This point can't be made more clearly than I'm about to make it right now.
This is not a defense of the Padres actions (or lack thereof) of this winter.
Nor is this a complaint.
And it's not a complaint because it's December 8th. For reference sake, the Mat Latos trade, which caught many by surprise, happened on December 17th.
The sense amongst Padres fans (or at least the small section of fans in which I have seen, read or interacted with) is that this is just the same old Padres. Same penny-pinchers despite the fact that they now have $1.5 billion in television revenue to work with. The evidence they point to is multi-layered:
1) The Padres did not offer Kuroda $17 million as was reported by the NY Post. This, in and of itself, was a good thing and not many would argue that point. What was more concerning to some is the impression that the Padres COULDN'T offer that amount.
2) The Padres failed to land Dan Haren. Haren had been rumored as a player that may fit well with the Padres. But, as has been reported multiple places, including via Corey Brock, the Padres are steering clear of health risk. Between back issues and lingering hip issues, Dan Haren was far from a low risk option from a health perspective. At $13 million, that price was likely too high for San Diego considering those risk.
3) Reports came out that the Padres were looking at a payroll of $70 million for 2013. While this is an increase of nearly $15 million from last year, it fars short of what many expected with a new ownership group and new influx of television revenue. It also leaves little room for maneuvering after the extensions to Street and Quentin (among others) are accounted for.
4) Reports that Byrnes was caught off guard by the market value of pitchers like Haren, Blanton and, presumably now, McCarthy. I can't say I blame him too much. $13 million for Haren was higher than expected. Then again, the Nationals gave Jayson Werth a $126 million contract for 7 years.
As it stands now, the Padres primary target this off-season has been starting pitching. That need has been made clear by all involved and plugged in with the team. And considering the amount of injuries the pitching staff suffered in 2012 (11 pitchers hit the DL last season including relief pitching. This includes season-ending injuries to 3/5ths of the rotation followed by season ending injuries to 2 of the replacements for those 3/5ths) you can see why the Padres would want to stockpile pitching.
But it is worth bearing in mind that in 2013 the Padres expected to see the return of Cory Luebke, potentially as early as June 1. Per Bill James via Fangraphs, Luebke is predicted to make 24 starts Is that optimistic? Probably. One would assume the Padres will take a version of the Nationals plan in dealing with Luebke coming off Tommy John.
But he will return. As will Cashner. (We'll get to that injury on a later post. But...well, F). Not to mention Casey Kelly, Max Fried, Robbie Erlin, and Keyvius Sampson, the future of Padres pitching looks promising.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this winter thus far has been thrilling as a Padres fan. PED suspensions, hunting accidents and Jason Marquis does not fire up the fan base. Do I think the team is where it needs to be right now to compete? No. But I think they are closer than some who would scream for the Padres to make a deal would believe.
Let's wait until the off-season is over before we make broad declarations on how well the Padres did in the off-season and whether Byrnes is incompetent.
Make a deal that makes sense. Both for 2013 and beyond. But don't spend money just because you have money.
Showing posts with label Padres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Padres. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
In Defense (Sort Of) of PEDs...But Not of Grandal
There are two very distinct opinions I have on this entire story regarding Yasmani Grandal's suspension. They dovetail nicely but it is important that both be given equal time so as to avoid in confusion about what I'm saying. So, let's break this down in two sections. First, regarding Grandal himself.
Part I
I like Yasmani Grandal. What's not to like? The mohawk. The energy. The power from both sides of the plate. Aw, the power. You cannot help but now question, even if its only a slight question, as to whether or not what we saw in 2012 was real. In 60 games, he hit .297 with 8 HRs and 36 RBI. A WAR of 2.6. Again, in only 60 games. More importantly, he was a marked improvement from the minimal production the Padres were receiving from behind the plate.
But now, we wonder. He tested positive for testosterone. I'm not a doctor, but from a layman's understanding testosterone helps build muscles in athletes. As this article from the New York Times from 2006 points out, "Steroids are not going to take someone without athletic ability and turn them into a star athlete, or teach you how to swing a bat and connect with the ball, but if you have a certain athletic presence, testosterone could take you to the next level."
This begs the question as to whether or not the 2012 half season of Yasmani Grandal was in fact a bill of goods. We won't know the answer to that for some time. The most damning evidence in any of these cases is a marked drop-off in performance (conversely, what helps Braun in the public mind, at least somewhat, is that he reproduced at the same level in 2012).
More importantly however is how long this has been on going. Experts seem split on the short-term effects of testosterone. But the long-term effects are clear. Was Grandal using as a 1st round draft pick in 2010? Was he using when the Padres traded away their ace pitcher to bring him (among others) to San Diego? If it turns out that the Padres gave up Mat Latos for a player who's prospects are now built on a foundation with a very serious crack, then he will not only have cheated himself and his competitors but the franchise that has pegged him as a cornerstone of a talent-filled youth movement.
One final thought on Grandal. Regardless of what comes out of all this and regardless of what you are about to read next, this is an incredibly selfish thing for Grandal to do. Whether PEDs should be illegal in sports or not (more on that in a moment) is irrelevant for now. Because they are illegal in MLB. And Grandal knew it. And did it anyway. He now takes his tremendous talent off the field for 50 games, and has hurt his teams chances at being competitive. Simply put, this was selfish.
Part II
In law school I went to a sports law symposium once where the keynote speaker was David Cornwell, former Assistant General Counsel for the NFL and former attorney for Shawne Merriman during his PED issue. He made the argument that perhaps instead of pushing PEDs into dark rooms and alleyways (hyperbole obviously) that they should be made legal in sports.
Before we continue I think it's important to make the following statement. In absolutely no way do I condone abusing any drug, legal or illegal. From a health perspective, it is clear the damage that abusing drugs whether it's steroids, cocaine or alcohol is a very real danger to one's health. In no way should it be condoned.
But this isn't an argument about the health risk. If players are made aware of the risk and choose to take those risk nevertheless, so be it. This is about the "Performance Enhancing" aspect of this. Because that's why these suspensions are so serious. Professional sports leagues don't care that much about player safety. Not as much as they care about compelling sport and profit.
So if we view this problem from a perspective of "performance enhancing" then I think the question is fair. Why aren't they legal? Through time we have allowed people to ingest, in some form, any number of things to help aid one's performance. Most people begin their morning with coffee. A caffeine boost to get your day started. Caffeine is nothing more than a chemical being ingested to "enhance" your "performance." Test takers take medication to help them concentrate. Sleeping pills, pain relievers, and even prescribed steroids are all used to help every day people get through the day.
So where do we draw the line? Obviously I'm not suggesting that caffeine is in the same ballpark as a steroid. Only using an obvious exaggeration to point out that this bright line we have drawn is a moving target.
If players were allowed to use PEDs then the primary reason that leagues make them illegal (unfair competitive advantage) ceases to exists. The science has caught up with the athletes. Legalizing it could lead to safer use amongst player, perhaps off-setting some health concerns. There is some evidence that these drugs in fact help players recuperate from injury, aiding in the healing process.
And if health is the concern, and at this point we all accept that some portion of athletes are using, does that not make it more unsafe for players who don't use?
I don't know the answer to many of these questions. But in a week where recreational marijuana was made legal in two states, I'm left wondering the same for PEDs. Perhaps legalizing it is the easiest way to get control of it.
Part I
I like Yasmani Grandal. What's not to like? The mohawk. The energy. The power from both sides of the plate. Aw, the power. You cannot help but now question, even if its only a slight question, as to whether or not what we saw in 2012 was real. In 60 games, he hit .297 with 8 HRs and 36 RBI. A WAR of 2.6. Again, in only 60 games. More importantly, he was a marked improvement from the minimal production the Padres were receiving from behind the plate.
But now, we wonder. He tested positive for testosterone. I'm not a doctor, but from a layman's understanding testosterone helps build muscles in athletes. As this article from the New York Times from 2006 points out, "Steroids are not going to take someone without athletic ability and turn them into a star athlete, or teach you how to swing a bat and connect with the ball, but if you have a certain athletic presence, testosterone could take you to the next level."
This begs the question as to whether or not the 2012 half season of Yasmani Grandal was in fact a bill of goods. We won't know the answer to that for some time. The most damning evidence in any of these cases is a marked drop-off in performance (conversely, what helps Braun in the public mind, at least somewhat, is that he reproduced at the same level in 2012).
More importantly however is how long this has been on going. Experts seem split on the short-term effects of testosterone. But the long-term effects are clear. Was Grandal using as a 1st round draft pick in 2010? Was he using when the Padres traded away their ace pitcher to bring him (among others) to San Diego? If it turns out that the Padres gave up Mat Latos for a player who's prospects are now built on a foundation with a very serious crack, then he will not only have cheated himself and his competitors but the franchise that has pegged him as a cornerstone of a talent-filled youth movement.
One final thought on Grandal. Regardless of what comes out of all this and regardless of what you are about to read next, this is an incredibly selfish thing for Grandal to do. Whether PEDs should be illegal in sports or not (more on that in a moment) is irrelevant for now. Because they are illegal in MLB. And Grandal knew it. And did it anyway. He now takes his tremendous talent off the field for 50 games, and has hurt his teams chances at being competitive. Simply put, this was selfish.
Part II
In law school I went to a sports law symposium once where the keynote speaker was David Cornwell, former Assistant General Counsel for the NFL and former attorney for Shawne Merriman during his PED issue. He made the argument that perhaps instead of pushing PEDs into dark rooms and alleyways (hyperbole obviously) that they should be made legal in sports.
Before we continue I think it's important to make the following statement. In absolutely no way do I condone abusing any drug, legal or illegal. From a health perspective, it is clear the damage that abusing drugs whether it's steroids, cocaine or alcohol is a very real danger to one's health. In no way should it be condoned.
