Thomas Jefferson and Breakfasttown

I'll begin with a bit of honesty. You don't want to read this.

It's not really about Thomas Jefferson and limited constitutional government. It's not even about Breakfasttown, per se. If I was going to list people who would have the slightest interest in this non-sense, I'd cap it at about five people. Five Padres fans*. And I don't even think they would care.

Yet I must write about this experience . . .

I went to Washington D.C. last year. On day one we drove down to Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. An amazing property. Historic. Anyways, I was with a group. I decided to wear a shirt that represented where I was from and also stood out amongst a sea of people. I went with a Gaslamp Ball creation: Welcome to Breakfasttown USA:

Bright. Beautiful. Breakfasttown. Glorious. 

So imagine my delight as I worked my way through a tour of Jefferson's Monticello only to find myself in his dining room where I literally disappeared . . .

Look at those Chrome Yellow walls! I stood against the wall and looked like a floating head.

While my smile stretched ear to ear, deep inside me resided a reservoir of pain. With a strict no photograph policy inside of the home I could not properly capture the glory of Breakfasttown's rendezvous with Thomas Jefferson. Instead I settled for a likeness from the historic site's web page.

My pain also extended from the knowledge that at that exact moment the San Diego Padres were taking batting practice in Washington D.C. preparing to face the Nationals in a three game series. I didn't see one of the games . . .

C'est la vie, as they say.

Thomas Jefferson, who held the French in high esteem, would likely agree.

* The five people who might give a hoot are those who have bought Breakfasttown t-shirts. I don't even know what the number is up to these days but I cannot imagine anyone outside of the t-shirt owning minority to care about this. And even then . . .

Better Recognize....the SD on my hat!

Long, long, ago I went traipsing through the United Kingdom. While there, I left no stones unturned in England, Scotland and Wales (gross exaggeration). In Wales, I made my way to a ferry and hopped over to Ireland, as well. Through it all I wore my San Diego Padres hat (navy blue with orange and white interlocking "SD"). The mother country is a damp place and the constant precipitation (not to mention perspiration) turned that hat into a dank mess. But I cared not for appearances. I wore my SD with pride. I was representin'!

I wonder how Padres owner Jeffrey Moorad feels about the ol' "SD"? Oh, hey....there's an on-line copy of the San Diego Metropolitan magazine with an article on Padres owner Jeffrey Moorad......I wonder if he has an opinion:

Whenever Jeff Moorad speaks, you’ll see him proudly sporting a new Padres logo: “SD” it reads.
“There aren’t many cities in the country that are known by just their initials,” Moorad told members of Rotary Club of Coronado in April. “There’s LA, NY and maybe SF. We should market San Diego: SD. It’s got great cache around the world.”

Hey there you go, Mr. Moorad! I knew that he and I were simpatico. The "SD" is pretty explicit whereas a hat with an interlocking "CR" (a la the team in Colorado) is a concept that just leaves foreigners dazed and confused, the world over. Alright for the "SD"!

Ever since those days of travelin' around representing San Diego I've started to notice how many different Padre color schemes there are adorning this city's fans. It's a pretty disjointed fan-base and the roots of this disunion seem to have been sown when blue was introduced as a primary color. (click "Read More" to continue)


I suppose it makes sense to choose blue from a marketing standpoint......it's a cool color....people dig it....people buy it. But blue, in and of itself, is antithetical to the idea of a Padre. The monks who would have once been found constructing missions along the coast of what is today California did not cloak themselves in robes of blue but that of the color brown. When the Padres were introduced as the newest National League entrant in 1969 there was brown in the uniform.....and it made sense.....because Padres/Friars/Monks wore robes of brown.

I envision the fans of San Diego arriving at Petco Park all under one banner......that of our team's heritage. One team; one city; one color. I have a feeling that Jeff Moorad feels EXACTLY as I do.......a return to our roots, if you will. Let's see what Mr. Moorad had to say in the SD Metropolitan magazine:

Part of his vision for branding the Padres was to give away 40,000 Padres blue T-shirts on opening day.
“I want the fans to wear blue,” he said, “and for the team to look up and see that support in the stands.”

Uhhh........more blue, eh? No brown? But Padres are......supposed to be.......well, brown. Well [applause] I do like that "SD" concept. Good on ya, Mr. Moorad!

Is the discussion on "Brown" closed? Yes....no.....get back to me. No? Ok.

[cheers to Gaslamp Ball for link]

Ancient Bud Black Mind Tricks

Among all of MLB's managers, Bud Black is the only one who is a former hurler. There must be a valid reason for such a case.

Could it be that he knows how to use psychology to cajole pitchers in to doing what may seem to be against their perceived self-interests? Let us call these the Bud Black Mind Tricks.....if he indeed is versed in this ancient art.

