IGD: Padres vs Astros (3 Aug 06)
Thu, Aug 3, 2006
by Geoff Young
first pitch: 12:35 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Clay Hensley (6-8, 4.46 ERA) vs Matt Albers (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN
buy tickets
I guess now we know why last year Bruce Bochy wouldn’t stick a guy at third who hadn’t played the position in a while. Todd Walker went 1-for-3 at the plate in his first Padres start, and 2-for-4 in the field. Just a guess here, but I’m thinking we already had guys in the organization who could do that.
On the bright side, second baseman Josh Barfield was named NL Rookie of the Month for July. Barfield hit .400/.435/.590 during the month and was second in the NL (to Philadelphia’s Chase Utley) in hits with 40. Congratulations!
Afternoon game today. Padres try to avoid the sweep against the Astros and potentially falling back out of first place.
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.
August 3, 2006 at 7:30 am
this may get rained out
August 3, 2006 at 7:43 am
I’m downtown and it’s not really raining at all. It’s wet and overcast but it’s not raining.
August 3, 2006 at 7:53 am
it was raining when i walked to work
August 3, 2006 at 7:54 am
I think it may have stopped
August 3, 2006 at 7:57 am
Yeah, we got a real light drizzle last night here in Clairemont but it’s stopped. Forecast for downtown shows partly cloudy, mid-70s:
http://www.weather.com/weather.....undeclared
I think we’re okay.
August 3, 2006 at 8:26 am
Call me the weather man as I predicted the heavy air would cool Padre bats last night. Not sure why it didn’t work on the Astros. Drizzly here in UC too, but that won’t stop the game. Read that Walker got booed and the croud chanted Vinny, Vinny. Anybody go to the game to confirm>
August 3, 2006 at 8:44 am
Ouch that sucks for Todd.
Leitner was on 1090 this morning and said he watched Walker take ground balls at 3rd for about and hour then take bp and then go back and take more ground balls for a while and all his fielding and throws looked fine. I know it’s different in game situations I just hope he doesn’t have some sort of Chuck Knoblauch (sp) complex after not being over there in so long.
I’ve been really against it when other people have suggested it in the past but at this point I’m officially on the bandwagon… Why not let go of Blum and call up Leone or PMac? Could they really be any worse?
August 3, 2006 at 9:22 am
I think Blum has some value put him on waivers and see if we gat a low level prospect for him.
Walker will be ok it was just nerves last night, give him a game or 2.
If he didn’t make those Errors the score would be 6-1.
August 3, 2006 at 9:30 am
I agree with Steve, plus Walker did something Vinny hadn’t done in a while… hit a double. but just let someone get the fungo out and keep hitting him ground balls at 3b in bp and he’ll be fine.
August 3, 2006 at 9:34 am
I still think walker looks better there than bummer, he just need to get used to a throw he has not made in 9 years, if he is still hacking throws by next week then maybe Belhorn should be the full time 3B and walker can come off the bench.
August 3, 2006 at 10:06 am
well how about let’s just say how great Vinny Castilla was
Vinny bad bat - good field
Todd walker good bat - avg/bad field
which do you take when you need to score more runs?
August 3, 2006 at 10:13 am
Rose colored glasses if we think that Bellhorn/Walker/Blum can even be a servicable 3B platoon…
We have to have someone who can play 3rd…it is not an easy position to play and just sticking someone in there hurts us in more ways than one…not only are they marginal hitters, but with their pourous defense, we kill pitching staffs b/c of the number of pitches thrown per inning, we tax the team by putting additional men on base, and we are costing runs across the board.
Ensberg has not had trouble hitting in this cool weather…
August 3, 2006 at 10:18 am
I guess this is what happens when you bet the farm on one player and he does not work out. The pads though Bouroghs was a can’t miss and they did not have a back up plan.
August 3, 2006 at 10:45 am
I don’t think it really has anything to do with Burroughs I think that it was a poor decision in off-season to go after Vinny without a backup plan. Yeah Burroughs killed us in the long run but they decided at the trading deadline last year he was no longer the future and have had over a year now to address 3rd and have found nothing but part timers and ex-2nd baseman.
