Sight For Sore Eyes After Sweep

I spend a lot of time looking at Baseball-Reference.com for all my nerdy number baseball needs, especially Padres game logs, so as to be accurate when I harangue players like Will Venable and Orlando Hudson. It also serves a valuable purpose when I laud players like Cameron Maybin.

When I look at Baseball Reference I often think of the old carpenter's maxim of, "Measure Twice, Cut Once, my friend."*--- a reminder to look up the numbers before properly laying into a player.

Having said that, it pleased me to see the following graphic this morning:

In case you're missing it let me zoom in...

A nice fresh row of retired numbers featuring Trevor Hoffman. Good stuff.

*I added the 'my friend' to that old proverb and in so doing I believe its been improved upon. Don't you?

This Padres Day In History . . . it can be so confusing

Today is August 27th, 2011. The Padres play the Arizona Diamondbacks this evening at 5:10 pm with Aaron Harang trying to peel off the face of that no good Joe Saunders. Good stuff there.

But what happened on August 27th, 2010?

Well, you woke up and brushed your teeth. You ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You watched the Padres lose. Then you went to bed with a horrible taste in your mouth. You did not brush. Let's review...

The Phillies arrived in San Diego to begin a three game series before a crowd of 34,233. The Padres were looking to rebound from a 11-5 loss to the D-Backs only one day before. The Padres had little need to worry. They had taken 3 of 4 from Arizona and sat in first place in the NL West with a 6 game lead over the 2nd place San Francisco Giants.


Mat Latos (7IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 6K) matched Roy Oswalt (8IP 5H 1R 1ER 0BB 6K) for 7 innings until Mike Adams came into the 8th and surrendered a walk to Chase Utley, a single to Ryan Howard, and a walk to Jason Werth. Joe Thatcher entered for Adams and promptly gave up an RBI single to Raul Ibanez.

The Phillies had pulled ahead 2-1 entering the bottom of the 8th.

In the bottom of the inning Will Venable, and Yorvitt Torrealba struck out before Luis Durango came to bat.

You had seen enough. You bet the entire bar shots of Cuervo that the light hitting pixie known as Luis Durango would ground out weakly like always. But the bar had also seen enough. There were no takers on this bet and after three pitches Luis Durango grounded weakly to Jimmy Rollins at shortstop. Bar patrons proceeded to purchase their own shots and the game rolled on to the 9th inning.

Luke Gregerson shut the door in the top of the 9th. Because that's what Luke Gregerson does...or at least that's what he did in 2010.

In the bottom of the 9th, trailing 2-1, the Padres managed to load the bases against Philly closer Brad Lidge with a single by Matt Stairs, an IBB to Adrian Gonzalez, and a HBP to Ryan Ludwick. Jerry Hairston Jr., pinch running for Matt Stairs, stood at third base as Chase Headley stepped to the plate with two out.

What would Chase Headley do in this.... ahhh too late.... Brad Lidge balked home Jerry Hairston with the game tying run. Headley grounded out on the next pitch and the game went to extra innings tied at 2 runs a piece.

Extra Innings

***
Heath Bell pitched a scoreless two innings (10th, 11th)

***
Will Venable and Yorvitt Torrealba pulled a back-to-back-strikeout repeat in the 10th.

***
In the top of the 12th Jimmy Rollins doubled off of Ernesto Frieri to lead off the inning and he quickly scored on a single by Placido Polanco. The Phillies led 3-2.

***
Ryan Ludwick struck out looking to begin the 12th inning and Will Venable added his 3rd K of the night to bring the game to a close.

***
 Ernesto Frieri took the loss dropping his record to 0-1.

***
The Padres record dropped to 76-51 after their second consecutive loss but they maintained their 6 game lead over the Giants.

*****

But "This Day In History" can be a confusing designation. Today is August 27th but it is Saturday whereas August 27th fell on a Friday in 2010.

So how did the Padres do on this Saturday in history, 2010? 

Well they lost that one too. Joe Blanton and those same Phillies won out 3-1. The Padres had now lost 3 games in a row to fall to 76-52 but still maintained a 6 game lead over the Giants -- on account of them not being able to do anything right either. How did the Giants win the World Series?

Has "This Day In History" been clarified? 

Rhetorical question. Of course not. You see the Padres are preparing to play their 133 game of the 2011 season today and we want to know how performed in game 133 of 2010.

