As the Padres begin the week in last place in the National League West, 8 1/2 games behind front-running Arizona, it's tempting to want to blow things up and start over. But this is the wrong year for hysteria, the wrong time for rash moves.
A couple of the guys who are struggling, 2B Tadahito Iguchi and 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, are just as likely to catch fire in the next couple of weeks as anything. SS Kahlil Greene, who has yet to hit a fair ball over an outfield fence, we know he's streaky.
The real problems with the Padres are with their over-the-hill and never-was outfield. Brian Giles has been decent with 3 HR and 15 RBI and 14 BB in the leadoff slot, but is batting just .255. The other three in the rotation: Jim Edmonds is at .164-1-6, Scott Hairston is .184-2-6, and Paul McAnulty is .231-2-6. I have no faith, as I do the struggling infielders, that they will turn things around. That said, McAnulty looks like the best of the group not named Giles.
Huge changes right now would be a mistake, however. The Padres have in place a long-term plan and they need to stick to it. The Chase Headley spring training experiment was a tease. The fact is, he needs significant time in AAA before coming up to the big club. His current line of .222-1-8 in Portland tells lots. Same with Matt Antonelli (.216-2-6) and C Nick Hundley (.245-4-7).
You're not going to get lightning in a bottle from the kids this year, so a free agent signing or trade would seem to be in order.
Jake Peavy might be onto something by suggesting a pickup of 40-year-old Kenny Lofton for the outfield. He hit a combined .296 with 7 HR for Texas and Cleveland last year and is not on a roster right now. He also stole an un-Friarlike 23 bases. Lofton would, like Edmonds, be a placeholder for the future and certainly could not be any worse. Plus, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, he is working out at his home in Arizona with hopes of playing more. The team brass will have to admit they whiffed on Edmonds, which could make such a signing impossible.
I wouldn't go much farther in changing up the club. No, no Barry Bonds.
A trade would require exchanging young talent for immediate help and that goes against the plan. No one is going to help the Padres take Edmonds or Hairston off their hands. Not happening. Sending Nick Hundley somewhere else for a guy who hits .245 instead of .160 won't do much for the franchise's future.
So, aside from taking Peavy up on the Lofton idea, I'd bite the bullet and not make more than some minor adjustments. Let the future of the franchise remain the future and develop according to their needs, not ours. That means the 2008 season is over, but no one really expected to compete anyway.
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I have to admit I like what the Chargers pulled out of the NFL draft, despite their inability to choose an offensive lineman until their last pick. The fact is, everyone they wanted at tackle and at corner -- their main desires heading into the affair -- were gone by the time they got to the 27th selection of the first round. Antoine Cason was what remained, and they got a four-year starter in college who should be a solid nickel corner. Jacob Hester was a fine running back, at a position where they needed some depth but obviously were not desperate with the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson around.
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Perhaps the biggest surprise of the draft was that four San Diego State players were taken, when pre-draft projections only had two -- one of whom ended up not being among the lucky four.
QB Kevin O'Connell was rewarded for his skills, leadership and personality with a third-round selection. The fortunes of football are such that he was taken by the New England Patriots. So the love-fest is over. We have to hate him now. How does one actually go about rooting against Kevin O'Connell? Really. That's going to be a difficult proposition.
Tyler Schmitt has been rated throughout his Aztec career as one of the nation's best long snappers, so maybe his selection by the Seattle Seahawks was not much of a shock. WRs Brett Swain and Chaz Schilens were also late-round picks.
This brings up the age-old question of: if so many Aztecs go to the NFL, why is the team always so bad? The answer, in a nutshell, is that none of those picked were offensive or defensive linemen. Job one for coach Chuck Long and his staff has been to upgrade the players in the trenches. The upcoming season will reveal their progress in that area.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Chargers Need Lineman in Draft
Despite what gets said occasionally in the media, the San Diego Chargers do have a need in this weekend's NFL draft, one that can be filled with their first round pick. They need an offensive lineman.
Right now, the Bolts are set on the left side with Kris Dielman and Marcus McNeill, and are in decent shape at center with Nick Hardwick -- my only reservation with him being injuries. The right side, though, is turning into a liability. Mike Goff is 32 years old and I never heard of Jeromey Clary ever being projected as a starting tackle on a Super Bowl team.
