*Today marks a red letter day in the history of Left Coast Bias. Today, I am happy to present the first guest article in the blogs history. David Israel is a fellow Padres fan (I suppose that was obvious), a member of the legal community and, as this article shows, a pretty damn good writer. So, without further adieu, David, take it away!
By David Israel
With the Padres moves likely winding down (pick a 1B, any 1B), and with time on my hands, it’s time to take a look at the hot stove for one of the most active teams on the market. The Padres were surprising players; while there were no big acquisitions, the Padres have made some major moves, and despite the loss of Adrian, should put up a solid mid-level performance on a low-level payroll. So, let’s take a look.
The Adrian deal: Look, it was bound to happen. Enough has been written about it, and if 2-3 of those guys pan out in the next 2-4 years, the Padres will be better off for having made this deal. Casey Kelly looks legit, and the other parts will eventually help. Eric Patterson as the PTBNL stings a little (was hoping for an unrealistic Ellsbury move), but overall, this deal looks downright decent.
GM Hoyer also shored up the rotation, which suffered the losses of Kevin Correia and Chris Young. Aaron Harang has always been one of those guys I can’t help but think has been consistently undervalued; I like him in Petco Park for the price we’re paying. The rotation could probably use one more free agent brought in for the back end, to form up with Latos, Richard, Harang, Stauffer, and perhaps Leblanc. But hopefully not Leblanc; I just don’t trust him yet full time.
The middle of the field has done a full change; Maybin is Gwynn with slightly less defense, but more than enough to cover some ground in Petco’s CF. The bat upgrade he brings over AGJ is well worth it; for Maybin and Bartlett, we gave up 4 pieces we were never going to use, plus two minor leaguers with uncertain futures. That’s a plus; Bartlett will bring some stability to a position where the Pads have been lacking for a long time. This blog has already posted stat comparisons; take a look below.
My one suggestion for the off season when I planned on writing this a week ago was that the Padres should sign Orlando Hudson for a few years. While they paid him more than I would have projected, O-dog will bring a veteran leadership to this team that would have been left to only Ryan Ludwick. Good signing for a player who will fill a need, and provide savvy leadership. He is also familiar with the NL West, from his time with the Dodgers. A little expensive, but a good signing.
What’s left for the off season? A first baseman, clearly- look for Troy Glaus to be slotted in to that role. He made $1.75M last year, and could likely be had for $2-3 M this year. The defense won’t be Adrian (who may not be as good as numbers indicated- the lateral movement wasn’t great last year), but it will be adequate. I’d rather see a cheaper option than Derek Lee, but it would be fun if Lee and C. Young ended up on the team together, if only so they could relive their brawl from 2007. We could also use some of the Gunslinger’s old leftover magic in pulling a bullpen piece or two off the scrap heap.
So can the Padres compete with this team? With the Rockies and Giants in the division, probably not. So, what would I like to see happen? Before the Magglio Ordonez signing in Detroit, Ryan Ludwick seemed like he could be a fit there. Both Ludwick and Bell could (and should) be moved before the deadline, to save on payroll and bring in some help for the future. I love Bell as a player, and as a part of the San Diego community. But he deserves a shot to compete, and should get it.
Overall, a nice hot stove season for the Padres, and it should be a nice year of baseball in 2011. And, it’s only 2 months until the three best words, ever: pitchers and catchers.
Showing posts with label Chris Young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Young. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Post-St. Patty's Day Post
So, for a few weeks now I have been touting the World Baseball Classic. I've argued it's legitimacy, it's place in the U.S. sports conscious, trying to get people excited for it as I was. Then, St. Patrick's Day hit and I missed, by far, the best game for the U.S. in the WBC since it's inception.
Fail.
The U.S. team, rebounding from an embarrassing 11-1 thumping came back to beat the Netherlands to survive. Then yesterday, in a second elimination game, the U.S. team, down 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th score 3 runs. 1 on a base on balls and than a 2 run single by David Wright to propel the U.S. team, left for dead less than a week ago, onto the semi-finals in Los Angeles. And I missed it.
Fail Again.
