Coffee, Jazz, Victory
Tue, Jul 17, 2007
by Geoff Young
Got me some coffee in a mug, some Lionel Hampton on the radio, and a Padres win (box score) on my mind. Not bad for a Tuesday morning.
Tony Gwynn’s induction into Cooperstown is nigh upon us. As a reminder, we’re brainstorming ideas for a Hall of Fame meetup. Any and all suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Hope to see you there!
First and foremost, I have to give props to David Wells for doing a better job of controlling his emotions on the mound. If he disagreed with the plate umpire at all, he did a nice job of hiding it. Too bad Wells needed a suspension to get the message, but it was nice to see him not put the team in a potentially difficult position. He also pitched pretty well, working into and out of jams — it’s a style that isn’t always easy to watch, but Monday night it was effective.
Second, I’d like to thank the Mets for their baserunning exploits. David Wright getting picked off after starting the sixth with a single was huge. If Wells is going to fall apart, it usually will be in that inning. After Wright got his knock, I’m sure we were all thinking the worst. But once Wells picked him off, the snowball never materialized and the Padres held onto their 2-1 lead. Ruben Gotay helped out as well, getting caught stealing to end the seventh.
On the offensive side, everyone contributed. The only starter who didn’t get a hit was Marcus Giles, and he drove in a run on a grounder to short that Jose Reyes couldn’t get out of his glove. Michael Barrett led the charge, collecting three singles and driving in three runs.
Speaking of Barrett, I love the hustle that he and fellow newcomer Milton Bradley are showing. The one time Barrett was retired came on a swinging strikeout; the third strike bounced away from Mets catcher Paul LoDuca and Barrett ran hard down the line, very nearly beating LoDuca’s throw to first.
Bradley impressed me a couple of times. In the sixth, he hit a shallow fly to left — the ball was caught for an out, but as Matt and Mud mentioned on TV, Bradley was hustling all the way, making no assumptions. It’s a relatively minor detail, but something you like to see.
The second time came in the eighth. Immediately following a Mike Cameron solo homer to dead center, Bradley singled to left and stole second while Khalil Greene struck out swinging at ball four. Second baseman Jose Valentin (who begat Gary Sheffield, who begat Trevor Hoffman) swiped at Bradley and missed. The ball kicked away from Valentin — just far enough for an alert Bradley to jump up and sprint to third without a throw from Reyes, who had retrieved the ball. There aren’t many guys on the Padres who get to third on that play. Bradley. Cameron. That’s about it.
The bullpen, meanwhile, returned to its usual dominant form. Heath Bell gave up an infield single to Gotay in the seventh, and Cla Meredith gave up a grounder to Wright that shot past Adrian Gonzalez for a base hit in the ninth. Both runners were erased — Gotay on the aforementioned stolen base attempt, Wright on a 1-6-3 double play off the bat of Carlos Delgado — and Padres relievers faced the minimum nine batters over the final three innings of a victory that, given the matchup, seemed like a longshot coming into the game.
We often say that good teams take advantage of the opposition’s mistakes. Usually it’s in the context of grousing about an avoidable loss. In this case, though, the sentiment applies to a Padres win. Both teams had opportunities in Game 1, but the Padres did a better job of executing when it mattered. That doesn’t always happen, but it sure is nice when it does.
by Peter Friberg
You will not see Rob Bowen in a Cubs jersey, the former Padre backstop was traded to the A’s.
[Ed note: In return, the Cubs received Jason Kendall, who has become an alarmingly inept offensive player over the past several years.]
AAA
Pete LaForest: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 5 RBI; HR, 2 SO
Ryan Ketchner: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR
AA
Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 3 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; HR, BB, SO
Will Venable: 5 AB, 3 R, 3 H, 1 RBI; HR
Chase Headley: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 4 RBI; 2B, HR, BB, 2 SO
Nick Hundley: 5 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2 HR, 3 SO - true outcomes…
High-A
Kyle Blanks: 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 3 RBI; 2B, SF
Low-A
Drew Underwood: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR
Short Season-A
Mat Latos: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR - 17 IP, 27 SO
Rookie
Jeudy Valdez: 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB, SO
Keoni Ruth: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 2B, SO - 18th game, 3rd SO
Commentary:
Ryan wishes I hadn’t “found” him.
