I have no idea if Padres newcomers Miguel Tejada or Ryan Ludwick -- acquired Saturday from the Cardinals for two minor league pitchers -- will propel the Friars to the playoffs or not, but I congratulate GM Jed Hoyer for making the effort, for not standing pat while the offense struggles.
Tejada and Ludwick are similar in that their numbers have declined the past couple of years as we go into the hopefully clean era of baseball. There is a good chance that neither will produce much in pitcher-friendly Petco Park. But they might. Who at the end of July 1998 would have predicted Jim Leyritz and Sterling Hitchcock would have carried the Padres to the World Series? Ludwick has significant post-season experience. You make the best deals you can and turn the players lose. It's all a GM can do.
There is something about the deals I like and something about the Ludwick trade I'm not thrilled with. I like that for both Tejada and Ludwick, the Padres didn't give up any of the name minor leaguers they've been developing. Both come relatively cheaply.
I'm not so sure about allowing the Cardinals to be stronger. The Saturday deal included the Indians, who got one of the Padres young hurlers and sent P Jake Westbrook to St. Louis. I'd hate to be battling with them for a wildcard spot knowing you helped them out earlier.
The Padres players did not want team chemistry to be disturbed by a makeover, and I think Hoyer gave them plenty of chances for their good feelings for each other to pay dividends. The past couple of weeks have shown no improvement in the offense, however, and he needed to make moves. I'm glad he did.
Now go looking for your own starting pitcher in August. I noted in the newspaper that three potential targets for Hoyer were not my guesses in my previous post. Saturday's dealings took two of the three out of the picture -- Westbrook and Ted Lilly who went from the Cubs to the Dodgers.
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If you didn't hear the radio interview by Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith of Chargers TE Antonio Gates a few days ago, it's worth going to their Web site and downloading it. Gates has it totally together as a player and person, and he essentially agreed with the hosts that holdouts WR Vincent Jackson, T Marcus McNeill and LB Shawne Merriman were being selfish and didn't have their priorities straight.
Some of the reporting on their contract negotiations in recent months seems to give the players' stands some legitimacy, so it was an interesting take on his part. The interview left me wondering about past, current and particularly future locker room dissension among the players.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Padres Moves in August, Aztecs Changes Are Real
The Padres aren't done with the trade market. Thursday's acquisition of Miguel Tejada from the Orioles will enhance their playoff chances. The next step will be to win in the post-season, and for that they're going to want another strong starting pitcher.
Note that I used the word "want" instead of "need." I don't think another starting pitcher will be necessary for playoff success, but I still worry about sending Wade LeBlanc up against the Phillies lineup with Roy Oswalt on the mound. Maybe LeBlanc or Jon Garland gets hot, but I'd rather not take my chances with doing nothing.
I might be putting the cart before the horse, but a look at the standings shows the Padres are well-positioned to make the playoffs. They're five games in front of the Phils and Cardinals in a potential wildcard race, six games in the all-important loss column. That is by no means safe, but of all the contenders, I see the two-time defending NL champs as the only team likely to get hot down the stretch. Also, the Padres have shown a great knack of avoiding slumps, so I think they're in the race to the wire.
So the Padres don't need to get their big starter quite yet. In August, you can still trade for players as long as they clear waivers, and there are indications that other teams aren't going to be messing with the waiver wire next month.
The question is who? GM Jed Hoyer might be able to pry Brett Myers (8-6, 3.10 in a hitter's park) out of Houston or Livan Hernandez (7-7, 3.22) out of Washington. Maybe Ryan Dempster (8-7, 3.71) can be taken from the Cubs. But that's about it. As bad as their teams are, I can't see the Mariners giving up Felix Hernandez or the Royals parting with Zach Greinke for anything other than a king's ransom. The good pitchers are with the good teams. So talking about acquiring a solid starter for the playoffs is much easier than actually getting once.
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Changes are afoot with the San Diego State football program. I attended an event Thursday night in which coach Brady Hoke talked and he said the players are all bigger and stronger thanks to dedicated off-season conditioning -- stuff we hear every year about this time.
Here's what convinces me that improvement is coming at SDSU. I talked with a longtime local high school football coach who deals with plenty of Division 1 prospects and he told me the difference between the current staff and the previous one is "night and day." That is good to hear because, ultimately, to have a good football program you need the best players. If local football coaches are comfortable in recommending the Aztecs to their kids, then Hoke is going to start bringing in high-quality recruits.
Previous SDSU coach Chuck Long spoke frequently of putting a fence around San Diego, but it turned out to be so much lip service. You'd hear comments every so often from people connected to area high school powers that they never saw Long or his staff. Hoke and his guys actually go out and do something about it.
I don't know if the change will show up in this year's won-loss record. I still hold to challenging for a 6-6 bowl. But the program finally appears to be on the right track. Let's hope local fans take notice and start showing up again.
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I like Torrey Pines High's Nick Kerr committing to the USD basketball team. The son of longtime NBA star Steve Kerr was not a high-profile recruit, but the Toreros have been very successful with three-point sharpshooters in the past. Here's hoping Kerr becomes the best of them.
Note that I used the word "want" instead of "need." I don't think another starting pitcher will be necessary for playoff success, but I still worry about sending Wade LeBlanc up against the Phillies lineup with Roy Oswalt on the mound. Maybe LeBlanc or Jon Garland gets hot, but I'd rather not take my chances with doing nothing.