Last week, the Padres Trail, posted a column about the Mat Latos/Wade Leblanc "5th starter issue" which was then debated thoroughly in a thread at Gaslamp Ball.

THE PREMISE: what should happen with the two young pitchers once Chris Young returns from the disabled list?

At the time of the posting LeBlanc had been pitching lights out and then went on to get the win after pitching 6.1 innings of scoreless ball. Did Latos meet the challenge? He went on to pitch 6 innings of 2 run ball and got hung with the loss (both runs came on homers). Not a bad outing but also not on par with LeBlanc. What to do, what to do....... (click "Read More" to continue)

My position last week was that I wanted to see CY come down with a mystery ailment to keep him on the DL so that both of the youngsters would remain in the rotation (my wish may have been granted as CY got shelled in a rehab assignment this weekend and is headed for an MRI......although I don't really want him to be hurt.....I just want the reins pulled back a bit so he's healthy in the long run and that our young fellas get to prove themselves in the short-run, which of course would be beneficial to the organization in the long-run.......this was far too long for a parenthetical explanation, no?). My position has altered slightly with certain caveats (Young's health and the performance of each of our youngsters in question).


Today my belief is that Mat Latos needs to stay up top where he can continue to be mentored by Darren Balsley. But we also know that Wade LeBlanc, who is on the hill tonight against The Purple Mountain's Majesty, will pitch shut out ball tonight thus making the question of the 5th spot in the rotation even more convoluted........or is it?

We know that Mat Latos, while possibly a future staff "#1", is having his innings closely monitored similar to last season a la the Verducci Effect. If his innings are to be restricted it could be detrimental to the Padres if they are in contention for the division or the wild-card come September. Would you want to shut down one of your regulars in the heat of a pennant race (rhetorical question/parenthetical probably not even needed)?

Bud Black must earn his money here. Latos is a big stud who must be handled carefully. A demotion to Portland could wreak havoc with his delicate ego and a demotion to the bullpen cold yield similar results......use your mind tricks, Bud Black......Latos' mind is young and malleable:

 

BUD BLACK: The managerial great, Earl Weaver, declared that the best spot for a rookie is in long relief (his 8th Law of Managing). Many great pitchers have worked out of the 'Pen and later enjoyed grand success as a starter. In fact Johan Santana won the Cy Young the year after leaving the 'Pen. But most importantly.....young Latos.....this move ensures that you will be contributing to the ball club in meaningful games down the stretch rather than picking splinters next to Balls.
MAT LATOS: (nods his head)
BUD BLACK: "You will go to the bullpen, Mat Latos."
MAT LATOS: "I will go to the bullpen, Bud Black."

(If Bud Black can employ some genuine Jedi Mind Tricks then the above explanation by Bud probably isn't needed. It is needed however in the context of giving proper credit to the person, Geoff Young of Ducksnorts, who provided a more precise rationale for such a move with Latos---parenthetical explanation, while very long, was required).

This entire post is probably moot though, as we all know Chris Young will be spending more time on the DL anyways.

The 1st place hoopla is nice but there's something even better

Most fans are excited about the Padres being in first place heading to Cincinnati for a three game series this weekend. How could you not be? I also think that part of the allure of our current spot in the standings seems a heck of a lot different than the early first place position the Padres held during the 2009 season. People recognize that there is a difference..... a big difference. But what is this difference, precisely?

Over at Gaslamp Ball a nice piece was written on whether or not certain players were playing "over their heads" and if they would simply regress to the mean over the course of the season. The article had merit, without doubt, but it is not necessarily the standout reason (in my opinion) for why the Padres have been so successful thus far. The following quotes from a February Q&A between the Union Tribune's Bill Center and San Diego Padres owner Jeff Moorad provides some valuable insights:

Bill Center: Since you took over, discussions about the dimensions of Petco Park seem to have quieted. Do you see any changes being made while your team is in charge and are you happy with the ballpark’s dynamics and structure?

Jeff Moorad: Jed Hoyer talked about using the dimensions of Petco as a strategic advantage since the day I first met him. He talked of how the Red Sox used Fenway Park as a home-field advantage and had a .680 winning percentage there, with only a .500 or so record on the road. We will continue to focus on athleticism, speed, and pitching in putting the club together and use the ballpark to our advantage.

The above comments from Jeff Moorad are not uncommon themes from this last off-season. We've heard the same sentiments from the mouth of GM Jed Hoyer as well and ultimately the Padres FO wisely decided to use Petco to their advantage*(click "Read More" to continue). 