However, what this does mean is that the U.S. team plays on, granting all those who missed last nights heroics more opportunity to watch this team.
In other WBC news, Mexico was eliminated on Monday night. The bright side to that is of course, the Gonzalez brothers (Adrian and Edgar) will head back to Padres camp with Scott Hairston.
Now, onto some Padres news.
In the last post I mentioned how Kyle Banks was tearing up the Cactus League at first base while Adrian was away at the WBC. Currently, Banks is hitting a crisp .341 with 3 HR's and 9 RBI. But there is that small, Gold-Glove winning, All-Star in front of him at first who is not likely to be going anywhere soon. So, the question has been posed: What about moving Banks to the Outfield? Corey Brock, who blogs for the Padres at http://coreybrock.mlblogs.com/ asked Kevin Towers this.
Fail.
The U.S. team, rebounding from an embarrassing 11-1 thumping came back to beat the Netherlands to survive. Then yesterday, in a second elimination game, the U.S. team, down 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th score 3 runs. 1 on a base on balls and than a 2 run single by David Wright to propel the U.S. team, left for dead less than a week ago, onto the semi-finals in Los Angeles. And I missed it.
Fail Again.
However, what this does mean is that the U.S. team plays on, granting all those who missed last nights heroics more opportunity to watch this team.
In other WBC news, Mexico was eliminated on Monday night. The bright side to that is of course, the Gonzalez brothers (Adrian and Edgar) will head back to Padres camp with Scott Hairston.
Now, onto some Padres news.
In the last post I mentioned how Kyle Banks was tearing up the Cactus League at first base while Adrian was away at the WBC. Currently, Banks is hitting a crisp .341 with 3 HR's and 9 RBI. But there is that small, Gold-Glove winning, All-Star in front of him at first who is not likely to be going anywhere soon. So, the question has been posed: What about moving Banks to the Outfield? Corey Brock, who blogs for the Padres at http://coreybrock.mlblogs.com/ asked Kevin Towers this.
"Towers he doesn't want to mess with Blanks confidence right now by asking him to start taking fly balls in Arizona. If the Padres do opt to see how Blanks looks in the outfield then it would likely be once the Triple-A season begins in Portland."
However, Towers has said, to both Corey Brock and Tom Krasovic that Banks will start taking fly balls before games in AAA Portland. For those of you scoring at home, this would be 2 corner infielders the Padres have attempted to convert into outfielders, assuming taking fly balls before Beaver games is the first step in that conversion.
So there's that. Needless to say, Banks and his bat need to find their way into the lineup at some point this season.
Krasovic also reports in that same piece that Chris Young has been scratched from today's start in Peoria due to "elbow tendinitis." Young says its not a big deal, it happens every March when he begins introducing sliders and curve balls to his pitching repertoire.
Finally, one of the great sporting events in America begins tomorrow (technically it began on Tuesday). March Madness is upon us and nothing beats the opening weekend, with games on CBS from the time you wake up until bed. Fantastic. For those curious, here are some of my bracket picks:
- Final Four Teams: Louisville, Memphis, Pitt, Syracuse with Memphis winning the whole thing
- Arizona as a 12 seed heading to the Sweet Sixteen with wins over Utah and Wake Forest
- Purdue toppling UConn in the Sweet Sixteen
- VCU making a serious run to the Sweet Sixteen
- West Virgina taking down Michigan St. to advance to the Regional Finals
- Gonzaga takes out UNC
Enjoy the madness! Enjoy the WBC! Enjoy the green beer hangover!
However, Towers has said, to both Corey Brock and Tom Krasovic that Banks will start taking fly balls before games in AAA Portland. For those of you scoring at home, this would be 2 corner infielders the Padres have attempted to convert into outfielders, assuming taking fly balls before Beaver games is the first step in that conversion.
So there's that. Needless to say, Banks and his bat need to find their way into the lineup at some point this season.
Krasovic also reports in that same piece that Chris Young has been scratched from today's start in Peoria due to "elbow tendinitis." Young says its not a big deal, it happens every March when he begins introducing sliders and curve balls to his pitching repertoire.