I might be putting the cart before the horse, but a look at the standings shows the Padres are well-positioned to make the playoffs. They're five games in front of the Phils and Cardinals in a potential wildcard race, six games in the all-important loss column. That is by no means safe, but of all the contenders, I see the two-time defending NL champs as the only team likely to get hot down the stretch. Also, the Padres have shown a great knack of avoiding slumps, so I think they're in the race to the wire.
So the Padres don't need to get their big starter quite yet. In August, you can still trade for players as long as they clear waivers, and there are indications that other teams aren't going to be messing with the waiver wire next month.
The question is who? GM Jed Hoyer might be able to pry Brett Myers (8-6, 3.10 in a hitter's park) out of Houston or Livan Hernandez (7-7, 3.22) out of Washington. Maybe Ryan Dempster (8-7, 3.71) can be taken from the Cubs. But that's about it. As bad as their teams are, I can't see the Mariners giving up Felix Hernandez or the Royals parting with Zach Greinke for anything other than a king's ransom. The good pitchers are with the good teams. So talking about acquiring a solid starter for the playoffs is much easier than actually getting once.
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Changes are afoot with the San Diego State football program. I attended an event Thursday night in which coach Brady Hoke talked and he said the players are all bigger and stronger thanks to dedicated off-season conditioning -- stuff we hear every year about this time.
Here's what convinces me that improvement is coming at SDSU. I talked with a longtime local high school football coach who deals with plenty of Division 1 prospects and he told me the difference between the current staff and the previous one is "night and day." That is good to hear because, ultimately, to have a good football program you need the best players. If local football coaches are comfortable in recommending the Aztecs to their kids, then Hoke is going to start bringing in high-quality recruits.
Previous SDSU coach Chuck Long spoke frequently of putting a fence around San Diego, but it turned out to be so much lip service. You'd hear comments every so often from people connected to area high school powers that they never saw Long or his staff. Hoke and his guys actually go out and do something about it.
I don't know if the change will show up in this year's won-loss record. I still hold to challenging for a 6-6 bowl. But the program finally appears to be on the right track. Let's hope local fans take notice and start showing up again.
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I like Torrey Pines High's Nick Kerr committing to the USD basketball team. The son of longtime NBA star Steve Kerr was not a high-profile recruit, but the Toreros have been very successful with three-point sharpshooters in the past. Here's hoping Kerr becomes the best of them.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Padres Get Tejada
The news breaking Thursday is that the Padres traded for Orioles SS Miguel Tejada, a former slugger who is batting .269 with 7 HR and 39 RBI. The lineup around him is bad and he would probably be a poster child for the post-steroid era, not that I'm insinuating anything.
My reaction is hmmmm. I wish I could say more. The Tejada of a few years ago might have excited me. His lineup around him in San Diego will be just as bad as that in Baltimore. He will be playing in a pitcher's park. On the other hand, he will be better than Everth Cabrera and the change of scenery and participation in a pennant race might do him some good.
It sounds like the Orioles, with the worst record in baseball, were looking to add by subtracting an under-performing veteran. They accepted from the Padres, in return, AA P Wynn Pelzer, and sent cash to help pay Tejada's inflated salary. Pelzer, 24, was 6-9, 4.20 in San Antonio. Fortunately, the Padres didn't spend too much to get him, so they could still be in the market for a staring pitcher. If there is anything to say about the trade, its that shortstop has improved from well below-average to mediocre.
By the way, I'm highly disturbed that the Dodgers stole Scott Podsednik from KC for next to nothing. The Padres could have had him and I know he's productive. Podsednik is a guy I targeted early, and I'm disappointed he will be playing for a key rival.
My reaction is hmmmm. I wish I could say more. The Tejada of a few years ago might have excited me. His lineup around him in San Diego will be just as bad as that in Baltimore. He will be playing in a pitcher's park. On the other hand, he will be better than Everth Cabrera and the change of scenery and participation in a pennant race might do him some good.
It sounds like the Orioles, with the worst record in baseball, were looking to add by subtracting an under-performing veteran. They accepted from the Padres, in return, AA P Wynn Pelzer, and sent cash to help pay Tejada's inflated salary. Pelzer, 24, was 6-9, 4.20 in San Antonio. Fortunately, the Padres didn't spend too much to get him, so they could still be in the market for a staring pitcher. If there is anything to say about the trade, its that shortstop has improved from well below-average to mediocre.
By the way, I'm highly disturbed that the Dodgers stole Scott Podsednik from KC for next to nothing. The Padres could have had him and I know he's productive. Podsednik is a guy I targeted early, and I'm disappointed he will be playing for a key rival.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Aztec Jinx Holds on for Dear Life, Strasburg and Latos
That dark cloud that hovers over San Diego State athletics is showing renewed strength this week after word of two key injuries to star players and two others becoming academic casualties.
It is typical SDSU that a team heads into a season with high hopes, only to be knee-capped by injury, poor schoolwork or criminal misconduct. That has happened to women's soccer, which will enter the Fall 2010 semester with high hopes following a Mountain West Conference Tournament championship and NCAA playoff victory. Cat Walker, the scoring sensation entering her senior season as a team leader, tore the ACL in her right knee earlier this month and is scheduled for surgery in early-August to determine the extent of the damage, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. There remains hope the midfielder can rest for now and play some in her final season, but I think by now we know where this story is going to go.
