How It Is

Do you have the time to listen to me whine?
–Green Day, "Basket Case"

My new job has me building and editing web sites 8+ hours a day. I’m loving it, but by the time I get off work, my wrists and elbows are shot. The last thing I want to do when I get home is work on a web site.

That said, Ducksnorts ain’t going away. No chance. When I started this site back many moons ago, the idea was to talk about baseball in general and learn some web technology along the way. I’ve had the chance to talk to a lot of baseball fans with many ideas and opinions, which has been awesome. And I’ve learned a lot about baseball, probably the most important lesson being that there’s a lot more to learn. Web technology? Hey, Ducksnorts is at least partially responsible for my current position. Can’t complain there.

There was a point to this. Ah, yes. I started out talking about baseball in general but slowly gravitated toward covering the Padres and its minor league affiliates. My mission has moved from spouting off about anything and everything baseball (there are better places for that–see Baseball Primer) to spreading the word that there is a Major League Baseball team in San Diego and that it’s a pretty darned exciting franchise.

I myself, growing up in Los Angeles, was a Dodger fan until the early-’90s. This is tough to admit, but I used to hate the Padres. I cheered for the Tigers in the 1984 World Series (I had family in Michigan and actually attended a game at Tiger stadium that summer; plus Steve Garvey was a traitor). But after living in San Diego for several years and watching the team, I gradually shifted allegiances. You could say the Padres converted me.

So now here I am. A convert of the worst kind. I’m going to spread the word if it kills me. Memo to the world: The Padres are here; they’re not quite ready to kick serious tail but they’re getting close. And when (not "if") it happens, Ducksnorts will be here to celebrate with y’all. It’s gonna be sweet.

How It’s Going to Be

Okay, this is starting to read like one of those lunatic manifestos, so we’ll shift gears here.

The larger point is that, although Ducksnorts ain’t going away, it’s changing a bit. I’ve thought long and hard about this, and right now the best I can commit to is two blog entries a week. So what I’m going to do is post a long piece on Monday and a shorter piece on Thursday that kind of catches whatever gets missed in the long piece. Anything beyond the two entries a week will be a bonus.

How long will this arrangement last? I have no idea. We’ll see how things go. Rest assured, though, coverage won’t be diminished, it’ll just be distributed a little differently. I’ll also be posting more Padre items over at Baseball Primer so we can bring our plan of global domination to a larger audience.

And speaking of the Padres at Baseball Primer, thanks to all of you who have read and commented on my 2003 Padres preview over there. I’ll keep updating that as situations dictate throughout Spring Training.

Fine, Thanks for Asking

I watch the sea; it helps to anchor me
–Geddy Lee, "My Favorite Headache"

Some of you have asked about the new job and expressed your sympathy at my not being able to visit Petco Park at lunch. Just wanted to let you know, I’m doing well. Working in La Jolla is a very different experience from working downtown, and I do miss Petco Park. But it’s not all bad. Here’s my new favorite lunch spot:

I sit on that there bench and watch the seagulls and seals. It’s very calming.

Spring Training Update

Enough babbling. Let’s talk baseball! What’s happened to the Padres this week?

• Nevin could miss season (U-T). The converted third baseman dislocated his left shoulder while making a diving catch in left field. He’ll have surgery, which likely will cause him to miss the entire 2003 season. Brian Buchanan, Roberto Kelly, and Xavier Nady are listed as in-house candidates to replace Nevin.
• Padres, Lawrence agree on four-year contract (U-T). The deal reportedly is worth a guaranteed $8 million. The club has an option for 2007. Given Lawrence’s health record and pitching style, this seems like a good investment to me.
• Perez rocked for three HRs (U-T). Oliver Perez is struggling early. Nobody is particularly concerned. Also, former top prospect Eric Cyr was claimed off waivers by the Angels and Tagg Bozied hit a homer nearly 500 feet in a game.
• Rousing return for Ramsay (NC Times). Left-hander Rob Ramsay, recovering from brain cancer, retired Ray Durham, Neifi Perez, and Rich Aurilia on five pitches in a game last week. It was Ramsay’s first appearance in a game since September 2001. Ramsay still must undergo chemotherapy every six weeks. He may never appear in a big-league game for San Diego, but his spirit and the way the organization has treated him make me proud to be a Padre fan.

