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 . . .

Gwynn Thoughts: The statue, the brick

On Thursday I wrote of a few initial memories that arose from the ashes of my mind after hearing of Tony Gwynn's pending cancer surgery. I meant to continue with my Gwynn thoughts on Friday but life found a way to interrupt my little plans. This was from the 2007 season . . .

I knew this girl. She was not a baseball fan. But it was tickets to a ball game she had received for some demonstration of excellence. She knew I was a baseball fan however and quickly approached me to make the sale.

Sheepishly, I replied to her sales pitch, "Awww . . . I don't know. Those seats are pretty expensive." 

She reduced the price and I guiltily scooped them up. This particular game was to be played off in the future. July 21st to be exact. Against the Phillies. Excited that the seats were right behind the visitors' dugout I filed away the tickets and didn't give the game another thought . . .

As the date came-up on me over the summer I realized it would be the game in which Tony Gywnn would be immortalized with a statue at the Park in the Park. 

Earlier that year as a Valentine's Day gift for Mrs. AJM I had purchased a brick inscribed with our daughter's name to be placed around the base of the statue. Perfectly, I had purchased tickets to the game in which Tony Gwynn would be recognized for his career accomplishments. One week later he would head to Cooperstown to be enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame.

The seats were three rows behind the visitor's dugout, the best seats I ever had to a game. And that is my most vivid memory* -- being close to the Phillies players as Ted Leitner served as Master of Ceremonies. Each player -- Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and the rest of the Phillies -- stood at the top of the dugout with stares fixed on Gwynn. I may have spent more time watching them pay their respects to Gwynn than watching Gwynn receive a career summation from Leitner. I didn't feel too bad about it though -- I have a brick.

*This game was absolutely brutal. The Phillies stomped the Padres into the ground. The fossil known as Jamie Moyer, baffled the Padres into submission and Ryan Howard destroyed whoever was pitching for the home nine.

***
Research tells me that the match-up between Jaime Moyer and David Wells (both 44 years old) combined to be the second oldest pitching match-up in the history of the game:

On Saturday, the second-oldest match-up will take place at PETCO Park between the San Diego Padres' David Wells and the Philadelphia Phillies' Jamie Moyer.
The 44-year-olds will have a combined age of 88 years, 307 days when they take the mound, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

They didn't think to mention who was #1 so I went and found it for you (us). Here it is: The oldest pitching match-up occurred in 1987 when Don Sutton and Phil Niekro got after it at 90 years and 135 days. Interestingly enough, in 2007 the mark for the oldest lefty match-up was set four different times:

April 12th: Jamie Moyer versus Tom Glavine
April 24th: David Wells versus Randy Johnson
May 9th: Jaime Moyer versus Randy Johnson
July 21st: David Wells versus Jamie Moyer.

What a fun year for old people.

***
To be specific regarding Ryan Howard. He hit two HRs, one of which landed in the upper deck in left center field, and finished with 5 RBI. Just so I can describe the destruction with a degree of precision, ya know.

***
Milton Bradley fell a double short of the cycle. It was his 10th game as a Padre.

***
Khalil Green left three runners on base and Kevin Kouzmanoff struck out twice. I. Am. Shocked!

***
Thank you, Mr. Padre.

Gwynn Thoughts: The 5.5 Hole In 2001

Questions of mortality often rekindle the fondest memories . So many memories . . .

Towards the end of the 2001 season I attended a Padres game with the future Mrs. AJM, my best friend, and his future Ex-Mrs. The future Ex-Mrs. of my best friend was the future Mrs. AJM's best friend. We introduced them. It's all very convoluted but it's neither here nor there. This is about Tony Gwynn and the 5.5 hole . . .



As we sat in Jack Murphy Stadium in the upper reaches of Left Field we had a perfect view of the infield and the locale that Tony Gwynn made so famous. On this particular evening, no doubt in celebration of Gwynn's career arriving at its conclusion, the infield dirt between third base and shortstop was emblazoned with a giant 5.5. Etched into the dirt, these numbers served as a reminder to every Padres fan the manner in which Gwynn plied his trade each night in Mission Valley and across the country.