In 2010 game 133 played-out on Friday September 3rd. It was a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies, where Dennis Cook got the win and Cory Leubke took the loss.

It was the 8th loss in a row for the San Diego club who now held a slim 3 game lead over the San Francisco Giants. We all know how it played out from there.

I hope this clears up the pitfalls associated with examining the ever popular...  This Day In History.

*This drama was re-created by the stellar reporting of mlb.com's Cory Brock and the incomparable Baseball-Reference.com

Padres, Diamondbacks, and Fan-Tanking

Tonight the surging Padres open up a three game set with the first place Diamondbacks of Arizona. According to Baseball Prospectus, the Padres are all but eliminated while the D-Backs cling to a 3 game lead over the faltering San Francisco Giants.

Ethical Dilemmas

It was mentioned on twitter that it might be preferred to see the Padres get swept by Arizona on account of the detrimental effects that the San Francisco Giants would absorb under this scenario. So do we root for our Hometown 9 to lose this weekend just to savor Giant failure?


Will Leitch, the creator of Deadspin, wrote a book called God Save The Fan in which he opines on the ethics of fans rooting against their own team to improve upon draft position. You'll have to purchase the book to get the full rationale but, in short, he's against it. As a fan you have one responsibility... to cheer for your team to win! 

I am in agreement with Leitch. To wit, I rooted for the Chargers to win their final game last year even though there was nothing to be gained but pride. A loss however would have bumped the Chargers up in the drafting queue. Forget that. Wins are what matter.

But what about rooting against the Padres to win a series... or to get swept for that matter? Is this ethically acceptable? I do not believe it is.

However it pains me to say that I would not be opposed to the Padres getting swept this weekend if it meant that the San Francisco Giants would get screwed because of it. I will not actively root against the Padres tonight or on any night and it is my hope to see positive gains from the young players moving forward . . .

But it's nice to have silver-linings available as August comes to a close.

I Will Not Allow 1937 To Contradict Me

Last week I wrote about my feelings: The feelings that overwhelmed me as the Padres made good on their promise to build through the draft by signing the vast majority of their 2011 draft choices. My thoughts were all over the board but I'd like to ask for permission to quote myself on this glorious Friday morning? Are we cool? Cool:

 The Padres are not the farm system for the Boston Red Sox.

Nor are they the farm system for the rest of MLB. For that to be the truth then the Padres would have needed to develop an awful lot of players over the last 10 years for it to be a valid argument. They have not. Jake Peavy is not a good example. Jake Peavy was a catastrophic injury away from sinking the organization.

 I stand by that statement. Because I wrote it. And most importantly, I felt it. Feelings count just as much as an 0 for 1 with three walks.*


Having conveyed that sentiment such a short time ago, I could not help but chuckle as I read through David Halberstam's The Teammates last night. One of Halberstam's last books before his untimely death in 2007 tells the tale of four close friends named Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johny Pesky, and Dom DiMaggio; teammates with the Boston Red Sox.

Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams were very close friends, perhaps destined to be so, as Doerr was a patient and kind man who understood Williams, but most importantly, he could deal with Williams' uneven temperament. Bobby Doerr recounts to David Halberstam how Ted Williams almost didn't become his teammate with the Red Sox:

It was Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey who almost blew it. That year's baseball winter meetings were held in December in Chicago, where Collins [Red Sox GM] and Lane [The PCL San Diego Padres owner] were supposed to meet to finalize a deal. But suddenly Yawkey balked. He had lately been paying a lot of money for aging stars like Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Grove, and it was all short-range, so they decided to go another route: to build up their farm system. To Yawkey, who had had a number of drinks that day, the Williams deal suddenly seemed to smack of the old way (paying big money for a star), now officially known as the wrong way. For whatever reason -- perhaps it was the cloud of alcohol -- it was hard for the owner to understand that this was not the same kind of deal, that this was paying far less money, only $25,000 plus a couple of prospects, for what was obviously an immensely talented kid. They were using the Padres as a de facto farm club, and Williams was not a player on his way down, but a wunderkind on his way up-- a kid with a stroke like Joe Dimaggio's.

The Red Sox went on to sign Ted Williams by the deadline imposed by San Diego Padres owner Bill Lane that evening at the winter meetings. Had the deadline not been met the Chicago Cubs were next in line to purchase the services of the young San Diegan, Williams.

All very interesting but it was the reference to the Padres as the de facto farm club for the Red Sox that brought a grin to my face. There was a time and place where this was indeed the truth.