When the season started, Chase Headley was coming off his less-than-impressive.291/.389/.434 2006 season. With that as the backdrop the Padres changed Double-A affiliations and moved to San Antonio. The Missions were not a must-watch team. Now, with the hotter-than-hot Headley (.348/.440/.616) and recently promoted Antonelli and Huffman (not to mention Wade LeBlanc and Manny Ayala), the Missions are the most interesting team in the Padres system.
Thanks, Peter. First pitch Tuesday night is at 7:05 p.m. PT. You know the rest. 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.
July 17, 2007 at 8:44 am
Sorry to start off with a criticism … but it’s a bit worrisome that Barrett has 50+ ABs with the Padres and has yet to draw a walk … so while he is hitting .298, his OBP is also .298 … if we’re gonna crack on KG for a sub-.300 OBP, we gotta crack on Barrett also. It’s a minor crack because he does seem like a very valuable overall player … he hustles and he throws out potential base-stealers and he’s a hitter … I like him … just wanna see some eye at the plate …
July 17, 2007 at 9:19 am
My extreme man crush on Matt Antonelli’s 2007 season may be blossoming into full blown love!
It was also nice to see the Padres hang tough and get that game last night. The score looked good by the end but I was worried for a while there that we were going to make Sosa look like Johan Santana. I’m curious as to how the game tonight is going to go. With Hernandez out there it wouldn’t surprise me if we got shut out and it also wouldn’t surprise me if we scored 15. He seems like the type of dude who either has a good game or gets shelled, or what I call sometimes call going “Livan Hernandez”.
July 17, 2007 at 9:25 am
One other point on Antonelli… with as bad as Marcus is playing right now and his propensity towards injuries… how long can it really be before Antonelli is a Friar? I got to see the kid up close and he is the real deal at the plate. His defense, not so much.
Seriously, could it be opening day ‘08? I know it’s a stretch, but Alderson was on the radio last week saying, in effect, not only is M. Giles agressive, he’s even more agressive this year at the plate than ever before in his Major League career. Translation: start taking some pitches for crying out loud!
July 17, 2007 at 9:38 am
3: With every passing day that NOG falters, I continue to move farther and farther towards seeing Mark Loretta as a damn fine pick-up for the stretch run. The guy is hugely popular in San Diego, plays a steady 2B, would give us consistency from the 2-hole in the order, and is generally a vastly under-rated player.
July 17, 2007 at 9:45 am
3: What’s weird about NOG is that he’s on pace to walk about 60 times, which is right there with his career norms. But he still looks like he never goes more than 3 pitches deep in any at-bat.
08 would seem fast for Antonelli, plus they have to think about what not picking up NOG’s option would do to OG. I don’t know that it would be a problem, but you mix that and Antonelli’s experience together and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them keep OG and give Antonelli a full year in AA. But I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them decline the option and save a few million at 2b with Antonelli or Stansberry so they could spend more on a pitcher (Jennings) or CF (Jones).
July 17, 2007 at 9:49 am
3.
Good point. If Marcus finishes the season having done basically nothing can the Padres really pick up his option if it’s in the $4-5mil range? It will be interesting to to see how well Antonelli finishes the season at double A. If he keeps it up I bet he gets a shot to be the everyday guy in 08.
July 17, 2007 at 9:50 am
I love it when major leaguers run hard after dropped third strikes, especially if it’s not guaranteed they’ll make it. Speaking from personal experience, it’s really embarrassing to run those out. You just struck out, probably in an ugly manner, and the last thing you want to do is sprint to first to try for the slim chance of reaching base in the worst way possible.
Chris Kahrl had a cool concluding paragraph on the Padres in her recent BP article:
“With guys like Jumbo, Mad Dog, the Three True Outcomes king, the hammer of Macedonia, and the Giles brothers, this has the makings of baseball’s answer to Slapshot, and better than Major League because it’s the real deal. Besides, we all know the Dodgers are evil, so why not root for the rogue’s gallery?”
http://www.baseballprospectus......cleid=6462
(subscription required)
July 17, 2007 at 9:56 am
5.
