Friday Links (28 Jul 06)
Fri, Jul 28, 2006
by Geoff Young
Can we get a third baseman already? Geoff Blum is no different from Vinny Castilla — by all accounts a great guy, but not someone you want in the lineup every day.
Don’t mind me, I’m just in a pissy mood after Thursday night’s meltdown at Coors Field. If you’re ever wondering why nobody takes the Padres or the NL West seriously, you could do worse than point to that game. Blowing a 6-0 lead while attempting to defend the division title isn’t necessarily the best way to build credibility.
Anyway, it’s Friday and we’ve got links:
- Padres Mid-Season Top 15 (16) Prospects (Padres RunDown). Peter Friberg is back blogging at Padres RunDown and has a new prospect list for us that includes some of my favorites (Will Venable, Kyle Blanks). The inclusion of Matt Bush may be a shade optimistic (don’t think about Stephen Drew, Justin Verlander, or Jered Weaver), but stranger things have happened. Anyway, good to see Peter back in the saddle again.
- Who’s laughing now? A season after embarrassing division title, Padres stand atop more legitimate NL West (North County Times). I don’t know how I missed Brian Hiro’s excellent take on the Padres’ first half of 2006, but I did. Yeah, it’s a couple weeks old, but this still is a worthy read. [via Greetings From America's Finest City]
- Killing Tony (and Baseball) Softly (Bleacher Report). Frank Zachary pays tribute to Tony Gwynn. I like the sentiment, but I have a few issues with the delivery:
- It gets a bit hyperbolic in places: “Tony Gwynn is one of those players who is flat out going to be forgotten about by the next generation of baseball fans.” Uh, I don’t think so.
- The tone could be less condescending. By separating himself from “you, ALL of you, baseball fans,” Zachary appears to be talking at us rather than to us — regardless of intent, that’s how it reads.
- I would like to see a more accurate characterization of Moneyball — calling it “biblical” and referring to it as a work that “declared that homers and walks, not singles and stolen bags, were what was important to the game of baseball” does a disservice to the book and to those of us reading Zachary’s piece.
Not that Gwynn needs anyone’s help, but I’m glad to see someone put in a good word for him. If you can get past the hyperbole and condescension, there are some nice thoughts on Gwynn’s contribution to the game here.
- Wizards pitching for Hispanic fans (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette). The Padres organization is working to market itself toward the Latin-American community at every level. We think of San Diego, of course, because of its proximity to Mexico, but the big-league city is only one piece of the larger puzzle.
- So, Where Is The Love For Jered Weaver? (6-4-2). Speaking of Weaver, Rob McMillin wonders why he’s not getting the attention that Fernando Valenzuela received when he broke into the league 25 (!) years ago. Bonus points for proposing the Khalil Greene theory.
- Speaking of pitching prospects, according to the July 26 Daily Dish at Baseball America, a couple of high-profile picks from the past decade have called it quits. I still won’t go so far as to embrace the “no such thing as a pitching prospect” ideology that is popular in some circles but Matt White and Colt Griffin sure make for good cautionary tales.
- The 2006 MLB All-Name Team (Rubber Arm). Some stupid fun for a Friday.
That’s all for now; more as it happens.
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July 28, 2006 at 8:40 am
GY, you’re supposed to talk me in from the ledge, not join me out there.
The most disappointing thing about Blum last night was he seemed to have no plan. The opposing pitcher has walked 2, hit a man, and given up a HR, and Blum’s great tactical decision is to drop a bunt? He looked completely clueless later with men on first and third. Bellhorn could very well have struck out in both cases, but at least he’ll give you a professional ab.
Brewers trade Lee to the Rangers for, strangely enough, impending FA Kevin Mench, Nix, and Cordero. Some other parts on the Brewers side.
July 28, 2006 at 8:44 am
Correction - Mench is not a free agent after 2006.
July 28, 2006 at 9:12 am
I just read that the Brewers offered him an extension worth 12 mil a year and he turned it down. Ouch! I don’t know what that guy is expecting in free agency but sounds like it’s going to take a lot!
July 28, 2006 at 9:39 am
I would love to take credit for the Green similarity (and I have noticed it myself before), but it was suggested by one of Deadspin’s commenters in that thread.
July 28, 2006 at 9:55 am
Well, it was a horrors game in a house of horrors ballpark, so lets move off the ledge and move on. Trouble is, we got three more in the house of horrors. Rocks have had our number all year too. Seems every one of them is batting over 300. They must lack pitching and D with respect to their place in the standings. And who would have thought a chin-high, inside, Hoffman fastball (88 MPH?) would be right in dude’s wheelhouse. How ofter can Trevor be “pissed” after a game. Its clear, he is declining. So tonight, lets do what we do best, pitching and D and get after them.
July 28, 2006 at 10:22 am
I’ve heard that Lee wants more years as well as more money than the 4/48 that the Brewers offered. I bet that he’d sign for 5/60. He said himself in a Chicago paper a couple days ago that he’d like to be a Cub.
I agree with the comments about Blum. He looked totally lost at the plate last night and has looked poor at 3B since Vinny got cut. At this point I would settle for Aaron Boone-we need someone who can at least play passable defense at third. Boone would come extremely cheap–if we don’t get someone to play third by the deadline, I’m worried that we won’t win the division.
July 28, 2006 at 10:25 am
PM - an 88 mph, inner half, waist high fastball that is really 82 mph is typically right in most guy’s wheel house (except Vinny Castilla and Geoff Blum). Trevor needs to absolutely thread the needle every single time out there or he will get rocked. His stuff is just that crappy. He’s been getting guys out between the ears for many years now, not with his change-up.
I dunno… didn’t trev blow a game last year in coors when clint barmes roped a 2-run homer in the 9th (wasn’t it opening day)?
