It wouldn't be proper for me to ignore the end of the San Diego State baseball season this week. The Aztecs were bombed by Utah and BYU in the double-elimination Mountain West Conference Tournament they hosted to finish the year 28-28.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that manager Tony Gwynn needs to be given a mulligan for this season because of a ridiculous spate of injuries to pitchers that no team would have survived. The run of bad luck included a horrifying line drive that cracked the skull of freshman starter Bryan Crabb, just about the only bright spot on the mound this season.
I still hold my position on Gwynn.
That said, I hope the local baseball legend takes a hard look at himself and his baseball program and is able to make an honest assessment. In eight seasons at the SDSU helm, he has taken his Aztecs to the NCAA Regionals just once -- when he rode the golden arm of Stephen Strasburg -- and is only seven games above .500 overall. He entered the 2009 season 11 games under .500 and got to the correct side of the ledger with a darn good 41-23 mark. His record is despite playing in a mediocre conference that nearly guarantees numerous wins over Air Force, arguably the least competitive major college team in any significant sport.
I have no hopes that Gwynn will make such an assessment and decide to resign. This year was this year, with all its lumps and warts. I'm concerned about next year and the year after. Does he think he's the right guy to lead the program? Would the program be on track if all the injuries hadn't taken place? Will 2011 be more like 2009? Gwynn could honestly answer "yes" to all three questions and that would be fine. If he can't, he needs to step aside because no one needs to go through the pain of firing someone of his status. And I have no doubt that nearly anyone else in Gwynn's current position would be fired as soon as his tournament hosting duties were over. He, however, deserves extra consideration and will receive it. I just hope the backers of the program and its participants receive the same consideration from him.
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Are you confused as much as I am about the relationship between the Chargers and S Kevin Ellison? It's weird. He starts the last month or so of 2009 but is now in danger of being released, a situation apparently developing well before his recent arrest on suspicion of possessing 100 Vicodin pills in Redondo Beach.
The Bolts brass reacted like it does in any other player's criminal arrest. The thing is, Ellison is not accused of possession for sale, transportation for sale, or any other serious criminal conduct. It's akin to an administrative violation for a pain killer that he planned to use during the season. He wasn't toting an ounce of cocaine or selling heroin.
If he's so bad he's in danger of being released, then why was he playing so much last season? All I can come up with is that management doesn't like the guy personally. Maybe he's inattentive at meetings or doesn't listen to teammates. Bad locker room guy. I have no idea. What's happening to him fuels speculation, however. It would be more fair to everyone for management to come clean on their thinking.
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I hate Vicodin, by the way. I've needed it twice, once during an illness and once after surgery. More than anything during those times, my absolute number one goal was to get off the Vicodin. I would rather put up with some pain than take more of the stuff. It was just awful.
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Since Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez was reported to be back to his usual level of productivity, he has gone 3-for-17 with one game in which he struck out in all four plate appearances. And the Padres won each game.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Strasburg, Thames, Expansion
While it remains unlikely that Washington will promote P Stephen Strasburg from AAA in time to pitch at Petco Park on Saturday, you might want to keep your schedule open that day, just in case.
The ex-SDSU phenom has dominated the opposition in nine minor league starts and the consensus is that he will make one more start for the Syracuse Chiefs before being promoted by the Nationals. That would make it after the Nats pass through Strasburg's hometown of an Diego. Most of the Beltway population has claimed a ticket for June 4, the date of his presumptive debut.
But, maybe not. Strasburg went just 5 innings in his most recent start for Syracuse. The Nationals' P Scott Olsen, whose turn in the rotation comes up next on Saturday at Petco, just went on the disabled list with stiffness in his left shoulder. More roster moves are needed because C Ivan Rodriguez is also going on the DL. And, while Strasburg apparently told reporters that it didn't matter where he made his big league debut, who knows what he told the front office. My bet is that if he told team President Stan Kasten to dance, you'd see a nice pirouette in the Nationals clubhouse.
It's enough to make you go "hmmm." I doubt it will happen, but I'm keeping Saturday open, just in case.
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Here's a sign of the rise of San Diego State's basketball program and of the Mountain West as a hoops power. SDSU just announced it brought in transfer Xavier Thames from Washington State, a Pac-10 school, in order to provide depth at point guard. Not to be the point guard, but just to provide depth and some rest for incoming high school recruit LaBradford Franklin. Thames will have to wait a year, by which time DJ Gay will be an alumnus and Franklin should, barring a calamity, be an entrenched starter. My, how times of changed.
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Former Aztec Jene Morris scored her first two threes and collected 12 points in a win for the WNBA's Indiana Fever on Sunday. According to the Web site Swish Appeal, the Fever's starters have been sloppy, which could mean more playing time for Morris.
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I hope you're not on pins-and-needles over conference expansion and what it might mean to the MWC and SDSU in particular. I really don't think much is going to happen, outside the MWC inviting Boise State next month -- and I'm not really sure that's such a great move in that the Broncos will prove to be a drag in all other sports. We're in kind of a dead zone for college sports since no one cares about this level of baseball until the remaining eight schools arrive in Omaha, so a lot of writers are making stuff up out of whole cloth. I'll wait and see.
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The high school baseball playoffs begin Tuesday with play-in games. The double-elimination tournament gets going Wednesday. This is something you should care about. There's almost nothing better in local sports each year. Definitely worth checking out.
The ex-SDSU phenom has dominated the opposition in nine minor league starts and the consensus is that he will make one more start for the Syracuse Chiefs before being promoted by the Nationals. That would make it after the Nats pass through Strasburg's hometown of an Diego. Most of the Beltway population has claimed a ticket for June 4, the date of his presumptive debut.
But, maybe not. Strasburg went just 5 innings in his most recent start for Syracuse. The Nationals' P Scott Olsen, whose turn in the rotation comes up next on Saturday at Petco, just went on the disabled list with stiffness in his left shoulder. More roster moves are needed because C Ivan Rodriguez is also going on the DL. And, while Strasburg apparently told reporters that it didn't matter where he made his big league debut, who knows what he told the front office. My bet is that if he told team President Stan Kasten to dance, you'd see a nice pirouette in the Nationals clubhouse.
