To Better Days

I was born in 1980 so, technically, I was around for the 1984 World Series Padres team. Except I was 3 when it happened. And living in Virginia. It was in 1984 that I was moved (Because, at 3, you don't move. You are moved) to Oceanside. Life as a military family.

To borrow a phrase from Gaslamp Ball, I've been cognitively aware of the Padres since about 1987, if I had to put a year on it. I'm sure I was a "fan," for whatever that means to someone under the age of 10, but when I really search my memory it is 1987 that comes to mind. I have no idea why. But for the purposes of this post, let's use that year as a starting point.

In that time frame I've witnessed some extraordinary highs:

Benito Santiage Wins Rookie of the Year - 1987
Mark Davis Won a Cy Young - 1988
Tony Gwynn Won Batting Title on Final Day vs Will Clark - 1989
Tony Gwynn Chases .400 - 1994
The 1996 Season, including an MVP for Caminiti, Batting Title for Gwynn, and a sweep of the Dodgers on the final day to win the NL West. - 1996
Going to the World Series - 1998 (also includes my first MLB playoff game in person)
Division Championships in '05 and '06 - 2005; 2006
Jake Peavy's Cy Young - 2007
Trevor Hoffman's 500th Save - 2007
Trevor Hoffman's Number Retired - 2011

But boy, there have been some dark, dark times. The 1994 MLB Strike, the fire sale in which Gary Sheffield, Fred McGrief, Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar all left within a year's time, Game 163, the 1998 World Series, Ken Caminiti's steroid abuse and subsequent death, the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and most damaging perhaps of all, the Moores divorce.

Tomorrow, the Padres officially welcome in their new ownership group. A group that has spent $800 million to be the 6th different owner in the franchise history. No one today can say whether this will be looked back as the dawning of the most successful years in Padres history, a colossal failure, or something in between.

But that's the cool thing about fresh starts. Anything is possible. There is a world of possibility. For a fan base that has endured only 16 at or above .500 seasons in their history, and has only won 1 total game won in World Series play, new owners, with new pocketbooks, bring with them the possibility that better days are ahead.

It's Not Just a Game

Nick Hornby wrote in "Fever Pitch" (Quick aside, don't let the Jimmy Fallon/Drew Barrymore movie be your only knowledge of this source material. Nick Hornby's book, memoir-esq about being a die-hard fan of the English Premiere League Club Arsenal is appointment reading for anyone who considers themselves more than a casual fan of a team) that the longest relationship he had ever had, outside the one with his own parents, was with his beloved soccer club, Arsenal. In a poignant, and perhaps an all to close to home moment, while arguing with his girlfriend over his borderline obsession with Arsenal, Hornby rants about why sports, and the outcome of these games matter so much. His point? That he had wanted an Arsenal championship for longer than he has ever wanted anything in his life. For a man in his 40's, this relationship has lasted more than 30 years. Finally ending with this line when his girlfriend retorts, as all who are not sports fans inevitably will, by saying it's "only a game": "Cause it quite clearly isn't 'only a game.' I mean if it was do you honestly think I'd care this much?"

There have been multiple times as a fan of various teams where I have wondered aloud "why do I care this much about this?" I have often wished I simply didn't care, thus avoiding the sharp pings of sorrow that follow any excruciating loss. I can remember with vivid memories the losses that really stung. Arizona losing to Illinois in the Elite Eight after blowing a 12 point lead with under 4 mins to play. The Chargers, with victory literally in their hands against New England in the Divisional Playoffs, having it all taking away. And the slow burn that was the 2010 Padres 10-game losing streak.

But the worst loss that I've ever experienced as a fan pales in comparison to the news that trickled out of San Diego on Tuesday, February 14th. Tony Gwynn's cancer had returned and he was undergoing another surgery. The headline, which I first read on Twitter, hit me like a ton of bricks. The details of the story only furthered the bad news. The tumor was wrapped around a nerve; if they remove the nerve he may never be able to move the right side of his face again.

It is an odd feeling to think of your childhood heroes as mortal. Of course they are and no one truly believes they are immune from harm. But it filled me with more emotions than simply "I feel bad for this person I admire." Tony Gwynn, like the Padres, has been the longest relationship I've had outside of my immediate family. As a Little Leaguer, I attempted to mimic his swing (despite being right handed and more a defensive specialist than anything.) I've met the man 4 times that I can recall, all passing moments that were mere blurs to him but which are immortalized in my memory (Or in one case, in wood and glass. One more quick aside, doing photo day one year I, no more than 16 or 17, got my picture taken with Gwynn. If you've ever been to one of these photo days you will know that the experience is akin to herding cattle. A long line of fans is constantly moving as you stop and take pictures with players. The meetings with the players are seconds at most. My picture of Tony Gwynn with me was later sent to Tony Gwynn himself by my mother, asking for an autograph. It was returned, signed and now sits in a frame along with his SI cover "The Best Hitter Since Ted Williams").

But more than the dread I felt for Tony Gwynn was this thought. I have reached the age where the people I admire are starting to show their age. Pearl Jam's "Ten" is 20 years old. Today would have been Kurt Cobain's 45th birthday. It's been 18 years since "Pulp Fiction" came out, and Tony Gwynn is in the fight of his life, again.

