A Universal Distress Signal For Padres Fans

As I waded through the crowds during Spring Training I had a thought. I've found thoughts to be a dangerous thing. If I'm left to my own devices and given moments for revery I tend to fixate on those thoughts. Ultimately I have no choice but to write about them in an effort to purge myself of the erratic nonsense pinging around the tin-can that is my mind.

Having said that, this is my thought on a method for Padres fans to signal distress during the most dire of times . . .

Crowds can be distressing but this is not about crowds per se. It is about the accompanying diversity of baseball fans that is found within the crowd.

During Spring Training these crowds descended upon the greater Phoenix area and provided me with a sense of dis-ease. It was Spring Training for God's sake, and for the most part I felt great! There I was amongst friends, under a near perfect sky, and with the return of baseball imminent, I felt . . . distressed.

Sometimes we see our nation's flag flown upside down from individuals who are protesting a perceived injustice. To fly a flag upside down however is formally meant as a military distress signal.

On account of the San Francisco Giants fans tramping around Peoria, still adorned in 2010 World Series gear during the year 2012, and as a fan of the San Diego Padres, I felt there needed to be some sort of distress signal for our ilk.

One can only bear so many reminders of how the team you support (the Padres) collapsed to a divisional rival (the Giants) and then that miserable rival went on to win a championship (f&*k!). The new jerseys with World Series patches, and the hats with . . . trophies, I guess . . . they're distressing to say the least.

As fans of the Padres we need advance warning that these types are permeating an area so we can take proper action. Whether it involves leaving the area all together or simply staring at the ground as you meander through the crowd, a distress signal must be provided for no other reason than to quell an overactive imagination (see: me).

I present to Padres fans a Universal Distress Signal:

I don't know how this will work. Feel free to run with it though -- T-shirts, flags, banners -- knock yourself out.

Crap, this is a terrible idea. Look,  I just don't want to see this phallic trophies anymore . . . is that so wrong?

The Padres' Dave Staton and Blink 182

In 1994 a band called Blink out of suburban San Diego began to make its mark on the music scene. By 1999, with songs featured in the film American Pie, the band would experience main stream success -- only by that time the world knew this poppy, punk-rock band by the name Blink 182.

Let's go back to 1994 . . .

When Blink began to realize success with their release of Cheshire Cat they appeared on the music industry's radar and consequently received a threat of legal action from an Irish techno band already using the name Blink. The fellas from Rancho Bernardo acquiesced, added the numbers 182, and the rest as they say is history. But is it?

What on earth does the 182 signify. Back in the day I initially thought it was a reference to an 80's film called Turk 182 starring a young Timothy Hutton. The lead character, due to personal circumstances, turned into quite the iconoclast and ultimately began tagging using an esoteric slogan: Turk 182. It also sounded cool. But I never received corroboration and I eventually moved off of this theory.

Originating from the retirement community of Rancho Bernardo it was also theorized that Blink 182 arrived with their name using the alphabet. If you take the18th letter of the alphabet (R) and the 2nd letter (B) and place them next to one another (182) it signifies their origins in RB, the notorious neighborhood of blue hairs.

It has even been suggested that 182 is the number of times Al Pacino used the "f" word in the film Scarface.

As a band however, Blink 182 are on record stating that the numbers have no special meaning at all. But this is patently untrue. As any keen observer will tell you, big things were happening in San Diego, California during 1994 . . . and in the blink of an eye (no pun intended) it all ended.

On the field at Jack Murphy Stadium the San Diego Padres were on their way to a disastrous last place finish in the NL West during a strike shortened season. It was a year in which Tony Gwynn chased the majesty of .400 and a young player named Dave Staton attempted to make his mark in San Diego. While the young first baseman out of Cal State Fullerton averaged a HR nearly once every 15 at-bats it wasn't enough for Dave Staton to keep his job.

As Staton's career ended in a blink the young musicians out of Rancho Bernardo memorialized Dave Staton by adding the numbers 182 to a band name that would become synonymous with mainstream pop punk.

The year is now 2012 and Blink 182 is recording music again after a hiatus that saw their individual parts creating under new names. And what of former Padre Dave Staton, you ask? Well he too is getting his due . . .

Spring Training 2012 and The Quest For Absolution

Just over a week ago, Ducksnorts, SDPads1, the Driver and myself set off to Peoria, Arizona to see the first games of spring. The pilgrimage to Arizona, for many, is a fan's rite of passage -- the opportunity to watch the youngsters, the up-and-comers, the new arrivals, and the veterans who have surely turned the corner during the off-season and are now ready to make the most significant of contributions.