The Aztecs have high hopes for 2010 and accordingly fashioned a strong schedule that includes defending national champion North Carolina on the Aztec Sports Deck on Sept. 12 and perennially strong Santa Clara. The Aztecs return seven starters, but it would be nice to have their clutch goal-scorer among them.
The other injury -- breaking news credit goes to Internet message boards and Facebook, not the U-T -- was also a knee injury to incoming freshman footballer JJ Whittaker, the Oceanside High star who was snatched by coach Brady Hoke out of Arizona's grasp. Whittaker was one of the two or three recruiting coups of February's class, a Pac-10 quality receiver or cornerback who might have contributed this fall as a true freshman. The word is Whittaker's knee was ripped up so badly that there is no way he plays in 2010.
JC transfer offensive lineman Joe Unga failed to quality academically and there's talk that an incoming freshman receiver also didn't make the grade.
Now, soccer teams and football squads lose players to injuries and academics. It's the nature of the sports and college life. Isn't it typical for SDSU, though, that the dagger falls on such critical members of the rosters? I've written in the past that whatever dark cloud hangs over Montezuma Mesa appears to be dissipating, but it is not entirely gone.
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The media that covers the MWC figures Hoke's bunch will finish sixth in the upcoming season. That's a safe choice. I understand being rated behind TCU, Utah, BYU and Air Force. From there, it is a bit of a crap-shoot.
The preseason poll lists Wyoming fifth before SDSU, with Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico bringing up the rear. The Cowboys get the Aztecs in Laramie, giving them an advantage in the head-to-head match, but the Pokes could be beat-up before the Red & Black arrives because of a difficult early-season schedule. Plus, SDSU will have vengeance on their minds after the Cowboy's comeback win at Qualcomm Stadium last year all but knocked them out of bowl consideration.
I still see the Aztecs as challenging for a 6-6 bowl game but they're still a year away from a major turnaround. Anything better will be dessert.
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The shoulder inflammation suffered by former Aztec Stephen Strasburg before his start Tuesday for the Nationals against the Braves should serve as a warning for the Padres brass, which planned going into this season to limit the innings thrown by P Mat Latos.
The prized Padres youngster has pitched just once since the All-Star break thanks to the infamous stifled sneeze -- I've got some property in East Village to sell you if you believe that one -- and is set to throw Thursday and Tuesday against the Dodgers. He is currently on pace for more than 200 innings, when manager Bud Black and GM Jed Hoyer had planned to keep him to around 180 frames or less.
It's tempting to keep throwing your best starter out there every six days when you're in a race for a division title but word of Strasburg's injury is going to give them pause.
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Lefty P Joe Thatcher was ready in the bullpen when Andre Ethier stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to the Dodgers. Thatcher has allowed left-handed hitters a .152 batting average this season, compared to the .274 mark of starter Jon Garland. Ethier is batting .234 against southpaws. Why Black left Garland in the game is beyond me.
It is typical SDSU that a team heads into a season with high hopes, only to be knee-capped by injury, poor schoolwork or criminal misconduct. That has happened to women's soccer, which will enter the Fall 2010 semester with high hopes following a Mountain West Conference Tournament championship and NCAA playoff victory. Cat Walker, the scoring sensation entering her senior season as a team leader, tore the ACL in her right knee earlier this month and is scheduled for surgery in early-August to determine the extent of the damage, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. There remains hope the midfielder can rest for now and play some in her final season, but I think by now we know where this story is going to go.
The Aztecs have high hopes for 2010 and accordingly fashioned a strong schedule that includes defending national champion North Carolina on the Aztec Sports Deck on Sept. 12 and perennially strong Santa Clara. The Aztecs return seven starters, but it would be nice to have their clutch goal-scorer among them.
The other injury -- breaking news credit goes to Internet message boards and Facebook, not the U-T -- was also a knee injury to incoming freshman footballer JJ Whittaker, the Oceanside High star who was snatched by coach Brady Hoke out of Arizona's grasp. Whittaker was one of the two or three recruiting coups of February's class, a Pac-10 quality receiver or cornerback who might have contributed this fall as a true freshman. The word is Whittaker's knee was ripped up so badly that there is no way he plays in 2010.
JC transfer offensive lineman Joe Unga failed to quality academically and there's talk that an incoming freshman receiver also didn't make the grade.
Now, soccer teams and football squads lose players to injuries and academics. It's the nature of the sports and college life. Isn't it typical for SDSU, though, that the dagger falls on such critical members of the rosters? I've written in the past that whatever dark cloud hangs over Montezuma Mesa appears to be dissipating, but it is not entirely gone.
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The media that covers the MWC figures Hoke's bunch will finish sixth in the upcoming season. That's a safe choice. I understand being rated behind TCU, Utah, BYU and Air Force. From there, it is a bit of a crap-shoot.
The preseason poll lists Wyoming fifth before SDSU, with Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico bringing up the rear. The Cowboys get the Aztecs in Laramie, giving them an advantage in the head-to-head match, but the Pokes could be beat-up before the Red & Black arrives because of a difficult early-season schedule. Plus, SDSU will have vengeance on their minds after the Cowboy's comeback win at Qualcomm Stadium last year all but knocked them out of bowl consideration.
