Let's start with the premise that your hook is quicker in a pennant race.
Agree? Good. Does that put Padres P Kevin Correia on the hot seat? I'm just asking, not advocating.
However, the Grossmont High grad went just five innings Monday night against the Rockies, allowing six earned runs, six walks and two home runs -- at Petco Park, not Coors Field. By my count, Correia has had one quality start in the past month, when he equaled the definition of the statistic by allowing three runs in six innings to the Mariners. His last win was May 31 against the Mets -- the game in which the Padres scored 18 runs and Correia allowed six.
Correia has rarely been dominating but he's usually consistent, yet he has made it out of the fifth frame just once in his last five starts.
You clearly don't want to push a panic button but a trend has set in here that is worth watching, especially with Tim Stauffer about ready to rejoin the team following his appendectomy.
In his favor: last year showed he can go a full year as a starter, so he's liable to work his way out of his slump. The Padres have won five of his last seven outings despite him.
---
So Stephen Strasburg is human, after all. His teammates are all too human.
The San Diego State alumnus had the audacity to three earned runs in six innings-plus at Atlanta, while his Washington teammates were unable to cobble together a single score. He did his part, even though he said he didn't have his best stuff and gave up on his curveball too early. He blanked the Braves through six innings. In the absolutely devastating seventh inning -- words I use in jest -- he was "rocked" by a walk, two bloop singles, an error and a sacrifice fly. He needs to return his signing bonus, obviously.
He's going to lose a lot of games like this, playing for the Nationals.
---
One of the saddest sights in the season so far was of Tigers flame-thrower Joel Zumaya in considerable pain with an elbow injury. The Bonita Vista High alumnus missed most of the past two seasons with shoulder injuries and worked his rear off trying to get back to health. He immediately went on the disabled list. His comeback season saw him with a 2-1 record and 2.58 ERA.
---
Back on the SDSU front, the recruiting Web sites are reporting two key commitments. One is mens basketball 6-foot-10-inch center Bryant Crowder, a well-traveled JC center who runs the court well. The other is football quarterback Chad Jeffries of Glendora High in the San Gabriel Valley, who didn't become a high-profile prospect until he started going to camps and coming away with MVP awards. He apparently wowed observers at SDSU's recent camp, and coach Brady Hoke offered him immediately. It should be said this is only a verbal, and Oregon State will probably pursue the kid.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Padres Won-Loss, Soccer, Newspaper Coverage
Based on the last blog post and the subsequent 3-0 sweep of the Marlins, the Padres are now an amazing 45-30 on the season.
I again went through Baseball Reference and I could only find one better start in Padres history, 1998. You know what happened then. Even the World Series season of 1984 saw the Friars at 44-31 after 75 games.
What I really like is I think they've compiled their great mark without necessarily being their best. GM Jed Hoyer could add a hitter at some point. No one is playing above their heads. RF Will Venable is hot at the plate this past week -- what if it's a trend instead of a guy being streaky? What if SS Everth Cabrera makes up for his injury-plagued first half with a solid last three months? What if 3B Chase Headley recaptures his April form? Things can get even better.
It was interesting how this coincides with a newspaper article that wonders whether fans will start noticing. I think they will, particularly with the Rockies in this week. Attendance is down nearly 2 percent from last season. If you really want to see an attendance increase, add a hitter. Show the fans the franchise is serious about contending.
In fact, Venable's surge of the past week, in which he hit three tie-breaking, game-winning homers, shows just how important another hitter can be to the Padres. With their pitching, they only need a little more offense, not a lot. That's how close they are to maybe being favored in this race.
---
Did the World Cup really create that much excitement around here or is it just a media fiction?
I'm actually leaning toward the latter, seriously. I have yet to talk to, or overhear others in conversation, about the quadrennial soccer championship. Not once. Sure, people gather at sports bars to watch the games but they always do every four years. This is a big town, so there will be soccer fans and they'll be excited but that doesn't make it new. Those in the media who say the win over Algeria that put the USA in the knockout round was some sort of classic forget that NO ONE WAS ABLE TO SCORE until a rebound came out in front of Landon Donovan. Any U8 player in AYSO could have converted that goal opportunity.
I'm sorry, but the World Cup is an absolute waste of my time and I didn't buy into the over-hype of the past week.
---
Two things have me very concerned about what the restructuring of The San Diego Union-Tribune is going to mean to the future of local sports coverage.
1. The most recent round of layoffs included the sports editor and two reporters, Nicole Vargas, the lone remaining specialist in high school sports, and Hank Wesch, who handled USD basketball in addition to horse racing. I since saw a Wesch horse-racing column, so it was either something already in the can or he returned to the paper at half his former salary (an offer extended to several of those recently laid-off, and accepted by a few). Who is going to cover these important facets of the local sports scene now, and are they going to know what in the heck they're writing about?
2. The brass has sold their recent moves to the public with the line of "we're really going to offer extensive coverage of the main areas of interest in local sports -- the Padres and Chargers." What about San Diego State, which could have two ranked basketball teams and which could demonstrate this fall whether the football program is on the rise? What about the paradise sports of golf and tennis? The extreme sports popular with the younger audience?
Call me confused and worried.
---
Local tennis buffs should be concerned about Jelena Jankovic retiring from a Wimbledon match early Monday (our time) because of a back injury. The Serb, ranked third in the world, is the highest entrant so far in the Mercury Insurance Open at La Costa next month. Samantha Stosur is not going to sell tickets, no matter how well she played in Paris.
The list of player commitments has few recognizable names at this point and almost no Americans. The biggest missing name is that of Venus Williams, a frequent champion at La Costa in the tourney's older forms. I'm sure most of the big-name players are waiting to see how things play out at Wimbledon before committing to their summer schedules, which are basically precursors to the U.S. Open. Look for a lot of them, including one Williams sister, to be in Carlsbad by the end of July.