There will come a day when he is no longer with us. I remember how much my Dad was affected by the death of Mickey Mantle. I know that my mother is saddened that there is only two surviving Beatle left and he is nearing 70.

But this past news told me one thing. It's not just a game. They aren't just players on television screen. If they were, reading that Tony Gwynn is having cancer surgery wouldn't matter so much to me.

As of this writing, I am happy to say that the surgery apparently went very well. A nerve from his shoulder was placed in his cheek providing him with movement to the right side of this face. The road back I'm sure is long, and arduous. And one day there won't be a road back to take. But here is hoping that somehow, Gwynn knows that we are all pulling for him. And how important he is to us.

Get Well Soon.

The Church of Gwynn

So the Cardinals have a new manager. Well, welcome aboard Mike Matheny. I don't envy anyone who has to try and replace an icon of the level of Tony LaRussa. Best of luck. I think you might need it.

The Cardinals hiring of an ex-player led to the obvious discussion topic amongst Padres fans. What former player could manage the Padres? This of course leads to the most obvious answer: Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn.



This is the kind of debate fans have post-World Series but pre-hot stove. But hey, at least it gives us something to talk about.

Here's why hiring Tony Gwynn (which again, I cannot stress enough, is hypothetical only. No rumor is being put forth that this is, in any way, an actual idea) to manage the Padres is a terrible idea.

One, and frankly most importantly, is that I don't think Tony Gwynn has any desire to ever manage at the Major League level. He has said many times how much he enjoys teaching the game of baseball to young people. I don't sense Major League managers do a lot of "teaching" the game. My sense is that Gwynn has no interest in SABR and no interest in player ego. Not that college kids don't have egos, but they aren't being paid multi-million dollars and college baseball players are hardly the celebraties that their football and basketball counterparts are.

Two, and more importantly to me, is the fact that being the head coach/manager of a professional sports team has to be the most grueling job in sports. And the least forgiving. Simply put, if you are the head coach or manager of a professional sports team, there is about an 85% chance you will be fired and/or run out of town by the teams fanbase.

Who on earth wants to go through that with Tony Gwynn?

If you follow the various Padres fans on Twitter, then you are no doubt aware of the popular hashtag #BudBot. A fun little way to express your displeasure with how Bud Black has arranged the lineup, or made a pitching change.

Are we really ready for a world of #GwynnBot tweets? Are we ready to have hour long debates over Gwynn not abiding by a players WAR? I'm not.

My guess is Tony Gwynn may not make a great MLB manager. At minimum, he has no experience. Yes he manages a college team but frankly, to me, that could not be further from the same as MLB. Is it baseball? Yes. But at the college level, the main focus, as I understand it, is to recruit players.

I pray at the Church of Tony Gwynn. I don't need that image sullied by him taking a job that is impossible to succeed at longterm. Bobby Cox comes around once in a generation. Even Joe Torre was let go by the Yankees.

Who's Next? The Impending Drought of Retired Numbers

This Sunday something very special and very rare is going to take place. As anyone who even casually follows the Padres must know by now, Trevor Hoffman, MLB's All-Time Saves Leader, will have his #51 retired. Hoffman's number will become the 6th number retired by the Padres, joining the ranks of Tony Gwynn, Steve Garvey, Dave Winfield, Randy Jones and of course Jackie Robinson. It is rarified air no matter how you look at it or what your personal opinions are of the who has been bestowed with this honor (we will save that for another post).

No doubt in the next 48 hours, blog posts will pop up reminiscing on his career. In fact, I would think it would be a safe bet that you will find just such a post on this site in the coming days. But I'm not here to talk about that today. Nor am I here to debate the merits of who is retired.

I'm here to look at the future.

In the past 7 years the Padres will have retired the numbers of arguably their two most iconic players. I was born in 1980 so I can't speak of the '84 team with any personal knowledge, but in my lifetime there have been only two Padres players that have reached "icon" status. Tony Gwynn is obviously one. Trevor Hoffman is the other.

But who is next?

Who's number will be retired after Trevor's? Or perhaps this is the better question: is that player currently in the Padres system at any level? Let's take a extended look into the future of who could be next to find their number on top of the batter's eye at Petco Park and what former players came close to that distinction (in my opinion).

First, the former players:

1) Nate Colbert

The Case For Him: The first true "star" the Padres franchise ever had. He was selected by the Padres in the Expansion Draft of 1969 by San Diego, leading the team in home runs that year. He made 3 All-Star appearances as a Padre as and he continues to be the Padres All-Time Home Run leader...

The Case Against Him: ...at 163 HRs. Colbert played only 5 years for the Padres though his entire career only lasted approximately 8 years. His numbers, while great for a team that was predictably bad for an expansion team, were not great by any other matrix.

2) Ken Caminiti

The Case For Him: The Padres have only had one MVP winner in their history. And it's Caminiti. He was also instrumental in the team's 1998 World Series run.

The Case Against Him: Pretty strong case here, sadly. The story of Ken Caminiti is a tragic one to me. Full of substance abuse and admitted steroid use during his MVP season, tarnishing that accomplishment forever.