Of course my guests weren't really aware of this fact. The girls were casual fans and my buddy had recently moved to San Diego from Arizona via New York. They didn't understand the significance of the numbers so I explained the numeration to all. I felt smart.

In front of our seats sat another couple. I overheard a young guy and girl reference the 5.5 hole and question it's meaning so I politely explained it to them. The guy looked at me and said, "That's not what it means!"

I assured him of my certainty but he wasn't having it. I sat back in my seat and delivered a mental assault for the ages. I don't recall who the Padres played or the outcome, only the homage to Tony Gwynn, the friends that accompanied me, and my brief conversation with the most ignorant man in San Diego.

Slashed into the 5.5 hole . . . whaddya think?

Gwynn Thoughts: The 1989 Batting Race

After hearing that Tony Gwynn was going for another round of cancer surgery in his cheek my mind started spinning, registering my fondest moments of Tony Gwynn over the years. Fortunately, after 14 hours, the surgery sounds like it was a success. 

As I pondered Gwynn's mortality this was one of my thoughts . . .

In 1989 I was still a new edition to Padre fandom. I didn't hate LA or the San Francisco quite yet and it was evidenced by my excitement to see Will Clark and the Giants visit San Diego on the last weekend of the season. The Padres had just been mathematically eliminated but the batting title was not yet decided. The race featured Will Clark and a guy who was fast becoming one of my favorite players: Tony Gwynn.

I attended the Saturday game on September 30th. It was Flan Appreciation Night. While even a novice like myself appreciated the way Tim Flannery played San Diego was there to see Gwynn and Clark. Gwynn entered the Saturday evening contest in front of 47, 787 fans hitting .331 after going 1 for 5 on Friday evening. Will Clark went 2 for 4 in that Giants win on September 29th and stood at .334 entering Saturday's contest.

In a game that featured Mark "Mudcat" Grant* on the hill for the Padres and the hefty Rick Reuschel throwing for the Giants both Gwynn and Clark went to work.

*Mud entered the game in the 5th inning. He worked a long five innings of relief to get the win and move his record to 8-2. As Mud would say, "That's Some Kinda Nice."



When the dust settled the Padres had won 11-5, chasing 17 game winner Rick Reuschel after 4 innings. Will Clark's 1 for 4 left him remaining static (.334) but Tony Gwynn had made his move. Gwynn's 3 for 4 night had raised his average to .333.

I had attended this game with my best friend, Rob. As the game turned into a laugher and the crowd began to dissipate we stealthily maneuvered to field level seats behind home plate. We both witnessed the last ABs of Gwynn and Clark as close as anyone possibly could that night.

The next afternoon (October 1st, 1989) would see Gwynn bang out another 3 hits in a 3-0 Padres win. Gwynn's effort was too much for Will Clark who could only manage another 1 for 4 dropping his average to .333. After a 3 for 4 game on consecutive days Tony Gwynn's average stood complete at .336 good enough for his 4th batting title.

I left Flan Appreciation night with a pin and an indelible memory of Tony Gwynn's determination and craftsmanship at the plate.

Gwynn Numbers: 184 in 1984

In 1984 Tony Gwynn hit .351/.410/.444 as the Padres advanced to the World Series.

His first batting title and a Padres run of success (also a first) led to a third place finish in the MVP race. Gwynn finished behind Ryne Sandberg, and Keith Hernandez that year, receiving 1 vote for 1st in and finishing with a total of 184 voting points. But this post is more about a baseball card.

Topps released this card in 1985 which of course featured Gwynn's vaunted '84 stats. As a youngster living elsewhere I recall staring at those numbers, as I did with all of my cards. Seeing the little diamond placed next to the .351 BA and thinking how elusive it sounded.

I also remember thinking that I wanted to look like Tony Gwynn. I wanted those flip-shades! I wanted to be an outfielder even though it meant, as a little-leaguer, a death sentence of boredom and in-action out in pastures of green. I just wanted to wear those flip-shades.

Nobody wears those cool flips anymore, instead opting for Oakleys and the like. I'm going to buy a pair and wear them to the bar. Yes . . . I'll be that guy.