It's enough to make you go "hmmm." I doubt it will happen, but I'm keeping Saturday open, just in case.
---
Here's a sign of the rise of San Diego State's basketball program and of the Mountain West as a hoops power. SDSU just announced it brought in transfer Xavier Thames from Washington State, a Pac-10 school, in order to provide depth at point guard. Not to be the point guard, but just to provide depth and some rest for incoming high school recruit LaBradford Franklin. Thames will have to wait a year, by which time DJ Gay will be an alumnus and Franklin should, barring a calamity, be an entrenched starter. My, how times of changed.
---
Former Aztec Jene Morris scored her first two threes and collected 12 points in a win for the WNBA's Indiana Fever on Sunday. According to the Web site Swish Appeal, the Fever's starters have been sloppy, which could mean more playing time for Morris.
---
I hope you're not on pins-and-needles over conference expansion and what it might mean to the MWC and SDSU in particular. I really don't think much is going to happen, outside the MWC inviting Boise State next month -- and I'm not really sure that's such a great move in that the Broncos will prove to be a drag in all other sports. We're in kind of a dead zone for college sports since no one cares about this level of baseball until the remaining eight schools arrive in Omaha, so a lot of writers are making stuff up out of whole cloth. I'll wait and see.
---
The high school baseball playoffs begin Tuesday with play-in games. The double-elimination tournament gets going Wednesday. This is something you should care about. There's almost nothing better in local sports each year. Definitely worth checking out.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Breitbard
I had a few dealings with Bob Breitbard, the dean of the local sports community who died Monday at the age of 91. One stood out, and it really showed what kind of guy he was.
I have an entrepreneurial bent, in case you haven't noticed, and I had an idea quite a few years ago that I want to run by him so he could judge its worth. I think it would have been in the early 1990s. He was still heavily involved in his business, California Linen Supply, which provided laundry services for hotel towels and bedding -- quite a lucrative slice of this town's thriving tourism industry.
He was only too happy to meet with me. He invited me up to his office right there in his downtown plant. We must have met for a half-hour and he gave me some encouragement and the advice I sought. This gentleman who was more used to hanging out with baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams had no problem taking time out of his day to listen to some guy he'd never met before.
Ultimately, the idea didn't go anywhere, but it wasn't because of Bob Breitbard. This man, who was among those who brought the Chargers to San Diego, promoted the Padres from AAA to the major leagues and established the Holiday Bowl, graciously led me to the next step in the process.
When I operated Sandiegosportstown.com years later I tried to repay the favor by publicizing events at the sports museum Breitbard founded, the San Diego Hall of Champions. He is one of those guys who might now be gone, but the results of his works will remain with us for a long time to come.
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I sure hope San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke is getting his program on track. In 2010, the non-conference schedule will be embarrassingly easy with home games against Nicholls State and Utah State, and road contests at New Mexico State and Missouri. Only one loss there.
But 2011 will be much different. It was announced Tuesday that SDSU will make its second appearance in the Big House with a game at Michigan. A home game against Washington State is also on the docket, as is another roadie at Army. The season opens at The Q against Chuck Long-nemesis Cal Poly-SLO.
The slate in 2012 includes an opening road game at Cincinnati and home contests vs. Army, North Dakota and San Jose State. It wouldn't shock me to see the Fighting Sioux replaced by someone more interesting, as it looks like Hoke might be up for the challenge that scared his predecessor.
I have an entrepreneurial bent, in case you haven't noticed, and I had an idea quite a few years ago that I want to run by him so he could judge its worth. I think it would have been in the early 1990s. He was still heavily involved in his business, California Linen Supply, which provided laundry services for hotel towels and bedding -- quite a lucrative slice of this town's thriving tourism industry.
He was only too happy to meet with me. He invited me up to his office right there in his downtown plant. We must have met for a half-hour and he gave me some encouragement and the advice I sought. This gentleman who was more used to hanging out with baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams had no problem taking time out of his day to listen to some guy he'd never met before.
Ultimately, the idea didn't go anywhere, but it wasn't because of Bob Breitbard. This man, who was among those who brought the Chargers to San Diego, promoted the Padres from AAA to the major leagues and established the Holiday Bowl, graciously led me to the next step in the process.
When I operated Sandiegosportstown.com years later I tried to repay the favor by publicizing events at the sports museum Breitbard founded, the San Diego Hall of Champions. He is one of those guys who might now be gone, but the results of his works will remain with us for a long time to come.
---
I sure hope San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke is getting his program on track. In 2010, the non-conference schedule will be embarrassingly easy with home games against Nicholls State and Utah State, and road contests at New Mexico State and Missouri. Only one loss there.
But 2011 will be much different. It was announced Tuesday that SDSU will make its second appearance in the Big House with a game at Michigan. A home game against Washington State is also on the docket, as is another roadie at Army. The season opens at The Q against Chuck Long-nemesis Cal Poly-SLO.
The slate in 2012 includes an opening road game at Cincinnati and home contests vs. Army, North Dakota and San Jose State. It wouldn't shock me to see the Fighting Sioux replaced by someone more interesting, as it looks like Hoke might be up for the challenge that scared his predecessor.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Outfielders Update, Jene Morris
When the newspaper ran a sports section column on Padres GM Jed Hoyer evaluating whether to bring in an outfielder who can actually hit major league pitching, I counseled patience--at least through the weekend. That would give us time to see how Kyle Blanks, Tony Gwynn, Scott Hairston and Will Venable did against the rival Dodgers and Giants.
The Padres swept SF but were in turn swept by LA. It's not time to hit the panic button but, with the wins at AT&T Park coming almost entirely because of pitching, the way to lean is obvious. Thinking time is over. Doing something should be the new mode. As has already been reported, AAA is basically devoid of outfield talent because they're all up here -- and hitting like minor leaguers. Ouch!
The options are to sign someone who is currently not on a roster, which comes down to former White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, or trade surplus pitching. Signing Dye might be a quick process but it would be several days to get him ready to play a game. A trade could take days or weeks, and it is something you'd rather get right than wrong.