3) Garry Templeton

The Case For Him: One of the most popular players in Padres history, he was one of the emotional catalyst of the 1984 World Series team. And, if I'm not mistaken, I believe he is the longest tenured SS the Padres have had, playing for 9 seasons.

The Case Against Him: He's not Ozzie Smith. The Padres traded the Wizard to St. Louis for Garry Templeton, a lopsided trade no matter how popular the player is.
*Where are they now? Did you know Templeton is now a minor league manager? Me either until today. See, you learned something.

4) Goose Gossage

The Case For Him: Talk about getting the most out of a short stint. Goose only played 3 season with San Diego yet left an indelible mark on the franchise. Still remembered fondly in San Diego, Goose is credited with creating the "modern closer." And of course, memorable saves in the '84 NLCS. And he is in the Hall of Fame...

The Case Against Him: ...as a Yankee. Let's move on.

Now, some up and comers. These are highly touted players in the Padres organization who MAY have an outside chance of one day having their number retired. Keep in mind, not saying any of these players is there yet, but potential MIGHT be there. For these guys, no "Case Against Them" for, what I would think are, obvious reasons.

1) Chase Headley

The Case For Him: The Savior! The Padres traded Kevin Kouzmanoff in part to make room for this highly touted prospect. Has become a consistent contact hitter though power is lacking.

2) Cameron Maybin

The Case For Him: Arguably the most exciting player on the Padres right now, Maybin has all the tools to be a perennial All-Star for many years to come. Not to mention the Gold Gloves he will no doubt win throughout his career. Assuming he stays in San Diego long term, I would put Maybin as the favorite right now of everyone on this list.

3) Mat Latos

The Case for Him: Ace talent but has struggled in 2011. His struggles not entirely his fault as he has had little run support, nevertheless, Latos has not been the dominate pitcher he was in the first half of 2010. But that talent exists.

4) Anthony Rizzo

The Case for Him: Here is where we get into the long shots (not that all of these aren't longshots but you know what I mean). The argument for these players is potential based only. If you read scouting reports on Rizzo, the overwhelming response you read is how this guy is going to hit and hit a ton. If that's true and he is able to replace and make fans forget about Adrian Gonzalez one day...

5) Jedd Gyorko

The Case For Him: Obliterated the California High Single A league before getting promoted (rightfully) to San Antonio. Predictably his numbers have dipped somewhat, though still quite respectable considering the park in San Antonio.


Honorable Mentions in the distant, distant Future: Cory Spangenberg, Reymond Fuentes, Casey Kelly, Austin Hedges

But, in all likelihood, the next retired number will come from a player not even in their system at the moment. So look around your local Little League fields as somewhere out there is a kid who will one day experience what Trevor Hoffman will on Sunday.

And enjoy Sunday for all it's worth. It's going to be a long time before we get to do this again.

How Much is #3000 Worth To You?

By now you have no doubt heard the story of Christian Lopez.


Lopez is the lifelong Yankees fan who was in the ultimate "right place, right time" when he caught a piece of baseball history that is as rare as it comes. How rare? Only 28 people in the history of Major League Baseball have ever reached 3000 hits.

Of those 28, only two got #3000 with a HR. And Christian Lopez, for a moment anyway, had that rarest of baseballs.

From the sound of it, Lopez and his father were immediately surrounded by security and whisked into the bowels of Yankee Stadium, all the while listening to the security refer to him as "the package."

Within minutes he was asked what he wanted to do with it. Lopez, having barely a second to think about what had just happened to him, choose the high road. The honorable thing. He gave the ball to Jeter and asked for a signed jersey. What he got was more than that: Autographed baseballs, autographed bats, autographed jerseys, and 4 Champions Suite tickets to all remaining Yankee games this year.

Total approximate value: $45k-$50k

Here's the rub. Lopez is a 22 year old graduate of St. Lawrence University, and education that provided him life experience, academic challenges...and a ton of student loans. Over $100k in fact.

Total predicted value of Jeter's 3000 Hit HR Ball on Open Market: $200k-$250k

Chances are you didn't know the approximate value of the baseball moments after he caught it while being asked by Yankee Stadium security.

So I posit this question to you, Padres fans. And really, to all baseball fans. What would you do?

I have a ton of student loans. An amount that is large enough that, were they to disappear, it would affect my life in a substantial way. So, since this has happened I've wondered what I would do in the situation that Lopez was in. Say, somehow, I catch Tony Gwynn's 3000th hit.


My favorite player on my favorite team. And in my hand is something that has taken Tony Gwynn most of his career to accomplish, and something that is one of the rarest feats in all of sports.

I'd like to think I would do the right thing. Give the ball to its rightful owner, accepted my free memorabilia and tickets and be on my way. Besides, its not like "catching a piece of history" was in my financial plans for dealing with my student loans the day before.

Then again, $200,000, while very little to a professional athlete or franchise, would literally change my life in a profound way. The second largest monthly bill beyond rent would disappear. Along with it the stress that student loans bring with them.