That's what we're talking about, going from a good team that reached the AFC Championship contest to a great one that can maybe host such a game, win, and go on to the Super Bowl. That being the goal, then the Chargers have needs.
While LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 1,474 yards last season, he seemed to be stopped quite a bit early in the season. His backups gained just 380 combined. Philip Rivers was sacked 22 times last year and Billy Volek twice. Tom Brady of New England was sacked one less time than Rivers but threw the ball over a hundred times more through the season. When Rivers wasn't tackled for a loss, he was running for his life quite often.
Both stars, of course, are plying their trade in the uncomfortable parameters of the NFL, where even the weaker defenses can slow rushing attacks and assault quarterbacks. That's why the Bolts need to have as good an offensive line as possible. I felt they were successful last year in spite of their line, not because of them. So help is needed.
Whether General Manager A.J. Smith takes a lineman is questionable. From the moment he set foot in San Diego, he's shown a low regard for blockers. The Chargers paid the price the first few years he and the late-John Butler were here. Plus, dominant linemen coming out of college are few and far-between. The best of them are gone by late in the first round, which is where the Bolts will choose someone. There could very well be a better choice available at linebacker, cornerback or waterboy by the time the 27th pick rolls around. If so, then that's where you go. If a really good lineman is still on the board, then snap him up.
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San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell is ranked as the eighth best QB in the draft and, although I've had my criticisms of him in the past, I'd take him over the first three guys listed above him (Erik Ainge of Tennessee, John David Booty of USC and Andre Woodson of Kentucky). We'll see if the NFL GMs agree. Continuing a pattern of sparse draft talent available on the Mesa, O'Connell will probably be the only Aztec drafted. That's got to change.
USD QB Josh Johnson, the victim of poor workouts, is rated 11th.
Right now, the Bolts are set on the left side with Kris Dielman and Marcus McNeill, and are in decent shape at center with Nick Hardwick -- my only reservation with him being injuries. The right side, though, is turning into a liability. Mike Goff is 32 years old and I never heard of Jeromey Clary ever being projected as a starting tackle on a Super Bowl team.
That's what we're talking about, going from a good team that reached the AFC Championship contest to a great one that can maybe host such a game, win, and go on to the Super Bowl. That being the goal, then the Chargers have needs.
While LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 1,474 yards last season, he seemed to be stopped quite a bit early in the season. His backups gained just 380 combined. Philip Rivers was sacked 22 times last year and Billy Volek twice. Tom Brady of New England was sacked one less time than Rivers but threw the ball over a hundred times more through the season. When Rivers wasn't tackled for a loss, he was running for his life quite often.
Both stars, of course, are plying their trade in the uncomfortable parameters of the NFL, where even the weaker defenses can slow rushing attacks and assault quarterbacks. That's why the Bolts need to have as good an offensive line as possible. I felt they were successful last year in spite of their line, not because of them. So help is needed.
Whether General Manager A.J. Smith takes a lineman is questionable. From the moment he set foot in San Diego, he's shown a low regard for blockers. The Chargers paid the price the first few years he and the late-John Butler were here. Plus, dominant linemen coming out of college are few and far-between. The best of them are gone by late in the first round, which is where the Bolts will choose someone. There could very well be a better choice available at linebacker, cornerback or waterboy by the time the 27th pick rolls around. If so, then that's where you go. If a really good lineman is still on the board, then snap him up.
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San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell is ranked as the eighth best QB in the draft and, although I've had my criticisms of him in the past, I'd take him over the first three guys listed above him (Erik Ainge of Tennessee, John David Booty of USC and Andre Woodson of Kentucky). We'll see if the NFL GMs agree. Continuing a pattern of sparse draft talent available on the Mesa, O'Connell will probably be the only Aztec drafted. That's got to change.
USD QB Josh Johnson, the victim of poor workouts, is rated 11th.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Doubles, Departures Support Recent Posts
Tuesday's sports activities vindicated two recent posts on this blog, one in a good way and one bad.
