IGD: Padres @ Dodgers (13 Apr 07)
Fri, Apr 13, 2007
by Geoff Young
first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: David Wells (0-0, 2.70 ERA) vs Derek Lowe (0-1, 5.73 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com
So, we were talking about Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica the other day. It’s Friday and I can’t help myself. Here are some quick scouting reports for a few characters from each show (plus some from Stargate for extra geeky goodness):
- Lee Adama: Broad shoulders, strong arm. Curve can flatten out on him in the later innings. Occasionally loses killer instinct and makes poor off-field decisions.
- Gaius Baltar: Intelligent, throws a Niekro-esque knuckleball. Tends to alienate teammates.
- Data: Tremendous raw strength and mental capacity. Still learning the nuances of the game — sometimes unknowingly offends opponents by breaking “unwritten rules.”
- Ronon Dex: Aggressive hitter who can pound a mistake. Swing gets long at times. Runs surprisingly well for a big a man. Best suited to first base, but can play corner outfield spots in a pinch.
- James T. Kirk: Strong leadership abilities, good instincts. Can be distracted at times, but performs well under pressure. Quick wit and strong will make him an invaluable member of any team.
- Neelix: Indifferent defender, susceptible to sliders down and in. Popular with teammates due to cheerful personality, but there are better options for the last spot on a bench.
- Miles O’Brien: Doesn’t possess any one outstanding skill, but does a lot of things reasonably well. Works hard, very resourceful. Think Eric Owens, with a little less speed.
- Tom Paris: Tremendous hand-eye coordination, intelligence. Occasionally lost focus earlier in his career but appears to have outgrown this problem.
- Montgomery Scott: Sometimes volatile and even combative left-hander can bring the heat. Conditioning issues limit him to LOOGY status.
- John Sheppard: Lean, athletic build. Runs well, can hit the ball to all fields. Quick thinker. Will do well at any spot in the lineup.
- Hikaru Sulu: An expert fencer, Sulu features a compact, efficient stroke. He runs well and is a brilliant defender. Overall game very similar to that of Ichiro!
- Teal’c: Similar to Ronon Dex in terms of physical abilities. A former football player, Teal’c has adapted his intense competitive instincts to the subtleties of baseball.
- Tuvok: Deceptive strength, excellent mental focus. Able to handle adversity with grace. A true gamer.
- Galen Tyrol: Hard worker, intensely loyal. Not the most physically talented player, but nobody — Brian Giles included — goes into second base harder breaking up the double play.
- Worf: Gifted physical specimen with little aptitude or patience for a sport that doesn’t involve constant, violent physical contact. Good to have on the bench — just in case a brawl erupts.
Make it so. Go Padres!
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April 13, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Nice! What about Enterprise? Am I the only one that likes that show? I think Reed and Tucker make a good DP combo, like Trammell and Whitaker.
April 13, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Okay, so I’ve never seen either of those shows.
April 13, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Funny list Geoff, but what about Benjamin Sisko on DS9? The only avowed baseball aficionado star trek character…
April 13, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Anthony: Good call. I’m not as well-versed in that show, but I think you’re right about those two.
Barry: Again, I didn’t watch as much DS9. I do remember the baseball episode, though. Both Sisko and his kid would have done well. And Odo is the ultimate utility guy.
April 13, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Geoff, what’s the word on whether Tuvok or Worf is wearing #42 today?
April 13, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Geoff, how’s the nightly blog turnout been since Matty V. gave you the plug earlier this week?
April 13, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Josh Bard on 15 day DL for groin injury.
April 13, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Evening everybody…
April 13, 2007 at 7:19 pm
#5: Actually, I’ll have to go with the elder Sisko. He’s human and he knows the history.
#6: Real good, thanks.
BTW, I’ve got the wrong start time up there. First pitch is 7:40 p.m. Bizarre…
April 13, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Buenos noches MarkO
April 13, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Geoff, I think the late LA start is to compensate for the crappy LA traffic.
April 13, 2007 at 7:28 pm
11: and people still won’t show up on time
April 13, 2007 at 7:31 pm
12: 10 min. from first pitch and the ballpark is still empty.
April 13, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Did Vin Scully just say the game is between the “2006 National League West Champion_S_”??!?!?!
April 13, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Vin Scully calling both teams NL West Champions last year? What kind of BS is that? I’m gonna be sick listening to him for the next 3 days…
April 13, 2007 at 7:33 pm
15: Ha! I knew I wasn’t hearing things! Yeah, the man just lost a few respect points there. Good thing he has fifty billion already, though.
April 13, 2007 at 7:34 pm
14: If he did, it was probably an alzheimer’s moment.