Then I think of the backlash. The media and fans who would brand me greedy and not a "true fan." I think about the fans who took the extraordinary step of suing each other over ownership of Barry Bonds 700th HR ball, and how much disdain I looked at those two with and how happy I was when they were ordered to split the proceeds but the value of the ball had dropped so much that they couldn't pay their attorneys.

I applaud what Christian Lopez did. And I wonder, the next day, when he was told the approximate value of the ball, how he felt. And I secretly hope that Jeter and the Yankees will cut him a check, privately, because he gave the ball back.

Would I keep or sell this hypothetical Tony Gwynn ball worth $250,000? I honestly don't know. Ask me when my student loan bill comes in the mail.

The Day the Bell Went Silent

i-con (noun): a person or thing regarded as a symbol of a belief, nation, community, or cultural movement


In San Diego Padres franchise history you can arguably make a case that the word "icon" only applies to two players. Obviously, Tony Gwynn is one.

The other is Trevor Hoffman.

This isn't to say that the Padres have not had players in their history who weren't important to the franchise. Dave Winfield, Nate Colbert, Randy Jones, and *shudder Steve Garvey. And in more recent times their have been two players in particular that, had they stayed Padres for a longer period of time, would no doubt be spoken of in terms of "icon," those players being Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez.

But when it comes right down to it, and you take a long look at the Padres franchise, when the discussion of Padres icons or "franchise players" is brought up, it begins with Gwynn and ends with Hoffman.

On January 11, 2011 Hoffman ended his 18 year career, one that will no doubt lead him to seeing #51 above the batters eye at Petco Park and ultimately end in Cooperstown. He retires with #601 career saves, most ever in baseball history. He retires having represented the National League in the All-Star Game 7 times, 1,133 strikeouts vs only 307 walks and a career upon which almost all closers going forward will be measured.

On Sept. 23, 2006 my wife (then girlfriend) and I went to the second to last Padres game of the season. The Padres were on their way to winning the NL West that year and were in the middle of a pennant race against Los Angeles, so the game had some importance. But I couldn't tell you much about it other than one thing: Trevor Hoffman notched save #478. With only one home game left, Trevor Hoffman had tied Lee Smith for the All-Time Saves record. What happened next involved me sprinting to the nearest ticket window and purchasing whatever ticket they had available. Was it a crapshoot that Hoffman would get a save opportunity the next day? Yes. But I certainly wasn't going to sit at home and watch Hoffman break this record knowing full well I could have and should have been there.



There is nothing stranger then rooting for your team to win, but not by too much. I remember little of Sept. 24th other than a few things. One, when Josh Bard hit the go ahead HR I secretly was hoping the score would just stay 2-1 the rest of the game (spoiler alert, it did). And I remember the final out, a ground ball in the hole against a speedy Freddy Sanchez. Then the place went nuts. It stands today as easily a Top 5 moment for me at a Padres game.

In 16 seasons as a Padres, Trevor Hoffman pitched only 953 innings. Yet his impact on the city and the team extends well beyond those 953 innings. He saved 555 games for the Padres, 9 seasons of over 40 saves, most of this on teams that were, shall we say, God awful. He did all of this after being forced to reinvent himself as a pitcher due to an arm injury, transforming himself from a typical flame-throwing closer to developing one of the most dominating pitches in baseball history in his changeup. Much like Rivera's cut fastball, Hoffman's changeup became the pitch that every hitter knew was coming, yet none of them could hit.

Perhaps there is a debate over whether Hoffman is a Hall of Fame candidate. But that debate is being raged by those who know nothing of baseball or what the Hall of Fame is suppose to be about. The Hall of Fame is for players who were the greatest of their time. And there can be no debate that Trevor Hoffman was one of the greatest of his time.

So here's a tip of the cap to Trevor Hoffman who was consistently great at a position notoriously inconsistent.

Padres at the Break (Brink)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trading Deadline Approaches; Padres Look to Get Back on Track

A quick blog this morning as the trade deadline is now less than 6 hours away:

- Tony Gwynn's induction speech (more on this in a moment) lasted about 27 minutes on Sunday. That is almost the exact same amount of time as the Padres first inning against the Astros on Sunday in which the Padres scored 11 runs. Both events happened at the same time. Coincidence?

- Since the All-Star Break the Padres ERA has ballooned to over 5, including giving up 11 runs on Sunday to turn a laugher into a ballgame for a while. The ineffectiveness of Tim Stauffer once again may be the last straw the Padres organization has for this former first round draft pick. Reportedly, the Padres are looking for a starting pitcher but the pickings are slim. With no great option in the minors, the Padres may be looking at having to ride the likes of David Wells and Tim Stauffer and hoping for the best.

- The latest trade rumor is that the Padres are looking at acquiring either Mark Loretta or Mike Lamb to shore up the bench or to replace the struggling Marcus Giles at second. As the deadline approaches we shall see.

- This upcoming weekend the San Francisco Giants and you-know-who come to town. Here's hoping he hits 2 homeruns in L.A. first and doesn't save them for here.

- The Padres lie only 1/2 game out of first despite a sub-.500 record since the All-Star Break. The offense continues to struggle and it is these struggles that may account for the pitching staff's current ERA. The stress on keeping every game a shutout appears to be weighing on the staff. I still believe (read: hope) that the Padres hitters will get it going. Unfortunately, I have 4 months of the season to look at and tell me I'm wrong.

