Padres 7th Inning Stretch News

The rookies come through in the Valley of the Sun....

2008-07-05T04:55:08Z

On this enjoyable 4th of July in San Diego, watching the game between Padres and D'backs the kids OF Chase Headley and C Nick Hundley came through which I thought was the vital play of the game. Finally, the fruits of our farm system is starting to pay dividends and it showed tonight as Chase Headley threw out Stephen Drew at homeplate with Nick Hundley blocking the plate. Kudos to both players (Headley and Hundley) and congratulations to Hundley on his 1st major league hit.

I tell you what, I am damn excited to see these kids having an impact on the team. The Padres are only 9 games behind and this is the time to make a run at all of the teams in the NL West Division.

A Quick Fact of the Night

Washington Nationals P Tim Redding has more wins than any current Padres starting pitcher. Redding an ex-Padre himself has 6 wins so far, Peavy and Wolf each have 5 wins.

Modified Mid Year Review....

2008-07-03T21:35:32Z

This is a modified Mid-year review of the Padres Front Office, based on the latest ongoings from this week's International draft:

B - 2008 First Player and International Drafts, Allan Dykstra if it becomes true there is some type of ailment that will prevent Drykstra from signing with the Padres. Otherwise, I will revise the grade from B to A-.

Overall grade for the Front Office - C+.

I am pulling for the Padres to sweep the D'backs and make a run at first place or atleast get other teams in the division aware of the Padres.

First half review.....

2008-06-29T18:06:13Z

Due to the circumstances and state of affairs with the Padres, I will keep this post short and sweet. Enough negativity is surrounding the Owner, Front Office and ballclub already and it's wise to provide a reasonable review without indulging into more negativity. With that being said, I'll try my best not to pour more gas on the fire.

The first half report card......

Front Office....

From CEO Sandy Alderson down to the scouts, I would have to break it up into several facts:

A+ - For Investing into Dominican Republic and providing state of the art facility to infuse more talent into the one dimensional major league ballclub.
F - For acquiring talent during the 2007 Winter season as the ballclub had lost OF Milton Bradley, OF Mike Cameron, RP Doug Brocail and UT Geoff Blum. The only signees were Randy Wolf and Tadahito Iguchi, one minor trade for Jim Edmonds.
D - 2008 First Player Draft, Allan Dykstra if it becomes true there is some type of ailment that will prevent Drykstra from signing with the Padres. Otherwise, I will revise the grade from D to B-.
D - For the in season acquisitions to date. A few pitchers have been acquired, though none have really stand out in order to grade this higher than a D.

Overall grade for the Front Office - D+

Manager.....

Granted Mgr Bud Black has been dealt with a bad hand of cards, so I will be very reasonable with this grading:

D - In game decisions. There have been some questionable decisions with pinch-hitters especially the most current one involing C Carlin with a runner in scoring position and the game on the line.
C - Handling the bullpen, this would had received a higher grade if Black would have abstained from using Trevor with the score tied in the late innings.
D - Fundamentals. This team continues to regress as the season grows. Perhaps, the coaching staff on the major league ballclub is not reaching the players or maybe it's time to cut loose with some of the players and coaches. Lack of fundamentals should not be accepted at this level.

Overall grade for the Manager - D-

Players.....

All of the fans and those who follows the ballclub know the answers here, with that being said, I will only point out one thing:

A big shake up is required and the time has come to move on forward. So far collectively the players have earned D- in terms as a team. Only bright spot has been Potential NL All-Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez. Just think where the Padres would be without Adrian ! Gawd I do not even want to think about that.

Tomko to the rescue.....NOT !!!!

2008-06-28T18:51:23Z

Who was the Padres' starting pitcher in game 162 last year ? Yes yes you guessed it Brett Tomko. The same Tomko the Padres just signed yesterday, the pitcher who couldn't deliver on that 162nd game. I guess I can hope to see, Brocail or maybe Linebrink coming back soon too. What ever happened to letting go of the past and pursuing new editions that haven't been around ? The climate must change, there needs to be a big shake up, the mold is growing and the season is slipping away. Anyhow, I'll leave that up to the Front Office but this latest transaction does not impress me at all.