But this isn't an argument about the health risk. If players are made aware of the risk and choose to take those risk nevertheless, so be it. This is about the "Performance Enhancing" aspect of this. Because that's why these suspensions are so serious. Professional sports leagues don't care that much about player safety. Not as much as they care about compelling sport and profit.
So if we view this problem from a perspective of "performance enhancing" then I think the question is fair. Why aren't they legal? Through time we have allowed people to ingest, in some form, any number of things to help aid one's performance. Most people begin their morning with coffee. A caffeine boost to get your day started. Caffeine is nothing more than a chemical being ingested to "enhance" your "performance." Test takers take medication to help them concentrate. Sleeping pills, pain relievers, and even prescribed steroids are all used to help every day people get through the day.
So where do we draw the line? Obviously I'm not suggesting that caffeine is in the same ballpark as a steroid. Only using an obvious exaggeration to point out that this bright line we have drawn is a moving target.
If players were allowed to use PEDs then the primary reason that leagues make them illegal (unfair competitive advantage) ceases to exists. The science has caught up with the athletes. Legalizing it could lead to safer use amongst player, perhaps off-setting some health concerns. There is some evidence that these drugs in fact help players recuperate from injury, aiding in the healing process.
And if health is the concern, and at this point we all accept that some portion of athletes are using, does that not make it more unsafe for players who don't use?
I don't know the answer to many of these questions. But in a week where recreational marijuana was made legal in two states, I'm left wondering the same for PEDs. Perhaps legalizing it is the easiest way to get control of it.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Frozen Donkey Wheel of Petco Park
In the ABC drama "LOST" Benjamin Linus is told that he must move the island to save the island. This obviously seems like an insane, and impossible, request to make of anyone. Nevertheless, Ben, who's sole purpose in life has been the protection of the island, does as he is told. In the Season 4 finale, he turns a frozen donkey wheel that results in the island disappearing from it's physical location.
And all of this has really just been an excuse to tell you that I love LOST. Great show. Screw you guys who hated the finale.
I hope that moving the fences in at Petco Park is a more simple process than locating and turning a mystical frozen donkey wheel.
As you have no doubt heard by now, Petco Park's dimensions are changing for the 2013 season. Corey Brock had the story yesterday and you can read it here.
As highlighted in the article, the major moves are as follows:
• Moving in the wall that runs from the right-field porch to right-center 11 feet. The wall will also be lowered to match the height of the sub-eight-foot wall in left and center field.
• The out-of-town scoreboard in right field will be relocated. Seating modifications in that area will be announced later. In right-center, the wall will move from 402 feet to 391 feet.
• The wall in left-center will be moved in from 402 feet to 390 feet.
• The visiting bullpen, currently down the right-field line in foul territory, will be moved to center field behind the existing home bullpen area.
Again, I'm assuming by now you are aware of this. The "Move in the Fences!" argument has been perhaps the longest standing inter-Padres fan base argument in the franchises history. And those who campaigned, loudly, for such a move have achieved their goal. It does leave one wondering: what on earth will we argue about now?
But enough about that. The question is whether this is the right move or not. And anyone who tells you that they know for certain that this is a mistake or the right decision is lying. The walls are moving in 11 ft and 12 ft in right field and left field. That's substantial. An article on Fangraphs from January 3, 2012 shows that the effect of Petco on left-handed hitters was devastating regarding their ability to hit HR's. But you'll see an increase in left-handed hitters to hit singles, doubles and triples. Is sacrificing those singles, doubles and triples worth more HRs? Time will tell whether those numbers are effected at all.
It stands to reason that next year will see an uptick in HRs. And likely to follow, an uptick in offense.
What remains to be seen is how much of an effect this will have on the Padres pitching staff and bullpen, a strength for the Padres during their tenure in Petco Park. What further remains to be seen is whether this will increase the teams ability to lure free agents to San Diego. We aren't likely to know that for a few years once some data exist on how Petco Park plays.
On the more immediate horizon is this question: following a career year, will moving in the fences make Chase Headley more likely to sign an extension in San Diego? Was that part of the equation? I don't know the answers to these questions.
I was never for moving in the fences, as detailed in this blog post from 2011. But if the modification of the fences leads to a more successful team, I'm all for it. Because that's all that should matter. Will this make the team better? That's the only question that matters. Any argument regarding entertainment value of one style of baseball vs another is pointless and meaningless. Is this a smart baseball move? They've done their research in making this move. But does anyone really know?
And that's the takeaway here. The moving of the fences in raises a lot of questions. Questions that no one, despite all the data and research they've done, can answer. What is not up for debate is the fact that the Padres, in 8 years of Petco Park, experienced 4 of the most winning seasons in their franchise history. Whether the park had some, a lot, or anything to do with that is not clear. But to move the fences, despite the team's relative success, is a bold move.
In LOST, once the wagon wheel was turned, it caused the island to begin jumping through time. This was only stopped by detonating a hydrogen bomb.
Unintended consequences lurk with any move like this. That doesn't necessarily mean those consequences are negative. But right now, we simply don't know.
And all of this has really just been an excuse to tell you that I love LOST. Great show. Screw you guys who hated the finale.
I hope that moving the fences in at Petco Park is a more simple process than locating and turning a mystical frozen donkey wheel.
As you have no doubt heard by now, Petco Park's dimensions are changing for the 2013 season. Corey Brock had the story yesterday and you can read it here.
As highlighted in the article, the major moves are as follows:
• Moving in the wall that runs from the right-field porch to right-center 11 feet. The wall will also be lowered to match the height of the sub-eight-foot wall in left and center field.
• The out-of-town scoreboard in right field will be relocated. Seating modifications in that area will be announced later. In right-center, the wall will move from 402 feet to 391 feet.
• The wall in left-center will be moved in from 402 feet to 390 feet.
• The visiting bullpen, currently down the right-field line in foul territory, will be moved to center field behind the existing home bullpen area.
Again, I'm assuming by now you are aware of this. The "Move in the Fences!" argument has been perhaps the longest standing inter-Padres fan base argument in the franchises history. And those who campaigned, loudly, for such a move have achieved their goal. It does leave one wondering: what on earth will we argue about now?
But enough about that. The question is whether this is the right move or not. And anyone who tells you that they know for certain that this is a mistake or the right decision is lying. The walls are moving in 11 ft and 12 ft in right field and left field. That's substantial. An article on Fangraphs from January 3, 2012 shows that the effect of Petco on left-handed hitters was devastating regarding their ability to hit HR's. But you'll see an increase in left-handed hitters to hit singles, doubles and triples. Is sacrificing those singles, doubles and triples worth more HRs? Time will tell whether those numbers are effected at all.
It stands to reason that next year will see an uptick in HRs. And likely to follow, an uptick in offense.
What remains to be seen is how much of an effect this will have on the Padres pitching staff and bullpen, a strength for the Padres during their tenure in Petco Park. What further remains to be seen is whether this will increase the teams ability to lure free agents to San Diego. We aren't likely to know that for a few years once some data exist on how Petco Park plays.
On the more immediate horizon is this question: following a career year, will moving in the fences make Chase Headley more likely to sign an extension in San Diego? Was that part of the equation? I don't know the answers to these questions.
I was never for moving in the fences, as detailed in this blog post from 2011. But if the modification of the fences leads to a more successful team, I'm all for it. Because that's all that should matter. Will this make the team better? That's the only question that matters. Any argument regarding entertainment value of one style of baseball vs another is pointless and meaningless. Is this a smart baseball move? They've done their research in making this move. But does anyone really know?
And that's the takeaway here. The moving of the fences in raises a lot of questions. Questions that no one, despite all the data and research they've done, can answer. What is not up for debate is the fact that the Padres, in 8 years of Petco Park, experienced 4 of the most winning seasons in their franchise history. Whether the park had some, a lot, or anything to do with that is not clear. But to move the fences, despite the team's relative success, is a bold move.
In LOST, once the wagon wheel was turned, it caused the island to begin jumping through time. This was only stopped by detonating a hydrogen bomb.
Unintended consequences lurk with any move like this. That doesn't necessarily mean those consequences are negative. But right now, we simply don't know.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night
And on October 3rd, 2012 on a early Fall night in Milwaukee the 2012 San Diego Padres season came to an end. And never has a 76 win season been more celebrated.
Baseball is a microcosm for life. Except in one, very distinct, way. Life, your losses stay on your record. It's one long season. In baseball, everything is cyclical. Everything starts anew in the Spring. And I can't wait.
For now, the Padres 2012 season is over.
The Padres end with 76 wins. That's 2.5 more than Vegas predicted, and probably about 15 games more than anyone expected back when the team was 19-40. A 100 loss season seemed eminent.
Then something crazy happened.
On May 18th, the Padres outright released Orlando Hudson and moved Bartlett to the DL list of lost souls. They were 14-26.
I remember vividly where I was when it happened. As non-on the field moments go, this felt BIG. Not Adrian Gonzalez traded big (was sitting on my couch obsessively updating Twitter waiting for the news) or Mat Latos trade (Christmas shopping with my wife in Pasadena). But nevertheless, this felt important. I was leaving court, driving out of a parking garage and had just turned on Darren Smith when I heard. It was, at the time, the highlight of the 2012 Padres season.
They finished May on a 3-13 run after this. Things were not turning around immediately. But the team felt, I don't know, more fun to root for. Youth on the field. Making errors one can come to expect from youth. But also bringing with them excitement.
June was a modest improvement. 12-15. Not great, but a far cry better than the 17-35 in April and May.
They didn't play under .500 in a month (3 days in October not withstanding) again.
They went 33-21 in July and August before a .500 September and a 1-2 October.
