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.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Aztec Baseball Ends, Ellison
It wouldn't be proper for me to ignore the end of the San Diego State baseball season this week. The Aztecs were bombed by Utah and BYU in the double-elimination Mountain West Conference Tournament they hosted to finish the year 28-28.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that manager Tony Gwynn needs to be given a mulligan for this season because of a ridiculous spate of injuries to pitchers that no team would have survived. The run of bad luck included a horrifying line drive that cracked the skull of freshman starter Bryan Crabb, just about the only bright spot on the mound this season.
I still hold my position on Gwynn.
That said, I hope the local baseball legend takes a hard look at himself and his baseball program and is able to make an honest assessment. In eight seasons at the SDSU helm, he has taken his Aztecs to the NCAA Regionals just once -- when he rode the golden arm of Stephen Strasburg -- and is only seven games above .500 overall. He entered the 2009 season 11 games under .500 and got to the correct side of the ledger with a darn good 41-23 mark. His record is despite playing in a mediocre conference that nearly guarantees numerous wins over Air Force, arguably the least competitive major college team in any significant sport.
I have no hopes that Gwynn will make such an assessment and decide to resign. This year was this year, with all its lumps and warts. I'm concerned about next year and the year after. Does he think he's the right guy to lead the program? Would the program be on track if all the injuries hadn't taken place? Will 2011 be more like 2009? Gwynn could honestly answer "yes" to all three questions and that would be fine. If he can't, he needs to step aside because no one needs to go through the pain of firing someone of his status. And I have no doubt that nearly anyone else in Gwynn's current position would be fired as soon as his tournament hosting duties were over. He, however, deserves extra consideration and will receive it. I just hope the backers of the program and its participants receive the same consideration from him.
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Are you confused as much as I am about the relationship between the Chargers and S Kevin Ellison? It's weird. He starts the last month or so of 2009 but is now in danger of being released, a situation apparently developing well before his recent arrest on suspicion of possessing 100 Vicodin pills in Redondo Beach.
The Bolts brass reacted like it does in any other player's criminal arrest. The thing is, Ellison is not accused of possession for sale, transportation for sale, or any other serious criminal conduct. It's akin to an administrative violation for a pain killer that he planned to use during the season. He wasn't toting an ounce of cocaine or selling heroin.
If he's so bad he's in danger of being released, then why was he playing so much last season? All I can come up with is that management doesn't like the guy personally. Maybe he's inattentive at meetings or doesn't listen to teammates. Bad locker room guy. I have no idea. What's happening to him fuels speculation, however. It would be more fair to everyone for management to come clean on their thinking.
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I hate Vicodin, by the way. I've needed it twice, once during an illness and once after surgery. More than anything during those times, my absolute number one goal was to get off the Vicodin. I would rather put up with some pain than take more of the stuff. It was just awful.
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Since Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez was reported to be back to his usual level of productivity, he has gone 3-for-17 with one game in which he struck out in all four plate appearances. And the Padres won each game.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that manager Tony Gwynn needs to be given a mulligan for this season because of a ridiculous spate of injuries to pitchers that no team would have survived. The run of bad luck included a horrifying line drive that cracked the skull of freshman starter Bryan Crabb, just about the only bright spot on the mound this season.
I still hold my position on Gwynn.
That said, I hope the local baseball legend takes a hard look at himself and his baseball program and is able to make an honest assessment. In eight seasons at the SDSU helm, he has taken his Aztecs to the NCAA Regionals just once -- when he rode the golden arm of Stephen Strasburg -- and is only seven games above .500 overall. He entered the 2009 season 11 games under .500 and got to the correct side of the ledger with a darn good 41-23 mark. His record is despite playing in a mediocre conference that nearly guarantees numerous wins over Air Force, arguably the least competitive major college team in any significant sport.
I have no hopes that Gwynn will make such an assessment and decide to resign. This year was this year, with all its lumps and warts. I'm concerned about next year and the year after. Does he think he's the right guy to lead the program? Would the program be on track if all the injuries hadn't taken place? Will 2011 be more like 2009? Gwynn could honestly answer "yes" to all three questions and that would be fine. If he can't, he needs to step aside because no one needs to go through the pain of firing someone of his status. And I have no doubt that nearly anyone else in Gwynn's current position would be fired as soon as his tournament hosting duties were over. He, however, deserves extra consideration and will receive it. I just hope the backers of the program and its participants receive the same consideration from him.
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Are you confused as much as I am about the relationship between the Chargers and S Kevin Ellison? It's weird. He starts the last month or so of 2009 but is now in danger of being released, a situation apparently developing well before his recent arrest on suspicion of possessing 100 Vicodin pills in Redondo Beach.
The Bolts brass reacted like it does in any other player's criminal arrest. The thing is, Ellison is not accused of possession for sale, transportation for sale, or any other serious criminal conduct. It's akin to an administrative violation for a pain killer that he planned to use during the season. He wasn't toting an ounce of cocaine or selling heroin.
If he's so bad he's in danger of being released, then why was he playing so much last season? All I can come up with is that management doesn't like the guy personally. Maybe he's inattentive at meetings or doesn't listen to teammates. Bad locker room guy. I have no idea. What's happening to him fuels speculation, however. It would be more fair to everyone for management to come clean on their thinking.
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I hate Vicodin, by the way. I've needed it twice, once during an illness and once after surgery. More than anything during those times, my absolute number one goal was to get off the Vicodin. I would rather put up with some pain than take more of the stuff. It was just awful.
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Since Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez was reported to be back to his usual level of productivity, he has gone 3-for-17 with one game in which he struck out in all four plate appearances. And the Padres won each game.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Strasburg, Thames, Expansion
While it remains unlikely that Washington will promote P Stephen Strasburg from AAA in time to pitch at Petco Park on Saturday, you might want to keep your schedule open that day, just in case.
The ex-SDSU phenom has dominated the opposition in nine minor league starts and the consensus is that he will make one more start for the Syracuse Chiefs before being promoted by the Nationals. That would make it after the Nats pass through Strasburg's hometown of an Diego. Most of the Beltway population has claimed a ticket for June 4, the date of his presumptive debut.
But, maybe not. Strasburg went just 5 innings in his most recent start for Syracuse. The Nationals' P Scott Olsen, whose turn in the rotation comes up next on Saturday at Petco, just went on the disabled list with stiffness in his left shoulder. More roster moves are needed because C Ivan Rodriguez is also going on the DL. And, while Strasburg apparently told reporters that it didn't matter where he made his big league debut, who knows what he told the front office. My bet is that if he told team President Stan Kasten to dance, you'd see a nice pirouette in the Nationals clubhouse.
It's enough to make you go "hmmm." I doubt it will happen, but I'm keeping Saturday open, just in case.
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Here's a sign of the rise of San Diego State's basketball program and of the Mountain West as a hoops power. SDSU just announced it brought in transfer Xavier Thames from Washington State, a Pac-10 school, in order to provide depth at point guard. Not to be the point guard, but just to provide depth and some rest for incoming high school recruit LaBradford Franklin. Thames will have to wait a year, by which time DJ Gay will be an alumnus and Franklin should, barring a calamity, be an entrenched starter. My, how times of changed.
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Former Aztec Jene Morris scored her first two threes and collected 12 points in a win for the WNBA's Indiana Fever on Sunday. According to the Web site Swish Appeal, the Fever's starters have been sloppy, which could mean more playing time for Morris.
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I hope you're not on pins-and-needles over conference expansion and what it might mean to the MWC and SDSU in particular. I really don't think much is going to happen, outside the MWC inviting Boise State next month -- and I'm not really sure that's such a great move in that the Broncos will prove to be a drag in all other sports. We're in kind of a dead zone for college sports since no one cares about this level of baseball until the remaining eight schools arrive in Omaha, so a lot of writers are making stuff up out of whole cloth. I'll wait and see.
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The high school baseball playoffs begin Tuesday with play-in games. The double-elimination tournament gets going Wednesday. This is something you should care about. There's almost nothing better in local sports each year. Definitely worth checking out.
The ex-SDSU phenom has dominated the opposition in nine minor league starts and the consensus is that he will make one more start for the Syracuse Chiefs before being promoted by the Nationals. That would make it after the Nats pass through Strasburg's hometown of an Diego. Most of the Beltway population has claimed a ticket for June 4, the date of his presumptive debut.
But, maybe not. Strasburg went just 5 innings in his most recent start for Syracuse. The Nationals' P Scott Olsen, whose turn in the rotation comes up next on Saturday at Petco, just went on the disabled list with stiffness in his left shoulder. More roster moves are needed because C Ivan Rodriguez is also going on the DL. And, while Strasburg apparently told reporters that it didn't matter where he made his big league debut, who knows what he told the front office. My bet is that if he told team President Stan Kasten to dance, you'd see a nice pirouette in the Nationals clubhouse.
It's enough to make you go "hmmm." I doubt it will happen, but I'm keeping Saturday open, just in case.
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Here's a sign of the rise of San Diego State's basketball program and of the Mountain West as a hoops power. SDSU just announced it brought in transfer Xavier Thames from Washington State, a Pac-10 school, in order to provide depth at point guard. Not to be the point guard, but just to provide depth and some rest for incoming high school recruit LaBradford Franklin. Thames will have to wait a year, by which time DJ Gay will be an alumnus and Franklin should, barring a calamity, be an entrenched starter. My, how times of changed.
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Former Aztec Jene Morris scored her first two threes and collected 12 points in a win for the WNBA's Indiana Fever on Sunday. According to the Web site Swish Appeal, the Fever's starters have been sloppy, which could mean more playing time for Morris.
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I hope you're not on pins-and-needles over conference expansion and what it might mean to the MWC and SDSU in particular. I really don't think much is going to happen, outside the MWC inviting Boise State next month -- and I'm not really sure that's such a great move in that the Broncos will prove to be a drag in all other sports. We're in kind of a dead zone for college sports since no one cares about this level of baseball until the remaining eight schools arrive in Omaha, so a lot of writers are making stuff up out of whole cloth. I'll wait and see.
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The high school baseball playoffs begin Tuesday with play-in games. The double-elimination tournament gets going Wednesday. This is something you should care about. There's almost nothing better in local sports each year. Definitely worth checking out.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Breitbard
I had a few dealings with Bob Breitbard, the dean of the local sports community who died Monday at the age of 91. One stood out, and it really showed what kind of guy he was.
I have an entrepreneurial bent, in case you haven't noticed, and I had an idea quite a few years ago that I want to run by him so he could judge its worth. I think it would have been in the early 1990s. He was still heavily involved in his business, California Linen Supply, which provided laundry services for hotel towels and bedding -- quite a lucrative slice of this town's thriving tourism industry.
He was only too happy to meet with me. He invited me up to his office right there in his downtown plant. We must have met for a half-hour and he gave me some encouragement and the advice I sought. This gentleman who was more used to hanging out with baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams had no problem taking time out of his day to listen to some guy he'd never met before.
Ultimately, the idea didn't go anywhere, but it wasn't because of Bob Breitbard. This man, who was among those who brought the Chargers to San Diego, promoted the Padres from AAA to the major leagues and established the Holiday Bowl, graciously led me to the next step in the process.
When I operated Sandiegosportstown.com years later I tried to repay the favor by publicizing events at the sports museum Breitbard founded, the San Diego Hall of Champions. He is one of those guys who might now be gone, but the results of his works will remain with us for a long time to come.
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I sure hope San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke is getting his program on track. In 2010, the non-conference schedule will be embarrassingly easy with home games against Nicholls State and Utah State, and road contests at New Mexico State and Missouri. Only one loss there.
But 2011 will be much different. It was announced Tuesday that SDSU will make its second appearance in the Big House with a game at Michigan. A home game against Washington State is also on the docket, as is another roadie at Army. The season opens at The Q against Chuck Long-nemesis Cal Poly-SLO.
The slate in 2012 includes an opening road game at Cincinnati and home contests vs. Army, North Dakota and San Jose State. It wouldn't shock me to see the Fighting Sioux replaced by someone more interesting, as it looks like Hoke might be up for the challenge that scared his predecessor.
I have an entrepreneurial bent, in case you haven't noticed, and I had an idea quite a few years ago that I want to run by him so he could judge its worth. I think it would have been in the early 1990s. He was still heavily involved in his business, California Linen Supply, which provided laundry services for hotel towels and bedding -- quite a lucrative slice of this town's thriving tourism industry.
He was only too happy to meet with me. He invited me up to his office right there in his downtown plant. We must have met for a half-hour and he gave me some encouragement and the advice I sought. This gentleman who was more used to hanging out with baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams had no problem taking time out of his day to listen to some guy he'd never met before.
Ultimately, the idea didn't go anywhere, but it wasn't because of Bob Breitbard. This man, who was among those who brought the Chargers to San Diego, promoted the Padres from AAA to the major leagues and established the Holiday Bowl, graciously led me to the next step in the process.
When I operated Sandiegosportstown.com years later I tried to repay the favor by publicizing events at the sports museum Breitbard founded, the San Diego Hall of Champions. He is one of those guys who might now be gone, but the results of his works will remain with us for a long time to come.
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I sure hope San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke is getting his program on track. In 2010, the non-conference schedule will be embarrassingly easy with home games against Nicholls State and Utah State, and road contests at New Mexico State and Missouri. Only one loss there.
But 2011 will be much different. It was announced Tuesday that SDSU will make its second appearance in the Big House with a game at Michigan. A home game against Washington State is also on the docket, as is another roadie at Army. The season opens at The Q against Chuck Long-nemesis Cal Poly-SLO.
The slate in 2012 includes an opening road game at Cincinnati and home contests vs. Army, North Dakota and San Jose State. It wouldn't shock me to see the Fighting Sioux replaced by someone more interesting, as it looks like Hoke might be up for the challenge that scared his predecessor.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Outfielders Update, Jene Morris
When the newspaper ran a sports section column on Padres GM Jed Hoyer evaluating whether to bring in an outfielder who can actually hit major league pitching, I counseled patience--at least through the weekend. That would give us time to see how Kyle Blanks, Tony Gwynn, Scott Hairston and Will Venable did against the rival Dodgers and Giants.
The Padres swept SF but were in turn swept by LA. It's not time to hit the panic button but, with the wins at AT&T Park coming almost entirely because of pitching, the way to lean is obvious. Thinking time is over. Doing something should be the new mode. As has already been reported, AAA is basically devoid of outfield talent because they're all up here -- and hitting like minor leaguers. Ouch!
The options are to sign someone who is currently not on a roster, which comes down to former White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, or trade surplus pitching. Signing Dye might be a quick process but it would be several days to get him ready to play a game. A trade could take days or weeks, and it is something you'd rather get right than wrong.
Here are how the current four outfielders fared over those big six games against the rivals:
Blanks - 0-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Gwynn - 2-for-15, 3 strikeouts and just 2 runs scored
Hairston - 3-for-11, 1 RBI and 1 run
Venable - 2-for-10, 4 strikeouts and an RBI
Now, it is unfair to judge players based on one week's worth of games, but this is actually just a microcosm of what's been happening over the past month with these players. Blanks had no hits and struck out in nearly half his at-bats. Gwynn struck out more times than he was safe on a batted ball -- not exactly living up to the family name -- and as a leadoff hitter he scored only twice. Hairston scored just once. Venable's .200 mark looked pretty good in comparison.
If you fault my analysis, then you're not only seeing things differently than me but also with manager Bud Black. In the past week, he gave three outfield starts to backup infielder Oscar Salazar and one to aging pinch hitter Matt Stairs. In the Bay Area finale, Hairston played all three outfield spots as Black juggled his unproductive lineup during the game.
In all fairness, the rest of the lineup didn't produce, either. 3B Chase Headley was 3-for-24 over that period and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-23 with just 1 RBI on Friday's home run.
If, indeed, Hoyer and the front office choose patience, then that could mean the baseball guys don't see anything seriously wrong with the outfielders other than they are in a slump and need seasoning. They could be right. Of course, they won't get much money from fans until they're proven correct, and their careers could be short-circuited if they're wrong.
The Padres host the Giants again and then go to LA, both for 2-game series. Then they go to Seattle against the equally punchless Mariners. After that it's crunch time: they face the Cardinals, surprising Nationals, Mets and Phillies in the following two weeks. The time to make changes maybe hasn't come, but the moment has absolutely arrived to get the ball rolling in that direction.
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The beginning of the WNBA season hasn't been easy on former San Diego State G Jene Morris -- and boy, is it sad to include the "former" in front of her. In Indiana's season opener against Washington Saturday, the first-round draft choice played for more than 14 minutes, but missed her only two shots -- both threes -- and committed three turnovers. She also had a rebound and an assist.
In a 66-62 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Morris played 5 minutes and 36 seconds, scored a hoop on her only shot, turned the ball over once and committed three fouls.
BTW, Morris made the roster in part by beating out Joy Cheek, the Duke forward who helped eliminate the Aztecs from the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Padres swept SF but were in turn swept by LA. It's not time to hit the panic button but, with the wins at AT&T Park coming almost entirely because of pitching, the way to lean is obvious. Thinking time is over. Doing something should be the new mode. As has already been reported, AAA is basically devoid of outfield talent because they're all up here -- and hitting like minor leaguers. Ouch!
The options are to sign someone who is currently not on a roster, which comes down to former White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, or trade surplus pitching. Signing Dye might be a quick process but it would be several days to get him ready to play a game. A trade could take days or weeks, and it is something you'd rather get right than wrong.
Here are how the current four outfielders fared over those big six games against the rivals:
Blanks - 0-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Gwynn - 2-for-15, 3 strikeouts and just 2 runs scored
Hairston - 3-for-11, 1 RBI and 1 run
Venable - 2-for-10, 4 strikeouts and an RBI
Now, it is unfair to judge players based on one week's worth of games, but this is actually just a microcosm of what's been happening over the past month with these players. Blanks had no hits and struck out in nearly half his at-bats. Gwynn struck out more times than he was safe on a batted ball -- not exactly living up to the family name -- and as a leadoff hitter he scored only twice. Hairston scored just once. Venable's .200 mark looked pretty good in comparison.