April 13, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Whoever they got playing pacman sucks ass. (Comment intended for mlb.tv people only)
April 13, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I most certainly did. Said it’s a matchup of the two NL West Champions from last year. Funny how i don’t see a 2006 NL West championship flag flying at Dodger Stadium…
April 13, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I really think it is cool they are doing the Jackie Robinson thing tonight. I have more respect for him than MLKing.
April 13, 2007 at 7:37 pm
18: Yes! That is really pissing my roommate off, although I am more ok with it because I suck at pacman.
April 13, 2007 at 7:38 pm
19: Maybe they have a movie prop…
April 13, 2007 at 7:39 pm
The Jackie Robinson stuff is very cool…..besides him all Dodgers suck
April 13, 2007 at 7:41 pm
18: too funny… i actually had to minimize it while the pacman was on.
Stupid programmers. Oh wait, I are one
Game on!
April 13, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Can of corn….
April 13, 2007 at 7:44 pm
21 & 24: Why do they feel the need to change those stupid things all the time?! Can’t they just make it something simple and boring? At least this year we don’t have to listen to the first ten seconds of Tom Petty’s new song at the end of every break. I really grew to hate that song.
April 13, 2007 at 7:45 pm
26: I only had mlbtv.com for the last month of the season and I still hate that song.
April 13, 2007 at 7:47 pm
So Vin actually said NL west co-champions? Did he at least mutter the head-to-head record under his breath afterwards?
April 13, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I miss Matty V and Mud Grant already and it’s only the bottom of the first
April 13, 2007 at 7:49 pm
28: no he did not. He also just said that Derek Lowe is talking to the pitching coach in the bullpen after the top of the first. This is going to be fun…can i keep track of all the mistakes he makes tonight?
April 13, 2007 at 7:50 pm
30: Maybe he meant Rob Lowe
April 13, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Whoa, nice grab by Sledge.
April 13, 2007 at 7:52 pm
28&30: I think he did mention that the padres won 13 out of 18 last year. I think he even used the word “man handled”. But I did hear him say that every time in the NL West finished under 500 in 2005.
NICE CATCH CRUDGE!!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2007 at 7:52 pm
nice flare… bettah catch!
April 13, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Sledge-Hammer time!
April 13, 2007 at 7:53 pm
yep…good catch by crudge….nice play by OG to end the innning..looked like OG was fighting the lights..
April 13, 2007 at 7:54 pm
36: I got a bad feeling that is gonna be a problem tonight in this park.
April 13, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Oooooh, ESPN broadcast on Sunday.
April 13, 2007 at 7:55 pm
That is a pretty poor pac-man strategist
April 13, 2007 at 7:55 pm
ok good 33… i figured he’d at least have to mention it. cuz 13-5 is a handlin’!
April 13, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Error for Nomar
April 13, 2007 at 7:58 pm
wow..quite a play by Furcal….nice catch Nomar…
April 13, 2007 at 8:01 pm
mlb power rankings from espn.com:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....amp;week=2
April 13, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Alrighty, I’m finally online watching. Have some fam in town, been keeping them occupied.
Geoff, great intro. All ’snorters: go rent BS Galactica season 1 on DVD. You will not be disappointed, whether scifi is your thing or not.
So, looks like I haven’t missed much…maybe a nice Crudge Catch?
April 13, 2007 at 8:04 pm
@#$%^&^^%%$$$@!!!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Yuck. That sounded bad coming off the bat.
April 13, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Dammit. Maybe I should stop watching.
April 13, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Too early for musical chairs…
April 13, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Guess maybe he isn’t as washed up as we were led to believe…
April 13, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I hope the eight people watching at Dodger Stadium appreciated that.
It drives me crazy to see these ball parks with so many empty seats. The freaking lengths I have to go through to get Red Sox or Yankees tickets. >:o
April 13, 2007 at 8:07 pm
yes too early for musical chairs
April 13, 2007 at 8:09 pm
I was led to believe from the pre-game stuff that Cruz owns Lowe. How come Sledge starts in LF?
April 13, 2007 at 8:10 pm
You’ve got to be kidding me
April 13, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Has anyone in here been to the ‘Park At The Park?’ I haven’t and was just wondering if it was worth the trip downtown.
Matty and Mark just called that a ‘Ducksnort!’
April 13, 2007 at 8:11 pm
what… leave to heat up some enchiladas and it’s 2-0???
Damn these enchiladas!
April 13, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Wells may have a rubber arm, but he can’t field his position worth a damn
April 13, 2007 at 8:13 pm
nice ‘hit’ Derek
April 13, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Gee, I can’t believe Furcal was able to get him
April 13, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Boomer runs as slow as Bochy when he played.
April 13, 2007 at 8:22 pm
The sarcasm is dripping off the screen…
April 13, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Maybe the Padres should play a 5 inning intra-squad game before each games, so by the time the game starts we can actually start to hit before the 7th inning
April 13, 2007 at 8:24 pm
61 - anyone gone back and calc’d our offensive stats by inning so far this year? Would probably be interesting.