- Final thoughts on Tony Gwynn's induction. Great speech and a record crowd at Cooperstown over the weekend of 70,000. The previous high was 50,000 in 1999. Gwynn was composed and nailed the speech. At Petco Park, about 1500 fans, including myself, gathered in the Park at the Park to watch on the big screen. If you couldn't be in NY, Petco was the place to be. A great weekend for a great man. Congratulations to Tony Gwynn. I'll be seeing that plaque soon enough.

- Flurry of moves in the past few days: Russell Branyon release. Scott Hairston traded for from Arizona. Chris Young put on the DL retroactive to July 25th. Tim Stauffer recalled from Portland. Terrmel Sledge sent to Portland.

- Updates later today once the deadline passes.

Tony Gwynn Heads to the Hall, pt. 3

First, apologies for the delay in a new post. I had guest in town and was not able to get to a new post. That said...Welcome to our final installment of Tony Heads to the Hall. A lot to get to regarding Tony Gwynn and the Padres so let's dive in.

This past weekend at Petco Park was Tribute to Tony Weekend, a weekend that reached it's apex on Saturday with a pre-game ceremony and the unveiling of the first statute at Petco Park.

There are a handful of players that have been honored in such a way. Stan Musial, Willie Mays, monument park in Yankee Stadium, to name a few. To have a statute built in your honor, it's big. Bigger than a street named after you, bigger than having your number retired. It's an iconic gesture reserved for only the greatest of players and people.

Of the many accomplishments Tony Gwynn achieved throughout his career, two notable numbers stick out the most. One is 5. 5 Gold Gloves, perhaps the stat that Tony Gwynn was most proud of as a player. He was not an excellent fielder at first, he had to work at it. And work he did, and work, and work. And in typical Tony Gwynn fashion, he worked at it until he became the best at it, at least for 5 seasons.

The second number is 20. Tony Gwynn played 20 seasons in the majors, all 20 with San Diego. In today's era of free agents and big contracts, 20 seasons with one team is a remarkable stat. Tony Gwynn had chances to play elsewhere, to make more money. Certainly he was worth it. He didn't. The most Gwynn ever made was $6.3 million in a season. Compared to the salaries of today, that's a fraction of what he was worth.

He is the most beloved player in San Diego sports history. On Sunday, he will become one of the immortals of baseball.

"The only thing I want people to say about me is that I played the game the way it should be played." - Tony Gwynn

"If you work hard, good things will happen." - Charles Gwynn Sr.

News and Notes

- The Padres have run across hard times recently. Dropping 3 of 4 to the Phillies and 2 of 3 to the Rockies. In the meantime, the Padres bullpen has an ERA of 8.87 in the last 6 games. Linebrink and Meredith blew the hold opportunity on Monday by giving up a 3 run HR to Holliday to tie the game followed by a 2-run shot by Hawpe.

- The Padres have lost 8 of their last 13 games since the All-Star Break. It may be time to realize that the lack of offense is beginning to wear on the pitching staff. Sup-par performances by Wells and Germano recently have shown that the Padres cannot recover from a poor pitching performance. Coors Field is usually the ointment for what ails a fledgling offense, however, the Padres only mustered 2 runs today and only 12 runs over the 3 games.

- As I was writing this and about to lament about the struggles of Linebrink, struggles that have been going on since June, news broke that the Padres have traded Scott Linebrink. Linebrink was the talk of the trading deadline a year ago but hardly a word this year, a sign Linebrink says tipped him off that he may be on his way out. Linebrink was traded today to the Milwaukee Brewers for 3 minor leaguers, one of which, Joe Thatcher (1-0, 0.55 ERA at Double-A Huntsville) is expected to be with the club as they head to Houston this weekend.

- What the Padres will probably need to make move for is a starting pitcher. Wells is due to be suspended soon and yesterday Chris Young was removed in the 3rd inning with a "left oblique strain," an injury that kept Cameron out 17 games last season. Regardless, Wells has been far from stellar and teams have begun to figure out Germano who has lost 5 of his last 6 starts. With limited help in the minors (Mike Thompson, Clay Hensley, and Tim Stauffer, all of whom have struggled in the majors) the Padres will be in need of a starter. They will also need more bullpen help with the departure of Linebrink and one name that hasn't been named but makes some sense is Octavio Dotel. The closer of the Royals is on the block and may fit nicely in the 7th or 8th inning role.

- A lot of bad in Friarland so let's end with some positive:

- Milton Bradley is raking right now. A bright spot for this offense.

- And finally, Sunday is the big day for Tony. If your in San Diego, come out to Petco Park at 10am to watch on the big screen. If not, watch from home and enjoy one of the finest Hall of Fame classes we will see for quite some time.

Tony Gwynn Heads to the Hall, pt. 2

Let's start with a number. 434. On it's face, doesn't mean anything, simply a number. Now put it in context. 434 is how many times Tony Gwynn struck out. Ever. Tony Gwynn has 9,288 career at-bats and only 434 times did those at-bats end in a strike out. Thats .04% of the time. For comparison sake, Adam Dunn this year has already struck out 113 times. In less than one season. 434 in 20 seasons. That my friends, is ridiculously good. Scary good. Ted Williams once said that the hardest thing in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely. Few did it better, or with more consistency, than Tony Gwynn.