The good: the Padres finally added doubles to their arsenal and look what happened. Three 2-run doubles and they defeat the Rockies 6-0. Brian Giles, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jim Edmonds, all well overdue for something more than a stream of one-baggers, each came through with a big knock.
Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed that Randy Wolf is going to continue to be this good and remain healthy. If the Padres are fortunate on both counts, and the slappers become sluggers, they'll be in the race this season. In 19 innings-plus, he's allowed just 10 hits and seven walks. While early free passes ruined his shot later at a no-hitter, he still has an outstanding mark of fewer baserunners than innings pitched.
The bad: three players have left the San Diego State men's basketball program and will transfer to other institutions. The biggest loss was highly regarded G Quinton Watkins, whose perimeter play was being counted on to return the Aztecs to the NCAA Tournament. DJ Gay had a decent freshman season, but Richie Williams regressed as a junior and Kelvin Davis turned out to be all flash and no substance. Watkins, originally recruited by Illinois, was supposed to be a serious upgrade. The news said he left for family reasons. I read it as he came here, saw that SDSU basketball was nowhere close to where he heard it was and ran home screaming. The NIT loss at Florida was all he needed to see.
The other losses were F Jon Pastorek and F Jer'Vaughn Johnson, both role players. Pastorek has a great deal of talent that was wasted in coach Steve Fisher's system, such as it is. I feel bad for the kid that he made the choice to come here. Bad fit. Johnson was a role player who had no hopes for increased playing time, which he could receive by going to a WCC school.
I don't necessarily believe that San Diego State basketball will go no higher under Fisher. No question the program remains on a plateau after these personnel losses. The spring recruit signing season opens today, so we'll see if he's able to bring in someone for the post or a point guard who can actually command the floor. If not, then the plateau could also have a lid on it.
The good: the Padres finally added doubles to their arsenal and look what happened. Three 2-run doubles and they defeat the Rockies 6-0. Brian Giles, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jim Edmonds, all well overdue for something more than a stream of one-baggers, each came through with a big knock.
Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed that Randy Wolf is going to continue to be this good and remain healthy. If the Padres are fortunate on both counts, and the slappers become sluggers, they'll be in the race this season. In 19 innings-plus, he's allowed just 10 hits and seven walks. While early free passes ruined his shot later at a no-hitter, he still has an outstanding mark of fewer baserunners than innings pitched.
The bad: three players have left the San Diego State men's basketball program and will transfer to other institutions. The biggest loss was highly regarded G Quinton Watkins, whose perimeter play was being counted on to return the Aztecs to the NCAA Tournament. DJ Gay had a decent freshman season, but Richie Williams regressed as a junior and Kelvin Davis turned out to be all flash and no substance. Watkins, originally recruited by Illinois, was supposed to be a serious upgrade. The news said he left for family reasons. I read it as he came here, saw that SDSU basketball was nowhere close to where he heard it was and ran home screaming. The NIT loss at Florida was all he needed to see.
The other losses were F Jon Pastorek and F Jer'Vaughn Johnson, both role players. Pastorek has a great deal of talent that was wasted in coach Steve Fisher's system, such as it is. I feel bad for the kid that he made the choice to come here. Bad fit. Johnson was a role player who had no hopes for increased playing time, which he could receive by going to a WCC school.
I don't necessarily believe that San Diego State basketball will go no higher under Fisher. No question the program remains on a plateau after these personnel losses. The spring recruit signing season opens today, so we'll see if he's able to bring in someone for the post or a point guard who can actually command the floor. If not, then the plateau could also have a lid on it.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Powerless Players Dooming Padres Efforts
It's not time to push the panic button if you're a Padres fan, certainly not with a plus-.500 record forged against the Astros, Dodgers and Giants. But a disturbing trend is developing that could keep the Friars from contending in the National League West, a division in which Arizona is already 9-3 and threatening a runaway.
The Padres have more hits than any other team in the National League and trail only the Diamondbacks in batting average, by just .007 (all stats after Sunday's games). Yet, the Friars trail the Snakes in runs scored by 36. To put that into perspective, thats 77 runs to 41. Only the Giants among NL clubs have crossed the plate so few times.