If you fault my analysis, then you're not only seeing things differently than me but also with manager Bud Black. In the past week, he gave three outfield starts to backup infielder Oscar Salazar and one to aging pinch hitter Matt Stairs. In the Bay Area finale, Hairston played all three outfield spots as Black juggled his unproductive lineup during the game.
In all fairness, the rest of the lineup didn't produce, either. 3B Chase Headley was 3-for-24 over that period and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-23 with just 1 RBI on Friday's home run.
If, indeed, Hoyer and the front office choose patience, then that could mean the baseball guys don't see anything seriously wrong with the outfielders other than they are in a slump and need seasoning. They could be right. Of course, they won't get much money from fans until they're proven correct, and their careers could be short-circuited if they're wrong.
The Padres host the Giants again and then go to LA, both for 2-game series. Then they go to Seattle against the equally punchless Mariners. After that it's crunch time: they face the Cardinals, surprising Nationals, Mets and Phillies in the following two weeks. The time to make changes maybe hasn't come, but the moment has absolutely arrived to get the ball rolling in that direction.
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The beginning of the WNBA season hasn't been easy on former San Diego State G Jene Morris -- and boy, is it sad to include the "former" in front of her. In Indiana's season opener against Washington Saturday, the first-round draft choice played for more than 14 minutes, but missed her only two shots -- both threes -- and committed three turnovers. She also had a rebound and an assist.
In a 66-62 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Morris played 5 minutes and 36 seconds, scored a hoop on her only shot, turned the ball over once and committed three fouls.
BTW, Morris made the roster in part by beating out Joy Cheek, the Duke forward who helped eliminate the Aztecs from the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time to Find Out What Moorad, Hoyer and Hoke Have
We're pretty soon going to find out what Padres incoming owner Jeff Moorad, GM Jed Hoyer and San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke are made of, thanks to two interesting items in the newspaper today. One is on the lagging hitting of Padres outfielders and the other is about the lack of strength among San Diego State football players when coach Brady Hoke arrived in December 2008.
Good articles on what's going on in local sports. Let me bump them up a bit with the stakes involved.
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On the Padres outfield, it is worth noting that from left to right, Kyle Blanks' stat line is a measly .180-3-14, Tony Gwynn is at .211 with just 8 runs scored and Will Venable is .220-4-12. Scott Hairston's line is .243-6-13, and he deserves considerable credit for Tuesday's 3-2 win at San Francisco with an 11-pitch leadoff at-bat that exposed Giants P Barry Zito's stuff for the rest of the lineup. Hairston himself didn't do too much the rest of the game, but the guy right behind him, 2B David Eckstein, went 2-for-2 with three walks. I don't think that's coincidence.
But the main point of the newspaper article is now that we're into mid-May and the outfielders aren't producing at the plate, Hoyer has to decide whether to stick with the young kids or make a trade for some hitting. Tuesday's Giants game shows perfectly the problem. Their pitchers issued 12 walks, yet the Friars only cashed in with 3 runs. That's a problem. Blanks, Gwynn and Hairston were a combined 0-for-7.
Clearly, the outfielders need to start hitting--the sooner the better. Or did you not notice the Dodgers creeping up in the standings after a rotten start? Either the guys who are there have to produce, or someone needs to be brought in who will. This is not merely a challenge to see if the new ownership is willing to open its wallet to win a division, though that's part of it. The issue for Hoyer and his baseball people is do he, and they, have the touch for knowing when to make a move and when to stand pat? The decision-making they're faced with is as much art as science, experience as raw data. No one said it would be easy.
Here's my thinking, if I'm in Hoyer's shoes.
1. I'm in my first series in San Francisco and I haven't played the Dodgers at all. Let's get through the weekend before I start to worry about this stuff. Hey, the Padres are 4-0 against the Giants, their closest pursuers at the moment. In the sweep of SF at Petco, my primary outfielders were 6-for-19, a .317 clip.
2. If I still have an issue next Monday, I look at whose been proven and who has not. Gwynn is in his fifth major league season with a career .256 batting average and no sock. I like his speed and defense, but there is no longer any expectation of improvement from him (I feel like I've really been bagging on the Gwynns lately, and I don't mean to, but facts are facts in a performance-based industry). Hairston is in his ninth season as a .252 career hitter. He is also as good as he is going to get.
3. Blanks and Venable are in only their second big league seasons, and Blanks missed a lot of last year with his foot injury. They're both babies, so to speak. They will need time to develop. The question is where? This is when the baseball people come in. It might be best to continue to work against major league pitchers. It might be better to send them to AAA Portland to fix flaws that have developed or restore their confidence. Or would a return to the minors shatter promising young players? Big questions here.
4. The newspaper article suggested signing former White Sox slugger Jermaine Dye, who is available after not being re-signed following a bad second half of last season. This is where Moorad comes in. Dye might be a cheap alternative. Or do you go big? The Padres have pitching depth that has given Portland six hurlers with major league experience, eight if you count Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, who were called up as replacements for the grieving Kevin Correia and ailing Tim Stauffer. Are you willing to package some young pitchers in exchange for CF Adam Jones of struggling Baltimore? The Morse High product slugged 19 homers and swatted 22 doubles last year and plays superb defense for a lousy team. How about getting the experienced Scott Podsednik from Kansas City, who has rejuvenated his career and appears to be his old self again at the age of 34? Baltimore could use some pitching, but KC is desperate for it. Right now, I'd say those are the two CFs most likely to be available for trade and helpful to the Padres cause.
I think we're a bit premature on all this, but the article came out now so I thought I'd respond. Hopefully on Monday I can post a "never mind."
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For Hoke, he appeared at an Encinitas gabfest and repeated his quote that his Aztecs were woefully weak physically when he arrived on Montezuma Mesa and his players were ready to pack it in mentally after the 2009 season-opening 33-14 loss to UCLA.
Rome wasn't built in a day, so to expect significant change in size and strength in Hoke's first season was not realistic and it didn't happen. But by the time SDSU opens the 2010 campaign, it will have been nearly two calendar years since he and his supposedly wonderful strength coach, Aaron Wellman, stepped on campus. Serious change is due.
If the Aztecs are stronger in the lines, then they will be better than everyone in the Mountain West other than the Big Three of TCU, BYU and Utah; and might be at least close to as good as Air Force. They have a pretty decent QB in Ryan Lindley and the best receiving corps in the conference. They could score a lot of points on the weaker opposition.
If Hoke and Wellman are all that, we should see the results as early as this fall. I don't want to see lines pushed backward. I want to see the skill talent freed to make plays. I still think the overall talent level is 6-6ish, but that's a longer term issue than less than two years.
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As long as we're on Aztecs football, here's another challenge for Hoke. He and QB coach Brian Sipe have yet to match predecessor Chuck Long--God it pains me to write those last three words--in one area, QB recruiting. One of the few things Long got right was bringing in Lindley. I don't think incoming freshman Adam Dingwell of Rockwall, Texas, is of the same caliber, though I might be wrong. I'm talking about a major recruit here, and as star-crossed as Lindley's career has been, he was a major recruit.
I don't see SDSU being ready yet to compete for Top 10 quarterback recruits yet and they've only gotten or really challenged for a handful over the years anyway. But a 15-25 guy nationally, like Lindley, needs to come in here for this program to take off.
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Wednesday post on SDSU football on Yahoo!'s Dr. Saturday blog. Pretty fair assessment.
Good articles on what's going on in local sports. Let me bump them up a bit with the stakes involved.
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On the Padres outfield, it is worth noting that from left to right, Kyle Blanks' stat line is a measly .180-3-14, Tony Gwynn is at .211 with just 8 runs scored and Will Venable is .220-4-12. Scott Hairston's line is .243-6-13, and he deserves considerable credit for Tuesday's 3-2 win at San Francisco with an 11-pitch leadoff at-bat that exposed Giants P Barry Zito's stuff for the rest of the lineup. Hairston himself didn't do too much the rest of the game, but the guy right behind him, 2B David Eckstein, went 2-for-2 with three walks. I don't think that's coincidence.
But the main point of the newspaper article is now that we're into mid-May and the outfielders aren't producing at the plate, Hoyer has to decide whether to stick with the young kids or make a trade for some hitting. Tuesday's Giants game shows perfectly the problem. Their pitchers issued 12 walks, yet the Friars only cashed in with 3 runs. That's a problem. Blanks, Gwynn and Hairston were a combined 0-for-7.
Clearly, the outfielders need to start hitting--the sooner the better. Or did you not notice the Dodgers creeping up in the standings after a rotten start? Either the guys who are there have to produce, or someone needs to be brought in who will. This is not merely a challenge to see if the new ownership is willing to open its wallet to win a division, though that's part of it. The issue for Hoyer and his baseball people is do he, and they, have the touch for knowing when to make a move and when to stand pat? The decision-making they're faced with is as much art as science, experience as raw data. No one said it would be easy.
Here's my thinking, if I'm in Hoyer's shoes.
1. I'm in my first series in San Francisco and I haven't played the Dodgers at all. Let's get through the weekend before I start to worry about this stuff. Hey, the Padres are 4-0 against the Giants, their closest pursuers at the moment. In the sweep of SF at Petco, my primary outfielders were 6-for-19, a .317 clip.
2. If I still have an issue next Monday, I look at whose been proven and who has not. Gwynn is in his fifth major league season with a career .256 batting average and no sock. I like his speed and defense, but there is no longer any expectation of improvement from him (I feel like I've really been bagging on the Gwynns lately, and I don't mean to, but facts are facts in a performance-based industry). Hairston is in his ninth season as a .252 career hitter. He is also as good as he is going to get.
3. Blanks and Venable are in only their second big league seasons, and Blanks missed a lot of last year with his foot injury. They're both babies, so to speak. They will need time to develop. The question is where? This is when the baseball people come in. It might be best to continue to work against major league pitchers. It might be better to send them to AAA Portland to fix flaws that have developed or restore their confidence. Or would a return to the minors shatter promising young players? Big questions here.
4. The newspaper article suggested signing former White Sox slugger Jermaine Dye, who is available after not being re-signed following a bad second half of last season. This is where Moorad comes in. Dye might be a cheap alternative. Or do you go big? The Padres have pitching depth that has given Portland six hurlers with major league experience, eight if you count Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, who were called up as replacements for the grieving Kevin Correia and ailing Tim Stauffer. Are you willing to package some young pitchers in exchange for CF Adam Jones of struggling Baltimore? The Morse High product slugged 19 homers and swatted 22 doubles last year and plays superb defense for a lousy team. How about getting the experienced Scott Podsednik from Kansas City, who has rejuvenated his career and appears to be his old self again at the age of 34? Baltimore could use some pitching, but KC is desperate for it. Right now, I'd say those are the two CFs most likely to be available for trade and helpful to the Padres cause.
I think we're a bit premature on all this, but the article came out now so I thought I'd respond. Hopefully on Monday I can post a "never mind."
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For Hoke, he appeared at an Encinitas gabfest and repeated his quote that his Aztecs were woefully weak physically when he arrived on Montezuma Mesa and his players were ready to pack it in mentally after the 2009 season-opening 33-14 loss to UCLA.
Rome wasn't built in a day, so to expect significant change in size and strength in Hoke's first season was not realistic and it didn't happen. But by the time SDSU opens the 2010 campaign, it will have been nearly two calendar years since he and his supposedly wonderful strength coach, Aaron Wellman, stepped on campus. Serious change is due.
If the Aztecs are stronger in the lines, then they will be better than everyone in the Mountain West other than the Big Three of TCU, BYU and Utah; and might be at least close to as good as Air Force. They have a pretty decent QB in Ryan Lindley and the best receiving corps in the conference. They could score a lot of points on the weaker opposition.
If Hoke and Wellman are all that, we should see the results as early as this fall. I don't want to see lines pushed backward. I want to see the skill talent freed to make plays. I still think the overall talent level is 6-6ish, but that's a longer term issue than less than two years.
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As long as we're on Aztecs football, here's another challenge for Hoke. He and QB coach Brian Sipe have yet to match predecessor Chuck Long--God it pains me to write those last three words--in one area, QB recruiting. One of the few things Long got right was bringing in Lindley. I don't think incoming freshman Adam Dingwell of Rockwall, Texas, is of the same caliber, though I might be wrong. I'm talking about a major recruit here, and as star-crossed as Lindley's career has been, he was a major recruit.
I don't see SDSU being ready yet to compete for Top 10 quarterback recruits yet and they've only gotten or really challenged for a handful over the years anyway. But a 15-25 guy nationally, like Lindley, needs to come in here for this program to take off.
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Wednesday post on SDSU football on Yahoo!'s Dr. Saturday blog. Pretty fair assessment.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Padres Rotation
In the span of hours, heck it could have been minutes, the Padres placed P Kevin Correia on the bereavement list and lost Tim Stauffer for an unknown amount of time after he had an emergency appendectomy in San Francisco (he must have gone for one of those lobsters at Fisherman's Wharf!).
That's on top of Chris Young being out. The latest is that Young will return by the All-Star break, but anything he produces at all in 2010 will be gravy.
All this comes as the Friars are preparing for the two biggest series in this young season, at San Francisco and home this weekend against LA. Yuck!
The latest scoop according to the Padres Web site is Stauffer went to bed with pains and had trouble sleeping before waking a trainer at 3am to go to a hospital. One report said he could be out six weeks. That would be extreme. I remember years ago, Dave Kingman of the Giants had such an operation and came back two days later to leg out a triple against the Dodgers.
Correia's brother apparently fell off a cliff on one of the Channel Islands--a real tragedy. The Padres think he might be back in time to make Saturday's start against the Dodgers. Meanwhile, lefty Cesar Ramos is making his way back to the team from AAA Portland.
That's on top of Chris Young being out. The latest is that Young will return by the All-Star break, but anything he produces at all in 2010 will be gravy.
All this comes as the Friars are preparing for the two biggest series in this young season, at San Francisco and home this weekend against LA. Yuck!
The latest scoop according to the Padres Web site is Stauffer went to bed with pains and had trouble sleeping before waking a trainer at 3am to go to a hospital. One report said he could be out six weeks. That would be extreme. I remember years ago, Dave Kingman of the Giants had such an operation and came back two days later to leg out a triple against the Dodgers.
Correia's brother apparently fell off a cliff on one of the Channel Islands--a real tragedy. The Padres think he might be back in time to make Saturday's start against the Dodgers. Meanwhile, lefty Cesar Ramos is making his way back to the team from AAA Portland.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Padres Concerns
It was a really bad ninth inning for the Padres on Sunday, especially if your name is Jerry Hairston Jr. But the Friars 4-3 loss at Houston disturbingly displayed their Achilles heel.
First, the inning, if you didn't see it. The Padres went into the ninth with a 3-2 lead thanks to a strong five-inning spot start by Tim Stauffer and the pitcher's own two-run double. After Edward Mujica allowed a pair of home runs in the sixth to make the game close, things went to hell in the final frame.
Looking for an insurance run for Heath Bell -- it would have been darned handy as it turned out -- David Eckstein lined a double to left and went to third on Nick Hundley's ground out. Hairston Jr. then tapped a weak grounder to short against a drawn-in infield, and Eckstein was thrown out at the plate. Hairston Jr., obviously hoping to make amends by getting into scoring position, was then thrown out stealing to end the inning -- and was visibly frustrated.
Well, that didn't go too well, but the Padres were still turning the ball over to Bell, so they seemed in good shape. Uh, no. Carlos Lee grounded a ball to Hairston Jr. at short, and he airmailed the ball well over first baseman Adrian Gonzalez' head, and Lee went to second base. A pinch runner was grounded to third and, as the Padres failed to do, was brought home by a sacrifice fly. That tied the game and the Astros went on to win in the 11th.
As bad as that ninth inning was, it's a display of how the Padres are in need of improvement as they head into a big pair of series against the Giants and Dodgers. Their lack of offense is keeping games like this close. Sure, they had to face Roy Oswalt, but you have to execute professionally when opportunity arises.
Four of the Padres past five games have been decided by one run, and they are 2-2 in those contests. You don't want so many close games where anything can happen. For the season, the Padres are 5-4 in games decided by a single point -- a winning mark but barely so.
You can look at the Padres scores so far and point to a few 8- and 7-run scoring outbursts, but check this out: Sunday, Stauffer drove in two of the three runs and scored the other. Friday, when they hung 7 on the 'stros, Mat Latos had an RBI double and scored later. It's nice to have the hurlers helping the hitters, but it's not good when they're carrying them.
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Condolences to Padres P Kevin Correia on the loss of his brother over the weekend. As of Monday the circumstances have not been reported, other than he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.
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A split for San Diego State's men's basketball team in terms of star opponents leaving for the NBA. Darington Hobson of New Mexico is gone, but BYU's Jimmer Fredette is staying for his senior season. The Lobos are adding quality depth to what had been a lean front line, so better for Aztecs fans that Hobson goes. But Fredette, long a thorn in SDSU's side, withdrew from the draft after he was reportedly injured in a workout late last week.
First, the inning, if you didn't see it. The Padres went into the ninth with a 3-2 lead thanks to a strong five-inning spot start by Tim Stauffer and the pitcher's own two-run double. After Edward Mujica allowed a pair of home runs in the sixth to make the game close, things went to hell in the final frame.
Looking for an insurance run for Heath Bell -- it would have been darned handy as it turned out -- David Eckstein lined a double to left and went to third on Nick Hundley's ground out. Hairston Jr. then tapped a weak grounder to short against a drawn-in infield, and Eckstein was thrown out at the plate. Hairston Jr., obviously hoping to make amends by getting into scoring position, was then thrown out stealing to end the inning -- and was visibly frustrated.