I again went through Baseball Reference and I could only find one better start in Padres history, 1998. You know what happened then. Even the World Series season of 1984 saw the Friars at 44-31 after 75 games.
What I really like is I think they've compiled their great mark without necessarily being their best. GM Jed Hoyer could add a hitter at some point. No one is playing above their heads. RF Will Venable is hot at the plate this past week -- what if it's a trend instead of a guy being streaky? What if SS Everth Cabrera makes up for his injury-plagued first half with a solid last three months? What if 3B Chase Headley recaptures his April form? Things can get even better.
It was interesting how this coincides with a newspaper article that wonders whether fans will start noticing. I think they will, particularly with the Rockies in this week. Attendance is down nearly 2 percent from last season. If you really want to see an attendance increase, add a hitter. Show the fans the franchise is serious about contending.
In fact, Venable's surge of the past week, in which he hit three tie-breaking, game-winning homers, shows just how important another hitter can be to the Padres. With their pitching, they only need a little more offense, not a lot. That's how close they are to maybe being favored in this race.
---
Did the World Cup really create that much excitement around here or is it just a media fiction?
I'm actually leaning toward the latter, seriously. I have yet to talk to, or overhear others in conversation, about the quadrennial soccer championship. Not once. Sure, people gather at sports bars to watch the games but they always do every four years. This is a big town, so there will be soccer fans and they'll be excited but that doesn't make it new. Those in the media who say the win over Algeria that put the USA in the knockout round was some sort of classic forget that NO ONE WAS ABLE TO SCORE until a rebound came out in front of Landon Donovan. Any U8 player in AYSO could have converted that goal opportunity.
I'm sorry, but the World Cup is an absolute waste of my time and I didn't buy into the over-hype of the past week.
---
Two things have me very concerned about what the restructuring of The San Diego Union-Tribune is going to mean to the future of local sports coverage.
1. The most recent round of layoffs included the sports editor and two reporters, Nicole Vargas, the lone remaining specialist in high school sports, and Hank Wesch, who handled USD basketball in addition to horse racing. I since saw a Wesch horse-racing column, so it was either something already in the can or he returned to the paper at half his former salary (an offer extended to several of those recently laid-off, and accepted by a few). Who is going to cover these important facets of the local sports scene now, and are they going to know what in the heck they're writing about?
2. The brass has sold their recent moves to the public with the line of "we're really going to offer extensive coverage of the main areas of interest in local sports -- the Padres and Chargers." What about San Diego State, which could have two ranked basketball teams and which could demonstrate this fall whether the football program is on the rise? What about the paradise sports of golf and tennis? The extreme sports popular with the younger audience?
Call me confused and worried.
---
Local tennis buffs should be concerned about Jelena Jankovic retiring from a Wimbledon match early Monday (our time) because of a back injury. The Serb, ranked third in the world, is the highest entrant so far in the Mercury Insurance Open at La Costa next month. Samantha Stosur is not going to sell tickets, no matter how well she played in Paris.
The list of player commitments has few recognizable names at this point and almost no Americans. The biggest missing name is that of Venus Williams, a frequent champion at La Costa in the tourney's older forms. I'm sure most of the big-name players are waiting to see how things play out at Wimbledon before committing to their summer schedules, which are basically precursors to the U.S. Open. Look for a lot of them, including one Williams sister, to be in Carlsbad by the end of July.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Padres Noise is Being Made
The Padres aren't going to budge.
As I predicted before the season, the Padres pitching depth is keeping them in the National League West race and I don't see that changing as we near the season's halfway point. The Padres, indeed, are in first place with their 42-30 record. How that compares to previous successful seasons, courtesy of Pro Baseball Reference:
-- In their first year over .500, 1978, they were 35-37 at this point with a pitching staff that included Gaylord Perry, Bob Shirley and Rollie Fingers.
-- In the World Series season of 1984, they got out of the gate fast, stumbled in May and had their best month in June. After 72 games, they were 43-29 and four games in front in their division. That won-loss mark is just a game better than the current pace.
-- The exciting chase of the Giants in 1989 came up short in large part because of a serious June Swoon, leaving them with a 35-37 mark and eight games out of first place. The Friars dropped 11 back just days later, and were a season-worst 12 games out of first on July 25. From there, they went on a tear, closing to within 5 games of the Giants on Sept. 12. Alas, they got no closer for nearly two weeks and finished three games behind. That was the year Mark Davis won the Cy Young Award, only to sign a free agent contract with Kansas City, where his career collapsed.
-- 1996, the season of Chris Gwynn's division-winning double in Los Angeles, saw the Friars at 37-35.
-- In the World Series year of 1998, the Padres tore out of the gate again, were near the end of an 11-game winning streak, with a record of 47-25. That was just a great team that was light-years better than the current team from 1-25 on the roster, with the lone exception of first base.
While 1998 is an unfair comparison, this year's Padres compare reasonably well with those other teams in terms of performance. 1B Adrian Gonzalez is on a terrific streak at the plate -- maybe the best several weeks of his career -- and even whipping boy Will Venable shows signs of turning it around.
P Mat Latos is turning into a Number One starter who is dominating opposing hitters the same way a young Jake Peavy did and maybe better. The 7th/8th/9th innings combination of Luke Gregerson/Mike Adams/Heath Bell is unmatched in the major leagues.
However, there's no way I'm going to say the Padres will actually win the division, because there are plenty of concerns:
-- Tony Gwynn Jr.'s batting average is back under .230,
-- Nick Hundley's batting average has dropped 20 points in the past two weeks after Manager Bud Black began putting him higher up in the batting order.
-- That Hundley is hitting at cleanup lately is because Chase Headley's average is down to .257 following a torrid April.
