IGD: Padres @ Pirates (2 Jun 06)
Fri, Jun 2, 2006
by Geoff Young
first pitch: 4:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chan Ho Park (3-3, 4.32 ERA) vs Oliver Perez (2-5, 5.47 ERA)
preview: Padres.com
I know you guys have been talking like crazy, but I haven’t been able to catch up on all the comments yet, so forgive me if I mention something that’s already been touched upon and don’t give proper credit to the appropriate folks. I’m particularly interested in hearing what everyone had to say about Chris Young’s no-hit bid as it was unfolding. There are two basic reasons for this:
- Y’all generally offer insightful commentary on such things.
- Not one of the national media outlets I have access to at the moment saw fit to show so much as a single pitch from the game.
This reminds me, I’ve learned something very important during my stay on Kaua’i. It’s a basic truth about baseball I’d never before realized. According to the national media, here is everything you need to know about our pastime, broken down by importance — displayed as a nice neat pie chart for easier digestion, so to speak:
I did hear one other bit of news that doesn’t make much sense to me — ex-Padre Phil Nevin has been traded to the Cubs. I hope it works out for everyone involved, but the NL sure doesn’t seem like a good place for Nevin. Then again, the AL wasn’t exactly doing wonders for his career and there aren’t a lot of other options that involve playing baseball.
Back to the series at hand, the Padres are in Pittsburgh for the weekend. Friday night’s opener features Chan Ho Park and another former Friar, left-hander Oliver Perez. After what appeared to be a breakthrough season in 2004, Perez has regressed badly since then:
| Year | GS | IP/GS | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB/9 | K/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 30 | 6.53 | 2.98 | 6.66 | 1.01 | 3.72 | 10.97 |
| 2005-06 | 30 | 5.22 | 5.69 | 9.08 | 1.84 | 6.20 | 8.10 |
I’d love to see Perez get back on track, but only after the Padres leave town.
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.
June 2, 2006 at 7:23 am
That is why we hang at the Ducksnorts, real coverage of our team. Netroots, they call it on the political blog world. Of course, you are in state without a team, even a minor league team as far as I know, so what kind coverage can you expect. Do they play baseball in Hawaii? Be interesting to find out.
Use plenty of sunscreen.
June 2, 2006 at 7:28 am
hey I know this story came out in USA Today and it’s not even been that much of a big deal.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports.....over_x.htm
this piece goes all over the place for some reason. I have no dissent for prayer in the clubhouse.
then you got these two other stories follow-ups
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5657396
http://www.christianitytoday.c...../42.0.html
June 2, 2006 at 9:12 am
Related to the Vinny discussion of yesterday (from the Trib):
Bruce Bochy said third baseman Vinny Castilla, a solid defender, should benefit from a slight mechanical adjustment to his swing that recently was deemed necessary. Castilla is in a 1-for-22 slump. One player who could interest the Padres if Castilla doesn’t turn it around is Brewers third baseman Corey Koskie. The Brewers are deep at third base and are shopping for pitching.
June 2, 2006 at 9:50 am
IRF - I know they do play baseball in Hawaii because the U of Hawaii division 1 baseball team is here in Corvallis, OR, this weekend for the NCAA Regional event!
BG - Koskie is a good idea … and I still think Corey Hart (also with Brewers) is a good idea … here’s a new idea: one of the Moneyball boys, Mark Teahan, is tearing up AAA in KC’s organization, and KC has last year’s #1 pick, Alex Gordon, flying up the charts, currently at AA and exected in the big leagues soon, so I’ll be Teahan would be available, and for a prospect or 2 … (note: Teahan is currently hitting .387 … and in his last 16 games is 27-for-52 with 12 XBH +15 BB … that’s what “tearing up AAA” means
)
June 2, 2006 at 10:02 am
Teahen would be worth a flier but I don’t think the Padres will break the bank for an upgrade.. or break up the farm system..
what about this crazy idea.. bring up Justin Leone and give him a shot
June 2, 2006 at 10:39 am
IRF: Yes, they do play baseball in Hawai’i. Former Mets pitchers Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez are from here, as are former Padres Shane Victorino and Brandon Villafuerte. Probably the most successful big leaguer to come out of Hawai’i is knuckleballer Charlie Hough. And it made headlines here the other day when right-hander Tyler Yates was called up by the Braves. He is the second player to reach the big leagues from the island of Kaua’i, which has a population of ~56k.