Well, that didn't go too well, but the Padres were still turning the ball over to Bell, so they seemed in good shape. Uh, no. Carlos Lee grounded a ball to Hairston Jr. at short, and he airmailed the ball well over first baseman Adrian Gonzalez' head, and Lee went to second base. A pinch runner was grounded to third and, as the Padres failed to do, was brought home by a sacrifice fly. That tied the game and the Astros went on to win in the 11th.
As bad as that ninth inning was, it's a display of how the Padres are in need of improvement as they head into a big pair of series against the Giants and Dodgers. Their lack of offense is keeping games like this close. Sure, they had to face Roy Oswalt, but you have to execute professionally when opportunity arises.
Four of the Padres past five games have been decided by one run, and they are 2-2 in those contests. You don't want so many close games where anything can happen. For the season, the Padres are 5-4 in games decided by a single point -- a winning mark but barely so.
You can look at the Padres scores so far and point to a few 8- and 7-run scoring outbursts, but check this out: Sunday, Stauffer drove in two of the three runs and scored the other. Friday, when they hung 7 on the 'stros, Mat Latos had an RBI double and scored later. It's nice to have the hurlers helping the hitters, but it's not good when they're carrying them.
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Condolences to Padres P Kevin Correia on the loss of his brother over the weekend. As of Monday the circumstances have not been reported, other than he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.
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A split for San Diego State's men's basketball team in terms of star opponents leaving for the NBA. Darington Hobson of New Mexico is gone, but BYU's Jimmer Fredette is staying for his senior season. The Lobos are adding quality depth to what had been a lean front line, so better for Aztecs fans that Hobson goes. But Fredette, long a thorn in SDSU's side, withdrew from the draft after he was reportedly injured in a workout late last week.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Padres Injuries
The news that Padres P Chris Young is battling shoulder soreness again should surprise no one. His string of injuries over the past couple of seasons just aren't going to be cured in a matter of month or even a year. If Young ever makes it back for full-time mound work, it would be exceptional. Thank God the Padres have plenty of pitching depth.
Which leads me to something I was thinking about the other day. Now that Young is gone and the Friars have proven they can win without SS Everth Cabrera -- there's a shock -- who is it that they can most ill-afford to lose? Which position player is the linchpin who, if he goes down for a couple of months, will be the reason why the season suddenly falls apart?
My choice is not Adrian Gonzalez -- surprise, surprise. Losing the left-handed slugger would be difficult, certainly, but his production can be streaky. In his last 10 games, Gonzo is barely batting over .200 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and more strikeouts than hits. The Padres are 6-4 over that span, not gang-busters but they aren't falling apart without his production. They scored four runs or more in half those games. In games they scored 8 and 9 runs, the first baseman was 0-for-5 both times.
It says here that the player the Padres simply can't lose is 3B Chase Headley. I came to the conclusion a day before his walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Rockies. If he goes down, who will play third? Jerry Hairston Jr.? Please. He's a middle infielder/outfielder sub who is darn good at what he does, but I don't see him at the hot corner for more than a game or two. Oscar Salazar for two months?
There is no one else on the 40-man roster. The starting 3B at AAA Portland is Craig Stansberry, who is barely above the Mendoza line.
If Headley, with his clutch hitting and defense that's improving by the week, goes out for an extended period of time, the Padres tank in a flurry of 1-0, 2-1 losses.
Second on my list is C Nick Hundley. Mention his name before the season and you'd elicit a yawn. But someone is behind the plate calling all the shutouts the pitchers have been tossing, and Hundley is the guy. His hitting has been timely. Backup Yorvit Torrealba has been fine in his spot-starts, but Hundley and his battery-mates on the mound have something going.
Gonzalez ranks third of the position players they can't afford to lose. He is their power. However, what will happen if he goes down is that Kyle Blanks will move to first and that four-man OF rotation suddenly becomes Scott Hairston-Tony Gwynn-Will Venable every night. That might be do-able.
I like where the Padres are right now. They still need to hit more, no doubt. And they still haven't played the Dodgers, the Giants on the road or heavyweights like the Cardinals or Phillies. They get all in the next several weeks.
Which leads me to something I was thinking about the other day. Now that Young is gone and the Friars have proven they can win without SS Everth Cabrera -- there's a shock -- who is it that they can most ill-afford to lose? Which position player is the linchpin who, if he goes down for a couple of months, will be the reason why the season suddenly falls apart?
My choice is not Adrian Gonzalez -- surprise, surprise. Losing the left-handed slugger would be difficult, certainly, but his production can be streaky. In his last 10 games, Gonzo is barely batting over .200 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and more strikeouts than hits. The Padres are 6-4 over that span, not gang-busters but they aren't falling apart without his production. They scored four runs or more in half those games. In games they scored 8 and 9 runs, the first baseman was 0-for-5 both times.
It says here that the player the Padres simply can't lose is 3B Chase Headley. I came to the conclusion a day before his walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Rockies. If he goes down, who will play third? Jerry Hairston Jr.? Please. He's a middle infielder/outfielder sub who is darn good at what he does, but I don't see him at the hot corner for more than a game or two. Oscar Salazar for two months?
There is no one else on the 40-man roster. The starting 3B at AAA Portland is Craig Stansberry, who is barely above the Mendoza line.
If Headley, with his clutch hitting and defense that's improving by the week, goes out for an extended period of time, the Padres tank in a flurry of 1-0, 2-1 losses.
Second on my list is C Nick Hundley. Mention his name before the season and you'd elicit a yawn. But someone is behind the plate calling all the shutouts the pitchers have been tossing, and Hundley is the guy. His hitting has been timely. Backup Yorvit Torrealba has been fine in his spot-starts, but Hundley and his battery-mates on the mound have something going.
Gonzalez ranks third of the position players they can't afford to lose. He is their power. However, what will happen if he goes down is that Kyle Blanks will move to first and that four-man OF rotation suddenly becomes Scott Hairston-Tony Gwynn-Will Venable every night. That might be do-able.
I like where the Padres are right now. They still need to hit more, no doubt. And they still haven't played the Dodgers, the Giants on the road or heavyweights like the Cardinals or Phillies. They get all in the next several weeks.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Is Ice Thinning Under Gwynn?
Just a year after San Diego State's baseball team rode the magical arm and golden spikes of pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg to its first appearance in the NCAA Regionals in the ungodly time period of nearly 20 years, the Aztecs sit a game under .500 both overall and in the Mountain West Conference.
The only chance at a second straight NCAA berth will be an upset run through the league tournament, something that looks increasingly unlikely after New Mexico took two of three from SDSU over the weekend. The Lobos scored 20 times in the finale, a stunning total at pitcher-friendly Tony Gwynn Stadium even on a Sunday.
In a post before the beginning of the season, I asked local baseball coaches to "show me what they got." Could Rich Hill of USD rebound after an injury-plagued off year? Could Gwynn maintain course without Strasburg? For Hill, the answer is yes. The Toreros are ranked 22nd in the latest Baseball America poll and are a perfect 12-0 in the West Coast Conference, which is at least as good as the Mountain West.
For Gwynn, the answer is no. His Aztecs are in fourth place in the MWC at 7-8. However, the problem does not entirely lie with him. He has lost several starting pitchers to injury and a number of true freshman have had to take on considerable playing time.
Yet some numbers are disturbing. The Aztecs have struck out 366 times this year, with the next team on the list, perennially horrible Air Force, whiffing 328 times. The Lobos have gone down on K's more than 130 fewer times. The team ERA is 5.17 with most games in confines nearly as friendly to pitchers as Petco Park. Fielding has been a major issue under Gwynn, and the Aztecs percentage of .961 is fifth out of seven teams, and they are second in the total number of errors committed.
Individually, only one player, Brandon Meredith, ranks in the league's Top 20 in batting average, at .374. If you know about the league, you understand there will never be many Aztecs among the leaders in the category, but ONE? Come on. No SDSU players appear in the league Top 10 for slugging percentage, RBI, doubles, home runs or total bases. That's after instruction from a Hall of Fame major league hitter.
Success and failure in baseball cannot always be defined by numbers. I have no idea what sort of drama might be taking place behind the scenes, if the players respect and support each other or consider their responsibilities to be drudgery. I don't if the replacement of pitching coach Rusty Filter with the equally respected Eric Valenzuela has gone poorly. I don't know why more players don't respond the Gwynn's batting instruction. I sure as heck don't understand why a program that can create a Strasburg can't make more who are at least similar to him -- yeah, he's one of a kind, but at least something close?
So, while I'm not advocating that Gwynn be done away with as head coach, I do think the time has come to bring up the issue. Keep in mind that SDSU has a new athletic director who was able to admire Gwynn the player and personality only from afar. Jim Sterk may not have a deep understanding of his coach's standing in the community.
Ultimately, the question Sterk will need to evaluate is this: does Gwynn's position as a status symbol and ability to bring attention to San Diego State University outweigh the fact that he has been unable to build a consistent winner in a non-revenue sport? For most of his tenure as coach, the answer was undeniably yes. But I also think that time is starting to run out, at least for the youngsters he needs to attract to Montezuma Mesa to build a winner. We're talking about kids who were in tee-ball when Gwynn retired. He still has considerable cache with adults who would be inclined to support the program, but year-after-year of losing is eroding even that backing.
I would hate to be in Sterk's shoes and have to decide whether his baseball program would be better off without a legendary coach. This year's injuries mean the new AD won't have to deal with the subject this year -- 2010 is a free pass. Next year, though, Tony Gwynn might be under closer scrutiny.
The only chance at a second straight NCAA berth will be an upset run through the league tournament, something that looks increasingly unlikely after New Mexico took two of three from SDSU over the weekend. The Lobos scored 20 times in the finale, a stunning total at pitcher-friendly Tony Gwynn Stadium even on a Sunday.
In a post before the beginning of the season, I asked local baseball coaches to "show me what they got." Could Rich Hill of USD rebound after an injury-plagued off year? Could Gwynn maintain course without Strasburg? For Hill, the answer is yes. The Toreros are ranked 22nd in the latest Baseball America poll and are a perfect 12-0 in the West Coast Conference, which is at least as good as the Mountain West.
For Gwynn, the answer is no. His Aztecs are in fourth place in the MWC at 7-8. However, the problem does not entirely lie with him. He has lost several starting pitchers to injury and a number of true freshman have had to take on considerable playing time.
Yet some numbers are disturbing. The Aztecs have struck out 366 times this year, with the next team on the list, perennially horrible Air Force, whiffing 328 times. The Lobos have gone down on K's more than 130 fewer times. The team ERA is 5.17 with most games in confines nearly as friendly to pitchers as Petco Park. Fielding has been a major issue under Gwynn, and the Aztecs percentage of .961 is fifth out of seven teams, and they are second in the total number of errors committed.
Individually, only one player, Brandon Meredith, ranks in the league's Top 20 in batting average, at .374. If you know about the league, you understand there will never be many Aztecs among the leaders in the category, but ONE? Come on. No SDSU players appear in the league Top 10 for slugging percentage, RBI, doubles, home runs or total bases. That's after instruction from a Hall of Fame major league hitter.
Success and failure in baseball cannot always be defined by numbers. I have no idea what sort of drama might be taking place behind the scenes, if the players respect and support each other or consider their responsibilities to be drudgery. I don't if the replacement of pitching coach Rusty Filter with the equally respected Eric Valenzuela has gone poorly. I don't know why more players don't respond the Gwynn's batting instruction. I sure as heck don't understand why a program that can create a Strasburg can't make more who are at least similar to him -- yeah, he's one of a kind, but at least something close?
So, while I'm not advocating that Gwynn be done away with as head coach, I do think the time has come to bring up the issue. Keep in mind that SDSU has a new athletic director who was able to admire Gwynn the player and personality only from afar. Jim Sterk may not have a deep understanding of his coach's standing in the community.
Ultimately, the question Sterk will need to evaluate is this: does Gwynn's position as a status symbol and ability to bring attention to San Diego State University outweigh the fact that he has been unable to build a consistent winner in a non-revenue sport? For most of his tenure as coach, the answer was undeniably yes. But I also think that time is starting to run out, at least for the youngsters he needs to attract to Montezuma Mesa to build a winner. We're talking about kids who were in tee-ball when Gwynn retired. He still has considerable cache with adults who would be inclined to support the program, but year-after-year of losing is eroding even that backing.
I would hate to be in Sterk's shoes and have to decide whether his baseball program would be better off without a legendary coach. This year's injuries mean the new AD won't have to deal with the subject this year -- 2010 is a free pass. Next year, though, Tony Gwynn might be under closer scrutiny.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Padres
When I wrote before the start of the season that the Padres would make noise, I didn't think it would be an explosion. I also didn't think opponents would be so silenced. The Brewers came into Petco Park as the highest-scoring team in the league, and have been blanked over 18 innings.
Some interesting things:
- The Padres are in the upper half of baseball in runs scored despite playing in a pitcher's park and having a mediocre team batting average. They are second in steals. Correlation? I think so. Pitching is only part of the equation because the Giants and Cardinals both have better team ERAs.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff is hitting .256 for Oakland with just 1 HR. I might be blind but I didn't find fielding stats on the source I was checking. Chase Headley is batting .322 and he, too, needs to improve on his 1 HR.
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Vista's Trevor Cahill was called up from AAA Sacramento to fill in for a suddenly battered A's starting rotation and was rocked by Toronto Friday to the tune of 6 earned runs in 5 innings.
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So you all get me excited about local horse Sidney's Candy being one of the Kentucky Derby favorites and wait until Friday to tell me he's never run in dirt? Nice. Not only will it be dirt, but it could very well be mud because of bad weather. We'll hope for the best.
Some interesting things:
- The Padres are in the upper half of baseball in runs scored despite playing in a pitcher's park and having a mediocre team batting average. They are second in steals. Correlation? I think so. Pitching is only part of the equation because the Giants and Cardinals both have better team ERAs.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff is hitting .256 for Oakland with just 1 HR. I might be blind but I didn't find fielding stats on the source I was checking. Chase Headley is batting .322 and he, too, needs to improve on his 1 HR.
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Vista's Trevor Cahill was called up from AAA Sacramento to fill in for a suddenly battered A's starting rotation and was rocked by Toronto Friday to the tune of 6 earned runs in 5 innings.
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So you all get me excited about local horse Sidney's Candy being one of the Kentucky Derby favorites and wait until Friday to tell me he's never run in dirt? Nice. Not only will it be dirt, but it could very well be mud because of bad weather. We'll hope for the best.
Friday, April 23, 2010
More on Matthews, UCSD, Baseball Notes
After sleeping on it a night, here's a new take on the Chargers trading up 16 spots to take RB Ryan Matthews in the first round of the NFL draft. The brain trust really does think the problem was LaDainian Tomlinson himself, and not how he was used or any lack of ability of the offensive line to run-block. I actually think the problem is both. We'll see if AJ Smith agrees here in Round Two.
BTW, I like the Broncos draft of Florida QB Tim Tebow. I use the word "like" loosely. Mark my words, the guy is going to haunt us in the future--however they end up using him.
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Interesting article in the newspaper about UC San Diego studying whether to come up with a football team and move all sports to Division 1.
In some ways, this would be like Johns Hopkins or the University of Chicago moving up to Division 1. It is really against the nature and culture of the school. Plus, San Diego is proving to be pretty agnostic about college sports. A county of nearly 3 million people only has a core of about 10,000-20,000 people who care about the major Division 1 sports teams at San Diego State. The core fan numbers at USD are about 1,000. How would UCSD attract a following off campus?
On the other hand, the campus now has nearly 30,000 students which is pretty close to SDSU. A large school should provide a broad range of activities and opportunities, one of which would be high-level athletics. The university is a national leader in nearly every field it pursues, including sports at its lower levels, so why not take a shot at the big time?
Good arguments for both sides. That means a study is a good idea.
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Nice to see Reds P Mike Leake (Fallbrook High) get his first major league win Thursday. Even better to see him get it against the Dodgers...It's too early to call the Padres series at Cincinnati beginning today crucial, but it and the following games at Florida will tell us a lot about whether the winning streak that left them in first place in the NL West was a home-cooked aberration. Remember, so long ago, how poorly they played in Phoenix and Denver...Is it me or are the Padres making too many bullpen moves too early?...The Mets outrighted 1B Mike Jacobs (Hilltop High) to the minors...Trevor Cahill of the As was sent to AAA Sacramento after being activated from the disabled list. The Vista product had a sore non-throwing shoulder. His rehab start was mediocre and the As in the meantime cobbled together a pretty solid rotation.
BTW, I like the Broncos draft of Florida QB Tim Tebow. I use the word "like" loosely. Mark my words, the guy is going to haunt us in the future--however they end up using him.
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Interesting article in the newspaper about UC San Diego studying whether to come up with a football team and move all sports to Division 1.
In some ways, this would be like Johns Hopkins or the University of Chicago moving up to Division 1. It is really against the nature and culture of the school. Plus, San Diego is proving to be pretty agnostic about college sports. A county of nearly 3 million people only has a core of about 10,000-20,000 people who care about the major Division 1 sports teams at San Diego State. The core fan numbers at USD are about 1,000. How would UCSD attract a following off campus?
On the other hand, the campus now has nearly 30,000 students which is pretty close to SDSU. A large school should provide a broad range of activities and opportunities, one of which would be high-level athletics. The university is a national leader in nearly every field it pursues, including sports at its lower levels, so why not take a shot at the big time?
Good arguments for both sides. That means a study is a good idea.
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Nice to see Reds P Mike Leake (Fallbrook High) get his first major league win Thursday. Even better to see him get it against the Dodgers...It's too early to call the Padres series at Cincinnati beginning today crucial, but it and the following games at Florida will tell us a lot about whether the winning streak that left them in first place in the NL West was a home-cooked aberration. Remember, so long ago, how poorly they played in Phoenix and Denver...Is it me or are the Padres making too many bullpen moves too early?...The Mets outrighted 1B Mike Jacobs (Hilltop High) to the minors...Trevor Cahill of the As was sent to AAA Sacramento after being activated from the disabled list. The Vista product had a sore non-throwing shoulder. His rehab start was mediocre and the As in the meantime cobbled together a pretty solid rotation.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Chargers Take RB
The first pick for the Chargers in the 2010 NFL draft was Fresno State RB Ryan Matthews, who appeared to be the best running back in the draft.
