Tied for First
Thu, Aug 30, 2007
by Geoff Young
The Padres are tied for first again after Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over Arizona at Petco Park (box score). That’s nice, but let’s not get carried away just yet. Not to bring everyone down, but being in first place on August 30 isn’t the goal, it’s just a signpost along the highway. The Padres have 30 games remaining on the schedule, and if the fact that they’ve picked up 5 games in the standings over the past 11 games doesn’t convince you that anything can happen, then I don’t know what will.
Back to Wednesday, Greg Maddux gave another solid performance. He got himself into trouble a few times, but mostly got himself out of it as well. The play he made on Orlando Hudson’s grounder in the third was a game saver. With runners at second and third, and one out, Hudson hit a chopper between the pitcher’s mound and the third-base line. Maddux bolted off the mound, did a quick jump to grab the ball, and fired home to nail an onrushing Justin Upton at the plate.
Meawhile, Chris Young will make his scheduled start Thursday, which is good news because… well, because he’s got the best ERA in the league and why wouldn’t you want him starting against a chief competitor down the stretch? It’s also good because who knows who will start on Friday when the Dodgers come to town. Here’s hoping Young is healthy and back to his dominant self.
Of course, we all want to see the Padres complete the sweep on Thursday, but what’s really cool is that the worst-case scenario has Arizona leaving town tied with San Diego in the loss column. With a month left in the season, I can live with that.
by Peter Friberg
You will not see…
AAA
Portland 9, Tucson 7 (10 innings)
Paul McAnulty: 5 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B, SO
Brian Myrow: 5 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 0 RBI
Shawn Estes: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR
Jared Wells: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR
AA
Game 1: San Antonio 5, Midland 2
Chase Headley: 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; 2B, BB
Nick Hundley: 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B, BB
Game 2: San Antonio 2, Midland 1
Chase Headley: 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB
Luis Cruz: 2 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; HR, SB
High-A
Mike Baxter: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 2B, BB
David Freese: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; 2 BB
Nathaniel Culp: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR
Low-A
Eric Sogard: 4 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI
Cedric Hunter: 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2 2B, BB, SO, CS
Short Season-A
Danny Payne: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 3 BB, SO
Kellen Kulbacki: 5 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2B, HR, 2 SO
Yefri Carvajal: 5 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 3 RBI; 2 2B, HR, SO - wow!
Mat Latos: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR - sick!
Rookie
No significant performances…
Commentary:
I might be Kellen Kulbacki’s biggest fan (other than his family) and he might not make my Padres Top 10… This system has some serious depth.
How about the Yefri and Latos show?
Thanks, Peter. First pitch Thursday night is at 7:05 p.m. PT. Be here or be elsewhere. 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.
August 30, 2007 at 8:08 am
Great win last nite. On another note, Nick Canepa is a retard. Here’s his most brilliant piece of mental crap (why can’t I get a job for the UT spewing this inane nonsense?) http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....anepa.html
Long story short, Canepa is whining because Bradley wouldn’t talk to him. Grow up, you immature brat.
August 30, 2007 at 8:11 am
1: At least there are some very promising quotes in there from KT. I agree that this current OF is very solid in a variety of areas. I’d love to keep them together for a couple more years (well, at least until OG’s contract runs out).
August 30, 2007 at 8:17 am
Canepa must have the journalistic equivalent of tenure. His cheap-shot story on Tomlinson and the SD Sports Hall of Fame was the worst - not just for the original piece, but for his bald-faced denial that he meant what he wrote - but the Bradley story is close. Just “look at me” whining. I guess the fact-checkers and editors had the day off.
August 30, 2007 at 8:30 am
That realy pisses me off, Canepa!!! This is how crap gets start with Bradley. Hes a volitile personality and Canepa has to throw him under the bus, Leave the dude alone. Let him hit and help us get to the playoffs. But no, Canepa has to throw gasoline on the MB fire. Smells like a deperate, burned-out sports writer whining for attention.