Good points too. Saving NOG money could get us an impact bat (even though I have reservations about getting my hopes up) or a solid 4th or 5th starter. Antonelli at that point might still be too green. I guess it really depends on how he finishes the season at Double A though right. If he kills, it would be way easier to justify giving him a shot if he sputters out then they have to weigh the NOG or someone else options.
July 17, 2007 at 9:59 am
5.
Not that it should matter because he’s a big leaguer but it’s still a good point to bring up how the potential loss of NOG might effect OG.
July 17, 2007 at 10:20 am
Just found this Tony Gwnn Q&A …
http://web.baseballhalloffame......y=hof_news
… and it’s really quite good … seems to go bit deeper than the usual total-fluff-Q&A … especially for how brief it is.
July 17, 2007 at 10:50 am
I always watch my games on Tivo, after the fact, but nice win yesterday. I get very grouchy with the umps, and thought last night was a refreshing change. A few calls here and there, and a few in Boomer’s favor, which never seems to happen, so want to give props when they do their job well.
That remained a tense game until the 2 in the 8th. Good pitching, good defense and some scrappy runs. Boomer did a very nice job. Gave up hits, but all singles except the double to Sosa. You have a good defense, make them get around the bases slowly, you get outs.
This has to be a record, off the charts: we stole a base but did not allow any on two attempts.
July 17, 2007 at 11:26 am
7: Didn’t like this part enough to include it, I guess: “If arbitrage is the name of the game, and bad citizenship seems to be what it takes to make a Friar, how much longer before Elijah Dukes dons his robes?”
July 17, 2007 at 11:29 am
NOG numbers are kind of bizarre. If he connects with the first pitch, he’s hitting 371/365/468 (65 ABs). He’s also good when he connects at 0-1 or 1-0 (368/368/500 and 345/345/586). But that’s it. Everything else is atrocious, especially considering that he’s hitting 217/287/287 after the count goes to 0-1 and an awful 203/319/325 after the count goes 1-0. So, in other words, his best bet is to swing at the first pitch since he’s pretty bad if he doesn’t connect with that pitch. I’m not enough of an expert on this to know whether it’s just some sort of fluke and he’ll get better, or this is a sign of a slowing bat or what. For comparison, here’s some other Padres splits:
NOG (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=4602)
Cameron (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=3331)
Greene (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=5797)
Gonzalez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=5405)
July 17, 2007 at 11:38 am
I’m thinking about heading down to Frisco tomorrow night to watch the Missions play. Anyone know who I might see pitch that night?
July 17, 2007 at 11:44 am
Way OT … but odd/interesting/funny(somewhat) nonetheless …
http://myespn.go.com/conversat.....ection=oly
July 17, 2007 at 11:45 am
15 … oh, be sure to click on the “comments” … that’s where it transitions from “odd” to “funny” … perhaps …
July 17, 2007 at 11:45 am
#14: LeBlanc is pitching tonight. Josh Geer followed him last time:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....mp;cid=510
July 17, 2007 at 11:48 am
Anybody else in favor of a possible M Giles/Kouz switch in the lineup order? Would be nice to have a little more power at the top, and for the last few weeks Marcus is simply not contributing enough to stay in the two spot. Bro bi’s be damned!
July 17, 2007 at 11:49 am
of course, Brian could still drive in Marcus under that scenario.
July 17, 2007 at 11:59 am
1: He has also yest to hit a HR with the Padres, which has been slightly dispointing, but since he is hitting singles and hitting with runners on, i’m not too disapointed
July 17, 2007 at 12:15 pm
RE Antonelli: Didnt Khalil make it to the big club the year after he was drafted? It would be nice to see him be a september call up this year and get him some big league ABs and then let him make a run for the starting job in ST.
3: When did you last see Antonelli play? His defense didnt seem all the bad to me and I saw him a few weeks ago in LE.
You have to remember he is learning a new position this year. I dont have many doubts in his defense.
18: I would rather see Bradley in the 2 hole with this BA and OBP and Kouz at 5 or 6, but to be honest i just want Marcus out of the top of the order. He is just an auto-out all night.
In the end it seems like it would be stupid not to go after Loretta. If Marcus continues to fail Loretta gets more starts. If not then he would be a great bat off the bench, great for a double switch to almost any infield position and a good “rest the starter” guy all over the infield.
