San Diego Padres General Manager Kevin Towers was saved from himself again Tuesday when Japanese free agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome signed a four-year contract with the Cubs instead of the Friars.
Fukudome was a pretty good player in Japan, but according to media accounts, would likely have doubles power at Petco Park -- when the Padres really need a home run guy -- and was defensively more suited to right field than center, where the Padres have their real need. Not that I'd be complaining about his signing. His on-base percentage in Japan was always high. But there's better places to spend the Padres money, in my book.
Overall, it probably has not been a happy week for Towers. Milton Bradley signed with the Rangers instead of remaining with the manager, Bud Black, who injured him him September. Again, better them to take that risk than the Padres.
But that doesn't leave the Padres with a whole lot of wiggle room in filling their outfield holes. Towers is still pursuing Mike Cameron, though for a lot less than the player wants. And the notoriously slow starter at the plate won't be available until May because of his suspension. He can't even play in major league level spring games. So Cameron really won't be himself until July, you gotta figure.
News reports suggest that Towers will go the trade route if he can't sign Cameron. The obvious target: the Angels Gary Matthews Jr., who is expendable after the Halos signed Torii Hunter.
My preference, really, would be for Towers to slide some talent across the table toward Pittsburgh and bring Jason Bay home. With him in left, I'm a lot more willing to go cheap in center, even to the point of giving an incentive-laden contract to aging Steve Finley. Who knows, maybe you can get a good month or two out of the Rancho Santa Fe resident and mid-1990s Padres hero. That buys time to swing another deal. Having Bay around makes a lot of things easier.
Who knows how Fukudome would have performed for 81 games in Petco Park. Maybe he would have been outstanding. The only prediction we can truly make is that when he comes to visit, his last name will be intentionally and gleefully mispronounced by Friars fans in attendance.
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There is actual good news to report. The Padres Tuesday night were announcing that pitcher Jake Peavy passed his physical and was about to sign a $51.9 million contract extension through 2012. The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the Friars signed Tadahito Iguchi to fill the second base hole. Iguchi hit .304 for the Phillies in 45 games after being traded by the White Sox.
I actually thought Iguchi was the best of the Padres options at the position. He hit 15 and 18 home runs in consecutive seasons with the White Sox. I saw a scouting report that labels him as having some clutch hitting ability, has base-running speed and sure hands defensively with average range.
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Thrilled to see that Oceanside High School was invited to play in California's medium schools bowl game Friday against Novato High from Northern California.
When the state bowl game concept was developed, there were legitimate worries that the San Diego Section would be perpetually shut out of the contests by Southern Section powers like Long Beach Poly.
Well, with Oceanside storming through the season after an opening loss to Helix, section commissioners saw fit to give the Pirates an invite.
How did this come about? Those who made the selection will talk about the Pirates having a fine season and that Crespi High School of Los Angeles lost it's last game. But what's really gone on is longevity of success for coach John Carroll and his team. The Pirates are good every single year against tough competition and have now won four straight section titles.
Poway, the section's Division I champion, had a great year in 2007. In 2006, the Titans made the section final but didn't have a great season as a whole.
Oceanside has been doing it for years now and have gotten noticed over time. That's what it will take for all San Diego Section schools that want to break through into a state bowl game.
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Not that it necessarily needs to be noticed after four years, but the first thing that came to my mind when I learned of Oceanside's opponent is Steven Rucker. Remember, he is the Novato firefighter who died in Julian in a flashover during the 2003 Cedar Fire. No matter what happens in the game, we owe the community of Novato a deep debt of gratitude.
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