"Bad early. Good late." - Bud Black
That pretty much sums up the Padres season.
I was as despondent as I have ever been as a Padres fan at the beginning of the year. I am as optimistic as I have ever been at the end of one.
There will be time this Winter to discuss the amazing season of Chase Headley, what the Padres need to fill in the pieces in 2013 and the health of a very young pitching staff.
For now though, let's enjoy a great second half of a season, a sale that may have revived baseball in San Diego, and dreams of what 2013 may hold.
As Yonder Alonso put it on Twitter tonight:
That one more month is coming...April 2013.
Baseball is a microcosm for life. Except in one, very distinct, way. Life, your losses stay on your record. It's one long season. In baseball, everything is cyclical. Everything starts anew in the Spring. And I can't wait.
For now, the Padres 2012 season is over.
The Padres end with 76 wins. That's 2.5 more than Vegas predicted, and probably about 15 games more than anyone expected back when the team was 19-40. A 100 loss season seemed eminent.
Then something crazy happened.
On May 18th, the Padres outright released Orlando Hudson and moved Bartlett to the DL list of lost souls. They were 14-26.
I remember vividly where I was when it happened. As non-on the field moments go, this felt BIG. Not Adrian Gonzalez traded big (was sitting on my couch obsessively updating Twitter waiting for the news) or Mat Latos trade (Christmas shopping with my wife in Pasadena). But nevertheless, this felt important. I was leaving court, driving out of a parking garage and had just turned on Darren Smith when I heard. It was, at the time, the highlight of the 2012 Padres season.
They finished May on a 3-13 run after this. Things were not turning around immediately. But the team felt, I don't know, more fun to root for. Youth on the field. Making errors one can come to expect from youth. But also bringing with them excitement.
June was a modest improvement. 12-15. Not great, but a far cry better than the 17-35 in April and May.
They didn't play under .500 in a month (3 days in October not withstanding) again.
They went 33-21 in July and August before a .500 September and a 1-2 October.
"Bad early. Good late." - Bud Black
That pretty much sums up the Padres season.
I was as despondent as I have ever been as a Padres fan at the beginning of the year. I am as optimistic as I have ever been at the end of one.
There will be time this Winter to discuss the amazing season of Chase Headley, what the Padres need to fill in the pieces in 2013 and the health of a very young pitching staff.
For now though, let's enjoy a great second half of a season, a sale that may have revived baseball in San Diego, and dreams of what 2013 may hold.
As Yonder Alonso put it on Twitter tonight:
I'm very sad to end the season. Wish we had 1 more month to do work! Back at it soon!!! Great W tonight!! #2013 is our year! DALE!
— Yonder Alonso (@YonderalonsoU) October 4, 2012
That one more month is coming...April 2013.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Latos "Bewildered" by Sudden Shoulder Pain
Nothing is going to get me off my high of watching Arizona run Duke out of the Honda Center in the 2nd half of last nights Sweet 16 game. In fact, for fun, here you go:
But today's news out of Peoria comes awfully close. Per Corey Brock via Twitter (follow Corey @FollowthePadres):
"Mat Latos won't start tomorrow. He's got a sore shoulder."
Followed by:
"Bud Black said Latos, who pitched Monday, complained of soreness Wednesday. "It just sort of popped up," Black said."
These are things you don't want to hear about the presumed ace of your staff, one week before the season starts. Raising additional fears is the relatively poor spring Latos has had in Peoria and the Verducci Effect.
Regarding the Verducci Effect. I don't know that I adhere to it or not. But it is, at minimum, worth noting that in the past two years, Latos has seen an increase of at least 60 IP in each of those seasons. So whether you buy into the Verducci Effect or not, the struggles at the end of 2010, the struggles in Spring and now the shoulder soreness are all pieces of a very concerning puzzle.
But hey, at least we have LeBlanc.
Blerg.
But today's news out of Peoria comes awfully close. Per Corey Brock via Twitter (follow Corey @FollowthePadres):
"Mat Latos won't start tomorrow. He's got a sore shoulder."
Followed by:
"Bud Black said Latos, who pitched Monday, complained of soreness Wednesday. "It just sort of popped up," Black said."
These are things you don't want to hear about the presumed ace of your staff, one week before the season starts. Raising additional fears is the relatively poor spring Latos has had in Peoria and the Verducci Effect.
Regarding the Verducci Effect. I don't know that I adhere to it or not. But it is, at minimum, worth noting that in the past two years, Latos has seen an increase of at least 60 IP in each of those seasons. So whether you buy into the Verducci Effect or not, the struggles at the end of 2010, the struggles in Spring and now the shoulder soreness are all pieces of a very concerning puzzle.
But hey, at least we have LeBlanc.
Blerg.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
And Then There Were Two
Two thoroughly entertaining League Championship Series wrapped up last night when the San Francisco Giants beat Philadelphia 3-2 thanks to an 8th inning opposite field HR from Juan Uribe and a 5 out save from Brian Wilson.
So, the World Series is set. Rangers, who came into existence as a franchis in 1961 as the Washington Senators after the original Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins. And until 2010, this franchise had not won a playoff SERIES let alone gone to the World Series.
On the other side you have the San Francisco Giants, one of the oldest teams in MLB history. Originally founded in 1883, the Giants have won 5 World Series titles...all in New York. The last coming in 1954 when they swept the Cleveland Indians in a World Series most known for "The Catch" by Willie Mays in CF. But, since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have not won a World Series despite appearances in '62, '89, '02.
So the stage is set for a historic World Series no matter the outcome. Either the first World Series championship in a franchise history or the first since a team moved 3000 miles away. Perhaps a more complete preview will be forthcoming prior to Game 1 on Wednesday, but for now, to get everyone ready for the 2010 World Series, here are my Top 10 World Series Moments (these will be primarily based on World Series in my lifetime so keep that in mind):
10) 1989 World Series: Battle of the Bay. World Series Interrupted by Earthquake. A's vs Giants
The first World Series that I can vividly remember because of the earthquake. The series itself was not terribly interesting, but will always be remembered for how Game 3 began. Go to the 4:30 mark to see the ABC broadcast cut off by the earthquake.
9) 1991 World Series: Kirby Puckett Walk Off in Game 6 (Bonus: Jack Morris performance in Game 7) Twins vs Braves
"AND WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT!" Nothing beat the Metrodome during a playoff game. This HR lead to Jack Morris turning in arguably the greatest pitching performance in World Series history in Game 7 where he threw a 10 inning complete game shut out. Go to the 1:30 mark for Puckett's HR.
8) 1997 World Series: Edgar Renteria's walk-off single in the 11th inning of Game 7. Marlins vs Indians
This video kind of sucks but the Renteria hit is at the 1:17 mark. Points are taken off this moment for two reasons: The Marlins fire sale that followed and the continued hatred that God has for all things Cleveland sports.
7) 1986 World Series: The Buckner Play. Mets vs Red Sox
Remember when the Red Sox were lovable? Those were the days. I couldn't feel more bad for Buckner as his entire career (life?) has been defined by this one moment. The video above is the NES RBI Baseball recreation of that moment because, well, if you are reading this then I assume you are a baseball fan and if that's the case then you have seen this a thousand times.
6) 1988 World Series "A Roll of the Dice" Dodgers vs A's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeCuNRWqdLg&feature=related
Look, I get it. We all hate the Dodgers and I'm at the front of that line. But you are lying to yourself if you don't consider Kirk Gibson's Walk-Off HR off Eck in Game 1 as a great moment. For some reason this wouldn't embed but the link is above. HR at the 6:52 mark.
5) 2004 World Series: Reverse the Curse
This is not the most memorable of World Series on its own but the story behind how the Red Sox got there and the history of futility make this memorable. It also marks the last time the Red Sox and "Red Sox Nation" were tolerable.
4) 2002 World Series: Rally Monkeys and Thunder Sticks. Angels vs Giants
This is probably most known for the Giants collapse in Game 6. Leading 5-0 in the 7th inning of Game 6, the Giants Dusty Baker pulled Russ Ortiz in the 7th after giving up 2 singles (and gave him the game ball as he left). The Angels flashed the Rally Monkey, Spiezio hit a 3 run HR and the rally was on.
3) 1960 World Series: The Greatest Game Ever Played. Pirates vs Yankees
Only twice in baseball history has the World Series ended on a homerun. This is the first time in what is widely considered the greatest game every played. Bill Mazeroski walk-off HR to win the 1960 World Series.
2) 1993 World Series: Touch Em' All Joe. Blue Jays vs Phillies
The only other time a World Series ended on a HR was Joe Carter's walk off HR to beat the Phillies Mitch Williams and secure back-to-back World Series championships for the Blue Jays.
1) 2001 Series: Bloop Singles and Mr. November
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3364797
Arguably this is the greatest World Series that has been played in my lifetime. Things got crazy in Game 4, where the DBacks were up 3-1 in the 9th in Yankee stadium and were only 3 outs away from taking a 3-1 lead in the series. DBacks closer Byung Young Kim gave up a 2 run HR to Tino Martinez. Bob Brenley inexplicably stayed with Kim in the 10th in which he gave up the walk-off to Jeter just after midnight, making this the first game to be played in November.
In Game 5, it was Scott Brosius who hit a 2 run HR with 2 outs in the 9th off Byung Young Kim that once again sent the game into extra innings where the Yankees ultimately prevailed.
But it was Game 7 that this series is perhaps best known for and the decision to bring the infield in. Luis Gonzalez bloop single behind Jeter (where, had Jeter been playing normal depth would have simply been an easy pop out) drove in the winning run and sent the DBacks to their first (and only) World Series championship.
So there you have it, my Top 10 World Series moments. Here's hoping 2010 can crack this list. Enjoy the Series!