July 17, 2007 at 12:26 pm
BP is calling Kosuke Fukudome “Perhaps the most anticipated free agent of the 2007 class” … he was Japan’s backup CF’er in the WBC …
http://www.baseballprospectus......cleid=6461 (sub req)
He’s described offensively as “a rock in the middle of the lineup, batting .292 with a .440 OBP, recording 22 doubles and 13 home runs … Last season’s 47 doubles is the highest total ever by a Central League player.”
I know he’s already on GY’s watch list
July 17, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Re: 22
My friends like to call me “Domey” because of my rapidly receeding hairline and since they are all about 5 inches taller than me they say I am the 8th dwarf.
If a guy named Fukudome gets picked up by the Padres the heckling I will be forced to endure will be relentleess.
July 17, 2007 at 2:05 pm
22: Japanese players always sounds like alot of extra money too, though I am not too knowledgeable about it. Maybe he will go to tampa and they can rename thier place the Fukudome
July 17, 2007 at 2:30 pm
The Padres has to hit better. In July, so far, the Padres is only ahead of the Snakes and right behind the Gigantes with the Dodgers and Rox in the 3rd and 4th for the NL in OPS.
The Padres are also in the last 2 spots for R, RBI, and Hits. That results in a 5-7 record despite 3rd in ERA (3.86) for the month behind the Dodgers (3.62) who went 8-4.
Small samples aside, let’s hope, the live bats this last few games will keep going.
July 17, 2007 at 2:44 pm
13: that is truly scary. So, if NOG doesn’t get a hit within the first two pitches, his chances of getting one are diminish greatly. No wonder, he’s a hacking machine that walks a little. Of course, I wonder how many pitches he actually sees after the first two.
What I mean is that if he puts the balls in play more often within the first three pitches, his chances of getting hits in the pitches #4 up is very small and thus, his chances at succeeding is even smaller.
I think NOG might be failing lately as the result of his own success earlier in the season. Because he was so successful in this aggresive approach earlier in the season, he kept doing it even when that approach is no longer producing. If somebody can convince NOG to be a bit more selective in his aggression at the plate, he may hit again. After all, NOG does walk every now and then so it’s not like he’s not capable of taking pitches.
For now, I’m all for NOG to move down to #8 spot. Isn’t there a number of studies already that SP can be gotten to easier in the early inning? Why let a pitcher off the hook to start the game?
July 17, 2007 at 3:15 pm
It makes me wonder if Bud is trying to abide by some unwritten rule of baseball in NOG’s case. Putting a rookie like Kouz at the #2 spot and dropping NOG seems like it might be a slap in the face to a veteran who in a slump. Judging at how long Bud stuck with Kouz even though he was a rookie it only seems logical that he offer the same opportunity to NOG especially because he has a track record. Don’t get me wrong I am all for Kouz @ 2 and NOG at 8 but I am just saying why I don’t see it happening just yet.
July 17, 2007 at 3:30 pm
27: Put Bradley at #2 with NOG 7 or 8. He might be forced to be more productive at 8 because they’ll throw him some pitches even he can’t swing at.
July 17, 2007 at 3:36 pm
28: I think Bradley at #2 makes more sense anyway. Marcus really needs to be batting 8th, though.
July 17, 2007 at 3:40 pm
28.
I am not opposed to that either.
July 17, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I have to agree with Tom and Richard. Bradley at #2 makes more sense than Kouzmanoff there. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kouzmanoff move up a little in the order, but he’s not bad as a #6 or 7 hitter in this order.
July 17, 2007 at 3:55 pm
28: Thats what i said earlier in post 21. Bradley would be a better 2 than Kouz, he has a little pop, good OBP and alot of speed…
If i were Bud…
B Giles
Bradley
Gonzo
Cam
Kouz
Greene
Barrett/Bard
M Giles
To me 5,6,7 are pretty interchangable though. I know batting order might not matter all that much, but i think it matters more to a team like the Padres. Putting our best chance to score in the first inning would work good for us and give our starters more confidence.
July 17, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Deadspin has a post linking to this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXzDeSxa_Is
If we ever get too depressed about our team, just remember it isn’t owned by McClatchy. What a soul-crushing existence it must be to be a Pirates fan these days.
July 17, 2007 at 4:34 pm
33: That video was actually really good