I still see the Aztecs as challenging for a 6-6 bowl game but they're still a year away from a major turnaround. Anything better will be dessert.
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The shoulder inflammation suffered by former Aztec Stephen Strasburg before his start Tuesday for the Nationals against the Braves should serve as a warning for the Padres brass, which planned going into this season to limit the innings thrown by P Mat Latos.
The prized Padres youngster has pitched just once since the All-Star break thanks to the infamous stifled sneeze -- I've got some property in East Village to sell you if you believe that one -- and is set to throw Thursday and Tuesday against the Dodgers. He is currently on pace for more than 200 innings, when manager Bud Black and GM Jed Hoyer had planned to keep him to around 180 frames or less.
It's tempting to keep throwing your best starter out there every six days when you're in a race for a division title but word of Strasburg's injury is going to give them pause.
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Lefty P Joe Thatcher was ready in the bullpen when Andre Ethier stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to the Dodgers. Thatcher has allowed left-handed hitters a .152 batting average this season, compared to the .274 mark of starter Jon Garland. Ethier is batting .234 against southpaws. Why Black left Garland in the game is beyond me.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Chargers, Padres, Aztecs
AJ Smith and Norv Turner would have you believe that the Chargers can compete for a Super Bowl this season without most of their best players from last year. As training camp opens, I wonder just how stupid they think we are. The answer is probably "very," because fans will continue to sell-out Qualcomm Stadium and take time out of their valuable Sunday afternoons to watch on television -- just like always. So they're probably justified. As long as we're willing to pay, either in person or TV ratings, they're successful in operating their business.
I just don't see how this team will be as good when your best receiver, best offensive tackle and most disruptive defender are sitting out. That's on top of losing a running back and nose tackle who were arguably the decade's best at their positions, and a cornerback who was inconsistent but often made game-changing plays. I understand that with LaDainian Tomlinson and Jamal Williams all good things must eventually come to an end, and I think rookie Ryan Mathews has a chance to be a very solid ball-carrier in LT's sted. A second season of the "Make Shift" in place of Williams, however, doesn't thrill me. Antoine Cason for Antonio Cromartie doesn't do much for me, either.
What happens with the contracts for holdouts Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill and Shawne Merriman, I have no idea. To suggest that Jackson can be replaced by a ready-to-break-out Buster Davis after all these years is laughable. I don't think McNeill is more than a mid-level NFL left tackle, but he's what we have and I don't know if Tra Thomas can be an adequate replacement at the age of 35. Larry English is a better linebacker than an unhealthy Merriman, but if the incumbent is well it would be a shame to waste him for a season.
Some of the changes we lament were coming no matter what, so it's true when Smith and Turner say they have to move on with the players they have. The trouble is a lack of concern of what that means. This is a team that was physically beat-down at home by the Jets in their first playoff game, and there is nothing among the departures or arrivals that makes me think the 2009 performance will be improved upon this fall. They are lucky they perform in the AFC West, where the competition is still weak. They should make the playoffs and there probably won't be a major dropoff. However, it's doubtful they'll move deeper into the post-season.
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You've got to applaud the Padres for their 7-2 record and two series sweeps coming out of the All-Star break. The players have pleaded for some time now not to break them up in search of better hitting because they've formed a tight bond, and their work in the second-half of July lends them considerable credence. As much as I'd like a power bat in the lineup -- and as much as I've written about such a desire -- I'm no longer sure where GM Jed Hoyer would go to get one in this Year of the Pitcher. This team, for the most part, is working as is and shows it with a record now 19 games above .500.
My priorities for Hoyer are now:
1. Starting pitcher -- the brass wants to keep resting young Mat Latos, their lone stopper. Championships are won with such pitchers. If I'm allowed to think ahead to clinching the NL West and advancing in the playoffs, they need another guy to step up or Hoyer needs to acquire someone. I'd put Latos against anyone in the playoffs, but I'm not sure the other starters are ready to go up against a top opponent backed by a decent lineup. Remember 1998? They had a pure #1 in Kevin Brown, but the reason the Friars reached the World Series was because of Sterling Hitchcock. They need that second guy and can repeat the '98 excitement if they find him.
2. Shortstop -- It happened a few times in recent years in which the Padres got a Rule V player who looked sharp in his first season and then was like an over-his-head minor leaguer a year later. Everth Cabrera fits the mold. This position is now the weak link in the chain.
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San Diego State's football training camp doesn't begin until the first week of August, but coaches are gathering on campus for preparations beginning this week. Word from an insider is that everyone is healthy with the possible exception of DB Dey Juan Hemmings, who is coming along after suffering a severe injury last season, but not might be 100 percent yet. Also, RB Walter Kazee, who missed spring practice with an injury, is reported to be running at full speed.
I just don't see how this team will be as good when your best receiver, best offensive tackle and most disruptive defender are sitting out. That's on top of losing a running back and nose tackle who were arguably the decade's best at their positions, and a cornerback who was inconsistent but often made game-changing plays. I understand that with LaDainian Tomlinson and Jamal Williams all good things must eventually come to an end, and I think rookie Ryan Mathews has a chance to be a very solid ball-carrier in LT's sted. A second season of the "Make Shift" in place of Williams, however, doesn't thrill me. Antoine Cason for Antonio Cromartie doesn't do much for me, either.
