Friday Links (9 Feb 07)
Fri, Feb 9, 2007
by Geoff Young
Quick update on our guess-the-roster contest, and then we’ll hit the links. Here is the consensus opening day roster so far:
C: Bard, Bowen
INF: Blum, Branyan, M. Giles, Gonzalez, K. Greene, Kouzmanoff, Walker
OF: M. Cameron, Cruz, B. Giles, McAnulty, Sledge
SP: Hensley, Maddux, Peavy, Wells, Young
RP: Brocail, Hoffman, Linebrink, Meredith, Ring, Strickland
McAnulty and Strickland just nose out Scott Cassidy and Heath Bell for the final two spots. You’ll notice that this gives us a 10-man pitching staff, which ain’t gonna happen. That doesn’t bode well for P-Mac. 
If you haven’t gotten in on the fun yet, by all means head over there and do so. Meanwhile, it’s link time:
- 2007 Padres Preview (SI.com, via Pat in the comments). Mostly review material for folks familiar with the club. I disagree with the assertion that attendance at Petco Park is declining due to the Pads’ play at home. Truth is, there were a lot of people showing up that first year who didn’t care one bit about baseball. Also, the Josh Bard/Cla Meredith trade is misidentified as “the one big trade from last year that could pay dividends for a long time.” Look, that was a terrific deal, but the trade with Texas was much, much better. I like Bard and Meredith, but Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young are cornerstones of the franchise now and all it cost was a setup man. It isn’t yet, but this could become Kevin Towers’ best trade as Padres GM before long.
- Padres expect improvement in 2007 (MLB.com, via LaMar in the comments). Lyle Spencer’s piece starts out with a bang. Check this quote from CEO Sandy Alderson: “Our goal in the offseason was to get from 88 wins to 95 to 100.” Nice to hear that no-one is satisfied with 2006. It also sounds like third base isn’t entirely settled, i.e., Russell Branyan, who did a great job there down the stretch last season, might get a fair amount of playing time.
- The Best Young First Basemen of 2007 (Hardball Times, via Didi in the comments). Chris Constancio takes a look at, well, you know. Adrian Gonzalez and Kyle Blanks get some love here. The latter is grouped with Dodgers’ first baseman James Loney, which I take as a good sign.
- Scouting Padres Prospect: Paul McAnulty (Scout.com, via Tom Waits in the comments). Nice profile of P-Mac, who is getting postive reviews for his play at third base last year. One downer: “He was scheduled to go to winter ball to continue learning the position but had off-season knee surgery, precluding him from getting the extra work. He has since resumed workouts and will be in full health when spring training commences next month.”
- Vinny Castilla retires from baseball (Yahoo!, via LynchMob in the comments). As reader Richard notes, his retirement came a year late.
- Chan Ho, Silver, at Shea (Baseball Musings). Looks like Chan Ho Park is headed to the Mets. Hello, draft pick.
- Batting Average on Balls in Play (Beyond the Boxscore, via Didi in the comments). I’ll admit, I’m way late to the BABIP party. And I still haven’t done enough heavy reading to know how much I buy into it. That said, Ryan Ambrust presents some pretty cool information here. Among other things, lefties Glendon Rusch and Barry Zito represent two fascinating data points over the past few years. Closer to home, the Padres’ Chris Young had the lowest BABIP among big-league pitchers in 2006. Incidentally, for the college fans among you, a link to some sweet data at Boyd’s World turned up in the comments.
There it is. Happy Friday, folks, and go Padres!
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.
February 9, 2007 at 10:54 am
Way OT - I know most people don’t really like agents like Scott Boras. It seems as if he is all about the money (and it may be partly true). But, I am in the middle of reading an extremely long interview with him over at Baseball Musings and I am find some interesting things about him. It would seem he really has the best interest of the player in mind with all that he puts into his research and player development. Unfortunately, I also perceived that the players best interest is not necessarily in the Clubs or the Club’s fans best interest. If you are strictly a player fan and not a team fan, then I would say he is the best thing that came along, however, if you are a team fan (and most of us are), then it almost seems as if what is doing is destroying player team loyalty. Although that seemed to go away when free agency hit the league and not just when Boars started his engines. Interesting read if you have the time.
http://www.baseballmusings.com/
February 9, 2007 at 11:47 am
I think McAnulty is only making the 25 man at the expense of Branyan or Sledge.