GM AJ Smith gave the Dolphins in exchange for the 12th pick to take Matthews his own first- and second-round slots, and LB Tim Dobbins. Smith not only got the Dolphins first-round pick, but two later picks.
Analysis: Smith clearly wanted an impact running back and was going to do what it took to get him. However, the move makes little sense on its own, so I'm wondering what else might be at work.
Personal thought: I like Matthews, but when you're sub-standard at three of the five offensive line spots and mediocre at a fourth, who will block for him?
GM AJ Smith gave the Dolphins in exchange for the 12th pick to take Matthews his own first- and second-round slots, and LB Tim Dobbins. Smith not only got the Dolphins first-round pick, but two later picks.
Analysis: Smith clearly wanted an impact running back and was going to do what it took to get him. However, the move makes little sense on its own, so I'm wondering what else might be at work.
Personal thought: I like Matthews, but when you're sub-standard at three of the five offensive line spots and mediocre at a fourth, who will block for him?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Padres, Zito, Chargers Stadium, Draft
I have to admit that I grew up a fan of the San Francisco Giants as a kid, having lived in the Bay Area when I chose my teams. Being a San Diegan now for decades, my allegiance is firmly with the Padres, though I retain a soft spot for the Giants and continue to hope they do well.
Which brings me to Tuesday night's 1-0 Padres victory over the Giants, won by brilliant pitching and Chase Headley's one-hit and smart base-running.
When I was a kid, back in the day as a Giants fan, I quickly learned to hate the Dodgers. It wasn't because it was fashionable in the Bay Area, but darn the Dodgers were frustrating. They'd throw out a pitching staff that would shut down sluggers Willie Mays and Willie McCovey and then manage to push across a run or two, usually matching their hit total.
It drove us all nuts, but Tuesday night was a perfect example of it. The Padres couldn't touch Jonathan Sanchez, who is right up there with Tim Lincecum now as Bruce Bochy's best starter, except for Headley's single. He stole second, went to third on a foul out and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Giants got runners to third base in the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't bring them home.
Doing the little things correctly won the game for the Padres. When Headley scored on the sac fly, Giants RF Nick Schierholtz made a pretty good throw but he didn't set himself up to make the catch in a way that would have made his toss even better. When the Giants had a late scoring threat with a runner on third, a batter hit the ball to Padres RF Jerry Hairston, who positioned himself perfectly to catch the ball while moving forward and at an angle so that he could make the throw immediately. That forced the runner to hold at third, and Hairston's heave might have led to an out. A small thing like setting yourself up to make a catch plays a huge role in the game.
---
Go to SignOnSanDiego to read Tim Sullivan's column on the Giants Barry Zito. I thought the product of Grossmont and Uni highs was a flake who didn't deserve his huge contract. In the five minutes it took to read the article, he became one of my favorite players.
---
Speaking of newspaper columnists, it was interesting to read Nick Canepa's article about the new idea to have a soft, retractable roof over the proposed Chargers downtown stadium. Clearly, the facility needs to be used for more than 11 or 12 football games to be worth anything, so if it can attract conventions, concerts and other special events, all the better.
Its use as a convention facility, though, would have to tie in to the current San Diego Convention Center, which itself is in need of expansion. The trouble is the two buildings won't be next to each other, requiring a walk through one of the least-desirable areas in town.
I agree we have to think big to get a stadium built in a way that will prove beneficial to the Chargers and taxpayers, not small. While we're headed in the right general direction, more brainstorming is needed.
---
The Chargers schedule came out with a lot of road games early and a lot of home contests at mid-season. I see 9-7 right now, but will obviously wait and see what happens with the draft and free agency before making a final prediction. My bet is it won't be much different.
---
The NFL draft being Thursday, I'll throw in my two cents about what I want. I have no idea what is up GM AJ Smith's sleeves, so I can't make a prediction other than deals are possible before things get going in earnest.
My priorities for the Bolts are a defensive tackle to replace Jamal Williams and a right tackle to solidify the offensive line.
My dream would be for Smith to package LB Shawne Merriman and a couple other guys for Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy -- both likely top-five picks -- but those are long shots and experience has told me not to put all my eggs in one player's basket. Still, when the Bolts make their selection late in the first round, someone like Alabama's Terrence Cody might be available. We'll see.
As much as I want a solid right tackle, this area does not appear to be too deep in this draft, so if Smith were to go for a running back or cornerback with his second pick, I wouldn't be upset at all. Heck, if RBs Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech), Ryan Matthews (Fresno State) or Jahvid Best (Cal) were on the board still for Smith's first round selection, he might take one of them instead of a DT. There's something to be said for choosing the best player available.
---
Can it be that no San Diego State players will be chosen in the draft? No one is rated highly, so it's possible. The only guy with a chance is LB Luke Laologi, who along with LB Jerry Milling and T Peter Nelson should sign as rookie free agents. If memory serves, it could be the second time in three years no Aztec is picked. If that doesn't tell you about why SDSU has struggled in football, nothing will.
Which brings me to Tuesday night's 1-0 Padres victory over the Giants, won by brilliant pitching and Chase Headley's one-hit and smart base-running.
When I was a kid, back in the day as a Giants fan, I quickly learned to hate the Dodgers. It wasn't because it was fashionable in the Bay Area, but darn the Dodgers were frustrating. They'd throw out a pitching staff that would shut down sluggers Willie Mays and Willie McCovey and then manage to push across a run or two, usually matching their hit total.
It drove us all nuts, but Tuesday night was a perfect example of it. The Padres couldn't touch Jonathan Sanchez, who is right up there with Tim Lincecum now as Bruce Bochy's best starter, except for Headley's single. He stole second, went to third on a foul out and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Giants got runners to third base in the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't bring them home.
Doing the little things correctly won the game for the Padres. When Headley scored on the sac fly, Giants RF Nick Schierholtz made a pretty good throw but he didn't set himself up to make the catch in a way that would have made his toss even better. When the Giants had a late scoring threat with a runner on third, a batter hit the ball to Padres RF Jerry Hairston, who positioned himself perfectly to catch the ball while moving forward and at an angle so that he could make the throw immediately. That forced the runner to hold at third, and Hairston's heave might have led to an out. A small thing like setting yourself up to make a catch plays a huge role in the game.
---
Go to SignOnSanDiego to read Tim Sullivan's column on the Giants Barry Zito. I thought the product of Grossmont and Uni highs was a flake who didn't deserve his huge contract. In the five minutes it took to read the article, he became one of my favorite players.
---
Speaking of newspaper columnists, it was interesting to read Nick Canepa's article about the new idea to have a soft, retractable roof over the proposed Chargers downtown stadium. Clearly, the facility needs to be used for more than 11 or 12 football games to be worth anything, so if it can attract conventions, concerts and other special events, all the better.
Its use as a convention facility, though, would have to tie in to the current San Diego Convention Center, which itself is in need of expansion. The trouble is the two buildings won't be next to each other, requiring a walk through one of the least-desirable areas in town.
I agree we have to think big to get a stadium built in a way that will prove beneficial to the Chargers and taxpayers, not small. While we're headed in the right general direction, more brainstorming is needed.
---
The Chargers schedule came out with a lot of road games early and a lot of home contests at mid-season. I see 9-7 right now, but will obviously wait and see what happens with the draft and free agency before making a final prediction. My bet is it won't be much different.
---
The NFL draft being Thursday, I'll throw in my two cents about what I want. I have no idea what is up GM AJ Smith's sleeves, so I can't make a prediction other than deals are possible before things get going in earnest.
My priorities for the Bolts are a defensive tackle to replace Jamal Williams and a right tackle to solidify the offensive line.
My dream would be for Smith to package LB Shawne Merriman and a couple other guys for Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy -- both likely top-five picks -- but those are long shots and experience has told me not to put all my eggs in one player's basket. Still, when the Bolts make their selection late in the first round, someone like Alabama's Terrence Cody might be available. We'll see.
As much as I want a solid right tackle, this area does not appear to be too deep in this draft, so if Smith were to go for a running back or cornerback with his second pick, I wouldn't be upset at all. Heck, if RBs Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech), Ryan Matthews (Fresno State) or Jahvid Best (Cal) were on the board still for Smith's first round selection, he might take one of them instead of a DT. There's something to be said for choosing the best player available.
---
Can it be that no San Diego State players will be chosen in the draft? No one is rated highly, so it's possible. The only guy with a chance is LB Luke Laologi, who along with LB Jerry Milling and T Peter Nelson should sign as rookie free agents. If memory serves, it could be the second time in three years no Aztec is picked. If that doesn't tell you about why SDSU has struggled in football, nothing will.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Best San Diego Sports Values, Padres at .500
Five straight 20-win seasons and post-season appearances, national attention, annually improving talent, $10 tickets. What more do you need? Let’s add three NCAA Tournament wins in the past two seasons, a player taken in the first round of the draft and even less expensive prices for admission. Put all those factors together and you have San Diego State basketball – men’s and women’s – easily the best deal for sports fans in San Diego.
The cost of attending an athletic contest, especially anything of a professional nature, has skyrocketed over the years. Gone are the days you can go to 20 home Padres games at $5 a pop. Try that at Petco Park and you get the impression that there’s a game going on somewhere in there, and you can watch the highlights on TV later.
The way the economy is, you have to look for deals. Here’s how they stack up, in my opinion.
CAN’T BE BEAT:
1. San Diego State basketball (men and women) – By far the biggest bang for the buck. Convenient to get to with plenty of parking and trolley access, a beautiful arena, an exciting atmosphere and good teams. This isn’t even close compared to our other options. The only question for the men next season is how close they'll come to 30 wins. My only concern is whether women’s coach Beth Burns can compensate for the loss of extraordinary guards Jene Morris and Quenese Davis.
2. High School Baseball – There’s a reason why so many local products have been on the Padres roster in recent years, because high schools in this area turn out great players who make the major leagues. That line of “see tomorrow’s stars today” is applicable in this case. The Lions Tournament is the oldest and biggest of its kind, annually bringing in strong teams from outside the area. Best of all, prep baseball is free and usually just down the street at your nearby campus.
3. Del Mar Horse Racing – Is there a better place to spend a summer’s day than where the surf meets the turf? It costs $10 or less to get in and whether you leave with anything in your pocket is purely up to you. National-quality horses, trainers and riders. If you can, get to the courtyard where you can see the horses parade before they race.
FINE IF THEY MEET YOUR INTERESTS:
4. Chargers – You can’t beat football as a singular event kind of sport. Game day is special, with hours-long tailgates in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium and an atmosphere hard to rival inside. The Bolts draw national attention, have several of football’s best players and are usually playoff quality. But the NFL is a big-ticket game, and your Sunday afternoon of fun can run into the hundreds of dollars if you take family or friends, and pay for seats, parking and food. The trolley and bus service helps getting to and leaving The Q, but if you have to take a car, it’s not easy.
5. USD Baseball – The Toreros are merely good these days, not great like a few years ago. Still, Cunningham Stadium is a fine place to see a ballgame, and USD annually takes on the best teams in college baseball. General admission seats are just $5.
6. High School Football – See Number 2 above. San Diego area high schools have produced four Heisman Trophy winners. The only drawback is a lack of competitive balance between the schools, particularly in the city of San Diego and the South Bay.
7. Women’s Tennis at La Costa – By whatever name the tournament is known as, and with whatever sponsor, they get pretty big names and sometimes the biggest of the big names. The matches are usually very good and you can always count on an upset or two. Getting there is pretty easy if you’re already in the North County and the ticket prices are reasonable.
8. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – At least the past couple of years, the newcomer among the local college football post-season games takes no backseat to the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, which has been a dud recently. Teams are just as good and the tickets are less expensive, making for a nice pre-Christmas gift. Call the Holiday Bowl 8A.
NOT FAN-FRIENDLY:
9. San Diego State football – At first glance, SDSU football would appear to be a good deal. Division 1 college football at $12? Not bad. But go under the surface and you find some trouble beyond the fact that the Aztecs haven’t been bowling for 11 years. Marketing efforts have been pathetic, partly because of Athletic Department budget woes, and the radio tie-in with Clear Channel Communications has not paid off by creating buzz among San Diegans. Ever hear talk of SDSU football on a fall Friday? Nope. If you go to a game, Ace Parking makes getting into the lot at Qualcomm Stadium a worse experience than a root canal. Whoever runs concessions does the same for getting a snack. State does little to improve the atmosphere inside the stadium, which resembles a morgue with any attendance under 30,000, except to pump in fake crowd noise. Things will improve as coach Brady Hoke turns the Aztecs into winners. I think he will, and I’ve seen how cool things are when the team is good. Please, before I get too old.
10. Padres – They’re polar opposites from SDSU in that they try to make for a rewarding fan experience, but they fall flat. First, the team has been either dull or dull and bad for years, and the slow start this season isn’t helping perceptions. I warned more than a decade ago that the decision to put Petco Park in the East Village wasn’t a good one, and I think that’s proving out with declining attendance. It’s not too inconvenient for me personally, but it is to the majority of baseball fans who simply want to take their families to a game, not party in the Gaslamp afterward. That they lowered beer prices and got rid of the 5-for-$5 meal plan shows where the marketing is heading. And don’t get me started on ticket prices. Football-style costs for baseball don't fit the nature of the sport. Bad deal all the way around. I’m plenty happy to go twice a year, max, and watch the rest of the schedule on Channel 4. (End of rant)
---
Not only do I like the Padres getting back to .500 after sweeping the Diamondbacks, I love how they did it. A young team showing the ability to work into an opponents’ bullpen for three late-inning rallies is a good thing. It shows they won’t back down. Now what they do against teams with strong relief corps is another question, but I like the mental makeup I see.
The other thing I liked was the plate discipline I saw from Kyle Blanks this weekend. He had some great at-bats, even the ones that just led to walks. While he didn’t score on either free pass Sunday, on Friday and Saturday he extended rallies and forced relievers to throw more pitches than they wanted.
---
In Baltimore’s 8-3 win in Oakland Sunday, USD’s Brian Matusz raised his record to 2-0 while Chula Vista’s Ty Wigginton drove in four runs with a double and homer. Adam Jones of Morse had two hits in five at-bats.
Rancho Bernardo’s Cole Hamels suffered his first loss of the season for Philadelphia against the Marlins. He allowed just two runs in eight innings, but the Phillies lost in a shutout.
The cost of attending an athletic contest, especially anything of a professional nature, has skyrocketed over the years. Gone are the days you can go to 20 home Padres games at $5 a pop. Try that at Petco Park and you get the impression that there’s a game going on somewhere in there, and you can watch the highlights on TV later.
The way the economy is, you have to look for deals. Here’s how they stack up, in my opinion.
CAN’T BE BEAT:
1. San Diego State basketball (men and women) – By far the biggest bang for the buck. Convenient to get to with plenty of parking and trolley access, a beautiful arena, an exciting atmosphere and good teams. This isn’t even close compared to our other options. The only question for the men next season is how close they'll come to 30 wins. My only concern is whether women’s coach Beth Burns can compensate for the loss of extraordinary guards Jene Morris and Quenese Davis.
2. High School Baseball – There’s a reason why so many local products have been on the Padres roster in recent years, because high schools in this area turn out great players who make the major leagues. That line of “see tomorrow’s stars today” is applicable in this case. The Lions Tournament is the oldest and biggest of its kind, annually bringing in strong teams from outside the area. Best of all, prep baseball is free and usually just down the street at your nearby campus.
3. Del Mar Horse Racing – Is there a better place to spend a summer’s day than where the surf meets the turf? It costs $10 or less to get in and whether you leave with anything in your pocket is purely up to you. National-quality horses, trainers and riders. If you can, get to the courtyard where you can see the horses parade before they race.
FINE IF THEY MEET YOUR INTERESTS:
4. Chargers – You can’t beat football as a singular event kind of sport. Game day is special, with hours-long tailgates in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium and an atmosphere hard to rival inside. The Bolts draw national attention, have several of football’s best players and are usually playoff quality. But the NFL is a big-ticket game, and your Sunday afternoon of fun can run into the hundreds of dollars if you take family or friends, and pay for seats, parking and food. The trolley and bus service helps getting to and leaving The Q, but if you have to take a car, it’s not easy.
5. USD Baseball – The Toreros are merely good these days, not great like a few years ago. Still, Cunningham Stadium is a fine place to see a ballgame, and USD annually takes on the best teams in college baseball. General admission seats are just $5.
6. High School Football – See Number 2 above. San Diego area high schools have produced four Heisman Trophy winners. The only drawback is a lack of competitive balance between the schools, particularly in the city of San Diego and the South Bay.
7. Women’s Tennis at La Costa – By whatever name the tournament is known as, and with whatever sponsor, they get pretty big names and sometimes the biggest of the big names. The matches are usually very good and you can always count on an upset or two. Getting there is pretty easy if you’re already in the North County and the ticket prices are reasonable.
8. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – At least the past couple of years, the newcomer among the local college football post-season games takes no backseat to the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, which has been a dud recently. Teams are just as good and the tickets are less expensive, making for a nice pre-Christmas gift. Call the Holiday Bowl 8A.
NOT FAN-FRIENDLY:
9. San Diego State football – At first glance, SDSU football would appear to be a good deal. Division 1 college football at $12? Not bad. But go under the surface and you find some trouble beyond the fact that the Aztecs haven’t been bowling for 11 years. Marketing efforts have been pathetic, partly because of Athletic Department budget woes, and the radio tie-in with Clear Channel Communications has not paid off by creating buzz among San Diegans. Ever hear talk of SDSU football on a fall Friday? Nope. If you go to a game, Ace Parking makes getting into the lot at Qualcomm Stadium a worse experience than a root canal. Whoever runs concessions does the same for getting a snack. State does little to improve the atmosphere inside the stadium, which resembles a morgue with any attendance under 30,000, except to pump in fake crowd noise. Things will improve as coach Brady Hoke turns the Aztecs into winners. I think he will, and I’ve seen how cool things are when the team is good. Please, before I get too old.