August 30, 2007 at 8:43 am
To start I’d love to know when/where Canepa tried to interview Bradley and if Bradley knew the interview was happening before hand.
It just seems like Canepa is trying to insert himself into the story….why not just wait and interview him tomorrow? Was the deadline really that close? Couldn’t Canepa just write an article about how Chris Young is probably leaving after 2011 because Moores is a crook?
August 30, 2007 at 8:46 am
i get the feeling that canepa has a overblown idea of how much people care about him. Sorry to break it to you Nick, but you aren’t the story.
August 30, 2007 at 8:47 am
Bradley probably “got the word” on Canepa from other players when he hit town. IMHO, he was going to be “misconstrued” regardless of whether he spoke to Canepa or not, so why not blow him off so you don’t have to deny anything (i.e., “How long has it been since you stopped beating your wife?”; “But I don’t beat my wife…”).
August 30, 2007 at 8:53 am
Estes threw an inning for Portland? I read in Corey Brock’s column that he hurt his arm again and they have shut him down. What gives?
August 30, 2007 at 8:59 am
#8: This morning’s report on the game at The Oregonian makes no mention of Estes being shut down:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/spo.....d_win.html
August 30, 2007 at 9:01 am
Anybody have any idea what the odds are on trying to resign Cameron? I’ve wavered on this idea many times, but with Byrnes, Ichiro, and apparently Rowand (should be soon) off the market, I think resigning Cameron is a good call. Any thoughts? What do you think it would take?
Also, what should we offer Milton?
August 30, 2007 at 9:04 am
#10: Not sure the dollar amounts, but I wouldn’t want to see the Padres go for more than three years on Cameron or two on Bradley (preferably one plus option).
August 30, 2007 at 9:06 am
Preach it brother (#11)!
August 30, 2007 at 9:08 am
11: I think those time frames sound about right. I’d even be hesitant on a three-year deal to Cameron, but that might be what it takes.
SI.com has an interesting piece this morning on key players from each contender that need to either step-up or continue to produce in order to make the post-season. And the Padres’ player is…..
Adrian Gonzalez
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....eys/1.html
August 30, 2007 at 9:12 am
#9 Thanks Geoff for the link. In Brock’s “mailbag” column on the Padres site he said Estes wouldn’t be pitching again this season. I guess it is good to have him pitching even if one inning is all he can be cleared for at this point.
August 30, 2007 at 9:13 am
Re: 11 I agree no more than 2 years, I would imagine the Pads feel the same so I dont see a deal getting done.
August 30, 2007 at 9:18 am
Byrnes got 3-30. Cameron is better than Byrnes. Whether other GMs realize that is the key to re-signing Cameron.
August 30, 2007 at 9:29 am
3. Could someone post a link to the Canepa column on Tomlinson that was described as a “cheap shot”, I’d be interested in reading more. If no one has the link, can someone post the “cliff’s notes” version of the story?
August 30, 2007 at 9:31 am
What makes me giddy right now?….looking at the wildcard standings and NOT seeing the Pad’s there. I know it could change again tonight, but I don’t think it will.
August 30, 2007 at 9:39 am
Peavy is profiled )mechanics-wise) over the The Hardball times
http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....mechanics/
August 30, 2007 at 9:49 am
17: I tried to post a link yesterday and my submission never appeared. If you search for Canepa, LT, out of bounds, you should find it.
The gist was, LT didn’t show up at the Hall of Fame banquet. Although his reps later proved that LT hadn’t promised to do so, Canepa took it as a personal affront. Jim Brown, who was at the banquet, used the phrase “Don’t run out of bounds” to refer to young black men who don’t take enough responsibility for their actions. He ended the column with ““Unlike Jim Brown, LT often opts to run out of bounds.”
