Grand(al) Illusions

By David Israel
Guest Contributor

It certainly feels like the walls are coming in.

Even if it is just the fences, the last few weeks seem to be a telling microcosm of Padres happenings. The 2012 season just… was. We entered with low expectations, and while Savior’s 5th place MVP season went mostly unnoticed outside of the NL West, we made headlines with the fences debate and a new owner. Yet, things felt… stagnant. We were unsurprised by the early season failure, and too embroiled over the lack of TV coverage (which is still absurd) to notice the second half surge, taking only enough notice of the foundational blocks we’d waited so long to be in place to give us hope for 2013, where a core of Headley, Alonso, Grandal, and half of Quentin might lead us to respectability.

And then the news hit. And it felt… deflating, yet unsurprising, somehow. When the headline alone can cause even the most devout to lose faith…

#LTF

— Jodi Paranal (@jodes0405) November 7, 2012

Thanks for letting me steal this off your twitter page, @Jodes0405.

…it’s probably not good.

The apathy scares me most; that after attending 18 MLB games last year, 14 at PETCO, that it was possible to just be resigned to the mediocrity we have seen year after year, unsurprised when the next great thing for your team gives you reason to question their potential.

Fortunately the offseason does not pause, moving daily towards Pitchers and Catchers. We get to ask if it is spring training yet and speculate about the hot stove season. And, on that note, a wish list for the 2013 Padres:

1) Bring back Mike Adams. The bullpen, still stocked with serviceable pitchers, has lost most of its personality. Gone are the goofy Bell, the swag Adams used to bring to the Penitentiary, and even Frieri’s little kid smile.
2) Grady Sizemore. As much as we’ve come to love Denorfia’s dive, a low-risk incentive laden contract for Sizemore could work. And it would increase female attendance in right field by about 800%. Anything to get those guys who think Yankee Stadium roll call is OK to be less of a presence out there.
3) Brandon McCarthy/Francisco Liriano: McCarthy for his arm and humor, Liriano as a cheap back of the rotation option, where he can be (potentially?) protected by modified bastardized Petco dimensions.
4) Faith. And fewer Tommy John surgeries.

91 Days until pitchers and catchers, when our faith will be renewed again.

Dis

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.

Defending Chase Headley on his Birthday

Happy Birthday Chase!

There is only one person that has lived that has lived up to the moniker "savior." And even He has his detractors.

Chase Headley was cursed with being presented to the San Diego fan base as a savior to a struggling offensive lineup. Headley was the 2007 Texas League Player of the Year and was considered one of the top prospects in the Padres organization. A 2nd round pick out of the University of Tennessee, success followed Chase Headley at every level.

On June 15, 2007, thanks to an injury to Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley was brought up to start at third base. He was hitting .357 at San Antonio at the time. He quickly obtained the moniker "savior" despite the organizations (and common sense) best attempts to lower expectations. He made his Major League debut in Wrigley Field in 2007, when he played 8 games. He was brought up again in 2008 (June 17th) to start a game at Old Yankee Stadium. Last year, when the Padres were bringing up Anthony Rizzo, I wrote about the fallacy of putting the level of expectations that we as fans did on players like Headley and Rizzo.

The takeaway? Headley wasn't a savior. He was simply an above-average baseball player. But to a fan base expecting the Bryce Harper of San Diego, there was no greater crime. And it is a crime that Chase Headley continues to pay for.

In 2011, Chase Headley finished in the Top 10 of 3rd basemen in the following categories: AVG (10th), OBP (3rd),SB (3rd), BB (7th), RUNS CREATED (9th).

Is he a power threat? Not really. Though people whose view of baseball is as regimented as a blueprint assume he should be since he plays a corner infield position. Bud Black often uses Headley in power positions in the lineup, though admittedly, who else should bat 3rd or 4th on this team right now? Yet what Headley does do, and does it well, is get on base. In a park and with a lineup that will not produce many 3-run HRs, the Padres need to manufacture runs to win. And you can't manufacture a run without having people on base. For as much debate (read: bitching) there is about the park and its dimensions, Chase Headley is a rare player who can and has had offensive success in Petco.

Of course, if you only view offensive success in HRs and RBI, I see why your disappointed. I also see you have a painfully narrow view of what a successful baseball player looks like. While HRs are not the be all, end all, RBI is as imperfect a stat as W are for a pitcher.