Gwynn Numbers: Strikeout Minutiae

The long walk back to the dugout after having swung a bat and missed -- abject failure personified.

I came across an interesting comment on strikeouts and batting title qualification yesterday morning. Naturally I thought of Tony Gwynn . . .

From Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

From the Bill Chuck* files. “Over the last 10 seasons, only three players who qualified for the batting title have struck out fewer than 100 times each season: Ichiro Suzuki, Albert Pujols, and Damon (Johnny).

*This stat comes from a Nick Cafardo column but it is contributed by a guy named Bill Chuck.

When I think of Ichiro and Albert Pujols I think of great hitters, batting champions. Johnny Damon not so much. But this is not about batting championships. It's about guys who received the requisite number of plate appearances to qualify for a batting title (502), to do it for 10 straight seasons, and to have K'd less than a 100 times in each season. I thought it would have been a higher number of players but 'tis a rare thing to stay injury free for ten seasons.

Ichiro Suzuki is a contact hitter. There's no surprise that he is a part of this short list. In winning 2 batting titles during his 11 seasons, Ichiro has averaged 68 strikeouts per season with a low of 53 and a high of 86. For a slap hitter who controls the zone so well these numbers seem high. Despite only two batting titles Ichiro's flurry of 200* hit seasons have led him to a career .326 BA.

*This incredible run ended in 2011 when Ichiro took a nose-dive, collecting a mere 186 hits with  a .272 BA.

Albert Pujols is a power hitter. But he's also a great hitter. In winning 1 batting title during his 11 seasons, Albert has averaged 64 strikeouts per year with a low of 50 and a high of 93. The 93 Ks occurred during Pujols' rookie year and he hasn't been close to that figure since. Despite only 1 batting title Albert Pujols has a career .328 BA.

Johnny Damon is some guy who claimed to be an idiot. His teams over the last 10 years have mostly been winners but he's never won a batting title. To date, Johnny Damon's career is significantly longer than Ichiro's (11) and Pujols' (11) as he has just finished his 17th year. In his 17 seasons Damon has averaged 72 strikeout per year but in his last three years (ages 35-39) he has averaged 93 Ks. Time is slowly catching up with Johnny Damon -- idiot. Johnny Damon once hit .327 during a season. Unfortunately it was only good for tenth place in 2000. He has a career .286 BA.

Clearly Johnny Damon is not in the same class of hitters as Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols. We already knew this. But in living through what appears to be the Age of the Strikeout, Johnny Damon's relative consistency is noteworthy even though, as a lead-off hitter*, he really shouldn't strikeout that much. He should also be lauded for staying healthy, and in so doing, keeping himself on the field and in the line-up.

*In 1573 of Johnny Damon's 2426 games he has hit 1st in the batting order.

Which brings us to Tony Gwynn . . .


Tony Gwynn is masterful. Batting crown discussions begin with the names of Cobb and Hornsby but often end with Gwynn. The man has a statue for crying-out-loud! We know all of this.

In his 20 year career Tony Gwynn averaged a God-like 22 strikeouts per year. His high was 40 Ks in 1988 when he squeaked out a batting title with a .313 BA. His lowest strikeout total (in a batting title qualifying year) was 15 in 1995 when he won his 6th batting title with a .368 BA.

What about the 1997 season when Gwynn started to synthesize all of his knowledge about hitting and stroked a career high 17 HRs? He still only struck out 28 times.

In the last ten years of Gwynn's career (1991-2011) the 1997 season was the only one in which he left the teens for strikeout totals, averaging only 16*.

*Due to injuries, Tony Gwynn only qualified for the batting title in 6 of those 11 seasons.

Tony Gwynn Could Hit So What's The Point?

I have to go back to Johnny Damon. He's 38 years old and entering his 18th season. He is a fit man so a couple of more seasons seems reasonable as he's managed to average 146 games per year over the last three seasons. If he can average the same number of hits (149 in 2010 and 2011) over the next two seasons then retire he would finish with 3021 hits for his career. Johnny Damon -- Idiot -- could find himself at the magical 3000 plateau which nearly ensures induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame*.

