I don’t have a stupid little story to lead in with today, so let’s get right to the letters. Seems we touched a few nerves in the May 24 entry. This makes us very happy.

From Jeff #287:

Damn, Geoff. You hit the nail on the head with every one of your points. I couldn’t agree more with [Kerry] Robinson, Tank [Dennis Tankersley], and the frustration. This is a takeable division, but the Padres will have to be smart to take it. I still expect [Dodgers' GM Paul] DePodesta to go get himself some middle infield talent that will make the Dodgers a force.

And that aside, even if we can just fumble along, and take the division without much thinking involved from management, we’ll get our asses handed to us come the playoffs. This team has shown the inability to close out good teams, and that’s what makes it to the postseason.

But the thing that has me most worried right now is Jake Peavy. If he goes down, our season goes down with him. My fingers are crossed.

The Padres, obviously, are much improved over last season’s squad. But as you say, they’ll need to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. The Pads can’t afford to be blowing six-run leads in Pittsburgh and scoring four runs in three games against the Rockies if they expect to contend. People who don’t follow the ballclub very closely are surprised at how well the Padres are doing this season. People who do follow them are disappointed that they’re not doing even better. The talent is there. Right now the Pads are just treading water. If they can get everyone healthy and solve their apparent mental block over hitting at Petco, this team could be dangerous. It would be nice to see that happen sooner rather than later.

As for Peavy, any time you lose the league leader in ERA for 4-6 weeks, that’s not good. But in this division, where anything is possible, I’m not willing to concede the season. Tankersley did a nice job in his first start at Milwaukee, and hopefully he can build on that tonight against the same uniform. Not that he can replace Peavy, who really is a special talent, but guys picking up their game a notch when needed is another sign of a contending team. I’m sure we’re all hoping that Peavy and Ryan Klesko can come back and contribute as soon as possible, but I do take some solace in the fact that the Padres haven’t lost any ground since those guys landed on the DL.

From Bill Robens:

…[Brian] Buchanan does almost everything better than Robinson. The play Robinson made on a flyball in Pittsburgh (I think?) was one of the most ludicrous things I’ve ever seen. He went back on a slow flyball, leapt as if trying to rob the guy of a homerun, and the ball landed behind him and two feet to his left. Buck may well have caught that. Buck’s also a good baserunner, and while he’s not as quick as Robinson, he’s generally less bone-headed. Buck had as many steals last year (6 with one more CS) as Robinson with the same playing time.

Among all relievers who have at least one save in the NL, the only left-handers are [Billy] Wagner (injured), Steve Kline, Wilson Alvarez (now starting) and Franklyn Gracesqui (now in the minors). So if we’re down 3-2 in the ninth and we need a homerun, you’re most likely going to hear “Now batting, Kerry Robinson.”

Yeah, that was a brutal play in Pittsburgh. Buchanan may or may not have been able to get to the ball, but I’m pretty confident he wouldn’t have looked so bad in the process. What kills me is that you know if Buchanan (or Klesko) hadn’t been able to track that one down, we’d have heard about their defensive shortcomings. With Robinson, we chalk it up as "just one of those things" and have a good chuckle. I’m all for cutting a guy some slack, but it seems to me if much of your value to a team derives from your defensive skill, it’d be best not to look that clueless in the field.

Regarding the NL relievers, I have to believe that Terrence Long would get a shot before Robinson in that situation. Not that Long is great, but at least there’s a chance he’ll do some damage.

From Anthony Trifiletti:

Nice breakdown of the Padres personnel situation. Every time I look up and see Kerry Robinson at bat with men on base it drives me nuts. Buck is just wasting away on the bench while the kid strikes out or pops up. But hey, he can run. I propose a new nickname for Kerry, Ryan’s Glove. Unfortunately, Bochy seems to be falling for the hype that the team needs to manufacture runs in Petco so Robinson is probably going to stick around awhile.

Do you think the Padres might be showcasing Tank and [Justin] Germano for a possible [Royals' outfielder Carlos] Beltran trade? Maybe they can find a taker for Klesko while they’re at it.

As much as I love Aki [Otsuka] I’m worried he’s going to break down. He pitched only 43 innings last year, 42 the year before. At this rate he’ll be over 40 by the All Star break.

Ryan’s Glove. Yeah, that’s nice. I don’t mean to pile on Robinson. The guy is trying to do the job he’s been asked to do. It’s not his fault he’s on the roster. But I sure wish management would wise up to the fact that Robinson is not a big-league hitter, at least not at this time. The best I can say is that he’s probably a better option than Kory DeHaan. Probably.

As for a Beltran trade, anything is possible. But I honestly believe that the Padres are running Tank and Germano out there because they believe those guys give the team the best chance to win while Peavy and David Wells are on the shelf. Personally, I don’t think Germano is quite ready for the Show just yet. Nothing wrong with that, he’s very young. What I’m hoping is that Tankersley pitches well again tonight and sticks around in Peavy’s spot when Wells returns. I would really love to see Tank establish himself in the Pads’ rotation for the rest of this year and beyond.

Regarding Otsuka, the workload is a concern. I’m hopeful that the return of Rod Beck will take some of the pressure off him going forward. Aki sure has been a treat to watch so far. And check this out:

          IP  H HR BB SO  ERA BB/9  SO/9
Otsuka  25.1 12  0  9 28 1.42 3.20  9.95
Sasaki  20.2 10  0  5 28 0.00 2.18 12.19

Geez, Sasaki was pretty darned ridiculous in his first two months over here. Wow. Well, anyway, here’s an amazing stat for you: right-handers are hitting just .089/.180/.111 off Otsuka so far. Five total bases, 20 punchouts.

And finally, from the well-traveled Anonymous:

I liked your blog thoughts on Tankersley…however, I think probably as the old Earl Weaver saw goes, the best place for a young pitcher is in middle relief. Tank seems to be one fo those guys who desperately needs to experience some sort of major league success before he can move into the starting rotation. I hope he can do it.

The point may be moot since Tank is now in the rotation, but I just wanted to clarify something here. I don’t have any problem breaking in a young pitcher by having him work in middle relief. But the eighth inning of a one-run game is no place for a middle reliever, in my book. That’s setup man territory. I want my top relievers working in that situation, not a guy just up from the minors who pitched the day before and who is not acclimated to the role. Last year, when the Padres were busy losing 98 games, it might’ve made sense to audition a kid from the minors to see if he might be a part of next year’s puzzle. But this year, when each game actually means something, I’d just as soon see the veterans work the last two or three innings if it’s close.

Getting back to Tankersley, I’m sure we all hope he can step up and help the Padres. His expedited development at the big-league level would be a tremendous shot in the arm (pun intended) while the rest of the rotation gets healthy. We should have a better idea of where he’s at after tonight’s game…

Well, we didn’t get to all the letters today. We’ll hit some more in a couple of weeks. Thanks to those of you who did write in; I always enjoy hearing from you.

Brewers are in town for the weekend. I’ll be out wandering around California. Don’t be surprised if there’s no entry on Monday as I recover from the drive back from Modesto. There will be plenty to talk about next week, so rest up.

Let’s win some games…