I love a pennant race. We made it out to all four games against the Pirates this week — even got to sit in Toyota Terrace on Thursday. I try to do that once a year because they keep all the riff-raff out of that level. Hey, wait, I’m the riff-raff.
Anyway, the Padres are a half game back with 10 to go. They need to win half of those to finish with 90 wins for the fourth time in franchise history. But you know what? I’m a greedy SOB, and I want ‘em all. Finish the season on a 17-game winning streak. Actually, make that a 28-game streak.
While we’re all waiting for Hades to cool off just a tad, here is an extra large helping of links:
- Mad Dog mishmash (Fast Balls, via Ben B. in the comments). Mike Fast uses PITCHf/x data to study the repertoire of Greg Maddux. (See also John Walsh’s Pitch Identification Tutorial at THT.)
- Q & A with Greg Maddux (San Diego Union-Tribune). Speaking of Maddux, here’s a fun interview. Love this:
I throw slow. One of the advantages of throwing slow is that when they swing, they don’t miss the ball. They usually hit into play. The 2-2 pitch that I throw is hit fair. The 2-2 pitch that is thrown by guys like C.Y. (Chris Young) and Jake Peavy, those get fouled off. The 2-2 pitches I throw, they’re so slow, they ain’t fouling it off.
- Good team chemistry makes big difference (San Diego Union-Tribune). Winning : Chicken :: Chemistry : Egg.
- Opponents learning they can’t steal home (San Diego Union-Tribune). From the article:
San Diego has thrown out just 10 percent of base-stealers, well below the major league average of 26 percent. ESPN’s Jayson Stark discovered that the Padres’ throwout rate is the lowest in the majors since 1951, when the National League began tracking the statistic.
Someone suggested this earlier in the season — I think it was Anthony? — but why not have the pitchers work from the windup with runners on base. As long as you’re conceding the base, what’s the downside? I’m not being entirely facetious here, either.
- Ask BA (Baseball America, via LynchMob in the comments). There’s a bit in here about Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley. Personally, I don’t see how Kouzmanoff, whose primary weaknesses at third base are below-average range and an erratic arm, is a viable candidate to patrol a challenging left field. I also think that Kouz has shown enough with the bat that you suck up the defense and hope he improves to average. The Padres did this with Phil Nevin and it worked pretty well for a few years.
- Kouzmanoff making strides (Padres.com). Speaking of Kouz… To be clear, of course we can’t throw out his April, but at some point the question becomes which sample is more indicative of his true level of ability.
- America’s Most Exemplary Innovator Works in Baseball — Sandy Alderson Part 2 (Management by Baseball, via Knuckle Curve). Jeff Angus profiles the Padres CEO. Excellent read.
- NL West Gets Wild for Playoff Spots (New York Sun, via Schlom in the comments). Christina Kahrl (of Baseball Prospectus) breaks down the race (quite nicely) for folks on the east coast. What a concept.
- Towers playing finders-keepers (San Diego Union-Tribune, via LynchMob in the comments). Nick Canepa writes about the Padres’ organizational depth.
- Instruction time is fav of Fuson’s (San Diego Union-Tribune). We’ve already been discussing this in the comments, but here it is.
- Reviewing my prospect list, 10-1 (Friar Forecast). Self-explanatory.
- Padres executive had right moves for Missions (San Antonio Express-News). The Missions won the Texas League title in their first year of affiliation with the Padres. Think that engenders some good will?
- Wells biting the hand that fed him (MLB.com, via Marsh in the comments). This was more relevant before the Dodgers got swept at Coors Field. Swap Dodgers and Padres throughout the article, replace David Wells with Brett Tomko, and get rid of Wells’ bitter remarks — maybe it’ll still make sense?
- Padres model of speed, pitching and defense only viable model to rebuild Giants (San Francisco Chronicle). I hesitate to provide a link to something I haven’t read or listened to, but the premise of this one — “we can’t win the way we’re doing things; we need to copy a direct competitor” — intrigued me.
Happy Friday!
What are the Padres going to do with PMac and LaForrest?
I sure don’t want the Padres to pick up Mack’s option for next year. Way too expensive for a so-so player. Let him go back to the Pale Hose.
I like the idea of Hairston as a super-sub but not a starter in OF.
51: LaForest is a Phillie
No idea what they’ll do with P-Mac.