Here are how the current four outfielders fared over those big six games against the rivals:
Blanks - 0-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Gwynn - 2-for-15, 3 strikeouts and just 2 runs scored
Hairston - 3-for-11, 1 RBI and 1 run
Venable - 2-for-10, 4 strikeouts and an RBI
Now, it is unfair to judge players based on one week's worth of games, but this is actually just a microcosm of what's been happening over the past month with these players. Blanks had no hits and struck out in nearly half his at-bats. Gwynn struck out more times than he was safe on a batted ball -- not exactly living up to the family name -- and as a leadoff hitter he scored only twice. Hairston scored just once. Venable's .200 mark looked pretty good in comparison.
If you fault my analysis, then you're not only seeing things differently than me but also with manager Bud Black. In the past week, he gave three outfield starts to backup infielder Oscar Salazar and one to aging pinch hitter Matt Stairs. In the Bay Area finale, Hairston played all three outfield spots as Black juggled his unproductive lineup during the game.
In all fairness, the rest of the lineup didn't produce, either. 3B Chase Headley was 3-for-24 over that period and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-23 with just 1 RBI on Friday's home run.
If, indeed, Hoyer and the front office choose patience, then that could mean the baseball guys don't see anything seriously wrong with the outfielders other than they are in a slump and need seasoning. They could be right. Of course, they won't get much money from fans until they're proven correct, and their careers could be short-circuited if they're wrong.
The Padres host the Giants again and then go to LA, both for 2-game series. Then they go to Seattle against the equally punchless Mariners. After that it's crunch time: they face the Cardinals, surprising Nationals, Mets and Phillies in the following two weeks. The time to make changes maybe hasn't come, but the moment has absolutely arrived to get the ball rolling in that direction.
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The beginning of the WNBA season hasn't been easy on former San Diego State G Jene Morris -- and boy, is it sad to include the "former" in front of her. In Indiana's season opener against Washington Saturday, the first-round draft choice played for more than 14 minutes, but missed her only two shots -- both threes -- and committed three turnovers. She also had a rebound and an assist.
In a 66-62 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Morris played 5 minutes and 36 seconds, scored a hoop on her only shot, turned the ball over once and committed three fouls.
BTW, Morris made the roster in part by beating out Joy Cheek, the Duke forward who helped eliminate the Aztecs from the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Padres swept SF but were in turn swept by LA. It's not time to hit the panic button but, with the wins at AT&T Park coming almost entirely because of pitching, the way to lean is obvious. Thinking time is over. Doing something should be the new mode. As has already been reported, AAA is basically devoid of outfield talent because they're all up here -- and hitting like minor leaguers. Ouch!
The options are to sign someone who is currently not on a roster, which comes down to former White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, or trade surplus pitching. Signing Dye might be a quick process but it would be several days to get him ready to play a game. A trade could take days or weeks, and it is something you'd rather get right than wrong.
Here are how the current four outfielders fared over those big six games against the rivals:
Blanks - 0-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Gwynn - 2-for-15, 3 strikeouts and just 2 runs scored
Hairston - 3-for-11, 1 RBI and 1 run
Venable - 2-for-10, 4 strikeouts and an RBI
Now, it is unfair to judge players based on one week's worth of games, but this is actually just a microcosm of what's been happening over the past month with these players. Blanks had no hits and struck out in nearly half his at-bats. Gwynn struck out more times than he was safe on a batted ball -- not exactly living up to the family name -- and as a leadoff hitter he scored only twice. Hairston scored just once. Venable's .200 mark looked pretty good in comparison.
If you fault my analysis, then you're not only seeing things differently than me but also with manager Bud Black. In the past week, he gave three outfield starts to backup infielder Oscar Salazar and one to aging pinch hitter Matt Stairs. In the Bay Area finale, Hairston played all three outfield spots as Black juggled his unproductive lineup during the game.
In all fairness, the rest of the lineup didn't produce, either. 3B Chase Headley was 3-for-24 over that period and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-23 with just 1 RBI on Friday's home run.
If, indeed, Hoyer and the front office choose patience, then that could mean the baseball guys don't see anything seriously wrong with the outfielders other than they are in a slump and need seasoning. They could be right. Of course, they won't get much money from fans until they're proven correct, and their careers could be short-circuited if they're wrong.
The Padres host the Giants again and then go to LA, both for 2-game series. Then they go to Seattle against the equally punchless Mariners. After that it's crunch time: they face the Cardinals, surprising Nationals, Mets and Phillies in the following two weeks. The time to make changes maybe hasn't come, but the moment has absolutely arrived to get the ball rolling in that direction.
---
The beginning of the WNBA season hasn't been easy on former San Diego State G Jene Morris -- and boy, is it sad to include the "former" in front of her. In Indiana's season opener against Washington Saturday, the first-round draft choice played for more than 14 minutes, but missed her only two shots -- both threes -- and committed three turnovers. She also had a rebound and an assist.
In a 66-62 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Morris played 5 minutes and 36 seconds, scored a hoop on her only shot, turned the ball over once and committed three fouls.
BTW, Morris made the roster in part by beating out Joy Cheek, the Duke forward who helped eliminate the Aztecs from the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time to Find Out What Moorad, Hoyer and Hoke Have
We're pretty soon going to find out what Padres incoming owner Jeff Moorad, GM Jed Hoyer and San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke are made of, thanks to two interesting items in the newspaper today. One is on the lagging hitting of Padres outfielders and the other is about the lack of strength among San Diego State football players when coach Brady Hoke arrived in December 2008.
Good articles on what's going on in local sports. Let me bump them up a bit with the stakes involved.
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On the Padres outfield, it is worth noting that from left to right, Kyle Blanks' stat line is a measly .180-3-14, Tony Gwynn is at .211 with just 8 runs scored and Will Venable is .220-4-12. Scott Hairston's line is .243-6-13, and he deserves considerable credit for Tuesday's 3-2 win at San Francisco with an 11-pitch leadoff at-bat that exposed Giants P Barry Zito's stuff for the rest of the lineup. Hairston himself didn't do too much the rest of the game, but the guy right behind him, 2B David Eckstein, went 2-for-2 with three walks. I don't think that's coincidence.