-- Jon Garland has been shelled in three of his last four starts, Kevin Correia has one win over May and June, and Clayton Richard hasn't won a game in more than a month even though he's thrown fairly well.
The strain of needing nightly perfection could be placing a strain on the starting pitchers. The lineup has to start producing, no question.
That 40-32 mark translates to a .583 winning percentage. Over the course of a full season, that's 94 wins. Here's where that would have placed in the NL West in recent seasons:
2009- 2nd by one game,
2008- 1st by 10 games,
2007- 1st by 4 games,
2006- improve their own first-place finish by 6 games,
2005- improve their own division title by 12 games,
2004- 1st place by one game,
2003- 2nd by six games, and
2002- Third.
So they're in good shape. However, since baseball is a human game and the opposition is always striving to improve, the Padres must do the same in order to maintain the same pace of success. There is a lot to look forward to at the ballpark this summer.
---
Have you read enough "Mat Latos is Maturing" stories in the newspaper? Me, too. Someone, please, come up with something new.
As I predicted before the season, the Padres pitching depth is keeping them in the National League West race and I don't see that changing as we near the season's halfway point. The Padres, indeed, are in first place with their 42-30 record. How that compares to previous successful seasons, courtesy of Pro Baseball Reference:
-- In their first year over .500, 1978, they were 35-37 at this point with a pitching staff that included Gaylord Perry, Bob Shirley and Rollie Fingers.
-- In the World Series season of 1984, they got out of the gate fast, stumbled in May and had their best month in June. After 72 games, they were 43-29 and four games in front in their division. That won-loss mark is just a game better than the current pace.
-- The exciting chase of the Giants in 1989 came up short in large part because of a serious June Swoon, leaving them with a 35-37 mark and eight games out of first place. The Friars dropped 11 back just days later, and were a season-worst 12 games out of first on July 25. From there, they went on a tear, closing to within 5 games of the Giants on Sept. 12. Alas, they got no closer for nearly two weeks and finished three games behind. That was the year Mark Davis won the Cy Young Award, only to sign a free agent contract with Kansas City, where his career collapsed.
-- 1996, the season of Chris Gwynn's division-winning double in Los Angeles, saw the Friars at 37-35.
-- In the World Series year of 1998, the Padres tore out of the gate again, were near the end of an 11-game winning streak, with a record of 47-25. That was just a great team that was light-years better than the current team from 1-25 on the roster, with the lone exception of first base.
While 1998 is an unfair comparison, this year's Padres compare reasonably well with those other teams in terms of performance. 1B Adrian Gonzalez is on a terrific streak at the plate -- maybe the best several weeks of his career -- and even whipping boy Will Venable shows signs of turning it around.
P Mat Latos is turning into a Number One starter who is dominating opposing hitters the same way a young Jake Peavy did and maybe better. The 7th/8th/9th innings combination of Luke Gregerson/Mike Adams/Heath Bell is unmatched in the major leagues.
However, there's no way I'm going to say the Padres will actually win the division, because there are plenty of concerns:
-- Tony Gwynn Jr.'s batting average is back under .230,
-- Nick Hundley's batting average has dropped 20 points in the past two weeks after Manager Bud Black began putting him higher up in the batting order.
-- That Hundley is hitting at cleanup lately is because Chase Headley's average is down to .257 following a torrid April.
-- Jon Garland has been shelled in three of his last four starts, Kevin Correia has one win over May and June, and Clayton Richard hasn't won a game in more than a month even though he's thrown fairly well.
The strain of needing nightly perfection could be placing a strain on the starting pitchers. The lineup has to start producing, no question.
That 40-32 mark translates to a .583 winning percentage. Over the course of a full season, that's 94 wins. Here's where that would have placed in the NL West in recent seasons:
2009- 2nd by one game,
2008- 1st by 10 games,
2007- 1st by 4 games,
2006- improve their own first-place finish by 6 games,
2005- improve their own division title by 12 games,
2004- 1st place by one game,
2003- 2nd by six games, and
2002- Third.
So they're in good shape. However, since baseball is a human game and the opposition is always striving to improve, the Padres must do the same in order to maintain the same pace of success. There is a lot to look forward to at the ballpark this summer.
---
Have you read enough "Mat Latos is Maturing" stories in the newspaper? Me, too. Someone, please, come up with something new.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Torrealba's Truth, Leake, Utah
You've got to love a guy who speaks his mind, even when he knows it might cost him in the long run. Yorvit Torrealba is such a man.
After the Padres catcher was suspended for three games for inadvertently making contact with plate umpire Larry Vanover with the bill of his cap on Monday, he went off on the terrible state of officiating at major league baseball games this season.
Torrealba said Vanover was unfair and inconsistent with his strike zone, that umpires are baiting players and that this year has been by far the worst.
"This is the worst umpiring I've ever seen."
"I've never seen the umpiring so inconsistent."
"There is no strike zone. They make us swing at everything. No one knows what the strike zone is anymore." He went on to say that's the reason why hitters are struggling so much this season.
"I know there are some good umpires, but there are a lot of really, really bad umpires."
Torrealba is appealing his penalty and is wise enough to note that his comments might get his suspension increased, not lessened.
The thing is, he's right. You know. I don't have to go into detail. The blown call at first base that cost Tigers P Andres Galarraga a perfect game was only the tip of the iceberg. I watched a game on TV in April which was the worst home plate umpiring I've ever seen -- aside from an NL playoff game years ago -- confirmed by the pitch tracker graphic on the screen. Things apparently haven't improved since then.
---
That NL playoff game? A 1-0 shutout thrown by Cardinals P John Tudor against the Giants in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series. Tudor, a junk artist, consistently threw the ball six inches outside all game long, and plate ump Bob Engel kept calling them strikes. Engel three years later was caught shoplifting baseball cards from two stores in Bakersfield and retired after pleading guilty.