There are players you watch that spoil you. If you were a Jordan fan, you expect every shot to go in. Tiger to win every major. Current MLB players like ARod you expect homeruns from, or Peavy you expect to throw shut out ball. This of course is an impossible request of any athlete. It was a request that was asked of Tony Gwynn and more often then not he obliged. You expected a hit and were shocked when he didn't get on base. Near earth shattering shock when he struck out and if he struck out swinging...well...it happened so rarely I can hardly remember if it ever did. Of course it did though, but with such irregularity that every time he struck out or popped out it was as if the sky was falling. Growing up in Oceanside began my respect of Tony Gwynn but moving to Arizona made it harder to follow him on a day to day basis. This required box scores (pre-internet of course) that would reveal the numbers but never the story of the game. First things first, check Gwynn's line, and it would be a very rare day that the hit column didn't have at least the number 1 underneath it. Consistency. If it was the 7th or 8th inning and Gwynn didn't have a hit, it was a shock. Just like when Tiger doesn't win a major. Unfair to ask of Gwynn? Perhaps. But he did everything possible to respond to the request.

Tony Gwynn won 8 National League Batting Titles, a number that was good enough to tie Tony Gwynn with the National League All-Time Record with Honus Wagner. Only Ty Cobb won more batting titles (11) than Tony. Of those 8, Gwynn has stated, and for those who remember it agree, the most exciting of those titles was 1989 against Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants. Going into the last day of the season both Gwynn and Clark were batting .333. And in somewhat poetic fashion, the Padres finished the season playing the Giants. That day Will Clark went 1 for 4. Tony Gwynn...3 for 4, winning the batting title. It is games like this when impossible request are answered.

This year Tony Gwynn received one of the highest honors any athlete can receive. He got himself on the cover of a Wheaties box. When she heard about the Wheaties box, Tony Gwynn's mom could only laugh. The scrawny kid from Long Beach, who played basketball at San Diego State (and was drafted by the Clippers) is on the cover of the Wheaties box. What a ride.

In our next posting, Left Coast Bias will discuss the final season for Tony, including his last game which I was lucky enough to be at. We'll also discuss his two World Series appearances and his current job as head coach of San Diego State's baseball team.

News and Notes:

- Statement series! Perhaps somewhat under the radar but the Padres won the series from the Mets last night with a thrilling 5-4 win. The Mets are widely considered the best team the National League has and with their lineup you can see why. David Wright's 3-run homerun last night off Linebrink to tie the game in the 8th took all the life out of the stadium. That life was quickly restored thanks to something the Padres haven't had much of all year, 2 out hitting. Blum's 2 out single scored Greene. Hoffman racked up yet another save in 1-2-3 form. The Padres open a 4 game set with the Phillies tonight.

- Marcus Giles has been benched for the next few games while he works with hitting coach Merv Rettemund. Giles has hit .197 since May 14th.

- Hiram Bocachica was designated for assignment yesterday as the Padres activated Terrmel Sledge from the DL. The Padres now have to trade or waive him. Bocachica showed flashes of brilliance and adds much needed speed to a lineup terribly void of that commodity. Considering the Padres bench is not what it was the last few years, Bocachica may be an integral part of this team yet. Here's hoping the Padres hang on to him and send him to AAA.

- Milton Bradley hit his first home run as a Padre yesterday, a 427 foot bomb to right-center field. For the naysayers (of which I count myself as one) Bradley has been an offensive spark and, as for attitude, so far, so good.

- Someone told Maddox it was 1996. Mad Dog was dealing last night, going 5IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, and 6 K's.

- Chris Young bought every player on the Padres an embroidered robe with their name and team number on the back as a thank you for helping get him elected to the All-Star Game.

- The Padres head to the weekend 1 game back but tied in the loss column with L.A. With the trade deadline approaching (July 31) Towers has stated a major move is unlikely. However, a starter or a bench player may be in the works. The Padres have been lucky with health in their starters, but with Wells and Maddox over 40 and the insurance plans of Hensly and Thompson struggling in AAA Portland, the Padres may be looking elsewhere for some backup help. As for bench help, I think I speak for many that it's time to welcome Mark Loretta back with open arms.


Saturday is the Tony Gwynn Ceremony and unveiling of the first statute at Petco Park. I'll be on hand and give a full report afterwards. Till then, keep the faith Friar Faithful!

Tony Gwynn Heads to the Hall, pt. 1

One of my favorite stories about Tony Gwynn includes some interesting cyclical aspects to it. On July 19, 1982, Padres prospect Tony Gwynn was promoted to play centerfield and given the start. On this particular the day, the Padres were playing a seemingly innocuous game in the midst of a season that would end up 81-81 for the year.