But the main point of the newspaper article is now that we're into mid-May and the outfielders aren't producing at the plate, Hoyer has to decide whether to stick with the young kids or make a trade for some hitting. Tuesday's Giants game shows perfectly the problem. Their pitchers issued 12 walks, yet the Friars only cashed in with 3 runs. That's a problem. Blanks, Gwynn and Hairston were a combined 0-for-7.
Clearly, the outfielders need to start hitting--the sooner the better. Or did you not notice the Dodgers creeping up in the standings after a rotten start? Either the guys who are there have to produce, or someone needs to be brought in who will. This is not merely a challenge to see if the new ownership is willing to open its wallet to win a division, though that's part of it. The issue for Hoyer and his baseball people is do he, and they, have the touch for knowing when to make a move and when to stand pat? The decision-making they're faced with is as much art as science, experience as raw data. No one said it would be easy.
Here's my thinking, if I'm in Hoyer's shoes.
1. I'm in my first series in San Francisco and I haven't played the Dodgers at all. Let's get through the weekend before I start to worry about this stuff. Hey, the Padres are 4-0 against the Giants, their closest pursuers at the moment. In the sweep of SF at Petco, my primary outfielders were 6-for-19, a .317 clip.
2. If I still have an issue next Monday, I look at whose been proven and who has not. Gwynn is in his fifth major league season with a career .256 batting average and no sock. I like his speed and defense, but there is no longer any expectation of improvement from him (I feel like I've really been bagging on the Gwynns lately, and I don't mean to, but facts are facts in a performance-based industry). Hairston is in his ninth season as a .252 career hitter. He is also as good as he is going to get.
3. Blanks and Venable are in only their second big league seasons, and Blanks missed a lot of last year with his foot injury. They're both babies, so to speak. They will need time to develop. The question is where? This is when the baseball people come in. It might be best to continue to work against major league pitchers. It might be better to send them to AAA Portland to fix flaws that have developed or restore their confidence. Or would a return to the minors shatter promising young players? Big questions here.
4. The newspaper article suggested signing former White Sox slugger Jermaine Dye, who is available after not being re-signed following a bad second half of last season. This is where Moorad comes in. Dye might be a cheap alternative. Or do you go big? The Padres have pitching depth that has given Portland six hurlers with major league experience, eight if you count Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, who were called up as replacements for the grieving Kevin Correia and ailing Tim Stauffer. Are you willing to package some young pitchers in exchange for CF Adam Jones of struggling Baltimore? The Morse High product slugged 19 homers and swatted 22 doubles last year and plays superb defense for a lousy team. How about getting the experienced Scott Podsednik from Kansas City, who has rejuvenated his career and appears to be his old self again at the age of 34? Baltimore could use some pitching, but KC is desperate for it. Right now, I'd say those are the two CFs most likely to be available for trade and helpful to the Padres cause.
I think we're a bit premature on all this, but the article came out now so I thought I'd respond. Hopefully on Monday I can post a "never mind."
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For Hoke, he appeared at an Encinitas gabfest and repeated his quote that his Aztecs were woefully weak physically when he arrived on Montezuma Mesa and his players were ready to pack it in mentally after the 2009 season-opening 33-14 loss to UCLA.
Rome wasn't built in a day, so to expect significant change in size and strength in Hoke's first season was not realistic and it didn't happen. But by the time SDSU opens the 2010 campaign, it will have been nearly two calendar years since he and his supposedly wonderful strength coach, Aaron Wellman, stepped on campus. Serious change is due.
If the Aztecs are stronger in the lines, then they will be better than everyone in the Mountain West other than the Big Three of TCU, BYU and Utah; and might be at least close to as good as Air Force. They have a pretty decent QB in Ryan Lindley and the best receiving corps in the conference. They could score a lot of points on the weaker opposition.
If Hoke and Wellman are all that, we should see the results as early as this fall. I don't want to see lines pushed backward. I want to see the skill talent freed to make plays. I still think the overall talent level is 6-6ish, but that's a longer term issue than less than two years.
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As long as we're on Aztecs football, here's another challenge for Hoke. He and QB coach Brian Sipe have yet to match predecessor Chuck Long--God it pains me to write those last three words--in one area, QB recruiting. One of the few things Long got right was bringing in Lindley. I don't think incoming freshman Adam Dingwell of Rockwall, Texas, is of the same caliber, though I might be wrong. I'm talking about a major recruit here, and as star-crossed as Lindley's career has been, he was a major recruit.
I don't see SDSU being ready yet to compete for Top 10 quarterback recruits yet and they've only gotten or really challenged for a handful over the years anyway. But a 15-25 guy nationally, like Lindley, needs to come in here for this program to take off.
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Wednesday post on SDSU football on Yahoo!'s Dr. Saturday blog. Pretty fair assessment.
Good articles on what's going on in local sports. Let me bump them up a bit with the stakes involved.
---
On the Padres outfield, it is worth noting that from left to right, Kyle Blanks' stat line is a measly .180-3-14, Tony Gwynn is at .211 with just 8 runs scored and Will Venable is .220-4-12. Scott Hairston's line is .243-6-13, and he deserves considerable credit for Tuesday's 3-2 win at San Francisco with an 11-pitch leadoff at-bat that exposed Giants P Barry Zito's stuff for the rest of the lineup. Hairston himself didn't do too much the rest of the game, but the guy right behind him, 2B David Eckstein, went 2-for-2 with three walks. I don't think that's coincidence.
But the main point of the newspaper article is now that we're into mid-May and the outfielders aren't producing at the plate, Hoyer has to decide whether to stick with the young kids or make a trade for some hitting. Tuesday's Giants game shows perfectly the problem. Their pitchers issued 12 walks, yet the Friars only cashed in with 3 runs. That's a problem. Blanks, Gwynn and Hairston were a combined 0-for-7.