10. Padres – They’re polar opposites from SDSU in that they try to make for a rewarding fan experience, but they fall flat. First, the team has been either dull or dull and bad for years, and the slow start this season isn’t helping perceptions. I warned more than a decade ago that the decision to put Petco Park in the East Village wasn’t a good one, and I think that’s proving out with declining attendance. It’s not too inconvenient for me personally, but it is to the majority of baseball fans who simply want to take their families to a game, not party in the Gaslamp afterward. That they lowered beer prices and got rid of the 5-for-$5 meal plan shows where the marketing is heading. And don’t get me started on ticket prices. Football-style costs for baseball don't fit the nature of the sport. Bad deal all the way around. I’m plenty happy to go twice a year, max, and watch the rest of the schedule on Channel 4. (End of rant)
---
Not only do I like the Padres getting back to .500 after sweeping the Diamondbacks, I love how they did it. A young team showing the ability to work into an opponents’ bullpen for three late-inning rallies is a good thing. It shows they won’t back down. Now what they do against teams with strong relief corps is another question, but I like the mental makeup I see.
The other thing I liked was the plate discipline I saw from Kyle Blanks this weekend. He had some great at-bats, even the ones that just led to walks. While he didn’t score on either free pass Sunday, on Friday and Saturday he extended rallies and forced relievers to throw more pitches than they wanted.
---
In Baltimore’s 8-3 win in Oakland Sunday, USD’s Brian Matusz raised his record to 2-0 while Chula Vista’s Ty Wigginton drove in four runs with a double and homer. Adam Jones of Morse had two hits in five at-bats.
Rancho Bernardo’s Cole Hamels suffered his first loss of the season for Philadelphia against the Marlins. He allowed just two runs in eight innings, but the Phillies lost in a shutout.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
That's More Like it, Padres!
Where were THOSE Padres during the first week of the season?
Among the humorous parts of the Padres 17-2 home-opening win over the Braves Monday came before the big, big inning. Kyle Blanks had already been up twice with runners on base and two outs. Just the situation I blogged about previously. It's a situation in which he has to consistently come through. Okay, consistently in situational hitting in baseball means about 35 to 40 percent of the time. That's what he has to do. I don't care much about the times he opens an inning with no outs and no one on base.
So he comes up twice in those situations and ends the inning. I went to my Facebook page and on my status wrote something nasty. No more than 15 minutes later, Blanks comes up again with runners on base and he whacks a 2-run double. Yeah, there was only one out but we'll take improvement where we can get it. If I say nasty things about Blanks in the future, it will only be for encouragement. Really. I hope.
Let's hope that Blanks, a solid Kevin Correia and other key Padres make Monday's performance a habit -- at home and on the road.
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Santana High's Hayden Penn was designated for assignment by the Pirates after compiling a lofty ERA of 30.86 in three relief appearances. He allowed eight hits and three walks in just 2.1 innings.
On the good news front, the Mets activated first-baseman Mike Jacobs of Hilltop High right before the season began. He struggled out of the gate, too, but hit his first homer Monday.
---
Mark down Dec. 4 on your calendar. San Diego State will be home this year for basketball's Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, and the opponent is Wichita State. The Shockers are expected to supplant Northern Iowa as the best in the MVC next season. With the Aztecs positioned to challenged for the MWC title, it could be a heck of a match-up.
Among the humorous parts of the Padres 17-2 home-opening win over the Braves Monday came before the big, big inning. Kyle Blanks had already been up twice with runners on base and two outs. Just the situation I blogged about previously. It's a situation in which he has to consistently come through. Okay, consistently in situational hitting in baseball means about 35 to 40 percent of the time. That's what he has to do. I don't care much about the times he opens an inning with no outs and no one on base.
So he comes up twice in those situations and ends the inning. I went to my Facebook page and on my status wrote something nasty. No more than 15 minutes later, Blanks comes up again with runners on base and he whacks a 2-run double. Yeah, there was only one out but we'll take improvement where we can get it. If I say nasty things about Blanks in the future, it will only be for encouragement. Really. I hope.
Let's hope that Blanks, a solid Kevin Correia and other key Padres make Monday's performance a habit -- at home and on the road.
---
Santana High's Hayden Penn was designated for assignment by the Pirates after compiling a lofty ERA of 30.86 in three relief appearances. He allowed eight hits and three walks in just 2.1 innings.
On the good news front, the Mets activated first-baseman Mike Jacobs of Hilltop High right before the season began. He struggled out of the gate, too, but hit his first homer Monday.
---
Mark down Dec. 4 on your calendar. San Diego State will be home this year for basketball's Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, and the opponent is Wichita State. The Shockers are expected to supplant Northern Iowa as the best in the MVC next season. With the Aztecs positioned to challenged for the MWC title, it could be a heck of a match-up.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Lefty a True Master, Padres Fail to Impress
There was a time last year when I was tiring of Phil Mickelson, a guy who appeared destined to never quite fulfill our fondest hopes. He was/is a good guy, unlike his chief rival, and we wanted nothing but the best for him. Even the great career that he has had until now seemed a little bit like an underachievement when compared to our imaginations.
No more. With a scintillating win at The Master's, the San Diego native is no longer a mild disappointment, the golfer who couldn't win the big one. He's now won three times at Augusta, and the 2010 version might be the greatest of them all. He overcame a 5-stroke deficit in the third round and the attack of the killer leaf on Sunday.
There's no more reason to be tired of Mickelson or to call him an underachiever. He's now right up there with Nicklaus and Palmer as one of the greatest ever to walk the links.
---
The Padres started last season by going 9-3 and then stunk the next several months. It hopefully will be a polar opposite in 2010 because they absolutely sucked this first week. Maybe some home cooking and Petco-friendly pitching will help them turn things around.
They've played the kind of ball that gets managers fired. There are plenty of Bud Black detractors in this town who'd love nothing better than to see him let go by the new ownership. I'm not one of them and don't see Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel as being rush-to-judgment guys.
Still, they've been horrible on defense, the bullpen was terrible until Saturday and the hitters make Mario Mendoza look worthy of Cooperstown. The signing of Jon Garland looks like a mistake after two starts. That's not going to sell seats during a first homestand to be played in somewhat cooler than normal weather.
The good news is the Padres have completed just six of a scheduled 162 games. Like the 2009 team, they might turn things around in the opposite direction. I think they will. I'm almost certain Garland will, based on his track record. The question, for their ability to compete in the NL West, is how long it will be until the turnaround comes.
No more. With a scintillating win at The Master's, the San Diego native is no longer a mild disappointment, the golfer who couldn't win the big one. He's now won three times at Augusta, and the 2010 version might be the greatest of them all. He overcame a 5-stroke deficit in the third round and the attack of the killer leaf on Sunday.
There's no more reason to be tired of Mickelson or to call him an underachiever. He's now right up there with Nicklaus and Palmer as one of the greatest ever to walk the links.
---
The Padres started last season by going 9-3 and then stunk the next several months. It hopefully will be a polar opposite in 2010 because they absolutely sucked this first week. Maybe some home cooking and Petco-friendly pitching will help them turn things around.
They've played the kind of ball that gets managers fired. There are plenty of Bud Black detractors in this town who'd love nothing better than to see him let go by the new ownership. I'm not one of them and don't see Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel as being rush-to-judgment guys.
Still, they've been horrible on defense, the bullpen was terrible until Saturday and the hitters make Mario Mendoza look worthy of Cooperstown. The signing of Jon Garland looks like a mistake after two starts. That's not going to sell seats during a first homestand to be played in somewhat cooler than normal weather.
The good news is the Padres have completed just six of a scheduled 162 games. Like the 2009 team, they might turn things around in the opposite direction. I think they will. I'm almost certain Garland will, based on his track record. The question, for their ability to compete in the NL West, is how long it will be until the turnaround comes.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Baseball 2010 Kicks Off, Locals in the Majors
The last cuts of spring aren't necessarily the most painful as many teams make their difficult decisions earlier in the final week of spring training and keep a couple wannabes with the big club for the last weekend exhibition games.
Still, it has to be tough for former Rancho Bernardo High star Hank Blalock, who has fallen on hard times since he hit a game-winning home run in the All-Star game while a member of the Texas Rangers. Now with Tampa Bay, Blalock accepted an assignment to AAA Durham over the weekend. He missed most of 2007-08 with injuries but knocked 25 home runs last season. If Evan Longoria gets hurt or the Rays need to make a trade, having an only 29-year-old power-hitting former All-Star available won't hurt them at all. But it has to be tough for the player.
Blalock wasn't the only local product disappointing as spring wrapped up. The Angels sent P Sean O'Sullivan (Valhalla) and 3B Freddy Sandoval (Marian) to AAA Salt Lake City, and the A's put P Trevor Cahill (Vista) on the 15-day disabled list.
Thrills, however, came to White Sox C Donny Lucy (Fallbrook), who has spent years in the minor leagues with only the occasional sniff at the majors.
Big league locals:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PADRES - P Heath Bell (born in Oceanside), P Kevin Correia (Grossmont), 1B Adrian Gonzalez (Eastlake), Tony Gwynn (Poway).
BRAVES - INF Brooks Conrad (Monte Vista), 3B Troy Glaus (Carlsbad)
REDS - P Aaron Harang (Patrick Henry, SDSU)
MARLINS - SS Brian Barden (St. Augustine)
PHILLIES - P Cole Hamels (Rancho Bernardo)
PIRATES - P Hayden Penn (Santana)
GIANTS - P Barry Zito (Grossmont/USDHS)
NATIONALS - P Jesse English (RBV), and this next space is reserved for You-Know-Who.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ORIOLES - CF Adam Jones (Morse), P Brian Matusz (USD), 3B Ty Wigginton (Chula Vista)
WHITE SOX - Lucy, OF Carlos Quentin (USDHS)
INDIANS - P Justin Masterson (SDSU)
TIGERS - P Joel Zumaya (Bonita Vista)
YANKEES - P Sergio Mitre (Montgomery)
A's - Cahill when he comes off the DL, DH Eric Chavez (Mt. Carmel), P Brett Tomko (Poway)
RAYS - P Mike Ekstrom (Pt. Loma Nazarene)
BLUE JAYS - UT Mike McCoy (Grossmont/USD)
The 2010 season kicks off with 24 locally produced players on 16 of the 30 teams, eight in each league -- San Diego represents! Of the 24 players, 13 are pitchers.
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One of the reasons I mentioned in my last post that I think the Padres will compete this season is the vulnerability of their NL West opponents. Good examples came the past couple of days when the Rockies placed P Jeff Francis on the disabled list, and the Diamondbacks did the same with P Brandon Webb. Both are critical for their teams' success. The Dodgers had to bring in pitcher Jeff Weaver to shore up their starting rotation. The Padres may not have enough to win the division, but it'll be closer than the so-called experts are predicting.
Still, it has to be tough for former Rancho Bernardo High star Hank Blalock, who has fallen on hard times since he hit a game-winning home run in the All-Star game while a member of the Texas Rangers. Now with Tampa Bay, Blalock accepted an assignment to AAA Durham over the weekend. He missed most of 2007-08 with injuries but knocked 25 home runs last season. If Evan Longoria gets hurt or the Rays need to make a trade, having an only 29-year-old power-hitting former All-Star available won't hurt them at all. But it has to be tough for the player.
Blalock wasn't the only local product disappointing as spring wrapped up. The Angels sent P Sean O'Sullivan (Valhalla) and 3B Freddy Sandoval (Marian) to AAA Salt Lake City, and the A's put P Trevor Cahill (Vista) on the 15-day disabled list.
Thrills, however, came to White Sox C Donny Lucy (Fallbrook), who has spent years in the minor leagues with only the occasional sniff at the majors.
Big league locals:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PADRES - P Heath Bell (born in Oceanside), P Kevin Correia (Grossmont), 1B Adrian Gonzalez (Eastlake), Tony Gwynn (Poway).
BRAVES - INF Brooks Conrad (Monte Vista), 3B Troy Glaus (Carlsbad)
REDS - P Aaron Harang (Patrick Henry, SDSU)
MARLINS - SS Brian Barden (St. Augustine)
PHILLIES - P Cole Hamels (Rancho Bernardo)
PIRATES - P Hayden Penn (Santana)
GIANTS - P Barry Zito (Grossmont/USDHS)
NATIONALS - P Jesse English (RBV), and this next space is reserved for You-Know-Who.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ORIOLES - CF Adam Jones (Morse), P Brian Matusz (USD), 3B Ty Wigginton (Chula Vista)
WHITE SOX - Lucy, OF Carlos Quentin (USDHS)
INDIANS - P Justin Masterson (SDSU)
TIGERS - P Joel Zumaya (Bonita Vista)
YANKEES - P Sergio Mitre (Montgomery)
A's - Cahill when he comes off the DL, DH Eric Chavez (Mt. Carmel), P Brett Tomko (Poway)
RAYS - P Mike Ekstrom (Pt. Loma Nazarene)
BLUE JAYS - UT Mike McCoy (Grossmont/USD)
The 2010 season kicks off with 24 locally produced players on 16 of the 30 teams, eight in each league -- San Diego represents! Of the 24 players, 13 are pitchers.
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One of the reasons I mentioned in my last post that I think the Padres will compete this season is the vulnerability of their NL West opponents. Good examples came the past couple of days when the Rockies placed P Jeff Francis on the disabled list, and the Diamondbacks did the same with P Brandon Webb. Both are critical for their teams' success. The Dodgers had to bring in pitcher Jeff Weaver to shore up their starting rotation. The Padres may not have enough to win the division, but it'll be closer than the so-called experts are predicting.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Padres to Make Noise in 2010
I thought it best to post this on April Fool's Day because you might think it a joke, but it's not. In all seriousness, I think the Padres are going to be competitive this season in a flawed National League West. I have no idea if they'll win, or whether they'll be close in late September, but they're going to have a much better season the 2009. They'll be in the race, I believe, most of the way.
There you go, it's out -- and there's no joyous call of "April Fool's" followed by a :)
To demonstrate, let’s go through an exercise of comparing the Padres position-by-position with the Dodgers and other NL West rivals. Last year at this time, you’d take nearly every LA position player and most pitchers over what the Friars offered.
This year, I would take the entire Padres infield over their Dodgers counterparts, and while LA owns the outfield, the margin is much closer than it had been. The bullpens are even. I like the Padres starting rotation, though LA’s is pretty decent. What a world of difference in just a year. The Giants’ rotation is better than the Padres but they’re pretty even in the field. I think the top of the Rockies rotation is better than the Padres, but the Friars have the better back end and bullpen. The Rox are better in the field. Arizona is the only team I really see falling out of the race.
So, in looking ahead, I can see everyone else with a shot at a division title by the time football season starts. I think the teams are so evenly matched I couldn’t really take a look at one factor or another and place them in any particular order – especially in a predicted finish. The winners and losers will likely be determined by a devastating injury or a trade-deadline pickup. The latter would appear to favor the well-heeled Giants and Dodgers over the residents of Petco Park. The winner will probably not have much more than 90 wins, so look for the wildcard team to come from another division.
The NL West is flawed? Most definitely. The Rockies are depending on the return of Jeff Francis to stabilize their rotation, the Dodgers have injury problems in the pitching staff and an uncertain infield, the Giants don’t hit well and the Diamondback’s youth movement didn’t pan out.
The keys to a big season for the locals are LF Kyle Blanks and P Kevin Correia. It looks like Blanks is being thrown right into the fire in a key spot in the batting order, so he will have to produce. He’s going to come to the plate quite often with runners on base, possibly in scoring position, and two outs following a walk to Adrian Gonzalez. His ability to drive the ball or strike out will be a big determinant of the Friars’ fate. Being completely unsure of what Chris Young is capable of anymore, Correia needs to prove that last year was a trend-setter, not an anomaly. He’s going to need to throw like a Number 2 starter, which will be a bonus if Young produces like he used to. I’m still unsure about Clayton Richard, but I think Mat Latos will be a star at the end of the rotation. If either fails, there are plenty of arms there to replace them.
Whatever happens, it will be a lot of fun. I’m as excited for the start of the major league season now than I have been in many years, not so much because I think the Padres will be so great but to see how everything plays out.
There you go, it's out -- and there's no joyous call of "April Fool's" followed by a :)
To demonstrate, let’s go through an exercise of comparing the Padres position-by-position with the Dodgers and other NL West rivals. Last year at this time, you’d take nearly every LA position player and most pitchers over what the Friars offered.
This year, I would take the entire Padres infield over their Dodgers counterparts, and while LA owns the outfield, the margin is much closer than it had been. The bullpens are even. I like the Padres starting rotation, though LA’s is pretty decent. What a world of difference in just a year. The Giants’ rotation is better than the Padres but they’re pretty even in the field. I think the top of the Rockies rotation is better than the Padres, but the Friars have the better back end and bullpen. The Rox are better in the field. Arizona is the only team I really see falling out of the race.
So, in looking ahead, I can see everyone else with a shot at a division title by the time football season starts. I think the teams are so evenly matched I couldn’t really take a look at one factor or another and place them in any particular order – especially in a predicted finish. The winners and losers will likely be determined by a devastating injury or a trade-deadline pickup. The latter would appear to favor the well-heeled Giants and Dodgers over the residents of Petco Park. The winner will probably not have much more than 90 wins, so look for the wildcard team to come from another division.
The NL West is flawed? Most definitely. The Rockies are depending on the return of Jeff Francis to stabilize their rotation, the Dodgers have injury problems in the pitching staff and an uncertain infield, the Giants don’t hit well and the Diamondback’s youth movement didn’t pan out.