Finally, one of the great sporting events in America begins tomorrow (technically it began on Tuesday). March Madness is upon us and nothing beats the opening weekend, with games on CBS from the time you wake up until bed. Fantastic. For those curious, here are some of my bracket picks:
- Final Four Teams: Louisville, Memphis, Pitt, Syracuse with Memphis winning the whole thing
- Arizona as a 12 seed heading to the Sweet Sixteen with wins over Utah and Wake Forest
- Purdue toppling UConn in the Sweet Sixteen
- VCU making a serious run to the Sweet Sixteen
- West Virgina taking down Michigan St. to advance to the Regional Finals
- Gonzaga takes out UNC
Enjoy the madness! Enjoy the WBC! Enjoy the green beer hangover!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night
I return today after an 11 day hiatus to finish finals, begin an internship and entertain out-of-town guests. So, what have I missed?
- Jake Peavy was placed on the DL and the optimistic approach appears to be about 6 weeks on the shelf. This is devastating obviously but that devastation is tempered somewhat by being 12.5 games back. Essentially what I'm saying is, its not as if the Padres need him right now. And if this thing doesn't get turned around (and quickly) there is no reason to rush him back. I posted here a few weeks (months?) ago that Peavy's pitch counts I thought were abnormally high for this early in the season. Now he has a sore elbow. Maybe it's connected. Maybe whatever Prior has is contagious. Either way, Peavy is out.
- And now, so is Chris Young. If you watched or were at the game on Wednesday, the scene was something out of a horror movie. I saw the ball hit off CY, but wasn't sure where. His back was turned to the camera on Channel 4 and when he turned around a stream of blood was running down his face. Very Wes Craven. It appears he fractured his nose and will miss at least one or two starts.
- 10 minutes later, Josh Bard was knocked out with a high ankle sprain. The culprit in both incidents? Albert Pujols. I must say though, Pujols was pretty classy regarding the CY incident, saying in the paper that he "would have rather grounded into a double play then to have that happen."
- This obviously necessitated some moves by the front office which meant FINALLY Chase Headley would be brought...wait...what? Oh, no Chase is still in Portland. It's not about his salary though...no way...definitely not.
- The Padres find themselves 12.5 games back yet in the last two weeks have shown some semblance of competitiveness which I imagine is encouraging. What isn't is having the top two pitchers knocked out and having no catcher with big league experience.
- Trade rumors abound and the thought is that absent a major turn around, major trades will be made. Brian Giles contract ends at the end of this year so one would have to think he is on the block.
- Did I mention that Chase Headley is not up with the club yet?
- Ever the optimist, I can say that the NL as a whole is not exactly lighting the world on fire. Also, there is recent precedence for teams turning it around in the second half (Astros, Mariners, etc). It's possible. So I say, do not go gently into that good night...yet.
* Apologies to Dylan Thomas
- Jake Peavy was placed on the DL and the optimistic approach appears to be about 6 weeks on the shelf. This is devastating obviously but that devastation is tempered somewhat by being 12.5 games back. Essentially what I'm saying is, its not as if the Padres need him right now. And if this thing doesn't get turned around (and quickly) there is no reason to rush him back. I posted here a few weeks (months?) ago that Peavy's pitch counts I thought were abnormally high for this early in the season. Now he has a sore elbow. Maybe it's connected. Maybe whatever Prior has is contagious. Either way, Peavy is out.
- And now, so is Chris Young. If you watched or were at the game on Wednesday, the scene was something out of a horror movie. I saw the ball hit off CY, but wasn't sure where. His back was turned to the camera on Channel 4 and when he turned around a stream of blood was running down his face. Very Wes Craven. It appears he fractured his nose and will miss at least one or two starts.
- 10 minutes later, Josh Bard was knocked out with a high ankle sprain. The culprit in both incidents? Albert Pujols. I must say though, Pujols was pretty classy regarding the CY incident, saying in the paper that he "would have rather grounded into a double play then to have that happen."
- This obviously necessitated some moves by the front office which meant FINALLY Chase Headley would be brought...wait...what? Oh, no Chase is still in Portland. It's not about his salary though...no way...definitely not.