Clearly, the outfielders need to start hitting--the sooner the better. Or did you not notice the Dodgers creeping up in the standings after a rotten start? Either the guys who are there have to produce, or someone needs to be brought in who will. This is not merely a challenge to see if the new ownership is willing to open its wallet to win a division, though that's part of it. The issue for Hoyer and his baseball people is do he, and they, have the touch for knowing when to make a move and when to stand pat? The decision-making they're faced with is as much art as science, experience as raw data. No one said it would be easy.
Here's my thinking, if I'm in Hoyer's shoes.
1. I'm in my first series in San Francisco and I haven't played the Dodgers at all. Let's get through the weekend before I start to worry about this stuff. Hey, the Padres are 4-0 against the Giants, their closest pursuers at the moment. In the sweep of SF at Petco, my primary outfielders were 6-for-19, a .317 clip.
2. If I still have an issue next Monday, I look at whose been proven and who has not. Gwynn is in his fifth major league season with a career .256 batting average and no sock. I like his speed and defense, but there is no longer any expectation of improvement from him (I feel like I've really been bagging on the Gwynns lately, and I don't mean to, but facts are facts in a performance-based industry). Hairston is in his ninth season as a .252 career hitter. He is also as good as he is going to get.
3. Blanks and Venable are in only their second big league seasons, and Blanks missed a lot of last year with his foot injury. They're both babies, so to speak. They will need time to develop. The question is where? This is when the baseball people come in. It might be best to continue to work against major league pitchers. It might be better to send them to AAA Portland to fix flaws that have developed or restore their confidence. Or would a return to the minors shatter promising young players? Big questions here.
4. The newspaper article suggested signing former White Sox slugger Jermaine Dye, who is available after not being re-signed following a bad second half of last season. This is where Moorad comes in. Dye might be a cheap alternative. Or do you go big? The Padres have pitching depth that has given Portland six hurlers with major league experience, eight if you count Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, who were called up as replacements for the grieving Kevin Correia and ailing Tim Stauffer. Are you willing to package some young pitchers in exchange for CF Adam Jones of struggling Baltimore? The Morse High product slugged 19 homers and swatted 22 doubles last year and plays superb defense for a lousy team. How about getting the experienced Scott Podsednik from Kansas City, who has rejuvenated his career and appears to be his old self again at the age of 34? Baltimore could use some pitching, but KC is desperate for it. Right now, I'd say those are the two CFs most likely to be available for trade and helpful to the Padres cause.
I think we're a bit premature on all this, but the article came out now so I thought I'd respond. Hopefully on Monday I can post a "never mind."
---
For Hoke, he appeared at an Encinitas gabfest and repeated his quote that his Aztecs were woefully weak physically when he arrived on Montezuma Mesa and his players were ready to pack it in mentally after the 2009 season-opening 33-14 loss to UCLA.
Rome wasn't built in a day, so to expect significant change in size and strength in Hoke's first season was not realistic and it didn't happen. But by the time SDSU opens the 2010 campaign, it will have been nearly two calendar years since he and his supposedly wonderful strength coach, Aaron Wellman, stepped on campus. Serious change is due.
If the Aztecs are stronger in the lines, then they will be better than everyone in the Mountain West other than the Big Three of TCU, BYU and Utah; and might be at least close to as good as Air Force. They have a pretty decent QB in Ryan Lindley and the best receiving corps in the conference. They could score a lot of points on the weaker opposition.
If Hoke and Wellman are all that, we should see the results as early as this fall. I don't want to see lines pushed backward. I want to see the skill talent freed to make plays. I still think the overall talent level is 6-6ish, but that's a longer term issue than less than two years.
---
As long as we're on Aztecs football, here's another challenge for Hoke. He and QB coach Brian Sipe have yet to match predecessor Chuck Long--God it pains me to write those last three words--in one area, QB recruiting. One of the few things Long got right was bringing in Lindley. I don't think incoming freshman Adam Dingwell of Rockwall, Texas, is of the same caliber, though I might be wrong. I'm talking about a major recruit here, and as star-crossed as Lindley's career has been, he was a major recruit.
I don't see SDSU being ready yet to compete for Top 10 quarterback recruits yet and they've only gotten or really challenged for a handful over the years anyway. But a 15-25 guy nationally, like Lindley, needs to come in here for this program to take off.
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Wednesday post on SDSU football on Yahoo!'s Dr. Saturday blog. Pretty fair assessment.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Padres Rotation
In the span of hours, heck it could have been minutes, the Padres placed P Kevin Correia on the bereavement list and lost Tim Stauffer for an unknown amount of time after he had an emergency appendectomy in San Francisco (he must have gone for one of those lobsters at Fisherman's Wharf!).
That's on top of Chris Young being out. The latest is that Young will return by the All-Star break, but anything he produces at all in 2010 will be gravy.
All this comes as the Friars are preparing for the two biggest series in this young season, at San Francisco and home this weekend against LA. Yuck!
The latest scoop according to the Padres Web site is Stauffer went to bed with pains and had trouble sleeping before waking a trainer at 3am to go to a hospital. One report said he could be out six weeks. That would be extreme. I remember years ago, Dave Kingman of the Giants had such an operation and came back two days later to leg out a triple against the Dodgers.
Correia's brother apparently fell off a cliff on one of the Channel Islands--a real tragedy. The Padres think he might be back in time to make Saturday's start against the Dodgers. Meanwhile, lefty Cesar Ramos is making his way back to the team from AAA Portland.
That's on top of Chris Young being out. The latest is that Young will return by the All-Star break, but anything he produces at all in 2010 will be gravy.
All this comes as the Friars are preparing for the two biggest series in this young season, at San Francisco and home this weekend against LA. Yuck!
The latest scoop according to the Padres Web site is Stauffer went to bed with pains and had trouble sleeping before waking a trainer at 3am to go to a hospital. One report said he could be out six weeks. That would be extreme. I remember years ago, Dave Kingman of the Giants had such an operation and came back two days later to leg out a triple against the Dodgers.