The keys to a big season for the locals are LF Kyle Blanks and P Kevin Correia. It looks like Blanks is being thrown right into the fire in a key spot in the batting order, so he will have to produce. He’s going to come to the plate quite often with runners on base, possibly in scoring position, and two outs following a walk to Adrian Gonzalez. His ability to drive the ball or strike out will be a big determinant of the Friars’ fate. Being completely unsure of what Chris Young is capable of anymore, Correia needs to prove that last year was a trend-setter, not an anomaly. He’s going to need to throw like a Number 2 starter, which will be a bonus if Young produces like he used to. I’m still unsure about Clayton Richard, but I think Mat Latos will be a star at the end of the rotation. If either fails, there are plenty of arms there to replace them.
Whatever happens, it will be a lot of fun. I’m as excited for the start of the major league season now than I have been in many years, not so much because I think the Padres will be so great but to see how everything plays out.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Lincoln and SDSU Hoops, Padres
There has been so much attention the past couple of weeks on the success of the San Diego State men's and women's basketball teams that what Lincoln High accomplished last Friday is kind of being ignored -- and that's wrong.
The Hornets, by some measurements, made themselves the most accomplished high school basketball team EVER in San Diego County. That's pretty big, something that needs to be celebrated.
What Lincoln did, in a nutshell, was defeat Saint Francis of Mountain View 74-59 to win the Division II state championship. That's about all we've seen about it in various media reports. They won and isn't that nice.
Here's the context that I find to be important. Lincoln became the first local team to win a Division II state title. No San Diego team has won a Division I (large schools) title. The old USDHS won in 1998 in Division III. Horizon won Division IV titles in 2002-03, and Lincoln won D-IV in its smaller pre-remodeling configuration in 1994. For boys basketball, that's it for local state championships.
That makes Lincoln the first San Diego County school to win a state title in one of the largest divisions. And they did it by winning 24 straight games. That's something in my book.
The local girls haven't done much better over the years, with the only titles among the bigger schools being won by Terri Mann's Point Loma High teams back in the 1980s.
There have probably been local teams with a better collection of players, but only a couple. Senior Victor Dean is headed to Fresno State to play basketball and football. Junior Norman Powell has made himself into a major recruit, being pursued by SDSU and reportedly keeping his eyes on USC. Senior Nate Maxey is reportedly headed for a prep school to straighten out his academics, adversely impacted by attending three different schools in three years, but is also on Aztecs coach Steve Fisher's radar.
It might not be the best collection of local basketball players ever, but it is arguably the most accomplished.
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SDSU did everything expected of it in basketball this year, no more and no less. And, darn, how frustratingly close it came to being more.
It appeared that the men would have a strong year despite replacing five important players, including four starters. They improved on last season's NIT run by making the NCAA Tournament and were one ungrabbed rebound away from possibly defeating Tennessee, which went to the Midwest Regional final. I really think the men would have defeated Ohio and gone to the Sweet 16 if they'd won, and they'd have battled Ohio State well if that had happened. As stated in my previous post, what shortcomings the Aztecs have will be filled in time for next season.
Coming into the season, I wrote that the women could be the most nationally competitive Aztecs since the men's volleyball team won a national championship. The regular season was tough because of injuries and apparent locker room squabbles but they got things together in time for the Mountain West Tournament and the NCAAs, in which they defeated Texas on their home floor and highly regarded West Virginia. The Sweet 16 was about what was expected from this group of players, and they came through. Like the men, it could have been even better, yet superb guard Jene Morris was hobbled against Duke in Saturday's season-ending loss.
Both teams met expectations and were bounced from the Big Dance by better teams, which is how it should be. There are certainly arguments about whether the SDSU men should have been forced to travel so far and have to face a team as good as Tennessee in the first round, but what's done is done.
Next year? Onward and upward for the men. The women lose Morris and guard Quenese Davis, so expectations for them might have to be adjusted accordingly.
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Padres manager Bud Black announced Sunday a starting rotation of Jon Garland-Chris Young-Kevin Correia. I like this because it shows that he's not yet sold on Young's comeback from injuries, nor seems overly enthusiastic about Correia, the team's best starter last year but coming off a very erratic history. Young and Correia might be just fine. I'm just glad to interpret Black's wait-and-see approach.
I've been worried that the fourth and fifth spots were being reserved for the pitchers who were out of options rather than the most deserving. I'm uncertain about probable fourth starter Clayton Richard. I think he was rather unimpressive after coming to San Diego in the Jake Peavy trade, which now looks like highway robbery on the part of the White Sox, and has been out-pitched this spring by Mat Latos, Tim Stauffer and Wade LeBlanc. Add Sean Gallagher and Black has to find a way to squeeze five good pitchers into two spots in the rotation.
I'll post something of a season preview by the end of the week. I will say that my initial impression of the National League West is not very good -- which could lead to an interesting summer even in Petco Park.
The Hornets, by some measurements, made themselves the most accomplished high school basketball team EVER in San Diego County. That's pretty big, something that needs to be celebrated.
What Lincoln did, in a nutshell, was defeat Saint Francis of Mountain View 74-59 to win the Division II state championship. That's about all we've seen about it in various media reports. They won and isn't that nice.
Here's the context that I find to be important. Lincoln became the first local team to win a Division II state title. No San Diego team has won a Division I (large schools) title. The old USDHS won in 1998 in Division III. Horizon won Division IV titles in 2002-03, and Lincoln won D-IV in its smaller pre-remodeling configuration in 1994. For boys basketball, that's it for local state championships.
That makes Lincoln the first San Diego County school to win a state title in one of the largest divisions. And they did it by winning 24 straight games. That's something in my book.
The local girls haven't done much better over the years, with the only titles among the bigger schools being won by Terri Mann's Point Loma High teams back in the 1980s.
There have probably been local teams with a better collection of players, but only a couple. Senior Victor Dean is headed to Fresno State to play basketball and football. Junior Norman Powell has made himself into a major recruit, being pursued by SDSU and reportedly keeping his eyes on USC. Senior Nate Maxey is reportedly headed for a prep school to straighten out his academics, adversely impacted by attending three different schools in three years, but is also on Aztecs coach Steve Fisher's radar.
It might not be the best collection of local basketball players ever, but it is arguably the most accomplished.
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SDSU did everything expected of it in basketball this year, no more and no less. And, darn, how frustratingly close it came to being more.
It appeared that the men would have a strong year despite replacing five important players, including four starters. They improved on last season's NIT run by making the NCAA Tournament and were one ungrabbed rebound away from possibly defeating Tennessee, which went to the Midwest Regional final. I really think the men would have defeated Ohio and gone to the Sweet 16 if they'd won, and they'd have battled Ohio State well if that had happened. As stated in my previous post, what shortcomings the Aztecs have will be filled in time for next season.
Coming into the season, I wrote that the women could be the most nationally competitive Aztecs since the men's volleyball team won a national championship. The regular season was tough because of injuries and apparent locker room squabbles but they got things together in time for the Mountain West Tournament and the NCAAs, in which they defeated Texas on their home floor and highly regarded West Virginia. The Sweet 16 was about what was expected from this group of players, and they came through. Like the men, it could have been even better, yet superb guard Jene Morris was hobbled against Duke in Saturday's season-ending loss.
Both teams met expectations and were bounced from the Big Dance by better teams, which is how it should be. There are certainly arguments about whether the SDSU men should have been forced to travel so far and have to face a team as good as Tennessee in the first round, but what's done is done.
Next year? Onward and upward for the men. The women lose Morris and guard Quenese Davis, so expectations for them might have to be adjusted accordingly.
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Padres manager Bud Black announced Sunday a starting rotation of Jon Garland-Chris Young-Kevin Correia. I like this because it shows that he's not yet sold on Young's comeback from injuries, nor seems overly enthusiastic about Correia, the team's best starter last year but coming off a very erratic history. Young and Correia might be just fine. I'm just glad to interpret Black's wait-and-see approach.
I've been worried that the fourth and fifth spots were being reserved for the pitchers who were out of options rather than the most deserving. I'm uncertain about probable fourth starter Clayton Richard. I think he was rather unimpressive after coming to San Diego in the Jake Peavy trade, which now looks like highway robbery on the part of the White Sox, and has been out-pitched this spring by Mat Latos, Tim Stauffer and Wade LeBlanc. Add Sean Gallagher and Black has to find a way to squeeze five good pitchers into two spots in the rotation.
I'll post something of a season preview by the end of the week. I will say that my initial impression of the National League West is not very good -- which could lead to an interesting summer even in Petco Park.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Fisher's Program Marked by Incremental Progress
San Diego State's 62-59 loss to Tennessee in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday night was, ironically, another sign of progress for coach Steve Fisher's men's basketball program.
The past eight years, since the Aztecs first NCAA appearance under Fisher, have been marked by incremental progress that is sometimes too slow to see -- geologic time. It can be a frustrating process. But you have to walk before you can run, and SDSU was so far behind when he took over as coach that his team has only been traveling at a quick pace for a few years.
Consider, they nearly beat a good, likely Sweet 16 team that has defeated two number one seeds after traveling more than 3,000 miles to play them. That is far ahead of the 2002 rout at the hands of Illinois and the gag against Indiana in SDSU's second Big Dance under Fisher. Add the deep run in last year's NIT.
Next season's incremental step should be even better since only reserve Kelvin Davis is leaving -- that we know of. James Rahon, a sharp-shooting transfer from Santa Clara who would have come in handy in Providence, becomes eligible. Maybe, pray to God, Tim Shelton will return to health. The returnees will be bigger, stronger and more experienced. Add in two freshmen named Franklin -- a wonderful athlete from Arizona and one of California's best point guards -- and you have to figure next season will show more progress.
As things stand right now, and Lord knows a lot can change between now and when practice gets going in seven months, Fisher's Aztecs should challenge for a national ranking and a high tournament seed next season. National respect came to them this past couple weeks and I don't think the loss to Tennessee will dampen it too much -- especially with the way cleared for the Volunteers to go to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
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Back to baseball, huh?
The past eight years, since the Aztecs first NCAA appearance under Fisher, have been marked by incremental progress that is sometimes too slow to see -- geologic time. It can be a frustrating process. But you have to walk before you can run, and SDSU was so far behind when he took over as coach that his team has only been traveling at a quick pace for a few years.
Consider, they nearly beat a good, likely Sweet 16 team that has defeated two number one seeds after traveling more than 3,000 miles to play them. That is far ahead of the 2002 rout at the hands of Illinois and the gag against Indiana in SDSU's second Big Dance under Fisher. Add the deep run in last year's NIT.
Next season's incremental step should be even better since only reserve Kelvin Davis is leaving -- that we know of. James Rahon, a sharp-shooting transfer from Santa Clara who would have come in handy in Providence, becomes eligible. Maybe, pray to God, Tim Shelton will return to health. The returnees will be bigger, stronger and more experienced. Add in two freshmen named Franklin -- a wonderful athlete from Arizona and one of California's best point guards -- and you have to figure next season will show more progress.
As things stand right now, and Lord knows a lot can change between now and when practice gets going in seven months, Fisher's Aztecs should challenge for a national ranking and a high tournament seed next season. National respect came to them this past couple weeks and I don't think the loss to Tennessee will dampen it too much -- especially with the way cleared for the Volunteers to go to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
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Back to baseball, huh?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Familiarity Favors Aztecs in Tourney Opener
I agree with the numerous commentators who think San Diego State will beat Tennessee in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday, and here's why. Familiarity. The Volunteers play nearly the same style as SDSU and other teams the Aztecs have played -- and defeated -- recently, like New Mexico and UNLV. They play well against similar teams. If they do win, they'll hang with Georgetown Saturday in Round 2 for the same reason.
Tennessee players appear to be struggling mentally more than physically right now, and if we get deep into the second half and SDSU is still hanging around, give the Aztecs the advantage. The Aztecs won their Mountain West Tournament games by 1, 3 and 10 points -- the latter of which saw the winners pull away with late free throws. The Vols haven't played a really tight game since getting past Florida 61-60 in Knoxville -- in January. Most of their margins up or down have been near or at double-digits. The Aztecs will likely have the Providence crowd on their side as the underdogs if they're close or ahead at the end.
If you want an early clue to how things might work out Thursday night, flip on Channel 8 in the morning and catch BYU-Florida. Same conferences as SDSU-Tenn. and the seeding is more favorable to the Cougars. If the MWC can hang with the SEC, we'll know by lunchtime.
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Don't go by my Final Four: Kansas, Baylor, BYU and West Virginia, with the Jayhawks beating the Mountaineers for all the marbles. I didn't plan it with a bunch of upsets, its just how things worked out. I'm sure the only one of the four who will make it is KU.
Tennessee players appear to be struggling mentally more than physically right now, and if we get deep into the second half and SDSU is still hanging around, give the Aztecs the advantage. The Aztecs won their Mountain West Tournament games by 1, 3 and 10 points -- the latter of which saw the winners pull away with late free throws. The Vols haven't played a really tight game since getting past Florida 61-60 in Knoxville -- in January. Most of their margins up or down have been near or at double-digits. The Aztecs will likely have the Providence crowd on their side as the underdogs if they're close or ahead at the end.
If you want an early clue to how things might work out Thursday night, flip on Channel 8 in the morning and catch BYU-Florida. Same conferences as SDSU-Tenn. and the seeding is more favorable to the Cougars. If the MWC can hang with the SEC, we'll know by lunchtime.
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Don't go by my Final Four: Kansas, Baylor, BYU and West Virginia, with the Jayhawks beating the Mountaineers for all the marbles. I didn't plan it with a bunch of upsets, its just how things worked out. I'm sure the only one of the four who will make it is KU.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Give a Ram a Hug, LT
A lot of people had a hand in San Diego State's MWC men's basketball championship over the weekend: Steve Fisher with brilliant coaching, DJ Gay running the point for 119 of 120 minutes and making key shots at the end of games, Billy White for exploding on New Mexico and Kawhi Leonard for grabbing every rebound in sight.
But maybe none of the fun would have happened without the Colorado State Rams, who fell to SDSU 72-71 in the opening round on Thursday. That game was war, a bruising struggle filled with elbows, fists and body blows. It nearly worked for CSU, which had several chances to win in the final seconds. The Aztecs moved on with Gay's heroics to Friday's win over New Mexico and Saturday's championship conquest of tournament host UNLV.
The CSU game was a wake-up call for the Red & Black and they clearly got the message. When the next two games got rough and the opponents made runs, the Aztecs had something in reserve. They weren't shocked when other teams tried to impose their will on them and each time they turned back the challenge.
Now SDSU goes to Providence, RI, to take on Tennessee in the first round of the Big Dance -- a game created by a mockery of seeding that saw the value of both teams knocked down by several spots. The Aztecs will face a mirror image with an orange tinge, Volunteers who depended on athleticism and rebounding to win 25 games this season. If the Aztecs somehow win their first NCAA Tournament game, they will probably face Georgetown, another team similar in style.
Based on the past weekend, I'm convinced that Fisher will have the Aztecs mentally ready. My only concerns are physical: whether the injuries the players overcame in Las Vegas will catch up to them on the East Coast, and whether the fate of basketball will choose Thursday to give them a bad shooting game.
The week ahead should be fun. The weekend now passed was a blast, thanks in part to Colorado State.
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LaDainian Tomlinson, who expressed a desire when released last month by the Chargers to play in the Super Bowl, may have taken a major step in fulfilling his wish by signing a two-year contract with the Jets on Sunday. It appeared to come down to the Jets and Vikings, and he apparently decided that New York is closer to taking the final step. I think he is right. I'm not sure quarterback Mark Sanchez will be ready in his second NFL season to lead a team all the way, but in his third year you have to think it's a distinct possibility.
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Following up on my pre-season college baseball comments a few weeks ago, it should be noted that SDSU is 6-10 with a paltry .250 batting average. They've nearly been doubled up in home runs and doubles, and the opponents' slugging percentage is nearly 100 percentage points higher.
USD is a mediocre 9-8 but as a team is hitting nearly .300, far higher than opponents, and are out-slugging the other teams.
It could be that both teams will need to win conference automatic bids to make the NCAA Regionals this spring.
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Going SDSU-heavy on this post, but there are reports around that DB DeyJuan Hemmings suffered a serious leg injury at a spring practice scrimmage on Saturday. Either a dislocated foot or broken leg -- or both. He was one of the best players in the secondary last fall.
But maybe none of the fun would have happened without the Colorado State Rams, who fell to SDSU 72-71 in the opening round on Thursday. That game was war, a bruising struggle filled with elbows, fists and body blows. It nearly worked for CSU, which had several chances to win in the final seconds. The Aztecs moved on with Gay's heroics to Friday's win over New Mexico and Saturday's championship conquest of tournament host UNLV.
The CSU game was a wake-up call for the Red & Black and they clearly got the message. When the next two games got rough and the opponents made runs, the Aztecs had something in reserve. They weren't shocked when other teams tried to impose their will on them and each time they turned back the challenge.
Now SDSU goes to Providence, RI, to take on Tennessee in the first round of the Big Dance -- a game created by a mockery of seeding that saw the value of both teams knocked down by several spots. The Aztecs will face a mirror image with an orange tinge, Volunteers who depended on athleticism and rebounding to win 25 games this season. If the Aztecs somehow win their first NCAA Tournament game, they will probably face Georgetown, another team similar in style.
Based on the past weekend, I'm convinced that Fisher will have the Aztecs mentally ready. My only concerns are physical: whether the injuries the players overcame in Las Vegas will catch up to them on the East Coast, and whether the fate of basketball will choose Thursday to give them a bad shooting game.
The week ahead should be fun. The weekend now passed was a blast, thanks in part to Colorado State.
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LaDainian Tomlinson, who expressed a desire when released last month by the Chargers to play in the Super Bowl, may have taken a major step in fulfilling his wish by signing a two-year contract with the Jets on Sunday. It appeared to come down to the Jets and Vikings, and he apparently decided that New York is closer to taking the final step. I think he is right. I'm not sure quarterback Mark Sanchez will be ready in his second NFL season to lead a team all the way, but in his third year you have to think it's a distinct possibility.