So, the World Series is set. Rangers, who came into existence as a franchis in 1961 as the Washington Senators after the original Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins. And until 2010, this franchise had not won a playoff SERIES let alone gone to the World Series.
On the other side you have the San Francisco Giants, one of the oldest teams in MLB history. Originally founded in 1883, the Giants have won 5 World Series titles...all in New York. The last coming in 1954 when they swept the Cleveland Indians in a World Series most known for "The Catch" by Willie Mays in CF. But, since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have not won a World Series despite appearances in '62, '89, '02.
So the stage is set for a historic World Series no matter the outcome. Either the first World Series championship in a franchise history or the first since a team moved 3000 miles away. Perhaps a more complete preview will be forthcoming prior to Game 1 on Wednesday, but for now, to get everyone ready for the 2010 World Series, here are my Top 10 World Series Moments (these will be primarily based on World Series in my lifetime so keep that in mind):
10) 1989 World Series: Battle of the Bay. World Series Interrupted by Earthquake. A's vs Giants
The first World Series that I can vividly remember because of the earthquake. The series itself was not terribly interesting, but will always be remembered for how Game 3 began. Go to the 4:30 mark to see the ABC broadcast cut off by the earthquake.
9) 1991 World Series: Kirby Puckett Walk Off in Game 6 (Bonus: Jack Morris performance in Game 7) Twins vs Braves
"AND WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT!" Nothing beat the Metrodome during a playoff game. This HR lead to Jack Morris turning in arguably the greatest pitching performance in World Series history in Game 7 where he threw a 10 inning complete game shut out. Go to the 1:30 mark for Puckett's HR.
8) 1997 World Series: Edgar Renteria's walk-off single in the 11th inning of Game 7. Marlins vs Indians
This video kind of sucks but the Renteria hit is at the 1:17 mark. Points are taken off this moment for two reasons: The Marlins fire sale that followed and the continued hatred that God has for all things Cleveland sports.
7) 1986 World Series: The Buckner Play. Mets vs Red Sox
Remember when the Red Sox were lovable? Those were the days. I couldn't feel more bad for Buckner as his entire career (life?) has been defined by this one moment. The video above is the NES RBI Baseball recreation of that moment because, well, if you are reading this then I assume you are a baseball fan and if that's the case then you have seen this a thousand times.
6) 1988 World Series "A Roll of the Dice" Dodgers vs A's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeCuNRWqdLg&feature=related
Look, I get it. We all hate the Dodgers and I'm at the front of that line. But you are lying to yourself if you don't consider Kirk Gibson's Walk-Off HR off Eck in Game 1 as a great moment. For some reason this wouldn't embed but the link is above. HR at the 6:52 mark.
5) 2004 World Series: Reverse the Curse
This is not the most memorable of World Series on its own but the story behind how the Red Sox got there and the history of futility make this memorable. It also marks the last time the Red Sox and "Red Sox Nation" were tolerable.
4) 2002 World Series: Rally Monkeys and Thunder Sticks. Angels vs Giants
This is probably most known for the Giants collapse in Game 6. Leading 5-0 in the 7th inning of Game 6, the Giants Dusty Baker pulled Russ Ortiz in the 7th after giving up 2 singles (and gave him the game ball as he left). The Angels flashed the Rally Monkey, Spiezio hit a 3 run HR and the rally was on.
3) 1960 World Series: The Greatest Game Ever Played. Pirates vs Yankees
Only twice in baseball history has the World Series ended on a homerun. This is the first time in what is widely considered the greatest game every played. Bill Mazeroski walk-off HR to win the 1960 World Series.
2) 1993 World Series: Touch Em' All Joe. Blue Jays vs Phillies
The only other time a World Series ended on a HR was Joe Carter's walk off HR to beat the Phillies Mitch Williams and secure back-to-back World Series championships for the Blue Jays.
1) 2001 Series: Bloop Singles and Mr. November
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3364797
Arguably this is the greatest World Series that has been played in my lifetime. Things got crazy in Game 4, where the DBacks were up 3-1 in the 9th in Yankee stadium and were only 3 outs away from taking a 3-1 lead in the series. DBacks closer Byung Young Kim gave up a 2 run HR to Tino Martinez. Bob Brenley inexplicably stayed with Kim in the 10th in which he gave up the walk-off to Jeter just after midnight, making this the first game to be played in November.
In Game 5, it was Scott Brosius who hit a 2 run HR with 2 outs in the 9th off Byung Young Kim that once again sent the game into extra innings where the Yankees ultimately prevailed.
But it was Game 7 that this series is perhaps best known for and the decision to bring the infield in. Luis Gonzalez bloop single behind Jeter (where, had Jeter been playing normal depth would have simply been an easy pop out) drove in the winning run and sent the DBacks to their first (and only) World Series championship.
So there you have it, my Top 10 World Series moments. Here's hoping 2010 can crack this list. Enjoy the Series!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Explaining the Trade Waivers...sort of
The Padres, dead last in the NL and owners of the worst record in baseball, made a grand total of 1 trade before the deadline on July 31. Whether that is an indication of the front office happy with the status quo (let's hope not) or an inability to find a deal that was adequate or simply that the Padres players that were considered available had zero trade value (looking at you Khalil Greene). I think it's important to point out that the Padres are a year removed from Game 163. Not much has changed and arguably at positions like second base they are in fact better. So, is this year a statistical anomaly or more indicative of the talent on this team? Who knows?
The biggest news of the week was Brian Giles almost trade to the Red Sox. Giles as a limited no-trade clause that includes the Boston Red Sox. This week, after being put on trade waivers (a process I'm told is very common for all MLB teams. According to Paul Depodesta's blog, at some point nearly every player will be placed on waivers). After being placed on waivers, teams had 48 hours to claim Giles, which was done by the Boston Red Sox. Unlike straight waivers however, this merely meant that the Red Sox were the only team the Padres could negotiate with. What would have come back to the Padres for Giles remains a mystery and perhaps the talks never got that far. Giles invoked his no-trade clause, choose to play for a dead last team other then a World Series contender and remains a Padre. This is good news. Giles is one of the more consistent players the Padres have, hitting near .300 and playing a better then average right field. I for one am happy to have Giles still with San Diego.
A very cool event to let you guys know about. Adrian and his wife Betsy have started the Adrian and Betsy Gonzalez Foundation and our having a charity dinner. Padre players will take over Acqua Al 2 as waiters, bartenders, host and even chefs. For more information, check the website.
A scary piece in the U-T regarding the Padres projected payroll in 2009. The rumor is John Moores (in the middle of what is turning into a contentious divorce) apparently predicted a $40 million payroll for '09 as a way to get Giles to accept his trade to the Red Sox. It's clear at this point, true or not, that there is fear in the clubhouse over the direction of this team. Coupled with the uncertainty of who will own the Padres after this divorce and we could all be in for a long 2009. Then again, it could be all talk. A cut to $40 million would cut their current payroll nearly in half. Then again it works for the Marlins...
The biggest news of the week was Brian Giles almost trade to the Red Sox. Giles as a limited no-trade clause that includes the Boston Red Sox. This week, after being put on trade waivers (a process I'm told is very common for all MLB teams. According to Paul Depodesta's blog, at some point nearly every player will be placed on waivers). After being placed on waivers, teams had 48 hours to claim Giles, which was done by the Boston Red Sox. Unlike straight waivers however, this merely meant that the Red Sox were the only team the Padres could negotiate with. What would have come back to the Padres for Giles remains a mystery and perhaps the talks never got that far. Giles invoked his no-trade clause, choose to play for a dead last team other then a World Series contender and remains a Padre. This is good news. Giles is one of the more consistent players the Padres have, hitting near .300 and playing a better then average right field. I for one am happy to have Giles still with San Diego.
A very cool event to let you guys know about. Adrian and his wife Betsy have started the Adrian and Betsy Gonzalez Foundation and our having a charity dinner. Padre players will take over Acqua Al 2 as waiters, bartenders, host and even chefs. For more information, check the website.
A scary piece in the U-T regarding the Padres projected payroll in 2009. The rumor is John Moores (in the middle of what is turning into a contentious divorce) apparently predicted a $40 million payroll for '09 as a way to get Giles to accept his trade to the Red Sox. It's clear at this point, true or not, that there is fear in the clubhouse over the direction of this team. Coupled with the uncertainty of who will own the Padres after this divorce and we could all be in for a long 2009. Then again, it could be all talk. A cut to $40 million would cut their current payroll nearly in half. Then again it works for the Marlins...
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Giles Claimed by Red Sox
The process of trading past the "trade deadline" is a confounding one that I don't fully understand. What I do know is that Brian Giles was claimed last night by the Red Sox. This gives the Red Sox the exclusive power to make a trade with San Diego. However, Boston is among the teams that Giles has a no-trade clause against. Further, the Red Sox OF is pretty full as is with Bay, Elsbury, Drew and Crisp. With the Angels and Rays both also putting claims on Giles, this appears to be nothing more then keep-way by Theo Epstein. Don't throw out those Giles jersey's yet, better then good chance he is sticking around for 2009.
Oh yeah, we still suck but the pain of sucking is subsiding. Hey, Gerut's been a nice surprise!
Oh yeah, we still suck but the pain of sucking is subsiding. Hey, Gerut's been a nice surprise!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, June 23, 2008
An AL Bloodbath
- Since leaving for Cleveland the Padres are 2-7 including a sweep by the Yankees and losing 2 of 3 to the Indians and Tigers. Needless to say, interleague cannot end fast enough. Luckily, misery loves company, as the National League, once again, has a losing record against the American League (save the Cubs sweeping the White Sox and the Reds taking 2 of 3 from NY). Minnesota comes in next and one can only hope the Padres can find a way to win a series.