---
Memo to Reds P Mike Leake, entitled: Get With the Program
Mike:
Congratulations on your fine start to your major league baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds. Like other San Diegans involved in America's pastime, we like to see the local kids do well. The Fallbrook HS community has a lot to be proud of.
However,
you don't go around beating everyone else and then losing to the Dodgers. Especially in a game in which LA might take over first place. Your job in such a situation is to beat them. Your six-inning, nine-hit, five-run performance came up rather short in that regard.
Let me make myself clear. You beat the Dodgers from now on. Understand?
Thank you and good luck the rest of the season.
Jim
---
In my view, San Diego State's relative position in the spectrum of collegiate athletics has slightly improved in the past 10 days or so of conference reorganization in which the Mountain West gained Boise State but lost Utah. Until the Pacific-10 invited the Utes to become its 12th member, the Aztecs appeared well on their way to being part of a BCS conference with the Broncos becoming the 10th MWC member. Now they're almost back to where they started, with slight improvements.
1. Boise puts the MWC slightly closer to BCS AQ status than what Utah provided.
2. Boise was successful in overwhelming the WAC year-in and year-out. What happens when the Broncos join in 2011 and finish second? And then come in third in 2012? Does the bloom come off this year's possible Rose Bowl? Utah was in a pretty dominant position as one of the MWC's Big Three. Boise will start at such a level but whether coach Chris Peterson can sustain that success in new digs, like Utah would have, is questionable.
3. Utah is always a threat in mens and womens basketball, while Boise State is not. One easier game for Steve Fisher and Beth Burns. The Broncos men were 15-17 last season with a 5-11 WAC mark that placed them second-to-last. Records the preceding three seasons were 19-13 and 9-7, the high-water mark of 25-7 and 12-4, and 17-14 and 8-8. One good season in four years. The women were 19-12 and 8-8 last season but did have a pair of 20-win seasons recently. Still, they're no Utah.
The next two reasons are potentially huge.
4. I'm not sure the Big 12 can deliver on the TV contract promises that enticed Texas and its loyal followers to remain with the conference. Kansas, K-State and Missouri are possibly in play again a couple of years down the line and you only need three teams to hit the magic 12 mark for a conference championship game. Plus, the Pac-10's quick trigger finger on Utah means if the Big 12 does collapse, there's one more attractive school available for the MWC to snag. That means BCS.
5. Call me crazy on this one but hear (read) me out. The invitation to Utah puts San Diego State a step closer to the decades-long dream of Pac-8 -10 -11 -12 membership. The conference leadership now has no qualms of inviting Mountain West schools to join. A lot of conferences have been talking expansion in order to cash in on the Big Ten model of cable television channel ownership, so getting TV markets is critical. The Pac-10 will probably go down the same route. However, can they really do such a thing with two giant holes in their so-called conference footprint? San Diego and Las Vegas are two of the larger TV markets in the country. Sure, both markets do well in watching Pac-10 football, but they don't really own the market with the hometown schools in another league. Intriguing. Here's to hoping coach Brady Hoke can return the Aztecs to competitiveness quickly.
After the Padres catcher was suspended for three games for inadvertently making contact with plate umpire Larry Vanover with the bill of his cap on Monday, he went off on the terrible state of officiating at major league baseball games this season.
Torrealba said Vanover was unfair and inconsistent with his strike zone, that umpires are baiting players and that this year has been by far the worst.
"This is the worst umpiring I've ever seen."
"I've never seen the umpiring so inconsistent."
"There is no strike zone. They make us swing at everything. No one knows what the strike zone is anymore." He went on to say that's the reason why hitters are struggling so much this season.
"I know there are some good umpires, but there are a lot of really, really bad umpires."
Torrealba is appealing his penalty and is wise enough to note that his comments might get his suspension increased, not lessened.
The thing is, he's right. You know. I don't have to go into detail. The blown call at first base that cost Tigers P Andres Galarraga a perfect game was only the tip of the iceberg. I watched a game on TV in April which was the worst home plate umpiring I've ever seen -- aside from an NL playoff game years ago -- confirmed by the pitch tracker graphic on the screen. Things apparently haven't improved since then.
---
That NL playoff game? A 1-0 shutout thrown by Cardinals P John Tudor against the Giants in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series. Tudor, a junk artist, consistently threw the ball six inches outside all game long, and plate ump Bob Engel kept calling them strikes. Engel three years later was caught shoplifting baseball cards from two stores in Bakersfield and retired after pleading guilty.
---
Memo to Reds P Mike Leake, entitled: Get With the Program
Mike:
Congratulations on your fine start to your major league baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds. Like other San Diegans involved in America's pastime, we like to see the local kids do well. The Fallbrook HS community has a lot to be proud of.
However,
you don't go around beating everyone else and then losing to the Dodgers. Especially in a game in which LA might take over first place. Your job in such a situation is to beat them. Your six-inning, nine-hit, five-run performance came up rather short in that regard.
Let me make myself clear. You beat the Dodgers from now on. Understand?
Thank you and good luck the rest of the season.
Jim
---
In my view, San Diego State's relative position in the spectrum of collegiate athletics has slightly improved in the past 10 days or so of conference reorganization in which the Mountain West gained Boise State but lost Utah. Until the Pacific-10 invited the Utes to become its 12th member, the Aztecs appeared well on their way to being part of a BCS conference with the Broncos becoming the 10th MWC member. Now they're almost back to where they started, with slight improvements.
1. Boise puts the MWC slightly closer to BCS AQ status than what Utah provided.
2. Boise was successful in overwhelming the WAC year-in and year-out. What happens when the Broncos join in 2011 and finish second? And then come in third in 2012? Does the bloom come off this year's possible Rose Bowl? Utah was in a pretty dominant position as one of the MWC's Big Three. Boise will start at such a level but whether coach Chris Peterson can sustain that success in new digs, like Utah would have, is questionable.
