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.
Showing posts with label tony gwynn jr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tony gwynn jr. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Outfielders Update, Jene Morris
When the newspaper ran a sports section column on Padres GM Jed Hoyer evaluating whether to bring in an outfielder who can actually hit major league pitching, I counseled patience--at least through the weekend. That would give us time to see how Kyle Blanks, Tony Gwynn, Scott Hairston and Will Venable did against the rival Dodgers and Giants.
The Padres swept SF but were in turn swept by LA. It's not time to hit the panic button but, with the wins at AT&T Park coming almost entirely because of pitching, the way to lean is obvious. Thinking time is over. Doing something should be the new mode. As has already been reported, AAA is basically devoid of outfield talent because they're all up here -- and hitting like minor leaguers. Ouch!
The options are to sign someone who is currently not on a roster, which comes down to former White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, or trade surplus pitching. Signing Dye might be a quick process but it would be several days to get him ready to play a game. A trade could take days or weeks, and it is something you'd rather get right than wrong.
Here are how the current four outfielders fared over those big six games against the rivals:
Blanks - 0-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Gwynn - 2-for-15, 3 strikeouts and just 2 runs scored
Hairston - 3-for-11, 1 RBI and 1 run
Venable - 2-for-10, 4 strikeouts and an RBI
Now, it is unfair to judge players based on one week's worth of games, but this is actually just a microcosm of what's been happening over the past month with these players. Blanks had no hits and struck out in nearly half his at-bats. Gwynn struck out more times than he was safe on a batted ball -- not exactly living up to the family name -- and as a leadoff hitter he scored only twice. Hairston scored just once. Venable's .200 mark looked pretty good in comparison.
If you fault my analysis, then you're not only seeing things differently than me but also with manager Bud Black. In the past week, he gave three outfield starts to backup infielder Oscar Salazar and one to aging pinch hitter Matt Stairs. In the Bay Area finale, Hairston played all three outfield spots as Black juggled his unproductive lineup during the game.
In all fairness, the rest of the lineup didn't produce, either. 3B Chase Headley was 3-for-24 over that period and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-23 with just 1 RBI on Friday's home run.
If, indeed, Hoyer and the front office choose patience, then that could mean the baseball guys don't see anything seriously wrong with the outfielders other than they are in a slump and need seasoning. They could be right. Of course, they won't get much money from fans until they're proven correct, and their careers could be short-circuited if they're wrong.
The Padres host the Giants again and then go to LA, both for 2-game series. Then they go to Seattle against the equally punchless Mariners. After that it's crunch time: they face the Cardinals, surprising Nationals, Mets and Phillies in the following two weeks. The time to make changes maybe hasn't come, but the moment has absolutely arrived to get the ball rolling in that direction.
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The beginning of the WNBA season hasn't been easy on former San Diego State G Jene Morris -- and boy, is it sad to include the "former" in front of her. In Indiana's season opener against Washington Saturday, the first-round draft choice played for more than 14 minutes, but missed her only two shots -- both threes -- and committed three turnovers. She also had a rebound and an assist.
In a 66-62 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Morris played 5 minutes and 36 seconds, scored a hoop on her only shot, turned the ball over once and committed three fouls.
BTW, Morris made the roster in part by beating out Joy Cheek, the Duke forward who helped eliminate the Aztecs from the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Padres swept SF but were in turn swept by LA. It's not time to hit the panic button but, with the wins at AT&T Park coming almost entirely because of pitching, the way to lean is obvious. Thinking time is over. Doing something should be the new mode. As has already been reported, AAA is basically devoid of outfield talent because they're all up here -- and hitting like minor leaguers. Ouch!
The options are to sign someone who is currently not on a roster, which comes down to former White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, or trade surplus pitching. Signing Dye might be a quick process but it would be several days to get him ready to play a game. A trade could take days or weeks, and it is something you'd rather get right than wrong.
Here are how the current four outfielders fared over those big six games against the rivals:
Blanks - 0-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Gwynn - 2-for-15, 3 strikeouts and just 2 runs scored
Hairston - 3-for-11, 1 RBI and 1 run
Venable - 2-for-10, 4 strikeouts and an RBI
Now, it is unfair to judge players based on one week's worth of games, but this is actually just a microcosm of what's been happening over the past month with these players. Blanks had no hits and struck out in nearly half his at-bats. Gwynn struck out more times than he was safe on a batted ball -- not exactly living up to the family name -- and as a leadoff hitter he scored only twice. Hairston scored just once. Venable's .200 mark looked pretty good in comparison.