What happens with the contracts for holdouts Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill and Shawne Merriman, I have no idea. To suggest that Jackson can be replaced by a ready-to-break-out Buster Davis after all these years is laughable. I don't think McNeill is more than a mid-level NFL left tackle, but he's what we have and I don't know if Tra Thomas can be an adequate replacement at the age of 35. Larry English is a better linebacker than an unhealthy Merriman, but if the incumbent is well it would be a shame to waste him for a season.
Some of the changes we lament were coming no matter what, so it's true when Smith and Turner say they have to move on with the players they have. The trouble is a lack of concern of what that means. This is a team that was physically beat-down at home by the Jets in their first playoff game, and there is nothing among the departures or arrivals that makes me think the 2009 performance will be improved upon this fall. They are lucky they perform in the AFC West, where the competition is still weak. They should make the playoffs and there probably won't be a major dropoff. However, it's doubtful they'll move deeper into the post-season.
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You've got to applaud the Padres for their 7-2 record and two series sweeps coming out of the All-Star break. The players have pleaded for some time now not to break them up in search of better hitting because they've formed a tight bond, and their work in the second-half of July lends them considerable credence. As much as I'd like a power bat in the lineup -- and as much as I've written about such a desire -- I'm no longer sure where GM Jed Hoyer would go to get one in this Year of the Pitcher. This team, for the most part, is working as is and shows it with a record now 19 games above .500.
My priorities for Hoyer are now:
1. Starting pitcher -- the brass wants to keep resting young Mat Latos, their lone stopper. Championships are won with such pitchers. If I'm allowed to think ahead to clinching the NL West and advancing in the playoffs, they need another guy to step up or Hoyer needs to acquire someone. I'd put Latos against anyone in the playoffs, but I'm not sure the other starters are ready to go up against a top opponent backed by a decent lineup. Remember 1998? They had a pure #1 in Kevin Brown, but the reason the Friars reached the World Series was because of Sterling Hitchcock. They need that second guy and can repeat the '98 excitement if they find him.
2. Shortstop -- It happened a few times in recent years in which the Padres got a Rule V player who looked sharp in his first season and then was like an over-his-head minor leaguer a year later. Everth Cabrera fits the mold. This position is now the weak link in the chain.
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San Diego State's football training camp doesn't begin until the first week of August, but coaches are gathering on campus for preparations beginning this week. Word from an insider is that everyone is healthy with the possible exception of DB Dey Juan Hemmings, who is coming along after suffering a severe injury last season, but not might be 100 percent yet. Also, RB Walter Kazee, who missed spring practice with an injury, is reported to be running at full speed.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Coryell Reminder, Padres at the Break
Just a reminder, the memorial service for former Aztecs and Chargers football coach Don Coryell is Monday at 2pm at Viejas Arena. Should be an interesting event with greats like John Madden, Joe Gibbs and Dan Fouts speaking.
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The Padres are more or less where I expected them to be at the All-Star break, contending for an NL West title behind strong pitching that carries a rather weak offense. That was a reasonable preseason prediction that I bet a lot of us made. However, I doubt any of us realized the won-loss record would be as good as the 51-37 mark that is just a game behind Atlanta as the best in the league, or that the pitching would be this strong or the hitting this bad.
Needless to say, with the Rockies heating up, I still think a hitter needs to be brought aboard, and pitching depth will be tested again because Mike Adams pulled on oblique muscle on Sunday. I don't know if we can expect the Friars to keep pulling out low-scoring games in the eighth or ninth innings the way they have so far.
Here are some quick mid-season grades:
1B Adrian Gonzalez gets an A for a .298-18-56 first half, powered by a month of June that saw him raise his batting average by 34 points.
2B David Eckstein also deserves an A for flawless fielding, literally, and clutch batting at the end of games that made the difference several times.
SS Everth Cabrera and Jerry Hairston rate a D, which mainly reflects the starters ineffectiveness at the plate and constant injuries. Hairston has actually done fairly well as a backup, but here might be a good position to add a hitter via trade. Yes, good luck with that.
3B Chase Headley gets a B- for his amazing April that had him hitting .340 by May Day and his solid fielding at the hot corner. However, he has only 6 HR and 29 RBI, numbers that need to be more than doubled if the Padres are to win the division.
In the OF, Kyle Blanks obviously gets an incomplete. I give a C to Scott Hairston, Tony Gwynn and Will Venable because of their defense and late contributions to a few wins. Gwynn will never hit better than he does now, while Venable is too in-love with his power swing. I love minor league call-ups Aaron Cunningham, who should now start every day, and Chris Denorfia. Both are gamers.
C Todd Hundley and Yorvit Torrealba bring an A home to mama because if the pitching is that good, the guys behind the plate are doing a fine job. Hundley has won several of those games late with the bat, and Torrealba has at times been the only guy besides A-Gon who has a clue in the batter's box.
Pitchers get an A. Duh. We've received far more than expected from Mat Latos, Wade LeBlanc and Luke Gregerson, probably not as much from the ill-fated Kevin Correia and Edward Mujica.
I was worried by the four-game losing streak before Sunday's 9-7 win in Denver that pushed the Rockies two games behind in the standings, but I think the Padres will hang in there well into September -- more so if GM Jed Hoyer brings in a bat. The Rockies, however, scare me. They've got the same mojo as the past couple of years, so this might not be just a race to the finish, but a very long sprint.