Only the Mets and Royals have hit fewer than the Padres 6 home runs. The Pads have just 13 doubles, while most major league teams have 20 or more.
The problem is almost entirely a lack of power, not poor clutch hitting like the last couple of years. Of the regulars, only Josh Bard (.200), Khalil Greene (.167) and 2007's Mr. Clutch Scott Hairston (.000 on 0-for-11) are struggling at the plate with runners in scoring position. Most of the other key players are hitting over .300 in that situation. It just means that the hits they get are only scoring one run at a time, and the next guy is making an out.
I generally like batting coach Wally Joyner's approach, having them take pitches to the opposite field. Marcus Giles might still be playing here if he'd caught on before last September. If they keep it up, the doubles will come and so will the home runs. It just hasn't happened yet, so it's a source of concern.
By the way, if you think that what's happening to the Padres is a matter of facing difficult pitching staffs, take a look at what's happened to opponents when they play someone else. The Dodgers allowed the Padres 7 runs in three games at Petco Park, then gave up 23 in three contests in Phoenix. The Giants surrendered 8 runs to the Padres in their home opener, then held the Friars to 2 runs and pitched a shutout in the next two contests. They got another well-pitched game the next night against St. Louis, then allowed 8 runs in each of the following two contests.
Other teams aren't finding the Dodgers and Giants pitching staffs too difficult to figure out.
The Padres at some point are going to have to add power to the lineup, which means Hairston (2 triples and 2 homers but just 1 double and 4 RBI) or Paul McAnulty (just 5 singles in 22 at-bats and maybe saved his career with Sunday's game-winning sac fly) have to get going. Same with Kouzmanoff , Jim Edmonds and Brian Giles (just 5 extra base hits between them). Otherwise, Chase Headley will get an earlier-than-expected call-up from AAA Portland, where he's batting .250 with just 3 RBI.
I'm also concerned about the bullpen. However, relief pitchers are generally easier to move around. The organization has starters who go rather deep into games and plenty of depth on the mound. So the relief corps should improve as the season moves along.
Whether such improvement means anything will be determined by whether all those singles with runners on second base eventually turn into doubles or home runs.
The Padres have more hits than any other team in the National League and trail only the Diamondbacks in batting average, by just .007 (all stats after Sunday's games). Yet, the Friars trail the Snakes in runs scored by 36. To put that into perspective, thats 77 runs to 41. Only the Giants among NL clubs have crossed the plate so few times.
Only the Mets and Royals have hit fewer than the Padres 6 home runs. The Pads have just 13 doubles, while most major league teams have 20 or more.
The problem is almost entirely a lack of power, not poor clutch hitting like the last couple of years. Of the regulars, only Josh Bard (.200), Khalil Greene (.167) and 2007's Mr. Clutch Scott Hairston (.000 on 0-for-11) are struggling at the plate with runners in scoring position. Most of the other key players are hitting over .300 in that situation. It just means that the hits they get are only scoring one run at a time, and the next guy is making an out.
I generally like batting coach Wally Joyner's approach, having them take pitches to the opposite field. Marcus Giles might still be playing here if he'd caught on before last September. If they keep it up, the doubles will come and so will the home runs. It just hasn't happened yet, so it's a source of concern.
By the way, if you think that what's happening to the Padres is a matter of facing difficult pitching staffs, take a look at what's happened to opponents when they play someone else. The Dodgers allowed the Padres 7 runs in three games at Petco Park, then gave up 23 in three contests in Phoenix. The Giants surrendered 8 runs to the Padres in their home opener, then held the Friars to 2 runs and pitched a shutout in the next two contests. They got another well-pitched game the next night against St. Louis, then allowed 8 runs in each of the following two contests.
Other teams aren't finding the Dodgers and Giants pitching staffs too difficult to figure out.
The Padres at some point are going to have to add power to the lineup, which means Hairston (2 triples and 2 homers but just 1 double and 4 RBI) or Paul McAnulty (just 5 singles in 22 at-bats and maybe saved his career with Sunday's game-winning sac fly) have to get going. Same with Kouzmanoff , Jim Edmonds and Brian Giles (just 5 extra base hits between them). Otherwise, Chase Headley will get an earlier-than-expected call-up from AAA Portland, where he's batting .250 with just 3 RBI.