- The Padres are 13 % more likely to strike out with runners in scoring position then any team in the NL. That stat attributes much of the offensive woes the Padres face. It's not getting guys on that seems to be the problem, it's the bats clamming up once they do. Last Thursday in NY, this was made abundantly apparent where, in the 2nd inning the Padres put guys at 2nd and 3rd with no one out. Strike out, throw out at home, strike out ended the inning. Bases loaded with 1 out in the 3rd, similar result. As the guy sitting next to me at Yankee Stadium said "the Padres should be up 7-0 right now." To which all I could say was "Yup, but you get use to it. I've seen this movie before."
- I understand the lineup choices are a bit limited with the nagging injuries to Hairston and Kouzmanoff, but PMac in the 5 hole? Really? That's the best we can muster!
- Adrian Gonzalez hit his 21st homerun yesterday, opposite field shot (as it turns out, 1/3rd of his homeruns this year have been opposite field shots!). Then he was intentionally walked his next two times up. The book is out, and until Headley asserts himself as a legit threat (which he will) and/or Kouz comes back, Adrian might as well leave the bat in the dugout. Interestingly, Adrian has driven in 22.5% of the Padres runs this year, by far the highest on any team.
- Chase Headley had a tremondous start in NY at the plate (a less impressive defensive start so far, although if the Padres could figure out where to play him and, you know, let him play there, this wouldn't be such an issue.). But at the plate, Headley went 2-4, 1-4 with a HR, 1-4 with a double in the three game series in NY. He followed that up with a 2-4 plus a homerun day at home against Detroit, a 1-4 game on Saturday before his 5-game hitting streak came to an end on Sunday, going 0-4 with 3K's (note: his 4th out was a warning track shot). I would say Headley is as-advertised as to his offense.
- An interesting article today in the San Diego U-T here. Basically, the Moores are getting divorced and California is a community-property state which basically means the divorce is suppose to go 50/50 in regards to property. So who takes over the Padres?
- I talked this up a bit last week but be sure to head to Ducksnorts.com/blog and find Parts 1-3 of the interview Geoff Young did with Sandy Alderson. Interesting stuff.
I'm saving the full Yankee Stadium report until I get the pictures from the trip. However, I will say this (and likely repeat during that post). Here are the stadiums I've been too now (active stadiums):
1) Petco Park
2) Dodger Stadium
3) Chase Field (AZ)
4) U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago WS)
5) Wrigley Field
6) Angels Stadium
7) Yankee Stadium
8) Miller Park (Milwaukee)
As you would guess, Petco is first but one cannot compare a brand new stadium to one built in the 1920's.
- The Padres are 13 % more likely to strike out with runners in scoring position then any team in the NL. That stat attributes much of the offensive woes the Padres face. It's not getting guys on that seems to be the problem, it's the bats clamming up once they do. Last Thursday in NY, this was made abundantly apparent where, in the 2nd inning the Padres put guys at 2nd and 3rd with no one out. Strike out, throw out at home, strike out ended the inning. Bases loaded with 1 out in the 3rd, similar result. As the guy sitting next to me at Yankee Stadium said "the Padres should be up 7-0 right now." To which all I could say was "Yup, but you get use to it. I've seen this movie before."
- I understand the lineup choices are a bit limited with the nagging injuries to Hairston and Kouzmanoff, but PMac in the 5 hole? Really? That's the best we can muster!
- Adrian Gonzalez hit his 21st homerun yesterday, opposite field shot (as it turns out, 1/3rd of his homeruns this year have been opposite field shots!). Then he was intentionally walked his next two times up. The book is out, and until Headley asserts himself as a legit threat (which he will) and/or Kouz comes back, Adrian might as well leave the bat in the dugout. Interestingly, Adrian has driven in 22.5% of the Padres runs this year, by far the highest on any team.
- Chase Headley had a tremondous start in NY at the plate (a less impressive defensive start so far, although if the Padres could figure out where to play him and, you know, let him play there, this wouldn't be such an issue.). But at the plate, Headley went 2-4, 1-4 with a HR, 1-4 with a double in the three game series in NY. He followed that up with a 2-4 plus a homerun day at home against Detroit, a 1-4 game on Saturday before his 5-game hitting streak came to an end on Sunday, going 0-4 with 3K's (note: his 4th out was a warning track shot). I would say Headley is as-advertised as to his offense.
- An interesting article today in the San Diego U-T here. Basically, the Moores are getting divorced and California is a community-property state which basically means the divorce is suppose to go 50/50 in regards to property. So who takes over the Padres?
- I talked this up a bit last week but be sure to head to Ducksnorts.com/blog and find Parts 1-3 of the interview Geoff Young did with Sandy Alderson. Interesting stuff.
I'm saving the full Yankee Stadium report until I get the pictures from the trip. However, I will say this (and likely repeat during that post). Here are the stadiums I've been too now (active stadiums):
1) Petco Park
2) Dodger Stadium
3) Chase Field (AZ)
4) U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago WS)
5) Wrigley Field
6) Angels Stadium
7) Yankee Stadium
8) Miller Park (Milwaukee)
As you would guess, Petco is first but one cannot compare a brand new stadium to one built in the 1920's.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
It's Official...Jim Edmonds Hates San Diego
Seriously? Two scolding doubles last night? Jim Edmonds, the poster child for every player that plays past his sell date hit two doubles for the Chicago Cubs last night. Edmonds you'll remember was so anemic at the plate that even on a team full of anemic hitters he stood out, to the point that he was finally released. Now this...and so it goes this season.
The Cubs are in town this week with the best record in baseball. Not many could have hoped for a win last night between Carlos Zambrano and newly acquired starter Baek. Still, ever the optimist, I thought the fight shown by the Padres (and I guess really I mean Adrian, more on this in a second) was inspiring. Look, things can be spun however you want. The Padres went 5-5 on their last home-stand. Improvement? Yes. Satsified? No, not when those 10 games come against the Cardinals, Reds and Nationals. Still, the point was the same. Fans can see a clear difference in the style of play on the field, even in a loss.
Adrian Gonzalez is having some kind of year that is being lost in obscurity here in 4th place San Diego. AGon hit his 17th home run last night and is now the NL leader in RBI's, an amazing feat considering he has almost no protection in the lineup and does not exactly hit in a Murderer's Row of a lineup. It seems more than likely now that AGon will be the Padres representative at the All-Star Game.
What's amazing this year is as bad as things have seemed (and really, part of me just thinks this team is snake bit), the Padres are only 9.5 games back. A large deficit for sure but not insurmountable considering the quality of the NL West and that Arizona has finally come back down to earth. Of course, this goal would be buoyed by the promotion of Chase Headley...but that's for another time.
Tonight, the Cubs send Jason Marquis against Wil Ledezma (is it me or does it feel like the Padres have about 10 "starters" right now while Peavy, Young, and Estes are DL'd?)
BIG NEWS!!!!!
Left Coast Bias will be making the trip East in three weeks to see for the first (and only) time Yankee Stadium as the Padres take on the Yankees in mid-June. Full report on the activities later but wanted to give you a heads up.
The Cubs are in town this week with the best record in baseball. Not many could have hoped for a win last night between Carlos Zambrano and newly acquired starter Baek. Still, ever the optimist, I thought the fight shown by the Padres (and I guess really I mean Adrian, more on this in a second) was inspiring. Look, things can be spun however you want. The Padres went 5-5 on their last home-stand. Improvement? Yes. Satsified? No, not when those 10 games come against the Cardinals, Reds and Nationals. Still, the point was the same. Fans can see a clear difference in the style of play on the field, even in a loss.
Adrian Gonzalez is having some kind of year that is being lost in obscurity here in 4th place San Diego. AGon hit his 17th home run last night and is now the NL leader in RBI's, an amazing feat considering he has almost no protection in the lineup and does not exactly hit in a Murderer's Row of a lineup. It seems more than likely now that AGon will be the Padres representative at the All-Star Game.
What's amazing this year is as bad as things have seemed (and really, part of me just thinks this team is snake bit), the Padres are only 9.5 games back. A large deficit for sure but not insurmountable considering the quality of the NL West and that Arizona has finally come back down to earth. Of course, this goal would be buoyed by the promotion of Chase Headley...but that's for another time.
Tonight, the Cubs send Jason Marquis against Wil Ledezma (is it me or does it feel like the Padres have about 10 "starters" right now while Peavy, Young, and Estes are DL'd?)
BIG NEWS!!!!!
Left Coast Bias will be making the trip East in three weeks to see for the first (and only) time Yankee Stadium as the Padres take on the Yankees in mid-June. Full report on the activities later but wanted to give you a heads up.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Windy City Ramblings
Don't look now but the Padres won their first series since the end of April yesterday. And they scored 6 runs! It was quite a day at Petco indeed.
Recent lineup changes appear to be paying dividends, however small at the moment. Jody Gerut has become the new lead-off man, and with a microscopic sample size, we won't discuss yet if it was worth it. I will say this, Gerut adds a ton of speed to this lineup and has made two fantastic outfield assists since taking over in center. That move moved Brian Giles to the 3 spot in the lineup and allows AGon bat clean-up, two moves that certainly appear to maximize the limited offense San Diego has.
Padres head to Chicago starting tonight and get the unlucky break of facing Zambrano. Zambrano was scheduled to pitch yesterday but due to a rain out, his start was pushed back to today...against San Diego.
The Cubs a legit, title contending team featuring offensive studs like Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and the almost-Padre, Fukudome. Temperatures should be in the 40's around first pitch...a far cry from San Diego May Gray or not.
Let's welcome Paul DePodesta to the blogging world. This provides a unique insight into the front-office of the San Diego Padres. 3 posts up so far and already it's been enlightening. Check it out here.