When the firestorm broke, Canepa claimed that he only meant that LT ran out of bounds on the football field to save his body, that he didn’t mean there to be ANY connection between that final comment and what Brown said about people who shirk responsibilities. If he wasn’t trying to make the connection then he’s the sloppiest writer of all time.
August 30, 2007 at 9:51 am
I thought his opinion was that the recoil leads to immediate arm failure, or is that only for Padres 1st round draft picks?
“Schmidt has a painfully slow tempo, an abrupt finish and just takes forever to go through his delivery. In short, he’s a “tall and fall” guy all the way.”
Peavy doesn’t have the fastest tempo…..Peavy finishes abruptly and recoils his arm
Sounds familiar….maybe this is more of an art then a science at this point….or maybe the Padres also know a few things about mechanics?
August 30, 2007 at 10:06 am
Re 21: I thought the same thing, yet he doesn’t seem to mind it as much in Peavy as he did in Schmidt. Perhaps because Peavy made it through the late minors and the start of his career without blowing out his arm and has shown it works for him. He does say it it makes him nervous (my words)
August 30, 2007 at 10:08 am
Capena has always bugged me. “He wont get a day of the week from me” Who cares about you?
August 30, 2007 at 10:15 am
#20: Is this the article?
http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....anepa.html
As for Canepa, the article on Bradley reads like something a member of the mainstream media might accuse a blogger of writing.
August 30, 2007 at 10:26 am
In todays Oregonian (print version), KT basically apologized for this years Triple A squad. He compared the Beavers this year to a NFL Taxi-Squad and said that next years Triple A club will be younger and have a few more prospects on it.
August 30, 2007 at 10:29 am
Byrnes is very funny to watch out on the field - he is the ultimate hotdog –the exaggerated and purposeful follow through after fouling a ball off or the all arms and legs attempt to flag down a long fly……in sum, I like the guy as a player but I can see why he has been dealt a lot —his antics make it seem, at times, that he is lacking in the fundamentals of the game.
August 30, 2007 at 10:29 am
A friend of mine played high school football … was interviewed by Canepa once … what Canepa ended up writing was *very* distorted … he’s got little cred with me …
August 30, 2007 at 10:33 am
20: That’s the one. He wrote a follow-up piece explaining how the fans, Chargers, and LT himself just didn’t understand his crystal-clear writing. Not convincing. No writer who’s been doing it that long doesn’t intend there to be some connection in meaning.
21, 22: It probably does have something to do with Jake making it through the danger zone. The recoils is a lot different, to my eyes. A lot of the energy in Jake’s arm goes to whipping it back, which may put less stress on it than flat-out stopping it short like Schmidt. Or it may not, I don’t know, but the deliveries aren’t all that similar.
August 30, 2007 at 10:36 am
Re: 24 Ha I think Bradley would be more receptive to an interview with G.Y. than with Canepa anyways.
August 30, 2007 at 10:48 am
Congratulations on first place, fellas. I hope both the Padres and the Cubbies make the season. God knows I’m sick of success from teams like Florida and Arizona.
This post is for UC Michael who asked me a couple interesting questions yesterday:
As far as Barrett is concerned, why did the 2004 Cubs go 89-73 with Barrett behind the plate? Did he subsequently get dumber? Do you think that maybe part of the reason the Cubs are playing better is that Jason Kendall is hitting .308 with a .398 OBP as a Cub, while Barrett was struggling with a .256/.307?
The 2004 Cubs were loaded and should have made the playoffs. They didn’t for three reasons… No leadoff man, forcing LaTroy Hawkins into the closer’s role, and Michael Barrett. Barrett single-handedly blew about three to four games that year with his boneheaded plays. The guy just finds ways to lose games. You don’t want him anywhere near your pitching staff.
The 2004 Cubs finished third in their division.
As for the 2007 Cubs ‘playing better’ because of Jason Kendall… that’s completely untrue. They’re 15-17 when Kendall starts, and two games under five hundred overall since the acquisition. They played their best ball when a no-bat catcher named Koyie Hill started, going 17-8. They’re only in first because the Brewers fell off so badly.