Re: 51 LaForrest is a Philly and they may try and move P-mac in the off season if they cant then I think he will compete for a 4th OF spot.
Does anyone know how many options Cameron has after this season? Do rule 5 guys still get 3?
52, 53: What? When did Pete move? I’ve been gone for a month and glad to be back in the middle of pennant chase.
Maybe, PMac can play 1B for the Red Sox.
55: LaForest was DFA’d to make room for Cassel’s first start. I think he was only a day or two before being able to resign with the Padres when the Phillies snagged him.
55 … gone for a month, huh? I’ll bet you’re bum’d about the DS Fantasy standings
34, 35, 36, 38, 40, 41 – thanks everyone!!!
40 – LM, my issue is I’m not suscribed. I’ve been on the free portion over there and it’s pretty good, but I imagine the good stuff is behind the wall.
Go Cubbies!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=270921116
56: Thanks, Phantom.
57: Nope. Pretty good for not doing anything in a month. How in the world did you gather all those points? Jobu must have been enjoying your offerings.
60 … re: Jobu … I don’t see anything @ wikipedia about Jobu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=jobu) … therefore he/she/it doesn’t exist and I have no idea what you are talking about … it’s all in the flick of the draft, my friend!
Re: 61 … It’s in those results, it’s just not obvious:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_%28film%29
62 … ah, thanks … whew … it is fiction … unlike the standings on the DS Fantasy League …
Great, we have to play the Giants for Bonds’ last home game.
Enduring the Diamondbacks’ tribute crap last year was so painful.
I hope the Giants (and their announcers) can manage to give tribute to Bonds while still realizing there’s a baseball game being played.
61: you really didnt know who Jobu was?
64: Pretty much every team does that for players like that. I didnt think what they did for Luis last year was all that bad.
#62: That reminds me, if you ever get a chance to watch Major League: Back to the Minors, don’t.
GY,there’s this poll of best blogs that MLB Trade Rumors plugged. Is it ok for someone to enter Ducksnorts? I’ll bet you’d quickly get up there with the Yankee blogs. We’d enjoy voting for two Youngs this year.C:\Documents and Settings\Ti\Desktop\best blogs Blogger’s Choice Awards.htm
Re: 67 Not a Scott Bakula fan G.Y.? I mean other than a horrible storyline and a lot of bad acting what was wrong with it?
66: What crossed the line for me was when near the end of the game they would pull out Gonzalez and Counsil in the middle of the game and interrupt things for like ten minutes while they said goodbye.
And maybe you got to watch the Padres feed and the announcers weren’t annoying. But I’m not looking forward to watching that whole game and hearing the announcers only talk about Bonds and barely call the game at all.
#71: I went over for that last series in AZ, since I wanted to see the Padres clinch. That last game was a terrific game, plus, it was a terrific tribute to a genuinely nice guy. While Gonzalez and Counsell were DBacks, I hated them, but you do have to respect what they did for that club. Funny, though. They seem to be doing better without them.
#68: Sure, go for it. Thanks!
#69: Bakula’s mullet was epic. I trust that he and Corbin Bernsen were well compensated for their “efforts”…
65 … really … and I don’t seem to be suffering any ill-effects …
#68: Is this the site?
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/categories/15
32 … re:Cameron has stated publically on numerous occasions over the past 4-5 years that he’d love to play in Atlanta
One cool side-effect of Cameron signing with the Braves is that I’ve heard that since the Braves will finish in top-half of the standings, it would cost them their 1st round draft pick … ie. then the Padres would have 2 1st round picks (albeit both in the 2nd half of the 1st round) … but wait … isn’t all the draft-picks-as-free-agent-compensation changing next year? I’m confused …
73: i just didnt think anyone who liked baseball hasnt seen Major League.
Your right GY, Back to the minors is terrible.
75: The free agent draft compensation already changed. There are fewer Type As and Bs, no Cs, and teams that sign a B no longer lose a pick. They team that loses a B gets a supplemental 1st rounder.
But so if Cameron is an A, and the Braves sign him, and finished in top half, then we’d still get their 1st round pick? Cool-e-o …
For Lynchmob:
DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!DONG!!!
74: GY,That’s it. What do you think? If it’s ok, I’ll set DS up there and repost except as you can see, I don’t know how to get links here. I’ve tried every method I can think of w/o sucess. Help.
#80: Sure, Malcolm, go crazy. Email me the URL when ready and I’ll post it. Thanks for thinking of me!