first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4
matchup: Pedro Astacio (2-9, 5.84 ERA) vs Aaron Harang (6-9, 3.97 ERA)
previews: ESPN | Padres.com
Padres have fallen below .500 for the first time since May 3, when they were 13-14. Thanks to their NL West cohorts in suckitude, San Diego still leads the division and has a 63% chance of reaching the playoffs.
Once again, I’ve run out of things to say about this [expletive deleted] team. Talk amongst yourselves, I’m going to the movies.
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Rumor Central: Padres trade Brian Giles to St. Louis for Jason Marquis and (please God) something else.
My head may explode if the Padres deal Giles for Marquis.
Don’t know if you have a Baseball Prospectus subscription but it’s supposedly included in Will Carroll’s column there. I heard it mentioned in the Giants broadcast a few minutes ago.
And Wes Helms just hit a 3-run pinch-HR to make it 7-1 Brewhas over the Giants.
I do and BP is free this week even if I didn’t.
And the Giants picked up OF Randy Winn from Seattle for C Yorvit Torrealba and minor league P Jesse Foppert.
In that case, here’s what Will says: “The Cardinals continue to work on a deal for an outfielder. The latest discussions involve Brian Giles coming to the Cardinals in return for Jason Marquis. That part would be easy enough, so if this deal gets held up, it will be over minor details of money and additional prospects.”
That would be an awful deal for the Padres. But Giles is a free agent who is probably going elsewhere, so …
If you were a FA power hitter, why would you ever play 81 games in Petco when there are so many better hitters parks out there?
Because San Diego is the best place on earth? The Padres do need to build around pitching and defense.
Unless you’re Adam Dunn and you’re facing Padres pitching, that is.
Yeah, I would like Dunn to play for the Padres.
You don’t get “nothing” when you don’t resign a free agent. I’m tired of seeing that. You get picks. (See: Cesar Ramos)
Where did you see it?
True. But everyone wants to win now. The man does have a point though.
I’m hearing and seeing that particular statement a lot of places. People think you “get nothing.”
Perhaps they mean nothing immediately (as compared to a trade).
It’s usually been phrased as, “If you don’t trade them, they leave at the end of the year and you get nothing.”
What should the team do in the next 17 hours, Rich?
If the Reds win tonight, it will be their first 4-game winning streak of the season.
Which, to the vast majority of fans, is true. You don’t get anything immediately. You get to wait until the following year’s draft to select a guy who (at best) won’t be in the big leagues for another two to three years. That’s a looong wait in exchange for a player good enough to sign elsewhere as a FA. To most fans, it equates to nothing.
But I see your point.
Cincinnati native Nick Lachey is in the house. I know: Who cares?
I can see why they come to that incorrect conclusion, but it’s still incorrect. Also, the organization needs to think longer term.
As for what the Padres should do, the only thing I’d advocate would be firing Bochy instituting my platooning suggestion. Aside from that, nothing. We just don’t have the information the front office does as far as what is available on the trade market.
On another note, Chuck Lamar has to be the absolute worst GM in baseball.
This ump needs to learn: If Giles doesn’t swing, it’s not a strike.
What did he do now?
“The Devil Rays overplayed their hand, insisting on Hanley Ramirez, according to most triangulations of the deal.” – Will Carroll
Towers made it clear at the Pizza Feed that Lamar is impossible to deal with. It’s stupid crap like that he was talking about.
On yet another note, baseball terminology is confusing. The announcers (Vasgersian) still haven’t figured it out. A walk is not a great “at bat.” It’s not even an “at bat.”
They have some serious young talent though, don’t they? Maybe he will screw it all up.
It’s a nice plate appearance.
We got Dunn out.
The trivia question was, “Who was the last Red to win a Cy Young Award?” Has a Red ever won it? I didn’t think they had.
That is a true nitpick.
Gwynn, Bochy and Flannery is the answer to the trivia question, if anyone is watching the Reds feed.
Did Seaver win it with them?
Towers also addressed the young talent saying that when you have the first pick in the draft every year, you’re going to end up with some good young players.
Oh, true, I wasn’t saying Lamar was great because they had great talent.
I know Soto didn’t. Rijo didn’t. The Nasty Boys didn’t. The Big Red Machine didn’t have great pitching.
That possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind. Nobody could think Lamar was great.