The consensus appears to be: continue to have strong starting pitching and a sturdy bullpen but supplement it with guys who chase balls down on defense and who can use their speed to pressure teams on the base paths. To aid in a switch to this philosophy they brought in former Padre Dave Roberts to teach the nuances of base-running (he's the guy who got the most important stolen base in the history of the Boston Red Sox). Has it worked? You be the judge.

The Padres are 2-4 away from Petco where they had a miserable time on the base-paths and they're 7-2 at home where they executed hit and runs, a suicide squeeze, and stole 15/16 bases. A correlation? I think so.

In the above quote, Moorad mentioned Hoyer's assertion that tailoring the Red Sox to play in Fenway yielded a .680 winning percentage at home which must have worked...... a couple World Series titles were delivered during that stretch**. While I'm no expert in math I can definitely calculate that a 7-2 mark in Petco is.......well it's over .700. Feel free to calculate to precision on your own.....I'm cool with anything tantamount to a .700 winning percentage.

* I had been mulling this post over in my head for a few days and wouldn't you know that Tim Sullivan at the UT wrote a similarly themed article which was published around midnight last night. I'll be damned if I'm going to scrap anything I wrote, especially after searching for the above quote for God knows how long!
** I am in no way suggesting that the Padres are going to the World Series this year. Future, yes. 2010, no.

The Perils of Being Your Club's Only Offensive Threat

From a new Sports Illustrated article on San Diego's own, Adrian Gonzalez:

A self-made first baseman, Gonzalez does everything right handed except hit and throw. His style is an elegant amalgamation of Southern and Baja California. The way he fields a ground ball, off to the side with one hand, is smooth and instinctive. "That's from Mexico," Gonzalez says. The way he approaches at bats, poring over scouting reports and game tapes, is obsessive. "That's from the United States," he says.

And the way he swings, his bat level through the zone, hands inside the ball? "That," he says, "is from Tony Gwynn."

I first came across this excerpt over at Gaslamp Ball before the SI article had even been published. It sounded like prose, beautifully written. Now it is sounding like more of a jinx. With featured pieces in both Sports Illustrated and USA Today, Adrian's offense continues to plummet as the only real threat in the line-up.....and what's worse? His defense is in shambles. Twice in the Arizona series his "elegant amalgamation of Southern and Baja California" style has led to a couple of really bad errors, none worse than this afternoon, when his miscue led to five runs being pushed across in the bottom of the eighth.

As the Padres' only true offensive threat it's difficult to rest him but Bud Black really should decide if the time has come for Adrian to get a day off?

The Padres are now in the cellar of the NL West and while they are indeed free falling (too obvious) we'll just say the Friars are falling away from me...

Jake Peavy Hates You Bloggers

On Tuesday Jake Peavy was on the hill to disastrous effects. At the time I wanted to analyze it and perhaps make some comparisons to previous athletes who had to face adversity (sickness, injury, etc.) yet battled through it. Eventually I optioned out because it required research which I didn't have time for and I didn't want to "call out" Jake Peavy....dude wasn't feeling well, and he's about all we've got to claim as our own.

However, I decided I would touch on the Peavy Start, and would look at in a broader context based on something I read over at Gaslamp Ball. What was written over at GLB was a break down of Jake's comments of a radio interview with Darren Smith on XX1090 on Thursday afternoon. After reading the quotes I listened to the interview so I could get the context as well as hear the tone in which Jake gave them. The whole interview essentially revolved around Jake's illness and subsequent reports that were either visible on Twitter:

or other 'inaccurate' reports on blogs by fans:

The above quote is what shall drive my attempt to be as fact based as possible in looking at Jake's career.......that's right, it's stats time!

Jake Peavy has asserted that blogs are riddled with inaccuracies so it is with that in mind that we have turned to ESPN to provide Jake Peavy's game log for each season in question so as to give the most accurate view possible. I want to look at this week's start as well as some of the more important games from the last few seasons.

2009 Season
On June 2nd JP started at home against the defending champions. His start had been pushed back a day due to a sprained ankle in his previous start against Arizona. Jake pitched poorly against Philly and most of the camera angles were geared towards his left 'plant' foot to try and explain the problems. He didn't seem to favor the ankle but lasted just one inning. We would later hear that JP was suffering from an upper respiratory infection.
L 10-5 to Philadelphia 1IP 3H 4R/4ER 0HR 2BB 0K

2008 Season
On June 18th, with the season essentially over, JP got the start on a Wednesday night in The Bronx. The game lacked true meaning but at the minimum was a stern test that would be covered ad nauseum by ESPN. I was at this game and in Jake's defense he was thrown off his routine by approximately 6o minutes due to rain delay....a lot can happen in an hour.....especially in a beer garden (It wasn't a beer garden. Yankee Stadium was a dilapidated shit hole so really it was a beer stand next to a bathroom....but there was no line/it was dry/and we had an hour to drink/.......so it might as well have been a beer garden)
L 8-5 to NYY 4IP 6H 4R/3ER 1HR 2BB 4K

