Sometimes it really sucks to be a San Diego sports fan. We try to convince everyone that our teams aren’t soft, and then they go out and prove us wrong. The Chargers didn’t even show up on Sunday. How can a team with that kind of talent play such an undisciplined and sloppy game?
This town has grown up a lot over the past several years. It’s time for the teams that represent us to stop being satisfied with “getting there” and start bringing their best effort to big games. We watched the Padres self-destruct in October, and we watched the Chargers do it yesterday. It’s disgusting and it has to stop.
Anyway.
Khalil Greene
The Padres have re-signed shortstop Khalil Greene to a 1-year, $2.25 million deal, avoiding arbitration. No long-term contract? No surprise. Greene hasn’t improved since his rookie season, but he’s still young enough to do so. Both sides essentially are deferring any decision on Greene’s future for another year in the hope that they’ll have a better indication of his value to the club come next winter.
The risk for Greene is that this — .260 with 15 homers, decent defense, and regular trips to the DL — is as good as it gets and he never receives the big money reserved for studs like, um, Julio Lugo. Okay, on second thought, maybe there isn’t much risk for Greene.
The risk for the Padres is that Greene steps up his game a bit and turns into the Rich Aurilia type player many of us have been expecting. Then the club will have to decide whether his performance is a fluke or represents genuine growth, and whether to pony up Lugo (or more) money to keep him.
In other words, don’t read too much into the fact that this is a 1-year deal. Both sides are just delaying a decision they’ll eventually have to make.
Todd Greene
The Padres also have invited veteran catcher Todd Greene to spring training, presumably to compete with Rob Bowen for the backup job. You may recall that Greene was in camp last spring before hooking up with the Giants.
Josh Bard
Speaking of catchers, it looks like Josh Bard and the Padres have avoided arbitration. According to MLB.com, which cites the Denver Post (Bard is from the Denver area), the deal is 1 year, $1.05 million.
Spring Training Meetup
I mentioned a while back that we’ll be having a meetup during spring training. I’m happy to report that I’ve firmed up dates: I’ll be out at Peoria from Friday, March 23 to Sunday, March 25. I ‘m expecting to have copies of the book in hand, so be sure to keep those dates in mind and we’ll iron out details in the coming weeks. Hope to see a bunch of you out there.
That’s all for now. Be bummed about the Chargers for as long as you need to be, and then get over it; baseball is almost here, and we need to focus. One of our teams has to come through for us sooner or later. Time for the Padres to give it their best shot.
Great dates for the ST meetup, are we all going to try and stay at the same hotel?
Bummer…will miss the meet-up as I will be in Phoenix the weekend before…
When do we stop saying KG is young? Or “young enough”? The guy will be 27 this year. He is older than Sean Burroughs, is he still young enough to turn it around? I hope that he hits 20 bombs and plays great this year, I really do. I would love to have egg on my face…
Still thinking a lot about the many discussions we had about Blyleven last week and digesting the forced feeding of his numbers. The one thing that amazed me was the passion everyone seems to have for the guy. Props to everyone here for sharing the same passion for this great game.
All the Hotels around the Peoria Complex seem to be booked for that weekend.
3: If you’re checking online, you might want to call the hotels directly. An old salesman buddy of mine used the net only to get phone numbers, and he consistently got better rooms, better rates, better air fares, etc. than he ever found on any travel site.
Chargers: That felt like the 4 HR Dodger game all over again, only worse because the Chargers had it within their power to win regardless of what the Pats did. Call for 1 fair catch when you’re guaranteed good field position, don’t act like a 10 year old off his Ritalin after a 3rd down stop, and we’re in the championship game.
Hi, Ducksnorts! It’s been a long time since I’ve posted as my attention in October turns from baseball to football. Plus if I don’t have anything to post, well, I don’t post and save the space for others with something worthy.
Geoff, I’ll be at Spring Training during the same weekend in March! I’ll be in Peoria from Fri March 23 to Tues March 27. Got my tickets for the three Padres games while I’m there (one at Maryvale, two at Peoria) and my hotel booked. I wish I could offer advice to those trying to find a close hotel. I booked my room the day the Pads ST game schedule came out, so I’m right near the Sports Complex.
This is my first ST trip. Any suggestions?
Hope to see you there! I’ll be the one trying to find a new donor for my spermination since they traded Josh Barfield. (j/k) Put me on the email list for trying to figure out a meet-up!
SDPG,
Nice to have you back, I figured you went to an Indians Blog after the barfield trade. Also I cant belive you beet me by a freaking point in the Simi’s of the FFBL!
Re: 4 thanks for the tip TW ill give it a try.
Hi, Steve! Believe me, I didn’t think I stood a chance against you in the FFBL playoffs. You beat me both times in the regular season, so I didn’t have much hope. Thanks for running your league! I had a great time playing. It was awesome! My roomate was Thomas’ Encroachment, so he provided me with endless amounts of hilarity as he tried to figure out how to win a game. Too bad he had the worst fantasy taint. Every player he sat did well that weekend, every player he activated didn’t point. This weekend he was bemoaning that the Indy D finally showed to play, after playing them for little gain all season long.
Steve, you should not be upset…she ended up losing to the juggernot Senators!
welcome back SDPG…
I have been going to Spring Training for many years now (started in Yuma when I was a kid) and have a lot of fun out there…I will be happy to share my experiences with anyone…
Hi, CM aka the FFBL champion! Congrats on winning!