The trivia question on the Reds feed is: What three Padres players were on all three playoff teams as either players or coaches?
“The only thing that keeps this organization from being recognized as one of the finest in baseball is wins and losses at the major-league level.”
–Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar
And Sean Casey who hits like Sean Burroughs just hit a home run.
The Reds have no Cy Young Award winners. Just looked it up.
That is a hell of an obstacle to overcome — wins and losses at the major league level.
Seaver finished 3 pts behind Valenzuela in 1981. See if they give that little nugget, Rich.
k, assuming they haven’t already given the answer while I was making my dinner.
I win. No Red has ever won the Cy Young. woo
And they didn’t share “that little nugget.” It’s a Ducksnorts exclusive.
That’s the kind of stuff you get only here. I, of course, got the Padres question.
LaMar on the Manny talks: “We have had discussions with both teams, not only in a combined deal, but separate deals with each one of those teams. It’s hard enough to make a real good trade [with two teams]. When you start adding a third team, there are a lot of logistics.”
BOSTON — The Red Sox acquired outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. and cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night in exchange for minor league infielder Kenny Perez and minor league right-hander Kyle Bono.
David Ross’s first hit as a Padre.
Sickels rated Bono a C+ prospect and Perez didn’t make the book.
You don’t want to walk guys in front of Dunn…
He walked in a run. Walked it in.
Four walks this inning for Astacio, tying K-Rod’s from earlier today.
I like how Bochy waited until Astacio put the game out of reach before he took him out.
Lots of boos at Petco lately.
That’s a combination of poor play and people who aren’t really Padre fans.
When a guy walks in a run, couldn’t that be seen as a good time to yank him?
If Park starts this week (after Astacio), that will be 40 percent of the Rangers rotation from earlier this season. Not a good sign.
Amazingly (almost disapointingly at this point), no double switch.
I agree on the boos, Rich. Boston fans booing Manny was insane too. The walk would have done it for me too, as far as taking him out.
Are you guys getting up to watch Coleman tomorrow?
Astacio went 95 pitches or so before losing it. What does Bochy expect from him. He did pretty well until that point.
The fact is, the Padres cant SCORE…nothing else matters!
Yeah, scoring has been the issue during the past month.
Yep, thats why you trade your biggest right hand bat for a washed up pitcher.
I just have to shake my head and wonder who is running this asylum?
I don’t think big bats slug .400
Manager Bruce Bochy said LF Ryan Klesko might start taking groundballs at 1B. “Wherever they want me, I don’t care,” Klesko said. “It may take a few days or a week or so to get used to grounders. The arm angles and then bending over for the course of nine innings, is the difference.” Klesko played first until being moved to the outfield in spring training 2002. … RHP Adam Eaton, on the DL since June 16 with a finger injury, threw a simulated game and could be activated on Tuesday. He’ll probably pitch from the bullpen at first in order to build his arm back up.
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners traded center fielder Randy Winn to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night for backup catcher Yorvit Torrealba and minor league pitcher Jesse Foppert.
Double swtich alert! Whoever had the 7th inning in the pool, collect your door prize.
I know what he WAS doing this year, but who, on the Padres team, has the potential to carry this team offensively?
remember he spent most of June and July on the d/l or playing with injury.
You think the offense would take off if nevin started hitting .300/350/.550? You think its possible that Nevin could post those numbers?
Even tho he has been crappy this season, its still entirely possible because he has done it before as recently as last season.
“Yep, thats why you trade your biggest right hand bat for a washed up pitcher.
I just have to shake my head and wonder who is running this asylum?” – hank
How do you maintain your spectacular disconnect from reality and still manage to function? Are you doing this merely to provoke or do you actually believe what you’re typing?
you think trading nevin for park is going to take the padres to the playoffs this year?
I certainly dont, in fact I feel this trade has sealed a non playoff spot for this team this year.
hank, it’s just not possible. Phil’s bat speed is gone. He’ll never be the player he once was (and he was very good). He may hit in Arlington, but even Soriano hits in Arlington.
Trading Phil Nevin for a bag of balls would have improved their playoff chances. Actually, it might have been a better trade than the one for Park.
Hank, why do you think nobody wanted Nevin? Why do you think Towers was unable to unload him despite trying for years?