I know you probably weren’t meaning to be funny, but I was laughing my *** off, GY, at your breakdown of Frank Zachary’s article. I just have a weird sense of humor…something about smart, nice guys using big words to tell someone to stop writing like a clown makes me laugh. Kind of like hearing old people cuss…it’s just funny.
July 28, 2006 at 10:40 am
I really hope Trevor isn’t going to be our next Ryan Klesko!
July 28, 2006 at 10:47 am
Friar, yes, it was opening day last year. Not that I remember it vividly or anything…
Shea Hillenbrand update (SF Chronicle): His first five games with the Giants truly have been miserable. He is 4-for-23 with four singles. Moreover, he has not advanced one of 15 runners on base during his at-bats.
July 28, 2006 at 11:45 am
Marte called up by Indians:
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com.....p;c_id=mlb
July 28, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Personally I think we should release EY and bring up Jon Knott from Portland. The man is on fire! Knott can play some LF vs lefties and even spell Gonzalez at 1B vs. a tough lefty. Plus he’s a RH power bat off the bench.
Not sure he could be any worse than Young.
July 28, 2006 at 12:50 pm
I dunno, FF, thought that pitch was up in the zone at least chest hi, and dude kinda tomohawked it. Guess my point is, the pitch wasn’t a mistake, as in heart of plate, waist high, it was clearly a ball, but dude roped it anyway. Trevor has lost a little confidence maybe, because he keep throwing slowballs, er fastballs instead of the change. Dude said he was sitting dead red, waiting for the FB. Oh well. I think there are a few more games left in the season.
July 28, 2006 at 1:55 pm
I’m pissed at the lost but glad that I didn’t stay home to watch the rest of the game. I’m, however, worried that somebody here suggested that Aaron Boone should even be considered here in SD.
Yes, at this point, Bellhorn is a better batter than Blum.
July 28, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Oops, I meant the loss. But, of course, the lost too. Based on what I read and saw, that’d be Blum at the plate yesterday.
July 28, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Didi, Paul suggested it. Paul is easily one of my best friends and an austute baseball thinker… He pointed out that niether Blum nor Bellhorn are hitting much and that Boone could replicate their level of “hitting” while playing a superior defensive 3B.
Let me assure you that Paul doesn’t WANT Boone in a Padre uniform but he’s smart enough to realize that too many more innings of Blum/Bellhorn manning the hot corner could lead to more innings like last night’s 4th, when Blum couldn’t reach that ball bouncing slowly through the 5.5 hole. Look at two scenarios:
1.
G Atkins doubled to deep right.
M Holliday singled to left, G Atkins to third.
T Helton singled to center, G Atkins scored, M Holliday to second.
Y Torrealba doubled to deep right center, M Holliday scored, T Helton to third.
B Hawpe hit sacrifice fly to center, T Helton scored, Y Torrealba to third.
C Sullivan grounded into fielder’s choice to first, Y Torrealba out at home.
J Smith hit for J Fogg.
J Smith grounded out to second.
2.
G Atkins doubled to deep right.
M Holliday gounds out to G Blum
T Helton singled to center, G Atkins scored
Y Torrealba doubled to deep right center, T Helton to third.
B Hawpe hit sacrifice fly to center, T Helton scored, Y Torrealba to third.
C Sullivan grounded into fielder’s choice to first, Y Torrealba out at home.
In the second scenario, not only do the Rockies score less runs (granted only 1, and granted who knows how it plays differently when different baserunner scenarios are in play), but maybe more importantly Williams is around longer (fewer pitches) and has more confidence in his defense.
A Boone trade would be quite underwhelming from an offensive standpoint, but for a team that prides itself on its defense, it sure is kicking the ball quite a bit.
July 28, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Something has to be in the works. The Padre braintrust is too smart to think they can win the division with no third baseman. If defense is your strong suit you can’t have a glaring hole like that, even more so if you’re not getting any offensive production.
Boone would help slightly but then we’re right back to where we were with Vinny, with a little more hope for a rebound. Recent talk of waiting til August and making a waiver deal doesn’t instill confidence, we could easily kick away a few more games like last night between now and then.
Maybe I’m being overly dramatic but I think what happens between now and Monday will decide the division.
July 28, 2006 at 3:52 pm
If we don’t upgrade 3b, my vote is to play Bellhorn and leave Blum on the bench as a pinch hitter. It’s not a platoon situation, since both are switch hitters. Blum seems to function better off the bench as a pinch hitter, while Bellhorn needs more at bats to have a consistent swing. Plus, Bellhorn is the better fielder. But, I’m with everyone else. We need to trade for a solid third baseman.
July 28, 2006 at 4:27 pm
I’m not suggesting that the Padres should sit around waiting for a third baseman to fall into their laps. As Anthony mentioned, there has got to be a plan that is better than getting an Aaron Boone in the works or the Padres might as well be getting Vinny back and we all didn’t like watching Vinny’s ABs, we won’t enjoy watching Boone’s ABs either. As for the fielding, yes, the Padres are so much in need of a better glove there.
Still, last night’s game wasn’t lost by that particular play. Trevor was staked with 2 runs and the defense failed him overall. That and his fastball.
July 28, 2006 at 4:40 pm
I stand corrected. Mike Cameron’s error wasn’t in the ninth inning.
July 28, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Certainly the game last night was not lost by Geoff Blum. However, there should have been a bigger cushion than there was. The Padres have looked pretty mediocre defensively in the last few weeks, especially in the series in SF.
As Peter said, I don’t love the idea of getting Aaron Boone. All I was trying to say was that if there is a choice between Bellhorn and Blum or Aaron Boone…I’ll take Boone every time. I still would much rather have any number of other third basemen, but if I can’t have them, I’d rather have a third baseman than none at all.