Another loss, record against worst team in Majors now stands at 1-3
There is no sugar coating this at all, the Padres are plain lousy and the Mariners are beating us. You can say that the clubs in AL have been hot, but let's not forget the Rockies and D'backs are next on the schedule and what a great time to put the nail in the coffin.

Enough said !

Why all the fuss ? It comes with the territory.....

2008-06-26T00:51:38Z

Another disheartening loss, the bullpen fails and dissatisfied fans voiced their displeasures. Okay, this is legit ! I see nothing wrong about booing. Evidently, several Padres took offense to it. My question how can they ? It comes with the territory. Just ask the local NFL team --Chargers-- when they got off to a horrible 1-3 start and chants of "We Want Marty" echoed throughout the Q. Understand the logic here....People (fans) who paid good $$$ to attend an entertainment/sporting event have every right to applause and boo. Perhaps, the Padres players should take a look in the mirror and wonder why the fans are booing. Since Friday night, the bullpen has offered FIVE gopher balls to players ( Placido Polanco (3),Pudge Rodriguez (2), Marcus Thames (14), Brendan Harris (3), and Brian Buscher (1) ). FOUR out of FIVE players who've combined to hit a grand total of 5 HRS collectively ! Furthermore, the Padres could not execute TWICE on bunts during the game last night, combined with during the course of this season at home there has been a numerous of blunders and bonehead plays. For instance, a short throw from left field that ends 20+ ft up the firstbase line, misplayed fly outs by corner outfielders, catchable balls that become passed balls leading to an opposition run, on-slaught on the pitching staff in terms of opposition stolen bases, etc.... So perhaps the Fans do have a point with their booing. But then again this is San Diego and overall the fan base is very laid back. With that being said, the Padres players have grown accustomed to such appreciative support. Just as with the Chargers, the bar has been raised with the Padres, more and more fans are not going to accept mediocre baseball. As the climate has changed in the Front Office with the arrival of Sandy Alderson, the fan base dymanics is slowly changing as well, expectations are getting high and rightfully so. Everyone wants to be a winner and witness a good fundamental sound winning baseball team.

Interleague has been brutal to the Padres.....

So fare to date as of this blogging, the Padres have gone 3-10 against Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Detriot Tigers and Minnesota Twins. The cumalutive record of these AL teams is 181-203, .471 winning percentage. Despite this, Padres have not been able to capitalize on this stretch run. To add insult to injury, Padres had lost a series to the worst team in the Majors --Seattle Mariners-- and guess who's coming into town this weekend.....You said it those Mariners !! Come on Boys (Padres) I know each and everyone of you still regards the season young and there's alot of baseball to be played. But dang, there has to be some sense of urgency now ! On this upcoming Friday 25 June 08, will be the halfway mark of the 2008 season in terms of games (81) and I will provide some analysis from a fan's perspective. Stay tuned !

Let's get going Padres ! Make a run now and play loose !

3rd Place was short-lived......

2008-06-20T06:49:31Z

Just when I thought the Padres were making a run for 2nd place. BANG ! With a snap of the fingers, the Padres lose 5 out of 6 on the roadtrip and fall into last place 8.5 games behind the D'backs. Josh Banks pitched one good game against the Yankees though the Padres offense was quiet again. Up ahead is the Hot Detroit Tigers followed by the fiesty Minnesota Twins and then the worst team in the majors, the Seattle Mariners.

The GM Update.....

Padres CEO Sandy Alderson was heard saying on XX 1090 that he will not allow the Marinerss to speak to Padres' GM Kevin Towers. Since, Kevin just recently signed an extension and Alderson really likes Kevin's work. I tell you, this is great relief to me. I like a stable franchise especially in the Front Office.

Kudos to the Ducksnorts....

I really enjoyed reading Geoff Young's blog titled "Ducksnorts". Just recently, Geoff had interviewed Padres CEO Sandy Alderson and by far the conversation was very enlightening. I thank you Geoff and Sandy as well for informing the Padres Fans with great insights to the overall state of the ballclub. Keep up the outstanding blogging Geoff !!

Padres Executive blogs....

Another pioneering feat as the Padres Paul DePodesta begin to blog the ongoings of the Front Office in regards to player personnel and especially the plan behind the drafting of players. I am very grateful that Paul has reached out to the Fan base and by far provides another medium to reach out and synergize the fans to collaborate with the Front Office with their thoughts as well. Way to go Paul ! I look forward to reading your overall thoughts from the perspective of a Front Office employee, who's right in the middle of everything.