Last final is tomorrow and posts will be back to normal then.
Recent lineup changes appear to be paying dividends, however small at the moment. Jody Gerut has become the new lead-off man, and with a microscopic sample size, we won't discuss yet if it was worth it. I will say this, Gerut adds a ton of speed to this lineup and has made two fantastic outfield assists since taking over in center. That move moved Brian Giles to the 3 spot in the lineup and allows AGon bat clean-up, two moves that certainly appear to maximize the limited offense San Diego has.
Padres head to Chicago starting tonight and get the unlucky break of facing Zambrano. Zambrano was scheduled to pitch yesterday but due to a rain out, his start was pushed back to today...against San Diego.
The Cubs a legit, title contending team featuring offensive studs like Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and the almost-Padre, Fukudome. Temperatures should be in the 40's around first pitch...a far cry from San Diego May Gray or not.
Let's welcome Paul DePodesta to the blogging world. This provides a unique insight into the front-office of the San Diego Padres. 3 posts up so far and already it's been enlightening. Check it out here.
Last final is tomorrow and posts will be back to normal then.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Fight the Apathy!!!!
The title to today's post is taken from Sullivan's article today in the U-T. In that article, Sullivan points out that the time to make changes on this team is now, while fans are angry but paying attention. As is often the case in San Diego, apathy can set in quickly and the fastest way to drive your fans off the cliff and into oblivion...a 12-22 record.
Fear not, change is on its way. So we've been told. Kevin Towers has said publicly that changes will be made once the team returns from there East Coast trip. What will those changes be? That's anyone's guess, but based on KT's public admonishment of Jim Edmonds skills yesterday on Sports Radio 1090XX one would have to assume it involves Edmonds. Probably not a great sign that Crabbe pinch hit for Edmonds last night in the 9th.
NOTE: As has often been said in this space, Edmonds should not be batting 5th. He's not today and the Padres just scored 2 in the first. Talk about small sample size but still...
Ledezema gets the start this morning in Atlanta, giving Peavy a day off. Headley is beginning to rake in Portland and Jacques Jones is still unemployed (and sadly, I think designed for a Towers pick-up...let's hope Towers learned his lesson about putting aging, offensively challenged in important positions in the field.
Finals continue so a short post. Mostly to tell you I'm still here and still following the team, although with studying, not as diligently as I was. If/when moves are made this week or next, I will let you know.
Fear not, change is on its way. So we've been told. Kevin Towers has said publicly that changes will be made once the team returns from there East Coast trip. What will those changes be? That's anyone's guess, but based on KT's public admonishment of Jim Edmonds skills yesterday on Sports Radio 1090XX one would have to assume it involves Edmonds. Probably not a great sign that Crabbe pinch hit for Edmonds last night in the 9th.
NOTE: As has often been said in this space, Edmonds should not be batting 5th. He's not today and the Padres just scored 2 in the first. Talk about small sample size but still...
Ledezema gets the start this morning in Atlanta, giving Peavy a day off. Headley is beginning to rake in Portland and Jacques Jones is still unemployed (and sadly, I think designed for a Towers pick-up...let's hope Towers learned his lesson about putting aging, offensively challenged in important positions in the field.
Finals continue so a short post. Mostly to tell you I'm still here and still following the team, although with studying, not as diligently as I was. If/when moves are made this week or next, I will let you know.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Bring on the Ram Head!
"That's it, I'm going to bed."
Said that to myself last night at least a half a dozen times. The only time I listened was around 1:20am, when Glendon Rusch looked at a called third to end the longest game in Padres franchise history.
22 innings, 6 hours and 16 mins and 3 (YES 3!) seventh inning stretches later, two throwing errors lead to the Rockies scoring the first run for any team since the 14th inning to win, 2-1.
So let's go through some of the wackiness that was April 17/18, 2008:
- 22 innings: longest in either teams franchise history. Only 9 games in major league history have lasted longer. 4 more innings and we would have had a MLB record!
- 6 hours and 16 mins missed the franchise record for time of a game by 1 min. If Rusch gets on base...
- 658 total pitches thrown. 5 innings of relief were thrown by Ledezema, good enough to register for the win in a normal game!
- Not only did the game last 22 innings, the game did not have its first run until the 14th inning. The Rockies scored first with a bases loaded walk. Cameron had pitched himself into some trouble but appeared to had pitched himself right out of it. Inducing an infield fly for the second out, on a 2-2 pitch Cameron threw a fastball that according to my Gamecast and my own eyes, was right down the middle. Called ball 3. Next pitch walked him and on we went. This inning came one inning after the Padres had squandered a chance to win it. Paul McAnulty hit a scorching line drive down the first base line to lead off the bottom of the 13th inning. After an apparent bobble in right field, PMac went for third. Was he sent by Glenn Hoffman? Replays showed PMac staring Hoffman down as he rounded second and chirping at him after he was thrown out. Either way, poor baserunning again cost San Diego a run.
- In the 18th inning, and for reasons I yet don't understand, members of the Padres (including Jake Peavy) found a stuffed dead (if its stuffed I hope its dead) rams head that they taped to the dugout...I got nothing on this.
- The Padres have now gone 94 innings without a home run. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the longest such streak by any team is 20 games, or, assuming none of those games went extra-innings, 180 innings. The Houston Astros hold this dubious distinction, a record that was set between 9-2-1979 through 9-23-1979. Put another way, those Astros went 686 AB's without a HR. They went 9-11 in those 20 games.
- Lost in this game was the work of Jake Peavy, who threw 8 innings last night of shut-out ball and struck out 11. That's 25 strikeouts on the year so far and an ERA of 1.20. I'll save the "over-working Jake in April" rant for another time.
Coming Up:
Somehow the Padres now have to go play the scorching Arizona Diamondbacks, beginning a three-game series tonight in Phoenix. Greg Maddux will go for win 350 tonight against Dan Haren; Chris Young gets his start pushed back a day and will go on Saturday against Edgar Gonzalez; and on Sunday, Randy Wolf goes up against the Big Unit. It is likely that Colt Morton will get his first start tonight at catcher, considering Bard went all 22 innings last night.
I have no earthly idea how to handicap this series. Let's just hope for the best.
I'll leave you with two final thoughts. Petco stops serving beer after the 7th inning, or, 15 innings before last nights game ended.
3 7TH INNING STRETCHES!
To sleep, perchance to dream.
Said that to myself last night at least a half a dozen times. The only time I listened was around 1:20am, when Glendon Rusch looked at a called third to end the longest game in Padres franchise history.
22 innings, 6 hours and 16 mins and 3 (YES 3!) seventh inning stretches later, two throwing errors lead to the Rockies scoring the first run for any team since the 14th inning to win, 2-1.
So let's go through some of the wackiness that was April 17/18, 2008:
- 22 innings: longest in either teams franchise history. Only 9 games in major league history have lasted longer. 4 more innings and we would have had a MLB record!
- 6 hours and 16 mins missed the franchise record for time of a game by 1 min. If Rusch gets on base...
- 658 total pitches thrown. 5 innings of relief were thrown by Ledezema, good enough to register for the win in a normal game!
- Not only did the game last 22 innings, the game did not have its first run until the 14th inning. The Rockies scored first with a bases loaded walk. Cameron had pitched himself into some trouble but appeared to had pitched himself right out of it. Inducing an infield fly for the second out, on a 2-2 pitch Cameron threw a fastball that according to my Gamecast and my own eyes, was right down the middle. Called ball 3. Next pitch walked him and on we went. This inning came one inning after the Padres had squandered a chance to win it. Paul McAnulty hit a scorching line drive down the first base line to lead off the bottom of the 13th inning. After an apparent bobble in right field, PMac went for third. Was he sent by Glenn Hoffman? Replays showed PMac staring Hoffman down as he rounded second and chirping at him after he was thrown out. Either way, poor baserunning again cost San Diego a run.
- In the 18th inning, and for reasons I yet don't understand, members of the Padres (including Jake Peavy) found a stuffed dead (if its stuffed I hope its dead) rams head that they taped to the dugout...I got nothing on this.
- The Padres have now gone 94 innings without a home run. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the longest such streak by any team is 20 games, or, assuming none of those games went extra-innings, 180 innings. The Houston Astros hold this dubious distinction, a record that was set between 9-2-1979 through 9-23-1979. Put another way, those Astros went 686 AB's without a HR. They went 9-11 in those 20 games.
- Lost in this game was the work of Jake Peavy, who threw 8 innings last night of shut-out ball and struck out 11. That's 25 strikeouts on the year so far and an ERA of 1.20. I'll save the "over-working Jake in April" rant for another time.
Coming Up:
Somehow the Padres now have to go play the scorching Arizona Diamondbacks, beginning a three-game series tonight in Phoenix. Greg Maddux will go for win 350 tonight against Dan Haren; Chris Young gets his start pushed back a day and will go on Saturday against Edgar Gonzalez; and on Sunday, Randy Wolf goes up against the Big Unit. It is likely that Colt Morton will get his first start tonight at catcher, considering Bard went all 22 innings last night.
I have no earthly idea how to handicap this series. Let's just hope for the best.
I'll leave you with two final thoughts. Petco stops serving beer after the 7th inning, or, 15 innings before last nights game ended.
3 7TH INNING STRETCHES!
To sleep, perchance to dream.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Return of Rocktober
There exists in the world only five games that I consider to be so heartbreaking that I both can't forget them and want only to forget them. They are, in no particular order:
1) Arizona vs Illinois, Elite Eight, 2006 - Arizona blows a double digit lead with 4 mins to play.
2) Chargers vs Patriots, Divisional Round, 2007 - Another blown lead late, erasing a 14-2 season.
