Padres Win NL West
Sun, Oct 1, 2006
by Geoff Young
Oh, man, that was a lot more difficult than it needed to be. Am I talking about Sunday’s clincher or the season as a whole, and does it matter? Well, a little of each, I suppose. And no, it doesn’t matter, because for the second straight season, the Pads have won the NL West. You know how many teams in this division have won it more often than the Padres since 1996? Here’s a hint: it starts with a “z” and rhymes with “hero.”
Seriously, you can look it up. Never mind, I already did:
SD: 4 (1996, 1998, 2005, 2006)
Ari: 3 (1999, 2001, 2002)
SF: 3 (1997, 2000, 2003)
LA: 1 (2004)
Col: 0
You know which team has the best record in the NL West since 2004? It’s the only team that hasn’t had a losing season in at least one of the last three:
SD: .529
LA: .519
SF: .499
Col: .434
Ari: .420
While the Dodgers were busy up north completing their sweep of the (a)pathetic Giants (could you at least pretend to have some pride?) on Sunday, the Padres jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead against Cy Young Award contender Brandon Webb. The Pads, never content to do anything the easy way, gave most of their lead back and barely hung on to win, 7-6. The Diamondbacks, for their part, repeatedly disrupted the action to pay homage to some departing free agent or other. Nice gesture, but maybe after the game would have been a more appropriate time.
My wife, reader Didi, and I watched the contest on the video screen at Petco Park. There were maybe a few hundred people out there, cheering on the Padres. We even did an impromptu a capella version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” When Trevor Hoffman came on to work the ninth, everyone started chanting, “play the song!” and moments later, “Hell’s Bells” was pumping through the sound system.
Despite a nerve-wracking bottom of the ninth that saw Hoffman surrender two home runs and nearly the lead, the Padres won the ballgame and the division. Now we celebrate, but not too much. Winning the division is a mile post, not the goal. We acknowledge the accomplishment and prepare to reach the next mile post.
But we do celebrate. With that in mind, there will be a rally at Petco Park on Monday. I don’t know what exactly they have planned but here’s a look at the stage that was being set up on Sunday for the event:
After that, the NLDS sees the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals come to town for games on Tuesday and Thursday. I’ll be at Tuesday Thursday afternoon’s contest, but we’ve got plenty to talk about between now and then. Meantime, enjoy the moment and get ready to rock the house when the Cards come to town.
Go Padres! Oops, I mean, Go National League Western Division champion Padres!
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October 1, 2006 at 7:16 pm
I don’t care how we got in, just that we’re in, baby. I’m more psyched that I get to watch the Padres on an actual TV, not the tiny window on my laptop. My fellow displaced San Diegans (and non-San Diegans who just like the team) can sympathize I’m sure. I think I’ve seen a game on TV like 3 times this year, total.
October 1, 2006 at 7:21 pm
Notes from AP on today’s game:
SS Khalil Greene and 1B Ryan Klesko could be added to the Padres’ postseason roster, manager Bruce Bochy said before San Diego wrapped up the regular season Sunday at Arizona. On Saturday, Greene had his first plate appearance since Aug. 17. He has been sidelined by a strained ligament in the middle finger of his left hand. Klesko missed the first 150 games of the season with a strained left shoulder. … San Diego finished the regular season with a better record on the road (45-36) than at home (43-38). … The Padres have not lost back-to-back games since they dropped two straight at San Francisco Sept. 8-9.
October 1, 2006 at 7:37 pm
oh, and since the playoffs are all in HD, going from the mlb.tv window on the laptop to the big screen HDTV….well, let’s just say I’m a little excited.
Time to make it happen. We DO have the pitching to make it deep, but we also have an offense that is prone to getting shut down by mediocre pitchers (and having, inexplicably, great games against good pitchers lately…I believe our best offensive games in this last few weeks were vs Carpenter and Webb). That’s why I’m glad we’re not facing the Mets. The combination of potent offense and Pedro-less, mediocre pitching actually scares me more than the Cardinals.
That said, the Cards aren’t chump change. Plenty of things to be worried about, but I’m not going to get into the negativity now. Plenty of time for that when Jake is so amp’d up he throws the first pitch to the screen.