3. Utah is always a threat in mens and womens basketball, while Boise State is not. One easier game for Steve Fisher and Beth Burns. The Broncos men were 15-17 last season with a 5-11 WAC mark that placed them second-to-last. Records the preceding three seasons were 19-13 and 9-7, the high-water mark of 25-7 and 12-4, and 17-14 and 8-8. One good season in four years. The women were 19-12 and 8-8 last season but did have a pair of 20-win seasons recently. Still, they're no Utah.
The next two reasons are potentially huge.
4. I'm not sure the Big 12 can deliver on the TV contract promises that enticed Texas and its loyal followers to remain with the conference. Kansas, K-State and Missouri are possibly in play again a couple of years down the line and you only need three teams to hit the magic 12 mark for a conference championship game. Plus, the Pac-10's quick trigger finger on Utah means if the Big 12 does collapse, there's one more attractive school available for the MWC to snag. That means BCS.
5. Call me crazy on this one but hear (read) me out. The invitation to Utah puts San Diego State a step closer to the decades-long dream of Pac-8 -10 -11 -12 membership. The conference leadership now has no qualms of inviting Mountain West schools to join. A lot of conferences have been talking expansion in order to cash in on the Big Ten model of cable television channel ownership, so getting TV markets is critical. The Pac-10 will probably go down the same route. However, can they really do such a thing with two giant holes in their so-called conference footprint? San Diego and Las Vegas are two of the larger TV markets in the country. Sure, both markets do well in watching Pac-10 football, but they don't really own the market with the hometown schools in another league. Intriguing. Here's to hoping coach Brady Hoke can return the Aztecs to competitiveness quickly.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Padres Proving Theories
On a fairly regular basis this season, in a newspaper account of a midweek Padres game, there has been a phrase similar to: "in front of the third-smallest crowd in the history of Petco Park" or "witnessed by the second-smallest crowd of the season."
The Padres of 2010 have gone a long way to prove out two of my pet theories.
1. Petco Park is in a terribly inconvenient location for most baseball fans, so those 8-10 visits to Qualcomm Stadium per season for many people are dropping to three or four.
2. The generally held theory of San Diego sports fans only supporting a winner is not valid.
I've already harped on the inconvenience of Petco Park's location already this year (check San Diego's Best Sports Values by clicking on April under "Blog Archives" to the right). When I did traffic reporting years ago, the traffic flow patterns before and after Padres games showed the fan base was in the North County. If you live there, you're not going downtown any more than you have to. The transportation, walking, ticket prices, dinner in the Gaslamp, all make a Padres game a major event. People don't do major events 8-10 times a year. Maybe three or four, and they'll wait until summer when it's more convenient.
On supporting a winner, I've always responded that what San Diegans will support is a quality product. It might seem like semantics, but there is a difference. Is watching the team fun? Is there hope that the team will become a contender? Remember those really dull teams that won the NL West a few years ago? That's when the attendance began to dip. People around here are either sitting on their hands waiting for GM Jed Hoyer to acquire a hitter or waiting for the roof to cave in. Padres games aren't a lot of fun this year. I'm actually partial to well-pitched, low-scoring baseball games, but not because I know they can't hit. The joy of great pitching is that they're shutting down big bats. I can't admire someone striking out Will Venable because I know half the high schools in town have hurlers who can K the guy.
Some of San Diego State's biggest football attendance years came when they were mostly hovering around .500, because there were star attractions in Marshall Faulk and, to a lesser extent, Dan McGwire and Darnay Scott. Then they started fiddling around and losing in strange ways, and when coach Ted Tollner picked up the pieces and fielded teams that won 8 games and challenged for the WAC championship, the attendance was generally smaller. The Chargers have had little trouble selling out games whether in last year's 13-3 or 2008's 8-8 mark because they're fun to watch.
I think the Padres attendance will pick up markedly in the next homestand, which is at the end of this month. School will be out, so fans will come based on their own convenience. Someone will report that the locals are starting to believe in this team. Nice.
---
Local prep product P Sergio Mitre was quietly putting together a big year as a reliever --mainly -- for the Yankees before going on the disabled list this week with an oblique strain. He was 0-1 with a 2.88 ERA with just 16 hits allowed in 25 innings.
Monte Vista HS's Brooks Conrad is still performing heroically for the Braves, winning a game recently with a bunt single. He's at .275-3-12 in 51 at-bats, which is pretty good in this year of the pitcher.
Speaking of the Braves, Carlsbad HS's Troy Glaus is tied for second in the NL with 49 RBI and tied for eighth with 13 HR.
---
Not a local kid, but what will baseball be like without Conrad's and Glaus' teammate, Chipper Jones? He'll leave a void.
---
Note to Hoyer: the Diamondback's trade of disappointing OF Conor Jackson to the A's may have signaled the beginning of trade season.
The Padres of 2010 have gone a long way to prove out two of my pet theories.
1. Petco Park is in a terribly inconvenient location for most baseball fans, so those 8-10 visits to Qualcomm Stadium per season for many people are dropping to three or four.
2. The generally held theory of San Diego sports fans only supporting a winner is not valid.
I've already harped on the inconvenience of Petco Park's location already this year (check San Diego's Best Sports Values by clicking on April under "Blog Archives" to the right). When I did traffic reporting years ago, the traffic flow patterns before and after Padres games showed the fan base was in the North County. If you live there, you're not going downtown any more than you have to. The transportation, walking, ticket prices, dinner in the Gaslamp, all make a Padres game a major event. People don't do major events 8-10 times a year. Maybe three or four, and they'll wait until summer when it's more convenient.