While our attendance in Arizona was predicated on the ideals stated above it was rooted in something far deeper and meaningful. While we did not know it at the time this trip was about absolution.

Hunter S. Thompson once wrote, "If there is, in fact, a Heaven and a Hell, all we know for sure is that Hell will be a viciously overcrowded version of Phoenix."

On a Saturday morning in late February we descended into hell . . .



After stopping in Yuma for breakfast and picking up a relic to protect us on our journeys we carried on to Spring Training 2012. As we made our way to the greater-Phoenix area we plotted our afternoon. The Padres were not scheduled to open their season until Sunday when they would meet the loathsome Mariners in the annual charity game between the Peoria Sports Complex roommates. We needed to find a game to watch for that Saturday.

As we looked through the schedule we determined that we wanted to see the much-ballyhooed Salt River Fields at Talking Stick where the Rockies and D-Backs play. Fortuitously, the game at Talking Stick was sold-out and with Stub Hub prices far out of our reach we turned our attention to catching a Giants game. Alas, the team from San Francisco had also sold-out. Ultimately, circumstances led us to Goodyear, Arizona where we would see the opener between the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds. It was our fate.

We walked through the gate and sought refuge in Colorado's Fat Tire Ale as we would for the better part of the weekend. With beers in hand we parked-up at a convenient patio located in left field and we began to nourish ourselves. The time had come to confront the sins of our Padres past.

With steely resolve we looked on as the Reds took the field. Before our eyes the new left fielder for Cincinnati dug his cleats into the turf and settled himself for the first pitches of spring. We had traversed this great distance and had found ourselves with a view that had grown so familiar over the previous 18 months -- it was Ryan Ludwick.

~To be continued

Orlando Hudson and The Big Lebowski

On Wednesday the Padres found themselves in the eye of the Yu Darvish hurricane as the Japanese star made his stateside debut in Peoria, Arizona. Yesterday the usual commentary commenced and as I read through Steve Henson's article on Yahoo! Sports a quote by Orlando Hudson caught my eye. The O-Dog opined:

“That’s a big Asian dude,” said Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson, who had the other hit against Darvish.

 You may not have known it but during his brief tenure as a Dodger Orlando Hudson attended the Los Angeles based Walter Sobchak School of Preferred Nomenclature.

But I'm not sure he picked up on Walter's lesson. Let's begin with cultural insensitivity and geographical abominations . . .



Asia is a pretty big place -- nay, a pretty big continent! Would you refer to a Russian as a big Asian? A Palestinian as a big Asian? An Israeli? A Kyrgyzstanian! I suspect not! Yet Orlando Hudson gives the guy from Japan the "big Asian dude" treatment.

What if diminutive Padres minor-leaguer Kyung-Min Na walked through camp at the Peoria Sport Complex? Would O-Dog bark, "That's a little Asian dude."? I would hope not. It bears mentioning that Na is freakishly tiny but he's a little Korean dude. Preferred nomenclature, dude.

Let us also not forget that Yu Darvish is only half Japanese, his father hailing from Iran -- another locale in Asia. I don't know how seriously baseball is taken in the Islamic Republic of Darvish's father but something tells me the slight by Orlando Hudson might be . . . fatwa worthy? Maybe that's a bit extreme. He's no Salman Rushdie.

While Orlando Hudson may never work by Walter Sobchak's side he is still very much a man with a future once the hardball days end. As I continued reading Henson's column Hudson remarked:

“I know some guys on the Rangers and they say he’s a great teammate. He likes to have fun. I think he’ll do a helluva job.”

With hard hitting evaluation like that I immediately knew where we'd see the O-Dog come retirement day . . .

Cory Luebke and the new market inefficiency

I've heard from some of the ladies that Cory Luebke is ridiculously good looking.

Let's be honest -- I've heard some guys say it too.

Personally, I'm comfortable enough to admit that a young buck is handsome but the preferences of women often leave me confused, baffled, dumbfounded, and confused yet again. As is the case I'm never quite sure where the ladies stand in terms of what sets the bar for a ridiculously good looking man.

Is Cory Luebke good looking? I think he looks pretty good at the front end of the Padres rotation in 2012!

I guess he's a good looking guy. Sure, I'll go with it. Corey Luebke. Good looking man!