If you fault my analysis, then you're not only seeing things differently than me but also with manager Bud Black. In the past week, he gave three outfield starts to backup infielder Oscar Salazar and one to aging pinch hitter Matt Stairs. In the Bay Area finale, Hairston played all three outfield spots as Black juggled his unproductive lineup during the game.
In all fairness, the rest of the lineup didn't produce, either. 3B Chase Headley was 3-for-24 over that period and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-23 with just 1 RBI on Friday's home run.
If, indeed, Hoyer and the front office choose patience, then that could mean the baseball guys don't see anything seriously wrong with the outfielders other than they are in a slump and need seasoning. They could be right. Of course, they won't get much money from fans until they're proven correct, and their careers could be short-circuited if they're wrong.
The Padres host the Giants again and then go to LA, both for 2-game series. Then they go to Seattle against the equally punchless Mariners. After that it's crunch time: they face the Cardinals, surprising Nationals, Mets and Phillies in the following two weeks. The time to make changes maybe hasn't come, but the moment has absolutely arrived to get the ball rolling in that direction.
---
The beginning of the WNBA season hasn't been easy on former San Diego State G Jene Morris -- and boy, is it sad to include the "former" in front of her. In Indiana's season opener against Washington Saturday, the first-round draft choice played for more than 14 minutes, but missed her only two shots -- both threes -- and committed three turnovers. She also had a rebound and an assist.
In a 66-62 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Morris played 5 minutes and 36 seconds, scored a hoop on her only shot, turned the ball over once and committed three fouls.
BTW, Morris made the roster in part by beating out Joy Cheek, the Duke forward who helped eliminate the Aztecs from the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Trade The Padres Have to Make
While I've mentioned that the Padres should and probably will keep their roster moves to a minimum, there is one trade that I think needs to be made. They need to acquire Tony Gwynn Jr. from Milwaukee.
Gwynn has been unable to bust into an outfield of Mike Cameron, Corey Hart and converted 3B Ben Braun in Milwaukee and has just come off the disabled list. He's hitting .304 in limited action this season after two straight .260 campaigns. He can run and play defense, which is desperately needed at Petco Park. Put him at the top of the lineup, move Jody Gerut to LF and then maybe you have something that might work. It's at least worth trying.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee's staff ERA is in the bottom quarter of all major league baseball teams and they haven't collected a win from a starter other than Ben Sheets since the first week of the season. Eric Gagne, who we'll address in a second, has blown several save opportunities. The Padres can give up Justin Germano or Randy Wolf without too much pain, or Shawn Estes or Wilfredo Ledezma.
The timing is also good for two other reasons:
1. The Padres plan to send Callix Crabbe to the minors early this week. As a Rule V guy, he has to be offered back to Milwaukee first, so the Padres plan to work out a deal. Padres get Gwynn and keep Crabbe, Brewers get a pitcher or two.
2. Weekday attendance is way down and fans are either sniping at the Padres or laughing at them. Neither one is good. Bringing Gwynn home would be a feel-good move as well as a smart baseball play.
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Luke Carlin. The Padres call him up from the minors and stick him behind the plate. They win twice. Keep him there. The guy knows how to play.
I like Gerut, too. Seems more comfortable after his AAA stint.
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Roger Clemens is the poster boy for the baseball steroids controversy and that's fine. I have no idea whom to believe so I'll wait for the evidence to come out.
The issue that affected us more directly as Padres fans is Eric Gagne, who if he's not the poster child, should have a small insert of his bespectacled face on a lower corner of Clemens' leg or something. In 2002, Gagne went from average starter to spectacular closer, saving 52, 55, and 45 games in consecutive seasons as the Dodgers placed third, second and first in the National League West. The Dodgers collapsed into fourth place in 2005 when he was injured.
