first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Tim Stauffer (1-4, 4.78 ERA) vs Jason Schmidt (6-3, 4.81 ERA)
previews: ESPN | CBS | Padres.com
Great Rickey Henderson moment at Saturday night’s Surf Dawgs game. You need to remember that Henderson is the all-time Major League leader in runs scored and stolen bases, has 3000+ hits, and is a sure-fire first-ballot HOFer. But here he is, playing in front of a few hundred folks at Tony Gwynn Stadium, getting on base and causing his usual havoc on the bases (and starting in center field – at age 46!).
So he’s on third when a teammate, the right fielder, strikes out to end the inning. And this guy is pretty fired up (he wasn’t sure about one of the earlier pitches in the at-bat that was called a strike). Dude throws his stuff to the ground and slowly walks back out to his position.
Henderson, meantime, has gone back into the dugout to get his glove and cap, and then starts trotting out to center field. But, noticing his teammate standing out in right without his stuff, Henderson heads back to the dugout, grabs the dude’s gear and trots out to right field to hand it to him. Henderson proceeds to spend the entire “warm-up” time huddled with the right fielder, just talking to him. When it’s time to start the inning, Henderson flings the ball (which has been sitting in his glove this whole time) back to the bench and takes his position in center field.
Anyone who might question Henderson’s motives for playing indy ball this late in his career hasn’t seen the guy out on the field at a game. He is truly a pleasure to watch, both in the way he plays the game and in the way he carries himself.
So, Back to the Padres
Good to see the Padres win last night. Midway through the season, they are 44-37 (same as last year). I managed to catch most of the game on replay. Woody Williams looked shaky early but battled back to get the win (interesting but useless: David Wells, the pitcher Williams replaced, notched the Pads’ 44th victory in 2004). And how about Eric Young and Ben Johnson! Nice to see Young back out on the field again. He’s one of those guys loaded with intangibles – you know, that stuff we can’t figure out how to fit into a neat little equation. 
As for Johnson, he joins Xavier Nady and Jake Peavy as members of the 2001 Lake Elsinore Storm currently with the big club. That 2001 Storm team dominated the Cal League and finished with the best record in all of the minors (they were declared Cal League co-champions when the championship series was cancelled due to 9/11, but make no mistake – they would have beaten the San Jose Giants pretty handily). Johnson played right field on that team, while Nady was at first base. Just like last night. And last night, Johnson came through with a two-run double for his first big-league hit. Congratulations, and thank you! This team needed a little pick-me-up.
More on Quantrill
Who is Paul Quantrill? His recent stint in the Big Apple notwithstanding, the recently acquired right-hander actually has had a great deal of success as a big-league reliever. Here’s how he’s done since moving to the bullpen full time in 1997:
G IP ERA H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 631 664.2 3.28 10.06 0.56 2.17 5.32
Around the plate, keeps the ball in the yard. Also, very resilient. He’s led the league in appearances in each of the past four seasons (which may help explain his recent ineffectiveness). Here’s Quantrill’s record from 1997 to 2003 (i.e., before he went to the Yankees):
G IP ERA H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 523 537.1 2.81 9.56 0.52 2.23 5.78
He is 36 years old, so it’s entirely possible that his best days are behind him. But considering that the Padres were able to move two ineffective pitchers off their roster and save $190k, I think they did okay.
I’ll be out at this afternoon’s game. If Kevin Correia can beat Jake Peavy, then Stauffer can beat Schmidt. Right?
Go get ‘em, boys.
How the hell is Alou hitting so well this season, having moved to a pitchers’ park, coupled with being 38 years old?!?!
New posts are up at Friar Faithful and Future Friars.
Close call. Stauffer still having first inning troubles.
Bloop hit (what else?), and we’re down a run.
Crap.
Jerry and Ted are talking about Seattle having DFA’ed Brett Boone. Is this true?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2099894
They cut Boone loose. Wow.
Hello! Is this thing on???
Greene ties it! Nobody here! I’m talking to myself!
Blum drive in two to make it 4-1!
Killing Schmidt in the third. 6-1 Pads.
“I’ll be out at this afternoon’s game. If Kevin Correia can beat Jake Peavy, then Stauffer can beat Schmidt. Right?”
So far, so good.
Lance, have another beer…
We’re having a backyard picnic, so I’m watching. The boys look pretty solid. We have Schmidts number the last two years.
Thanks, Rich. Don’t mind if I do…
Giants are making a game of it. 6-3, with Alou coming up.
Stauffer needs to throw a ground ball if he wants a shot at the win…
Here buddy, I’ll pour…
I don’t think Tomko will hold us down, so I feel pretty good about our chances regardless…
He got it, and he got out of the inning. I’d rather they don’t make this one any more interesting than it already is.
Lemme tilt my mug for you.
An insurance run or two would be swell.
Frank Thomas hit another homer today. Has ha averaged one a game since he got back? Or is it my imagination?
J.T. F***** Snow. If J.T. was drowning in S.F. Bay, I’d throw him an anchor….and I would tie the other end of the rope to Barry Bonds…
No argument regarding Bonds, and Snow especially.
Can Blum drive home Sweeney?
Get us another run, Greene…
Mud and I are thinking along the same lines…I just told my son “$100.00″ (and he looked at me blankly) when Mud brought up the Kangaroo Court…
He’ll score. Greene’s got how many RBI today?
Coleman says four.
I’m listening to the game on the radio. Who would you fine, and why?
Did you all overhear that too? Sweeney steps in the dugout and Nevin pops up with “what was that slide?”
Sweeney stuck the headfirst slide and banged his face off the ground before he made it to third… He’ll be hearing about it for quite some time, I guarentee it…
Coleman described the inept slide a bit late.
I forgive him, as he is so very old and senile.
E.Y., Nevin and Ramon are all sporting bandaids on their chins in the dugout…
Sweeney’s gonna pay for that one, apparently.
Nice time for an E-3. He fields like he slides.
those are the things I really miss about being on a team. Back in ’95 I ran into an ex-teammate who *still* gave me grief about something I pulled in 1992, three years earlier…
Seanez is up and Michael Tucker has been announced as a PH…
Matheny with an RBI double. One of the worst-hitting regulars in the majors.
and yet he got good free agent money…sign Ramon now!
Seanez on his way into the game now….
Tucker is Satan.I still am pissed about that homer in the 98 NLCS when he was a Brave.
Hey, I was there…he stole my celebration from me. Al these years, the only clinching game I have ever been at was the division win in ’98….
I’d love to sign Ramon, but not for over $7-mil per year. I’ll take my chances with Fick (don’t laugh) as a stop-gap for a year or two.
I was there, too. In fact, I’ve attended every home postseason game the Pads have ever played. More to come this year, I hope.
one pitch. nice.
Seanez gets out of it. Now I gotta ask for insurance runs, again.
In ’98 I missed game 3 of the World Series and I missed the game in ’96. I only saw the first game here in ’84, didn’t see Garv’s home run or the clincher, or any games in the series….
Garv’s HR was obviously thrilling, but I remember thinking that we were pushing our luck, and therefore bound to lose game 5. Glad I was wrong.
C’mon Ryno!
not what we were looking for there…
but Gilly had his back….
Giles delivers!
I feel a little better now.
Sweeney can’t slide or field… but can he hit?
I guess not.
and we needed that run…the Gigantes just are not going away…
Geesh… 8-6 after Durham’s RBI. It’s a good thing they keep giving me those insurance runs I’ve been asking for every inning.
just an observation…I’ll bet you Roberts was calling for that too…but he stayed aware and let Nady take it rather then have a collision…