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Following up on my pre-season college baseball comments a few weeks ago, it should be noted that SDSU is 6-10 with a paltry .250 batting average. They've nearly been doubled up in home runs and doubles, and the opponents' slugging percentage is nearly 100 percentage points higher.
USD is a mediocre 9-8 but as a team is hitting nearly .300, far higher than opponents, and are out-slugging the other teams.
It could be that both teams will need to win conference automatic bids to make the NCAA Regionals this spring.
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Going SDSU-heavy on this post, but there are reports around that DB DeyJuan Hemmings suffered a serious leg injury at a spring practice scrimmage on Saturday. Either a dislocated foot or broken leg -- or both. He was one of the best players in the secondary last fall.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Good Times and Bad Times for SDSU, USD Hoops
When San Diego State's men's basketball program went into the Mountain West Conference Tournament in 2002, the way was cleared for an Aztecs' title so much that it was like some god of hoops raised a hand to wave them through. It was the first of two MWC Tournament titles in coach Steve Fisher's 11 years, and a third is possible this week.
Before the 2002 MWC tourney, I wrote that SDSU was going to win it strictly because of the way the matchups lined up. Everything was favorable, so it wasn't like I had special insight or was going out on a major limb.
I wouldn't say things are quite that good for the Aztecs this time around because the conference as a whole is much better now, neight years later. However, the matchups again are breaking SDSU's way.
Colorado State and Utah played Saturday night in their regular season finales, and the winner would be seeded in the slot opposite Fisher's crew. The Aztecs downed the Rams twice by double-digit scores. They also swept the Utes, but one game went to overtime and the other was very close until the final minute. It was best SDSU for CSU to beat the Utes and they did.
The seeding process worked out to where if the Aztecs advance to the semifinals, they'd play New Mexico, not BYU. They beat the Lobos once and took them to OT in The Pit. As good as the eighth-ranked Lobos are, SDSU matches up with them better than the Cougars.
The other semifinal would, most likely, be BYU-UNLV. The Cougars routed SDSU in Provo and won in Viejas Arena. Tough match. But BYU doesn't do well against UNLV so might not even make the final. There's the big news -- a UNLV-SDSU championship would bode better for the Aztecs than a match vs. BYU. The Aztecs split with the Rebels this year.
So we'll see how it goes this week. I'm not going to predict anything, and I still am in no way excited about being a "last four in" team because there will be tournament upsets in other conferences. SDSU has to win three straight this week to make the Big Dance. A lot has to happen for the Aztecs to get there, but much in their favor has broken their way already.
---
Things clearly aren’t so good across Mission Valley, where USD suffered 20 losses in Bill Grier’s third season as coach. I think it’s fair now to ask how much slack the guy deserves after simply winning one NCAA Tournament game. That was a long time ago now, especially in the "win today" time frame of big-time college sports.
I have two problems with the status of USD men’s basketball.
The first is a bad last impression. Sure, every team but two – the NCAA and NIT winners – will complete their seasons with a loss, but you want to leave the overall impression that things will be even better next year. At SDSU, even if they only make the NIT, you have to like their chances next season with nearly everyone coming back. That’s not the case at USD, where their only good players are two guards who won’t return. The underclassmen simply aren’t impressive and don’t have fans breathlessly awaiting the 2010-11 campaign.
The second is that Grier is not recruiting well. It’s not just that he isn't getting good players. The problem is the players he has recruited are not as good as those brought in by predecessor Brad Holland. I’m a shameless Holland-honk, I admit it. The guy did a great job with few resources at his disposal, and he was able to get a lot of good basketball players to go to the little school on the hill. There are no players of the ability of an Andre Laws or Roy Morris on the roster coming back next season.
There’s the rub. Holland was fired to pave the way for Grier. The successor has had two bad years after his spectacular first season. My question is how many more years does the March win over UConn buy? I’d say one more to give him a chance to recruit better players and prove to us that he can turn the ship around. If in March 2011, no matter the record, we’re excited about the Toreros’ prospects the next season, then fine. If not, then some USD administrators are going to have to swallow their pride and admit their mistake.
Before the 2002 MWC tourney, I wrote that SDSU was going to win it strictly because of the way the matchups lined up. Everything was favorable, so it wasn't like I had special insight or was going out on a major limb.
I wouldn't say things are quite that good for the Aztecs this time around because the conference as a whole is much better now, neight years later. However, the matchups again are breaking SDSU's way.
Colorado State and Utah played Saturday night in their regular season finales, and the winner would be seeded in the slot opposite Fisher's crew. The Aztecs downed the Rams twice by double-digit scores. They also swept the Utes, but one game went to overtime and the other was very close until the final minute. It was best SDSU for CSU to beat the Utes and they did.
The seeding process worked out to where if the Aztecs advance to the semifinals, they'd play New Mexico, not BYU. They beat the Lobos once and took them to OT in The Pit. As good as the eighth-ranked Lobos are, SDSU matches up with them better than the Cougars.
The other semifinal would, most likely, be BYU-UNLV. The Cougars routed SDSU in Provo and won in Viejas Arena. Tough match. But BYU doesn't do well against UNLV so might not even make the final. There's the big news -- a UNLV-SDSU championship would bode better for the Aztecs than a match vs. BYU. The Aztecs split with the Rebels this year.
So we'll see how it goes this week. I'm not going to predict anything, and I still am in no way excited about being a "last four in" team because there will be tournament upsets in other conferences. SDSU has to win three straight this week to make the Big Dance. A lot has to happen for the Aztecs to get there, but much in their favor has broken their way already.
---
Things clearly aren’t so good across Mission Valley, where USD suffered 20 losses in Bill Grier’s third season as coach. I think it’s fair now to ask how much slack the guy deserves after simply winning one NCAA Tournament game. That was a long time ago now, especially in the "win today" time frame of big-time college sports.
I have two problems with the status of USD men’s basketball.
The first is a bad last impression. Sure, every team but two – the NCAA and NIT winners – will complete their seasons with a loss, but you want to leave the overall impression that things will be even better next year. At SDSU, even if they only make the NIT, you have to like their chances next season with nearly everyone coming back. That’s not the case at USD, where their only good players are two guards who won’t return. The underclassmen simply aren’t impressive and don’t have fans breathlessly awaiting the 2010-11 campaign.
The second is that Grier is not recruiting well. It’s not just that he isn't getting good players. The problem is the players he has recruited are not as good as those brought in by predecessor Brad Holland. I’m a shameless Holland-honk, I admit it. The guy did a great job with few resources at his disposal, and he was able to get a lot of good basketball players to go to the little school on the hill. There are no players of the ability of an Andre Laws or Roy Morris on the roster coming back next season.
There’s the rub. Holland was fired to pave the way for Grier. The successor has had two bad years after his spectacular first season. My question is how many more years does the March win over UConn buy? I’d say one more to give him a chance to recruit better players and prove to us that he can turn the ship around. If in March 2011, no matter the record, we’re excited about the Toreros’ prospects the next season, then fine. If not, then some USD administrators are going to have to swallow their pride and admit their mistake.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Jamal Williams, Chris Young, March Questions
No, the Chargers first round draft pick this spring won't be a running back. That's the old way of thinking. The new concept is this: a great big strong defensive tackle. That came about when General Manager AJ Smith had a change of heart and decided to release veteran Jamal Williams Thursday and protect Darren Sproles.
Williams plugged the middle of the Chargers defensive line for most of 12 years, though he did sustain injuries here and there of the sort one would expect from someone doing battle in the NFL's rugged trenches. The end became apparent last season when he was injured in the season-opener in Oakland and missed the rest of the year. It used to be easy to predict the Bolts' fortune. If Williams was healthy, the defense was good and they won. If Williams was watching from the sidelines, the stoppers couldn't stop anyone and they lost. The 2009 season was different in that, after a couple early stumbles, Smith came up with the revolving "stop gap" and the Chargers defense ended up being pretty good without Williams -- and the Chargers won a lot in the regular season.
The rotation that worked on the front wall was no permanent solution, however, so the Chargers powers-that-be either had to determine whether Williams would return to health or if it was time to move on. The answer is now the latter.
Strangely enough, we could go into the 2010 season with Williams wearing powder blue and Sproles playing elsewhere. Smith reportedly didn't rule out re-signing his nose tackle later in the off-season. Also, the protection on Sproles only allows them to match another team's offer -- it doesn't guarantee that they will if actually faced with such a situation.
So say goodbye to Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer as the ball-carrier of the future. Say hello to a defensive tackle.
That opens a whole 'nuther possibility -- that Smith will package LB Shawne Merriman and someone else into a package deal to move into the top five of the draft and get one of the real big-time interior linemen. We'd sniffle a little less at the loss of Williams if that happened.
---
Chris Young's stat line in one inning on the mound in the Padres' spring opener against the Mariners doesn't look like much, but the fact that he was happy with the way his arm felt was good news. Young, if my memory serves, never fared well in Arizona in March. I won't be too concerned about production for another couple starts.
---
If someone comes to you excitedly and says some bracketologist just included San Diego State's men's basketball team in their "last four in," don't listen to them. To me, "last four in" is the equivalent of "those four that will get knocked down to the NIT when also-rans start winning conference tournaments." I know some of those guys who make such picks have four entrants from the Mountain West, but its simply not going to happen. The Aztecs simply have to win the conference tournament. Now that could happen.
Williams plugged the middle of the Chargers defensive line for most of 12 years, though he did sustain injuries here and there of the sort one would expect from someone doing battle in the NFL's rugged trenches. The end became apparent last season when he was injured in the season-opener in Oakland and missed the rest of the year. It used to be easy to predict the Bolts' fortune. If Williams was healthy, the defense was good and they won. If Williams was watching from the sidelines, the stoppers couldn't stop anyone and they lost. The 2009 season was different in that, after a couple early stumbles, Smith came up with the revolving "stop gap" and the Chargers defense ended up being pretty good without Williams -- and the Chargers won a lot in the regular season.
The rotation that worked on the front wall was no permanent solution, however, so the Chargers powers-that-be either had to determine whether Williams would return to health or if it was time to move on. The answer is now the latter.
Strangely enough, we could go into the 2010 season with Williams wearing powder blue and Sproles playing elsewhere. Smith reportedly didn't rule out re-signing his nose tackle later in the off-season. Also, the protection on Sproles only allows them to match another team's offer -- it doesn't guarantee that they will if actually faced with such a situation.
So say goodbye to Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer as the ball-carrier of the future. Say hello to a defensive tackle.
That opens a whole 'nuther possibility -- that Smith will package LB Shawne Merriman and someone else into a package deal to move into the top five of the draft and get one of the real big-time interior linemen. We'd sniffle a little less at the loss of Williams if that happened.
---
Chris Young's stat line in one inning on the mound in the Padres' spring opener against the Mariners doesn't look like much, but the fact that he was happy with the way his arm felt was good news. Young, if my memory serves, never fared well in Arizona in March. I won't be too concerned about production for another couple starts.
---
If someone comes to you excitedly and says some bracketologist just included San Diego State's men's basketball team in their "last four in," don't listen to them. To me, "last four in" is the equivalent of "those four that will get knocked down to the NIT when also-rans start winning conference tournaments." I know some of those guys who make such picks have four entrants from the Mountain West, but its simply not going to happen. The Aztecs simply have to win the conference tournament. Now that could happen.
Monday, February 22, 2010
LT's Quick Release, Fisher's Coaching
It's done, LT is gone.
As I suspected, the Chargers moved quickly to release LaDainian Tomlinson, letting him go Monday, barely two weeks after the Super Bowl. The Bolts front office had every reason to wait and try to get a late-round draft pick or some other player for him in a trade, but those post-season comments that took back everything he'd said previously forced their hand. The move had to be made sooner rather than later.
The bitterest pill is sometimes the best. Both sides can move on. The Chargers can scout college ball-carriers and Tomlinson will have plenty of time to look for a new employer. Making the move now prevents the hard feelings that could develop if the episode were to drag out. When the time does come, Tomlinson will have no qualms retiring and entering the Hall of Fame as a Charger.
Otherwise, Chargers fans should be grateful that this talented player and special person spent nine seasons here, sharing himself with the fans and the community at-large. Hopes for the best for him in the future.
---
I have no idea if San Diego State's mens basketball team will win at BYU Wednesday or make the NCAA Tournament, but I will go out on a limb and say that this season has been Steve Fisher's best coaching job in his 11 years at SDSU. For him to mold three high-profile transfers who were disgruntled at their former schools, two major high school recruits and a couple of holdovers into a quality team as quickly as he has is an amazing piece of work.
Former Pepperdine players Malcom Thomas and Tyrone Shelley came here believing they were huge stars who would carry the team. Heck, Thomas was even tempted to try to take a shot at the NBA. Shelley always had the "big scorer" rep but came into the season injured and lost his shooting touch. To mold those egos into a team concept and to give each of them a role has taken time, but the work has paid off. Brian Carlwell from Illinois didn't have the ego but has been a vocal team leader who has clearly helped with his teammates' transition. Fisher also allowed freshman Kawhi Leonard to become a star and fellow first-year player Chase Tapley to be a solid contributor.
Add to all that DJ Gay taking the point after spending most of his first two seasons as a 2-guard. The transition was rough at times, but since about mid-January he's been effective.
The Aztecs now have a chance to beat BYU and a solid shot at the Big Dance. I don't know if they'll accomplish one or the other, or hopefully both, but the idea that both are within their grasp is solid evidence of the quality of Fisher's work.
As I suspected, the Chargers moved quickly to release LaDainian Tomlinson, letting him go Monday, barely two weeks after the Super Bowl. The Bolts front office had every reason to wait and try to get a late-round draft pick or some other player for him in a trade, but those post-season comments that took back everything he'd said previously forced their hand. The move had to be made sooner rather than later.
The bitterest pill is sometimes the best. Both sides can move on. The Chargers can scout college ball-carriers and Tomlinson will have plenty of time to look for a new employer. Making the move now prevents the hard feelings that could develop if the episode were to drag out. When the time does come, Tomlinson will have no qualms retiring and entering the Hall of Fame as a Charger.
Otherwise, Chargers fans should be grateful that this talented player and special person spent nine seasons here, sharing himself with the fans and the community at-large. Hopes for the best for him in the future.
---
I have no idea if San Diego State's mens basketball team will win at BYU Wednesday or make the NCAA Tournament, but I will go out on a limb and say that this season has been Steve Fisher's best coaching job in his 11 years at SDSU. For him to mold three high-profile transfers who were disgruntled at their former schools, two major high school recruits and a couple of holdovers into a quality team as quickly as he has is an amazing piece of work.
Former Pepperdine players Malcom Thomas and Tyrone Shelley came here believing they were huge stars who would carry the team. Heck, Thomas was even tempted to try to take a shot at the NBA. Shelley always had the "big scorer" rep but came into the season injured and lost his shooting touch. To mold those egos into a team concept and to give each of them a role has taken time, but the work has paid off. Brian Carlwell from Illinois didn't have the ego but has been a vocal team leader who has clearly helped with his teammates' transition. Fisher also allowed freshman Kawhi Leonard to become a star and fellow first-year player Chase Tapley to be a solid contributor.
Add to all that DJ Gay taking the point after spending most of his first two seasons as a 2-guard. The transition was rough at times, but since about mid-January he's been effective.
The Aztecs now have a chance to beat BYU and a solid shot at the Big Dance. I don't know if they'll accomplish one or the other, or hopefully both, but the idea that both are within their grasp is solid evidence of the quality of Fisher's work.
Friday, February 19, 2010
College Baseball Starts, Padres, Olympics
My statement to Rich Hill and Tony Gwynn is: "Now show me what you got."
The head coaches of the two major local college baseball teams at USD and San Diego State have something to prove as their seasons get underway Friday. For Hill and his Toreros, the question is whether they can reclaim the mantle after an injury-ruined 2009? For Gwynn and the Aztecs, the issue is whether there is any staying power after making the NCAA playoffs for the first time in 18 years.
College baseball can be a tough sport to scout, so I can't sit here and write that I know the answers. Let others do the talking:
-- Collegiate Baseball has USD ranked 24th nationally in its preseason Top 40, with no West Coast Conference rivals ahead of the Toreros. SDSU is in "others receiving votes," well below Number 15 TCU.
-- Baseball America has the Toreros 19th and SDSU unranked in its preseason Top 25. Even scarier for the Aztecs, TCU is 11th in this publication.
-- In conference predictions by coaches and media, USD was picked first in the WCC and SDSU third in the Mountain West behind TCU and New Mexico.
Clearly, the experts believe Hill has a better chance of overcoming last year's obstacles than Gwynn does of making it to another regional. Part of Gwynn's trouble, of course, is losing pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg. But he also lost his two other weekend starters.
Both are undertaking the interesting experiment of converting all-star closers to Friday starters: Hill with Grossmont High alum AJ Griffin and Gwynn with Addison Reed. Think trying to make Heath Bell a starting pitcher and that's what you have. It'll be interesting to see if those moves work out, and whether either of these programs still have something in the tank.
---
Ah, pitchers and catchers report for pro baseball's spring training. It's a wonderful time of year.
One of the really interesting guys to watch in Peoria this year will be Lance Zawadzki, the big-hit no-field former Aztecs second baseman who batted .289 for AA San Antonio in 2009. He's the type of kid who will rip the ball in exhibition games and make you think really hard when the final cuts come down. I'm not sure he's built for Petco Park, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him as part of a trade package for another quality player who is a better fit.
I only see one available spot for Padres position players, and that will probably be filled by bench veteran Matt Stairs, unless he shows he's done. If that happens, another interesting name is OF Aaron Cunningham, who enjoyed cups of coffee with Oakland in 2008 and 2009.