- The Padres find themselves 12.5 games back yet in the last two weeks have shown some semblance of competitiveness which I imagine is encouraging. What isn't is having the top two pitchers knocked out and having no catcher with big league experience.
- Trade rumors abound and the thought is that absent a major turn around, major trades will be made. Brian Giles contract ends at the end of this year so one would have to think he is on the block.
- Did I mention that Chase Headley is not up with the club yet?
- Ever the optimist, I can say that the NL as a whole is not exactly lighting the world on fire. Also, there is recent precedence for teams turning it around in the second half (Astros, Mariners, etc). It's possible. So I say, do not go gently into that good night...yet.
* Apologies to Dylan Thomas
Friday, April 25, 2008
Baseball for Masochist
WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON?
Whew, ok, that's off my chest now.
But seriously, what has happened to our once proud team. The Padres find themselves in precarious situations these days: a record of 9-14 and 7.5 games back of the Diamondbacks. In the past 7 days, the Padres, as a team, have hit below the Mendoza Line (.200). Not surprisingly, in that same span, the Padres have gone 1-7. This includes such offensive "outbursts" as scoring 1 run in 22 innings, 2 runs in 13 innings, and 0 runs last night in support of Chris Young.
Now, I think we can all get on board with the fact that the past two days the Padres have faced Cain and Linececum, two of the best young arms in the NL. But, neither pitcher threw a complete game and the Giants bullpen scares no one. Well, no one but the Padres apparently.
A microcosmic look at the Padres offense: Last night the Padres, down 1 after CY threw 7 innings with 10Ks, loaded the bases on Walk, Groundout, Single, Wild Pitch, Walk. 7th Inning, down one, bases loaded, 1 out. This requires ONLY a fly ball to the outfield to tie the game as Iguchi was the runner at third. Hairston instead popped out to the third baseman and AGon grounded out. No runs in what was the Padres only legitimate threat the entire game. This has been the Padres offense in 2008.
I heard this line today on the radio and I'm going to steal it here. "Forget timely hitting, right now, I'd take untimely hitting."
Solutions? Few and Far Between. For one thing, and I've said this before, Jim Edmonds should NOT be hitting 5th in any lineup in baseball. His bat is to slow, and he strikes out to much.
But perhaps its time for Chase Headley. Chase is not lighting the world on fire up in Portland (.224 BA) but he offers legitimate power in a lineup void of such a commodity. Perhaps more importantly, he offers a fresh change, injecting some life into a team that is struggling.
Or, perhaps a trade is in order. Options are scarce but one name brought up a lot is Reggie Willits. Willits adds speed and a contact hitter. .293 BA in 2007 to go along with 27 SB would fit nicely into this team. I think its pretty clear how much the Padres miss Mike Cameron. Willits would fill that void.
But the only real solution...WIN! I beg of you, for my sanity, please, win a game!
Coming Up:
When you've lost 7 of your last 8, the last thing you want to see is a team 16-6 heading to town. Lucky us! The Diamonbacks come to town with Randy Johnson against Randy Wolf (a rematch of last Sunday, also the last Padres win), Micah Owings vs Justin Germano on Saturday, and the marquee matchup, Brandon Webb vs Jake Peavy.
Whew, ok, that's off my chest now.
But seriously, what has happened to our once proud team. The Padres find themselves in precarious situations these days: a record of 9-14 and 7.5 games back of the Diamondbacks. In the past 7 days, the Padres, as a team, have hit below the Mendoza Line (.200). Not surprisingly, in that same span, the Padres have gone 1-7. This includes such offensive "outbursts" as scoring 1 run in 22 innings, 2 runs in 13 innings, and 0 runs last night in support of Chris Young.
Now, I think we can all get on board with the fact that the past two days the Padres have faced Cain and Linececum, two of the best young arms in the NL. But, neither pitcher threw a complete game and the Giants bullpen scares no one. Well, no one but the Padres apparently.