August 30, 2007 at 10:50 am
Ooops… that should have read… I hope the Padres and Cubbies make the POSTseason.
August 30, 2007 at 10:57 am
The real question is: “Did Micheal Barret hire Steve Bartman?” or “is Michael Barret in fact Steve Bartman?” the world may never know!
August 30, 2007 at 10:58 am
I feel like the link monster today. Here’s an interesting breakdown of all contenders from ESPN, inlcuding who’s hot and who’s not on each club. Also, read the lede. It’s kind of nice to see them pimping the Pads.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/daily?page=dd/070829
August 30, 2007 at 11:00 am
Canepa is an idiot, I think we can all agree with that. For some reason I usually read his columns even though his conclusions are usually wrong. He’s the prototypical “old media” writer always yearning for the “good old days” when sports figures would go out drinking with him and make him feel important. The UT just lost Jim Trotter to Sports Illustrated but we have to suffer with this moron.
The weird thing about Byrnes is he comes across as a total spazz yet he was a math major at UCLA (which cannot be easy). I’m sure he actually had to go to class, unlike an athlete at USC. He must be an idiot-savant (emphasis on idiot).
August 30, 2007 at 11:12 am
Geoff is there any way you can do a quick comparison and opinion piece on Kouzmanoff for Barfield at this stage?
August 30, 2007 at 11:20 am
*Please Note, Not Geoff*
By Vorp:
Kooooooooz: 3.3
Barfield:-11.3
That makes Barfield about as “valuable” as Jason Kendall, Juan Uribe and Carlos Quentin…..yeah it makes sense he lost his starting gig.
Koooooz has been better lately and is hurt by his defensive shortcomings. He still absolutely mashes LHP which is a nice trait to have with both Gonzalez and Giles as starters.
August 30, 2007 at 11:25 am
#36: As others have mentioned, the Padres also picked up Andrew Brown in the deal. Brown was traded straight up for Milton Bradley.
My opinion is that the trade was an unqualified success.
August 30, 2007 at 11:26 am
Really quick, we aren’t tied with Arizona. We’re in first place and they’re in second.
August 30, 2007 at 11:27 am
37: It’s not so much an opinion as a statement of fact.
August 30, 2007 at 11:33 am
re: NL ROY … a decent summary article here …
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne.....;type=lgns
… especially since the Top 10 list includes a Padre!
August 30, 2007 at 11:34 am
38/39 … right on, Richard … you bring clarity to DS
August 30, 2007 at 11:36 am
FYI, Padres’ magic number = 28 …
August 30, 2007 at 11:45 am
40: really cool link within that article about Micah Owings possibly playing the field and pitching next year…. from that link also, which was written just before this AZ v. SD series, the following quote:
“It’s big,” said first baseman Conor Jackson. “It’s hard to explain. You can’t think about it in terms of it making or breaking the season because there’s so many games left. It’s going to either be cushion or it’s going to go more the other way.”
…..Um…..bad news Conor, it was the latter….
August 30, 2007 at 11:48 am
Re: 42 ha 28 with 30 left to play, I would imagine they will need to go 18-12 tdown the stretch to win the division.
August 30, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Okay, so watching the Yankees take a no-hitter in the 7th inning has me thinking about the top 5 most exciting/must see events in sports. Here is a quick stab, in no particular order:
-no hitter/perfect game in the ninth inning
-world cup soccer game going to penalty kicks
-final 9 holes in a hotly contested major
-4th quarter of superbowl
-any chargers playoff game….
Thoughts?
August 30, 2007 at 12:07 pm
okay, the last one was a bit of a cop-out… I wanted to think of something from the winter olympics like “bobsled”, but I figured if I was going to “reach” for one, then I might as well put down an entirely personal one….
August 30, 2007 at 12:20 pm
45: game 7 of NBA playoff series, overtime.