Let's go Padres !

Welcome to the Big Show Chase !.....

2008-06-18T00:33:12Z

Well well, call it what you want ! I had done some analysis and correctly predicted the day when the Padres would activate Padres Prospect OF/3B Chase Headley. What a way to break back in the big show with an opening act on broadway (aka Yankee Stadium). Time to see what Chase can bring to the ballclub and all that matters is that 'W'.

Another Bold Prediction.....

I anticipate Padres' GM Kevin Towers of accepting the GM position with the Seattle Mariners if offered the job. Here's why:

Kevin has been with the Padres since '94 as GM. That's a run of 14+ years with one ballclub which is second longest in tenure-wise.
Kevin has refined his skills since CEO Sandy Alderson has come aboard in '05. Learning the ropes of drafting, player development and statistical analysis.
Kevin is very familar with the Mariners' Training facilities in Peoria as the Padres and Mariners train together at the facility.
Seattle is on the west coast and very accessible from San Diego via air.
Seattle has more financial resources and offers a great opportunity to rebuild the franchise using skills that Kevin Towers possesses.

I wonder if Kevin Towers does indeed gets an offer, who else might be following Kevin to Seattle. Just like when Larry Lucchino left Padres in 99, Theo Epstein and Charles Steinberg followed as well. I personally like Kevin Towers, as he has accomplished alot here and most notably under financial constraints. If Kevin were to leave, the Padres Front Office will be left in good hands as there are a number of well qualified candidates in-house.

Let's Go Padres, Spank the Yanks !

The Swing tour through Tribe and Yankee-land begins....

2008-06-14T20:09:29Z

As the Padres offense vitals are doing quite well, the bullpen on the other hand seems to have a cardiac arrest occassionally these days. It seems once the team gets some momentum the bullpen blows a game and causes the big momentum to slip a bit. I still very confident the Padres will come out the AL Interleague swing with at 4-2 record.

The Headley watch....

I continue to stick to my original prediction that Chase Headley will be called up on Monday 16th June. Perhaps just in time for the Hall of Fame game, the question who will be sent packing. One thing I know it won't be P Joe "Frequent Flyer" Thatcher ! By now, Thatcher has racked up alot of frequent flier mileage between San Diego and Portland. Can you say Bing ! Bing !

Kooozz racks one into the Left Field Bleachers.....

Aahhhh sweet for 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff to rip a solo shot against the team in which the Padres had acquired in the Josh Barfield trade. Kevin went 3 for 5 and seems to be on track again after a dismal homestand.

Tonight, I will be watching the first few innings of the game while celebrating Father's Day at Benihana. Hopefully, I will not be needing a few Sapporo's....hahaha !

Let's Go Padres !!

The Curse remains in left field.....

2008-06-11T06:17:33Z

Last Saturday it was a bad throw, tonight it was a misplayed routine fly ball. It's about time to address the issue in left field. If the players are going to perform below average defensively, they better be very good offensively. So far, I've seen neither from the cast of auditions in left field excluding Scott Hairston. It's time to bring up some major league prospects that will hopefully perform better DEFENSIVELY. This game tonight (Tuesday 10 June) should have been the Padres and as I have been blogging for the past week or so, this team can ill-afford to give other teams 5-6 outs per inning. During the winning streak, the offense hasn't shown much in four consecutive 2-1 contests. Only last Sunday blast by Tony Clark combined with the 3 first inning runs have the Padres shown some offense.

I agree with Phil Nevin, it's time to bring up the kid (Headley) and lets see what he can do. No one is expecting Headley to be the savior, Of course Not ! Especially in San Diego where the Fan base is pretty much laid back. The auditions for left field should end before the Interleague matches of 15 consecutive games. What do the Padres Front Office have to lose ? Nothing from my perspective. Let's go Padres !!

The Big MO has finally arrived.....

2008-06-08T16:24:17Z

Yes ! Yes ! The Big Momentum has finally arrived and the Padres are making a move in the standings. Four consecutive 2-1 games, all wins by the Padres and having the best record in the last 30 days in the NL West. Last night, I had to get up from my seats and walk around the stadium after the 9th Inning. My wife and I finally settled in the standing room section near the left field foul pole line. I told my wife as soon as Scott Hairston entered the batter's box, its time for Scotty to launch one. A couple of pitches later, Hairston made me look like the next Moses ! The Padres Win !!!