August 3, 2006 at 10:45 am
Hi, Ducksnorts! To respond to PM’s post a couple of hours ago, I was at the game last night. Section 114, so I had a good view to check out Walker. The crowd was polite and encouraging when his name was called…until the errors. Crowd turned real fast because it was evident that Walker is not the 3rd base solution that KT had been promising and released Vinny for. When the second error cost us a run, the crowd definitely started to spit venom in Walker’s direction. When Boch did the double switch to lift Woody, the crowd cheered Walker’s exit.
I didn’t hear the “Vinny, Vinny” chants, but that’s not to saw that it didn’t occur. It was frustrating to see Woody lose another due in part to the leaky defense that he is now attracting. His past three starts have had some of the weakest defense the Pads have played this year.
I’ll give Walker the benefit of the doubt for a few more games. After all, it’s Mgmt asking him to play a position he hasn’t played in almost a decade. Walker didn’t come here toting himself as a superior third baseman and the answer to our prayers. He’s been shoved in that position by KT and maybe Boch should’ve given him one more day of BP and fielding before putting him in the line-up.
August 3, 2006 at 10:57 am
from padres media notes
“The Padres and Astros matinee tilt today will feature the Friars and Astros wearing their 1976 uniforms…to mark the celebration of 1976, PETCO Park will host disco dance and best dressed contests, 1970s music and movie clips, retro graphics on FriarVision and the scoreboards, and factoids from the bicentennial year…prior to the game, the club will honor left-handed pitcher Randy Jones who became the first San Diego player to win the Cy Young Award in 1976″
August 3, 2006 at 10:59 am
Woody did not loose because of leaky D, Woody lost because of no offence and poor pitching. D cant save 2 homeruns.
August 3, 2006 at 11:06 am
Good point, Steve. I stand corrected.
August 3, 2006 at 11:08 am
I heard the Boo’s on T.V. last night, when did SD fans turn into Philadelphia fans.
August 3, 2006 at 11:22 am
Although I am sure that you are commenting on the propensity of SD fans to boo, Steve, I did notice something else last night that reminded me of Philly fans. Some of you may be aware of Chase’s Chicks or Flash’s Followers that go to Philly games dressed either as jailbait baby chicks or as superheroes. I noticed a group of guys dressed up as high school Shop teachers with a banner that read “Woody’s Workshop.” Now, I am all for that sort of fan support. Khalil’s Kuties. Chris’ Cowbells. Josh’s Jailbait. Barfield’s Barflies. Whatever works for postive fan support.
August 3, 2006 at 11:25 am
BP article “Lies, Damned Lies” today
“Padres Todd Walker replaces Geoff Blum (50%), Mark Bellhorn (50%) +7.7
Padres Total +7.7
Similarly, the Padres do a nice job of picking up a league-average player at the position where the incumbents were costing them multiple runs off the scoreboard each week. This was a really awful move by the Cubs, by the way. Todd Walker has a reasonably good chance of being a Type A free agent (a distinction that has been bestowed on infielders like Tony Graffanino and Royce Clayton in the recent past), and for the mere gambit of offering arbitration to a player that they could probably use anyway, the Cubs would have a good chance of drafting two prospects with much more upside than the A-ball reliever they picked up in this deal.”
link: http://www.baseballprospectus......cleid=5382
________________
if Walker becomes a type A FA and gets picked up that would be great
August 3, 2006 at 11:25 am
Anyone booing Walker doesn’t know what is going on. Anyone that knows the series of events that landed Walker at 3B last night should direct their boos to the owners/GM box.
The appearance of booing Walker makes Padre fans look stupid, the guy deserves the benifit of the doubt.
August 3, 2006 at 11:28 am
SDPG, I agree with you on the support end.
I just get discusted when SD fans boo thier own players. Most times its really because the padres have a poor owner who is commited to winning as long as it does not cost him anything.
Im all fo booing the umps and other teams though.