He can’t backup CF or be the right handed part of a LF platoon, and he plays all the same positions that Branyan does.
February 9, 2007 at 11:57 am
Re: 2 it won’t be at the expence of branyan
I think if given the shot P-mac will beat out sledge in the spring
February 9, 2007 at 12:17 pm
1: What people think of as loyalty was usually a one-way street. Players were “loyal” to teams before free agency because the teams owned them. When the team thought it could do better, it tossed the player. Nowadays owners and GMs talk about loyalty as a way to lower salaries. They don’t have much loyalty when they feel like a player needs to be moved.
3: Agree with both points. I think they keep Branyan even if he has a terrible spring. Alderson knows the value of a 1 million dollar player who can do what he does, even if it’s not always nice to look at.
McAnulty’s problem is going to be getting the shot in the first place. His best chance for a starting job might be a hot spring and a trade to the AL.
February 9, 2007 at 12:22 pm
3: I also agree that Branyan is basically guaranteed a spot. A Branyan injury might be PMac’s best chance to make the team out of spring.
February 9, 2007 at 12:35 pm
From an article at BP today about players who have posted higher OBP than SLG …
Highest SLG by a player with a higher OBP since 1959:
.410: Gene Tenace, 1977 Padres (.413 OBP)
.407: Willie Randolph, 1980 Yankees (.424 OBP)
.404: Mike Hargrove, 1980 Indians (.414 OBP)
.400: Albie Pearson, 1961 Angels (.417 OBP)
.399: Tony Phillips, 1996 White Sox (.403 OBP)
.399: Rickey Henderson, 1980 A’s (.417 OBP)
.398: Eddie Yost, 1960 Tigers (.412 OBP)
.398: Tony Phillips, 1993 Tigers (.443 OBP)
.394: Albie Pearson, 1963 Angels (.400 OBP)
.394: Pete Runnels, 1960 Red Sox (.400 OBP)
Tenace owes his presence on this list to his free agent signing by the Padres. Always an on-base machine, he could also pop enough to keep his columns unreversed. Hitting at Jack Murphy Stadium was a stone hassle in 1977, though. His home/road split that year was .417/.511 everywhere else in the NL, and .412/.300 in San Diego.
… I really did *not* like Gene Tenace on the Padres … just seemed like he pop’d up in any/every “clutch situation” … which I’ve since learned/realized is totally anectdotal … but it sure seem’d real to me in 1980 …
February 9, 2007 at 1:01 pm
What is the consensus on 11-man vs 12-man rotation on opening day for the Pad’s this year? I think it will likely start out as a 12-man (eventually going ot 11-man later in the season), even though I put only 11 in my 25-man lineup.
February 9, 2007 at 3:01 pm
For the contest, are you looking for a 24-man roster or a 25-man roster? The consensus roster that you put up in your post only has 24. I submitted one with 25. The way I see it, if the Padres keep throwing money at an over-the-hill Brocail, they have to let him make the big club, because he’s not playing in the minors. Plus, I’m guessing Towers has something up his sleeve to bring on another right-handed bat off the bench, which seems to be the big missing piece. That would probably be the death knell for MacAnulty
February 9, 2007 at 3:06 pm
#8: Whoops, nice catch. I forgot to list Brocail.
February 9, 2007 at 6:22 pm
If anyone’s still hasn’t booked a place to stay for the HOF induction weekend … I just got an email from Lorenzo’s Motel (607 432 0464) saying they have rooms available …
February 10, 2007 at 11:55 am
RE: 3
You may want to check out PMac and Sledge’s numbers last year in Portland. Specifically, look at the second half splits. Sledge looks to me like a darn fine hitter with some pop. I think he will be our starting LF, if healthy (which he was not until about 1/3 through last year).
February 10, 2007 at 12:23 pm
11 - where can you see stat splits for minor leagues? Here’s full season stats from milb.com … http://www.minorleaguebaseball.....mp;cid=248
February 10, 2007 at 5:42 pm
12: http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/
February 12, 2007 at 11:56 am
Richard … *THANKS* for the link!
Yow, that’s a good August Sledge had … http://www.minorleaguesplits.c.....CLb06.html … bring it on!