On supporting a winner, I've always responded that what San Diegans will support is a quality product. It might seem like semantics, but there is a difference. Is watching the team fun? Is there hope that the team will become a contender? Remember those really dull teams that won the NL West a few years ago? That's when the attendance began to dip. People around here are either sitting on their hands waiting for GM Jed Hoyer to acquire a hitter or waiting for the roof to cave in. Padres games aren't a lot of fun this year. I'm actually partial to well-pitched, low-scoring baseball games, but not because I know they can't hit. The joy of great pitching is that they're shutting down big bats. I can't admire someone striking out Will Venable because I know half the high schools in town have hurlers who can K the guy.
Some of San Diego State's biggest football attendance years came when they were mostly hovering around .500, because there were star attractions in Marshall Faulk and, to a lesser extent, Dan McGwire and Darnay Scott. Then they started fiddling around and losing in strange ways, and when coach Ted Tollner picked up the pieces and fielded teams that won 8 games and challenged for the WAC championship, the attendance was generally smaller. The Chargers have had little trouble selling out games whether in last year's 13-3 or 2008's 8-8 mark because they're fun to watch.
I think the Padres attendance will pick up markedly in the next homestand, which is at the end of this month. School will be out, so fans will come based on their own convenience. Someone will report that the locals are starting to believe in this team. Nice.
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Local prep product P Sergio Mitre was quietly putting together a big year as a reliever --mainly -- for the Yankees before going on the disabled list this week with an oblique strain. He was 0-1 with a 2.88 ERA with just 16 hits allowed in 25 innings.
Monte Vista HS's Brooks Conrad is still performing heroically for the Braves, winning a game recently with a bunt single. He's at .275-3-12 in 51 at-bats, which is pretty good in this year of the pitcher.
Speaking of the Braves, Carlsbad HS's Troy Glaus is tied for second in the NL with 49 RBI and tied for eighth with 13 HR.
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Not a local kid, but what will baseball be like without Conrad's and Glaus' teammate, Chipper Jones? He'll leave a void.
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Note to Hoyer: the Diamondback's trade of disappointing OF Conor Jackson to the A's may have signaled the beginning of trade season.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Realignment Okay For SDSU So Far, Cahill
So far, so good for San Diego State's athletic fortunes as of the middle of Friday morning. One domino fell Thursday -- Colorado to the Pac-10. One dropped Friday, Boise State to the Mountain West Conference. One likely to tip over Friday afternoon will be Nebraska to the Big Ten.
My initial reaction to all this is the Big 12 departures don't affect the Aztecs at all other than they might spark other moves.
Boise State to the MWC is a much bigger deal. SDSU is now in a 10-team league, which means that in football they will not play every conference mate every year. There's going to be someone who gets to play UNLV while avoiding BYU, or someone who has to take on all the big boys but misses Colorado State. There are a lot of leagues in which that's okay, where all the teams are of about the same quality, but in the case of the MWC, you have the big dogs and the wiener dogs.
Second, there has been a lot of talk about BYU, Texas Christian and/or Utah filling the Big 12's holes or, in the case of the Utes, joining the Buffaloes in the Pac-10. I'm not sure Boise would have come over to a new about-to-be eviscerated conference, so they must have received assurances that the Big Three will remain.
Third, Boise State puts the MWC over the top as far as BCS auto bid requirements go. That bar might be raised by realignment, but it will be hard to keep them out. Finally, after all these years, Aztecs coaches will be able to recruit on the same playing field as everyone else.
Fourth, as long as they're at 10 schools, they might as well go to 12 or 14 because that's where the other leagues are headed. If the Big 12 collapses, picking up Kansas and K-State is a no-brainer. Missouri is dicey because they're pretty slimy. Houston out of C-USA would be a good pickup, adding a Texas partner for the Horned Frogs.
Fifth, there is renewed talk Friday about a last-ditch effort to keep the Big 12 together, sans Colorado and Nebraska. If it works, there is no reason why the MWC couldn't invite Houston and Fresno State, or Houston and SMU.
There's still a chance things will turn sour. The top MWC teams could still leave and relegate SDSU back to a lower tier of competition. Stay tuned.
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It's been such a great week for local pitching products. Add Vista HS's Trevor Cahill to the list. Cahill Thursday won his fourth straight start, 6-1 over the Angels. He threw a career-high 8 innings, scattered six hits and walked only one batter. He received a standing ovation on his way off the mound when he was finished. Cahill is now 5-2, 2.91.
My initial reaction to all this is the Big 12 departures don't affect the Aztecs at all other than they might spark other moves.
Boise State to the MWC is a much bigger deal. SDSU is now in a 10-team league, which means that in football they will not play every conference mate every year. There's going to be someone who gets to play UNLV while avoiding BYU, or someone who has to take on all the big boys but misses Colorado State. There are a lot of leagues in which that's okay, where all the teams are of about the same quality, but in the case of the MWC, you have the big dogs and the wiener dogs.
Second, there has been a lot of talk about BYU, Texas Christian and/or Utah filling the Big 12's holes or, in the case of the Utes, joining the Buffaloes in the Pac-10. I'm not sure Boise would have come over to a new about-to-be eviscerated conference, so they must have received assurances that the Big Three will remain.
Third, Boise State puts the MWC over the top as far as BCS auto bid requirements go. That bar might be raised by realignment, but it will be hard to keep them out. Finally, after all these years, Aztecs coaches will be able to recruit on the same playing field as everyone else.
Fourth, as long as they're at 10 schools, they might as well go to 12 or 14 because that's where the other leagues are headed. If the Big 12 collapses, picking up Kansas and K-State is a no-brainer. Missouri is dicey because they're pretty slimy. Houston out of C-USA would be a good pickup, adding a Texas partner for the Horned Frogs.
Fifth, there is renewed talk Friday about a last-ditch effort to keep the Big 12 together, sans Colorado and Nebraska. If it works, there is no reason why the MWC couldn't invite Houston and Fresno State, or Houston and SMU.
