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 . . .

Things Bud Black has outlasted

I read the opening paragraph of Bill Center's article this morning and immediately stopped.

My mind was blown after reading these words written about Padres manager Bud Black:

 " . . . where he begins his sixth spring training as Padres manager Monday."

It seems like only yesterday that Bud Black arrived from Anaheim and the Bruce Bochy Era concluded. Yet here he is, beginning his 6th season with the Padres.

The only thing I could think of in response to this piece of information was to make a reference to a long running sit-com that I've never even watched. But Bud Black deserves better than that.

Bud Black should be applauded for making it to a 6th season as not everyone / everything has such staying power.

Here's a list of things that weren't as fortunate to make it to a sixth year. . .

Nirvana
With Nirvana's release of their debut album Bleach in June of 1989 and the subsequent suicide of Kurt Cobain in April of 1994 the seminal rock band failed to even make it to the 5 year mark.  
Bud Black > Flannel Apparel and Three Chord Guitar Progressions

Gale Sayers
Technically the career of the Kansas Comet lasted form 1965-1971 but catastrophic knee injuries cut his run of greatness short. Sayers only played two games in both the 1970 and 1971 seasons which by my count leaves his career at a full five seasons in the NFL.  
Bud Black > 1960's Knee Reconstruction

The Wire
The epic HBO series, portraying the urban decay of Baltimore as described by David Simon and Ed Burns, lasted a full 5 seasons and then called it quits.
Bud Black > Jimmy McNulty + Omar Little

Saved By The Bell: The College Years
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen was so good looking in 1993 she could have carried The College Years through a four year undergraduate program and a masters thesis. Alas, the series ended after one season.
Bud Black > Kelly Kapowski

Star Wars
Over the span of 28 years the George Lucas successfully brought 5* feature length Star Wars films to the big screen. I'm fudging with the parameters here but in terms of output it's more important to count the films and not the years in which they spanned.
Bud Black >  George Lucas' Dialogue and Jar Jar Binks

*Most Star Wars aficionados acknowledge that The Phantom Menace sucked horribly. As such I have not included it. And Bud Black wins.

The Greco-Persian Wars
Taken in tandem, the two invasions of Greece by the mighty Persian armies of Darius and Xerxes, lasted less than five years. Considering the superior strength of Persia and the fact that Greece ultimately won it's astonishing that these wars didn't last longer. Bud Black would have destroyed Greece.
Bud Black > Ancient History and its Commanders

The San Diego Padres
The Padres made it through 5 seasons in San Diego and then in 1974 were on the verge of moving to Washington DC. Had Ray Kroc not swooped in to save the day we'd be saying that Bud Black also outlasted the San Diego Padres . . . or would we? Feel free to contemplate this existential dilemma.
Bud Black = Ray Kroc (?)

Bud Black has yet to make the playoffs in San Diego but his tenure should be commended nonetheless. I foresee greatness for Bud Black. All he needs is the right number of years under his belt.

Nick Canepa is not unlike a 12 year-old

Last evening, Nick Canepa of the UT opined:

Where’s the hook? Why should the people who spend money for tickets want to watch these Padres? And, if a star develops, will he spend more than a few years here before he becomes too expensive, a la Adrian Gonzalez and Bell? The ship carrying a Tony Gwynn sailing forever on the USS San Diego Discount has sailed.

I find Nick Canepa's reasoning intellectually dishonest. He acts like the San Diego Padres are the only team who fail to keep their players as they become free-agents when in reality it's pretty difficult for any team to do it.

Adrian Gonzalez, acquired for nearly nothing in the winter of 2005, entered the same zip code* as Albert Pujols in terms of his production and proceeded to price himself out of the plans of nearly every major league team. So the Padres did what they had to do and moved him for controllable players. But the Padres did what approximately 25 of the other  MLB franchises would be forced to do. Worth mentioning?

*Maybe not zip code. State?

And since I mentioned Pujols let me also remind Nick Canepa that the slugger's former employer failed to keep him in St. Louis for the duration of his career. The Cardinals are a team with a massive following, sell-out crowds, and money in the coffers yet Pujols was only allowed to stay as long as his contract remained team friendly. Now Albert Pujols is an Angel.

Nick Canepa cites the departure of Heath Bell as another example of a player becoming too expensive. But that's not the truth. Heath bell became too expensive to offer a contract for a third year*. The Padres only wanted to be committed for two years. But why such a short commitment, Nick? Let us count the ways -- he's fat, with declining strikeout numbers, and a large crooked number for his age. Isn't it being responsible for the Padres to find another resource to fill a position that is only utilized for 70 innings per year? In Nick Canepa's mind the answer is clearly no or he would have referenced Huston Street and the flexibility of his contract in terms of both years and dollars.