The Padres have many holes to fill. Middle infield, corner outfield, half the starting staff is injured. Let's not go creating problems where they don't exist. Chase Headley is one of only a few players that the Padres have that produce consistently, are durable, plays solid defense, and is homegrown (for whatever value you put on that).

Imagine a world in which Chase Headley was not presented as the savior of a franchise, but simply a minor league prospect brought up to replace an injured starter. Consider how much leeway you give Anthony Bass or Wieland. And then ask yourself why unrealistic expectations cloud your opinion of one of the few bright spots on this Padres roster.

Extend Chase Headley and build a lineup around him, Maybin and Alonso. But if you think Headley is part of the problem, I'm not sure we are watching the same games.

Headley had the audacity of not being Brooks Robinson. For this, some fans will never come around to him. But if your expectations are that high, strap in friend, because life is going to be really disappointing.

On Fandom In Dark Times

So, the Padres aren't very good this year. At least so far anyway. Who knows what the rest of the season holds? But one thing is sure, this incarnation of Padres baseball through 3 weeks has not been the poetry that Annie Savoy spoke of.

This sloppy start has lead to understandable frustration. It's one thing to lose. It's quite another to lose in the manner and fashion the Padres have. The Padres are 5th in MLB in strikeouts (I was mildly stunned to learn there are 4 teams who strike out more. If you are curious, they are: St. Louis, NYM, Houston, and Arizona. I suppose there is something to take from this that the Top 5 teams in strikeouts are all National League. I just don't know what that is.) and lead the league in errors. With a young team with limited resources, this is not a recipe for success. And makes losing in this fashion that much more frustrating.


Which has lead some fans to declare that they will no longer support this team until a better product is placed on the field. This is not the first nor will it be the last time a fanbase will make such a declaration. The idea is based in capitalist ideology. Baseball is a product, we are the consumers, thus if we are upset with the product we as consumers will stop purchasing said product until it is fixed. And while that makes perfect sense in a consumer based economy, it sadly makes next to no sense in sports.


For example. Let's say there is a great Thai restaurant in your neighborhood. You love this place, order the same thing every time, and every time it hits the spot. Then they change chefs. And the Tom Yum isn't as good anymore and the Gra Pow isn't as spicy and so on. So you stop going, perhaps post a scathing review on Yelp that longs for the chef of yore. In that scenario, there is another Thai restaurant 5 miles away. You have options.


There aren't options for fans. I'm a Padres fan. Have been since I was cognitively aware of baseball. I've never been a "fan" of another team. There have been teams I liked, or enjoyed rooting for provided that rooting interest did not interfere with the Padres. But no team that I have had an emotional connection to as I do with the Padres. Because ultimately that's what sports are. They are emotional connections. Why do you get so upset that you are near inconsolable when your team loses in heartbreaking fashion? Because this is more than a consumer based product. This is deeper. It matters in ways restaurants, soda, electronics and shoes never will. Other than my parents, there is nothing in this world that I've known and cared about for a longer period of time then the Padres.


It is for this reason that I cannot simply turn my back on them when they struggle. Because, unlike the Thai restaurant, there isn't another baseball team nearby that I can get the same experience. As frustrating and, at times, demoralizing as losing is, the reason it bothers me and matters to me so much is because I care. Because I'm a fan. If I stopped going, stopped watching the games on television and stopped wearing their apparel, that loss would far outweigh the frustration I feel when watching them today.


I choose to continue to attend games and watch games, even if I'll be sulking during most of them. Because it's what I've always done. And even in losing, I like to go to the games. I like watching the games on television.

10 (Not So) Bold Predictions for the 2012 Padres Season

So here we are. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were watching the Cardinals somehow overtake the Rangers in Game 6 on their way to a World Series title. Since that time, Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes and CJ Wilson have all changed teams. Somebody's fever dream came to life in center field in Miami. And the Padres changed GM's and, soon enough, owners.

With the 2012 regular season mere hours away (for those of us in the Western Hemisphere anyway), here are 10 predictions, hopes, thoughts and rambles for the 2012 San Diego Padres. In no particular order. Other then this is the order I thought of them.

10) Andrew Cashner will be the closer by the end of the season.
Huston Street is the highest paid player on this team right now.

I'll give you a moment to let that sink in.

