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.
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