October 1, 2006 at 7:46 pm
Greenie and Klesko belong on the playoff roster. Leave Bellhorn off.
October 1, 2006 at 7:50 pm
BTW, I’ll be headed down to the Park at the Park after work tomorrow and I’ll be at the games on Tues. & Thurs., by hook or by crook…problem not being tickets, but being work….maybe I’ll just go in the CCEO’s office and plead and beg….
October 1, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Oh man, that Gonzo crap got REAL annoying. And I was watching the Arizona commentators through mlb.tv and they WOULDN’T SHUT UP about him and talk about the game! They kept reminding everyone about the twenty billion hour long festivities that they had planned after the game. Couldn’t they have done all their talking then?
If I were the Padres I’d be super distracted by all that shit and blow a seven run lead too.
By Tuesday evening this whole crap-ass game will be a distant memory!
October 1, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Padres post season roster - does anyone know when or where this will be posted? I never seem to see it during the baseball postseason.
here’s my roster:
C:Piazza
1B:Gonzalez
2B:Barfield
ss: Greene
3B: Branyan
OF: Roberts, Giles, Cameron
SP: Peavy, Wells, Hensley, Young
RP: Williams, Hoffman, Cla, Linebrink, Embree, Cassidy, Adkins (or Sweeney)
Bench:
c Bard
IF Blum
OF Johnson
IF Walker
C Bowen
PH Klesko
Not sure if I’m missing anything glaring here. Bellhorn doesn’t add much of anything defensively. Manny is a black hole on offense. Klesko has hit the ball hard every time up. The replacement would be Sledge, who, I suppose offers a lot more defense but SD has a solid defensive outfield as is - nobody out there really needs a caddy.
As far as pitching goes, I think Williams and Hensley could be interchanged. Woody has been pretty decent out of the rotation lately (but Clay’s been phenomenal) The only argument I make is that Clay could be a shut-down middle relief guy and Woody really isn’t. But it’s a minor argument. Wells scares me a little but he scares me less after yesterday.
I don’t know if the Pads need 3 catchers, but Bochy loves having three and he loves Bowen’s defense, so I assume he makes it. Plus, it makes it nice for double-switches, which may be important.
The biggest problem I see with this bench/roster is the lack of right handed pinch-hitters, but SD really doesn’t have many to spare. And if Greene is just not ready to go, I would guess Bellhorn is the only other option to replace him.
Thoughts?
October 1, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Just rolled in from Arizona. Great wins. I was really proud of San Diegans for having so many people at those games. A little tougher today to be louder than the DBacks’ fans, since there was a crowd of 48,000 to send Gonzo and Counsell on their way.
Standing ovations for introductions AND every at bat AND when he’s taken out of the game got to be a bit much. Needless to say we didn’t stay for the honoring of Gonzo and Counsell after the game.
Little spooky there in the 9th. When the umpire changed his call at second base, there was some significant (like 40,000 people) booing. Here we put Webb away to make Trevor look better for the Cy Young and what does he do, again? Two home runs? Yeow!
Anyway, it was great to be in Phoenix for the games. Yesterday, after the game, we went down behind the dugout and most of the players came out to celebrate with the fans. It was great. MacAnulty was the most boistrous, followed by Hensley, Meredith and Johnson. Boch came out, saw Barfield on top of the dugout high-fiving fans, and quickly told him to get down. Guess he was worried he might get injured and he’d have to put Bellhorn on the post-season roster.
Great time to be a Padre fan.
October 1, 2006 at 10:52 pm
Just for giggles, here’s Padres possible relief pitchers vs Current Cards, career: (BA/OBP/Slg allowed)
Cassidy: 462/588/1.231 (Yikes!)
Seanez: 211/375/421
Adkins: 150/227/200
Brocail: 214/313/321(too bad he’s hurt)
Embree: 200/226/320
Hoffman: 227/271/424
Linebrink: 328/403/517
Hensley: 231/295/333
Woody: 268/333/518 (most at bats by far of any SD pitcher)
Park: 257/327/375 (lots and lots of at bats too.)