I was amazed who else thought the same thing this morning as I read Bill Center's column . . .

The subject of Center's article was the acquisition of Mark Kotsay and the versatility he would offer to Bud Black. More importantly however, was the positive influence and guidance he would provide to the youngsters on the club.

Kotsay also spoke in detail about the Padres needing to play to their strengths, citing his visits as a Milwaukee Brewer last season.  Bill Center writes:

“We’ve got to make this place our’s,” Kotsay said of Petco Park. “When I came in here with the Brewers last year, all their hitters were complaining about the face. I know some Padres haven’t liked hitting there*."

Now, clearly this quote is referencing Cory Luebke, he who runneth over with good looks. I've never really heard him called The Face but, c'mon' who else could the Brew Crew be talking about here? We all know they weren't mesmerized by Aaron Harang's rugged good looks . . .

Pure intimidation through good looks and a menacing mound stare -- Kotsay has already exceeded his contract with this valuable insight.

Perhaps ridiculously good looking pitchers are the new market inefficiency?

Viva The Face!!!

*That last part of the quote is confusing -- a total non-sequiter. Why would the Padres hitters be concerned about the face? They don't have to go against Luebke. I'll try to look into this further when I'm in Peoria this weekend.

[UPDATE 3:52 pm]
I have been informed that 'the face' may be a typo and Center may have intended to write 'the fence'. I don't think that makes any sense though. Look at Cory Luebke's face . . .

Padres and Mariners: Vedder Cup action resumes this Sunday

As we approach the first game of spring the anticipation is palpable. This Sunday when the Padres take the field they do so against their hated rival from the Pacific Northwest -- the Seattle Mariners.

Since 1936 these cities and their baseball teams have done battle but it was not until last year that the clash took on a name -- The Battle for the Vedder Cup.

After holding the Vedder Cup in 2010 the Padres lost the Cup back to Seattle during a tumultuous 2011. In Peoria, Arizona on March 4th, our San Diego Padres prepare to confront the detested Sea Men of Seattle in a precursor to the 2012 Interleague showdown.

This Sunday's Spring Training opener serves as a mere preview to what will come in 2012 but it's a barometer of sorts, nonetheless. Each side will look into their opponent's eyes and evaluate their prospects -- their prospects of either retaining or RETAKING the Vedder Cup!

As pitchers and catchers prepared to report to Peoria in 2011 I wrote a detailed history of this epic but little known rivalry . . .



Published at RJ's Fro last February, I attempted to connect the dots for the uninitiated:

After the San Diego Padres destroyed the Seattle Indians in the first home game in team history things would never be the same. The Padres would finish ahead of the Indians during both the ’36 and ’37 campaign and shortly thereafter Seattle would abandon the name it carried from 1903-1937 in favor of the Rainiers.

What does it all mean? Has the history of this matter been subverted in an attempt to hide unsavory truths?

Seattle was a city founded on a belief of synergy amongst those inhabiting their corner of the U.S. and would ultimately choose a team mascot that reflected that particular ethos. In contrast San Diego opted for a mascot that was in conflict with the indigenous people of their corner of the U.S.

I will posit that the Padres and Indians may have had a betting proposition in place… a loser-leave-town type of arrangement where the team finishing lowest in the standings after two seasons would drop their team name. Perhaps PCL Padres owner, “Hardrock” Bill Lane, because of his gambling nature as a gold prospector, entered into a betting agreement with the Seattle Indians’ owner Bill Klepper, a man reported to be both greedy and gutless. Or maybe the gutless Klepper tried to do something right, for once in his life, by preserving his team’s name while eliminating one that arrived to the west accompanied by strife.

The above may be examples of the wild speculation that occurs when a detailed history is conspicuously absent. But it cannot be denied that the Seattle Indians vanished after 1937 as Klepper sold the team to Emile Sick who rechristened his PCL team the Rainiers, a horribly unpopular move at the time. The name Rainier referred not to the famous volcanic peak (Mount Rainier) but instead to Sick’s other business: The Rainier Brewing Company.

In 1938 the name of Indians was dismissed and the Rainiers were born. The Seattle Rainiers went on to enjoy immediate success in the Pacific Coast League where they would be fondly remembered as the precursor to the Seattle Mariners.

I implore fans to read the entire article over at RJ's Fro. To fully engross oneself in the narrative, is to seek understanding and ultimately education. Know your history and prepare for the 2012 Battle For The Vedder Cup.