I'm also concerned about the bullpen. However, relief pitchers are generally easier to move around. The organization has starters who go rather deep into games and plenty of depth on the mound. So the relief corps should improve as the season moves along.
Whether such improvement means anything will be determined by whether all those singles with runners on second base eventually turn into doubles or home runs.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Grier Smart As Well As Good Coach, More
USD men's basketball coach Bill Grier might have had a chance for a big paycheck by leaving for the open job at Oregon State, but chose not to. He chose wisely.
There are just some places where you're not going to be able to win consistently, and Oregon State is one of them. Athletics is not the top priority in Corvallis, nor should it be. The men's basketball program, to my recollection, has not fielded much in the way of winners since the days of Lonnie Shelton -- father of SDSU's Tim -- back in the 1970s or 1980s.
Even if you were to bring in some good players, the Beavers reside in the Pac-10, where they would have to do battle with behemoths in UCLA, Arizona and Stanford. Oregon is usually pretty good. Plus, Washington State is on an upswing right now. If the Cougars weren't there, Washington, Arizona State or even Cal would. No way is Oregon State going to compete against them for a couple of years at least.
Instead, Grier will stay in San Diego and compete against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, a far more manageable proposition. The Zags were over-rated this year. The Gaels were pretty good but not great. Depending on how long he stays, he could really make something out of the Toreros and become a big fish in San Diego's pretty large pond. Imagine Grier and the Aztecs' Steve Fisher both putting their teams into NCAA Tournament. This town would go nuts.
However, despite Grier's current good intentions and wise consideration, I don't think he's here for the long term. There is a Pac-10 school close to his roots that will offer him that big paycheck after another season or two. Oregon. The Ducks have been pretty good in recent years. Fans seem to think they should be great. Every so often, I read or hear someone suggest that Ernie Kent is a lousy coach. I don't know that myself first-hand. Could be true, or not. If enough people are down on Kent, and Oregon-native Grier is performing miracles in Alcala Park, then there will be some temptation.
So Grier is being a good guy in staying ... and being smart ... and maybe most of all being patient.
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The theory that SDSU athletic director Jeff Schemmel might leave for Kansas State, where he had roots, just bit the dust. K-State had one of it's vice-presidents take on the AD responsibilities.
That not only keeps Schemmel here, but takes away my notion that it might be a good time to move Fisher upstairs to succeed him.
I still worry about the next Aztecs basketball season. So much promise, but so little reason to believe that expectations will be fulfilled.
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Can the hysterical debate over Padres closer Trevor Hoffman be over? Please?
Look, the guy blew one game. Yeah, it comes after his blown saves at the end of last year, but he's also held the lead at the end of two wins so far in 2008. No question, his status needs monitoring from manager Bud Black. He's north of 40 years old and his stuff isn't what it was. But it's not time to relegate the future Hall of Famer to mop-up duty.
There are just some places where you're not going to be able to win consistently, and Oregon State is one of them. Athletics is not the top priority in Corvallis, nor should it be. The men's basketball program, to my recollection, has not fielded much in the way of winners since the days of Lonnie Shelton -- father of SDSU's Tim -- back in the 1970s or 1980s.
Even if you were to bring in some good players, the Beavers reside in the Pac-10, where they would have to do battle with behemoths in UCLA, Arizona and Stanford. Oregon is usually pretty good. Plus, Washington State is on an upswing right now. If the Cougars weren't there, Washington, Arizona State or even Cal would. No way is Oregon State going to compete against them for a couple of years at least.
Instead, Grier will stay in San Diego and compete against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, a far more manageable proposition. The Zags were over-rated this year. The Gaels were pretty good but not great. Depending on how long he stays, he could really make something out of the Toreros and become a big fish in San Diego's pretty large pond. Imagine Grier and the Aztecs' Steve Fisher both putting their teams into NCAA Tournament. This town would go nuts.