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The Padres are more or less where I expected them to be at the All-Star break, contending for an NL West title behind strong pitching that carries a rather weak offense. That was a reasonable preseason prediction that I bet a lot of us made. However, I doubt any of us realized the won-loss record would be as good as the 51-37 mark that is just a game behind Atlanta as the best in the league, or that the pitching would be this strong or the hitting this bad.
Needless to say, with the Rockies heating up, I still think a hitter needs to be brought aboard, and pitching depth will be tested again because Mike Adams pulled on oblique muscle on Sunday. I don't know if we can expect the Friars to keep pulling out low-scoring games in the eighth or ninth innings the way they have so far.
Here are some quick mid-season grades:
1B Adrian Gonzalez gets an A for a .298-18-56 first half, powered by a month of June that saw him raise his batting average by 34 points.
2B David Eckstein also deserves an A for flawless fielding, literally, and clutch batting at the end of games that made the difference several times.
SS Everth Cabrera and Jerry Hairston rate a D, which mainly reflects the starters ineffectiveness at the plate and constant injuries. Hairston has actually done fairly well as a backup, but here might be a good position to add a hitter via trade. Yes, good luck with that.
3B Chase Headley gets a B- for his amazing April that had him hitting .340 by May Day and his solid fielding at the hot corner. However, he has only 6 HR and 29 RBI, numbers that need to be more than doubled if the Padres are to win the division.
In the OF, Kyle Blanks obviously gets an incomplete. I give a C to Scott Hairston, Tony Gwynn and Will Venable because of their defense and late contributions to a few wins. Gwynn will never hit better than he does now, while Venable is too in-love with his power swing. I love minor league call-ups Aaron Cunningham, who should now start every day, and Chris Denorfia. Both are gamers.
C Todd Hundley and Yorvit Torrealba bring an A home to mama because if the pitching is that good, the guys behind the plate are doing a fine job. Hundley has won several of those games late with the bat, and Torrealba has at times been the only guy besides A-Gon who has a clue in the batter's box.
Pitchers get an A. Duh. We've received far more than expected from Mat Latos, Wade LeBlanc and Luke Gregerson, probably not as much from the ill-fated Kevin Correia and Edward Mujica.
I was worried by the four-game losing streak before Sunday's 9-7 win in Denver that pushed the Rockies two games behind in the standings, but I think the Padres will hang in there well into September -- more so if GM Jed Hoyer brings in a bat. The Rockies, however, scare me. They've got the same mojo as the past couple of years, so this might not be just a race to the finish, but a very long sprint.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Fight on for the Padres, Peavy, All-Stars
There's a time when a fight suddenly turns serious, going from taunting and shoving to outright fisticuffs. That point is where the Padres find themselves as they begin a three-game series at Colorado that will bring the first half of the 2010 major league baseball season to a close.
The Padres head to Denver after salvaging a win in DC with another Mat Latos gem. However, it has become apparent that Latos is the one stopper they have in a pitching rotation that is otherwise showing signs of fraying following poor starts by Jon Garland and Clayton Richard. Who knows if Kevin Correia's gem against Houston is the start of a trend or just his monthly quality start? Making things more worrisome is that management, for good reason, plans to limit Latos' work in the second half. Should they continue with such plans in the middle of a pennant race? Yes, they're all but obligated to for long-term reasons. But the plan is still a bit scary.
The Rockies are ready for a tumble. They have won eight of their last 10 games and took two of three from the Padres at Petco. You probably read about their amazing comebacks against the Cardinals. Those are the types of games they won during second-half runs the past few seasons. If they're getting into the same mode, watch out.
The series will begin with the Padres ahead by three games. Look at it as the last 30 seconds of a college basketball first half. Your team is leading the entire 19-plus minutes, then the opponents hit a three at the buzzer to tie it up at the break. What a letdown -- and what a pick-me-up for the other team. If the Rox sweep the Friars in Coors Field, it will be a tough All-Star break for the good guys.
The Rockies have gotten their shoves in, made their slurs against the wife and added a spit or two. They also have help lingering in the shadows in the form of the Dodgers. Time for the Padres to start fighting.
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I'm re-thinking my position on the Jake Peavy trade.
My original thought was you don't trade a true #1 starter for prospects, because the #1 starter is really all you have to build around, and there are fewer of them than there are major league teams. My opinion solidified in the ensuing months as only Richard, of the four pitchers received, showed himself to be a major league contributor. This point hasn't changed, and I see Richard only as a middle-of-the-rotation guy even now (his record is 6-4, but the Friars are just 8-9 in the games he's started).
What has changed is my opinion of Peavy. He was damaged goods when sent to Chicago, another gimpy hurler unloaded on an unsuspecting sucker by former GM Kevin Towers. At least the Padres got for him someone capable of taking the mound every five days. Peavy was DL'd this week with a detached muscle in his shoulder. I'd never wish ill will on this solid person, but better it happen to the White Sox than the Padres. He actually pitched fairly well this season despite a high ERA. He had a pair of three-game winning streaks and was throwing deep into ballgames. But I'm getting a feeling that his injury problems are chronic. Sad for him and the fans who have good memories of his triumphs in San Diego, too bad for the White Sox.