A microcosmic look at the Padres offense: Last night the Padres, down 1 after CY threw 7 innings with 10Ks, loaded the bases on Walk, Groundout, Single, Wild Pitch, Walk. 7th Inning, down one, bases loaded, 1 out. This requires ONLY a fly ball to the outfield to tie the game as Iguchi was the runner at third. Hairston instead popped out to the third baseman and AGon grounded out. No runs in what was the Padres only legitimate threat the entire game. This has been the Padres offense in 2008.
I heard this line today on the radio and I'm going to steal it here. "Forget timely hitting, right now, I'd take untimely hitting."
Solutions? Few and Far Between. For one thing, and I've said this before, Jim Edmonds should NOT be hitting 5th in any lineup in baseball. His bat is to slow, and he strikes out to much.
But perhaps its time for Chase Headley. Chase is not lighting the world on fire up in Portland (.224 BA) but he offers legitimate power in a lineup void of such a commodity. Perhaps more importantly, he offers a fresh change, injecting some life into a team that is struggling.
Or, perhaps a trade is in order. Options are scarce but one name brought up a lot is Reggie Willits. Willits adds speed and a contact hitter. .293 BA in 2007 to go along with 27 SB would fit nicely into this team. I think its pretty clear how much the Padres miss Mike Cameron. Willits would fill that void.
But the only real solution...WIN! I beg of you, for my sanity, please, win a game!
Coming Up:
When you've lost 7 of your last 8, the last thing you want to see is a team 16-6 heading to town. Lucky us! The Diamonbacks come to town with Randy Johnson against Randy Wolf (a rematch of last Sunday, also the last Padres win), Micah Owings vs Justin Germano on Saturday, and the marquee matchup, Brandon Webb vs Jake Peavy.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Twice Snake Bitten, Once Shy; Astros On Deck
This Just In: The Diamondbacks are good...real good. They hold the best record in baseball and their offense has scored more runs than any other team in the NL. That offense showed up on the first two days of this series, scoring 9 runs on Friday (including 6 in the first inning off Maddux, more on that in a second) and 10 runs on Saturday. To compound the problem was the sudden and drastic power outage that the Padres were facing. Being shutout on Friday 9-0 marked 17 straight innings without scoring a run (dating back to Thursday's 13th inning.)
As mentioned above, Maddux gave up 6 runs in the first inning. The Diamondbacks continually give the future Hall of Famer fits, as they continue to be the only team in which Maddux has a losing record against. That being said, Maddux deserves a ton of credit. As we wrote here at LCB and was blogged and reported about throughout the country, the Padres played 22 innings the night before, using nearly everyone in their bullpen. Maddux on Friday pitched 7 innings and threw 113 pitches (when was the last time he did that?). Did he give up 9 runs? Yes. Did he take one for the team though? Absolutely. And for that he deserves a ton of credit.
We won't mention the grand total of 3 hits that backed Maddux up.
CY got the start Saturday and frankly deserved a better fate. 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs. For that he was rewarded with a no decision and ultimately a 10-3 loss for the Padres. This belies a larger issue, the bullpen. Currently, the bullpen ranks 16th out of 16 in the NL, after finishing first in the NL a year ago in bullpen ERA. And for the second time in a week, the Padres bullpen turned a close game into a laugher in the manner of an inning. (Colorado lead 3-2, won 10-2 and then Saturday).
Get away day Sunday! Randy Wolf may go down as the pickup of the winter for Kevin Towers. Another great start for Wolf on Sunday, working into the 7th inning and giving up 4 runs. More importantly, the bats came to life:
- G'Day! Justin Huber got his first HR of his career, a 3-run shot off of Randy Johnson.
- The Padres have to figure out a way to get Calix Crabbe in the lineup. For a team sorely lacking in speed, Crabbe is a legit burner on the base paths.
- Hard to put a price on how important AGon is to this lineup. The guy just rakes.
- 9 runs is a new season high for runs scored in a game. Let's hope for more of the same in Houston.
The Jim Edmonds Situation
There is no reason, whatsoever, that Jim Edmonds should EVER hit 5th in this lineup. I don't fully know what the answer is, but I'm pretty confident that Edmonds is not it. At the plate he is a shell of his former self and frankly, looks lost in center.
