Eight series wins in a row? Really, I had no idea. Greg Maddux brought his A-game on Wednesday night (recap | boxscore), and Geoff Blum and Hiram Bocachica led the offense en route to a —
Say what? Blum and Boca-who-ca?
Yep. Blum drove in four runs on the evening, doubling his season total. All four came batting right handed. That’s four more than he collected from the right side in 2006.
I diss him because I love him. You know, anything I can do to help and all that.
Or whatever.
I have no explanation for Bocachica. His name is fun to say, and he helps ease the pain of “losing” DH Jack Cust. Works for me.
Then there’s Trevor Hoffman. He became the first ever to reach 500 career saves with a scoreless ninth and we’ve got the pictures to prove it. Hoffman doesn’t have the stuff he once did, and he seemingly doesn’t care. He just goes out there and gets the job done. I expect he probably irritates the heck out of opposing hitters and fans in the process.
This is the part where I should tell you what Hoffman means to the Padres and baseball. But I won’t because a) you already know and b) everything I come up with sounds trite and sycophantic. Still, if you want a clue, just bear in mind that during the post-game interview, all Hoffman wanted to talk about was his teammates, the fans, and getting a ring.
(Somewhat lost in the history was Heath Bell‘s seventh-inning performance. Two pitches, two outs, threat ended. Bell saved this one as much as Hoffman did, and I’ll bet Hoffman would say the same. And he wouldn’t care because the bottom line is a Padres victory.)
The Friars find themselves in a virtual tie with Arizona (mistakenly referred to by many as “the surprising Diamondbacks”) and have a chance to sweep LA on Thursday. Oh yeah, Jake Peavy is pitching in the finale.
Enjoy. As we know all too well, it ain’t always like this.
by Peter Friberg
You will not see all the notable performances from the night before, but you will see the notable performances from those who are actually prospects.
AAA
No games scheduled
AA
Chase Headley: 5 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 4 RBI; 2 2B, HR, BB, 2 SO – .354/.434/.646
Nick Hundley: 4 AB, 2 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; HR, BB, SO
High-A
Matt Antonelli: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI – .304/.401/.470
Wade LeBlanc: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO, 1 HR
Low-A
No games scheduled
Commentary:
Okay, he’s not just talented; he’s clutch. Down by one with two outs and two runners on base, Chase Headley comes through with a two-run homer. It was his second homer and third extra-base hit of the game. Kevin Kouzmanoff‘s glove doesn’t warrant moving him off third base, but Headley’s bat needs a place in the 2008 Padre lineup.
Wade has been ridiculously dominant this year. He wasn’t a top prospect coming out of college and he wasn’t considered a top 10 prospect this past off-season. Yet all he’s done is dominate the hitting-friendly Cal League:
6-2, 1.82 ERA, 69.1 IP, 45 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 13 BB, 68 SO, 3 HR
***
I swear I didn’t do this intentionally…
With the draft today, there is some interesting symmetry in this PPR. Four names listed are above: two from the 2005 draft, and two from the 2006 draft — all from the Sandy Alderson/Grady Fuson regime.
Draft Stuff
San Diego selections (#23) in Mock Drafts:
Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com): James Simmons, RHP, UC Riverside
Kevin Goldstein (Baseball Prospectus): Joe Savery, LHP, Rice
Jim Callis (Baseball America): Simmons
***
I don’t know what to make of it. All of the experts remind us that the Padres have a history of taking collegiate players. However, Kevin Towers and Grady Fuson have both gone on the record to note that the strength of this year’s draft is its high school talent. Now both James Simmons and Joe Savery are legitimate first-round talents. So it is completely reasonable and likely (if somewhat un-sexy) for the Padres to go with one of the above pitchers…
Now, as for the “what if” portion…
After originally being projected as the #2 overall pick, Rick Porcello is likely to do an Andrew Miller slide. Last year, Team Boras realized they were not going to get the money they wanted for Miller from the top teams in the draft. So they asked for the moon. In doing so, they scared several teams away until the Tigers popped Miller with the sixth pick and signed him to an MLB deal with a $3.55M bonus. Boras and Porcello are reportedly asking for deal similar to the $7M MLB deal Josh Beckett got with the Marlins in 1999.
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus projects Porcello to slide all the way to the Tigers with the 27th pick.
I’m nearly dead-set against giving high school guys MLB contracts, but Porcello might be worth it. And keep in mind that while Porcello wants a Beckett-like contract, his bonus would still be in the $3-4M range. And the Padres could conceivably get him signed with a considerable bonus without the MLB contract.