Welcome back. Street has not been great in Spring though I think he will settle in fine with Petco. I'm more basing this on the likelihood that, if the Padres are not in a division or wild card race come the trade deadline, Street, the highest valued Padre on the roster will likely be jettisoned to a contender in need. Which leaves Cashner and his 103 MPH fastball with an opening. I just don't think Byrnes traded the top prospect in the system for a middle reliever.

9) I will have no more than 3 rants about the Sunday giveaway being only for kids.
SERIOUSLY!?!?!? Like a grown man wouldn't enjoy a Padres Hot Wheels car or lunch box? Ugh, let's move on.

8) The Padres will have more than 1 All-Star.
My money right now would be on Maybin and Luebke. Both players are young and on the precipice of breaking out. The starting pitching in the National League is deep so it's a tough group to crack for Luebke, but as is typical many will pull out of the ASG for various reasons.

And speaking of Maybin

7) Cameron Maybin will become your favorite Padre.
If he isn't already, the fact that Maybin will be here for the long haul will certainly endear him to a fan base that has seen favorites like Peavy, Gonzalez and Bell leave San Diego. Maybin becomes the face of the on-field product. He's personable, funny, and makes highlight reel catches in CF. You will own his jersey by Aug. 1.

6) Orlando Hudson will say something stupid via Twitter.
This isn't really a bold prediction. This is more the equivalent of picking the #1 seed to beat the #16 seed. Yeah, you got that one right. But so did everyone else.

5) Zou Bisou Bisou will be someone's walkup music.
If wishing made it so. Sidenote: Did Betty Francis get to test out the Hodad's stand at Petco early?

4) The Swinging Friar will finally be recognized as the best mascot in baseball.
Even in the worst of times, the Swinging Friar makes me smile. He's hilarious. He's fun. He is what going to baseball games is about.

And he has a Frankenstein version of himself.

3) The Padres will reclaim the Vedder Cup.
Last year was a poor showing. A poor, poor showing indeed. 1-5 against the hated Mariners. And the 1 came on a 1-0 win with Maybin reaching base on a 3 ball walk. Revenge shall be ours. Or, you know, a .500 record would suffice.

2) The Padres will throw a no-hitter and hit for the cycle.
I make this prediction every year so I can't take too much credit for when this finally happens. But it's statistically crazy that it hasn't happened yet. I wrote about the Padres no-hitter woes last year. One day, it's going to happen. I just hope I'm not shopping in a Costco when it does.

My picks this year: Stauffer (No-Hitter); Maybin (Cycle)

1) The Padres will struggle to start the season but make things interesting in June.
The beginning of the season is not kind to the Padres. Outside of a ton of NL West games, the Padres face Philadelphia, Washington, Milwaukee, and Anaheim.

But then May 24th comes along. And the New York Mets. Followed by the Cubs then a June where they take on Seattle 6 times, Oakland, Houston and Colorado. If the Padres can tread water for the first two months, a strong June will make them, if not contenders, then at least interesting come the All Star Break.

The MegaMillion Owner

So, you won $640 million in the Mega Millions. Congratulations.

Thanks to a PR blitz and instant celebrity, your purchase of the San Diego Padres for $612 million has been quickly approved by MLB owners and Bud Selig.

What's the first thing you do as new owner of the San Diego Padres? I asked Twitter and Facebook for some ideas. Their thoughts:

- Huge Dubstep Party on the infield. (No word on whether this was during a game or not. If during the game, the dancing groundskeeper is going to be psyched.)

- Bring back the home plate and wave logo.

- Bring back the brown. (Of course.)

- Multiple responses for bringing in the fences. (Even more predictable.)

- Craft beer in all concessions.

- Providing the Swinging Friar the luxurious life he deserves. (I'm as pro-Friar as possible. I applaud this idea.)

But perhaps my favorite, and let's be honest, the most truthful came from Woe, Doctor!:

@LeftCoastBias If somebody replies w/anything other than "pencil myself in as an Opening Day starter" they're lying.

— Woe, Doctor! (@woedoctor) March 30, 2012

As for me, well, I don't know if I'd want to take the mound. Though my 57 MPH "fastball" would keep hitters off balance. For about 3 minutes. But I wouldn't mind taking a few cuts in a Spring Training game ala Billy Crystal.

I'd also get to do the play-by-play whenever I wanted. And probably screen The Dark Knight on the Jumbotron. And buy the Delorean from Back to the Future and use it as the bullpen car.

You know, normal stuff.

What would you do?