Correia's brother apparently fell off a cliff on one of the Channel Islands--a real tragedy. The Padres think he might be back in time to make Saturday's start against the Dodgers. Meanwhile, lefty Cesar Ramos is making his way back to the team from AAA Portland.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Padres Concerns
It was a really bad ninth inning for the Padres on Sunday, especially if your name is Jerry Hairston Jr. But the Friars 4-3 loss at Houston disturbingly displayed their Achilles heel.
First, the inning, if you didn't see it. The Padres went into the ninth with a 3-2 lead thanks to a strong five-inning spot start by Tim Stauffer and the pitcher's own two-run double. After Edward Mujica allowed a pair of home runs in the sixth to make the game close, things went to hell in the final frame.
Looking for an insurance run for Heath Bell -- it would have been darned handy as it turned out -- David Eckstein lined a double to left and went to third on Nick Hundley's ground out. Hairston Jr. then tapped a weak grounder to short against a drawn-in infield, and Eckstein was thrown out at the plate. Hairston Jr., obviously hoping to make amends by getting into scoring position, was then thrown out stealing to end the inning -- and was visibly frustrated.
Well, that didn't go too well, but the Padres were still turning the ball over to Bell, so they seemed in good shape. Uh, no. Carlos Lee grounded a ball to Hairston Jr. at short, and he airmailed the ball well over first baseman Adrian Gonzalez' head, and Lee went to second base. A pinch runner was grounded to third and, as the Padres failed to do, was brought home by a sacrifice fly. That tied the game and the Astros went on to win in the 11th.
As bad as that ninth inning was, it's a display of how the Padres are in need of improvement as they head into a big pair of series against the Giants and Dodgers. Their lack of offense is keeping games like this close. Sure, they had to face Roy Oswalt, but you have to execute professionally when opportunity arises.
Four of the Padres past five games have been decided by one run, and they are 2-2 in those contests. You don't want so many close games where anything can happen. For the season, the Padres are 5-4 in games decided by a single point -- a winning mark but barely so.
You can look at the Padres scores so far and point to a few 8- and 7-run scoring outbursts, but check this out: Sunday, Stauffer drove in two of the three runs and scored the other. Friday, when they hung 7 on the 'stros, Mat Latos had an RBI double and scored later. It's nice to have the hurlers helping the hitters, but it's not good when they're carrying them.
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Condolences to Padres P Kevin Correia on the loss of his brother over the weekend. As of Monday the circumstances have not been reported, other than he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.
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A split for San Diego State's men's basketball team in terms of star opponents leaving for the NBA. Darington Hobson of New Mexico is gone, but BYU's Jimmer Fredette is staying for his senior season. The Lobos are adding quality depth to what had been a lean front line, so better for Aztecs fans that Hobson goes. But Fredette, long a thorn in SDSU's side, withdrew from the draft after he was reportedly injured in a workout late last week.
First, the inning, if you didn't see it. The Padres went into the ninth with a 3-2 lead thanks to a strong five-inning spot start by Tim Stauffer and the pitcher's own two-run double. After Edward Mujica allowed a pair of home runs in the sixth to make the game close, things went to hell in the final frame.
Looking for an insurance run for Heath Bell -- it would have been darned handy as it turned out -- David Eckstein lined a double to left and went to third on Nick Hundley's ground out. Hairston Jr. then tapped a weak grounder to short against a drawn-in infield, and Eckstein was thrown out at the plate. Hairston Jr., obviously hoping to make amends by getting into scoring position, was then thrown out stealing to end the inning -- and was visibly frustrated.
Well, that didn't go too well, but the Padres were still turning the ball over to Bell, so they seemed in good shape. Uh, no. Carlos Lee grounded a ball to Hairston Jr. at short, and he airmailed the ball well over first baseman Adrian Gonzalez' head, and Lee went to second base. A pinch runner was grounded to third and, as the Padres failed to do, was brought home by a sacrifice fly. That tied the game and the Astros went on to win in the 11th.
As bad as that ninth inning was, it's a display of how the Padres are in need of improvement as they head into a big pair of series against the Giants and Dodgers. Their lack of offense is keeping games like this close. Sure, they had to face Roy Oswalt, but you have to execute professionally when opportunity arises.
Four of the Padres past five games have been decided by one run, and they are 2-2 in those contests. You don't want so many close games where anything can happen. For the season, the Padres are 5-4 in games decided by a single point -- a winning mark but barely so.
You can look at the Padres scores so far and point to a few 8- and 7-run scoring outbursts, but check this out: Sunday, Stauffer drove in two of the three runs and scored the other. Friday, when they hung 7 on the 'stros, Mat Latos had an RBI double and scored later. It's nice to have the hurlers helping the hitters, but it's not good when they're carrying them.
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Condolences to Padres P Kevin Correia on the loss of his brother over the weekend. As of Monday the circumstances have not been reported, other than he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.
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A split for San Diego State's men's basketball team in terms of star opponents leaving for the NBA. Darington Hobson of New Mexico is gone, but BYU's Jimmer Fredette is staying for his senior season. The Lobos are adding quality depth to what had been a lean front line, so better for Aztecs fans that Hobson goes. But Fredette, long a thorn in SDSU's side, withdrew from the draft after he was reportedly injured in a workout late last week.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Padres Injuries
The news that Padres P Chris Young is battling shoulder soreness again should surprise no one. His string of injuries over the past couple of seasons just aren't going to be cured in a matter of month or even a year. If Young ever makes it back for full-time mound work, it would be exceptional. Thank God the Padres have plenty of pitching depth.
Which leads me to something I was thinking about the other day. Now that Young is gone and the Friars have proven they can win without SS Everth Cabrera -- there's a shock -- who is it that they can most ill-afford to lose? Which position player is the linchpin who, if he goes down for a couple of months, will be the reason why the season suddenly falls apart?
My choice is not Adrian Gonzalez -- surprise, surprise. Losing the left-handed slugger would be difficult, certainly, but his production can be streaky. In his last 10 games, Gonzo is barely batting over .200 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and more strikeouts than hits. The Padres are 6-4 over that span, not gang-busters but they aren't falling apart without his production. They scored four runs or more in half those games. In games they scored 8 and 9 runs, the first baseman was 0-for-5 both times.