But so we're clear, allow me to reiterate... it is not here... nor is it now.

Enjoy your Friday.


* Write that one down.

Baseball Reference, Cured Meats, and Jesus Guzman

Baseball Reference is one of the most awesome things ever. In terms of accessing baseball information I would equate its importance to man learning to cure and preserve meat.


I think it's clear that the ability to find a player's BAbip (batting average on balls in play) through games 21 and 54 in 2011 is on par with what the Native Americans of the Great Plains discovered through hanging meats at the apex of their tepees. Advanced batting metrics. Flavorful, cured, sustenance. It's all fairly simple.

Having said that, I do have a bone to pick with Baseball Reference. They list our delightful revelation at first base, Jesus Guzman, as both a 1B and a . . . pinch hitter? This is abominable.

Jesus Guzman is no pinch hitter. He is the Jesus. The Jesus saves through starting games not by making brief cameos in the latter innings of a tight game.

I believe this to be the truth for one reason and one reason only. It's how any shortsighted member of a cult would think. And I am a proponent of the Cult of Jesus Guzman. Just look at his numbers since the All-Star Break:

Click to enlarge and fully bask in the glory that is Jesus

You cry small sample size from a 27 year old rookie, to which I reply, "Are you serious???!!!" This is the Cult of Jesus Guzman. Sell reason some place else.

Let's print the T-shirts.

Poll Question: A Developing/Annoying Trend At PETCO

I'm noticing a trend at the park. It's annoying. But it's also probably not worth getting too worked up about. But it is annoying. It's like....

.... I don't know. Help me. Give me an awesome simile to plug in there. Read below first and then give me the simile.


I think it's safe to say that most people don't care to see Red Sox jerseys during a Padres v. Giants/ Dodgers/ Nationals game. But what about the Adrian Gonzalez Red Sox jerseys that we're seeing with greater frequency at our home park?

I get it if you are an Adrian Gonzalez fan. And I suppose if you wanted to buy his Boston jersey to show your continued support of him then I understand. But why wear it to PETCO Park in a game that Adrian Gonzalez is not featured. He hated Petco Park.

It's just annoying. I wish I could be more descriptive. More eloquent. More concise. Well, I guess I am being concise. It's just annoying.

Vote your thoughts:

Don't Get Defensive

Yesterday's game was tough. Mat Latos looked good and then he gave up a 3-run bomb to David Wright. Jason Bartlett couldn't get the job done with the bases loaded at 4-0 and then the Padres Bullpen* imploded.

But this game was not without three absolutely awesome defensive plays. Mets pitcher Dillon Lee made a sick behind the back stab, wheeled and turned it into a 1-6-3 double play and Kyle Blanks made a fantastic, fully extended leap to rob a HR from Lucas Duda in the 9th. But the play of the game was this clever maneuver by David Wright:

 

This was a great physical play by David Wright but the highlight was his baseball IQ. Conversely, I don't blame Cameron Maybin at all for getting caught as David Wright had already shown during this series that he could make that same dive and complete a throw to first. I love the intelligent plays.

*The 2010 bullpen was known as The Penitentiary--because they had the NL on lock down! But that has clearly changed in 2011. Mike Adams is gone to Texas and we see walks and runs like never before so perhaps a new nickname is in order. How 'bout The Parole Board-- because they set runs free!

Runs scored and bad jokes... horrible that it's come to this.

A Twelve Step Program or Something

After the Padres pumped over $11 million into the 2011 draft I found myself happy. It showed that the Padres were committed to their organizational plan to build through the draft. I mean you can't build through the draft unless you draft  guys and sign them, right? I guess you need to develop those players too but that's a post for another time. The Padres spent a lot of money and it seemed to be well spent. We won't know for a few years.

Yet many fans could not refrain from the, "Who cares. They'll be gone once they get good!" and the, "They gave how much to an 18 year old kid!!!???" These exclamations tire me.

Either you love baseball or you don't. It's why I follow the Padres. It's why I go to games. The cynics of San Diego do not understand this. After sustained stretches of Padres futility I guess their cynicism is understood.

I'm not here to tell anyone how to feel. But since you're here I'll take the time to point out a few things I have accepted and a few that keep me going.