Now there aren't a lot of options to fix this outfield problem. Hairston has come back down to earth and it seems that the book on Hairston's affinity to fastballs is out. Huber and Crabbe, while having nice games on Sunday, are likely not everyday options. That leaves the original option from spring: Chase Headley.
Chase Headley in Portland: .230 BA and 1 HR so not exactly raking it.
Chase Headley in Spring: .349 BA with 4 HR in 43 AB's so he CAN rake.
Maybe he's not ready, but the Padres are, and there's little time left for them to continue to watch Edmonds struggle. Moving Hairston or Crabbe into Center and giving Headley a chance in LF is the right move...considering there really are no other moves.
The Padres head to Houston for a quick 2 game series against the struggling Astros.
Final notes: Clay Hensley is set to begin a rehab start at Single A; the Padres, at 9-10, are below .500 for the first time since 2006. I might add though, that being above .500 all of 2007 got the Padres to Game 163 and that's it. In 2006, the Padres won the West, so maybe this isn't the bad omen it's made to seem like.
See you in Houston! Bring your birth certificates!
As mentioned above, Maddux gave up 6 runs in the first inning. The Diamondbacks continually give the future Hall of Famer fits, as they continue to be the only team in which Maddux has a losing record against. That being said, Maddux deserves a ton of credit. As we wrote here at LCB and was blogged and reported about throughout the country, the Padres played 22 innings the night before, using nearly everyone in their bullpen. Maddux on Friday pitched 7 innings and threw 113 pitches (when was the last time he did that?). Did he give up 9 runs? Yes. Did he take one for the team though? Absolutely. And for that he deserves a ton of credit.
We won't mention the grand total of 3 hits that backed Maddux up.
CY got the start Saturday and frankly deserved a better fate. 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs. For that he was rewarded with a no decision and ultimately a 10-3 loss for the Padres. This belies a larger issue, the bullpen. Currently, the bullpen ranks 16th out of 16 in the NL, after finishing first in the NL a year ago in bullpen ERA. And for the second time in a week, the Padres bullpen turned a close game into a laugher in the manner of an inning. (Colorado lead 3-2, won 10-2 and then Saturday).
Get away day Sunday! Randy Wolf may go down as the pickup of the winter for Kevin Towers. Another great start for Wolf on Sunday, working into the 7th inning and giving up 4 runs. More importantly, the bats came to life:
- G'Day! Justin Huber got his first HR of his career, a 3-run shot off of Randy Johnson.
- The Padres have to figure out a way to get Calix Crabbe in the lineup. For a team sorely lacking in speed, Crabbe is a legit burner on the base paths.
- Hard to put a price on how important AGon is to this lineup. The guy just rakes.
- 9 runs is a new season high for runs scored in a game. Let's hope for more of the same in Houston.
The Jim Edmonds Situation
There is no reason, whatsoever, that Jim Edmonds should EVER hit 5th in this lineup. I don't fully know what the answer is, but I'm pretty confident that Edmonds is not it. At the plate he is a shell of his former self and frankly, looks lost in center.
Now there aren't a lot of options to fix this outfield problem. Hairston has come back down to earth and it seems that the book on Hairston's affinity to fastballs is out. Huber and Crabbe, while having nice games on Sunday, are likely not everyday options. That leaves the original option from spring: Chase Headley.
Chase Headley in Portland: .230 BA and 1 HR so not exactly raking it.
Chase Headley in Spring: .349 BA with 4 HR in 43 AB's so he CAN rake.
Maybe he's not ready, but the Padres are, and there's little time left for them to continue to watch Edmonds struggle. Moving Hairston or Crabbe into Center and giving Headley a chance in LF is the right move...considering there really are no other moves.
The Padres head to Houston for a quick 2 game series against the struggling Astros.
Final notes: Clay Hensley is set to begin a rehab start at Single A; the Padres, at 9-10, are below .500 for the first time since 2006. I might add though, that being above .500 all of 2007 got the Padres to Game 163 and that's it. In 2006, the Padres won the West, so maybe this isn't the bad omen it's made to seem like.