However, despite Grier's current good intentions and wise consideration, I don't think he's here for the long term. There is a Pac-10 school close to his roots that will offer him that big paycheck after another season or two. Oregon. The Ducks have been pretty good in recent years. Fans seem to think they should be great. Every so often, I read or hear someone suggest that Ernie Kent is a lousy coach. I don't know that myself first-hand. Could be true, or not. If enough people are down on Kent, and Oregon-native Grier is performing miracles in Alcala Park, then there will be some temptation.
So Grier is being a good guy in staying ... and being smart ... and maybe most of all being patient.
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The theory that SDSU athletic director Jeff Schemmel might leave for Kansas State, where he had roots, just bit the dust. K-State had one of it's vice-presidents take on the AD responsibilities.
That not only keeps Schemmel here, but takes away my notion that it might be a good time to move Fisher upstairs to succeed him.
I still worry about the next Aztecs basketball season. So much promise, but so little reason to believe that expectations will be fulfilled.
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Can the hysterical debate over Padres closer Trevor Hoffman be over? Please?
Look, the guy blew one game. Yeah, it comes after his blown saves at the end of last year, but he's also held the lead at the end of two wins so far in 2008. No question, his status needs monitoring from manager Bud Black. He's north of 40 years old and his stuff isn't what it was. But it's not time to relegate the future Hall of Famer to mop-up duty.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Chargers Solve Balboa Park Problem and Vice-Versa
The San Diego Chargers want a stadium that's up to current NFL standards, and one of the city's jewels, Balboa Park, is in serious need of major infrastructure overhauls -- and needs a financial impetus to get the work going. It appears to me to be a match made in heaven.
According to a recent article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, a study found that Balboa Park needs 21 different improvement projects at an estimated cost of $238 million. The article suggests that the money is there, but big-dollar donors are holding back to make sure that their contributions will be meaningful.
If the upgrades to the park include a new stadium to the Chargers, San Diego State, the Holiday Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl, then park improvements will indeed be worthy of our great city. The stadium can bring necessary upgrades to the run-down pool at Morley Field and finally bring San Diego a world-class aquatics facility. The new stadium would be a fine new location for the San Diego Hall of Champions, which would open their nice current digs for something else. There will be improvements to public transportation, such as off-shoots from downtown and Mission Valley trolley lines.
Furthermore, the area the stadium would go, between Morley Field and the Balboa Park Golf Course, bordered by Florida and Pershing drives, is nothing but open land waiting for development.
The big part, obviously, is that the financial package can be worked out to include the many projects needed to upgrade the park's infrastructure.
Naturally, there will be some opposition to this from people with interest in Balboa Park and neighbors in North Park, South Park and Golden Hill. My answers:
-- Plans for upgrading the park have been floated for many years now. The area's general plan was adopted in 1989 and has not been carried out. While city officials sit on their collective duffs, the Chargers can bring the impetus to actually get some work done. They, along with SDSU, will attract people who may not normally come to the park or be aware of all that it has to offer. Which is the point of the existence of the place. Everyone will win if the trolley system is forced to actually run trains somewhere where people like to go, like Balboa Park (and Lindbergh Field, while they're at it).
-- This will bring additional people and their resulting traffic, garbage and some obnoxious behavior to the park, granted. However, the whole idea of having a park, as stated above, is for folks to come and enjoy the place. Balboa Park, along with Mission Bay and proximity to water in general, are the city's prime real estate assets. It would be ignorant to not consider that city officials would seek to maximize their return from their prime possessions. If you live near the park, then you have to accept that changes will be made from time-to-time to attract more visitors. That said, the team should be neighborly and ensure that the stadium has a low profile in order to maintain the beauty of the park and have enough parking/public transportation to avoid inconveniencing area residents. Heck, if I lived there, I'd open my driveway to fans and charge confiscatory rates!
-- The Chargers will be given a real San Diego home and will be able to end the Chula Vista charade, which benefits no one, especially the Bolts and their fans. While the two college bowl games can adjust to wherever a new stadium is located, SDSU cannot. The Aztecs will have to play before 5,000 people, build an on-campus stadium in tight quarters, or fold their football program all together. And remember history, both the Chargers and Aztecs played at Balboa Stadium -- in Balboa Park -- in the early-1960s, so this is not exactly a new idea.
