Friday Links (25 Aug 06)
Fri, Aug 25, 2006
by Geoff Young
Happy Friday! While we’re busy debating the merits of the Russell Branyan acquisition, here are some links for you:
- Stauffer hopes spot start can be opportunity to shine (The Saratogian). Local paper talks about Tim Stauffer’s 2006 debut against the Dodgers this past week. I still can’t believe how well he did given the circumstances.
- Padres make room for Hensley (Houston Chronicle). This one’s a little old, but Sam Khan Jr. has a nice little profile on Houston product and Padres starter Clay Hensley.
- The Padres Very Much Value Your Patronage (Deadspin). Cool story about an email a Padres season ticket holder received after asking not to be contacted by the team about purchasing post-season tickets. Speaking of value, why aren’t Deadspin commenters adding any?
- Independents’ day dawns for Wizards (Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette). Sarah Trotto tells the stories of four kids the Padres found in Independent leagues who are now at Low-A Ft. Wayne. One of them, reliever Nathan Staggs, played with the Surf Dawgs. All of them are fighting long odds to reach the big leagues.
- Sikorski translates success in Japan into spot with Tribe (Akron Beacon Journal). I know Brian Sikorski hasn’t been with the Padres for a while now, but I still think his return from Japan is a neat story.
- Baseball America has posted AFL Rosters. Padres will send RHP Jonathon Ellis, RHP John Hudgins, RHP Leonel Rosales, C Colt Morton, 3B Chase Headley, OF Vince Sinisi.
- As Coronado Mike noted in the comments the other day, Tangotiger is running his annual scouting report project. In his words, “I want you to tell me what your eyes see. I want you to tell me how good or bad a fielder is.” I haven’t participated in these before because I haven’t felt qualified, but I’m thinking this year I can fill in at least a few of the blanks for the Pads. Something is better than nothing, right?
That’s all for now. Padres at Coors for three starting tonight. We’ll have the IGD up at 5 p.m. Be there or be rhomboid.
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August 25, 2006 at 8:08 am
Anyone ever think we would start to pine for the good ‘ol days of Phil Nevin at 3B? Where would we be now if we hadn’t pushed him off of 3B to make room for Sean B? No Chan Ho, for sure, but maybe in the interim our pitching needs are met other ways. Maybe PN never degenerates from clubhouse leader to clubhouse cancer if the team didn’t jerk him around the field. Maybe if he never experiments in the OF, he never hurts his shoulder, which you could argue had more to do with his power #s dropping than Petco.
So, who knows? Our woes at 3B are clearly of our own making (committing to SB, not getting the job done in the draft to have major-league ready replacements available), and maybe the Nevin situation blows up anyway even if we never brought up SB…but maybe not…
August 25, 2006 at 8:12 am
Look let me just start off by saying that Russ Branyon does not impress me in the least. With that said I decided to sleep on it before I payed Ducksnorts a visit to start my bitching. This morning I have a little different take I guess. If this was the trade deadline move I would be irrate but since it’s just a waiver deal I am not going to put a lot of weight on it. If we cruise into next season sporting Russ as our starter I will be irrate but for now I am willing to accept him for what he is. If he comes in here and hits some homers we all will be pretty syked. If he comes in here and strikes out a ton he’s just going to be the new Mark Bellhorn so I don’t really see what we have to loose. At least with him there is an upside with his potential power.
I think it’s funny that Peter and I were talking about trying to get a 3rd baseman from the D-Rays earlier this week. Not quite what we were getting at huh Peter? haha
Whatever guys like I said before we swept the Dodgers… AGAIN! So every win from here on out is a bonus for me because it’s not like we are world series contender.
August 25, 2006 at 8:21 am
I’ve asked before and I’ll ask again. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t bring up Phil Nevin’s name anymore! If that guy was any good he would still be here. The Padres made him the face of the franchise paid him a shitload of money and as soon as he stopped plunging juice in his veins he couldn’t do anything at the plate and couldn’t stay healthy at any position but 1st. Sean Burroughs was a huge bust yeah but it’s not as if we were asking him to replace Brooks Robinson. Most of the teams in the league would have done the same thing with SB. Blah blah blah I just freaking hate Phil Nevin!
August 25, 2006 at 8:52 am
Actually, the 3B situation can go back even further. If the Pads hadn’t traded for Nevin, they’d still have Andy Sheets. If Sheets had been given more time, he might have hit 28 bombs for us instead of the Yomuyummi Pink Tacos of the Japanese league.
August 25, 2006 at 8:55 am
Did I just see yummi pink tacos?