Playing first base for the Phillies that day was none other than the all-time hit champion, Pete Rose. Tony Gwynn's first hit in the majors was a double. His second hit of the evening a single, allowing Pete Rose to impart this piece of wisdom on the Padres new centerfielder: "Don't try and catch me all in one night." Tony Gwynn would never catch Rose (a record that still stands at 4,256 hits in a career) but that wasn't for a lack of trying. What I like best about this comment is the perception Rose had. Chances are he had seen many major leaguers make their debut and get their first hit. How many of them did he joking tell not to catch him in a night? Not many I'm guessing. My guess is he only said things like that to players he actually believed could do it. Tony Gwynn was one of those players.

The cyclical nature of this event doesn't stop at Rose and Gwynn. Tony Gwynn Jr. a promising young prospect in the Brewers organization, was brought up from the minors to make his debut on July 15th, 2006. Four days later, on July 19th against the Giants, and 24 years to the day of his father's first hit, Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a double as his first major league hit, just like pops.

Tony Gwynn was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 9, 2007 by 97.6% of the vote, begging the question as to what is wrong with the other 2.4%. It is the second highest vote total in Hall of Fame history and it could not be for a more deserving individual. Tony Gwynn was a ballplayer, a student, and an ambassador for both the game and the city that has embraced him since that double in July, 1982.

In 12 days, amongst the biggest crowds ever seen by Cooperstown, Tony Gwynn alongside Cal Ripken Jr. will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As Tony Gwynn himself said on that January afternoon the day he heard about Cooperstown, the induction will be "vindication," showing that in this game there is room for the guy who hits singles and slaps the ball the other way.

In the upcoming post, Left Coast Bias will celebrate the great career of Mr. Padre with anecdotes and career stats. Today's career stat to highlight: 19 straight seasons of hitting over .300. Tony Gwynn hit below .300 only once in his career, his rookie season in which he played 54 games. Outside of his rookie year, Tony Gwynn never hit under .309 for a season. In 1994, Tony Gwynn hit .394, the highest National League batting average since 1930. Had the season not been shortened by the strike, Gwynn would have had a chance to hit .400, a mythical number not reached since Ted Williams. In the end, Gwynn wound up 3 hits short of .400 in the shortened season.

Tony Gwynn's career batting average of .338 is good enough for 17th on the all-time list. As Al Leiter would say: "The only way to pitch to Tony (Gwynn) is throw the ball down the middle and hope he hits it at someone."

The Padres plan to honor Tony Gwynn and his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame this upcoming weekend with a ceremony on Saturday and the unveiling of a statute for Tony Gwynn. I've had the chance to "meet" Tony Gwynn twice, using the term meet loosely of course. I was an honorary batboy in 1988 for the Padres, an event that was colossal in my mind and inconsequential I'm sure in his. But I met him and he shook my hand. Pretty cool. The greatest player in Padres history and, according to Sports Illustrated, the greatest hitter since Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn #19 is Mr. Padre.

To be Continued...


Up Next:

-The Padres open a 3-game series with the New York Mets. A great test this week in seeing exactly where the Padres sit in the National League hierarchy. The Mets are routinely considered the best in the National League and with good reason. Jose Reyes atop that lineup with Beltran and Delgado in the middle make for a formidable night. With San Diego's inability to throw out runners, keeping Reyes off base will be imperative.

-David Wells starts tonight, in the midst of his appeal for his suspension.

-The Padres avoided the sweep in Arizona thanks to Germano's gem. Heath Bell and Linebrink both got a scoreless inning of work in, rebounding from rough outings the day before.

-Brian Giles...STAY AT THE TOP OF THE LINEUP!!! Giles has been unstoppable atop that lineup, with an on-base pct of over .400 since making the move to the 1-hole.

And There's the Bell: 1st Half Review

And so ends the first half of the 2007 MLB season. A season where we learned that the best Japanese import pitcher isn't named Dice-K (his name is Okajimi). Where we can't stop the speeding train that is Barry Bonds and the home run pursuit. And where more times than you would expect (or ever want to see) 2 hits are enough to win a game. With an eye on the 2nd Half, here is the Padres 1st Half Review.

Standings:

The Padres finish the first half alone in first place atop the National League West. This is the 6th time in franchise history that the Padres have lead at the official halfway point. The other 5 times? The Padres went on to win the division.

The Padres finish 11 games over .500 with a 25-20 home record. This all despite the fact that the Padres rank last in team batting average, currently at .241.

So how are the Padres doing it? Run differential. The Padres post the best run differential in baseball with a ration of runs scored = 374 and runs against = 298. The Padres 298 runs against stat is by far the best in baseball, more than 50 runs better than the team in second in that category, the Boston Red Sox.

Players:

First the good.

Jake Peavy and Chris Young: As far as team MVP goes, these two are 1A and 1B. Young currently leads the NL in ERA with a 2.00 ERA. Peavy follows Young with a 2.19. By far the key to the Padres winning ways have been their pitching and the two key cogs of the best pitching staff in baseball is these two.

What makes the Padres dangerous as an October team is the proposition that in a 5-game series they could conceivably lineup: Peavy, Young, Maddox, Peavy, Young. Tough to win 3 games against that pitching lineup.

More good.

Mike Cameron post-April. Cameron started the season below the Mendoza line, batting .198 to end April. Since, he has batted .305 with 11 HR. This to go along with more gold glove play in center.