Obviously it’s not my money, but can you imagine the following draft (BA rankings in parentheses):
23 Rick Porcello, RHP (4)
40 Nick Noonan, 2B/SS (41)
46 Travis d’Arnaud, C (49)
57 Zach Cozart, SS (59)
63 Wes Roemer, RHP (65)
64 Kellen Kulbacki, LF (66)
81 Grant Desme, OF (99)
87 Jordan Zimmerman, RHP (97)
Now do I expect the above? No, if we exchange Porcello for Savery or Simmons it will still be a nice draft and a lot more likely…
Thanks, Peter! As a reminder, I’ll be liveblogging the draft (not specifically from a Padres perspective) over at Knuckle Curve. Feel free to follow along, or just keep doing that thing you do right here. I’m sure all of our fine observers will have plenty to say as the draft unfolds, and Peter and I will certainly share our thoughts tomorrow, if not sooner.
I am so geeking out on this, it’s not even funny. Seriously, if I don’t stop the caffeine flow right now, things could get ugly.
Series finale tonight at 7:05 p.m. PT. As is our custom, we’ll fire up the IGD about an hour before then. Blah blah blah. Am I still talking? Shut up already. Okay, I will. See you at the IGD…
I didn’t think so but GY threw me off.
peter you got one pick right it’s just 24 slots late
Thoughts on Kulbacki? I like that he can clearly hit, but it would be nice to at some point draft an outfielder that can play either right or center.
2 picks 2 college kids
i’ve heard he’s comparable to brain giles according to one scouting report on mlb.com
Kulbacki should sign for slot or even below. Who are they going to pick to spend money on?
“Kulbacki is a little stocky with a Brian Giles-type body.” -mlb.com
Inquiring minds need to know…does he do Orange?
155: really he gets his tan from a can as well?
157: Orange says he does, but Orange has been known to brag about his conquests, real or imagined.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder how he feels about public nudity?
157: Awesome, let’ see if we can trade him to the Pirates for Jason Bay…
What did Fuson say on XX? Anyone catch that?
Re: 156
Moores on the draft budget
“why pay more money when we can draft players for less? its not like the weaver kid or the drew kid worked out any better than bush”
Schilling with a no-no through 8…..
Where is the high upside power pitcher that the Padres need?
Re: 165 in detroit?
165.
My guess is that they will spin that question into the Latos sign.
166.
You’re right!
#151: GY has written 27 posts today and cannot see or think straight.
#153: I like the Kulbacki pick. Not sure about his defense but at the very least, he’ll give us a nice trading chip.
166: Awesome.
165: Yes, they will. “We felt Latos served as an extra first-round pick, and we wanted someone who would be a safer investment.”
Andrew Cumberland?
anyone have a report on andrew cumberland?
cumberland is fast and that’s about it.
Matt Harvey, anyone?
jaun pier playing SS
Cumberland’s a good pick there. Seriously athletic shortstop, double-plus speed. Holes in his swing but some power potential. BA compares his offense to Brian Roberts.
173: I wouldn’t say that’s about it. He’s got offensive potential, way more than Bush did.
174: Yeah.
At least Kunz is gone to the Mets.
Schilling taking the mound – in case anyone wants to tune in…
176: Is he going to stick at SS? Brian Roberts offense with good SS defense is very valuable.
I’ll third the enthusiasm for Harvey.
Shilling with a no-no through 8 & 1/3……
wow, horrible typing… sorry… Schilling.
Come on, Padres. Pick Matt Harvey next.
broken up with 2 outs!!! sorry, but seeing the closing moments of a potential no-hitter, regardless of the team, is nail-biting!
Woohoo! Arizona took Roemer, so now we can’t!
Shannon Stewart breaks up the no-no with two outs in the ninth.
187: Did he bunt?
#189: Nope, clean line single past the second baseman.
189 – that’s gotta sting
Cumberland seems to be a good pick for Petco.
how come all three of the padres position players hit lefty. where’s the right handed power?
Lynch! That pick’s for you!!
Number 57 – Mitchell Canham, lefty catcher. Good or bad?
Where’s this Harvey character? Why hasn’t anyone popped him?
Hmmm….I wonder if Matt Harvey wants the moon.
Isn’t Canham an overdraft at 57?
Kevin Goldstein of BP likes the Canham pick a lot, calling him a borderline first round talent if he can stay behind the plate. Of course, he also trails off into a scary … when he mentions the possibility of him not staying behind the plate.
Padres going left handder crazy in this draft
Corey Luebke (LHP) and Daniel Payne left-handed CF at 63 & 64.
Luebke described as a “poor man’s Nick Schmidt” by Bryan Smith. Just the kind of guy the Padres desperately needed to add to their farm system.