3) Padres vs Yankees, Games 1-4, 1998 World Series - No one wants to be swept
4) Padres vs Brewers, Game 161, 2007 - Trevor blows the save, Tony Gwynn Jr. hits a triple.
and number 5....
5) Padres vs Rockies, Game 163, 2007...
Game 163 was perhaps the most nervous I had ever been watching any sporting event, live or on television. The entire day, all I could think about was the game. As confident as I was on the outside ("Peavy's on the mound, its in the bag!") I was a ball of nerves inside. I didn't relax at any point during the game, counting down the amount of outs that were left. Peavy didn't have his ace stuff and the Padres fell behind early. I woke the neighbors when Adrian hit his grand slam to make it a new game, screamed at the t.v. while watching Brady Clark "play" center field, and was ready to pop the bubbly thanks to Scott Hairston's 13th inning home run. For a game with so many ups and downs, it seemed that the Padres had finally stuck the dagger in the heart of the Rockies. Or so I thought...
When you have watched Trevor Hoffman for as long as I have, you know when you're in for a long night. You can tell from the beginning of an inning. A hard hit double that you try to convince yourself doesn't matter because you lead by 2. But you know, he doesn't have it tonight, and you hope they hit it at someone. And then there was the now infamous slide. Did Matt Holliday touch home? Well, you know my answer to that.
So here we are, April 15th, 2008, and for the first time since that night in Denver, the Padres play the Rockies. Does it have the feel of a Padres/Dodgers series? Not quite, but there are enough Padres fans out there who have a very bitter taste in their mouth from Game 163 and the controversial way it ended. So perhaps we should look at Game 163 for the positive it has created...a new rivalry in the NL West. It may be too early to say this is a big series, but this is a big series.
- ESPN The Magazine has a great article on Greg Maddux in which this story was recounted (paraphrased): As a member of the Dodgers, Brad Penny believed that Maddux knew Penny's pitches better then he did. So one night Penny had Maddux call the entire game for him. Penny would glance into the dugout between pitches, get the sign, and throw. And he did throw, 7 innings, shutout.
- Speaking of ESPN The Magazine, Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy) wrote in his column this month that Barry Bonds was the "best hitter since Ted Williams." Now while the article had to do with the deafening silence that has met the news that Bonds is unemployed currently, I would like to draw a bit of an issue with the term "best hitter since Ted Williams." .338 Lifetime BA, 8 Batting Titles, over 3,000 hits and 19 consecutive seasons over .300 beg to differ with that title being given to Barry Bonds. Need further proof? SI already crowned such a person in this cover:
This is the Best Hitter Since Ted Williams. Consistent, a student of the game, and, to use Ryne Sandburg's term, he did it "the right way."
- Rockies fans are not afraid of Trevor Hoffman and are convinced Holliday was safe as evident here: http://www.purplerow.com/
- The Padres offense has managed only 2 runs in their last two games. More will be needed to beat a very potent Colorado lineup.
- Pitching Matchup for the Series: Jimenez vs Wolf; Redman vs Germano; Francis vs Peavy
- Bud Black has this to say about the recent struggles of Trevor Hoffman (who, it is worth noting, still has 4 saves already in this young season):
"Like I've said, it looks like his overall stuff is there," Black said. "For whatever reason the location is off 3-4-5-6 inches. ... He's hitting the glove. He just must be off a little."
- Finally, the pick. I'll take Peavy over Francis on Thursday, Wolf has looked good so far so let's take him on Tuesday and Germano has yet to give up a run. Wednesday he gets his first win of the season. Padres sweep and drink from the glass of revenge!
1) Arizona vs Illinois, Elite Eight, 2006 - Arizona blows a double digit lead with 4 mins to play.
2) Chargers vs Patriots, Divisional Round, 2007 - Another blown lead late, erasing a 14-2 season.
3) Padres vs Yankees, Games 1-4, 1998 World Series - No one wants to be swept
4) Padres vs Brewers, Game 161, 2007 - Trevor blows the save, Tony Gwynn Jr. hits a triple.
and number 5....
5) Padres vs Rockies, Game 163, 2007...
Game 163 was perhaps the most nervous I had ever been watching any sporting event, live or on television. The entire day, all I could think about was the game. As confident as I was on the outside ("Peavy's on the mound, its in the bag!") I was a ball of nerves inside. I didn't relax at any point during the game, counting down the amount of outs that were left. Peavy didn't have his ace stuff and the Padres fell behind early. I woke the neighbors when Adrian hit his grand slam to make it a new game, screamed at the t.v. while watching Brady Clark "play" center field, and was ready to pop the bubbly thanks to Scott Hairston's 13th inning home run. For a game with so many ups and downs, it seemed that the Padres had finally stuck the dagger in the heart of the Rockies. Or so I thought...
When you have watched Trevor Hoffman for as long as I have, you know when you're in for a long night. You can tell from the beginning of an inning. A hard hit double that you try to convince yourself doesn't matter because you lead by 2. But you know, he doesn't have it tonight, and you hope they hit it at someone. And then there was the now infamous slide. Did Matt Holliday touch home? Well, you know my answer to that.
So here we are, April 15th, 2008, and for the first time since that night in Denver, the Padres play the Rockies. Does it have the feel of a Padres/Dodgers series? Not quite, but there are enough Padres fans out there who have a very bitter taste in their mouth from Game 163 and the controversial way it ended. So perhaps we should look at Game 163 for the positive it has created...a new rivalry in the NL West. It may be too early to say this is a big series, but this is a big series.
- ESPN The Magazine has a great article on Greg Maddux in which this story was recounted (paraphrased): As a member of the Dodgers, Brad Penny believed that Maddux knew Penny's pitches better then he did. So one night Penny had Maddux call the entire game for him. Penny would glance into the dugout between pitches, get the sign, and throw. And he did throw, 7 innings, shutout.
- Speaking of ESPN The Magazine, Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy) wrote in his column this month that Barry Bonds was the "best hitter since Ted Williams." Now while the article had to do with the deafening silence that has met the news that Bonds is unemployed currently, I would like to draw a bit of an issue with the term "best hitter since Ted Williams." .338 Lifetime BA, 8 Batting Titles, over 3,000 hits and 19 consecutive seasons over .300 beg to differ with that title being given to Barry Bonds. Need further proof? SI already crowned such a person in this cover:
This is the Best Hitter Since Ted Williams. Consistent, a student of the game, and, to use Ryne Sandburg's term, he did it "the right way."
- Rockies fans are not afraid of Trevor Hoffman and are convinced Holliday was safe as evident here: http://www.purplerow.com/
- The Padres offense has managed only 2 runs in their last two games. More will be needed to beat a very potent Colorado lineup.
- Pitching Matchup for the Series: Jimenez vs Wolf; Redman vs Germano; Francis vs Peavy
- Bud Black has this to say about the recent struggles of Trevor Hoffman (who, it is worth noting, still has 4 saves already in this young season):
"Like I've said, it looks like his overall stuff is there," Black said. "For whatever reason the location is off 3-4-5-6 inches. ... He's hitting the glove. He just must be off a little."
- Finally, the pick. I'll take Peavy over Francis on Thursday, Wolf has looked good so far so let's take him on Tuesday and Germano has yet to give up a run. Wednesday he gets his first win of the season. Padres sweep and drink from the glass of revenge!
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.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The More Things Change...
Well that sucked...
The Padres dropped 2 of 3 against the San Francisco Giants this week. The same Giants that I and many others fully expect to lose roughly 100 games this year. The same Giants who bat Bengie Molina in the clean-up (I suppose we can't make fun of that now after his 2 dinger game on Tuesday). So, some thoughts from last nights 1-0 game.
- I will take partial blame for jinxing the outcome. On Ducksnorts.com I posted a comment at the end of the top of the 9th saying "two extra-inning games in a row against the Giants?" Of course, there was no extra-inning game as the Giants won in the bottom of the 9th. So, my bad.
- Who are you and what have you done with Jim Edmonds? The error was a freak occurrence as that ball was in his glove and somehow popped out. More concerning is the game winning hit. Was it routine? Certainly not. Is it a ball you expect Jim Edmonds to get to? Yes. Would Mike Cameron had gotten to that ball? In my opinion, yes. (I highly doubt Scott Hairston would have though). I think it's clear to anyone who has watched Edmonds play in the last week that he is not healthy. He is running poorly, he looks lost at the plate and he all together doesn't look right. Whether that's nerves from playing for a new team, the injury still lingering or just age, it is safe to say that Edmonds right now is a liability.
- Not to beat a dead horse, but there are two games in the Padres last 13 games that CF play has cost them a win. The 1-game playoff last year and the near-comical CF play of Brady Clark allowed at least 2 runs in that game. And now last night.
- Let's talk strategy. There are two plays in sports that seem like no-brainers and yet no one seems to do it. The first was illustrated in Monday night's National Championship between KU and Memphis. Up 3 with seconds to go, what is the harm in immediately fouling KU and sending them to the line...for 2! Now, the other should have happened last night. In the bottom of the 9th with 1 out the Giants had a man on second (the winning run) and the number 6 hitter up. Why then, don't you walk that batter to set up the double play? The runner you put on first doesn't matter as once the man on second scores, game over. And it sets up the potential for an inning-ending double play with the number 7 hitter for the Giants coming up. This seems like a DUH situation to me yet I rarely see coaches do this. Of course last night, the Padres didn't do it and, ultimately lost on the aforementioned double over Edmonds head.
- Some positive from the game was how good Germano looks right now. Two games, 0 runs....I think I'll take that.
- Padres get a much needed day off today. My school softball team begins their playoff play Sunday as a #3 seed (team: Scared Hitless) and my club softball team remains winless...FOR NOW! We are on bye this week (Little Blue Pill).