---
Curious how TV ratings for the Olympics zoomed up after the Opening Ceremonies. We like the competition, I suppose, even in warm San Diego. Just about everyone I know is talking about the Winter Games. So far, I think my favorite part was watching Lindsay Vonn winning gold in the women's downhill after so many competitors crashed. It was kind of like watching NASCAR, but thankfully no one was hurt.
I think the story of these games might end up being how we're pushing the limits of the events, particularly for the women. You look at the speed of the luge run, the crashes in the downhill and even some of the accidents in the women's half-pipe, and it makes you wonder whether we humans are capable of much more.
---
I didn't watch the Tiger Woods news conference. So he apologized. Who cares what he has to say, really? What he does over the next few months or even years is what counts. It's like politicians. What they say in their speeches is almost irrelevant, it's their actions that are important. I want to see how Woods conducts himself. Over the course of time, perhaps many years, we'll be able to judge whether his affairs describe the true Tiger Woods or proved to be a youthful indiscretion.
The head coaches of the two major local college baseball teams at USD and San Diego State have something to prove as their seasons get underway Friday. For Hill and his Toreros, the question is whether they can reclaim the mantle after an injury-ruined 2009? For Gwynn and the Aztecs, the issue is whether there is any staying power after making the NCAA playoffs for the first time in 18 years.
College baseball can be a tough sport to scout, so I can't sit here and write that I know the answers. Let others do the talking:
-- Collegiate Baseball has USD ranked 24th nationally in its preseason Top 40, with no West Coast Conference rivals ahead of the Toreros. SDSU is in "others receiving votes," well below Number 15 TCU.
-- Baseball America has the Toreros 19th and SDSU unranked in its preseason Top 25. Even scarier for the Aztecs, TCU is 11th in this publication.
-- In conference predictions by coaches and media, USD was picked first in the WCC and SDSU third in the Mountain West behind TCU and New Mexico.
Clearly, the experts believe Hill has a better chance of overcoming last year's obstacles than Gwynn does of making it to another regional. Part of Gwynn's trouble, of course, is losing pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg. But he also lost his two other weekend starters.
Both are undertaking the interesting experiment of converting all-star closers to Friday starters: Hill with Grossmont High alum AJ Griffin and Gwynn with Addison Reed. Think trying to make Heath Bell a starting pitcher and that's what you have. It'll be interesting to see if those moves work out, and whether either of these programs still have something in the tank.
---
Ah, pitchers and catchers report for pro baseball's spring training. It's a wonderful time of year.
One of the really interesting guys to watch in Peoria this year will be Lance Zawadzki, the big-hit no-field former Aztecs second baseman who batted .289 for AA San Antonio in 2009. He's the type of kid who will rip the ball in exhibition games and make you think really hard when the final cuts come down. I'm not sure he's built for Petco Park, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him as part of a trade package for another quality player who is a better fit.
I only see one available spot for Padres position players, and that will probably be filled by bench veteran Matt Stairs, unless he shows he's done. If that happens, another interesting name is OF Aaron Cunningham, who enjoyed cups of coffee with Oakland in 2008 and 2009.
---
Curious how TV ratings for the Olympics zoomed up after the Opening Ceremonies. We like the competition, I suppose, even in warm San Diego. Just about everyone I know is talking about the Winter Games. So far, I think my favorite part was watching Lindsay Vonn winning gold in the women's downhill after so many competitors crashed. It was kind of like watching NASCAR, but thankfully no one was hurt.
I think the story of these games might end up being how we're pushing the limits of the events, particularly for the women. You look at the speed of the luge run, the crashes in the downhill and even some of the accidents in the women's half-pipe, and it makes you wonder whether we humans are capable of much more.
---
I didn't watch the Tiger Woods news conference. So he apologized. Who cares what he has to say, really? What he does over the next few months or even years is what counts. It's like politicians. What they say in their speeches is almost irrelevant, it's their actions that are important. I want to see how Woods conducts himself. Over the course of time, perhaps many years, we'll be able to judge whether his affairs describe the true Tiger Woods or proved to be a youthful indiscretion.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Olympics, Aztecs Basketball
I enjoy the Olympics, not so much because I'm so interested in the Nordic Combined but to provide something to watch on television's vast wasteland at the end of the evening. I actually prefer the winter games because of the unusual sports I usually don't see. That made it curious to me that early TV ratings of the Vancouver games have been so poor in Sun Belt cities like San Diego. The difference is what makes it interesting.
True, the Summer Olympics are far more San Diego-oriented than their cold-weather counterparts. Ya gotta figure there will always be some locals in water polo and beach volleyball. So it was pretty humorous last week to read in the newspaper the local connections among the U.S. athletes in BC to compete for gold. We all know about Shaun White Inc., headquartered in Carlsbad. That figure skater Rachel Flatt to this day lists Del Mar as her hometown, despite not residing here for ages, gives her a strong connection that she created herself. Everything else is a reach. Alpine skier Bodie Miller is not of the local foothills community of Alpine, but he has a child in Escondido. Fellow Alpine skier Lindsay Vonn's sister attends USD. A couple other folks have toured the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista and a few more have vacationed here and tried a fish taco.
I'm taking perverse pleasure in the lack of snow and other weather-related problems at Cypress Mountain and Whistler. As much as I enjoy the competition and the dedicated athletes, I can't stand the self-absorbed Olympic officials. Something going wrong allows me to tweak them a little bit, and God knows they're deserving. I hope it snows like crazy soon, anyway, because I do want to see a legitimate downhill.
Have you ever done this, think of how San Diego could host a Summer Olympics, and which venues could hold which sports? It won't happen in an official manner until 2024 at the earliest. London is next in 2012 and Rio de Janiero in 2016. Rumor has it that Africa is next. With a new stadium for the Chargers, it could be done. The problem would be housing the athletes. The venues would be here, and while small, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the money is getting so big that we'll be seeing scaled-down games in the future. Those TV ratings might be an earlier indicator.
No way it'll happen, of course, but it's kind of fun to think about. City officials are putting their eggs in the basket of soccer's World Cup. That's still our planet's biggest international athletic competition.
---
We learned two important things in Saturday's 10-point win by San Diego State's men's basketball team over UNLV.
1. SDSU can win the Mountain West Conference Tournament next month. Let's face it, we didn't know that before. They were close to BYU at home and New Mexico on the road but didn't get over the top on either one. Now the Aztecs look like an improving ballclub, especially with F Billy White appearing to be healthy again. Pitch in G DJ Gay finally finding comfort at the point and freshman F Kawhi Leonard aiming for the All-MWC first team and you really have something.
2. If they fall short in the conference tourney, which I think they need to win to get to the NCAA Tournament, they might have made their case for a second-straight top-seed in the NIT. Yeah, yeah, that little dance, not the big one. For something like the fourth year in a row. But don't discount the NIT this year because it could be a lot of fun. The bracket could include a pair of Pac-10 teams that never want to play SDSU at Viejas, USC and UCLA. They might be forced to come here and if they do, the Aztecs will beat them into a pulp. That would be a lot of fun to watch even if its only a consolation.
BTW, there's very little chance the Mountain West will get more than three teams in the NCAA Tournament. BYU and New Mexico are locks if they continue to win at their current rate. UNLV is more likely than SDSU because of quality non-conference victories. Many of the so-called experts who predict the NCAA brackets have only one Pac-10 team getting in. I say that based on last year's disappointing experience, there will be no way that the selection committee gives the MWC more entries than the Pac-10, which will get Cal and the two best finishers between Arizona, Arizona State and Washington. An also-ran winning their post-season tournament, like USC did last year, would roil the waters and guarantee three spots. It's all about money for the big conferences.
True, the Summer Olympics are far more San Diego-oriented than their cold-weather counterparts. Ya gotta figure there will always be some locals in water polo and beach volleyball. So it was pretty humorous last week to read in the newspaper the local connections among the U.S. athletes in BC to compete for gold. We all know about Shaun White Inc., headquartered in Carlsbad. That figure skater Rachel Flatt to this day lists Del Mar as her hometown, despite not residing here for ages, gives her a strong connection that she created herself. Everything else is a reach. Alpine skier Bodie Miller is not of the local foothills community of Alpine, but he has a child in Escondido. Fellow Alpine skier Lindsay Vonn's sister attends USD. A couple other folks have toured the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista and a few more have vacationed here and tried a fish taco.
I'm taking perverse pleasure in the lack of snow and other weather-related problems at Cypress Mountain and Whistler. As much as I enjoy the competition and the dedicated athletes, I can't stand the self-absorbed Olympic officials. Something going wrong allows me to tweak them a little bit, and God knows they're deserving. I hope it snows like crazy soon, anyway, because I do want to see a legitimate downhill.
Have you ever done this, think of how San Diego could host a Summer Olympics, and which venues could hold which sports? It won't happen in an official manner until 2024 at the earliest. London is next in 2012 and Rio de Janiero in 2016. Rumor has it that Africa is next. With a new stadium for the Chargers, it could be done. The problem would be housing the athletes. The venues would be here, and while small, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the money is getting so big that we'll be seeing scaled-down games in the future. Those TV ratings might be an earlier indicator.
No way it'll happen, of course, but it's kind of fun to think about. City officials are putting their eggs in the basket of soccer's World Cup. That's still our planet's biggest international athletic competition.
---
We learned two important things in Saturday's 10-point win by San Diego State's men's basketball team over UNLV.
1. SDSU can win the Mountain West Conference Tournament next month. Let's face it, we didn't know that before. They were close to BYU at home and New Mexico on the road but didn't get over the top on either one. Now the Aztecs look like an improving ballclub, especially with F Billy White appearing to be healthy again. Pitch in G DJ Gay finally finding comfort at the point and freshman F Kawhi Leonard aiming for the All-MWC first team and you really have something.
2. If they fall short in the conference tourney, which I think they need to win to get to the NCAA Tournament, they might have made their case for a second-straight top-seed in the NIT. Yeah, yeah, that little dance, not the big one. For something like the fourth year in a row. But don't discount the NIT this year because it could be a lot of fun. The bracket could include a pair of Pac-10 teams that never want to play SDSU at Viejas, USC and UCLA. They might be forced to come here and if they do, the Aztecs will beat them into a pulp. That would be a lot of fun to watch even if its only a consolation.
BTW, there's very little chance the Mountain West will get more than three teams in the NCAA Tournament. BYU and New Mexico are locks if they continue to win at their current rate. UNLV is more likely than SDSU because of quality non-conference victories. Many of the so-called experts who predict the NCAA brackets have only one Pac-10 team getting in. I say that based on last year's disappointing experience, there will be no way that the selection committee gives the MWC more entries than the Pac-10, which will get Cal and the two best finishers between Arizona, Arizona State and Washington. An also-ran winning their post-season tournament, like USC did last year, would roil the waters and guarantee three spots. It's all about money for the big conferences.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
A Faster Goodbye to LT
Spare us the long goodbye, LT. Thanks for the memories, and see ya!
At the end of the Chargers playoff loss to the Jets, the saddest thing outside another blown Super Bowl opportunity was that fans could not accord LaDainian Tomlinson a proper send-off, since everyone assumes the superstar running back will not return for the 2010 season.
Just a few weeks later, I'm more than ready for him to leave and, more to the point, to cause as little angst as possible on his way out. A story this week in The San Diego Union-Tribune quoted him speaking in a very negative way about his teammates and how the locker room was not very close. That went completely against his prior comments about how this was a pretty tight bunch that he enjoyed. So which is true? Some players responded to LT's assertions by saying the "team atmosphere" seemed pretty good. There was little to suggest there was any strife, something farther down the negative side of the scale than LT was suggesting.
Now, there are things with this group of players you can criticize with their off-field antics. But much of that stuff never seemed to filter into the locker room. Even Vincent Jackson's playoff morning citation that resulted in his car being impounded drew more laughs than anything, and it was Philip Rivers who completed his travel to the stadium.
I viewed Tomlinson in recent years as a guy a bit separate from the rest of the roster. His stature was elevated to that of icon years ago, which would make him stand out if not stand apart. The last couple of seasons, particularly as he fought injuries, he really became more of a loner. He obviously felt like he wasn't a major ingredient in the mix anymore, and he might have been right.
On the heels of the morning newspaper came an afternoon online story in which he said, without a corroborating club announcement, that "I'm not coming back."
Ya think?
It probably wasn't AJ Smith who told him that. Probably a whole bunch of angry text messages from teammates during the day was a pretty good indication to LT that the time has come to cast his lot elsewhere.
My wise parents always told me to never burn my bridges when a situation ended, even if it was difficult. They were right. It's sad for LT, who meant so much to San Diegans, to be leaving with scorch marks on the path behind him.
---
Give San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke and his assistants passing grades for their first full recruiting class. By any objective standard, this class is no better than a C-plus. But considering that the Aztecs are coming off so many years of futility and community apathy, and had so many needs on the roster, grading them on the curve results in an A.
On the recruit-geeks' five-star rating system, anything three and up is pretty darn good. The new Aztecs include a whole bunch of three-star guys. The one four-star player, JC transfer DE Perry Jackson, is coming off a knee injury, so projecting his effectiveness this fall will be more difficult than usual.
The biggest eye-opener was the signing of five players from state bowl champion Oceanside High. However, only one of them, WR/CB JJ Whittaker, was nabbed from another school that anyone would respect (Arizona). The must-have Pirate was DT Thomas Molesi, who went to Oregon State because he wanted to go to college away from home. Opening the pipeline is good for the future, but the immediate impact is questionable.
Of immediate interest will be whether several JC transfer offensive linemen can make it onto the two-deep right away, or even start. I don't think they'll all be available for spring practice, but the performance of even just a couple of them will be our first clue as to how things might play out. A number of questions will be answered, such as whether last year's blockers were as weak as they appeared and have they improved at all. The JC kids sliding immediately into starting slots won't entirely be good news.
The individual signing I like the most is of JC transfer PK Abel Perez. The product of Castle Park High and Southwestern College has a booming leg who can put kickoffs into the end zone, something SDSU has lacked for ages. I don't know if he will be any good kicking FGs, but if he can force the opponent to start possessions at its own 20, he'll be worth his 217 pounds in gold.
My extremely early forecast for the Aztecs is that they'll again be on the 6-6 bowl game bubble. Getting DeMarco Sampson back for another season increases my confidence. If Hoke and his staff lead them into the post-season, those four-star guys will start coming. This time next year, we might leave the grading system behind to simply gawk. One can dream, huh?
At the end of the Chargers playoff loss to the Jets, the saddest thing outside another blown Super Bowl opportunity was that fans could not accord LaDainian Tomlinson a proper send-off, since everyone assumes the superstar running back will not return for the 2010 season.
Just a few weeks later, I'm more than ready for him to leave and, more to the point, to cause as little angst as possible on his way out. A story this week in The San Diego Union-Tribune quoted him speaking in a very negative way about his teammates and how the locker room was not very close. That went completely against his prior comments about how this was a pretty tight bunch that he enjoyed. So which is true? Some players responded to LT's assertions by saying the "team atmosphere" seemed pretty good. There was little to suggest there was any strife, something farther down the negative side of the scale than LT was suggesting.
Now, there are things with this group of players you can criticize with their off-field antics. But much of that stuff never seemed to filter into the locker room. Even Vincent Jackson's playoff morning citation that resulted in his car being impounded drew more laughs than anything, and it was Philip Rivers who completed his travel to the stadium.
I viewed Tomlinson in recent years as a guy a bit separate from the rest of the roster. His stature was elevated to that of icon years ago, which would make him stand out if not stand apart. The last couple of seasons, particularly as he fought injuries, he really became more of a loner. He obviously felt like he wasn't a major ingredient in the mix anymore, and he might have been right.
On the heels of the morning newspaper came an afternoon online story in which he said, without a corroborating club announcement, that "I'm not coming back."
Ya think?
It probably wasn't AJ Smith who told him that. Probably a whole bunch of angry text messages from teammates during the day was a pretty good indication to LT that the time has come to cast his lot elsewhere.
My wise parents always told me to never burn my bridges when a situation ended, even if it was difficult. They were right. It's sad for LT, who meant so much to San Diegans, to be leaving with scorch marks on the path behind him.
---
Give San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke and his assistants passing grades for their first full recruiting class. By any objective standard, this class is no better than a C-plus. But considering that the Aztecs are coming off so many years of futility and community apathy, and had so many needs on the roster, grading them on the curve results in an A.
On the recruit-geeks' five-star rating system, anything three and up is pretty darn good. The new Aztecs include a whole bunch of three-star guys. The one four-star player, JC transfer DE Perry Jackson, is coming off a knee injury, so projecting his effectiveness this fall will be more difficult than usual.
The biggest eye-opener was the signing of five players from state bowl champion Oceanside High. However, only one of them, WR/CB JJ Whittaker, was nabbed from another school that anyone would respect (Arizona). The must-have Pirate was DT Thomas Molesi, who went to Oregon State because he wanted to go to college away from home. Opening the pipeline is good for the future, but the immediate impact is questionable.
Of immediate interest will be whether several JC transfer offensive linemen can make it onto the two-deep right away, or even start. I don't think they'll all be available for spring practice, but the performance of even just a couple of them will be our first clue as to how things might play out. A number of questions will be answered, such as whether last year's blockers were as weak as they appeared and have they improved at all. The JC kids sliding immediately into starting slots won't entirely be good news.
The individual signing I like the most is of JC transfer PK Abel Perez. The product of Castle Park High and Southwestern College has a booming leg who can put kickoffs into the end zone, something SDSU has lacked for ages. I don't know if he will be any good kicking FGs, but if he can force the opponent to start possessions at its own 20, he'll be worth his 217 pounds in gold.
My extremely early forecast for the Aztecs is that they'll again be on the 6-6 bowl game bubble. Getting DeMarco Sampson back for another season increases my confidence. If Hoke and his staff lead them into the post-season, those four-star guys will start coming. This time next year, we might leave the grading system behind to simply gawk. One can dream, huh?
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