August 3, 2006 at 11:30 am
I could not agree more farquaad
August 3, 2006 at 11:33 am
Point of clarification … a friend of mine watch’d Walker’s 2nd error on TIVO, frame-by-frame … contrary to reports in yesterday’s IGD, the ump got the call right … Adrian’s foot was off the bag when the ball went into his glove. FYI.
August 3, 2006 at 11:34 am
I’m right there with you Steve. When I watch Cubs games on TV, you don’t hear one barrage of boos from sold-out Wrigley Field even though the Cubs stumble.
August 3, 2006 at 11:37 am
I really think walker will be ok at 3B after a few games (if boch does not pull the plug) and I think his bat will be alot better than both blum/belhorn/or vinny’s.
August 3, 2006 at 11:42 am
according to that BP article RyGuy posted in #21, the Padres improved themselves more than any club save the Yankees.
and you can’t conclude anything from two throws.
August 3, 2006 at 11:44 am
Three quick things…
#1…SD Pads Gal, I watch those same games and hear the boos…they boo Aramis Ramirez, they boo Dusty Baker, they booed Mark Prior as he walked off from his last home start…
#2…Does anyone have the time to put together a Family Tree like this one ( http://www.wyoung.net/tree.html ) for the Padres? Would be a neat thing to have.
#3…Since when did Todd Walker become Ted Williams with the bat in the eyes of the Padres fans? He is a platoon guy who can hit righties above average…a servicable major leage player, but at best a part-time player.
August 3, 2006 at 11:45 am
ryguy, great catch on the BP article. I am not exactly sure how they calculated runs added, but I will assume that they included defense as well. If not, they might need to adjust Walker’s expected positive benefits downward a bit.
August 3, 2006 at 12:03 pm
CM: No, I don’t have time to put together a family tree, but when has that ever stopped me?
I agree that this would be pretty handy — guess what I’ll be working on over the weekend!
August 3, 2006 at 12:08 pm
Walker deserves more time I agree. The thing that I can’t figure out is why he deserves more time then plugging in PMac or Leone. This team isn’t going anywhere. Even if we do manage to win the west who cares. We won’t be competative in the playoffs. I would rather miss the playoffs and bring a guy up who can play here for a few years (until Headley or Antenelli or we get a legit FA) then MAYBE make the playoffs with a platoon of 3 guys who are not going to be on the team next year. It just feels like a waste at this point. I’m really trying to look on the bright side but it seems like unless someone is just on fire then we suck. I really hope we can get the bats going soon so I can eat my words it’s not like I want us to loose I just think winning the west is stupid if you’re just going to get bounced in the 1st round.
August 3, 2006 at 12:08 pm
Is the game on TV, working at home today, and I might have time to sneak an inning or two, with the volumn down of course. Nothing makes mgt suspicous like a whoop and huller, or the way the pads are playing, curses during a sales meeting.
August 3, 2006 at 12:36 pm
1st play to walker sounded good.
August 3, 2006 at 12:37 pm
wow teddy compaired it to a cami play?
August 3, 2006 at 12:37 pm
And somewhere the 3rd base Gods are smiling.
August 3, 2006 at 12:38 pm
For those of you who are listening, Walker dover up and to his right, caught the high hopper, and from a seated position, threw to Gonzalez at 1st. Awesome.
August 3, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Now we’re talking. Brooks Walker!!
August 3, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Coronado Mike - when did anyone say anything near “Ted Williams with the bat?”
I think everyone agrees that he is mediocre…that happens to be so much better than what we had, that’s all.
August 3, 2006 at 12:47 pm
IGD: Padres vs Astros (3 Aug 06)…
nice…..
August 3, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Well that’s encouraging!
August 3, 2006 at 12:49 pm
9-1 Arizona…we need to win today to stay in first place.
August 3, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Anyone watching the game on Channel 4? I really wish I could see the retro unis. I wish Padres promotions and marketing depts would plan these throw-back jersey days on night games where so many more of us could attend them.
August 3, 2006 at 12:54 pm
Mike Matheny of SF is done for the season.
Concussion ends Matheny’s season per MLB.com
August 3, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Giles is killing me
August 3, 2006 at 12:56 pm
I was just going to ask the same question…how do the retro unis look? I went to the game in 98 where they had disco night and had the retro unis and it was cool..but I’d like to see how it looks today..
