Friday Links
Fri, Mar 3, 2006
by Geoff Young
Today, it’s all about guys trying to make the club:
- Gonzalez happy to be home with Padres (Padres.com). A mostly fluffy piece about former #1 draft pick Adrian Gonzalez, who returns to his hometown as part of payment for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. Quoth Grady Fuson, who knew Gonzalez from their days with the Rangers: “…you can see how he is getting stronger and he’s starting to get to a point where he knows how to get after a pitch he can hit out of the ballpark.” But, of course, for now he is stuck behind Ryan Klesko.
- Padres’ newest import only seasoned in Far East (North County Times). Brian Hiro profiles reliever Brian Sikorski, who has spent the past five seasons in Japan. According to the article, “He even attracted something of a cult following for his frenetic warmup routine, which included running onto the field and swinging his arm on the mound.” Perhaps you could say he swings it like a helicopter rotor. You know, because his name is Sikorski. Eh, maybe not.
- Sledge grateful to former manager (Padres.com). Terrmel Sledge has kind words for Frank Robinson, who returns the compliment: “This kid is a very good hitter. He is going to hit for average. He is going to hit for power. He is going to play good defense.”
- Johnson battling for a roster spot (North County Times). Outfielder Ben Johnson isn’t a lock to break camp with the big club.
- Slimmed-down acquisition can still slug (North County Times). I really hope we get to see Walter Young in San Diego at some point this year. According to the article, Young has “increased his muscle mass and shaved about 15 pounds of unwanted flab” over the winter and yet still looks “like a supersized Mo Vaughn.” Sounds like fun.
- Padres unlikely to add pitching (San Diego Union-Tribune). Clay Hensley, thought to be a lock for the bullpen, still hasn’t been ruled out as a rotation possibility. Also, an Andy Ashby sighting.
- Dustin Delucchi’s World Baseball Classic Update (PDX Beavers). Thanks to Jonathan for the heads-up on this one in yesterday’s comments. He’ll be getting regular updates from Padres farmhand Delucchi, who represents Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
- Speaking of the WBC, the first ever game is in the books, with Korea defeating Chinese Taipei, 2-0. Padres right-hander Chan Ho Park worked the final three innings for the save. I listened to part of this one on the radio, and the announcers had Park’s fastball clocked at 94 mph. Also, reader Anthony saw him on TV and said he was dealing. Don’t want to raise any false hopes, but that’s a nice way to start the spring.
Okay, that’s all for now. If anyone is heading out to Peoria this weekend for the Baseball Prospectus Pizza Feed or just for the heck of it, have fun out there and be sure to tell us about it when you get back. Also, you may notice a few changes around here come Monday. But we’ll talk more about that later. Meantime, enjoy the weekend!
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
March 3, 2006 at 5:19 am
I sure hope Park can put it together this year. That would just be fantastic.
I was listening to Gammons on ESPN radio this morning talk about the West a little. His takes:
1. Thinks that Bonds will play in less than 120 games this year.
2. Thinks the Dodgers have the potential to be a good team with a great bullpen. But also says they have a lot of “moving parts” — eg. Nomar moving to first, Kent coming off wrist surgery.
3. No mention of the Pads
March 3, 2006 at 8:53 am
I would love to see W. Young and Gonzalez Platoon at first this year and see who can win the full time job in 07, but Klesko and his .250 average is sitting in front of them.
I also think that Park may show something this year, a fresh start in a pitchers ball park may do some good for him, im not talking 20 game winner but maybe he’ll be a good 4th or 5th starter 12 win’s ERA in low 4’s high 3’s (still not worth 10 mil)
March 3, 2006 at 9:21 am
Profile of Cameron and Piazza in the NY Daily News.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....6020c.html
March 3, 2006 at 10:33 am
Steve -
Not sure where the logic is in a lefty lefty platoon…
Nick G. - I was reading that article, too. Did you see this nice little dig at us west siders,
“Cameron models his profile for a visitor, touching the nine plates and one screw that hold together his face. He’ll blend in perfectly with all the other made-over Californians, his reconstruction virtually flawless.”
