If the Padres hadn’t blown that first game in Cincy, they’d be headed to LA already in first place. Funny how a team that some folks still don’t think can hold on to the wild card isn’t done fighting for the division, eh? And call me crazy, but I actually like heading into this series slightly behind the Dodgers. Any potential for letdown is completely erased.
Them boys are hungry.
Speaking of hungry, how ’bout some links:
- Over at Padres Run Down, Peter Friberg talks about the importance of working counts as the Padres make their run at the playoffs. He also likes the Friars’ chances of reaching 85 wins, which doesn’t sound very ambitious until you realize that this would be an improvement over 2005.
- NL West is still up for grabs (ESPN). Mark Simon breaks down the upcoming series between the Padres and Dodgers. Some great pitching matchups. This promises to be a fascinating weekend.
- Playoff pulse: Scheduling conflict (Yahoo!). Jeff Passan ranks the schedules of playoff contenders headed into the final stretch. Among 15 teams, the Dodgers have the second easiest schedule, while the Padres are middle of the pack. Passan has another piece on the Padres that probably is more useful to folks who don’t know much about the team. He praises the pitching staff, but in a sort of backhanded way.
- RBI Gap (Baseball Musings). David Pinto looks at the biggest gaps between the top two RBI guys on a team since 1900. Would you believe that Sammy Sosa drove in 94 more runs than the man who finished second in 2001?
- Ten Great Pickups by Omar Minaya (Hardball Times). Dave Studeman likes what the Mets GM has done this year, particularly in assembling his spare parts. If the Padres had a better bench, you could probably put Kevin Towers right up there with Minaya.
- Barry Zito breaks down his famous curveball (Contra Costa Times). With all the talk about Zito potentially coming to San Diego as a free agent (I remain skeptical due to what I suspect his price tag might be), here’s an interesting look at his curve ball. Maybe by the time you read this, they’ll have added the photos. [Tip o' the Ducksnorts cap to Baseball Musings.]
Happy Friday, everyone, and go Padres!
Oh, is the Japaneese guy a possible lead off canidate? Anyone know?
OT … former Padre C David Ross with HR #19 today … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260915116 … what a season that guy is having!
Good call LynchMob, I forgot that I have MiLB on the tab right after the Padres during the minor league season since my nephew pitches for the BayBears (Ekstrom). As soon as he is promoted to the Beavers, I’ll be following their site. Here’s hoping it’s next year!
By the way, does anyone have any poop on where the Padres AA team will be next year? I remeber SA mentioning that in all likelihood, it will not be in Mobile. I also remember him saying that San Antonio was an option.
Its good that the pads signed Piazza or we would all be crying about givning up Ross for Bobby Basham.
re: 53 … yes, milb.com is on my shortlist also … in fact, it’s #2 after DS …
So, Ekstrom’s your nephew? PF’s an Ek fan because I think they both went to the same school. I’ve not heard any rumors about moving AA out of Mobile … I do know that Mobile isn’t a favorite place for hitters …
I agree with posters who say Khalil will be moved this winter. I think KT & staff has had enough of his fragile digits.
Would love to see Towers work a deal with the White Sox for 3B Joe Crede, who some say may be on the market to make room for a phenom.
so I’ve been watching ESPN and ESPN news
who is this Oresteres Destrade character and why does he keep analyzing the Padres-Dodgers series?
I also disagree with that, I say go out and get a SS and move Khalil to 3B and maybe the freak injuries will stop. You won’t get great value for Khalil if you trade him now too.
Destrade was the man for the expansion Marlins in ’93
http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/destror01.shtml
51:
That Japanese 3b struck out like 170 times last year.
58: Khalils injuries came in AB’s this year not in the field
What’s with the 7:40 p.m. start time? That isn’t always the Dodger start, is it?
BTW, I just noticed on Padres.com that the home schedule has been changed. Instead of the Yankees being in town, it’s the BoSox. I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to booing ARod, Jeter and the rest of the mercenaries.
Re #42 & #44: 20 is probably stretching it a whole lot. Consider Matsui, Godzilla!, was a 50 HR guy in Japan, who now plays in short porch Yankee Stadium, and he’s gone 16, 31, 23 in three years here.
Small sample size, not nearly as inclusive as Peter was asking about, but I’d still say it’s a safe bet this Iwamura would take a major hit just coming to MLB, and if he’s a lefty coming to Petco, Fugged-about it.
Oops, I guess that was PF4L, not Peter, who was asking for power data on Japanese players in the MLB.
i dont get it with you guys. the changes people are suggesting – keeping branyan and third, keeping roberts, keeping piazza, adding meche/eaton on a one year deal…. as far as i can tell that would end up to be 16 million or so in payroll. Out of 30 available. What are we doing with the rest? stashing it for the year after?
The reason i’m a proponent of getting a zito or the cubbies 3B wazzhisname is that we really do have very few holes to fill in the near future, and meanwhile we have to contend against a up and coming Dback and Dodgers teams. Since we wont probably wont be adding an impact player from the farm system except maybe carrillo, we have to upgrade via FA.
i just realized i sound drunk. yay weekend