August 3, 2006 at 12:56 pm
Come on Giles! You’re supposed to be a master at drawing walks.
August 3, 2006 at 12:56 pm
man that killed the pads
August 3, 2006 at 12:57 pm
F word.
August 3, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Death by DP!
Here’s a TV report: The TV showed the score board with Giles on it. He has long hair and one of those handlebar mustaches all the way down his chin.
August 3, 2006 at 12:58 pm
well..that’s disappointing..
August 3, 2006 at 12:59 pm
I think my biggest question is…”Is he better than what we had?”
We can all agree that Blum and Bellhorn are essentially the same players…even look at Baseball-Reference.com…they list those guys as comparable players…
We can all agree that Walker is MARGINALLY better with the bat than those guys…but, while I am the Padres Optimist, I just don’t see this being the only move that a team with a shot at the playoffs should make at the deadline…
August 3, 2006 at 1:01 pm
SDPG I should have known you would want to come in here and talk fashion!
August 3, 2006 at 1:04 pm
LOL, KRS1! I don’t think I’m the only one who wishes they were at this game instead of sitting in an office/cube using the radio and Gameday. Doesn’t quite compare to seeing a Photo-shopped pic of Giles with a Fu Man Chu stache on a Jumbotron.
August 3, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Coronado Mike, while I like your optimism, I just don’t see any better 3B making their way through the waiver wires with the NL west being so tight.
August 3, 2006 at 1:06 pm
SDPG,
I can almost see the ballpark from my office window but I am stuck listening to flan and lightner and checking game day :o(.
August 3, 2006 at 1:08 pm
im watching yahoo gamecast…stuck at work here as well
August 3, 2006 at 1:09 pm
7 K in last 13 AB for Khalil. Looking really really bad.
August 3, 2006 at 1:10 pm
those are belhorn type #’s
August 3, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Khalil has rqaised his average though
August 3, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Mark O.
We can lose today and still be tied for 1st. Arizona still needs to play game 2 of their double header.
August 3, 2006 at 1:13 pm
I was trying to focus on us winning…
August 3, 2006 at 1:13 pm
CMike - I feel ya, Twalk is mad unexciting. Blumhorn has had some nice years in the past, and may have hit better if we kept playing them, but they were looking pretty bad.
August 3, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Heh, I’m at work and watching the game on the TV hanging over my cubicle. Those Astros uniforms aren’t as ugly as I remember them being. I think the fact that they’re cut in the modern style helps a lot. For real retro flavor they need to go with the skin tight polyester and knee high stirrup socks.
We’re not going to get shut out by a Double A pitcher, are we?
August 3, 2006 at 1:15 pm
Yeah, Khalil is not too consistent. Red hot or icy cold (I guess Jake isn’t the only one who like’s Icy Hot). Pretty consistent defensively, though.
No errors for Walker yet…hip hip hooray!
August 3, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Barfield… 2 for last 20
August 3, 2006 at 1:16 pm
To see live views of the jerseys ….
go to http://www.ccdc.com
scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will see a square in the bottom right that says “Live Views of Downtown Click Here”
When the page comes up, click on the picture of the field below “Gaslamp”
When that page comes up, above the picture you will see a dropdown menu that says “Choose a View”, scroll down to the bottom to “Ballpark Playing Field”
You can zoom in tight enough on a player to see the retro jerseys.
The site will probably now crash because too many people will be doing it simultaneously.
August 3, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Yeah I’m with you guys my office isn’t the same as the stands! I’m 5 blocks from PETCO and I have to sit here and listen to the game.
August 3, 2006 at 1:18 pm
what building do you work in KRS1?
August 3, 2006 at 1:24 pm
The Padres do know that it’s ok to score a few runs right?
August 3, 2006 at 1:25 pm
The Company is American Specialty Health. Its a small 5 story building right across the street from Horton Plaza.
August 3, 2006 at 1:25 pm
ah, im at 701 B st
August 3, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Walker’s last throw was a little wide of the bag. He looks a little awkward on the throw too, hopefully he’ll adjust.
