This off-season the Padres’ cable channel has been broadcasting abridged versions of individual games from the 2001 season every Tuesday night. We usually have them on in the background, as my wife and I both find the presence of a baseball game in our home comforting. Yes, I know I’m a very lucky man.

Last night’s game was played on August 11 in Pittsburgh, and pitted Joe Beimel versus Brian Lawrence. Among other things, Tony Gwynn hit his first homer of the season that night, a blast to dead center off the Bucs’ young southpaw. I also saw evidence of why the Padres don’t believe D’Angelo Jimenez is suited to shortstop. On a ball hit up the middle by Pat Meares, Jimenez made a terrific play going to his left but got absolutely nothing on the throw and sent it well wide of first base. It’s only one play, and I’m still not convinced he can’t handle shorstop, but he did just enough of that last year that I can at least understand Kevin Towers’ thinking.

The other cool thing was watching Lawrence pitch. Baseball Prospectus touted him as one of the top 40 prospects in the game prior to last season, and frankly, I thought they were nuts. But seeing him again last night reminded me of why he’s really grown on me. Everything he throws moves, and he knows how to pitch. Sure, his fastball comes in at about 85-86 MPH on a good day but he can’t throw it straight. Despite the obvious comps to Greg Maddux, I think they do both pitchers a disservice. Usually I like to downgrade finesse righties to more of a Rick Reed or Bob Tewksbury type of pitcher, both fine hurlers in their own right. But I can’t shake this nagging suspicion that Lawrence is going to be better than Reed or Tewksbury and end up more like, say, Rick Reuschel. He won’t be the #1 that Maddux has become but he could be a very good #3 starter for many years.

Shifting gears, here’s the latest on the labor situation (ESPN.com). Looks like Commissioner Squidward and his cronies are finally ready to show the world just what terrible shape MLB is in. Maybe…