*At which time he would be 37.

I'm not beyond criticizing my favorite baseball team but let's be honest about it. If Nick Canepa had asked when the Padres were going to start locking-up its younger players (see Cameron Maybin) similar to the way the Tampa Bay Rays have done I'd probably be applauding him right here. Maybe mention Jonah Keri's The Extra 2% and how the Rays have found success with such strategies as did the Indians in the 1990s. And then mention that JOSH BYRNES WAS WITH THE INDIANS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME! YES! THE GUY IN THE PICTURE OF YOUR COLUMN!!!!

Canepa can't do this though. Perhaps the requisite research is above his pay-grade. Instead he gives us the same old arguments about the Padres when the reality is that the vast majority of teams can't keep players once they pass the threshold of super-stardom. These arguments, read by casual Padres fans, are then taken as gospel and repeated ad nauseum. The angry parishioners want answers and Canepa is their prophet. But they're receiving answers from someone who argues like a 12 year old*.

*From time to time I have the opportunity to work with 12 year-olds. These kids are fun but intellectually they aren't quite ready to put forth the effort to support their opinions -- because it requires work. Eventually they grow out of this condition. Well, most do.

As for Nick Canepa's question regarding why should Padres fans show up this season, I guess my answer would sound something like this: Because I love baseball?*

Absent gross malfeasance by the organization, isn't that reason enough?

*I could have also answered Canepa with more detail. More support of my opinions, if you will.

After the 2011 season he Padres added a bunch of pieces to a team in dire need of pieces and I'm curious to see the new formula in action. 

Under the tutelage of Darren Balsley, will Edinson Volquez return to the form that netted Josh Hamilton in a trade back in 2007? 

Will Yonder Alonso show the left-handed swing tauted as perfect for PETCO park? 

Will Cameron Maybin continue to show the abilities that have fans clamoring for a long term extension? 

Will Chase Headley and Tim Stuaffer continue to make strides forward?

Will Corey Leubke become a name known outside of San Diego? 

Does Carlos Quentin have a swing that plays in PETCO? Is he the anti-Ludwick?

Has the gutted bullpen been rebuilt because it's looking like there's some promise with Street, Cashner, and Boxberger? 

How many of the players from the number one system in Major League baseball (according to Keith Law), will make it to San Diego this summer? 

And I want to see the Padres beat up on the Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks because Idisdain their existence.


I could come up with a few more intriguing questions/reasons but I'm at my threshold for words. Enjoy Fanfest if you're going tomorrow.

Tim Sullivan Makes-Up For What The U-T Lacks

A lot of criticism has been heaped upon segments of the San Diego media right here on this site. This past weekend I met up with some friends and when discussing the sources we seek out for information on the Padres the San Diego Union Tribune was not mentioned once.

I do not apologize for the criticism leveled.

In the interest of fairness however I need to find the time to also give praise when it is due. And it's the new year so let's shoot for a little positivity . . .

I personally like Tim Sullivan's style of writing. His references are fresh and he always puts together an intelligent piece of writing. I don't always agree with him but I never feel like I read something that was mailed-in. Merely one man's opinion.

He wrote two good columns in the last few days and I'd like to call attention to each as I think they're worth your time.

Padres GM motivated by need vs. cost of deals [January 6th, 2011]

Sullivan brings focus to the Padres actions of the last month noting how nearly every move sought to improve the team sooner than later and each also added payroll, a point that is never lost on fans.

Aside from one comment that appeared to condemn Jed Hoyer for ownership's reluctance to spend money during the last two seasons this is a fair article and worth reading.

On Sunday morning Sullivan wrote of Barry Larkin and what looks to be his sure-fire election to the Hall of Fame.

In a numbers game, Larkin now bound for Hall of Fame [January 7th, 2012]

Sullivan writes*:

In theory, a retired ballplayer does not grow more deserving with the passage of time. Unlike Emily Dickinson or Franz Kafka, his reputation cannot be enhanced by a stash of hits that are discovered posthumously.  

 I've never read Dickinson or Kafka but I understand his point. I do wish Sullivan would have made mention that, while players' stats don't change during their waiting period for potential Hall of Fame enshrinement, often the interpretations of those stats do.

The newer methods of evaluating the worth of a player are evolving and sometimes there is more than what initially meets the eye with what a player accomplished during his career. If a diary written by John F. Kennedy was found it could certainly change the way historians interpreted his presidency. It's similar with baseball, only far less important.

Two good reads by Sullivan.

* He also writes of how he no longer uses his BBWAA vote for the Hall of Fame and why. He has a pretty good point.