The Case for Petco Park

The San Diego Padres scored 13 runs today on 23 hits.

Let me say that again.

The 2011, shutout 8 times, San Diego Padres scored 13 runs on 23 hits.

It should come as no surprise that they were on the road when this happened, playing in Miller Park, a far more favorable offensive setting.

The 23 hits were the most for the Padres since 08/12/03 vs Atlanta. It was the first 20 hit game for the Padres since getting 22 hits vs Milwaukee on 08/11/09.

It was a good day.

And now they travel to Colorado, as hitter friendly a park as there is. Players appear, using nothing more than my own observations, appear to be hitting the ball better, harder, and with just a bit more confidence (most notably Ludwick and Hawpe who have been much maligned to start this season).



This kind of offensive output on the road lead many today to the obvious questions/complaints about Petco Park. There is a loud, though I argue still minority opinion that Petco Park should be modified in some way to lend itself to more offense. This argument was given a local media voice in the form of Darren Smith of XX1090 when he posted on Facebook "Padres scored 22 runs in three games at Miller...21 in their six-game home stand. Nope, PETCO doesn't matter." This was followed by a lengthy discussion in which the common refrain from those in favor of modification point to the lack of "excitement" in games played at Petco Park.

This argument really got started in force on Saturday night, where, after being shut out by the Diamondbacks (the Padres 8th shut out of the season thus far), Chase Headley was quoted in the San Diego Union Tribune “I don’t care who you bring into this ballpark, it’s not going to be an offensive club, it’s not. So we as an organization understand what type of team we have to have to win and it’s always going to be based around pitching and defense. So I don’t necessarily think it’s a personnel problem.”

I've personally had this argument more than once and, since the issue is complicated and getting all my points across in 140 characters was proving to be impossible, allow this to be the case for keeping Petco Park as it is.

1) The Petco Park Advantage
Petco Park opened in 2004 marking this the 8th season in the park. In 7 complete seasons in Petco, the Padres have 2 NL Western Division titles. In their entire franchise history prior to moving to Petco they had 3 ('84, '96, '98). They accomplished this despite never having a team salary higher than $73 million (2008).

If you judge success not by division titles but purely by wins, then keep in mind that the Padres 90 win 2010 was the 4th highest win total in franchise history, despite a paltry $45 million payroll. (It's worth noting that the worst year for the Padres came in 2008 where they won 63 games while spending $73 million).

So was it coincidence that the most successful stretch in Padres history coincided with the opening of Petco Park? I seriously doubt that. The Padres have committed to a strategy as a franchise to build teams around good pitching and defense and a focus on small ball and speed. To that end, the Padres are consistently near the top of MLB in team ERA and, more recently, SB's. Petco has turned average pitchers into league leaders and saw only the 4th Cy Young in franchise history in 2006 with Jake Peavy. Pitching and defense. That's Padres and Petco baseball. And it has, for the most part, proved to be successful.

2) The Money Game
Let's live in the real world. The Padres will never be one of the biggest spenders in baseball. Jed Hoyer has said publicly that, eventually, the Padres eventually will operate around $70-75 million a year. For reference, this year a payroll of $75 million would put the Padres 20th in MLB in team payroll.

Furthermore, of the top 10 player salaries in MLB this year, only 2 of those players (CC Sabathia, Roy Halladay) are pitchers. The point? Offense cost money. Money the Padres don't have and won't have anytime soon (thanks John Moores!).

So, maintaing Petco Park as a pitchers park allows the Padres to continue to utilize the pitching and defense strategy while being able to work within the financial reality in which they operate. Ryan Howard cost money. Aaron Harang? Considerably less.

3) Atmospheric Conditions
The jewel of downtown San Diego is Petco Park. It was the catalyst for one of the most successful neighborhood renovation projects in the United States. It's aesthetically pleasing being located in the Gaslamp Quarter and near the San Diego Bay. Beautiful and quintessentially San Diego. The location could not have been better.

Except that it is probably the primary culprit for the lack of offense in Petco Park.

It's not a surprise nor a secret that Petco plays less as a pitchers park during the day time. What's missing during the day? Marine layer. Thick sea air that moves in each night and essentially acts as quicksand to fly balls. As a piece of purely anecdotal example, last year, Adrian Gonzalez did not hit one homerun at home aft 8:00pm. That's not coincidence.

So unless you are willing to move Petco Park to La Mesa or move the fences in 100 ft, it may not much matter.