---
The "Stephen Strasburg to the All-Star Game" push was a joke. The game is already tarnished with commercialism. Honestly, despite his struggles of the past week, Luke Gregerson deserves the trip to Anaheim next week over Heath Bell, but the Padres closer is a recognizable name-brand. Bell sells, so he's going and the kid no one north of Highway 76 knows about will rest his tiring arm. The Strasburg thing was all sensationalism.
In fact, I can think of three tender-young pitchers with local connections who deserved to make the team more than Strasburg. Start with Latos of the Padres, who won his 10th game Thursday and has been nearly unhittable the past two months. Then try Mike Leake (Fallbrook High), who is 6-1, 3.38 to help the Reds to the top of the NL Central and go to Trevor Cahill (Vista High), who is 8-3, 3.17 and will be in Anaheim. Since coming off the DL at the end of April, Oakland has won 10 of Cahill's 14 starts. Alas, he is slated to start Sunday and almost certainly will not actually play in the Mid-summer Classic.
What I and so many other people love about Strasburg is the solid head on his shoulders. He seemed to be bewildered about all the All-Star hype himself.
The Padres head to Denver after salvaging a win in DC with another Mat Latos gem. However, it has become apparent that Latos is the one stopper they have in a pitching rotation that is otherwise showing signs of fraying following poor starts by Jon Garland and Clayton Richard. Who knows if Kevin Correia's gem against Houston is the start of a trend or just his monthly quality start? Making things more worrisome is that management, for good reason, plans to limit Latos' work in the second half. Should they continue with such plans in the middle of a pennant race? Yes, they're all but obligated to for long-term reasons. But the plan is still a bit scary.
The Rockies are ready for a tumble. They have won eight of their last 10 games and took two of three from the Padres at Petco. You probably read about their amazing comebacks against the Cardinals. Those are the types of games they won during second-half runs the past few seasons. If they're getting into the same mode, watch out.
The series will begin with the Padres ahead by three games. Look at it as the last 30 seconds of a college basketball first half. Your team is leading the entire 19-plus minutes, then the opponents hit a three at the buzzer to tie it up at the break. What a letdown -- and what a pick-me-up for the other team. If the Rox sweep the Friars in Coors Field, it will be a tough All-Star break for the good guys.
The Rockies have gotten their shoves in, made their slurs against the wife and added a spit or two. They also have help lingering in the shadows in the form of the Dodgers. Time for the Padres to start fighting.
---
I'm re-thinking my position on the Jake Peavy trade.
My original thought was you don't trade a true #1 starter for prospects, because the #1 starter is really all you have to build around, and there are fewer of them than there are major league teams. My opinion solidified in the ensuing months as only Richard, of the four pitchers received, showed himself to be a major league contributor. This point hasn't changed, and I see Richard only as a middle-of-the-rotation guy even now (his record is 6-4, but the Friars are just 8-9 in the games he's started).
What has changed is my opinion of Peavy. He was damaged goods when sent to Chicago, another gimpy hurler unloaded on an unsuspecting sucker by former GM Kevin Towers. At least the Padres got for him someone capable of taking the mound every five days. Peavy was DL'd this week with a detached muscle in his shoulder. I'd never wish ill will on this solid person, but better it happen to the White Sox than the Padres. He actually pitched fairly well this season despite a high ERA. He had a pair of three-game winning streaks and was throwing deep into ballgames. But I'm getting a feeling that his injury problems are chronic. Sad for him and the fans who have good memories of his triumphs in San Diego, too bad for the White Sox.
---
The "Stephen Strasburg to the All-Star Game" push was a joke. The game is already tarnished with commercialism. Honestly, despite his struggles of the past week, Luke Gregerson deserves the trip to Anaheim next week over Heath Bell, but the Padres closer is a recognizable name-brand. Bell sells, so he's going and the kid no one north of Highway 76 knows about will rest his tiring arm. The Strasburg thing was all sensationalism.
In fact, I can think of three tender-young pitchers with local connections who deserved to make the team more than Strasburg. Start with Latos of the Padres, who won his 10th game Thursday and has been nearly unhittable the past two months. Then try Mike Leake (Fallbrook High), who is 6-1, 3.38 to help the Reds to the top of the NL Central and go to Trevor Cahill (Vista High), who is 8-3, 3.17 and will be in Anaheim. Since coming off the DL at the end of April, Oakland has won 10 of Cahill's 14 starts. Alas, he is slated to start Sunday and almost certainly will not actually play in the Mid-summer Classic.
What I and so many other people love about Strasburg is the solid head on his shoulders. He seemed to be bewildered about all the All-Star hype himself.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Coryell, Padres All-Stars
Don Coryell epitomized nostalgia in San Diego. The legendary football coach, who died Thursday at 85, took both San Diego State and the Chargers to great heights that, years later, left fans crying out for a return to the good old days.
Chargers fans had two waits of about a decade each, from Coryell's glory years of the beginning of the 1980s to coach Bobby Ross' Super Bowl season, and then again until coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Norv Turner along with GM AJ Smith, brought about the relative success of recent seasons. Both waits through seasons of 1-15, 4-12 and 5-11, were extraordinarily frustrating.