***
I have accepted reality. This is not the exact game I grew up watching. 

The Yankees actually sucked during my youth. Don Mattingly, George Brett, Tony Gwynn, and Cal Ripken Jr. were all lifers of one team. This is not to say that free-agency didn't exist then but at least there was a chance a player could spend his career with the same team. The best player of this era, Alex Rodriguez, is playing for his third team. The best player in the game this year, Adrian Gonzalez, is with his fourth organization. I have accepted that this is the reality of the game in 2011. There are but a handful of teams who will have the economic ability to keep a player for the duration of his career (see Yankees: Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada). I can live with that.

***
I have also accepted that Jeff Moorad should not have been allowed to buy the Padres. 

The guy has no money. He proved it when he gathered 12 partners and arranged to buy the team like it was a 100" Hi-Def Plasma Television during Christmas. Moorad's group won't own the team until 2014 which means low salaries until then. I have accepted this. Perhaps I've even convinced myself that I prefer that method of operation. The idea of fiscal restraint during this age is novel. Or maybe it's just Stockholm Syndrome for fans.

***
I'm not going to say I've accepted blue as this team's color...

... but I at least appreciate their efforts to brand the Padres. They have chosen the wrong color. But like I said, I appreciate the effort to move the park away from looking like a jar of M & M's.

***
I don't think about Adrian Gonzalez.

He didn't want to play here. There are only a handful of teams who could even think of paying him what he's worth. That team is not in San Diego. Simple really.

***
The Padres are not the farm system for the Boston Red Sox.

Nor are they the farm system for the rest of MLB. For that to be the truth then the Padres would have needed to develop an awful lot of players over the last 10 years for it to be a valid argument. They have not. Jake Peavy is not a good example. Jake Peavy was a catastrophic injury away from sinking the organization.

***
Trades pump life into an organization. They are a good thing.

The Padres along with a majority of other MLB teams need to move established players who are about to demand contracts that pay them for what they have done instead of what they will do. A trade brings back multiples of players. It loads the farm system with talent and enables the team to compete moving forward. If they evaluate the players correctly. That's the big "if".

***
I like Cameron Maybin because he's really good. 

I also like that he was obtained in a trade for next to nothing. Do you hear that? I think it's the faint cry of Marlins fan hovering near the Gulf of Mexico.

***
I have accepted that MLB is not like the NFL in terms of economics and it never will be. 

The NFL has national television contracts. It's easy to share that money. MLB has local television contracts. It's not easy to share that money. And while we're on the subject I don't really think that teams like the Red Sox and Yankees, who had the vision to create their own regional television networks, should have to share that money with anyone. Teams need to be creative to compete. Go read The Extra 2% or something.

***
Patience is a virtue.

The Padres farm system is improving, full of young players who will either assume their role in PETCO Park one day or will be used to obtain established players who can help the cause. If you can't wait then drive up to Lake Elsinore. It's cheap and fun.

***
Who cares that the Arizona Diamondbacks are having a successful year with Kevin Towers at the helm.  

He needed to be fired. Kevin Towers was an absolute abomination when it came to drafting and developing players. This is a fact. I'm fine with him being elsewhere.

***
PETCO is an extreme pitcher's park and the fences don't need to be moved in.

The Padres just need to figure out how to play there. It starts with striking out less. A team can't be last in HRs and first in Ks. It doesn't work that way.

***
Being a fan of the San Diego Padres is not easy. But life is not easy either. 

I enjoy how my fandom mimics life and I accept the challenge of it. If you want easy I can think of a couple different hats for you. I'll stay loyal to mine.

Was that twelve points/thoughts/steps? I didn't count.

JEFF mooRAD AND THANNT F%*7ing PaDRRES FroNT OFFICE

F8r*KING MLb DRAFT!!!

IF THE PADRES WERE AT THE HELM OF THE DRAFT IN 1940 WE WOULD ALL BE SPEAKING JAPAGERTALIAN. AND I'M A HUuuGE FAN OF THE ROMANCE LANGUAGES SO THIS iRKS ME. IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS harrrRIBLE mix oF GUTTURAL TOLKIEN ELVISH WITH TONS OF HEAVILY ACCENTED PHRASES AND UPSIDE DOWN QUESTION MARKS!!!

THNK GOD JEFF MOORad waS NOT PART OF THE GREATEST GENneRATION. AM I RIGHT? LIKE I Sed.... JAPAGERTALIAN.