4) Winning Breeds Excitement
Finally, there is the argument that Padres baseball = boring baseball. This is obviously a more subjective point. But, dare I say, that offense doesn't make a team exciting. Winning does. The Padres play, more often than not, close games. A byproduct of low scoring games no doubt. Which would seem to translate to games that are often up in the air until the 9th inning. Which would seem to translate to excitement. But, beyond the brand of baseball the Padres play, I would argue that winning, no matter the score, is exciting. Last year the Padres were near dead last in team BA yet won 90 games and was one of the more enjoyable seasons in recent memory (from a personal level).

Considering the Padres are 7-14 at home, no argument that this year's Padres, to this point (today's game being the obvious exception) have been boring. But I argue that they are boring because they are losing. Call me crazy, but I'll take 2-1 wins over 13-12 losses everyday.

I beg to differ with Chase Headley. This year, it is the personnel. Doesn't mean this team can't turn it around. As a team they are hitting far below average and it stands to reason that a course correction is coming (if not already here based on the series in Milwaukee). But when every everyday player other than one (Bartlett) is on pace for 100k's, you can put that team in any park from Coors to Williamsburg and it won't much matter.

So I say, keep the fences where they are. Adapt to the park, don't make the park adapt to the team.

The Two Day Game

"It's late, but it's early." - Vin Scully

The Padres and Dodgers pulled their best John Isner/Nicholas Mahut impression last night/tonight.

Something tells me that we will remember this game much like we remember the 22 inning game.

Not necessarily fondly but with an almost "wow, remember that game?"

I remember watching all 22 innings of that game. Bleary eyed, loopy, and increasingly losing interest in who won only that someone would win. I also recall Mudcat throwing paper at fans in the stands below the booth. It was a crazy night. What is perhaps forgotten from that game however, is the minor tailspin the Padres went into after that game. Immediately following the 22 inning marathon, the Padres went to Arizona and Houston before returning home to San Francisco. They lost 7 of their next 8, due in part to a clearly taxed pitching staff.

In 2009, the Padres played another epically long game, an 18 inning affair vs the Diamondbacks in which San Diego scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game only to lose the game 9 innings later. The losing pitcher that night: Josh Wilson, a utility infielder.

But neither of those games can match the actually, real time length of the Padres vs Dodgers game that began on Friday, April 8th and concluded on Saturday, April 9th. This was the Padres first night game at home of the 2011 season. It was also the first game that I was going to be able to see from start to finish of the season (thanks to day games and the Central time zone).

Then came the rains. And then the rains. And then more rain.

By 1:00am, the crowd looked something like this:


































So, predictably, after 4 rain delays and a restart at 5:30pm Saturday night, the game went to extra innings. Which is where we are at as I type this. Heading to the Top of the 10th inning, tied 2-2 despite the Padres 6 stolen bases on the game.

So what did we learn during the rain delay? Well, here's what I learned:

- The Padres have had 16 complete rain outs in their history

- Corey Brock knows his Pearl Jam. Fav songs, per Twitter, "Given to Fly" "Betterman" "Chloe Dancer" (a Mother Love Bone song they cover in live shows)

- Umpires apparently cannot read a radar screen. Rain was forecasted throughout the night. After the 3rd delay, this game should have been postponed.

- Cory Luebke is going to be a starter for this team. And probably soon. Luebke came in after the first rain delay and after Bud Black decided to not send Clayton Richard back out to pitch, and promptly struck out the side. In all, Luebke went 4 innings, striking out 5 and allowing one unearned run.

- Dan Hayes (@NCTPadres) prides his press pass more than the chance to slip n' slide, to many fans chagrin. But, he is a big Big Lebowski fan, so I guess we'll call it even.

- And finally, a rumor that free beer was being served at Petco during the many rain delays. So there's that.

- Oh, and one last thing. The Dodgers won 4-2, in 11 innings.

See you all in a half hour!

Padres Pre-Game Dining

I like food.

A lot.

When you read my About Me, you'll notice food items are mentioned twice. Moreover, I like combining food with an event. When planning a Super Bowl party, the first thing you should think about is food. Going to watch the National Title game somewhere? Only if that place serves wings. So it seemed a no-brainer that, as the home Opener for the Padres 2011 season is finally upon us, that I provide a small primer on pre-game dining options prior to heading to Petco.