WOW! HAHAHA
August 25, 2006 at 9:25 am
also keep in mind that the Padres offense is okay. BUT that they should be scoring more runs than they are.
link: http://www.baseballprospectus.......php#tmtot
Team EQA Totals
Team PF Out EQA EQR R-Act R-Est Diff
SD_-N 935 3343. 0.264 598.3 563. 588. -25.
One other team has a higher Differential: Toronto at -33 so you have to think the Padre bats will get going and start scoring those runs they haven’t so far.
and no surprise comes here that the team that has exceeded its run scoring expectations are the Mets at 26.
August 25, 2006 at 9:27 am
You know, if Ruben Rivera would have stepped up, we would have been able to keep Nady and Bay. If Adam Eaton would have just been a solid number 1, we could have traded him for ARod and cash…
If i had just stayed away from volleyball, I could be playing 3rd for the pads…
Fun to dream and wish, but Phil Nevin and his artificially enhanced body has no place in the Russell Branyan discussions.
If Branyan hit like Adam Dunn, we could get excited, but he does not. He is a marginal power hitter that k’s way to much…we already have that in Bellhorn.
KT falls in love with the marginal hitters and we end up with marginal offenses. Time to go KT.
August 25, 2006 at 9:31 am
Heard this morning on Cold Pizza:
They are reporting the following rumor: Both Bochy and Towers will be gone in the offseason. Alderson wants to bring in either Dusty Baker or Lou Pinella. I can’t remember who they wanted to bring in as the new GM but I think it was within the orrginization but not one of the former GM’s they have already retained.
August 25, 2006 at 9:39 am
Two corrections:
Pads offense is not marginal. The offense is fine; the problem is getting those 2-out hits and the clutch at-bats with runners in scoring position. Why? KT is still not sure. May have something to do with their approach in certain situations. I’d like to see them go back to being less agressive (like in ‘98) — unless you’re Mike Piazza or somone who is going to mash the ball —, working the count, and pounding those mistake pitches when they are ahead in the count. Easier said than done, though. Just ask Dave Magadan.
Also, from a guy who watches Japanese baseball on a regular basis, Andy Sheets would only be hitting 28 HRs in the majors if you believe Tuffy Rhodes would be hitting 56. The biggest difference between the majors and the Japanese league is the Japanese pitchers can get away with tons of mistakes and few hitters make them pay (except for guys like Sheets, Rhodes, and that other slugger, Benny Agbayani).
August 25, 2006 at 9:41 am
Oh dear lord not Dusty Baker or Lou Pinella. I have a hard time believing somebody stats centered like Alderson would bring in someone like Baker. Don’t the Moneyball type GMs like stooges as managers, not people that want influence like Baker and Pinella? I would say I don’t believe that rumor at this point.
August 25, 2006 at 9:43 am
RE #8: Dusty Baker in San Diego is about as likely as the Padres signing Albert Belle to a multi-year contract. My money says KT and Bochy will both be back.
BTW, what (and who) is Cold Pizza?
August 25, 2006 at 9:45 am
re: 11 Cold Pizza is the morning sports talk show on ESPN2, it’s on for a couple hours every morning.
August 25, 2006 at 9:51 am
Thanks for the info. Well, there’s your answer. Any sports show on in the morning for a couple of hours has to come up with a lot of filler. KT says it’s BS. And I agree.
August 25, 2006 at 9:54 am
Does anyone seriously think Sandy would bring in Dusty Baker of all people?
I like Branyan as a minor move. I’ve always felt that the remedy for Petco is a guy like Sexton/Glaus/Dunn, a guy that can hit the ball out of any park. Branyan is not anywhere near those guys obviously but he can hit the ball a long way. I don’t mind him as a replacement for Bellhorn if that’s how it shakes down.
August 25, 2006 at 10:00 am
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if KT and Bochy are both gone in the offseason, especially if we don’t make the playoffs.
I am not in favor of either Dusty or Lou Pinella being brought in as managers though..
August 25, 2006 at 10:02 am
Minor move for a minor leaguer.
I don’t care for Branyan unless Bellhorn is gone. They are practically the same player.
Evan Meek was supposed to be very good after getting his grove back from losing it in the Twins system. Not a big deal, though.
KT and Boch are staying put for better or worse. No way Dusty comes in under Alderson. Please, no Piniella. The only thing he does well is blowing up at the umps. I’ll watch him do that but not manage the Padres.
August 25, 2006 at 10:05 am
Here’s an even better rumor… Sandy wants to bring in his good old buddy Tony LaRussa who is growing tired of St. Louis. Actually I just made that up but I’d see that happening before we see Dusty in Padres sweatbands!
August 25, 2006 at 10:32 am
While Bochy has his flaws (according to my girlfriend, not wearing a jock under his flannels is one of them) he has managed to keep our group near the top of the division. He seems to be well-liked by the players, which may or may not be a plus, and when given comparative talent to that of other teams in the division, we seem to be competitive.