*Those in the 3000 hit club who are not in the HOF: Rafael Palmeiro (likely burned the bridge when he wagged finger at Congress and then tested positive for PEDs); Craig Biggio (eligible for HOF in 2013); Derek Jeter (Active. And a shoo-in). Oh yea . . . Pete Rose too.

Gwynn and Damon

Currently Johnny Damon has 2723 hits scattered across 10,693 plate appearances. Tony Gwynn finished with 3,141 hits in 10,232 PAs . . . which is 461 fewer PAs than Johnny Damon. If Johnny Damon gets to 3000 hits then it will have taken him roughly 1500 more plate appearances than it took Tony Gwynn to accomplish the mark. Clearly this discrepancy in PAs and Hits will account for Johnny Damon's low-.280ish BA at career's end.

A Gwynn comparison isn't fair to Johnny Damon. With 8 batting titles to his credit Tony Gwynn is the gold standard when it comes to hitting. It is how he is remembered. Consequently he is in Baseball's Hall of Fame.

When Johnny Damon retires with more than 3000 hits to his name I will remember him as follows: part of the 2004 Red Sox; a flimsy looking swing; a massive jaw-line; and a self-proclaimed idiot.

After the event takes place I'll likely nod my head in affirmation and make a weird face. And then I'll write something about Tony Gwynn. And then, other than to acknowledge he had a nice career, I won't think of Johnny Damon again.

Gwynn Numbers: A Weird Angle To 1994

I wanted to do some comparative player research but I've been derailed by Tony Gwynn's epic 1994 season. This post is not about WAR (Wins Above Replacement). But that's where it starts . . .

I wanted to compare Gwynn's highest WAR season to that of a player who shall remain nameless (maybe I'll look at him next week). I figured I would start with the strike shortened 1994 season, the year of the gaudy .394 AVG. Surprisingly*, at 3.4 WAR, 1994 was only Tony Gwynn's 8th best season according to Wins Above Replacement. Crazy, I know.

*Surprising to me anyway. The Gwynn seasons that always stand out to me are 1994 because of the run at .400 but also 1997 (5.2 WAR .372/.409/.547). In 1997, at age 37, Gwynn showed a slugging surge with career highs in HR (17) and RBI (119). This was the year Tony fully implemented the theories from his talks with Ted Williams at the 1992 All-Star game. I think Ted had yelled at him for not turning on inside pitches with authority. Something like that.

To look at Gwynn's highest season, again according to WAR, one look no further than 1987 where, at 8.1, he finished 8th in NL MVP* voting. In '87 Gwynn had a slash-line of .370/.447/.511 where he led the league in batting average and hits. His league leading hits included 13 triples.

*According to Baseball-Reference.com anything above 8 WAR is an MVP caliber season. Of course the Padres stunk in 1987 (65-97 finishing dead last in the 6 team NL West) and it would be straight-up crazy-talk to award the MVP to a guy on a crappy team. Andre Dawson won the MVP in '87 and the Cubs were pretty awesome that year.

But this post is not about WAR. I want to get back to the 1994 season and Gwynn's magical run at .400.

After 110 games the season came to an end and Gwynn led the league in hits (165) BA (.394) and OBP (.454). There was one more category in which Gwynn was the league leader at year's end. Any guesses?

If you guessed GDP (double plays grounded into) then you are a miserable sob who doesn't deserve to bask in the eternal glow of Mr. Padre's bronze statue at the top of the hill in the Park in the Park! But if that was your guess you are a miserable sob with some knowledge. Let's apply that knowledge!

With 20 GDP, Gwynn led the league in 1994. He hit into 20 double plays again the next year but it took him 20 more games to do it. But again, very surprised by this stat. Why so many GDP from a guy who nearly hit .400 for the season?

Gwynn was 34 in 1994 and based on this 1995 Fleer baseball card the weight around the waste is becoming evident.