Thoughts on the starting rotation.....

Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, Josh Banks, Cha Seung Baek looks solid right now. Cha first game against the Cubs was one which I would call getting his feet wet with the Padres. But last night, Cha pitched out of some jams and appeared very good from the stands. With Jake Peavy about to come off the disabled list, things are definitely looking up for the Padres. Just think if and when Chris Young is ready to resume his duties, that staff is going to be even better. I am not worried at all about the pitching (including the pen) for the Padres. Once the hitters get hot or if the Padres acquire another bat, I feel they will make a move in the standings.

Side Note: The Padres need to work on the fundamentals, that rundown between home and third when having Carlos Beltran laid out like a descending duck from the skies, Beltran doved back safely into third was just plain sick to see. The Padres must get those outs, the team has little margin for errors. Add to this, the throw from short left field by Justin Huber that sailed about 20 ft up the first base line shows the Padres are either playing tight or much needed work on fundamentals like throwing from the outfield is required. Anyhow, just an observation from the stands. Go Padres !!

The Night before the 2008 MLB Draft

2008-06-05T05:00:41Z

As I watched the Padres defeat Cubs 2-1 behind Mad dog's performance, I am glad that D'backs have been struggling as well. The Padres are only 8.5 games behind and well within striking distance. Though, I still feel a deal has to be made before the All-Star break. It will be interesting to see how the Padres fare against the Mets and Dodgers. As I said before on this blog, the current homestand is very crucial for the Padres to stay within 5-6 games from the D'backs.

At 23, the San Diego Padres select.......

From the University of Georgia, Relief Pitcher Josh Fields. I like the fact Fields is being compared to Tim Lincecum and has a closer's mentality. The question is will the Padres gamble and draft a Scott Boras client. I would, if I were in their position and Fields is available. My alternatives would be TCU's Relief Pitcher Andrew Cashner and Chino Hills HS OF Zach Collier.

Anyhow, I will watch with great interest to see whom the Padres actually draft on Thursday. Best of luck to Sandy Alderson, Grady Fuson and members of the scouting department, solidify our farm system with promising players for the future.

Speed was the difference today.....

2008-06-02T05:02:14Z

Speed never takes a day off and today, it was very apparent that speed can make a difference in a game. Padres SS Edgar Gonzalez had no play at home and the double play was definitely out of the question since Giants' Randy Winn had got a great jump towards 2nd base and the winning run was at third base. It's unfortunate way to lose a ballgame, but there is nothing to hang your head in this game. The breaks did not go with the Padres in the bottom of the 10th inning. Though, these are the type of games the Padres need to be closing out in order to make a run at the D'backs. It's officially June and the third month of the season. As for Trevor Hoffman, the Giants were swinging away at the first pitch and it seems that's the scouting report on Trevor lately. The Padres need to regroup and be prepared to host the Cubs, Mets, and Dodgers. It's not going to get any easier and now its the time to make a push in the division.

Decision Time in Left Field.....

I will say that June 16th is the day when the Padres Front Office makes additional moves for the ballclub. This is just a hunch on my behalf based on several reasons:

It's a day off for the ballclub during the swing between Cleveland and New York.
A great time to get some of the young kids exposed to the big show at New York, just as Jake Peavy did for his introduction to the big show. Though, Jake made his appearance in Qualcomm.
It's the halfway point of June and ample time was given to the other position players.
During the span of 15 consecutive inter-league games and gives the young kids to break in against the American league foes.
Lastly, it gives the young kids roughly 4 weeks (month) get to acclimate to the big show before the All-star break. Thus, ample time to get the cohesiveness in the clubhouse and make a run during the second half.

As I mentioned, it's just a hunch on my behalf. No insiders information here at all. I tend to analyze things purely on reviewing the schedule and how the players are doing at this moment. Well, I will be at Petco this week to watch some good ballgames and hopefully all Padres wins.

Showing Signs of Life....