I had pretty much written us off at the end of the Giant series, but, whether it be due to Bochy or the players, they rose from the dead and gave us some hope again.
KT has flaws as well, but you can’t really argue against the job he’s done on building a bull pen and a pitching staff. Had he not made the trades that gave us a starting staff, we’d be looking at BLaw and Eaton sitting on the DL and no one to take their place.
I think the rumor is filler. I expect them both back, at least until their contracts are up.
August 25, 2006 at 10:49 am
Yeah…I don’t really think I need to watch a significant amount of Japanese baseball (thank god) to know Andy Sheets wouldn’t hit 28 ML homers. I guess saying the words yummi pink tacos wasn’t enough to convey my sarcasm.
Dusty and Piniella, huh? How would that be an upgrade. Having seen Cold Pizza a couple times, I think it’s fair to say they were probably not “reporting a rumor”. They were probably discussing the situation and someone said, “Hey, you know…Lou Piniella is looking for work and Dusty Baker will probably need a job next year.”
Dodgers suck!
Have a good Friday.
August 25, 2006 at 11:31 am
Lamar … giving new meaning to the term “in depth insight” … you’re not gonna get *THAT* kind of info on Cold Pizza!!!
August 25, 2006 at 11:35 am
re: #18. shouldn’t you be concerned your girlfriend is paying close attention to Bochy’s, um, midsection?
August 25, 2006 at 11:41 am
BP’s STAT OF THE DAY
Top 5 NL Playoff Contenders
Team, Average Wins, Postseason Odds
New York Mets, 97.7, 99.9%
St. Louis Cardinals, 85.0, 70.7%
Los Angeles Dodgers, 85.2, 70.0%
Cincinnati Reds, 83.5, 49.6%
San Diego Padres, 83.5, 47.8%
August 25, 2006 at 11:41 am
Clayton … don’t go there!
August 25, 2006 at 11:54 am
the rumor of Bochy being fired came from SI.com, again ESPN just saying what other people think and reporting it as news.
link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....s.hotseat/
August 25, 2006 at 12:08 pm
If Bochy goes, my money would be on the hiring of Alan Trammel as manager.
August 25, 2006 at 12:12 pm
My girlfriend describes it as the Bochy “flop.” Thank God it’s a “flop” when he walks to the mound to pull Woody. Sorry. Couldn’t help it.
August 25, 2006 at 12:20 pm
I would in NO way shape or form be opposed to Trammel. I don’t care what anyone says that is his team in Detroit. Leyland is getting pretty much a free ride!
August 25, 2006 at 12:28 pm
Thanks for planting that seed LaMar, now we’ll all involuntarily notice something we’ve (thankfully) never noticed before.
August 25, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Clayton … I blame you for this!
August 25, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Pull Woody. huh huh huh
August 25, 2006 at 12:46 pm
If there are any truth to the rumors, then I would rather see KT gone before Boch. When Bochy has talent, he has won and arguably beaten more talented teams. I don’t agree with all of his pitching moves, but I get to criticize his moves after the fact and none of my “I would have done” have resulted in an L, so he gets the benefit of the doubt. In my eyes, his biggest flaw is that he sticks with his veterans too long before letting a young guy get a chance.
KT on the other hand is the one that should be held responsible for the lack of talent in the minors. You can like some of the moves he has made - Cameron, Young, Agon, Linebrink, Meridith, Roberts, Piazza … but when it is all said and done, they are still a 500 team in a weak NL. I am not fooled by an NL West Division Championship (potentially 2) .
I am tired of being told, “We are looking to the future”; especially after finding this site and learning that that statement is pretty hollow.
August 25, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Bochy takes a lot of heat from some fans but I think he’s one of the better managers in the game. At least he has identifiable strengths and doesn’t do stupid things like bunt excessively. Believe me, there are lot of managers in the big leagues who are a lot worse.
However, both Bochy and KT have been around a very long time. Stability is good but maybe it’s time to go in a different direction. San Diego is a low key town and Bochy is a low key manager, making for a low key team. I’m not saying we need an a-hole like Larry Bowa but maybe a change in attitude would be helpful. If the focus is going to be on building from within and bringing up young players then Bochy is probably the wrong guy for that.
August 25, 2006 at 12:58 pm
WASHINGTON (Aug. 25) - The Washington Nationals recalled catcher/first baseman Robert Fick from the 15-day disabled list and released infielder Damian Jackson.
Ouch. Fick and Damian are best friends. That’s got to be a mixed emotion for Fick.
August 25, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Lamar-
Hey man, you brought it up.
Speaking of Bochy, what was the official date of the moustache shaving? Can we get a before/after split on the Padres W/L? This, I feel is the root of all our probelms.