2007 Season
On June 24th the Padres were facing the eventual 2007 WS winner at home. The Gaslamp Quarter was teeming with Massholes and WE had just watched Chris Young pitch the series even on Saturday night (We were the guys skewering JD Drew all night out in RF). Jake had the opportunity to get the series win on Sunday afternoon against Josh Beckett.
L 4-2 to Boston 5IP 9H 3R/3ER 1BB 3k

On September 5th Buddy Black decided to pitch Jake on short rest to try and halt the surging Arizona Diamondbacks.
L9-6 Arizona 4IP 7H 8R/8ER 2HR 3BB 4K

On October 1st after having debated throwing Jake on short rest in game 162 against the Brewers they instead opted to have him on full rest in case there was a game 163 in Colorado. The Rockies hadn't lost in a month and Trevor blew game 162 when Anthony Gwynn Jr. scored after hitting a triple. Jake took the hill in Denver on full rest the next evening:
ND/L 9-8 Colorado 6.1IP 10H 6R/6ER 2HR 4BB 6K

2006 Post Season
On October 3rd JP had a home start in the opening round of the playoffs. The Cards jumped Jake like a back alley mugger and I sat in the LF bleachers in painful dismay......by the mugging and the fact that Cardinal Fans wearing Pujols jerseys walked through the aisles with impunity. Not even a 'go home', a 'you suck', or a 'stick it in his Pujols'. 'Tis baseball in San Diego.
L 5-1 St. Louis 5.1IP 11H 5R/5ER 1HR 1BB 2K

2005 Post Season
On October 4th JP started in St. Louis. He got bombed. It was later discovered that he was pitching with a broken rib received during a celebratory dog pile the previous week.
L 8-5 St. Louis 4.1IP 8H 8R/8ER 2HR 3BB 3K

The above games are factual in that the statistics are accurate however they are accompanied with my opinions as well as perceived value which I have attached to each game.

Nobody would argue the importance of the '05 and '06 playoff games nor game 163 in '07. It is my opinion that the '07 Red Sox game was of importance in that it was an opportunity for a home series win in an always difficult inter-league schedule as well as an opportunity to go against Josh Becket who was dominating the AL coming into that game. It is also my opinion that the short rest AZ start in '07 was an excellent opportunity for Jake Peavy to assert himself as a big game pitcher by dominating during a pennant race.

With nothing to play for but pride in an abysmal 2008 season Jake had a shot at the Yankees during their Stadium's farewell season. I'm personally irked by that one because I was there for the series and the Padres did nothing to convince New Yorkers that they weren't a AAAA team.

As for the game against Philly this week: I seem to recall Michael Jordan not only playing with the flu during an NBA championship series but dominating and winning. I think we can all agree that the demands on the human body made by basketball are significantly more than that of baseball. Didn't John Kruk famously say,

"Lady, I'm not an athlete. I'm a baseball player." ?

I was disappointed to see that Jake couldn't gut it out a little more and at least save the bullpen. As a pitcher it was he who controlled the pace of the game and this should have allowed him to last if he was ill (I'll go ahead and say that I feel entitled to demand more from Jake since I completed a game in my sport after having dislocated a shoulder and detached my left retina...not saying I'm bad-ass.....I'm just saying).

So while I have included indisputable statistics this post is riddled with my opinions thus making it unpalatable for Jake Peavy. That's fine. What I'm more concerned with is that Jake Peavy seems so surprised with the fact that someone twittered his whereabouts on a game night or that someone speculated that something might be amiss because he wasn't at a gym working out...

It is precisely because people care about that crap that he's able to make $11 million dollars a season.

For Jake to be peeved about a a fake Twitter account is understandable but to discuss fan interest in a tone that suggests contempt is bothersome to someone who has long been a fan of #44. The information age and instant access is making you a lot of money pal, and you'd be wise to acknowledge this fact.

Maybe all of those blogs (see:fans who write them) written out in the big cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York are on to something about our Ace.......maybe he is scared....maybe he knows he'd fail pitching under a microscope......God knows there are no microscopes in San Diego......This is merely speculation and opinion: the kind of 'inaccuracy' in blogging that so upsets Jake Peavy and his handlers.

Editor's Note: I'm a huge Jake Peavy fan and I wore my #44 to the game yesterday. I have also written defenses of JP on the following two blogs:
Peavy: scared or smart?
Peeved about the Peavy hype
While I love the usual competitive fire, I'm starting to grow a little tired of the off-field comments (trade speculation and fan critique) and the lack of results when the stage is at its biggest.