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!
What the heck with all the first pitch swinging by the Padres tonight?
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.
No offense, but Jackie Robinson Day is a joke. If a number is retired, it’s retired. That means no one wears it.
103: It’s in honorarium, not as if they are wearing his number as their own.
It’s ridiculous. In 1997, they said it’s retired forever, which I guess means 10 years. Entire teams wearing his number, half of which don’t know who he is, is insane.
Kevin, are you serious? No, you’re just goofing right? You seriously don’t get the difference between a player’s personal jersey number and an honorary display?
I get the difference. I just don’t agree.
Torii Hunter and quite a few columnists have said the same. My opinion is not original.
btw: they grand-fathered it in. Meaning those that already had 42 could continue wearing it. Rivera with the Yankees is the only one left (i think) with that number.
He shouldn’t wear it either. I know they grand-fathered it in.
A friend of mine wrote this:
Something seems a bit overdone about Major League Baseball’s tribute to Jackie Robinson this Sunday, the 60th anniversary of the day he integrated the modern game. Remember that baseball, in 1997, retired Robinson’s number from service, forever, across the entire league. Apparently, forever lasts a decade, because on April 15, ostensibly to honor the Hall of Famer, dozens of major leaguers will put on No. 42 – including the entire 25-man roster of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a gesture more absurd than it is profound.
I can post the whole thing if anyone is interested.
Regardless, the man did more for breaking the race barrier than MLKing, Jesse Jackson, the woman on the bus, the kids at the newly integrated school, and the ‘Million Man March’ all rolled into one.
The reason I say this, is that he broke into the most endeared sport of white America and forced us to take note of the fact. That was the catalyst for the rest of the rights movements.
I’m a white middle-aged, middle-class man married to a Fillipino and have experience prejudice to some degree for that.
I admire any attempt to honor a perveyor of cival rights. Sorry, I’ll get off my soapbox.
Answer to the Aflac question: Batting helmets. (I was wrong)
I agree with every word of that. I just don’t agree with how to honor that.
Tori Hunter was suggesting that a single representative of each team display (not ‘wear’, ‘display’, get the difference?) the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. He felt entire teams displaying it might dilute the message, and voting a single person from each team would enhance that. Not sure if i agree, but it’s an arguable point.
In any case, it has nothing to do with ‘un-retiring’ a number.
Kevin, I’m afraid your friend missed the point. And so have you.
113: Let’s just agree to disagree.
No, I haven’t missed the point. Do not talk down to me just because I have a different opinion.
I know as much about baseball history, this issue and Jackie Robinson as anyone here. Probably more.
I am not talking down to you. I just think you are confusing Tori’s point, which was to have select players display the number, with your friend’s point, which is that putting 42 on a sleave is to somehow ‘un-retire’ the number. Sorry, but that’s absurd. The jersey is retired. The number is displayed as an honor on this day. There really is a difference.
Players are not displaying it on their sleave. They are wearing it on their back.
What started as Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. receiving special permission from Robinson’s widow Rachel to honor the 60th anniversary of Robinson integrating the major leagues has ballooned into more than 150 players saying they’ll don Robinson’s No. 42 on Sunday. Five entire teams — the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros — will field rosters of 42s for the day.
Bases loaded, one out. Is the Duke’s of Hazard on tonight?
118, i stand corrected on the ‘location’ of that number.
Players can wear it on their sleave every day of the season. No big deal. Teams are always doing that.
But wearing it on their back is what’s absurd, not my opinion.
Nice golf swing OG
The only reason I am still watching this massacre is that I loaned my jacket to Buddy Black and I want to make sure he doesn’t get it dirty.
124: Did you really?
#102: Take the shirt, Steve. Someone had to win it. Not your fault that Wells stunk tonight. Shoot me an email and we’ll work out details.
125: Don’t be sarcastic. No, mine is hanging on the back of my chair.
For a second, I thought you could have been Sutcliffe. There are so many new people on this blog.
Wow, guess I’m late… hats on inside out and backwards?
128: I didn’t think of that. I’ll start using my full name. Howver, I really do have that jacket. My wife insists that I have the most current and up to date official gear for the Chargers and Padres.
Sorry if I misled anyone. I AM NOT RICK SUTCLIFF. Wish I was, but…
That’s the ball game…:(
Ahhh… better luck next time. They’ll pick it back up tomorrow!
This may have already been reported, but Devin Clancy is doing interviews with a blog for each MLB team in USA Today’s Sports Weekly. The first one was this week, with the Cards.
I’m hoping to see Ducknorts there when it comes time to do the Padres article!
Ok, good practice game last night, really worked out some bad plays. Let’s kick the season series w/ the Dogs off right tonight!
Yucky. Wells was falling behind on batters, just missing his spots. The calls seemed OK, a bit tight. The ump had a very narrow zone but a very low one that definitely favored Lowe vs. Wells.
Two GIDP with the bases loaded. Bad situational hitting, bad luck.
Thompson breaks the streak. Ironic that he was the only reliever willing to talk about the streak to the press. I am starting to wonder about Mr. Thompson’s place on the staff. He has been pretty shaky in his outings, and the whole reason to have him in long relief, which was last night, and he kind of sucked. Not sure who would take his place in long relief if they bounced him, but I don’t get that “yeah, take that” feeling when he walks to the mound.
We just got spanked. Not a single extra base hit for us; I think that is indicative of the pitching. Lowe was very much on, which he always seems to be against SD.
I don’t have a problem w/ Thompson…by their nature long-relievers aren’t really the type to intimidate the opposition, since they’re generally coming on in a situation like last night. You can’t have all your relievers be total batter-killers. There are plenty of teams where the guys they summon in the 7th, 8th and 9th make you feel like Thompson does for us.