In 1994 he no longer stole bases like he did from 1984-1989 when he averaged 34 swipes per season. He stole a scant 5 bases in 1994 but would follow it up with 17 in 1995. So we can't really say that his speed was entirely gone, although his knees were on their way. There's not necessarily a correlation between stolen bases and GDP, but I'm looking for an explanation of some sort.

What about injury? He did miss 7 games during the strike shortened season. After coming out during the 5th inning of the opener Tony missed the next 6 games. Could it have been a knee strain? Something that slowed him down enough to get doubled-up with greater frequency?

Where does Gwynn rank for GDP in his career? According to the Baseball Almanac Gwynn ranks 23rd all-time in GDP. If you look at the those ranked above him it's a pretty stellar list of Hall-of-Famers and other recognizable names. Of those ranking above Gwynn only the name of Clemente would I associate with any type of speed*, most of the honorees being more the lumbering type. The list also confirms that if you play long enough you're likely to be a part of a bad statistical measurement.

*This is a dubious claim. I never saw Clemente play and his career totals for stolen bases are paltry (6 per season). But when I think of Clemente I always think of that clip of him running the bases. He looked fast (see 5:12 of clip). Maybe it was just the effort with which he ran.

What about Ted Williams' GDP during his great 1941 campaign when he hit .406? Let's put it this way: Williams grounded into 21 double plays . . . if you combine his famous .406 season of '41 and his .388 year of 1957. Ted did have high seasons of GDP (22 in 1949 and 19 in 1958 at age 39) but in each of those years he hit .343 or below. Of course, Ted was more of a fly-ball hitter with that slight uppercut swing. So maybe it makes perfect sense that Ted Williams never had an overly high GDP total.

Tony Gwynn was not a flyball hitter. He plied his trade peppering the 5.5 hole between third and short and maybe that's where the answer lies. Tony Gwynn hit the ball on the screws and he hit it on the ground and he never did it more consistently than 1994.

At the premature end of the '94 season, Tony Gwynn led the league in GDP -- while hitting .394. And that distinction still blows me away.

Where Joe Posnanski Mentions Tony Gwynn

I came across* an extremely long post by Joe Posnanski yesterday, called A Long Hall of Fame Review. A curiously long post as Joe might say. It was so long I still haven't finished it. But the gist was Hall of Fame voting . . .


Pos went back and examined every Hall of Fame vote since 1966. He was basically trying to find a predictor for Jack Morris and whether he was likely to make it into the HOF based on the high percentage of votes he received this year (66.7%) and will need next year (75% for entrance).

He does this cool exercise where he creates all star teams from guys who only survived on the ballot for one year and another team for guys who were on for a couple years. And he argues that these teams would actually destroy teams comprised of the lowest tiered players who did make it into the Hall of Fame.

It was very cool. I only stopped because I came upon this gem:

One thing I have come to believe is that unless a player is a slam-dunk choice like Frank Robinson or Tony Gwynn, the rest of the ballot matters a lot. I don’t think that a player has to be the best choice on the ballot. But I do think that he has to be the best choice IN HIS CATEGORY on the ballot.

In a time where so much talk centers around who is really a Hall of Famer, do they pass the eyeball test or what is it that their statistics really say about them, it is warming to the soul to see that the Sports Writer of The Year acknowledges Tony Gwynn as a slam dunk choice as a HOFer. And perhaps it is equally gratifying to see Tony, as a singles hitter, mentioned in the same sentence as a slugger like Frank Robinson.

In a sad way it often feels like Tony Gwynn is the only thing a Padre fan can really hang their hat. And somehow, because it is Tony, I'm perfectly fine with that distinction.

*(h/t Hardball Talk)

19 Reasons Why A Losing Padres Season Became Bearable

The 2011 Padres season, one in which the home team finished 20 games below .500, was difficult on each and every one of our faithful community. But despite the losses exceeding the wins in by a wide margin, reflection has provided me with much needed perspective.

In many ways the 2011 season was akin to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace . . .

Hindsight tells us that the Phantom Menace was a terrible movie. George Lucas' dialogue gave new meaning to the word trite and his introduction of the soul crushing character Jar Jar Binks - well, it crushed our collective souls. The film was not without intrigue, however.