I opened this up to some people on Twitter to try and get a bit of a cross section of places. So without further adieu, play ball and bon appetit!

Rocky's Crown Pub
3786 Ingraham St San Diego, CA 92109








Recommended By: Left Coast Bias

There is perhaps no more divided argument in San Diego than the battle between Rocky's and Hodads. You can go ahead and put me in the Rocky's camp. Firmly. There is no better burger in San Diego. And it's simple (this being the all important tie-breaker when comparing Rocky's to Hodads). You can choose between two sizes, 1/3 or 1/2, cheese or no cheese and that's about it. Cold beer on tap, hot peppers as the bar snack and televisions everywhere, Rocky's is to me an ideal lunch spot prior to a night (or 5:30pm on Saturdays) game. Beach morning, Rocky's lunch, Padres night game. That my friend, is a good day.
Cash Only.


Lolitas Mexian Food
202 Park Blvd San Diego, CA 92101







Recommended By: @AIChief_AJm, @jodes0405

Every single time I go to a Padres game a I see this place. Full disclosure, I've never been. Not for lack of desire. Not sure why, but this is the season for Lolita's, certainly after it was recommended by multiple people within minutes of asking for Padres fans favorite pre-game dining options. I do know this. You could nearly play RF from this restaurant and they serve carne asada fries. Mmmmm...carne asada fries.


Proper Gastropub
795 J St. San Diego, CA 92101









Recommended By: Left Coast Bias, @jodes0405

Another location that is so close to the park you could practically be the 10th player on the field, Proper Gastropub has a "view" of the field though, to be honest you can't really see the game other than on the big screen behind the batters eye. This is the restaurant for those who have a slightly more refined palette, or just want to pretend they do. The Black and Tan Mac & Cheese and the pizzas are personal favorites. They also serve Alesmith on tap, which is a surefire way to get me into your bar at least once.


Tilted Kilt
310 10th St San DIego, CA








Recommend By: Left Coast Bias, @FtblSickness

More often than not, if it's within an hour of game time and I'm in the Gaslamp, I'm here. It's right next to the right field gate, it has HUGE TV's that are everywhere and they serve giant beers. Yes it's a chain, though a small chain by chain standards, but in my mind it's good, quick bar food in a convenient location.

And I like pleated skirts. So sue me.


Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria
3448 30th St. San Diego, CA 92104



Recommended By: Left Coast Bias

I lived in Chicago for three years right after graduating college and in that brief time I acquired a taste for a few things: pickles on a hot dog, Italian beef, drinking until 5am, and deep dish pizza. On the West Coast, there are plenty of places that claim to serve "Chicago Style Pizza." They lie to you. If you want to know what a Chicago pizza taste like, get yourself to North Park and dig in. Lefty's is tiny, so get it to go and take it with you to the game. And thank me later.


Pizzeria Luigi
1137 25th St. San Diego, CA 92102
















Recommended By: Left Coast Bias

More of a NY pizza fan? May I direct you to Pizzeria Luigi's then? The Golden Hill location is about 10 mins from Petco and is, in my mind, the superior NY pizza in San Diego (Bronx Pizza an honorable mention). Another great "buy-by-the-slice" if you are so inclined, I'm particularly fond of the ricotta cheese and tomato sauce pie they do.


Dussini Loft Bar
275 5th Ave San Diego, CA 92101









Recommended By: @nomatophobic

Add another place to my "2011 To-Try" List with Dussini. I'm told they have excellent sliders and really, who doesn't like a slider? I also like the idea of going gin martini prior to a game. You know, to be fancy. Be warned though, I'm told you may find Cubs fans here, coping with their existence as a Cubs fan.


Honorable Mentions:
Here are a few more places that I like and were mentioned to me as good pre-game options. But the National Title game is on and this blog post is getting long.

1) The Yardhouse (via @SanDiegoJosh): Chain? Yes. Awesome? Yes. Best Mac & Cheese I've had? Probably.

2) Tin Fish: Close to the park. Simple and fish tacos. Everything you need in a San Diego experience.

3) Basic: Can be a little clubby for some but I like the pizza.

4) Fidels: I put this here only because it is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant in SD county. Nowhere near the park (Carlsbad and Solana Beach) but if you are coming down from North County, build in some time for Fidel's.

5) Brian's American Eatery: A horrible omission from my earlier post, so I had to edit and add Brian's. It's 24 hour diner at its best, so it can be your pre, post and much later post-game dining destination.