Here’s a list of Hawai’i born players from Baseball-Reference.com.
June 2, 2006 at 10:41 am
Correction: Kaua’i has a population of ~62k:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/q.....15007.html
June 2, 2006 at 10:48 am
Here’s a pre-draft comment about the Padres from BA’s Kevin Goldstein …
Scouting Director: Bill “Chief” Gayton. Gayton has spent over 20 years in scouting with the White Sox, A’s, Yankees, Rockies and Padres. He has been San Diego’s scouting director since 2001. The Padres middle infield of the foreseeable future, second baseman Josh Barfield (4th round, 2001) and shortstop Khalil Greene (1st round, 2002) were heady picks, but both the 2003 and 2004 drafts have been highly unproductive, yet not completely because of Gayton. 2003 first-round pick Tim Stauffer was discovered to have an injured shoulder after his selection, and in 2004, ownership decided late in the process to not allow the team to select Stephen Drew with the first overall pick, leaving them scrambling at the last minute before finally settling for shortstop Matt Bush, who has been disappointing (to put it mildly). Since joining the organization last year, Grady Fuson also influences draft-day decisions.
What The System Needs: Outfielders, in particular ones who can patrol center field or hit balls over the fence. Some more starting pitching wouldn’t hurt, either.
What They’ll Do On Tuesday: The Padres have generally favored college players recently, and Fuson’s influence tips the balance towards them even more. With the gap between the few top college players and the second level ones being pretty sizeable, it will be interesting to see if they can find one with the 17th pick.
… Peter Friberg is leading some *great* draft talk over at minorleagueball.com (search the “diaries” for “padres”, and look for the “MOD” (ie. Mock Draft) diary) if you want to read &/or comment.
June 2, 2006 at 10:54 am
Hey Ducksnorter’s! Pirate fan who comes in peace..
Possibly a rain event tonight but if the game gets in it should be a good one. I see the Pads are running alot, have an excellent defensive mix, and are pitching very well. That pretty much knocks holes in our game plans. LoL
Pirate batters are seeing the ball well right now and Mr. Park could end up being our battering ram tonight, especially since PNC has not been kind to him. But I have to like Ollie’s chances tonight since we just won a couple of spirit filled games, we swept the Brewers in 4, and almost 2/3rds of our streaky lineup are in solid streaks right now. BTW, we have been just mashing right-hand pitching at PNC this year.
But good pitching and good D kills streaky streaks so I’m hoping we take at least one of these games.
Good luck in the series!
Jake at buccoblog.com
June 2, 2006 at 11:48 am
I am not sure about either Koskie or Teahen.
Koskie, I fear would be a replay of Joe Randa, in that we would have to give up too much for him and then once he becomes a Padre, he will revert back to his expected performance level. Like Randa last year, he’s playing at a level at the moment that is wildly exceeding expectations. Plus we would have to give up some of our only decent pitching prospects to get him. Now if he could he had on the cheap, that’s another story.
Teahen is intriguing if only because he could be had cheaper since as you said, Gordon is knocking on the door already. But will the new KC GM want to hold on to him longer, or will he cast him aside? I would feel better if Baird were still there since he could be taken in a deal. But is Teahen going to be acceptable to a team that just gave up on a near clone in Burroughs? I would be willing to take a flyer, but only at the right price.
I’d rather make a run at McPherson myself or give Leone a shot.
June 2, 2006 at 11:56 am
Ryguy - thanks for the links … good stuff!
June 2, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Why not give Leone a shot?
How is Corey Smith doing anyway?
For all this talk, is PMac that bad at fielding?
I’m not up for Koskie. Teahan is not going to be dealt while the new management is looking to re-organize. Plus, if he’s that good at hitting, they’ll most likely keep him and stick him at DH to have something to show for the Beltran trade.
As is, the Padres, would platoon Bellhorn and Blum and Vinny. I think the team can wait this out if and only if Bochy would stop giving Vinny ABs. Otherwise, bring Leone up and see how he does. At worst, we’ll have another Nevin circa 2001 if Leone hits.
Even three quarters of that would be better then Vinny right now.
June 2, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Corey Smith is playing for the Birmingham Barons now. His 4th try at AA. He is dominating there. 301/435/551.
Worst case Nevin 2001 is damn good.
I don’t understand how Bochy measures veteran-ness. Castilla’s been around longer than Bellhorn, but Bellhorn is not some kid. Even if you keep Castilla so he can hit LHP, he should never see a righty.