August 3, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Yeah… I just found out the meeting my boss had was actually the baseball game. Pretty sweet! His wife works here to and just dimed him out haha.
August 3, 2006 at 1:31 pm
That was Giles 3rd walk in his last 16 games.
August 3, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Geez…we’re bringing out some pretty depressing statistics..
August 3, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Bard’s scoreboard pic looks like Rod Beck with a long goatee.
August 3, 2006 at 1:37 pm
woohoo..we scored a run..
August 3, 2006 at 1:37 pm
T. Gwynn 2-4 last night. Hitting .462
August 3, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Josh is swinging at EVERYTHING. He must have caught it from Khalil.
August 3, 2006 at 1:51 pm
I mean…way to swing it Josh!
August 3, 2006 at 1:53 pm
c’mon now…lets get some more runs here…
August 3, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Can I start a discussion that might get me banned from crossing the bridge into SD proper???
Can i get anyone to agree with me that Khalil is vastly overrated here in SD?
Sure we all love him, but this idea of him being a franchise type of player is really gnawing at me…his defense, while flashy at times, is nothing spectacular and his bat is vastly overrated…
He is a career .259 hitter with 15-20hr power…He K’s way to much, does not walk (almost a 3/1 ratio), and has a lower career OBP than Rob Deer…
Oh yea, did I mention that he is OLDER than Bobby Crosby and Sean Burroughs, and the same age as Adrian Beltre?
PLEASE keep the arrows and rotten vegetables to a minimum…
August 3, 2006 at 1:56 pm
I don’t know if I’d say vastly overrated, but he’s probably not the “franchise” player that we’d all like him to be..
August 3, 2006 at 1:57 pm
woah - 2 runs. I’m getting lightheaded…the air up here…so thin…
August 3, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Cameron singles home Barfield…2-0 padres..
August 3, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Trade Giles and Khalil. They suck.
August 3, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Oh, and Peavy too.
August 3, 2006 at 1:59 pm
You know who’s not overrated?
Adrian friggin’ Gonzalez.
August 3, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Yeah, baby!
August 3, 2006 at 2:00 pm
hell yeah - AGon! Not sure what to do w/ 4 runs. Seems like a whole series’ worth
August 3, 2006 at 2:01 pm
omg…4 runs in the game so far.. I didn’t know that they had crooked numbers for the Padres side of the scoreboard
August 3, 2006 at 2:02 pm
first pitch swinging to kill the rally against a minor league pitcher on the ropes - way to go, Todd Walker - professional hitter
August 3, 2006 at 2:02 pm
I think his defense gets overlooked a lot because he makes things look easy but as an overall player yeah he’s a bit over-rated. I think he works for the Padres because they don’t ask him for anything. His power is a bonus and I think he has lots of will to improve. I would rather have him then probably 75 to 80 percent of the SS in the league but yeah I’ll agree he isn’t the “franchise”.
August 3, 2006 at 2:05 pm
I dont think Khalil is overrated any more I think most people in SD have accepted him as a .260 hitter with 20-25 HR power with very solid D, which is better than most SS in the leauge.
Khalil does have a flare for the dramatics and has come up with some very clutch hits over the past few years.
You also have to rember that Khalil is a 2nd half player and over the past few years he has put up alot better stats in Aug/Sept then in April/May.
August 3, 2006 at 2:06 pm
Walker swung at a 1st pitch meatball. Can’t blame him for that. He just didn’t hit it well.
August 3, 2006 at 2:09 pm
What is Cameron’s contract? Is there an option for next year?
August 3, 2006 at 2:09 pm
too bad the Astros aren’t from Cuba - we could just have Ensberg seek asylum and not have to worry about waivers, etc.
August 3, 2006 at 2:09 pm
I guess this is why they didn’t trade Ensburg.
August 3, 2006 at 2:10 pm
I belive the Pads have a $7 mil option on Cameron next year
August 3, 2006 at 2:10 pm
I think Cameron has a $7 million option for next year.
August 3, 2006 at 2:11 pm
85 pitches 4 hits 1 run why is boch pulling Clay?