I guess Nady’s pissy attitude will also blend perfectly with the typical New Yorker, eh? A great trade for both communities…stupid New York writer. I do hope Nady does well there, though. We’ll see how he handles things when they head north.
March 3, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Jesse: All I can say is that some east coasters(not myself, of course) might let their jealousy get the best of them. I mean, the guy was probably just bitter about having to shovel snow yesterday.
I still don’t understand why Cameron didn’t come to SD in the first place — it would have been better for everyone involved. I personally cannot wait to see him in a Padre uniform.
BTW: Did you see in the article that Trevor gave Cameron a teddy bear when he was in the hospital?
A teddy bear? What the heck is up with that??
March 3, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Jesse, it ain’t a lefty-lefty platoon. That’d be silly.
Rather, it’s a fat-skinny platoon, and we may be on to something. If the Mets had Mo Vaughn and Jon Olerud at the same time, and had used them in a strict fat-skinny platoon, they’d both probably still be in the big leagues, and the Mets would have been the turn-of-the-century dynasty, rather than the Yankees.
March 3, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Did anyone else catch Chan Ho last night? He seriously looked like a different pitcher. He was agressive, worked fast, went right after guys and just overpowered them. He did groove one pitch that any major leaguer would have blasted 10 rows deep but it landed short of the fence for I think a double. Other than that he was the Chan Ho of old.
Young sounds like the kind of homerun hitter we need in Petco, a guy who can hit it out of any park, like Adam Dunn or Troy Glaus.
March 3, 2006 at 1:05 pm
I’d love to see Young make the team. If for no other reason than he’s so freakin’ big. I mean 6′5″, 3 bills? That’s just great. You know he probably just creams the ball when he gets hold of one.
March 3, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Another link for Friday: http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....dle-third/
Hardball Times second article on offseason’s by organization. Padres came out in the top half, but not the top 10.
March 3, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Lance -
That’s a good angle you’re working there. I’m sure other teams would counteract with fat-skinny pitching specialists, too. Maybe Hideki Upper-Decki Irabu could make a return…he was pretty monstrous. This is the best argument yet for bringing back Boomer. Hmm…we have the skinny covered with Chris Young.
anthony-
Chan Ho looked pretty good, I’ll admit. I do have to say, however, that he left a lot of pitches up that Chinese Taipei didn’t do much with but MLBers would have crushed. His stuff has been good since day one, it’s his location and aggressiveness on the inside of the plate that’s questionable…here’s hoping.
March 3, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Yuck … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/bo.....=260303103
March 3, 2006 at 6:14 pm
Looks like I’ll get to see Jake pitch next Tuesday …
Manager Buck Martinez said Clemens will start Sunday’s exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale. San Diego’s Jake Peavy will start against Mexico.
March 3, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Noticed that Matt Bush was 0-2 with an error. Didn’t he make an error in yesterday’s game as well?
March 3, 2006 at 8:02 pm
No comments on Sickles’ top 20? Wow…
1. Cesar Carrillo, RHP, Grade A-
2. George Kottaras, C, B+
3. Josh Barfield, 2B, B
4. Chase Headley, 3B, B
5. Clay Hensley, RHP, B
6. Ben Johnson, OF, B-
7. Nick Hundley, C, B-
8. Paul McAnulty, 1B-OF, C+
9. Cesar Ramos, LHP, C+
10. Ernesto Frieri, RHP, C+
11. Geoff Vandel, LHP, C+
12. Josh Geer, RHP, C+
13. Neil Jamison, RHP, C+
14. John Madden, RHP, C+
15. Freddy Guzman, OF, C
16. Kenny Baugh, RHP, C
17. Jared Wells, RHP, C
18. Leonel Rosales, RHP, C
19. Matt Bush, SS, C
20. Kyle Blanks, 1B, C
Pretty fair I’d say… I don’t think you can say Hensley is a better prospect than Johnson, but I don’t have a problem with Headly at #4. I would say I’d flip-flop the grades (and rankings) on Kottaras & Barfield. Barfield shows solid power (especially for a 2B) where Kottaras is still quite thin and does have questions about his ability to transfer the ball from glove to hand… If he doesn’t have the glove to play C, it’s uncertain where else he could play.