Adrian Gonzalez. Prior to the current slump that he appears to be on his way breaking out of (the All-Star Break will help as well, giving Gonzalez some time off). He is the team leader in BA, RBI, and OPS.

Bullpen. What is there to say. Nothing that hasn't already been said. Stellar work and a Hall of Famer closing out games. Keep playing "Hell's Bells" fellas! And oh yeah...did I mention 500 saves from Trevor Hoffman! 25 saves at the break, good enough for 3rd in the NL and a pace of over 50 saves for the season. Not bad. Off-Speed Does Kill!

Now some Bad.

Marcus Giles as a leadoff hitter. Way...WAY too man first pitch swings, too many hacks. The Padres need some more patience from their number 2 hitter.

Throwing out Baserunners. The Braves stole 3 more tonight, bringing the total of bases stolen on the Padres to 101. Amount thrown out? 18. Some of this is due to the pitchers (Maddox and Peavy for one do not hold runners very well). This has to get better.

Offense. The Padres have attempted to rectify this situation by making what may become the two biggest acquisitions in what appears to be a down year for trades. Michael Barrett and Milton Bradley will hopefully add some much needed punch to the middle of the Padres lineup. Bradley got his first Padres start on Saturday, a game I was able to be at (beach towel day people!). An interesting start, hitting an infield single, making a juggling catch in left-center, and hitting a 398 foot flyout. Welcome to Petco. Time will tell if these two moves will pay off. In two games with Bradley, he has hit the ball hard every time, getting two hits again today.

1st Half Awards

Team MVP: Jake Peavy- this team wins with pitching, and there may be no better pitcher in the National League than Jake Peavy. Honorable Mention: Chris Young, Trevor Hoffman, Adrian Gonzalez

Team Silver Slugger: Adrian Gonzalez- this guy is an All-Star in the making and can hit to all fields, hit for power and hit with runners on. Only negative. Too many strikeouts. Honorable Mention: Mike Cameron, Khalil Greene

Team Gold Glove: Khalil Greene- there may be no better defensive shortstop playing right now, especially on slow choppers and balls behind the bag. Anyone who saw Greene's spinning throw from behind second base knows this guy is for real. Honorable Mention: Mike Cameron, Adrian Gonzalez

Surprise Player: Jose Cruz Jr.- Cruz has been asked to play all three positions in the outfield at some point, can bunt, hit to all fields and is a switch hitter. Not bad. Honorable Mention: Heath Bell, Royce Ring


Looking toward the second half, the Padres continue to pitch well. One can only hope that the offense will start to pull their weight. Looks like another race to the finish with the Dodgers, making every LA/SD series huge. As for this last set, the Padres dropped 2 of 3 to Atlanta, a team that has had SD's number the last two years. Uncharacteristically, the Padres gave up 17 runs in the weekend set. On Sunday the Padres, after being somewhat punchless all game, strung together 5 consecutive 2 out hits to push the tying run to second before Marcus Giles struck out. A gutty performance, but where were the hits prior to 2 outs in the 9th?

The Padres need to hit better with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs. If they can increase their productivity in that one category, it will be near impossible for them to not win a 3rd straight NL West Division Crown.


Just For Fun

Quickly now, as this will be the only post until Friday when the Padres return from the break, here are the National League Awards as I see them for the first half:

MVP: Matt Holliday, Col - leads the league in BA

Cy Young: Jake Peavy, SD - Penny and Peavy will be battling all year. And now throw in Young to this race

Rookie of the Year: Hunter Pence, Hou - a bright spot in a bad year in Houston

Manager of the Year: Ned Yost, Mil - raise your hand if you thought the Brewers would be leading the Central at the break. Put your hands down, your lying.

Comeback Player of the Year: Ken Griffey Jr., Cin- vintage. Straight vintage.


See you all on Friday when the Padres head to the desert to take on division rival Arizona. Stay tuned next week for full coverage of Tony Gwynn Weekend in San Diego and of course the induction into Baseball's Hall of Fame. (22 games...and counting)

Not in My Town

Wasn't planning to post until after the Sunday game but came across a story that I thought was worth mentioning. Buster Olney writes the MLB Blog for ESPN.com and if you don't already I highly recommend his blog (you have to be an ESPN Insider however). Today's blog was an interesting story about Tony Gwynn and the current Red Sox series. For those who aren't an ESPN Insider, here is the jest:

Apparently, Tony was on a flight from St. Louis to San Diego. He hates flying, anyway, and from his perspective, this ride must've been particularly awful, because half the plane was filled with Boston Red Sox fans, who travel to follow the team, en masse, the way that the fans of the University of Tennessee football team travel.

The plane was all red and all Red Sox and after the flight landed, the pilot -- maybe part of the traveling band of Red Sox Nation -- got onto the p.a. system and said, "Go Sox."

And that was enough, apparently, for the future Hall of Famer. Gwynn stopped by the cockpit on his way off the plane, looked at the pilot and said, "Not in my town."

Tony Gwynn is Mr. Padre and Mr. San Diego and this is just another story proving exactly that. You the man Tony. More on Gwynn in the upcoming weeks with Cooperstown now right around the corner.