, but speed might help.

- $1 days at Petco! $1 hot dogs, $1 drinks, $1 off beer. Only 8 home games left in July.

- Luke Carlin has a cannon for a right arm. If only he could hit.

- Chase Headley may strike out a lot but he already has 5 home runs since joining the Padres a few weeks ago.

- The Padres can't score more than 3 runs at home! Last night was no different.

- I'm now openly rooting for a team below .500 to win the NL West

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!!!

Elect CY to San Fran!!!

When you're 6'10'' its hard to go unnoticed. That is, unless, you post a sub 1.00 ERA at home and your name is Chris Young. As is the new tradition with MLB's All-Star Game, the final roster spot will be decided by a fan vote that ends on Thursday. In the National League, the "Final Spot" candidates are:

Tom Gorzelanny, Pittsburgh (Pitcher)
Carlos Zambrano, Chicago (Pitcher)
Roy Oswalt, Houston (Pitcher)
Brandon Webb, Arizona (Pitcher)
Chris Young, San Diego (Pitcher)

Folks, it's time to bust out your campaign buttons, grab a friend and start stumping for Chris Young. It is an absolute joke that Tony Larussa has left Chris Young off this All-Star team. For a quick refresher, here is CY's All-Star resume:

8-3 Record
2.14 ERA
once again...
2.14 ERA!!!
Home ERA of 0.94 (forget ballparks folks, that is sick)
Opponents Batting AVG. .197

By comparison:
Gorzelanny, ERA 3.05
Webb, ERA 3.05
Oswalt, ERA 3.42
Zambrano, ERA 4.20

No one is close on this list to CY's numbers. Frankly, it shouldn't have come to this. Young should have been named to the All-Star team already. But, here we are. So, whether you're a Padres fan or simply a baseball fan or simply a friend of mine who reads this blog. You see the numbers, Young deserves your vote. Here is the link for the fan's final vote: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070702&content_id=2062413&vkey=allstar2007&fext=.jsp

Vote early, vote often. You get to vote an unlimited amount of times. There were plenty of snubs on this year's team (Eric Brynes from Arizona, Jimmy Rollins from Philly, Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego, the fact that Bonds is starting) but here is your chance to make up for one OBVIOUS snub. VOTE CHRIS YOUNG!!!

The good news, as of 5:00 est on the first day of voting, Chris Young held a slim lead over Carlos Zambrano. The Padres are home the rest of this week and according to the team, they plan to blockade certain gates to steer fans toward voting computers set-up throughout the park to get them to vote for CY. Spread the word, his trip to the Bay is in your hands!!!!!

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!!!

Two the Hard Way

Series win in the Bay

Even the cats have Padres fever!!!

Assuming the National League All-Star coaching staff isn't blind, some notable Padres will be right back in the bay in less than a month (Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Trevor Hoffman and Adrian Gonzalez should be locks, more on this in the days to come) The Padres returned to division play this week, beginning a 6-game road trip in San Francisco where Bruce Bochy and company were waiting after an emotional series against the Yankees. The quick recap is this, the Padres dropped Game 1 after taking a late lead thanks to some Mike Cameron heroics, only to have the lead loss by Scott Linebrink (a reoccurring sight this weekend...more on that.)

Game 2 went the way of the Friar, winning in the most unlikely of ways...BY THROWING OUT A RUNNER! Not just any runner either. After Kouzmanoff hit a tie breaking solo homerun in the 10th, Hoffman came on to get the save. After recording two outs, Dave Roberts singles and than attempts to steal. It's Dave Roberts, everybody in AT&T Park knew he was going...including Michael Barrett who gunned him out. A Padres catcher throwing out a would-be base stealer, an unusual sight indeed.

Game 3 went the way of the Padres thanks in large part to a masterful pitching performance by Maddox (for those of you scoring at home, thats 340 career wins). Padres win the series, snapping a two series losing streak and returning the Padres (as of this writing) to a tie for first (Arizona playing L.A. as we speak, although probably not as you read).

Some notes from the past couple days. Is it time to be concerned in Friarland? Scott Linebrink has now given up at least one earned run in his last 3 appearances. On the surface this doesn't seem that alarming. Take into account that Linebrink is the link between the lead and Hoffman and the amount of pressure on the Padres bullpen, it becomes much more concerning. Which naturally leads to this question? Is the lack of Padres offense have an adverse affect on the Padres pitching? The theory being that the Padres pitchers have such a tremendous amount of pressure on them because giving up one run is disastrous. If a starter doesn't have shut-out stuff (say, Peavy on Sunday, giving up 3 runs) then the cause looks nearly hopeless. My thought is Linebrink, as well as the rest of the bullpen staff is beginning to feel that pressure and is cracking somewhat under it. That's understandable. The solution...

...is to make a trade. Lots of rumors circling and lots of wish list players on the fans minds, this one included. Most recently is the rumor of Jermaine Dye, the one-time World Series MVP from the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are a disaster right now and they have made it clear that Mark Buerhle and Jermaine Dye are on the block. Clearly, the White Sox will want prospects back and presumably some pitching. As always, I throw out the Clay Hensley prospect, although with Wells likely retiring at the end of this year and Maddox only signed to one year, Hensley may be more valuable to San Diego.

Other Padres trade bait options are: Royce Ring (Padres are limited on left-handed relievers and this kid has ridiculous stuff), Chase Headley (the number one rated prospect in the Padres system, which is somewhat thin. He does play 3rd which hopefully is occupied for some time with Kouzmanoff), Scott Linebrink (the guy always mentioned, is it worth blowing up the best bullpen in baseball to bring in a slumping bat?). Dye is currently batting .230 with 11 HR's in the middle of a $7 million year.

Other notable trade rumors: Alex Rios of Toronto (a true leadoff hitter, which Marcus Giles is not), Adam Dunn (plays leftfield like a 9-year old, hits like Casey at the bat), Ken Griffey Jr. (my personal wish list player...)

The fact is the Padres need offense. Barrett is a nice pick up but that won't do it. Gonzalez has been slumping and some of that can be chalked up to him swinging at bad pitches because all he is thrown is bad pitches. The Padres in the last two years have gone 1 and done in the playoffs. This year's team pitches better than them. Let's not waste that talent on the inability to score runs. The offenses are better in October and the Padres can't rely on 2 hit wins then. KT MAKE A MOVE!!!
Which leads to our question of the day?
- Is a power hitting left fielder worth sacrificing any of the bullpen pitchers? If so, what left fielder would it have to be and who is expendable?

Up Next:

Huge series this weekend in Chavez Ravine. The Padres travel north to take on L.A. (Beat L.A., Beat L.A.). San Diego, Arizona, and L.A. are basically tied atop the West and that doesn't look to change anytime soon. Last year's division crown was won thanks to head-to-head record. Huge boost to San Diego to take 2 of 3 from L.A. this weekend and the pitching lines up perfectly, with Young, Peavy and Germano.

P.S. A little thing that made me smile...No Barry Bonds HR's this past three games, and no record breaking hit to happen against San Diego.