Welcome, and Some Reminders
Sun, Apr 1, 2007
by Geoff Young
The regular season returns tonight. Cardinals and Mets, 5 p.m. PT, for those interested.
Meanwhile, Ducksnorts has been getting some great MSM exposure lately — we’re mentioned on page 137 of the March 26, 2007, issue of Sports Illustrated and we’re also reviewed by Marc Figueroa in this morning’s North County Times. With Opening Day upon us, now seems as good a time as any to say welcome to new readers (and welcome back to everyone else). If you’re new to Ducksnorts, or even if you’re not, here are a few things you should know:
- I write the articles, but one voice gets boring real quick. What really makes us tick is the discussion. I’m constantly blown away by the quality of comments from readers. It’s what keeps me coming back for more. So if you’d like to participate, check out our Comments Policy and then join us. Or if you’d prefer, feel free to shoot me an email. Any and all comments are welcome provided they demonstrate at least some level of thought. If the best you can throw down is, “Brian Giles is teh suck,” please take that somewhere else. (”Brian Giles is teh suck because he no longer hits for as much power as he once did,” OTOH, is acceptable. Just back up what you’re saying.)
- I’ve recently self-published a book called the Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual. Buy it; I promise it’s not teh suck.
- We have a boatload of caps, T-shirts, etc at the Ducksnorts Online Store. I’m told that these come in handy at games when searching for fellow Ducksnorters. If you don’t see what you want, drop me a line; I used to play in cover bands, so I’m pretty good with requests.
- Finally, this is what I do for a living. There’s never an obligation to pay for anything here. I’ve thought about a subscription-based model, but every time I do that, I reach the same conclusion: I really don’t want to go there. That said, if you’d like to help support Ducksnorts, please feel free using the little PayPal button over on the right. If you’re not hooked up with PayPal and would like to contribute, drop me a line. Same goes if you’d like to make a non-financial donation (reader Eric contributed the excellent header you now see). And to everyone who has helped keep Ducksnorts running, I offer my sincere and humble thanks. You guys rock.
Hang out, read stuff, chat with friends. That’s pretty much what we do around here. Play ball!
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.
April 1, 2007 at 12:46 pm
XX seems to think the Padres have locked up AG for four years with a fith year option. The $ are surfacing! Big time, big club deal. Great signal after so long.
April 1, 2007 at 1:26 pm
From a Baseball Prospectus article today:
“Also gaining traction with scouts is Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, another statistical favorite after a minor league career line of .332/.395/.556. “His idea of the strike zone is terrific, his power is better than expected, and I’m way up on him–plus you can now live with him at third,” said one scout. “I’m just really impressed with him,” he said. “Not that I didn’t like him before, but it seems like he’s taken it to another level.”"
I really hope this guy will make us forget all of the bodies we have trotted out there after Caminiti left.
April 1, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Padres press conference about the Gonzalez signing is coming up in a few minutes on 1090.
April 1, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Congrats to Anthony Gwynn for making the Brewers roster.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....NHeadlines
April 1, 2007 at 2:12 pm
4 … that’s great news … if he’s still on the Brewers on May 25-27, it will be fun to be at Petco when he makes his first plate appearance!
April 1, 2007 at 2:15 pm
MSM = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSM … too many TLA’s for me …
April 1, 2007 at 2:21 pm
RE #2: That is a *really* low bar to set.
April 1, 2007 at 2:29 pm
RE #6: Perhaps this one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Skirted_Men
April 1, 2007 at 3:16 pm
8 … be carefull …
Here’s another blurb from BP today …
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Padres are 56-22 in one-run games at Petco Park for a .718 winning percentage. The only major-league teams better in that category over the last three seasons were Boston (45-14, .764) and the New York Yankees (46-18, .719).
April 1, 2007 at 3:29 pm
With the Gonzalez contract, I heard 4 years plus an option year, but no financial terms. Anyone else heard details?
April 1, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Ben, I have not found any $ figures and the official press release has none.
April 1, 2007 at 4:02 pm
ESPN.com is reporting $9.5M with a $5.5M option for the 5th year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=2821542
April 1, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Looks like the Opening Day roster has been set:
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com.....mp;c_id=sd
Who won, Geoff?
April 1, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I just noticed that Brian Giles is listed as both a Pitcher and an OF.
April 1, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Here’s some fun facts from spring stats …
http://www.usatoday.com/sports.....nllead.htm
Jake led the NL in K’s … and Maddux lead the league in Complete Games and Shutouts
April 1, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Wow, I just noticed Heath Bell had 14 K’s and only 1 BB during 12 spring innings … gotta like that …
April 1, 2007 at 4:46 pm
14 … does that explain his declining offense?
April 1, 2007 at 5:18 pm
I don’t know too much about PMac, but he has to be ecstatic about making the team. He was a long shot. I hope it works out.
April 1, 2007 at 5:24 pm
That’s great news about Adrian!
#13: Jay Mars nailed 23 out of 25. He was the only one of 21 participants to do so. Congrats!
April 1, 2007 at 5:55 pm
19 … are we sure the contest is over? It’s not Opening Day yet (for the Padres)
April 1, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Clay Condrey made the Phillies roster … they’ve got a couple of pitchers on the DL …
April 1, 2007 at 6:00 pm
The Rockies placed Brian Lawrence (shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list Sunday.
April 1, 2007 at 6:35 pm
I’m very disappointed that opening day is not until Tuesday for the Pads. I mean, seriously, what’s up with that? It’s bad enough that there is only one game on tonight. . . . it’s like a tease.
Mets look pretty good tonight.
April 1, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Geoff, you were also mentioned in the SD Business Journal last week in regard to the ‘07 payroll.
April 1, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Forgot the link:
http://sdbj.com/article.asp?aI.....ID2=111933
mention is on page 3.
April 1, 2007 at 9:23 pm
#25: Thanks for this. Two quick comments: 1) I provided the reporter with payroll information for 2001-06, but I don’t have access to this year’s numbers so I’m not sure where those came from — I may have agreed with a number he gave me. 2) Fuson was hired before Alderson.
April 2, 2007 at 12:00 am
Nice! A great welcome back from Geoff, P-Mac makes the roster, and AG (or should it be NGG, for Non-Giles G?) signs a long term deal. Life begins anew!
LM, great call on Gwynn Jr. making his first MLB appearance at Petco. I’d love to be there for that. I’m thinking long, loud standing O and a very proud Papa on the big screen.
April 2, 2007 at 12:49 am
I know this has an April 1 date on it, but I don’t think they’re fooling.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=2820932
Padres to win the division AND lead the NL in wins. Sounds good to me.
April 2, 2007 at 1:09 am
Pat, you’ll notice if you go looking for the human predictions of the NL, the ESPN staff like the Dodgers significantly better than they like the Padres. Only one of them picked the Pads to win the West. Let’s hope the computers win this round.