Fireworks weren't the only things to come early

Between grilling steaks, talking about friends my dad lost in Vietnam, and a bizarre fireworks show in Imperial Beach, I found my self able to watch the Padres play on television. This has only happened a handful of times in 2012*.

 *The part about watching the Padres. 

I crouched on a rooftop as the fireworks came early, about the same time Yasmani Grandal poked a pinch hit 2-run HR to give the Padres the lead and propel them to their first ever sweep in Arizona.

I didn't know about Grandal's HR until today. As we raced to escape the throng of vexed fireworks spectators I caught the bottom of the 9th on the radio. I was unaware of Grandal's heroics. I bet it was exciting last night. I'm excited now. I feel like the IB fireworks.

There was something else that caused elation in me last night, though. Back in the 7th inning my enthusiasm acted as a premonition for what was to unfold at the foot of Imperial Beach's rustic pier. My personal fireworks went something like this: Chris Denorfia singles to RF: Chris Denorfia steals second base.

Alexi Amarista drills one right up the box.

Chris Denorfia comes around to score, breaking a 3-3 tie.

That was exciting. It was very 2010. It was how the Padres should attempt to win games.

The steak was excellent. The chicken a little overcooked on account of my salmonella paranoia. The fireworks show . . . memorable. Chris Denorfia and Alexi Amarista . . . happy 4th of July you blue collar, lunch pail, motherf*ckers!

Recent Padres History and An Open Letter To Chad Qualls

Upon hearing of the Chad Qualls signing I thought I'd take the opportunity to welcome him to the home team.

Dear Chad
You have a great opportunity to join an established bullpen here in San Diego that may very well serve as the catalyst to a career revival. The tutelage of pitching coach Darren Balsley coupled with the spaciousness of Petco park should serve you well in 2011.


Giving due consideration to the above comments I'd be remiss if I did not point out that even 93 mph fastballs...

... can get knocked the f*ck out of a cavernous park like Petco by even the most diminutive of batters.

You know this... because David Eckstein wrecked you with one swing of the bat on June 7th, 2009... thus proving that even a midget with a propensity for choking up to the bat's fulcrum can best a pitcher in Petco Park.

David Eckstein, Chad. David "fricken" Eckstein.


Welcome to San Diego and the PENitentiary. Best of luck in 2011.


Sincerely
AJM

All in good fun.

The Mrs. and I were there and since I've been recapping games attended I though I'd make a few remarks about this particular one.

The Padres were down 6-1 in the 9th to Arizona and naturally they decided to put forth an epic rally during a game in which I had an afternoon curfew (mother-in-law babysitting came with an expiration time).

So with two runners on base and a 6-3 score, up walked David Eckstein to pinch hit for Luis Perdomo. Eck jumped all over the first pitch from Qualls launching a 3 run bomb, tying the game at 6 a piece. Petco erupted and we were off to extras...

The Mrs. and I managed to push through 'til the top of the 13th... and then we did something that has happened precisely three times since 2004... we began our trek home without knowing the game's outcome.

After 18 innings the Padres had left a surprisingly low number of runners on base (7)... of course, this tends to happen when teams go 9 for 61 at the plate. I took solace in knowing that the climax of such an uninspired offensive performance was absorbed while nestled in the comfort of both couch and central air.


When the 54th out of the day was recorded the Padres were on the 9-6 losing end of a Getaway day marathon; victim to a 3-run HR in the top half of the 18th by Diamondback's 3rd baseman Mark Reynolds. The winning blast was surrendered by the 10th Padres pitcher of the day... light hitting short stop, Josh Wilson. Wilson's ERA would never recover that year.

Ironically it was the Diamondbacks who had waived Wilson only 3 weeks earlier leading to an audition with the Padres. The Padres then proceeded to waive Josh Wilson less than two weeks after his June 7th mound collapse. To the chagrin of Padres fans everywhere, Wilson was claimed forthwith by our despised arch-rivals to the north...

Know your Padres history.

Trying to remember the 2010 Padres: Game 1 (walk-offs are nice)

I recently read a book where the two principal characters discussed memories of their fathers taking them to their first baseball games. I took a moment to think about this and came to a simple conclusion; I can hardly remember last season let alone the details of a game as a child. 

So...the following series of posts will serve as an experiment... an experiment designed to test my memory of Padres games attended during 2010.

The nature of these posts, being my own game experiences, may be of zero interest to you; therefore I understand any antipathy towards them.

However, if you were at any of these games or remember watching them on the tube then join the wake and eulogize/comment with some memories.

GAME 1 of 18
April 16th, 2010
Padres v. D-backs @ Petco Park



WHAT I THINK I KNOW...

The bookend games are always the easiest to remember.

***
This was the 1st weekend game of the 1st home-stand of the season. I received a free in game program, the first of its kind in San Diego (Blue Print), and promptly discarded it because I had no idea what it was. I later retrieved a copy to complete my set of Blue Prints for the 2010 season. The program name, Blue Print, sounds good; as opposed to Brown Print. Nice work Moorad and Garfinkel.

***

The Padres won on a walk-off HR by Chase Headley. Headley delivered the 3 run walk-off bomb from the left side of the plate after David Eckstein had tied the game on a 2-bagger over the head of a nameless Arizona LF. I had a close up of the Eckstein hit as my seats were down the 3rd base line right below the Jerome's Chair.

I was expecting to hear Pennywise's "Bro Hymn" after the Headley HR but I'm pretty sure I had to settle for Macy Gray.

***
I attended this game with a large group of people and I recall missing some of the nuances of the game because of it. It was a fast game with little action until the later innings. I couldn't say who pitched for Arizona but the pace seems to indicate that Clayton Richard was on the hill for San Diego.

***
It feels good to win... even if it is only April.

Source: My ticket stub and (sometimes) steel trap of a mind.

RESEARCH SAYS...

The final score was 6-3 after the Padres scored 4 in the bottom half of the 9th. Headley's HR came with 2 outs after Adrian Gonzalez had been intentionally walked. I can now recall the conversations surrounding the decision to walk A-Gon and how Chase was going to need to make teams pay for the transgressions. Incidentally... Adrian Gonzalez is no longer a Padre.

***
Heath Bell got the win after entering in the 9th and holding Arizona scoreless. Did they play Breaking Benjamin's Blow Me Away? I would guess not since the Padres were down a couple.

***
It was actually Jon Garland who pitched and the game lagged along finishing in 3:20. Something was telling me that it was actually Garland who pitched but the minute I mentioned the game was at a quick pace I eliminated the possibility of Garland being the starter. I guess my perception of game time was skewed by attending in a more social atmosphere.

***
Attendance--26,632

NOTABLE OMISSIONS...

Arizona's starter was Edwin Jackson but Juan Gutierrez got the loss after blowing the save.

***
San Diego threw Garland, Mujica, Russell, and Bell. Only Bell remains as part of the Padres' staff.

***
Kyle Blanks went 2 for 3, finishing the game with a stellar batting average of ...<> .229... this may have been a high water mark for young Kyle Blanks during 2010. He did hit a booming double though and eventually scored... something my memory is now starting to reconstruct.

***
David Eckstein was a key contributor to both the 8th and 9th inning rallies. Scrappy is also one of the departed Padres in 2011.

Source: Baseball Reference & Padres.com

This was fun... let's do it 17 more times!