6) Bring your own food! One of the coolest things about Petco to me is that you can bring in your own food. Grab a sandwich or burrito and walk right in. Because in the end, your night is ending with watching live Padres baseball.

MLB Props and Other Fun Bar Debates

I like prop bets. Not as a lifestyle per se. Just as a conversation starter. One of my favorite things about the Super Bowl is the wackiness of the various prop bets (O/U length of time for National Anthem; Color of Gatorade poured on winning coach; etc).

So, as we are less than 48 hours away from Opening Day, I thought a fun way to kill some time would be to look at some various MLB prop bets.* All lines via Sportsbook.com

Without further adieu, and in no particular order:

Most Regular Season HRs by Any Player
O/U 46.5
- Last year, Jose Bautista came out of nowhere to hit 54 HRs. Next closest. 42, by Albert Pujols. Coming in 3rd was Konerko with 39. That said, I'd take the UNDER. We are in the era of the pitcher and beyond the era of steroids.

Most Regular Season Wins by Any Pitcher
O/U 20.5
- OVER. Way over. Last year, 2 pitchers (C.C. and Halladay) won 21 games. But, including those two, 9 players had 18 wins or more. In the years 2000-2009, there were 34 20-game winners. This year, one team could have 4 of them alone. For the same reason we go under with HR, we go over here. At least one pitcher will win 21 games this year.

Albert Pujols Total HRs
O/U 38.5
- I don't know how much stock you put into the whole "contract year" thing. I know I've heard that there really is no statistical data that backs up the idea that players in a contract year outperform their average. But if ever someone was motivated to show they were worth $20 million plus per year, isn't it this guy? Is there anyway he DOESN'T hit 40 HRs? Take the OVER.

Adrian Gonzalez Total HRs
O/U 36.5
- Between 2007-2010, AGon has hit 30, 36, 40, 31 HRs respectively. And I don't think I need to remind anyone in this audience where he played 81 games a year during that stretch (not to mention equally cavernous parks in SF and LA). Now he moves to a park with these dimensions: 315 to Left (plus Green Monster), 379 Left-Center, 380 Right-Center, and 302 down the Right Field line. Yes he moves to a bigger market, more attention, more pressure. But he leaves behind facing guys like Jimeneaz, Lincecum, Cain, and Kershaw. I say OVER, but not by much.

Buster Posey Total HRs
O/U 19.5
- He hit 18 HRs in 2010 in 108 games. But now pitchers have had a year to face him, watch tape on him and scout him. Then again, so has Posey. Still, he loses the element of surprise and he plays in a big park. I go UNDER, but not by much.

4 Aces (Halladay, Oswalt, Lee, Hamels) Total Regular Season Wins
O/U 59.5
- This is one of the most intriguing and interesting props available in my opinion. Basically, an OVER bet is saying you expect these four guys to average 15 wins a season. Before you jump at the chance to take this, let me say this. Jose Contreas is starting the season as the Phillies closer. And, when healthy, Brad Lidge is their closer. These four guys are aces, no doubt. But thats a lot of wins for a bullpen that ranked 10th in the NL last year to hang on to. I say UNDER.

Heath Bell Regular Season Saves
O/U 35.5
- As a full time closer, Bell has yet to save under 40 (42, 47). This number seems way to low and, barring injury, should be eclipsed easily. Take the OVER.

And finally...

San Diego Padres Regular Season Wins
O/U 75.5
- An under bet basically says that you think the Padre would drop 15 games from a year ago. For any team, that is a substantial drop off. And if you think this, you are likely basing most of that on the loss of Adrian Gonzalez. Look, that's a big loss, no way around that. But keep in mind, the Padres won 90 games a year ago, despite scoring only 665 runs all year (good for 22nd in MLB). Padres won with pitching (in my opinion as good if not better than last year) and defense (way better up the middle). I don't know that they can win 90 games without some luck like they had a year ago. But I don't think they play 6 games under .500 either. Take the OVER.







*For Entertainment Purposes Only

Heath Bell Speaks...Again!

As is becoming somewhat customary for Padres closer Heath Bell, tonight was another Q&A via Twitter. For those not following Heath Bell on Twitter, follow @HeathBell21

So, what did we learn:

Batting Leadoff @LosGeez "What is your favorite place in SD other than Petco Park?"
@HeathBell21 "Legoland"

@refriedgringo "You miss batting? Ever hit the cage for the hell of it?"
@HeathBell21 "In Spring training all the time...I'm the best bunter on the team!"