August 25, 2006 at 1:09 pm
I’m with you Farquaad. I’d rather see KT go then Boch.
I don’t see any benefit to Dusty Baker coming to SD. None at all.
Pinella, you can at least go the “fiesty” and “change in attitude” route (Anthony hit the nail on the head here).
Only problem is — Boch is a solid manager, and he’s proved he can be successful when given some talent. So instead of firing him, get him some talent, and we’ll be good to go.
August 25, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Before the season, the Padres front office thought they had a 78 win team, so they’re probably pleased with how things have gone.
August 25, 2006 at 1:13 pm
Clayton
I think he shaved the moustache in Spr. Training.
August 25, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Ryguy
Good job on that SI link
August 25, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Clayton, I didn’t bring it up. Thank God.
Although I haven’t checked this statistically, one way to possibly evaluate an organization/manager/coaching staff would be to see how players have performed after a year in the organization compared to the year before they came to the organization. Also, you could do the same thing with how a player does the year after he leaves the organization compared to the year before when he was with the organization. While there are undoubtedly other factors like the ball park that can skew the statistics, it might be worth examining.
As examples, on today’s team, I think you could say Roberts, Piazza, Bard and Bowen have all performed better their first year with the Padres than their recent history would suggest. Cameron could be considered a push, while Giles first year in the organization would probably be a step backward. You’ve also got Bellhorn and Castilla who have a downward trend, but I think you were betting on the come line with them, anyway, since their stars were dropping anyway. Thinking about players who left the Padres after last year, Fick and Jackson performed better last year for the Padres than they have for the Nationals.
Like I said, I haven’t looked into this very closely, but it could be one measure of attempting to evaluate the organization. I know the final wins and losses are the real issue, but getting the most out of the talent you’ve got is certainly a consideration.
August 25, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Maybe we should bring Damian Jackson in and jettison Manny A? Jackson would be a useful bench piece in September, being that he’s fast, righty and can play practically every position.
August 25, 2006 at 1:38 pm
I would bring back DJ in a heartbeat. With Khalil down we need something better than Manny for the stretch drive.
Didn’t Bochy have a goatee in spring training, then he shaved it all off for opening day?
August 25, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Are you saying boch is a not underwear..I’ll have to check that out and see what the wife says. Women can spot these important, er, aspects of a man.
Meanwhile, dreading the game tonight as, like we own the dodgers, the Rockies own us. Lets change that tonight.
August 25, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Anthony, I’m with you. I bring DJ back and get rid of Manny A. Oh — that is a no brainer. I hope they do it.
August 25, 2006 at 2:20 pm
LaMar (43): That’s a great idea. I seem to recall someone doing a study on the effect Leo Mazzone had on pitchers during his tenure with the Braves.
As for DJ, count me in on that bandwagon.
August 25, 2006 at 2:45 pm
TGIF, Ducksnorters! Interesting topics today in the thread. Possible replacement managers, Bochy’s managerial ability, and Boch’s “flop” and facial hair.
I can’t comment on Boch’s midsection as I tend to focus on the midsection of some of the other Padres uniforms. But I’m looking at the back, not the front. I’ll spare this predominately male site my observations.
Speaking of Boch’s stache/goatee and the Padres’ performance, someone should track some of the player’s ability and their facial hair decisions. Does Adrian hit better with the goatee or without? Does Josh Barfield field better if he has shaved or not? Does Khalil even need a razor?
August 25, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Way OT … but I’m a Zack Greienke fan ever since I saw him pitch vs Padres over in Peoria a few years ago … from rotoworld.com …
Zack Greinke pitched eight innings and allowed three runs Thursday for Double-A Wichita.
Over his last 10 starts, Greinke is 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA, 60 H and 59/10 K/BB in 64 1/3 IP. The Royals aren’t going to call him up until Wichita’s season ends, but they are likely to put him into the rotation once they do promote him.
August 25, 2006 at 3:31 pm
I was listening to XX for a few minutes today and they said Branyon won’t get to Colorado until tomorrow, so the roster move doesn’t have to be made until then. Anybody placing odds on who gets released? My money’s on Bellhorn. Strike outs are the same, but Branyon probably connects more with better results.
August 25, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Alexander will get sent down, greene is on the D/L untill sept when the pads can expand the rosters.
August 25, 2006 at 4:11 pm
I’d bet not Manny … who’d play SS if Blum tweeks an ankle? Todd Walker?
August 25, 2006 at 4:42 pm
LM, pretty funny. Todd Walker — Utility Man, Extraordinaire. Actually, Adrian G has played shortstop in high school. If we can use TW at third, who hasn’t played 3rd since 1997, why can’t we use Adrian at short? He’s had more recent experience at short than Walker had at third.