To see a Jedi at his full powers and the edition of an outstanding double-lightsabre wielding villain in the form of Darth Maul, were just rewards for the nerds (me) who waited a painstaking 16 years to experience an additional episode of Star Wars.. These positive aspects of the Phantom Menace each conspire to make the aforementioned pain far more bearable.

The 2011 season for the San Diego Padres was not dissimilar. Yet it's so easy to dwell solely on the negative.

My exercise in reflection led me to 19 examples of why a 71-91 was not so bad. These 19 examples were more than enough for me to justify following a team that often played so poorly.

For Padres fans the number 19 is an ideal, our fandom's golden mean. 

As we approach opening day2012,  I'll discuss 19 games / moments / thoughts that were of import to me. These moments will present themselves chronologically, with occasional exception.

It is my hope that the positive nature of these posts can return me to a more desirable middle ground* as a fan of the San Diego Padres.

*Why does someone start a blog? Because they're bothered by something, naturally. Rants and raves ensue and it can create a downward spiral of negativity. I yearn to return to a middle ground of perfection . . . 19.

The Gwynn Opener: A Requirement For Fans

About a month ago I unpinned the wall calendar and set it on the table.

The time had come to map out the opening week of the baseball season which coincided fortuitously with my vacation.

I told the Mrs. that I wanted Opening Day against the Giants on April 5th but that of equal importance was the second home game the next day.

I didn't explain the importance of that second game. But in so many ways, it was far more important than the home opener. You see, this was The Gwynn Opener.


According to Gwynn the home opener was always a blast. The pomp and circumstance, the sellout crowd, the bunting. I mean, who doesn't love red white and blue bunting? Tony loved it. But he said it was not his favorite of days. Tony Gwynn loved the day after the opener.

I tried to search out an exact quote from Gwynn on this matter and sure enough it was referenced by none other than Tom Krasovic, today on his blog. While covering the game Kras came across #19 on his way to the broadcast booth. Kras writes:

The day after the Padres' home opener typically was Tony Gwynn's favorite day of the baseball year, so it was only appropriate that Mr. Padre walked into Petco Park on Wednesday afternoon, smile on face one day after San Diego sold out and won its home opener.

"This is my day, yeah, ha, ha, ha," he said. "You find out who's who. Sellout crowd yesterday, so we'll find out today who the real fans are."

Perhaps it is a bit harsh to say those who don't show-up the day after Opening Day aren't real fans. But I get the sentiment that Tony expressed, and if you were at today's game you would too.

As a Padre fan, today was an embarrassment. I knew it would be. There was black and there was orange. The cacophony of endless Giants chants coupled with an ambush of Padres starter Tim Stauffer conspired to beat me into submission. Today at PETCO was not dissimilar to the general disrespect that accompanies an unwanted house guest. Feet up on the table, loud.

Perhaps the unwanted house guest syndrome wouldn't be an issue if Padre fans chose to adhere to The Gwynn Opener as part of their opening week rituals.

It's difficult to make binding promises years in advance but I will make it a goal to always attend the Padres' home opener because it is a meaningful symbol of renewal each spring.

And even more importantly I will make the effort to attend The Gwynn Opener. I will attend as a show of respect to the greatest Padre of them all... but to also keep the riffraff at bay. I don't like the feet of house guests propped up on my furniture. And I certainly don't like orange.

The Long Awaited Trip To Cooperstown

I completely blew it in 2007.

I was so consumed by hatred for the New England Patriots and a trip to Foxborough, MA to see the Chargers play that I never considered the only true touring option for 2007; a trip to Cooperstown, NY to see Tony Gwynn's induction into baseball's HOF*.

Like I said... I blew it.

So here's my chance (and yours) for atonement.

Assuming by the year 2016, HOF voters will have come around to the idea of electing Closers in to The Hall on the first ballot, Padres fans will have the opportunity to travel to New York and see Trevor Hoffman's induction.

It's never to early to start planning.

*I should really contact Tony Gwynn and apologize. He deserved to have all of San Diego there in New York to see his HOF induction, considering the sacrifices he made to spend his entire career here. A little support... is it too much to ask for?