August 30, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Great ABs by Camy,MB,AG,&Kahlil in the 8th. 5 piches, 3 bombs giving Lyon no chance to settle in. BTW, Lyon has a 13.14 ERA on 0-0 counts and hasnt given up a run all year on ANY other pitch count.
August 30, 2007 at 12:33 pm
48 … yo, now there’s a fun fact! Where did you come up with that?
August 30, 2007 at 12:56 pm
#49: I’m pretty sure he found that at Baseball Reference.
August 30, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I would like to Conor Jackson on the Padres for NO other reason than his knick-name over at AZ Snakepit……CoJack. That is way cool for a handle.
August 30, 2007 at 1:36 pm
re: 45
No soccer, please. Ever.
August 30, 2007 at 1:37 pm
51: That’s his nickname everywhere.
August 30, 2007 at 1:42 pm
52: Who are you, Jim Rome? Come on, get past the highschool hangup….
August 30, 2007 at 1:45 pm
49 & 50. I saw that ERA at Yahoo situational stats while looking at last nights box. I SHOULD have checked Baseball Reference, which clearly counterdicts Yahoo and makes more sense. I’d be lying if I told you I understand where Yahoo got that #. But if Lyon keeps grooving his first pitches maybe his ERA will get there.
August 30, 2007 at 1:46 pm
48/50 … you mean this?
http://www.baseball-reference......;year=2007
… if so, that’s not the stats I’m seeing … but I’m not sure I understand everything that’s there …
August 30, 2007 at 1:47 pm
You asked for feedback.
August 30, 2007 at 1:49 pm
55 … whew … here’s the yahoo link …
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/pl.....8kiiKFCLcF
… which, as you say, clearly has bad/missing data …
August 30, 2007 at 1:53 pm
57 … you gotta admit it’s ironic that he listed “penalty kicks” and not actually watching a soccer game itself
And in Kevin’s defense, he’s in Washington, DC … I was visiting there recently and they do seem to have some soccer-fever there … they had a big crowd for the Beckham appearance … perhaps all the hype has OD’d our DS buddy …
August 30, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Also, I’ve been on the phone with Sprint for the past hour after an hour last week on Friday.
Boycott Sprint.
August 30, 2007 at 2:05 pm
57: Good point.
59: True, but I also didn’t mention baseball other than during a no-hitter, so that logic cannot be wildly applied….
August 30, 2007 at 2:06 pm
61.
My Sprint boycott is now officially over 4 years.
August 30, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Threadjack warning: I am tempted, after yesterday’s Mae discussion, to go see them here (San Francisco) tonight. They’re playing in a very small club I’ve been to a number of times. Three bands. I’ve never heard a note by any of them and it’s $17. I paid $35 for Stevie Wonder last Sunday and he was fantastic.
Convince me I should still go.
August 30, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Remember the front runners and naysayers that were ready to pack it in just a few weeks ago ? “The Pads are not committed to winning” was one of their mantra’s or ” the Pads MAY make the playoffs but they don’t have a chance and will be one and done” was another.
Well, they can now arguably be considered the favorites to win the NL as the Mets are in total disarray (B.Wagner blew yet another save today) –On the way to a 90-93 win season, the Pads are playing now playing as good as any team in baseball.
August 30, 2007 at 2:21 pm
45 - agree with you completely on the no-no and the World Cup. Most intense sporting event I’ve ever witnessed (on TV, no less) was the US playing South Korea in the ‘02 World Cup, while Portugal and Poland faced off at the same time, and the US advancing to the 2nd round depended on the outcomes of *both* games. Unbelievable tension and suspense.
A no-hitter or a perfect game going into the 9th would come close, and could surpass it in the right context (hated rival, pennant chase, postseason).
Also, any 7th game in a postseason series. Baseball, hoop, hockey, especially hockey. A tie going into the 9th inning / 4th quarter / 3rd period, or overtime? Hell yeah.
