Wrapping Up 2006
Sat, Dec 30, 2006
by Geoff Young
Before we crash headlong into the new year, I thought it’d be fun to take a lightning quick look back at 2006. First, I offer thanks to everyone who participated in the madness this year. Despite not moving back to our own domain until mid-March, Ducksnorts received a million page views in 2006. You all are responsible for that, and I am beyond humbled.
It’s been a crazy but exciting year for me personally and professionally, hangin’ out with y’all, working on the book, and landing sweet gigs at Knuckle Curve and Hardball Times. I’m as fired up as ever about Ducksnorts, especially with where the Padres appear to be headed — I still don’t know what I’m doing around here, but it sure is fun. 
Enough about me. Here are the 10 most popular Ducksnorts articles of the year according to how much traffic they received:
- Nine Signs You Think About the San Diego Padres Too Much — Part of a Problogger.net group writing project, and one of my personal favorites.
- IGD: Padres @ Dodgers (18 Sep 06) — Yes, this was the most irritating game of the year, but it was history and the Padres still went on to win the division. Plus, 803 comments is insane.
- Playoff IGD: Padres vs Cardinals (3 Oct 06) — Who can forget Game 1 of the NLDS? Lord knows I’ve tried. We only managed 639 comments for this one. Slackers.
- Playoff IGD: Padres vs Cardinals (5 Oct 06) — Can’t forget Game 2 either. This was the beginning of Jeff Weaver’s improbable postseason run. Down to 582 comments.
- Padres Month in Review: July 2006 — Charts. I need to use more charts next year.
- Playoff IGD: Padres @ Cardinals (7 Oct 06) — Hey look, the Padres won a playoff game. Woo-hoo! Let’s celebrate with 478 comments.
- Seanez Set to Return, Could Wells Be Next? — I truly, in my heart of hearts, believed that George Kottaras was a fabrication of the Boston media. Did I mention that the Padres won a playoff game?
- Playoff IGD: Padres @ Cardinals (8 Oct 06) — And so the season finally came to an end. It took us 401 comments to say goodbye. In the process, we learned that reader Clayton soon would be a father.
- Padres Poised to Pop Pitcher — Peter Friberg’s guest spot on the eve of the 2006 draft identified eventual first-rounder Matt Antonelli as one of three players the Padres were focusing on with the 17th pick overall.
- Padres, Mets Swap Spare Parts — Ah yes, “Don’t Fear the Reaper” performed on ukelele.
Honorable mention: This isn’t a post from 2006, but it’s still an extremely popular page: Petco Pix: February 29, 2004. You just never know which pages folks are going to visit.
Speaking of which pages folks are visiting, I’d like to say thanks to all the bloggers out there who showed Ducksnorts some link love in 2006. Here are the guiltiest of the guilty:
- Gaslamp Ball
- Baseball Musings
- Deadspin
- Dodger Thoughts
- Padres Nation
- San Diego Spotlight
- Sports Bloggers Live
- B Ball Deluxe
- Friar Faithful
- Capitol Punishment
Be sure to swing on by these fine establishments and say hey. Then, once you’ve done that, please have yourself a safe and happy New Year. See you on the flip side…
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.
December 30, 2006 at 11:26 am
It certainly didn’t end well, but that game against the Dodgers on the 18th was definitely a lot of fun. When Cla got that double play to end the inning I jumped around my house as if we had just won the pennant.
December 30, 2006 at 12:32 pm
I was definitely punching walls in excitement after Cla got the double play. Other times throughout the night I was also punching walls, but for different reasons.
Thanks for all the great work you do on this blog, Geoff. It’s a great time to be a Padres fan, and a San Diego sports fan.
December 30, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Geoff, your work is appreciated bayond our abilities to express.
A terrific year of Ducksnorts, it was.
My intention is to revive Friar Faithful in ‘07, and resume the abandoned Top 100 Padres project. It might be a nice supplement to the seminal work available daily at Ducksnorts.
To everyone, a happy new year!!!
December 30, 2006 at 7:38 pm
Not that I pay attention to this sort of thing, except for educational purposes (Note: I do have the Chargers at 20-1 to win the Super Bowl, booked back in August, 2006), but here are the lines on the NL West teams to win the division:
Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1
Colorado Rockies 10-1
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5
San Diego Padres 3-2
San Francisco Giants 5-1
December 31, 2006 at 11:21 am
Great work this year Geoff, may 2007 be just as exciting. Happy New Year everyone!
December 31, 2006 at 11:23 am
Hey everyone - have a great 2007!
December 31, 2006 at 3:08 pm
LaMar, I hope that was more than a two dollar bet!
Bolts are kicking Cardinal tail as I write this. Wow! What a sports year to be a San Diego fan!
December 31, 2006 at 4:34 pm
Rich, I managed to get down a few more than a $2. All they have to do is get there and win it. It’s clearly enough that I can buy a round or two at the next DS Meet up. Hold me to it if the Chargers take the Super Bowl.
You’re right about a great year for SD sports. Division champions in baseball and Division Champs in football (and still counting).
Happy New Years everyone. Be careful out there tonight.
January 1, 2007 at 2:35 am
Happy New Year everyone and congrats to Geoff for making the Baseball Digest Daily list of top baseball sites for 2006:
http://www.baseballdigestdaily.....;Itemid=39
January 1, 2007 at 3:44 am
Hey, Anthony, you beat me to it.
Congrats Geoff!
January 1, 2007 at 10:18 am
Padres ZiPS projections are up at BTF:
http://www.baseballthinkfactor.....go_padres/
Looks pretty god overall, they have PMac at .280/.347/.435, with Bard, KK and OG all around the same. I think it’s a little pessimistic on Adrian Gonzalez, .289/.350/.475 but that’s nothing to complain about.
On the pitching side everyone looks pretty good. They have Hensley sliding to a 4.14 ERA but that’s still pretty good for the #4 starter.
If everyone hits these projections I’d say we have a very good shot at a division three-peat.
January 1, 2007 at 3:16 pm
ZiPS really seems to like the Padres.
January 1, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Silver likes the Padres in ‘07:
http://www.baseballprospectus......red/?p=122
January 2, 2007 at 7:28 pm
A very early projection referred to today on baseball musings has the Padres 2nd 8 games behind the Giants. Any comments on the methodology they used? How can they begin to factor negative age and player synergy? There’s lots of time to adjust the rosters, so not much to be concerned about now anyhow.