I think it's safe to say that since LA won the division in 2004 by only two games over San Francisco, that a fueled-up Gagne was the reason why, so their division title and all records thereof should be stripped. With Barry Bonds in San Francisco, the 2004 NL West title should either be vacated entirely or handed to the third-place Padres, who were six games back in the standings.
Major League Baseball doesn't do such things, though, as the NCAA and college conferences do. College teams have their titles stripped all the time for rules violations. MLB shrugs, which is why things build up to a point where they get out of hand, like in the steroids controversy.
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OF Carlos Quentin, the University of San Diego High School graduate now with the Chicago White Sox, is leading the American League with 9 HR and that new on-base percentage plus slugging percentage statistic, and is among the league leaders in runs scored, total bases and RBIs. He also leads in being beaned.
Good news, bad news for Padres fans:
Quentin could have been doing this for the Diamondbacks, but they sent him packing to give Justin Upton his shot. But between the D-backs outfield castoffs, the Padres ended up with Scott Hairston instead of the local kid. Quentin would be doing none of this at Petco, but he's playing better than Hairston.
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There you go, a San Diego County outfield for the Padres: Quentin-Gwynn-Giles, San Diego-Poway-El Cajon. Oh, well.
Gwynn has been unable to bust into an outfield of Mike Cameron, Corey Hart and converted 3B Ben Braun in Milwaukee and has just come off the disabled list. He's hitting .304 in limited action this season after two straight .260 campaigns. He can run and play defense, which is desperately needed at Petco Park. Put him at the top of the lineup, move Jody Gerut to LF and then maybe you have something that might work. It's at least worth trying.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee's staff ERA is in the bottom quarter of all major league baseball teams and they haven't collected a win from a starter other than Ben Sheets since the first week of the season. Eric Gagne, who we'll address in a second, has blown several save opportunities. The Padres can give up Justin Germano or Randy Wolf without too much pain, or Shawn Estes or Wilfredo Ledezma.
The timing is also good for two other reasons:
1. The Padres plan to send Callix Crabbe to the minors early this week. As a Rule V guy, he has to be offered back to Milwaukee first, so the Padres plan to work out a deal. Padres get Gwynn and keep Crabbe, Brewers get a pitcher or two.
2. Weekday attendance is way down and fans are either sniping at the Padres or laughing at them. Neither one is good. Bringing Gwynn home would be a feel-good move as well as a smart baseball play.
---
Luke Carlin. The Padres call him up from the minors and stick him behind the plate. They win twice. Keep him there. The guy knows how to play.
I like Gerut, too. Seems more comfortable after his AAA stint.
---
Roger Clemens is the poster boy for the baseball steroids controversy and that's fine. I have no idea whom to believe so I'll wait for the evidence to come out.
The issue that affected us more directly as Padres fans is Eric Gagne, who if he's not the poster child, should have a small insert of his bespectacled face on a lower corner of Clemens' leg or something. In 2002, Gagne went from average starter to spectacular closer, saving 52, 55, and 45 games in consecutive seasons as the Dodgers placed third, second and first in the National League West. The Dodgers collapsed into fourth place in 2005 when he was injured.
I think it's safe to say that since LA won the division in 2004 by only two games over San Francisco, that a fueled-up Gagne was the reason why, so their division title and all records thereof should be stripped. With Barry Bonds in San Francisco, the 2004 NL West title should either be vacated entirely or handed to the third-place Padres, who were six games back in the standings.
Major League Baseball doesn't do such things, though, as the NCAA and college conferences do. College teams have their titles stripped all the time for rules violations. MLB shrugs, which is why things build up to a point where they get out of hand, like in the steroids controversy.
---
OF Carlos Quentin, the University of San Diego High School graduate now with the Chicago White Sox, is leading the American League with 9 HR and that new on-base percentage plus slugging percentage statistic, and is among the league leaders in runs scored, total bases and RBIs. He also leads in being beaned.
Good news, bad news for Padres fans:
Quentin could have been doing this for the Diamondbacks, but they sent him packing to give Justin Upton his shot. But between the D-backs outfield castoffs, the Padres ended up with Scott Hairston instead of the local kid. Quentin would be doing none of this at Petco, but he's playing better than Hairston.
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There you go, a San Diego County outfield for the Padres: Quentin-Gwynn-Giles, San Diego-Poway-El Cajon. Oh, well.
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