It's been even worse for the remaining few SDSU fans who can remember undefeated seasons in the 1960s. Coryell turned over the reigns of the Aztecs in 1972 to Claude Gilbert, who mostly continued his predecessor's methods and took the program to arguably greater heights against far superior competition. But after SDSU football turned south in 1980, the nostalgia has gone mostly unrequited, save for a few bowl games and the Marshall Faulk excitement. SDSU frequently capitalized on Coryell's popularity by having him make special appearances at football games. If you can't win, bring back the coach who could, at least to say hello.
At both places, Coryell set the bar high, and his successors will always be measured against him. It is a blessing the Chargers are back at such levels. I worry that SDSU fans will sit on their hands and make coach Brady Hoke prove the Aztecs are back before they'll start coming to games again. I feel that way myself, even though I attend the home contests.
Now that he truly is Saint Don, we should all be thankful that he gave us such high standards to aspire to.
---
The Padres will have more than one member on the National League All-Star team. Who deserves to go?
1B Adrian Gonzalez is a no-brainer pick for manager Charlie Manuel. But the Phillies' boss' selection of Padres skipper Bud Black as a coach could be a signal that a couple other players are under consideration.
If I were Manuel, my picks would be 2B David Eckstein and P Luke Gregerson.
Eckstein is simply the heart and soul of the roster that claims first place in the National League West and the best record in the senior circuit. Throw out his pedestrian numbers. He's the guy who makes this team go. It doesn't hurt that he's played 68 games at second base and has not made an error. Defense is a big reason why the Friars have been successful so far in 2010.
Gregerson's statistics are mind-boggling. He has thrown in 37 games as of this writing, allowing 16 hits in 39-plus innings, mostly the seventh. The ratio for hits to innings pitched for most pitchers is usually in the neighborhood of 1-to-1. Gregerson's is less than half. Another stunning ratio is 51 strikeouts to four walks. That's four (4)! Needless to say, batters are hitting .121 against Gregerson, who has compiled an ERA of 1.60.
The numbers of eighth inning regular Mike Adams are nearly as good, although I have to admit whenever he comes in when I'm watching, he gets popped. Closer Heath Bell has also done well and is certainly the most nationally-recognizable GAB member, but he might be responsible for too many gray hairs.
I would also consider Mat Latos, he of the sterling 8-4 record and 2.85 ERA, but in this Year of the Pitcher, Manuel won't have any shortage of starters to choose from.
---
I had a couple of other items to throw in here today, but nothing else seems worthy all of a sudden, you know? Enjoy your July 4 weekend.
Chargers fans had two waits of about a decade each, from Coryell's glory years of the beginning of the 1980s to coach Bobby Ross' Super Bowl season, and then again until coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Norv Turner along with GM AJ Smith, brought about the relative success of recent seasons. Both waits through seasons of 1-15, 4-12 and 5-11, were extraordinarily frustrating.
It's been even worse for the remaining few SDSU fans who can remember undefeated seasons in the 1960s. Coryell turned over the reigns of the Aztecs in 1972 to Claude Gilbert, who mostly continued his predecessor's methods and took the program to arguably greater heights against far superior competition. But after SDSU football turned south in 1980, the nostalgia has gone mostly unrequited, save for a few bowl games and the Marshall Faulk excitement. SDSU frequently capitalized on Coryell's popularity by having him make special appearances at football games. If you can't win, bring back the coach who could, at least to say hello.
At both places, Coryell set the bar high, and his successors will always be measured against him. It is a blessing the Chargers are back at such levels. I worry that SDSU fans will sit on their hands and make coach Brady Hoke prove the Aztecs are back before they'll start coming to games again. I feel that way myself, even though I attend the home contests.
Now that he truly is Saint Don, we should all be thankful that he gave us such high standards to aspire to.
---
The Padres will have more than one member on the National League All-Star team. Who deserves to go?
1B Adrian Gonzalez is a no-brainer pick for manager Charlie Manuel. But the Phillies' boss' selection of Padres skipper Bud Black as a coach could be a signal that a couple other players are under consideration.
If I were Manuel, my picks would be 2B David Eckstein and P Luke Gregerson.
Eckstein is simply the heart and soul of the roster that claims first place in the National League West and the best record in the senior circuit. Throw out his pedestrian numbers. He's the guy who makes this team go. It doesn't hurt that he's played 68 games at second base and has not made an error. Defense is a big reason why the Friars have been successful so far in 2010.
Gregerson's statistics are mind-boggling. He has thrown in 37 games as of this writing, allowing 16 hits in 39-plus innings, mostly the seventh. The ratio for hits to innings pitched for most pitchers is usually in the neighborhood of 1-to-1. Gregerson's is less than half. Another stunning ratio is 51 strikeouts to four walks. That's four (4)! Needless to say, batters are hitting .121 against Gregerson, who has compiled an ERA of 1.60.
The numbers of eighth inning regular Mike Adams are nearly as good, although I have to admit whenever he comes in when I'm watching, he gets popped. Closer Heath Bell has also done well and is certainly the most nationally-recognizable GAB member, but he might be responsible for too many gray hairs.
I would also consider Mat Latos, he of the sterling 8-4 record and 2.85 ERA, but in this Year of the Pitcher, Manuel won't have any shortage of starters to choose from.
---
I had a couple of other items to throw in here today, but nothing else seems worthy all of a sudden, you know? Enjoy your July 4 weekend.
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