There's still a chance things will turn sour. The top MWC teams could still leave and relegate SDSU back to a lower tier of competition. Stay tuned.
---
It's been such a great week for local pitching products. Add Vista HS's Trevor Cahill to the list. Cahill Thursday won his fourth straight start, 6-1 over the Angels. He threw a career-high 8 innings, scattered six hits and walked only one batter. He received a standing ovation on his way off the mound when he was finished. Cahill is now 5-2, 2.91.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Reactions to Various Sports News
1. Chargers sign veteran LT Tra Thomas - No doubt a shot by general manager AJ Smith across the bow of holdout LT Marcus McNeill. Thomas was on the verge of retiring, so who knows what he has left physically and mentally. I've never been a huge fan of McNeill so I like the signing on its own merit, even if the incumbent starter was in the fold, just to see how the competition goes.
2. Stephen Strasburg wins major league debut - Quite a well-pitched game. The 14 strikeouts in seven innings only barely begins to tell the story of how well the West Hills HS, SDSU alumnus threw for the Nationals against the Pirates. The thing about Strasburg is there's no reason why he can't do this against everyone. Pitching is all about mechanics and the ability to repeat the proper motion on every pitch, hundreds upon thousands of times over the course of a year. If you're dominating college ball and the minors the way he was, you're also going to be a success in the bigs. Wish he were a Padre.
3. Don't forget Masterson and Harang - Heck of a week for San Diego State pitchers. Justin Masterson, of the Indians, tossed a two-hit shutout of the recently hot BoSox. Aaron Harang pitched the Reds over the Giants, allowing two runs in seven innings in following his worst outing of the season. Hopefully, it begins a trend for the former Patrick Henry HS star, who is now 5-5 but is saddled with a 5.17 ERA.
4. USC, Bush sanctioned by NCAA for violations - First, it's a long time coming. The NCAA will reportedly announce sometime Thursday that the Trojans will face a bowl ban and loss of scholarships for violations that took place during the coach Pete Carroll-Reggie Bush era. The Bush saga has been a sad one, in a way. He seemed like a nice kid from a normal family early in his high school years. Then stardom came and so did those trying to profit off him. He changed as time went on and got dazzled by the bright lights. I don't blame him as much as the people around him, but he made some unfortunate choices. Meanwhile, the U$C recruiting vacuum has been turned off, which should put Aztecs coach Brady Hoke and his boys on a more even footing, only to be impacted, for better or worse, by...
5. Impact of college athletics changes on SDSU - The first domino fell in the conference realignment scenarios Thursday morning when Colorado joined the Pac-10. I thought up to this morning that what will take place would be smaller than forecast, but I'm starting to think I might be wrong. Nebraska's regents meet Friday and will see Colorado's move as writing on the wall, so will reject pleas to stay and join the Big Ten. There are forces at work to keep the Big 12 together, which I thought until this morning would be successful at least for a year or two. There's two scenarios. One is that Texas joins the Pac-10 with Colorado and takes Tech and the Oklahoma schools with them. The other is that they don't (duh). The first is good for SDSU and the Mountain West Conference, as they will then cherry pick the remainder. The second is bad, because a still-strong Big 12 can invite the better MWC schools, which will accept because of the BCS auto-bid, making the MWC a second-rate conference again. My bet: Nebraska goes. The tipping point will be Missouri. If the Tigers flee, too, then the Texas hold 'em scenario crumbles.
6. Second-place Padres - I've seen all I need to see. I'm sure you have, too. This is a pretty good team that needs one more bat. If general manager Jed Hoyer can acquire an outfielder or shortstop who can hit, the Padres will compete for a National League West crown. If not, the Dodgers -- now winning the type of games they were losing at the beginning of the year -- will comfortably win another division title. I'm in no way suggesting the young position players be tossed on the slag heap, but too much is being left to chance in all these 1-0, 2-1 games.
7. The World Cup Starting - Yawn. Wake me when it's over.
2. Stephen Strasburg wins major league debut - Quite a well-pitched game. The 14 strikeouts in seven innings only barely begins to tell the story of how well the West Hills HS, SDSU alumnus threw for the Nationals against the Pirates. The thing about Strasburg is there's no reason why he can't do this against everyone. Pitching is all about mechanics and the ability to repeat the proper motion on every pitch, hundreds upon thousands of times over the course of a year. If you're dominating college ball and the minors the way he was, you're also going to be a success in the bigs. Wish he were a Padre.
3. Don't forget Masterson and Harang - Heck of a week for San Diego State pitchers. Justin Masterson, of the Indians, tossed a two-hit shutout of the recently hot BoSox. Aaron Harang pitched the Reds over the Giants, allowing two runs in seven innings in following his worst outing of the season. Hopefully, it begins a trend for the former Patrick Henry HS star, who is now 5-5 but is saddled with a 5.17 ERA.
4. USC, Bush sanctioned by NCAA for violations - First, it's a long time coming. The NCAA will reportedly announce sometime Thursday that the Trojans will face a bowl ban and loss of scholarships for violations that took place during the coach Pete Carroll-Reggie Bush era. The Bush saga has been a sad one, in a way. He seemed like a nice kid from a normal family early in his high school years. Then stardom came and so did those trying to profit off him. He changed as time went on and got dazzled by the bright lights. I don't blame him as much as the people around him, but he made some unfortunate choices. Meanwhile, the U$C recruiting vacuum has been turned off, which should put Aztecs coach Brady Hoke and his boys on a more even footing, only to be impacted, for better or worse, by...