I’d love to pick your brain about ST. I’m big on planning itineraries for my vacations to the point that I’ve been called a Griswold. I mentioned that I have tix for the Pads games for 3/24-26. I do have the opportunity to go to a couple of non-Padres games during my stay. Would my time be better spent going to those non-Pads games or watching the Padres practices? For example, Pads play a night game on 3/26, so I thought I might hit a day game.
My main objectives for going to ST is to see the Padres, maybe get some pics and/or autographs, and see some games…now that my plot to get impregnated by Josh Barfield would require a plane trip to Florida.
Re:10 it really depends on what you like more, seeing other teams is fun but you may not know who half the players are, I always like watching hte padres practicing, its really intreseting to see them up close and in non-game situations.
Thanks, Steve! I was leaning towards going to the practices just to be able to hang and watch what I normally don’t get to see.
Its also fun walking over to the minor leauge practices so that you can see all the players you hear about but never get to see.
Chargers, wha, wha, wha (on floor kicking and screeming). Should they fire Marty, how bout the kicker who can’t kick further then 30 yards? How bout a secondary who don’t know what to do on 4th down or t get so geeked they headbutt somebody out of glee for a 15 yarder. I donnu, maybe its better when the Padres and Chargers just suck. Easier on the old ticker. If NE had just beaten us, it would have been better, like the Padres got beat by the eventual champion Carnial. But no, the chargers (14-2) self-destructed and NE just hung around and watched it happen. High points: LE played well and Rivers was good. I think really our D let us down. No LO, and an undisciplined secondary.
Now, what was that other game you guys like? Baseball, I think its called. Yes. Time for some baseball.
My 2 buddies and I do things a little different…we go to see baseball and baseball practice and generally act like 12-year olds. I don’t seek autographs much anymore, unless it is one of my favorites or a sure fire HOF’r (Notice I don’t have Bert Blyleven’s autograph! ïŠ ) We always go to a Sunday Padres game in Peoria and then head back to SD from there.
Giants spring training home is the last one in Phoenix we have not been to (we are going this year) and all have their charm…
I would highly recommend getting to any ballpark no later than 1000am or so for the afternoon games. That allows you to go and see some of the practices going on, talk to some of the players, check out some of the things they are working on and get baseballs/autographs/photos.
Each park has little nooks and crannies to get autographs or talk to players. Peoria’s back fields are great b/c you can see some of the best minor league guys playing with some of the major league guys all while being critiqued by the coaching staff. You can see pitchers throwing bullpen sessions, hear what the coaches are saying, and really get a good look at what they are working on. The batting cages allow for some views and interaction with the players. It was a lot of fun to see how hysterical Mark Sweeney, Eric Young, and some of the other past guys were…
We always head downtown to take a tour of the BOB or Chase Field or whatever it is called today…I think for $7 you get to see the dugouts and the visitor’s locker room…that may be a great thing to do before a night game…There is also a TGI Friday’s in the LF pavilion that we grab a meal at. The food is standard TGIF fare, but it is very cool to be sitting in the ballpark noshing on some ribs and sipping a libation.
Make plans to have a breakfast at the Krispy Kreme across from the Peoria Sports complex…We have had doughnuts in there with certain Padres announcers, coaches, and even had a front office sighting there. The cool thing is that most everyone, players included, are very friendly, chatty, and willing to share all kinds of stories. It was there that we learned about Jay Witasik’s elbow injury and how it “really” happened.
Feel free to shoot me an email and I can give you some of the places we eat (Don and Charlie’s…get your reservations now and I promise you will be eating steak next to a few big leaguers), things we do (Race Car driving included), and maybe even a hidden place or two to get baseballs…
Staying on the football subject, how about the fact that the best team in football is about to fire their coach? The Chargers job coming open is probably without parallel in NFL history and I’ve been trying to think of jobs as good as the Chargers ever being open. Only Tommy Lasorda taking over for Walter Alston in 1977 and the Ralph Houk for Casey Stengel in 1961 were as good in baseball history (although there might be others that I’m missing). I don’t think even when Joe Torre steps down in the near future the Yankee job will be preferable to the Chargers as the Yankees are a lot older. At least it will soon be baseball season and we can forget about the crappy Chargers!
Oh yea…one last thing…if you can, pony up for the best tickets…even during the games you get to see and hear things that you won’t be able to during the regular season. For example, we have chatted with ballplayers in the on-deck circle, had a Big League manager tell us a joke during the game, and even had conversations with players and their families. Definitely makes the experience that much better…well worth the extra $$$.
Hey CM, Do the pads practice at the Peoria Complex in the morning before an away afternoon game?
I’ve only tried to go see the p[ractice before a home game.
Steve I have never gone there during an away game, so I don’t have first hand knowledge…
Thanks, CM! Your advice is much appreciated. Sorry to post so late after you did. That thing called work that keeps me from running around naked.
I made sure to get tickets near the Padres dugout for both games in Peoria. I am very excited to go to my first ST!
I hope to meet as many Ducksnorters as I can there as well. My current Ducksnorter bag totals…uh…zero. Some of you might be able to talk circles around me when it comes to the stats and some of the history, but I’m good for the occassional glimpse of wit and always there for the spermination quote! Maybe it’s time I go Clay hunting. Or Cla hunting.
SDPG, you’re not going to try getting cozy with Kouz?
(double entendre – most certainly unintended – only looking for corny rhyme)