The Padres dropped 2 of 3 against the San Francisco Giants this week. The same Giants that I and many others fully expect to lose roughly 100 games this year. The same Giants who bat Bengie Molina in the clean-up (I suppose we can't make fun of that now after his 2 dinger game on Tuesday). So, some thoughts from last nights 1-0 game.
- I will take partial blame for jinxing the outcome. On Ducksnorts.com I posted a comment at the end of the top of the 9th saying "two extra-inning games in a row against the Giants?" Of course, there was no extra-inning game as the Giants won in the bottom of the 9th. So, my bad.
- Who are you and what have you done with Jim Edmonds? The error was a freak occurrence as that ball was in his glove and somehow popped out. More concerning is the game winning hit. Was it routine? Certainly not. Is it a ball you expect Jim Edmonds to get to? Yes. Would Mike Cameron had gotten to that ball? In my opinion, yes. (I highly doubt Scott Hairston would have though). I think it's clear to anyone who has watched Edmonds play in the last week that he is not healthy. He is running poorly, he looks lost at the plate and he all together doesn't look right. Whether that's nerves from playing for a new team, the injury still lingering or just age, it is safe to say that Edmonds right now is a liability.
- Not to beat a dead horse, but there are two games in the Padres last 13 games that CF play has cost them a win. The 1-game playoff last year and the near-comical CF play of Brady Clark allowed at least 2 runs in that game. And now last night.
- Let's talk strategy. There are two plays in sports that seem like no-brainers and yet no one seems to do it. The first was illustrated in Monday night's National Championship between KU and Memphis. Up 3 with seconds to go, what is the harm in immediately fouling KU and sending them to the line...for 2! Now, the other should have happened last night. In the bottom of the 9th with 1 out the Giants had a man on second (the winning run) and the number 6 hitter up. Why then, don't you walk that batter to set up the double play? The runner you put on first doesn't matter as once the man on second scores, game over. And it sets up the potential for an inning-ending double play with the number 7 hitter for the Giants coming up. This seems like a DUH situation to me yet I rarely see coaches do this. Of course last night, the Padres didn't do it and, ultimately lost on the aforementioned double over Edmonds head.
- Some positive from the game was how good Germano looks right now. Two games, 0 runs....I think I'll take that.
- Padres get a much needed day off today. My school softball team begins their playoff play Sunday as a #3 seed (team: Scared Hitless) and my club softball team remains winless...FOR NOW! We are on bye this week (Little Blue Pill).
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Injury Update from San Fran
Very quick post here today.
Michael Barret is going to be placed on the 15 day DL after hearing a "pop" in his throwing elbow in yesterday's 8-4 win against the Giants. The Padres are not ruling out a ligament tear which, if that is the case, will likely shelve Barrett for the season. Fingers crossed here. The Padres have recalled Colt Morton from Double-A San Antonio. This is likely to mean more playing time for Josh Bard and will put an early test to the Padres supposedly strong farm system of catchers.
The "mystery smudge" on Peavy's right hand has become somewhat of a national story. Rome is Burning and PTI discussed it yesterday and now it appears that umpires will be paying special attention to Jake on the mound. To me this remains a non-issue as it appeared to be no more than dirt and rosin but, in the era of baseball in which we find ourselves it is no surprise that any thing out of the ordinary is being analyzed to this degree.
AGon went 4-5 yesterday! And against Matt Cain which is no small feat! Well done AGon.
Road trip continues tonight in San Fran. I will miss the game as I have an appointment with one Mr. Bruce Springsteen in Anaheim. Baby, I was Born to Run!
Michael Barret is going to be placed on the 15 day DL after hearing a "pop" in his throwing elbow in yesterday's 8-4 win against the Giants. The Padres are not ruling out a ligament tear which, if that is the case, will likely shelve Barrett for the season. Fingers crossed here. The Padres have recalled Colt Morton from Double-A San Antonio. This is likely to mean more playing time for Josh Bard and will put an early test to the Padres supposedly strong farm system of catchers.
The "mystery smudge" on Peavy's right hand has become somewhat of a national story. Rome is Burning and PTI discussed it yesterday and now it appears that umpires will be paying special attention to Jake on the mound. To me this remains a non-issue as it appeared to be no more than dirt and rosin but, in the era of baseball in which we find ourselves it is no surprise that any thing out of the ordinary is being analyzed to this degree.
AGon went 4-5 yesterday! And against Matt Cain which is no small feat! Well done AGon.
Road trip continues tonight in San Fran. I will miss the game as I have an appointment with one Mr. Bruce Springsteen in Anaheim. Baby, I was Born to Run!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
One Week In, 25 to Go
If you follow me on Twitter then you may have been aware that this weekend I was in Las Vegas. Now, while it happened to be Final Four weekend, that had little to do with why I was in Vegas.
Now, I thought I would pass along the Sports Book at the Stratosphere line on the Padres winning the World Series. Vegas has them at 22-1 to win the World Series, with NL teams such as the Cubs, Mets, Dodgers, D-Backs, and Phillies with better odds. Just an FYI.
I was able to catch some of the Padres game on Saturday and boy am I glad I did. Peavy looked unbelievable on Saturday with a biting slider and from what I read 18 change-ups.
Now, am I excited that Peavy went all 9-innings? Of course. Last year coming out of the All-Star Break the bullpen got rocked and part of that I think can be attributed the amount of innings they have on their arms. That said, I'm not sure how to feel about a 116 pitch inning from the ace of the staff in the first week of April. I lived in Chicago for 3 years while Dusty Baker was the manager and I watched him overwork two of the greatest young pitchers in the NL at the time: Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. There are literally dozens of stories of pitchers that "could have been." In recent years, injury issues involving Francisco Liriano and Felix Hernandez are most notable to me.
This isn't to say that I think Peavy is going to join that group. There is a school of thought that says that pitch counts are over-rated. Supposedly, Dice-K threw 300 pitches IN BETWEEN starts in Japan. So maybe this is nothing. Let me just say that 116 pitch outing in early April on a young arm makes me nervous.
The other Peavy issue from Saturday was the mysterious "smudge" on his hand. Here is a pic of what I'm talking about:
This reminds many of the infamous Kenny Rogers World Series "smudge." Here's what Peavy had to say about it:
Next to Tony Gwynn, Hoffman is my favorite All-Time Padre and I refuse to lose faith. That being the case, it is very hard as a fan to watch one of your favorite players struggle like this. If Hoffman's psyche can stay in tack, I firmly believe that Hoffy will still save 40 games and be the closer by the end of the season. But right now, you have to wonder what his head space is like right now.
Upcoming:
For those who aren't aware, San Francisco was awarded a Double-A team and they are called the Giants. The Padres go to visit them for three games starting Monday and then, mercifully, the Padres will get a day off on Thursday.
Now, I thought I would pass along the Sports Book at the Stratosphere line on the Padres winning the World Series. Vegas has them at 22-1 to win the World Series, with NL teams such as the Cubs, Mets, Dodgers, D-Backs, and Phillies with better odds. Just an FYI.
I was able to catch some of the Padres game on Saturday and boy am I glad I did. Peavy looked unbelievable on Saturday with a biting slider and from what I read 18 change-ups.
Now, am I excited that Peavy went all 9-innings? Of course. Last year coming out of the All-Star Break the bullpen got rocked and part of that I think can be attributed the amount of innings they have on their arms. That said, I'm not sure how to feel about a 116 pitch inning from the ace of the staff in the first week of April. I lived in Chicago for 3 years while Dusty Baker was the manager and I watched him overwork two of the greatest young pitchers in the NL at the time: Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. There are literally dozens of stories of pitchers that "could have been." In recent years, injury issues involving Francisco Liriano and Felix Hernandez are most notable to me.
This isn't to say that I think Peavy is going to join that group. There is a school of thought that says that pitch counts are over-rated. Supposedly, Dice-K threw 300 pitches IN BETWEEN starts in Japan. So maybe this is nothing. Let me just say that 116 pitch outing in early April on a young arm makes me nervous.
The other Peavy issue from Saturday was the mysterious "smudge" on his hand. Here is a pic of what I'm talking about:
This reminds many of the infamous Kenny Rogers World Series "smudge." Here's what Peavy had to say about it:
"I laughed, to be honest with you. Anybody that wants to check me, feel free. There’s nothing on my hands that’s not supposed to be. I thought it was funny that it was such a big deal. I’ve got no problems with anytime anybody needs to check me.
"I can’t imagine my hands being that dirty. That being said, your hand doesn’t look clean when you’re out there. Obviously I pick up rosin, pick up dirt, I do hit. I found it hard to believe my hand was that … there’s no way. I laughed.
"There’s no way you could have a foreign substance on your hand that’s black. I don’t know what you could put on your hand. My whole hand was covered, the picture I saw. Wouldn’t that come off on a ball? How could you throw a ball with pine tar on your hand?
"I’m not out there cheating, that’s the bottom line.''
Hoffman Issues
The Padres ended up dropping two of three from LA despite tremendous pitching performances by CY on Sunday. Hoffman was tagged with the loss on Sunday by giving up a lead-off walk to Russell Martin, who advanced to second on a ground out and scored on an RBI single without a run.
Next to Tony Gwynn, Hoffman is my favorite All-Time Padre and I refuse to lose faith. That being the case, it is very hard as a fan to watch one of your favorite players struggle like this. If Hoffman's psyche can stay in tack, I firmly believe that Hoffy will still save 40 games and be the closer by the end of the season. But right now, you have to wonder what his head space is like right now.
Upcoming:
For those who aren't aware, San Francisco was awarded a Double-A team and they are called the Giants. The Padres go to visit them for three games starting Monday and then, mercifully, the Padres will get a day off on Thursday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)