Editorial Disclaimer:
The author of this op/ed is an intelligent member of the species. However his passion is distorted due to the consumption of local IPAs. The author enjoys the taste of these beverages but does not quite grasp the variance in alcohol content between the local crafts and the lesser brands. He cannot be blamed for this. Numbers are often difficult.


The author has unmatched respect for modern day Japan, Germany, and Italy and as such does not seek to offend any of his readership with connections to said nations.


While the author believes that historically speaking the implementation of the Marshall Plan was as wise as any 20th century American decision he would be remiss not to mention that without it America may have been the recipients of a new hybrid amalgam language due to world domination via the Axis Powers. This, in the author's opinion, would have been horrible for all mankind...

JEFFEEY MOORAD IS NO FRANKLIN DELINO DESHIELDS ROOSEVELT!!!!

FRANKLIN DELINO DESHIELDS ROOSEVELT WAS A LEDER NOT SOME PHONY PLAYERS AGENT WHO REPRESENTED TRIS SPEAKER AND MURDERS ROW BEFORE HE DECIDED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT FOR LIKE 7 TERMS. THATS NOT JEFF MOORAD

jeffrrey MOORAD IS. IS. IS. IS A GRADUATE OF UCLA!!!!!!  YET HE LOST PLAYERS TO THAT GOD FORSAKEN UNIVERSITY? HOW?

WHERE'S THE COLLUSION, JEFF MOORAD? WHERE'S THE COLLUSION? YOU COULDN'T SLIDE MONEY UNDER THE TABLE TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN? IT'S COLLEGE FOR CRIPE'S SAKE!!! THE MOST CORRUPT PLACE EVER.

WHAT MESSAGE ARE YOU SENDING? WHO WOULD EVER WANT TO PLAY FOR YOU? WHY WOULD MAttt LATOS OR CAM MAYBIN EVER COMMIT TO PLAY HEeRE LONGER THAN 185 DAYS? THERE'S NOTHING IN THE PIPELINE!!! EXCEPT THE SH**T YOU'VE BEEN SELLING SINCE YOU ARRIVED IN THE yeaR OF OUR lORD 2009.

YOU'RE LIKE SOME SUCKER WHO WENT ALL IN DURING A POKER GAME, TOOK A BAD BEAT, AND NOW YOU'RE SCARED TO DEATH. THAT'S RIGHT. POKER STORIES. AND METAPHORICAL ALLEGORIES OF OUR DEMISE.

TOO WORDY FOR YOU? I'M TAKING ABOUT DONAVAN TATE. HE BURNED YOU. HE BURNED ALL OF US. AND NOW YOU'RE SCARED TO EVER GIVE SERIOUS MONEY TO A DRAFT PICK. BURNNNED.

DONAVAN TATE IS LAUGHING RIGHT NOW AND IT AIN'T BECAUSE HE WAS THE LAST FOOL TO GET MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKETS. HE'S LAUGHING BECAUSE HE'S HOPPED UP ON SPICE AND HE'S USING LIT BENJAMINS FRANKLINS TO SPARK HIS BONG. OR CAN. OR WHATEVER PARAPHERNEEELIA YOU USE TO GET F#$*ED UP ON THAT SYNTHETIC SH*T!

I HAve disDAIN FOR thoSE IN POWER.

Editor's Note 9:17 PM
ARGHHH. I MAY HAVe jumpED the GUN. Three out of four signed. ANd THE UCLA GUYS?  LET me EVALUATEe this...

Going Bananas: Thoughts on the Padres and the Draft Deadline

When 2010 first round draft pick (9th overall) Karsten Whitson failed to sign by the August 15th deadline, the Padres Front Office tried to assuage fan anger by presenting a half-glass-full scenario:

1. Whitson went back on his word that he would sign when initially drafted.


2.  The Padres would receive a compensation pick in the 2011 draft.

This didn't make me feel much better. The Padres have no choice but to build through the draft in order to be competitvie. How do I know this? Because all ownership and the front office ever does is speak to this talking point. Yet they failed to get Karsten Whitson to sign.*

What of the 2011 comp pick? Who cares. How could we even be certain that this future player would be signed? What if the pick ended in another non-signing?

Fast forward to 2011...

The Padres signed that comp pick. His name is Corey Spangenberg, selected 10th overall, and he has been performing well during his brief tenure as a Padre. But it should be noted that Spangenberg should really be viewed as a player drafted in 2010 as he is the replacement for the Whitson snafu.

This brings us to Joe Ross.