It says here that the player the Padres simply can't lose is 3B Chase Headley. I came to the conclusion a day before his walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Rockies. If he goes down, who will play third? Jerry Hairston Jr.? Please. He's a middle infielder/outfielder sub who is darn good at what he does, but I don't see him at the hot corner for more than a game or two. Oscar Salazar for two months?
There is no one else on the 40-man roster. The starting 3B at AAA Portland is Craig Stansberry, who is barely above the Mendoza line.
If Headley, with his clutch hitting and defense that's improving by the week, goes out for an extended period of time, the Padres tank in a flurry of 1-0, 2-1 losses.
Second on my list is C Nick Hundley. Mention his name before the season and you'd elicit a yawn. But someone is behind the plate calling all the shutouts the pitchers have been tossing, and Hundley is the guy. His hitting has been timely. Backup Yorvit Torrealba has been fine in his spot-starts, but Hundley and his battery-mates on the mound have something going.
Gonzalez ranks third of the position players they can't afford to lose. He is their power. However, what will happen if he goes down is that Kyle Blanks will move to first and that four-man OF rotation suddenly becomes Scott Hairston-Tony Gwynn-Will Venable every night. That might be do-able.
I like where the Padres are right now. They still need to hit more, no doubt. And they still haven't played the Dodgers, the Giants on the road or heavyweights like the Cardinals or Phillies. They get all in the next several weeks.
Which leads me to something I was thinking about the other day. Now that Young is gone and the Friars have proven they can win without SS Everth Cabrera -- there's a shock -- who is it that they can most ill-afford to lose? Which position player is the linchpin who, if he goes down for a couple of months, will be the reason why the season suddenly falls apart?
My choice is not Adrian Gonzalez -- surprise, surprise. Losing the left-handed slugger would be difficult, certainly, but his production can be streaky. In his last 10 games, Gonzo is barely batting over .200 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and more strikeouts than hits. The Padres are 6-4 over that span, not gang-busters but they aren't falling apart without his production. They scored four runs or more in half those games. In games they scored 8 and 9 runs, the first baseman was 0-for-5 both times.
It says here that the player the Padres simply can't lose is 3B Chase Headley. I came to the conclusion a day before his walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Rockies. If he goes down, who will play third? Jerry Hairston Jr.? Please. He's a middle infielder/outfielder sub who is darn good at what he does, but I don't see him at the hot corner for more than a game or two. Oscar Salazar for two months?
There is no one else on the 40-man roster. The starting 3B at AAA Portland is Craig Stansberry, who is barely above the Mendoza line.
If Headley, with his clutch hitting and defense that's improving by the week, goes out for an extended period of time, the Padres tank in a flurry of 1-0, 2-1 losses.
Second on my list is C Nick Hundley. Mention his name before the season and you'd elicit a yawn. But someone is behind the plate calling all the shutouts the pitchers have been tossing, and Hundley is the guy. His hitting has been timely. Backup Yorvit Torrealba has been fine in his spot-starts, but Hundley and his battery-mates on the mound have something going.
Gonzalez ranks third of the position players they can't afford to lose. He is their power. However, what will happen if he goes down is that Kyle Blanks will move to first and that four-man OF rotation suddenly becomes Scott Hairston-Tony Gwynn-Will Venable every night. That might be do-able.
I like where the Padres are right now. They still need to hit more, no doubt. And they still haven't played the Dodgers, the Giants on the road or heavyweights like the Cardinals or Phillies. They get all in the next several weeks.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Is Ice Thinning Under Gwynn?
Just a year after San Diego State's baseball team rode the magical arm and golden spikes of pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg to its first appearance in the NCAA Regionals in the ungodly time period of nearly 20 years, the Aztecs sit a game under .500 both overall and in the Mountain West Conference.
The only chance at a second straight NCAA berth will be an upset run through the league tournament, something that looks increasingly unlikely after New Mexico took two of three from SDSU over the weekend. The Lobos scored 20 times in the finale, a stunning total at pitcher-friendly Tony Gwynn Stadium even on a Sunday.
In a post before the beginning of the season, I asked local baseball coaches to "show me what they got." Could Rich Hill of USD rebound after an injury-plagued off year? Could Gwynn maintain course without Strasburg? For Hill, the answer is yes. The Toreros are ranked 22nd in the latest Baseball America poll and are a perfect 12-0 in the West Coast Conference, which is at least as good as the Mountain West.
For Gwynn, the answer is no. His Aztecs are in fourth place in the MWC at 7-8. However, the problem does not entirely lie with him. He has lost several starting pitchers to injury and a number of true freshman have had to take on considerable playing time.
Yet some numbers are disturbing. The Aztecs have struck out 366 times this year, with the next team on the list, perennially horrible Air Force, whiffing 328 times. The Lobos have gone down on K's more than 130 fewer times. The team ERA is 5.17 with most games in confines nearly as friendly to pitchers as Petco Park. Fielding has been a major issue under Gwynn, and the Aztecs percentage of .961 is fifth out of seven teams, and they are second in the total number of errors committed.
Individually, only one player, Brandon Meredith, ranks in the league's Top 20 in batting average, at .374. If you know about the league, you understand there will never be many Aztecs among the leaders in the category, but ONE? Come on. No SDSU players appear in the league Top 10 for slugging percentage, RBI, doubles, home runs or total bases. That's after instruction from a Hall of Fame major league hitter.
Success and failure in baseball cannot always be defined by numbers. I have no idea what sort of drama might be taking place behind the scenes, if the players respect and support each other or consider their responsibilities to be drudgery. I don't if the replacement of pitching coach Rusty Filter with the equally respected Eric Valenzuela has gone poorly. I don't know why more players don't respond the Gwynn's batting instruction. I sure as heck don't understand why a program that can create a Strasburg can't make more who are at least similar to him -- yeah, he's one of a kind, but at least something close?