5. Impact of college athletics changes on SDSU - The first domino fell in the conference realignment scenarios Thursday morning when Colorado joined the Pac-10. I thought up to this morning that what will take place would be smaller than forecast, but I'm starting to think I might be wrong. Nebraska's regents meet Friday and will see Colorado's move as writing on the wall, so will reject pleas to stay and join the Big Ten. There are forces at work to keep the Big 12 together, which I thought until this morning would be successful at least for a year or two. There's two scenarios. One is that Texas joins the Pac-10 with Colorado and takes Tech and the Oklahoma schools with them. The other is that they don't (duh). The first is good for SDSU and the Mountain West Conference, as they will then cherry pick the remainder. The second is bad, because a still-strong Big 12 can invite the better MWC schools, which will accept because of the BCS auto-bid, making the MWC a second-rate conference again. My bet: Nebraska goes. The tipping point will be Missouri. If the Tigers flee, too, then the Texas hold 'em scenario crumbles.
6. Second-place Padres - I've seen all I need to see. I'm sure you have, too. This is a pretty good team that needs one more bat. If general manager Jed Hoyer can acquire an outfielder or shortstop who can hit, the Padres will compete for a National League West crown. If not, the Dodgers -- now winning the type of games they were losing at the beginning of the year -- will comfortably win another division title. I'm in no way suggesting the young position players be tossed on the slag heap, but too much is being left to chance in all these 1-0, 2-1 games.
7. The World Cup Starting - Yawn. Wake me when it's over.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Strasburg, Padres Notes
The dearly departed Washington Nationals announced Monday that former San Diego State P Stephen Strasburg will make his long-awaited major league debut against Pittsburgh on June 8, barring rainouts. The timing of his first big league start has been the subject of considerable discussion, and this date has been rumored for about a week. Now it’s as confirmed as it ever will be. Kind of funny that now only an act of God could derail the debut of someone the good Lord has so gifted.
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It was interesting reading the letters to the sports editor in the San Diego Union-Tribune Sunday, which expressed opposing views on whether the local baseball franchise was interesting to watch. One writer claimed the punchless Padres were boring, and another stated that Little Ball was fun to see.
My take is somewhere in the middle. I think Little Ball is indeed a lot of fun if executed well. The Friars execute Little Ball terribly. Except for David Eckstein and, in some cases, Tony Gwynn, these guys are only good on the basepaths. But it's more than running to execute Little Ball. Part II is at the plate, where they can't bunt or execute the hit-and-run. Sure, the guy on first might steal second, but the hitter can’t put wood on the ball for hit-and-run plays, sac flies or grounders to the right side of the infield.
I like the basic idea of Little Ball, but it's only fun if well-played.
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Before LF Kyle Blanks got hurt there was a lot of talk about whether he should be returned to AAA to regain his swing. My choice for a ticket to Portland after the weekend is RF Will Venable, who refuses to take the outside pitch the other way. He tries to pull EVERYTHING. In Sunday's game, he came up with runners on second and third and one out, and the National's pitcher fed him a steady diet of baseballs on the outside part of the plate and he was totally unable to poke anything toward left field. Sure, a grounder that direction might not have scored a run, but it could have.
Since that 4-for-5 game at LA that made such a big splash, he's 6-for-35, just under .200, with no extra base hits.
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My favorite Padre now, behind Eckstein, is OF Chris Denorfia. This guy is a gamer -- and a keeper. In about the same time period, he has three more hits than Venable, including a pair of doubles, and three more RBI. With Scott Hairston possibly coming off the DL in a couple of days, the Padres are going to have a big decision to make.
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Nick Hundley and Yorvit Torrealba are the co-MVP's of this team, by the way.
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Yes, I wrote that I wanted GM Jed Hoyer to start working to bring in an outfielder who can actually hit, and that remains the case. But it should also be noted that scoring and hitting is way off all around the major leagues, from the Phillies being shut out by the Mets three games in a row to the Padres doing nearly the same to the Giants every series and the two perfect games in about three weeks.
---
It was interesting reading the letters to the sports editor in the San Diego Union-Tribune Sunday, which expressed opposing views on whether the local baseball franchise was interesting to watch. One writer claimed the punchless Padres were boring, and another stated that Little Ball was fun to see.
My take is somewhere in the middle. I think Little Ball is indeed a lot of fun if executed well. The Friars execute Little Ball terribly. Except for David Eckstein and, in some cases, Tony Gwynn, these guys are only good on the basepaths. But it's more than running to execute Little Ball. Part II is at the plate, where they can't bunt or execute the hit-and-run. Sure, the guy on first might steal second, but the hitter can’t put wood on the ball for hit-and-run plays, sac flies or grounders to the right side of the infield.
I like the basic idea of Little Ball, but it's only fun if well-played.
---
Before LF Kyle Blanks got hurt there was a lot of talk about whether he should be returned to AAA to regain his swing. My choice for a ticket to Portland after the weekend is RF Will Venable, who refuses to take the outside pitch the other way. He tries to pull EVERYTHING. In Sunday's game, he came up with runners on second and third and one out, and the National's pitcher fed him a steady diet of baseballs on the outside part of the plate and he was totally unable to poke anything toward left field. Sure, a grounder that direction might not have scored a run, but it could have.
Since that 4-for-5 game at LA that made such a big splash, he's 6-for-35, just under .200, with no extra base hits.
---
My favorite Padre now, behind Eckstein, is OF Chris Denorfia. This guy is a gamer -- and a keeper. In about the same time period, he has three more hits than Venable, including a pair of doubles, and three more RBI. With Scott Hairston possibly coming off the DL in a couple of days, the Padres are going to have a big decision to make.
---
Nick Hundley and Yorvit Torrealba are the co-MVP's of this team, by the way.
---
Yes, I wrote that I wanted GM Jed Hoyer to start working to bring in an outfielder who can actually hit, and that remains the case. But it should also be noted that scoring and hitting is way off all around the major leagues, from the Phillies being shut out by the Mets three games in a row to the Padres doing nearly the same to the Giants every series and the two perfect games in about three weeks.
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