August 30, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Re: 63 the show is sold out http://www.bottomofthehill.com/calendar.html
August 30, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Damn, it wasn’t this morning. Thanks, Steve.
August 30, 2007 at 3:00 pm
63 … where did you see Stevie Wonder? He’s on my short list of performers I’d pay to see …
August 30, 2007 at 3:02 pm
68 … ouch … he’s in Oregon tonight! Rats, no can do …
http://www.steviewonder.net/
August 30, 2007 at 3:02 pm
67: I was totally gonna convince you to go, too. They are a very fun band live. Also, As Tall as Lions, who was the second band, were very very good live. Their lead singer’s vocals leave a little to be desired IMO, but I enjoyed their sound quite a bit. Also, Dear and the Headlight, the opener, wasn’t bad either. You could tell they were very green.
August 30, 2007 at 3:06 pm
This has probably been covered sometime lately on this blog, but it’s amazing just how bad Scott Linebrink has been in his short stint as a Brewer. I can’t tell you how glad I am not to have this guy messing up our late innings—the trade, in which we received three prospects for a Liney will prove to be an absolute steal. Another great trade by KT despite the flak he initially received from Hoffman and Peavy, who surprisingly did not put their professionalism aside. Hoffman castigating the move as “lateral” will indeed eat crow on this one. Thatcher may alone, this year, prove to be more valuable than Linebrink. Viva KT !!!
August 30, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Still on the phone with Sprint.
August 30, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Saw him at Concord (now called “Sleep Train”) Pavilion, which is about half an hour east of Oakland. TERRIFIC show. Highly recommended. I normally despise amphitheater shows but he was very engaging and energetic. You did have the occasional schmaltz like “Part-Time Lover” but for the most part he stuck to the up-tempo and funky stuff like “Superstition” or “Boogie On Reggae Woman”. Two and a half hours of playing. Only a couple of songs omitted or just left out that I thought he’d play and only a couple of groan-inducers that he did.
Very positive reviews from the Wall St. Journal and SF Chronicle, among many.
Definitely go if he gets anywhere near you. In fact, he’s here (McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater - Troutsdale, OR) tonight.
August 30, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Two hours, 11 minutes. That’s a baseball game — in 1981.
August 30, 2007 at 3:23 pm
74 … stay out of Kevin’s way tonight!
August 30, 2007 at 3:47 pm
#30 BN Cubs: Here’s the problem we’re having when you call Barrett dumb. The Padres, like Ducksnorts, carefully do intelligence screening. Still it’s possible someone might slip in.
August 30, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Goeff, Did you say you didn’t get that Cub fan’s IQ test back yet?
August 30, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Madfriars are reporting this today …
Jack Cassel will go up to San Diego. They have told him not to throw and they he will head there soon. They did not tell him when, which is weird.
Michael Barrett has left Portland to rejoin San Diego.
August 30, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I missed this news from a coupla days ago (but saw it mentioned on Madfriars) …
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....;fext=.jsp
Texas League Player of the Year Chase Headley and Pitcher of the Year Josh Geer make up only half of the San Antonio Missions named to the circuit’s 2007 Postseason All-Star Team.
Headley’s league-best .326 average and 1.003 on-base plus-slugging percentage earned him the top player prize and an All-Star nod at third base. Geer is tied with fellow All-Star Luis Mendoza of Frisco for the league lead with 15 wins while boasting a 3.23 ERA in 25 starts for the Missions.
San Antonio’s dynamic duo will be joined on the All-Star roster by teammates Nick Hundley and Will Venable.
… that’s a good year at AA, folks!
August 30, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Hey Wally. Yahoo says Doug Davis has a 31.29 ERA on first pitches. Tell the guys to swing away. Hey, Malcolm, your an idiot.
August 30, 2007 at 5:14 pm
80 … I sent Yahoo some feedback about this … so that other idiots don’t stumble into similar problems …