2008-05-31T20:27:38Z

May is about to be over and the Padres have shaved off 5 games from the D'backs lead. The Padres have no where to go but up and it appears the moves are paying some dividends along with some hot bats (Kouzmanoff/Greene/Hairston). Left field is still in question as I see the Padres making some move during the month of June. I am looking forward to the draft on Thursday and Friday to see whom the Padres will draft. If I were a betting man, which I am not. I would hedge some funds on the Padres drafting some position players in the early rounds mixed in with some pitchers.

The upcoming homestand is going to a great one. The Cubs, Mets, and Dodgers are coming to Petco Park. Hopefully, the Padres can shave off another 4 games from the D'backs lead and be within 4-5 games out by end of June. Hey Fans !! Didn't the Bolts started out at 1-3 this past year and made a great run for the AFC Championship Game ? Perhaps, just perhaps, there is something in the making for the 2008 Padres season. Hang in there, Padres Fans. The Front Office is trying to bolster this Padres club.

Keep Your Head in the Game.....

Padres LF Paul McAnulty appeared to lose his focus/concentration when Paul hesitated and threw late to home plate in Friday's night game. This is not the way to win a starting position on the team. Concentration is a must and knowing how many outs there are is something that should come naturally, especially for a professional. Otherwise, it simply indicates that person is not in the game, per se mentally. It cost the Padres one run and not the game, though extra innings was required to win the ballgame. Little miscues can add up and have an affect on the game. Stay focus and concentrate !

Possible Promo's for Padres Games.....

2008-05-25T17:30:25Z

While sitting at last night's game and bored, several possible entertaining thoughts for promo's instead usual Fireworks were flowing through my mind. It would be cool like how some minor league teams put on some wild and entertaining promo's based on the team's performance. Here are some for the Padres that would reflect the current season's situation:

Wednesday "Stop Watch Night" - Have one contestant from the crowd in the range of 25-35 yrs old to compete with one Padre in a dash from homeplate to firstbase. The winner with the best time from homeplate to firstbase, receives one month of Rubio's fish tacos.
Tuesday "Swingin' Friars Night" - Have one contestant from the crowd swing a bat at three pitches to see if that contestant can put the ball in fair play beyond the infield by way of a fly ball. If successful, the contestant receives bonafide official Padres jersey with signatures of all the position 8 starters from the Padres.
Thursday "Throwback Gywnn's Night" - Have one lefthanded contestant from the crowd take three hacks to see if that contestant can put the ball in the 6.6 spot that Tony Gywnn made famous. If successfully, the contestant receives a signed Tony Gwynn Jersey.

Anyhow, those are a few ideas to make the home games more exciting.

Back to the Game and Ballclub.....

Another night, another loss. Win one, lose three or four, win again and lose a few more afterwards. Hey ! Atleast the Padres have shown some consistency besides the strikeouts !! This is getting real old real fast, something has to give real soon. The frugalness of the ballclub is catching up real fast on the Padres.

Padres moves more like shopping at Pic-N-Save

2008-05-24T17:51:15Z

It is quite evident the Padres Front Office is not bringing up the younger guys because of financial reasons. They claim the clubhouse atmosphere is not good enough to promote Chase Headley yet they promote Double AA C Colt Morton. Okay, what does that tell you ? Either Colt Morton is not in the Padres long term vision or the Front Office is blowing smoke AGAIN. By the way, that clubhouse atmosphere you have seasoned veterans in Brian Giles, Greg Maddox and Trevor Hoffman. Pretty much standup and very honorable men if you were to ask me. I am sure that Chase Headley, Nick Hundley, Josh Geer to name a few would learn alot from the veterans in how to handle adversity. Where's the old famous cliche ? You find out what kind of ballplayers you have when things get tough ? Are the Padres now promoting KinderCare type of atmosphere ? Believe me it all comes down to $$$$. Before the latest move on Wednesday, there were 3 players who didn't deserve a spot on the MLB roster. Now, that number has risen to 5 and it seems that number is rising in correlation to the spot price of barrel of oil these days. The clock continues to tick on the Alderson's regime and with every move they make or fail to make. The real fans are watching in the shadows.

Back to the Game.....

All we can expect is the current players on the team to give their best when playing. On Thursday night, it was one of those games that had brought back memories of 06 and 07 years. I feel for Mgr Buddy Black as he's been given a 1/4 deck of cards to play with. Our nemesis to the North, Ex-Padres Mgr Bruce Bochy had better cards during his run of 11 years with the Padres, including those dreaded years.