June 2, 2006 at 2:58 pm
Yeah but Castilla was a regular in the same division who put up some big power numbers in the past. We could probably come up with a mathematical formula that measures Bochy’s preferences. The Bochy Leadership Equivalency Quotient, or BLEQ. Maybe it’s (Games played in the NL West + Career Homeruns)/Career Games. That gives Castilla a BLEQ of .874, dwarfing Bellhorn’s .181. Sounds about right to me, for any given game there’s an 87% chance that Castilla will start at 3rd, 18% chance that Bellhorn will get the start.
June 2, 2006 at 4:15 pm
anthony - so 5% of the time Bochy will do something impossible? (ie. start them both at 3B
) … ya, that sounds like BLEQ … I like it!
June 2, 2006 at 4:28 pm
anyone know how long this delay might take?
June 2, 2006 at 4:39 pm
It was looking pretty ugly a few minutes ago, they’ll probably cancel the game.
Lynch, don’t forget about Blummer! BLEQ of .177. Bellhorn and Blum play other positions so you can’t directly apply it to 3B.
Joliet Jake, thanks for dropping by. I don’t know anything about the Pirates but I’m learning a lot from your blog.
June 2, 2006 at 5:12 pm
University of Hawaii scouting report..
Of the four teams in this regional, Hawaii has gone the longest without reaching the postseason. The Rainbows last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1993. Junior right-hander Steven Wright (11-2, 2.30) has proven nearly unbeatable this season with a 123-19 strikeout-walk ratio over 110 innings. He could help upend Kansas, but there’s probably not enough pitching or offense to win the region. Luis Avila Savino hit eight of Hawaii’s 15 homers; he and Justin Frash (.368-3-53) are the main threats in the lineup.
clipped from espn..total Corvalis report..
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa.....id=2466774
June 2, 2006 at 5:56 pm
they going to try and get this game in cause the Padres don’t travel to pittsburgh again?
June 2, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Hawaii’s already lost their first game … http://www.ncaasports.com/base.....board/div1 … wonder why Wright didn’t pitch? They were up 5-0 before starter Justin Costi gave up 4 runs in 3rd and 4th and got yank’d … final was Kasas winning 9-6.
June 2, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Greene’s changed his stance again.
June 2, 2006 at 6:16 pm
Game on in Buc-town … top of first …
- E. Young singled to left
- M. Cameron struck out swinging
- E. Young stole second
- B. Giles singled to left center, E. Young scored
- M. Piazza homered to deep center, B. Giles scored
… so far, so good!
June 2, 2006 at 6:17 pm
USD is 5-5 thru 7 vs Fresno State!
June 2, 2006 at 6:23 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) — San Diego Padres left-hander Shawn Estes decided to have reconstructive left elbow surgery after consulting with three doctors and will miss the rest of this season and possibly the start of the 2007 season.
The Padres also decided Friday that staff ace Jake Peavy (4-5, 4.15 ERA) will miss his scheduled start Saturday in Pittsburgh because of right shoulder tendinitis. Mike Thompson (2-1, 3.50 ERA) will start in his place.
Peavy is expected to start Tuesday against Milwaukee following eight days of rest.
“We talked to Jake, he’s fine, he understands this is probably the best thing,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s fine with it, and this will give him a few more days to get the tendinitis calmed down.”
June 2, 2006 at 6:24 pm
Ryguy - did KG’s new stance have anything to do with his getting plunk’d?
June 2, 2006 at 6:28 pm
Check that … Fresno St hangs a 4-spot on USD … now up 9-5 thru 8 …
June 2, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Another run in 2nd for the good guys …
- J. Barfield doubled to center
- C. Park singled to center, J. Barfield scored
- E. Young doubled to deep right center, C. Park to third
… Padres up 4-0 … and counting.
Anyone know if there’s a chance this all gets washed out? Given the delay, I’d presume so …
June 2, 2006 at 6:36 pm
It’s raining pretty hard but they’re still playing.
June 2, 2006 at 6:36 pm
So far today, Pac-10 is 2-0 …
Stanford beat NC St … they’ll play Texas tomorrow @ Austin
UCLA beat UC Irvine … they’ll play Pepperdine tomorrow @ Malibu
Arizona St is playing Baylor … and Oregon St is playing Wright St … in games that are on-going.