So, while I'm not advocating that Gwynn be done away with as head coach, I do think the time has come to bring up the issue. Keep in mind that SDSU has a new athletic director who was able to admire Gwynn the player and personality only from afar. Jim Sterk may not have a deep understanding of his coach's standing in the community.
Ultimately, the question Sterk will need to evaluate is this: does Gwynn's position as a status symbol and ability to bring attention to San Diego State University outweigh the fact that he has been unable to build a consistent winner in a non-revenue sport? For most of his tenure as coach, the answer was undeniably yes. But I also think that time is starting to run out, at least for the youngsters he needs to attract to Montezuma Mesa to build a winner. We're talking about kids who were in tee-ball when Gwynn retired. He still has considerable cache with adults who would be inclined to support the program, but year-after-year of losing is eroding even that backing.
I would hate to be in Sterk's shoes and have to decide whether his baseball program would be better off without a legendary coach. This year's injuries mean the new AD won't have to deal with the subject this year -- 2010 is a free pass. Next year, though, Tony Gwynn might be under closer scrutiny.
The only chance at a second straight NCAA berth will be an upset run through the league tournament, something that looks increasingly unlikely after New Mexico took two of three from SDSU over the weekend. The Lobos scored 20 times in the finale, a stunning total at pitcher-friendly Tony Gwynn Stadium even on a Sunday.
In a post before the beginning of the season, I asked local baseball coaches to "show me what they got." Could Rich Hill of USD rebound after an injury-plagued off year? Could Gwynn maintain course without Strasburg? For Hill, the answer is yes. The Toreros are ranked 22nd in the latest Baseball America poll and are a perfect 12-0 in the West Coast Conference, which is at least as good as the Mountain West.
For Gwynn, the answer is no. His Aztecs are in fourth place in the MWC at 7-8. However, the problem does not entirely lie with him. He has lost several starting pitchers to injury and a number of true freshman have had to take on considerable playing time.
Yet some numbers are disturbing. The Aztecs have struck out 366 times this year, with the next team on the list, perennially horrible Air Force, whiffing 328 times. The Lobos have gone down on K's more than 130 fewer times. The team ERA is 5.17 with most games in confines nearly as friendly to pitchers as Petco Park. Fielding has been a major issue under Gwynn, and the Aztecs percentage of .961 is fifth out of seven teams, and they are second in the total number of errors committed.
Individually, only one player, Brandon Meredith, ranks in the league's Top 20 in batting average, at .374. If you know about the league, you understand there will never be many Aztecs among the leaders in the category, but ONE? Come on. No SDSU players appear in the league Top 10 for slugging percentage, RBI, doubles, home runs or total bases. That's after instruction from a Hall of Fame major league hitter.
Success and failure in baseball cannot always be defined by numbers. I have no idea what sort of drama might be taking place behind the scenes, if the players respect and support each other or consider their responsibilities to be drudgery. I don't if the replacement of pitching coach Rusty Filter with the equally respected Eric Valenzuela has gone poorly. I don't know why more players don't respond the Gwynn's batting instruction. I sure as heck don't understand why a program that can create a Strasburg can't make more who are at least similar to him -- yeah, he's one of a kind, but at least something close?
So, while I'm not advocating that Gwynn be done away with as head coach, I do think the time has come to bring up the issue. Keep in mind that SDSU has a new athletic director who was able to admire Gwynn the player and personality only from afar. Jim Sterk may not have a deep understanding of his coach's standing in the community.
Ultimately, the question Sterk will need to evaluate is this: does Gwynn's position as a status symbol and ability to bring attention to San Diego State University outweigh the fact that he has been unable to build a consistent winner in a non-revenue sport? For most of his tenure as coach, the answer was undeniably yes. But I also think that time is starting to run out, at least for the youngsters he needs to attract to Montezuma Mesa to build a winner. We're talking about kids who were in tee-ball when Gwynn retired. He still has considerable cache with adults who would be inclined to support the program, but year-after-year of losing is eroding even that backing.
I would hate to be in Sterk's shoes and have to decide whether his baseball program would be better off without a legendary coach. This year's injuries mean the new AD won't have to deal with the subject this year -- 2010 is a free pass. Next year, though, Tony Gwynn might be under closer scrutiny.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Padres
When I wrote before the start of the season that the Padres would make noise, I didn't think it would be an explosion. I also didn't think opponents would be so silenced. The Brewers came into Petco Park as the highest-scoring team in the league, and have been blanked over 18 innings.
Some interesting things:
- The Padres are in the upper half of baseball in runs scored despite playing in a pitcher's park and having a mediocre team batting average. They are second in steals. Correlation? I think so. Pitching is only part of the equation because the Giants and Cardinals both have better team ERAs.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff is hitting .256 for Oakland with just 1 HR. I might be blind but I didn't find fielding stats on the source I was checking. Chase Headley is batting .322 and he, too, needs to improve on his 1 HR.
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Vista's Trevor Cahill was called up from AAA Sacramento to fill in for a suddenly battered A's starting rotation and was rocked by Toronto Friday to the tune of 6 earned runs in 5 innings.
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So you all get me excited about local horse Sidney's Candy being one of the Kentucky Derby favorites and wait until Friday to tell me he's never run in dirt? Nice. Not only will it be dirt, but it could very well be mud because of bad weather. We'll hope for the best.
Some interesting things:
- The Padres are in the upper half of baseball in runs scored despite playing in a pitcher's park and having a mediocre team batting average. They are second in steals. Correlation? I think so. Pitching is only part of the equation because the Giants and Cardinals both have better team ERAs.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff is hitting .256 for Oakland with just 1 HR. I might be blind but I didn't find fielding stats on the source I was checking. Chase Headley is batting .322 and he, too, needs to improve on his 1 HR.
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Vista's Trevor Cahill was called up from AAA Sacramento to fill in for a suddenly battered A's starting rotation and was rocked by Toronto Friday to the tune of 6 earned runs in 5 innings.
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So you all get me excited about local horse Sidney's Candy being one of the Kentucky Derby favorites and wait until Friday to tell me he's never run in dirt? Nice. Not only will it be dirt, but it could very well be mud because of bad weather. We'll hope for the best.
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