Sweeney and Meredith just have too few ABs against to really measure their effectiveness.
Anybody besides me in favor of Seanez over Cassidy in the first round? And Adkins is a must.
And check out this line - it’s Chris Young vs. current Cards:
125/200/125. Filthy!
October 2, 2006 at 1:20 am
9: Actually, they all have too few PA against.
October 2, 2006 at 1:55 am
Series preview at ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....ies=stlsdg
Good scouting report from Keith Law:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=2609993
Use ‘em right. Get Meredith in the game to face the toughest righties; let Scott Linebrink handle the eighth inning; deploy Alan Embree only in case of left-handed emergency. Their bullpen is good when it’s used properly.
October 2, 2006 at 1:57 am
I’m not sure why my comment says that.
October 2, 2006 at 6:04 am
here’s what will matter more for games 1&2
Padres in day games
Bard .352/.424/.582
Piazza .341/.402/.591
Walker (as a padre) .303/.439/.394 *
Roberts .302/.369/.442
González .291/.341/.453
Giles .288/.405/.444
Barfield .281/.319/.421
Cameron .266/.343/.429
Blum .248/.291/.337
October 2, 2006 at 7:04 am
Geoff, Thanks for showing who has the most NL West titles since 1996. It would be nice to see how many times the Padres were predicted by major baseball sources to win the west? I’ll bet not too many times …we always get dissed. Andy
October 2, 2006 at 7:09 am
Andy, no prob. For the record, only 1 of ESPN’s 19 “experts” got it right in their pre-season predictions. Congrats to John Shea. And what were the 8 people who picked the Giants thinking?
October 2, 2006 at 7:51 am
david Re: #7 Sledge will be on the roster not Johnson.
October 2, 2006 at 7:58 am
Okay, so let’s have some fun here: Who thinks Chris Young should be our game 1 starter?
October 2, 2006 at 8:01 am
No, Peavy all the way, he may have had a down year but he wants to avenge a loss from last year.
October 2, 2006 at 8:09 am
I love Cameron’s quote:
“We’re playing good baseball,” said Cameron, who joins Gonzalez on the list of team MVP candidates. “Ain’t no reason we can’t continue to play good baseball. The lights are going to be a little brighter now that we’re going to the playoffs. But it’s still baseball.”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....adres.html
October 2, 2006 at 8:11 am
With the schedule the way it is (Tuesday/Thursday/Sat/Sun/Mon), anyone think we’d throw Peavy in games 1 and 4 (if necessary)?
It’d be regular rest if he came back in game 4 on Sunday, due to the Wed/Fri off days.
October 2, 2006 at 8:26 am
Anyone planning on going to the rally at 5 tonight? I’m going to walk over after work so I’ll hopefully be there by 4:30. I seriously can’t wait!!!
October 2, 2006 at 8:44 am
re 17 and 18
It’s exactly that sentiment that might make me sit Peavy and go with Young. Jake, God love him, does not “handle his own intensity” very well, at least in recent results.
October 2, 2006 at 8:48 am
Do we have a roaster for the POs yet. How many guys can we carry? What a drag to play in Sept and not be included. I hope Belhorn doesn’t take a spot.
Will 1090 carry the PO games or will they pre-empt with Mighty Ducks hockey?
Cards punked us in 05 and 96, time to retunr the favor. Thanks god, Mike knows how to and is willing to block the plate.
Will pretty boy Polous gesture to toward the WMS Building his first time at bat?
Should Peavy stick one in his ear (ok, left buttocks will do)?
Do you still carry three catchers? Tough decisions, I mean really tough.
Could it be Dodgers Padres in the NLCS?
October 2, 2006 at 8:50 am
Hensley is going to the pen for the playoffs. Boch said so in his pre-game comments yesterday. Why would Peavy need to pitch game 4? There isn’t going to be a game 4! Payback’s a bitch little birdies!
October 2, 2006 at 8:54 am
I don’t pitch to Pujols at all this series. Two out, no one on? Walk him. Up by two, bases loaded? Walk him.
October 2, 2006 at 8:57 am
re 22: we must be related. Geoff just added a new discussion. Let’s build on it.