June 2, 2006 at 6:38 pm
Should the Padres be thinking of making some outs so that they can get it to be an official game?
Gee, whoever thought we’d be begging for less offense
June 2, 2006 at 6:40 pm
LM, no he just took it onthe back toe it was a fastball I think. he’s good but he’s leaning in more.. bu tI guess that’s what happens when you give a day off to Greene now, he gets a chance to change his stance for the ump-teenth time.
June 2, 2006 at 6:40 pm
Anybody remember Jeffrey Maier?
Maier was the 12-year-old kid who reached over the wall in right field at Yankee Stadium to try - and fail - to catch then-rookie Derek Jeter’s blast, a move that prevented Baltimore Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco from making the grab during the first game of the 1996 American League Championship Series.
American League Umpire Richard Garcia ruled Jeter’s hit a home run. The Yankees rallied to win the game and the series.
Well, Maier, now 22, is set to graduate from Division III Wesleyan, where he holds the school record for hits, batted .375 in his college career, and has a 50-50 chance to getting nabbed in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft.
The Washington Post ran a story on Maier today. Light fluff with a local angle. Peter Angelos, the O’s owner, is reportedly considering drafting the kid in one of the later rounds. You know, a 48th or 49th round pick. A $1,000 bonus. Play in the New York Penn League with all of the other two-tool types. Either get invited to camp next spring or find a softball league.
Part of the story really just left me shaking my head. Not the scribe. Instead, the diatribes by grown men a decade later.
Some of the O’s fans, then-Baltimore Manager Davey Johnson, and even Scott Erickson, now a Yankees reliever and the pitcher for Baltimore that night, had some frightening things to say about the then-12-year-old kid.
Courtesy of the Washington Post:
“Some people are still very bitter towards him,” said Tony Pente, who operates the Orioles fan Web site, http://orioleshangout.com/ . “I hate to say it, but for some people, there’s almost a hatred of him — to this day.”
“I could still be in Baltimore if that didn’t happen,” said Davey Johnson, the Orioles’ manager at the time, whose departure from the organization at the end of the 1997 season came under disputed circumstances — he says he was fired; Angelos claims he resigned.
“It was a real big game, and we were going to win it,” Johnson said. “It changed a lot of things. It got me fired — not immediately, but it got me fired. I didn’t win [it all]. I won a little bit, but not enough.”
Pitcher Scott Erickson, who started the game for the Orioles and was in line to get the win before Armando Benitez served up the fateful pitch in the eighth inning to Jeter, said he hopes Maier makes it to the major leagues, “just so I can drill him — I’d like to get one shot at him.”
A 12-year-old kid.
Ten years ago.
Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to common sense.
Then, of course, I recall a famous line. Good for unclogging the mind and in considering whether to build walls on borders.
“Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man.”
- General George Patton.
Patton, a California boy and not exactly your closet Liberal, added that if man can overcome mountains and seas, we can overcome anything built by man…including, I hope, 10-year-old grudges involving a 12-year-old kid.
June 2, 2006 at 6:50 pm
USD rallying in top of 9th … they PH’d for the #4 hitter! … and the guy singled to make it 9-8 …
IC - nice update … wow!
June 2, 2006 at 6:54 pm
USD’s game ends when said-PH’er (who must be a big fan of Brian Giles?) got picked off first base (with the tieing run at 3rd) …
OUCH!
June 2, 2006 at 8:09 pm
Well, calling up Leone isn’t as easy as you’d think, simply because he’s not on the 40-man roster and someone would have to be released to bring him up (I know, I know, the easy solution is to release Vinnie, but the Padres don’t want to have traded their third starter for nothing - they’re gonna give him another month, at least. Yuk)
If you really wanna check out a Portland Beaver (I don’t mean that in any kind of dirty way), look at Jack Cust - he has a 466 OBP and a 580 Slg% right now. I think that might be a little better than Adrian Gonzalez.
June 2, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Clyde was at the game tonight. What a bunch of jackassery.
June 3, 2006 at 1:52 am
Solid, wet win. I am surprised they let it go. I will take it. This win counts in the standings as much as a the 6-5 win over the Dodgers in late April, so I will take it. Nice to see CHP get a win under his belt and few more knocks too. He is now batting .400. How good is our catching corp? Piazza is and others are doing it. Can Bowen play 3B?
June 3, 2006 at 10:46 am
“Can Bowen play 3B?”
I have no clue, but it certainly is an intriguing idea….