Joe Ross is the real San Diego Padres 1st round draft pick, a RHP chosen 25th overall, and unsigned as of 11:00 AM on August 15th. There are others who are unsigned as well. Here are the big four:

1. Joe Ross RHP (25th)


2. Michael Kelly RHP (48th)


3. Brett Austin C (54th)


4. Austin Hedges C (82nd)

What should fans expect from the Padres Front Office as it relates to the 2011 draft? Fans have reason to expect a lot.

We are constantly told that there is only one viable way for the Padres franchise to compete. It is not via free agency. It is through the draft where players can be obtained inexpensively relative to the market, and then developed and controlled through their least expensive service years. But if this is the message that is being conveyed (at all times I might add), and the Padres fail to sign the high ceiling players who are drafted each year then what are we to think as fans? If the Padres experience failure this afternoon does it become reasonable to throw our hands up in the air and say to all those who will listen, "What on earth is the point of following this baseball team!!!!!"

Failure Defined

Joe Ross must be signed. He is a high upside arm who can help fans forget the Karsten Whitson non-signing. But more importantly, he is a 1st rounder. These are players who must be signed and I'm comfortable in assigning a failing grade to Jeff Moorad if Ross is not a Padre by day's end.

For me to assign a passing grade I think fans need to see three out of the four players above signed today. I am willing to see that one failed signing be Austin Hedges who has a strong commitment to UCLA. I forgot where I read/heard it but someone recently suggested that you should always draft one "un-signable" kid and then sign him. I think Hedges is that guy. The only reason he slid to 82nd was because teams felt there would be dollar issues with him. If the Padres failed to get him into the organization I would be content with giving them a pat on the back and I'd applaud them for the effort.

So for me it's three out of four. If the Padres get all four of the picks signed then I'm about as happy as a fan can be who's following a 54-68 team. But I can live with three out of four.

But what if the Padres get two or less of these high upside players signed by the 12:00 AM EST deadline? At that ominous deadline time I will most definitely be going f*cking bananas with screams of, "What's the point!!!???"  

I will also have to begin asking serious questions as to how Jeffrey Moorad was ever allowed to purchase a MLB franchise.... and I'll also be contacting my season ticket representative.


*I know. I know. This was all on Whitson for getting bad advice. Whatever. Mistakes like these can't be made by a team like the Padres. It's far too costly.

Talking Baseball With Padres Beat Writer Corey Brock

Yesterday we gathered in the name of Padres baseball and beers over at the Randy Jones All-American grill. RJ's Fro arranged the meeting with Corey Brock of MLB.com and it was open to all.

What did we talk about?

Sorry but the conversation was off the record. You should have been there. It was enlightening and the pitchers were 50% off.

Get yourself there next time.

Follow Corey Brock on twitter: @FollowThePadres

Movie Quotes, Bullpens, and Mat Latos

In the 1992 film, Unforgiven, William Munny (Clint Eastwood) has the opportunity to avenge the death of his friend Ned (Morgan Freeman) when he enters Greeley's Tavern on a rainy night. Munny exacts his revenge by shooting down nearly every man who has gathered at Greeley's, the place that adorned itself with the body of his friend Ned.


This climactic scene ends with Willliam Munney hovering over the Sheriff of Big Whiskey, Little Bill Daggett, who has already been shot in the belly. Their exchange is a memorable one:

Little Bill: I don't deserve this... to die like this. I was building a house.
Will Munny: Deserve's got nothin' to do with it. 

And then William Munny pulls the trigger.

I often see people talk about players/teams and how they did or did not deserve a certain outcome and I nearly always recall this quote from Unforgiven. I guess the modern day equivalent might be It is what it is.

Which brings me to last night where I first eluded to Unforgiven and its characters, Will Munny and Little Bill Daggett

Little Bill Daggett (Padres starting pitcher Mat Latos) was building a house (7IP 4H 2ER 1BB 5K) and then he was shot in the face (by Josh Spence: A.K.A. a Mike Adams depleted bullpen).

Mat Latos deserved better. But it is what it is.

We knew Mike Adams was a vital cog in the machine that was the PENitentiary--the all important bridge to the 9th and Heath Bell. And now we see it in action as the last three Padres losses have been due in part to meltdowns during the 8th inning.

Someone will eventually step forward, I am confident of this. Will this pitcher be as good as Mike Adams? No. And I am confident of this.