Just got back from Fantastic Four. Good movie, and Jessica Alba is awfully easy on the eyes. Now it’s back to the Not-So-Fantastic Twenty-Five. Blecch…
Even when Nevin was a hell of a hitter, Towers was trying to unload him because of his attitude. Now, he can’t hit, and he’s not going to. It’s over.
Trading Nevin for nothing would have been better because it would have freed up money. Park’s contract is ugly.
lots of people wanted Nevin, they just didnt want his contract. Why do you think 4 seperate trades were arranged for Nevin..certainly not because nobody wanted him. There were a couple of others also that never went anywhere because of the no trade provisions..seattle and boston both wanted him.
even soriano hits in Texas? what kind of reference is that. In my memory, soriano also hit in New York.
Exactly, Kev. Exactly.
Soriano Home: .322/.353/.678
Soriano Away: .240/.275/.410
Also, Soriano is probably the most overrated player on the planet. I might be missing someone, but I think that’s accurate.
The Padres have thrown two guys out at home, now.
Wow, you should send those stats to the 20 teams trying to get him. I even saw the Padres on that list at one time.
The difference between his home and away splits is equal to more than half a run per game.
Padres acquire Miguel Olivo for…?
Mateo.
Trade announced: C Miguel Olivo for C Miguel Ojeda.
Mateo w/Double-A
52.7 IP
39 K
15 BB
2 HR
Olivo’s DT Batting Line: .151/.179/.284
Olivo’s Career DT Batting Line: .211/.261/.372
And we also got rid of Ojeda.
If you can’t get one good catcher, corner the market on mediocre ones?
Was that trade even worth the long-distance charges it took?
Olivo is 26. He doesn’t hit for average. He has poor plate discipline. He has some pop. He’s below average defensively.
I’d rather have Olivo than Mateo and Ojeda, but this trade accomplishes little other than possibly freeing up Fick for pinch-hitting.
Is this just shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic?
Olivo actually hits lefties well, though. Line of .306/.339/.578 over the last three years (180 ABs).
Isn’t it better to have Fick in the lineup than Ross, or am I missing something?
Soriano’s home-away splits for 2002-04 are about even. I know that’s only one season in Texas, but still.
This is 1999-2000 bad right now. Guys aren’t executing.
What was the line… What do you think about the execution of your team? I’m all for it.
That was John McKay, btw…
I don’t know how many average to bad pitchers we have helped to look great in the last month or so, but Harang is the latest. Bad stuff.
9-1 Reds.
Harang’s pretty good, actually.
Yeah, the old Bucs coach. “We didn’t tackle, but we made up for it by not blocking.”
5th HR for the Reds in two games.
So, can we get an apology from Ray Kroc? This is some dreadful baseball. How come other teams’ players can hit homers at Petco?
Rich, shouldn’t we start Fick over any of these guys?
Yeah, the Reds make this park look small.
If you believe Clay Davenport’s metrics (and I tend to), Fick costs the team .23 runs compared to an average fielding catcher every game he catches.
Good news, Geoff. Eric Milton and his 7+ ERA go tomorrow.
Hernandez this season was only costing the team .03 runs per game compared to an average catcher.
Nevin in his extremely limited sample was .01 better than average.
Ojeda had cost the team .14 per game.
In what I’m fairly certain is a sample size fluke, Dave Ross had been worth .24 per game above average with Pittsburgh.
Olivo had been .05 below with the Mariners.
I’ll try to crunch the numbers on offense tonight or tomorrow morning.
I see. So who is going to watch Coleman tomorrow? Will they televise his part of things?
Do you think Eric Milton can continue to give up home runs even at PetCo which last season was good for cutting home runs by something like 35-40%?
If it’s on, I’ll be watching.
In 2004, Olivo approached being a league average hitter.
Thanks, Brian. I’d feel better about Milton if we’d been able to do anything against Luke Hudson and his 8.83 ERA.
I knew you’d catch the sarcasm.
Speaking of Hudson, what happened to him between this year and last? He was excellent last season.
I prediict that milton will give up no more than 1 run tomorrow. and zero homers..
in fact, it is just my natural optimism that makes me think we will score even one run..
I fear hank is right.
The Padres received $6 million from the Texas Rangers in the trade that got them RHP Chan Ho Park for slugger Phil Nevin. … Park will join the Padres in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
But most importantly, how many double switches will we pull off?
The over/under on double switches by Bochy in a game is probably 1.5, right?
yeah, i think so. definitely, double switches.