Delusions de Dean Spanos

A quote from Chargers owner Dean Spanos in Nick Canepa's Monday UT column:

“I like A.J., even though he’s a bit goofy,” Spanos says. “I trust him. He’ll tell you he’s made mistakes. Who hasn’t? But he takes chances. Sometimes you lose the bet, but if you’re going to win a world championship, you’ve got to take chances. I learned that from my father in our business. A.J.’s committed 100 percent to this organization.

 Now that there have been close to a billion comments on Canepa's Monday morning column it may be too little too late to be taking the piss out of Dean Spanos and the above quote.

"Too little, too late" does not compute....I've never let being late to the party abbreviate my thoughts so here it goes...

God Help Us...and them.

Really? Really, Dean? You learned from your father, that in order to win championships, you have to take chances? Really, Dean? Are you even aware as to why this entire city has the worse case of blue balls in all of sports? It's because San Diego HAS NO CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! For f*ck's sake!
(click "Read More" to continue)

Reading that Canepa article only confirms that the Spanos family is completely out to lunch and has little clue about running a franchise. Is that being overstated? The Chargers have had a nice run since 2004 but that nice little run has occurred absent a Lombardi Trophy. Perhaps it's hyperbole to say Dean Spanos has zero clue how to run the franchise but Canepa's column is proof positive that if the Chargers win a championship it will likely be in spite of current ownership.

I feel an impending sense of doom as a Chargers fan. My brain tells me they are moving to Los Angeles, a locale which would prevent me from ever rooting for them. My heart tells me that even if the Chargers stay, the Spanos family will continue to fall short in bringing home the hardware. Furthermore, my own personal experience with meeting Dean Spanos tells me that we are doomed on all fronts.

Yes... I have a Dean Spanos story. Allow me to be your proxy in delivering a message of doom. This message however is for another post on another day (or maybe another hour).

Until then...

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.

Game 4: So here's what I know.....

Not much!

Its Friday and the game started at 1:10.

1:10 pm!!??

When do Friday games ever start at 1:10? So I missed essentially all of the game aside from a few ABs on the game tracker. Perhaps you are in the same boat as I? Allow me to share with you the basics and then we'll turn to the experts for their analysis:

• The Padres lost 7-0.
• They couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat.......hey, you and I are in a boat too! Very few hits coupled with many Ks gives cause for the imbalanced of mind to hit panic switch.
• Clayton Richard looked pretty good. He tossed 7 innings and gave up 3 runs. Why do you think he got the starring role in the above picture?
• Sean Gallagher looked poor (and by "looked" poor I mean to say "that's what I've heard"). 1 inning and 4 Ernies. Sounds like a smashed watermelon.*

This isn't good enough so I shall provide more. Here's an article by Corey Brock and if you want to see the shear brutality in the form of a box score go ahead and pain yourself. This information is all well and good but what we really need in order to get a handle on the situation are the opinions of the UT comment posters. When they see a record of 1-3 with 158 left to play it's like blood in the water and they go for the kill......and by "go for the kill" I mean that they proclaim doomsday to have arrived. Damn Mayan comment posters! Let us begin.....


What say the proponents of reason?

Panic Button [check]. Pushed [check]. Insert AAA reference [check] Spell abbreviated form of"Jesus" with a "G" [check]. Proceed with 158 more games so I can continue to bitch.

Are people being facetious when they make this suggestion? I actually believe that they believe that this a viable option. Adding 35,000 more seats to house a Chargers game would be like moving an old building a short distance just so it could be incorporated into the structure of a new ball park.......uh, bad example. You get what I'm saying.

Hey, Hondo! There's over 155 games to go! I'm not even counting the 5 games from our eventual wild card appearance. I was joking about the latter statement but the former is straight up truth. I just examined the schedule and we actually have 158 games to go.

I couldn't resist making another bet after reading the Union Tribune online. Chill out people. The season is long. Save your crazy for mid June.
* I don't get smashed fruit as funny. Sorry I linked to it. My bad.

Game 1: Don't Push The Panic Button Yet.......wait 'til tomorrow

 I didn't even get to watch the game today.

I checked the tracker in the 2nd inning to see the Padres facing a quick 2 run deficit. I caught a sneak peek during a meeting to see us down by four and then re-opened my laptop at the ol' desk to see us down 6-zip. By the time I was on the drive home it was the top of the 9th and we were on the ugly side of a  6-1 drubbing. I vowed to keep the game on to listen to Uncle Ted call the 9th (something I rarely get to do) but also to see some late inning guts on display. Sure enough Adrian Gonzalez and Kyle Blanks popped back-to-back HRs and then the game ended on a Chase Headley line-out. From the post-game on XX1090 it sounded like Chase had a nice game, an early throwing error not withstanding.