What happens next year without a steady 8th inning set-up man AND no Heath Bell in the roll of closer? I am in no way advocating that the Padres SHOULD give 20% of next year's payroll to a guy who will pitch less than 75 innings. . . but there is another issue to consider. How will a predominantly young pitching staff, and young team for that matter, be affected psychologically by a bullpen who cannot finish off strong efforts from the starting rotation?

(This post started with a bang, no pun intended. The ending has some issues...)

For the life of me I cannot recall where I heard about the idea that it was ACTUALLY worth having a strong bullpen (specifically a closer) even on a bad team.

The idea being that, when you are a bad team (or a very young team), and you do have a lead late in the game they become MUST win games. Psychologically those teams will never get over the hump if they cannot win the games they are supposed to win. Thus the need to have a strong bullpen... even IF your team is bad (or young in the case of the Padres... although the Padres are kind of bad too).

Don't we see this in action all the time? As much as winning seems to beget more winning we see the same from losing ball clubs. The idea above may have been expressed by a GM in the process of building an expansion club or I read it in a book or a blog... but it makes sense. Does it make sense to commit roughly 25% of your payroll to the bullpen so that the entire club feels better about itself 50% of the time instead of 47% of the time? Probably not.

At this point I'm just typing out loud. . . and you don't deserve that.

A Question About Garry Templeton's Face

Garry Templeton first donned a Padres jersey on opening day of the 1982 baseball season. His tenure ended on May 31st, 1991 when he was traded to the New York Mets for Tim Teufel.*

This post however, is not about Garry Templeton's time as a Padre or his 1983 Topps baseball card. It is about his 1978 Topps baseball card featured below.

If you had to describe the look on Garry Templeton's face what would you say? Just a question.

* Hey! How about that!!! The Padres are playing the Mets today. Unintended connections are fun.

It's A Wrap: Padres Trade Deadline Business

Is slugger Jesus Guzman a reason to watch as 2011 winds down?

On Monday I sat down with 619 Sports' Craig Elsten to give a local view of the trade deadline that came to pass at 1pm on Sunday.

I'm no expert--just a fan--so while Craig asked me about the particulars of the Mike Adams and Ryan Ludwick trades (and the Heath Bell-non trade) the real question was... "why". Why will I continue to go to games. Do I believe in the plan that has been presented by the Padres front office? 

 I answered these questions in the affirmative.

I know. You watched last night's 1-0 shutout at the hands of the Dodgers and you think I'm certifiably crazy to endorse this team as it is right now. It is my reasoning however that you should give credence to when deciding to continue to head to games or flip on the TV. There are important things to come for this team....


I give my reasoning beginning at the 13:30 mark of the podcast and then we proceed to talk for roughly 25 minutes culminating with a proposed introduction of a Failed Trade Acquisitions Bobblehead set. And then we talk about how Ray Lankford is worse than bigamy. It's kind of funny. Check it out at 619 Sports.

What comes before the 13:30 mark in the podcast, you ask?

Ah, you're smarter than I look. This is the must listen part of the podcast. Craig discusses the trades with Sports Illustrated's Joe Sheehan. Sheehan gives his takes on Hoyer's moves but more importantly lends insights into the Heath Bell situation. The Heath Bell analysis is required listening for those who are taking the stance that The Padres Must Give Heath Bell, The Face Of The Franchise, A Multi-Year Contract.... 

Give it a go. You won't be disappointed.

You crave knowledge so I'd be negligent in my duties if I did not direct you to a place where you could attain it.

Bryant over at Woe Doctor did a solid write-up about the trade deadline and you would do well to head over and read it. He and I share similar thoughts on what went down last Sunday. In addition to his analysis of the trades Bryant provides some invaluable links regarding the prospects (Robbie Erland and Joe Weiland) acquired from Texas last Sunday. The analysis is courtesy of a few of the best baseball minds out there: Keith Law, Kevin Goldstein, and Jason Parks. They are must read/listen.

You need more? Glad you asked.

There have been some great interviews conducted over at XX1090 this week. Jeff Moorad, Jed Hoyer, Jason McLeod, Keith Law, et. al. make appearances. Rather than give you the links to each one of these interviews I'm going to give you a link to the XX1090 podcenter and you can choose what you like (look at material beginning August 1st). These podcasts are important to digest... they'll help you sift through all the BS out there.

If there's one certainty in this world it is that San Diego Padres fans must have their bullsh*t detectors functioning at all times.

Enjoy.