Game Report

Caught most of yesterday’s game against the Cubs. A few quick notes:

• Oliver Perez is overthrowing according to Rick Sutcliffe, who also claimed that he might be the Padres’ second best outfielder behind Mark Kotsay. He struggled with command of his fastball, which is one of the main things he’s working on this spring.
• Xavier Nady looked very comfortable in left field and at the plate. First time I’d seen him in the outfield. His arm isn’t great, but it’s stronger than I expected and accurate. He nailed a runner at the plate to end the second; did a good job of charging the ball and throwing while moving toward the target. At the plate he lined two singles and flied to the warning track in right to end the sixth.
• Shane Victorino, viewed as a replacement for Eugene Kingsale, showed similarities to his predecessor. Long swing from the left side, speed to burn, good arm in center. He’s expected to make the team as a Rule V guy.
• Brady Anderson is in great shape. He has no bat speed. He also had the best line of the day. Responding to Mark Grant’s question about his off-season workout regimen, Anderson said (the quote may not be 100% accurate, but I assure you the spirit is): "Same as yours; sit around and drink beer."
• Dennis Tankersley again looked tentative, falling behind in the count too often and allowing an impressive homer to Corey Patterson on a pitch down and in. Sutcliffe mentioned Tankersley’s need to throw first-pitch strikes (in a limited sample, last year batters hit .238/.297/.425 against him after the count was 0-1, as opposed to .310/.504/.560 after a 1-0 count). Sutcliffe also talked about trying to lower Tankersley’s hands so that his arm doesn’t have to catch up to his body. I’m not smart enough to fully understand that, but the important point is that they’re working on his mechanics.
• Cubs’ Class-A left-hander Felix Sanchez reminded me a bit of Perez. John Sickels gives him a C grade in his upcoming book but Sanchez looked intriguing to me.
• Darkhorse catcher Miguel Ojeda made a great throw in the sixth, nailing Bobby Hill trying to steal second base on a curve ball in the dirt.
• Jaret Wright came out of the game after pitching to three batters due to a strained left oblique. No word yet on how long he’s expected out of action.
• Sutcliffe and Matt Vasgersian sang the praises of Donaldo Mendez, who did manage to hit a ball to the warning track in center in the seventh. I still don’t see it.
• Sutcliffe speculated that the Padres might try to acquire Kansas City’s Carlos Beltran. That seems far-fetched to me, and I shudder to think of what Kevin Towers would have to part with to make it happen..
• I have to admit, I was impressed by what I saw of Roberto Kelly. His bat speed appeared to be real good. He might yet be this year’s Ron Gant.

Next televised game: tonight against the Angels at 6 PM on Channel 4.

The Langoliers

Has anybody seen this movie, based on a Stephen King story? I ask because, due to an unfortunate programming error, I didn’t tape the final 10 minutes or so and I’d like to know how it ends. I saw right up until they decided which person would stay awake when they returned through the time rift. If you’ve seen the movie, please drop me a line and let me know what happens. It’s driving me nuts.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s really not all that great. But when you invest that much time into something, you want resolution.

Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

Three Padre prospects made the list: Xavier Nady (#44), Khalil Greene (#57), and Mark Phillips (#84). Tagg Bozied also merited an honorable mention.

Wrap It Up, I’ll Take It

Whew, that was a lot of information. Well, a lot of words anyway. Just to recap:

• Monday = big report
• Thursday = little report
• anything else = gravy

Meantime, I’ll be at Baseball Primer and Fanstop, or you can always drop me a line. Maybe I can do some "mailbag" type columns.

Finally, I leave you with two more sites:

• PDX Beavers — You know it, you love it; catch all the latest goings-on with the Portland Beavers
• CCDC Ballpark District WebCam — Another view of Petco Park

Okay, I’m done now. Really, I am. See ya Thursday…