Why do a write-up on a game I didn't even see? Because opening day is fun! Fun, in that, a Padres loss brings out a multitude of morons who begin claiming all is lost and the team will be lucky to win 61 games. It happened last year after I attended the opener (a horrible loss to the Dodgers) and then opened up  the UT the next today. The Padres were cooked, readers protested. Then the '09 edition won 9 of their next 11 games and readers were singing hosannas for our Friars. You get the point, don't you?

 One game does not make a season and UT readers/commenters can be effin-crazy!

How crazy? Well let's go to the UT and get some comment snapshots (click below to continue):

E-A-R-T-quake? I guess yesterday's 7.2 shook more than a few buildings. I would assume, that with a User Name like that, you were shaken by mother nature's wrath.......but after reading your thoughts......"161 more LOSSES".....nah, that doesn't qualify as rational thought.....although your math looks reputable, so you've got that goin' for you.

As of yet, Babakazoo has not responded to my offer. Can you blame him? It would be a bet of catastrophic idiocy. The 2010 team, on paper, is much better than the 2009 team which happened to stumble upon 75 wins. Now there's no guarantees that the Padres will match that total but to only win 61 games would be an epic failure.....something this team doesn't have in it......I don't think......email me Babakazoo.......avengingjackmurphy@hotmail.com.

Look......Dan Harren is a bona fide staff #1while Jon Garland is more like a #3.....what do you expect?

I'm not condemning the commenters on the UT but some of them are just crazy. Don't push the panic button yet.....wait 'til tomorrow.
[Box Score]

I'm not sure how I feel about the Jets game yet so listen to Acee

While I'm not sure how I feel about this Jets team yet, I 'm sure there will be ample opportunity to work something Jersey Shore related, into a post at some point this week. Listen to Kevin Acee in the meantime:

Defining Moments: Week 10, Chargers v Eagles

Last week the Chargers did what all "Good" teams must stand up and do from time to time: win a tough game on the road.

Regardless of the fact that the Giants were in a bit of a tailspin at the time it was still a great test because the Chargers' primary weakness (stopping the run) would be attacked by the Giants' strength (running the ball). OK so perhaps we were lucky that Coach Coughlin decided to abandon the run and let ShE-LI do the heavy lifting......who cares, the game was three time zones away and the Chargers' had a defining moment.

Today is the time for another defining moment. The Bolts' are home against another tough NFC East team and to keep pace with the foundering Denver Donkeys a victory is called for.

How good are the Eagles? I don't know, who does? They lost to the Raiders and destroyed the Giants so who can definitively say. Here's all we need to know: the Chargers are at home and they must do what all "Good" teams do.......WIN AT HOME. The Chargers are 2-2 at home and that is not the mark of a "Good" team but today they have the chance to prove themselves worthy of the pre-season hype. Defining moments.

I don't care who the opponent is today.
I don't care if PETA is protesting the return of Vick or if he's featured in a Wildcat set.
I don't care about Brian Westbrook's health.
I don't care about Andy Reid's game plan.
I don't care about ANYTHING.......
Except the fact that the Chargers are at HOME.

"Good" teams win at home. Are the Chargers good?

For more Bolt/Eagle previews:

Eagles-Chargers: Predictions, match-ups, and more [Philly.com]
Eagles-Chargers: What To Watch For [619Sports.net]

Acee Advance: Chargers versus Eagles

Next Week on the UT Charger Roundtable: Kevin Acee meets the Bloggers....and then Nick Canepa has an aneurysm

I was just watching the weekly Chargers Roundtable that Acee, Canepa, and Posner do for the Union Tribune and there was mention that Kevin Acee would have special guests next week: local Charger bloggers.

Acee's guests will be members of Bolts From The Blue and Glorify the Past. After watching the entire Charger Roundtable: what condescending pricks!

The only thing that ever really matters is perception and what I saw was a boss who told his beat writer he needed to do this to keep up with the competition (see: 619Sports.net)...... who incidentally, had already beat them to the punch on the concept. Oh.....and I also saw a crotchety relic of a columnist named Nick Canepa, nudge Acee and scoff at the notion of meeting with "non-journalists". A gathering with the steerage class of sports writers? Lord no! What a couple of ass-hats.

Or have I overreacted?

Go ahead and hover over the video. The mighty paper of record couldn't even spell [sic] Chargeres correctly. Also, if I'm not mistaken it was a Charger blog (GTP?) who suggested to Kevin Acee that he needed to make his UT videos available for embedding on other sites. Glad the paper lent credence to something a lowly blog suggested.

Editor's Note:
I don't think that I've missspelled anyting. Of coarse teh same standerds dont apply at this site,