Also, I think Wells grade (and ranking - top 10 easy) is too low…
March 3, 2006 at 11:38 pm
Touched on this briefly in another thread. My initial reaction is that Ramos, Wells, and Blanks should have higher grades.
I’d put Barfield ahead of Kottaras for the same reason I’d put Hensley ahead of Johnson, i.e., better opportunity.
March 4, 2006 at 8:27 am
Sickels falls on the performance side of the spectrum, so I can see why Wells is 17. He doesn’t throw particularly hard or nasty for a man with his frame and his numbers are not inspiring. Career 1.43 WHIP, 6.35 K/9, less than 6 K/9 as a 23 year old in Elsinore. Feels like Rodney Myers to me, a “power” arm that isn’t all that powerful.
I’m really not going to worry about Kottaras’ transfer right now. 392 OBP behind the plate is just fine, and the rest of his defensive skills are okay.
C+ seems like a fair grade for Ramos. Not much stuff, blase numbers against low A. Small sample, though.
Bush must be letting his fingernails grow so he can hang onto these lists. If we could only make John Moores watch every single spring game where Bush butchers a ground ball, would he learn his lesson?
Any word on where Blanks will start the year?
March 4, 2006 at 12:01 pm
“I would love to see W. Young and Gonzalez Platoon at first this year and see who can win the full time job in 07, but Klesko and his .250 average is sitting in front of them.” - Steve
Don’t forget the .358 OBP & .418 SLG of last year or the projected .370 OBP .434 SLG for this season. Like him or not, Klesko is the team’s best position player after Giles.
March 4, 2006 at 3:18 pm
“If we could only make John Moores watch every single spring game where Bush butchers a ground ball, would he learn his lesson?”
Moores didn’t draft Bush, nor did he instruct his people to… (I’m not Moores biggest fan, but let’s not throw blame where it isn’t due). Gayton told Moores he wanted to draft Drew. Moores asked how much it would cost (Boras was going to ask for $10m for Drew or Weaver if the Padres took ‘em). When told this, Moores said, “No.” Another agent told the Padres not to draft his client (probably Niemann’s agent). The Padres had only scouted those 3 players.
The failure was Gayton’s in not scouting enough viable options…
Then Bush called the Padres and said, “I want to be #1.” And without a clear other option, the Padres made him #1.
March 4, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Does anyone read SI’s “Truth and Rumors” section? Good source for rumors…
Anyway, today it reported that Miami may shop M. Cabrera at the trading deadline…
Count me in!!!
I’m a huge Carillo fan, but I’d ship him and half our farm to the Marlins for Miguel. PLUS, with all the $$$ coming off the books next year, we can EASILY afford him.
March 4, 2006 at 4:00 pm
That’s not how I was led to believe it happened. The story I heard went like this.
Towers & Gayton in early 2004: Can we pick the best player available?
Moores: Yep.
Towers and Gayton, first few days of June: We’re going to choose between Drew and Weaver.
Moores: How much will they cost?
Towers and Gayton: At least 5 million and a major league contract.
Moores: Screw that noise. Find someone cheaper.
How can you blame Gayton for not scouting other #1 options when he was told he wouldn’t have to move off his picks?
March 4, 2006 at 6:00 pm
You bring up a good point. But we often look at things in as if they’re in a vaccuum… Just because the each signed for $4m-ish, doesn’t mean they would signed for that as #1s. The Moores story is disturbing (initially telling them they COULD take their top choice then backing off when the price was revealed) but I’m pretty certain Boras was going to seek $10m not $5…