See you in Houston! Bring your birth certificates!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Dodger Stadium
So, I'll take the push on my parlay. Padres did win 2 of 3 but I picked the wrong pitchers. A great sign on Friday night to get the win when Peavy didn't have his ace stuff. That's a huge win. As for Saturday, what is there to say other than "mama said they'd be days like this."
Chris Young right now cannot find the strike-zone. His 12 walks so far in 2008 is good enough (or would it be bad enough?) for the third highest walks allowed total in the Majors. It's worth mentioning he has some good company at the top of that list in Fausto Carmon, Dice K and Matt Cain. The short term problem of these walks is what happened on Saturday night. Hitters counts, base-runners on and a 3 inning outing the results in a Padres loss. The long term problems are a bigger concern. Chris Young's pitch counts have consistently been high since his been a Padre and he rarely if ever makes it into the 7th inning. This resulted last year in a DL stint in the midst of a Cy Young campaign. Needless to say, CY's next start will be viewed at closely at LCB as Young has walked more than 3 batters in his first 3 starts.
Sunday was not for the casual fan. 1-0 win for the Padres with the lone run coming on a sac fly. Hey, whatever it takes right? A win is a win. Maddux notched win number 349 for his career by throwing 5 innings of shut out ball. Maddux only threw 67 pitches in the game (42 for strikes) and likely could have gone longer if not for the need for some offense (requiring a pinch-hitter) and, I have to think, the temperature. For those not living in Southern California, high 90's were the call of the day here. Not conducive for a 42 year old pitcher.
Khalil Greene was the number 5 Web Gem tonight in Bristol and well earned. That play is why it's ok that he hits .250...well, the homeruns don't hurt either.
Padres have an off day on Monday and then the Rockies head to town for the first time since Number 163...full preview on Tuesday.
Big Thanks to Ashley and Jay for grabbing us a Padres flag at last weekends game. The flag flies proudly in North Park today!
And one final note: Scared Hitless is your inter-school softball champions. The number 3 seed pulled off the upset in come from behind fashion on Sunday. That leaves the Little Blue Pill season, who is on bye this week.
Chris Young right now cannot find the strike-zone. His 12 walks so far in 2008 is good enough (or would it be bad enough?) for the third highest walks allowed total in the Majors. It's worth mentioning he has some good company at the top of that list in Fausto Carmon, Dice K and Matt Cain. The short term problem of these walks is what happened on Saturday night. Hitters counts, base-runners on and a 3 inning outing the results in a Padres loss. The long term problems are a bigger concern. Chris Young's pitch counts have consistently been high since his been a Padre and he rarely if ever makes it into the 7th inning. This resulted last year in a DL stint in the midst of a Cy Young campaign. Needless to say, CY's next start will be viewed at closely at LCB as Young has walked more than 3 batters in his first 3 starts.
Sunday was not for the casual fan. 1-0 win for the Padres with the lone run coming on a sac fly. Hey, whatever it takes right? A win is a win. Maddux notched win number 349 for his career by throwing 5 innings of shut out ball. Maddux only threw 67 pitches in the game (42 for strikes) and likely could have gone longer if not for the need for some offense (requiring a pinch-hitter) and, I have to think, the temperature. For those not living in Southern California, high 90's were the call of the day here. Not conducive for a 42 year old pitcher.
Khalil Greene was the number 5 Web Gem tonight in Bristol and well earned. That play is why it's ok that he hits .250...well, the homeruns don't hurt either.
Padres have an off day on Monday and then the Rockies head to town for the first time since Number 163...full preview on Tuesday.
Big Thanks to Ashley and Jay for grabbing us a Padres flag at last weekends game. The flag flies proudly in North Park today!
And one final note: Scared Hitless is your inter-school softball champions. The number 3 seed pulled off the upset in come from behind fashion on Sunday. That leaves the Little Blue Pill season, who is on bye this week.
Friday, April 11, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
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.
- 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.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
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!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
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)
Thursday, July 5, 2007
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!!!
Monday, July 2, 2007
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!!!!!
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