@sususuza "What's ur favorite reality TV show?"
@HeathBell21 "I really don't watch much but the Next Best Baker is pretty awesome."
*I have literally never heard of this show. And I'm a guy who enjoys his cooking reality shows.

@LeftCoastBias (yes thats me) "Last movie you saw and thoughts on it?"
@HeathBell21 "Chronicles of Narnia...pretty good."

A few Trevor related questions, obviously:

@gdarklighter "what's the most important thing you learned from Trevor Hoffman?"
@HeathBell21 Not to throw too many pitches before a game."

@silentheroes "thoughts on Trevor coming back to the club?"
@HeathBell21 "Excited. He's full of knowledge and will be a great help."

@TheThinGwynn "In 100 or less characters, what does Trevor mean to you?"
@HeathBell21 "He was my mentor, he is my friend, and he's the type of ballplayer I work hard to become."

Ok, a few more.

@SDRHYTHM "out of all MLB ballparks, which one is your favorite (other than Petco of course)?"
@HeathBell21 "Philly and Citi"

@felix5407 "who do you think will win the super bowl this year?"
@HeathBell21 "I'm rooting for LT and the Jets but the Packers are looking good."

And finally, the question on every Padre fans minds:

@jkdlvsd "Will Yoda be hangin' in the bullpen again this year?"
@HeathBell21 "Yoda left with Ryan Webb"

This piece of information may change my opinion on that whole trade now!

Anyway, this was a snippet of Heath Bell on Saturday night. He does this every now and then so I would strongly suggest you follow him on Twitter. And, in the event he happens to read this, then, THANKS HEATH! It's pretty cool to have an athlete be willing to answer fan questions, no matter how asinine they may be.

Dining at Petco

Opening Day is merely 4 days away. Some quick notes before we get to the really important stuff.

Corey Brock (Padres blog writer on MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @FollowthePadres) believes the Opening Day lineup to look like this:

Catcher: Nick Hundley, Henry Blanco Infielders: Adrian Gonzalez, Edgar Gonzalez, David Eckstein, Evereth Cabrera, Luis Rodriguez, Kevin Kouzmanoff. Outfielders: Jody Gerut, Brian Giles, Chase Headley, Cliff Floyd, Scott Hairston. Rotation: Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Walter Silva, Kevin Correia, Shawn Hill. Bullpen: Heath Bell, Cla Meredith, Arturo Lopez, Edwin Moreno, Duaner Sanchez, Eulogio De La Cruz, Ed Mujica.

Listening to Scott and BR this morning, it sounds like Henry Blanco will actually get the start on Monday at catcher for Jake Peavy. Not sure if this means Blanco is going to be Peavy's catcher all season or not though.

As for the rotation, Baek, the presumed number 3 starter (shudder) will begin the season on the DL. Interesting fact about the pitching staff of the Padres, as provided by Ducksnorts: Peavy + Young = 1916.2 career IP. Other 10 guys on staff = 1460.1 career IP. Five pitchers with less than 100 IP. Three with 0 IP.

So there's that.

With a lineup hovering around $40 million and expectations low for the 2009 season, there is one thing to get excited about. Food. Ballpark food historically has been one of the great parts of attending live baseball. This year, Petco has both added some menu items as well as provided some pretty good deals. So, to prepare you for Opening Day, let's take a look at some new and old food options at Petco Park:

- 5 for 5 deal: hot dog, peanuts, popcorn, cookie and soft drink for $5. Want a beer? $10

- All-you-can-eat Upper Right Field Pavilion and on top of the Western Metal Building

- Coca-Cola Value Weekends: all Friday through Sunday games get an Upper Reserved Ticket, hot dog and soda for $12

And some new food items:

- On Friday and Saturday nights in the Park at the Park will be a street taco stand with pork fresh off the spit.

- Red velvet cupcakes

- Mexican Hot Dog: a hot dog wrapped in bacon (that's right, bacon), pinto beans, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayo.

- San Diego Caesar (apparently the "cilantro-chipotle" dressing makes it San Diego)

- Chicken Sushi Rolls

So, as you can see, no shortage of food options at Petco this year. If you haven't had a chance to check out the multitude of restaurant options, this may be the season to do it. Enjoy the food and we will be back for Opening Day!

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.