April 13, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Uhhh… Wells is kinda starting to creep me out with all this Ruth stuff.
April 13, 2007 at 8:25 pm
62: My spreadsheit isn’t that elaborate yet. LOL
April 13, 2007 at 8:26 pm
64 - yet
April 13, 2007 at 8:29 pm
I do keep a running spreadsheet. But it’s pretty basic. Date, opponent, runs, starting pitcher, winning team, and whether or not Hoffman pitched.
April 13, 2007 at 8:30 pm
uh, guys? Might want to put a cap on the runs, we can only come back so far late in the game…
April 13, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Yeesh
April 13, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Yeah… time to stop the bleeding. This cannot end well.
April 13, 2007 at 8:34 pm
s
April 13, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Boomer is looking more like a dud firecracker so far. Let’s put Mr. Hamster in the microwave. Can you say ‘Pop-goes-the-weasle?’
April 13, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Ummmmmmm… I won the contest. :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X
I said exactly 3.1 :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X
April 13, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Classy dodger fans, as always.
Not exactly what I’d call a “quality start” from Boomer. Who had 2 1/3 in the pool?
April 13, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I think Vin Scully is watching a different game than I am, one in which the Dodgers are actually hitting the ball hard.
April 13, 2007 at 8:38 pm
72 - you were an inning over…not sure anyone was lower than you though
April 13, 2007 at 8:38 pm
That was like watching a bad car wreck.
April 13, 2007 at 8:39 pm
75–3.1 was the low
April 13, 2007 at 8:40 pm
75 - Don’t think anyone was lower than me. I didn’t realize that 1 out in the 3rd meant he only pitched 2 1/3. But I get it now.
April 13, 2007 at 8:41 pm
hey - those are consecutive hits! What a concept!!!
April 13, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Aflac answer: Was it the nut cup?
April 13, 2007 at 8:44 pm
At least we are not hitless or scoreless.
April 13, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Well, the run scores but that’s pretty much the worst thing KG could have done there
April 13, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Vin, bases loaded, no outs isn’t the best time to be talking about Vietnam war stories.
OY CRAP KHALIL! Ugly RBI
April 13, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Those listening to Vin: I think Termel’s dad should have chosen “Melter Sledge”
April 13, 2007 at 8:47 pm
sometimes this offense makes me want to scream
April 13, 2007 at 8:47 pm
‘And after loading the bases with one out, the Padres are fortunate to get ONE.’
Wait… what?
April 13, 2007 at 8:48 pm
OK, for those of you not watching SD4: Aflac question was, what piece of personal equipment was introduced in 1941?
April 13, 2007 at 8:49 pm
The urinal?
April 13, 2007 at 8:50 pm
hmmm…too early for batting helmets, right?
April 13, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Got a bad feeling about our little record
April 13, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Refer to 80. (I’m guessing)
April 13, 2007 at 8:52 pm
We are only 6-3.
April 13, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Soon to be 6-4 unless we start playing musical chairs right now.
April 13, 2007 at 8:54 pm
eh, it’s one game. Pick it back up tomorrow. The D-Backs are down in the 8th, btw.
April 13, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Guys, I feel bad about winning a contest based on our team’s failure. You think receiving this item out of Geoff’s pocket is in bad taste? I will gladly give up the shirt to be used in another day’s contest.
April 13, 2007 at 8:55 pm
We are 34-28 as far as runs scored to this point for the season.
April 13, 2007 at 8:57 pm
95: Maybe there should be a kitty of donations for some other grand prize at the end of the season.
April 13, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Wow, just a bad night all around. And it has to happen at the hands of the Dodgers, who are about the most loathesome franchise this side of the Bronx.
Wells’ shaky start begs the question of whether, as the 5th guy, he should even have been out there. With the day off, Peavy would have been on normal rest, right?
April 13, 2007 at 9:00 pm
95, as ‘new guy’ i can’t speak to the ettiquette. But… to disqualify contests on 1/3 of the games (optimistically) or 1/2 of them at worst seams kinda pointless.
Take the shirt.
April 13, 2007 at 9:01 pm
98 (answering my own question) - I guess hindsight is 20/20, as DW had a good start in his first game so no reason to expect this shellacking.
April 13, 2007 at 9:02 pm
What the heck with all the first pitch swinging by the Padres tonight?
April 13, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Hmm… okay we’ll see what Geoff says.
Well, sorry guys, gotta get up early for Temple tomorrow morning so I might as well get some sleep. Good luck, though, for the Padres! And good luck for the idiot playing Pacman.
April 13, 2007 at 9:10 pm
No offense, but Jackie Robinson Day is a joke. If a number is retired, it’s retired. That means no one wears it.
April 13, 2007 at 9:13 pm
103: It’s in honorarium, not as if they are wearing his number as their own.