It's a win-win situation as far as I can see. The city of San Diego, thanks to more than a decade of horrible leadership, can do nothing to help either the Chargers or Balboa Park. But the two can help each other, and should quickly.
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Gotta love the Padres' Jake Peavy, maybe the ultimate gamer. He won the season opener almost by himself. Yeah, it's just a single game, but if the Padres can fill the holes in center and right fields, even by the current holders of those positions, then this team really might contend after all. It's a long season, we'll see.
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Re: the Women's Tennis Association buying out the Acura Classic, selling it to interests in Beijing and forcing players to compete there -- another newspaper story -- WTA officials might want to keep a close eye on what's going on with the Olympics. I don't wish any ill will on them for snatching away our only professional tennis tournament but, well, my instinct tells me that they've entered a hornet's nest.
According to a recent article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, a study found that Balboa Park needs 21 different improvement projects at an estimated cost of $238 million. The article suggests that the money is there, but big-dollar donors are holding back to make sure that their contributions will be meaningful.
If the upgrades to the park include a new stadium to the Chargers, San Diego State, the Holiday Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl, then park improvements will indeed be worthy of our great city. The stadium can bring necessary upgrades to the run-down pool at Morley Field and finally bring San Diego a world-class aquatics facility. The new stadium would be a fine new location for the San Diego Hall of Champions, which would open their nice current digs for something else. There will be improvements to public transportation, such as off-shoots from downtown and Mission Valley trolley lines.
Furthermore, the area the stadium would go, between Morley Field and the Balboa Park Golf Course, bordered by Florida and Pershing drives, is nothing but open land waiting for development.
The big part, obviously, is that the financial package can be worked out to include the many projects needed to upgrade the park's infrastructure.
Naturally, there will be some opposition to this from people with interest in Balboa Park and neighbors in North Park, South Park and Golden Hill. My answers:
-- Plans for upgrading the park have been floated for many years now. The area's general plan was adopted in 1989 and has not been carried out. While city officials sit on their collective duffs, the Chargers can bring the impetus to actually get some work done. They, along with SDSU, will attract people who may not normally come to the park or be aware of all that it has to offer. Which is the point of the existence of the place. Everyone will win if the trolley system is forced to actually run trains somewhere where people like to go, like Balboa Park (and Lindbergh Field, while they're at it).
-- This will bring additional people and their resulting traffic, garbage and some obnoxious behavior to the park, granted. However, the whole idea of having a park, as stated above, is for folks to come and enjoy the place. Balboa Park, along with Mission Bay and proximity to water in general, are the city's prime real estate assets. It would be ignorant to not consider that city officials would seek to maximize their return from their prime possessions. If you live near the park, then you have to accept that changes will be made from time-to-time to attract more visitors. That said, the team should be neighborly and ensure that the stadium has a low profile in order to maintain the beauty of the park and have enough parking/public transportation to avoid inconveniencing area residents. Heck, if I lived there, I'd open my driveway to fans and charge confiscatory rates!
-- The Chargers will be given a real San Diego home and will be able to end the Chula Vista charade, which benefits no one, especially the Bolts and their fans. While the two college bowl games can adjust to wherever a new stadium is located, SDSU cannot. The Aztecs will have to play before 5,000 people, build an on-campus stadium in tight quarters, or fold their football program all together. And remember history, both the Chargers and Aztecs played at Balboa Stadium -- in Balboa Park -- in the early-1960s, so this is not exactly a new idea.
It's a win-win situation as far as I can see. The city of San Diego, thanks to more than a decade of horrible leadership, can do nothing to help either the Chargers or Balboa Park. But the two can help each other, and should quickly.
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Gotta love the Padres' Jake Peavy, maybe the ultimate gamer. He won the season opener almost by himself. Yeah, it's just a single game, but if the Padres can fill the holes in center and right fields, even by the current holders of those positions, then this team really might contend after all. It's a long season, we'll see.
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Re: the Women's Tennis Association buying out the Acura Classic, selling it to interests in Beijing and forcing players to compete there -- another newspaper story -- WTA officials might want to keep a close eye on what's going on with the Olympics. I don't wish any ill will on them for snatching away our only professional tennis tournament but, well, my instinct tells me that they've entered a hornet's nest.
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