First off, I apologize for Xavier Nady’s performance Tuesday night (recap | box score). My wife chastised me before the game for wearing my #20 Nady Storm jersey, and sure enough, Nady went nuts. My bad; it won’t happen again.
Also, I got carded at Yard House, which was freakin’ sweet. Mmmm, chocolate porter.
Moving on…
Q: How hard is it to leave 14 runners on base over the course of eight innings?
A: Not as hard as you might imagine.
I hardly know where to begin with Michael Barrett, but I suspect it involves asking Billy Beane about Rob Bowen‘s availability. The Barrett deal made sense to me at the time, and I’m still good with the thought process. The only thing keeping it from being a terrific success is the fact that Barrett has played like a moldy shoe ever since arriving in San Diego.
Whatever. The Padres won again on Tuesday. They beat the Pirates, 5-3, and remain one game back of Arizona. I’d tell you how the wild card breaks down but I don’t care because I’m still focused on the NL West.
So, how do I feel about Barrett? Sometimes you just have to wear a moldy shoe. Next question, please.
Q: Was that a huge performance by Cla Meredith or what?
A: Yes, it was.
Q: How can that guy get so many ground ball outs?
A: I dunno, it’s kinda freaky.
Q: Doug Brocail still makes you nervous, though, right?
A: Yep. Probably always will. Oh well, he’s our guy. This is our team. Remodel in the winter; right now just slap some duct tape on it.
Moldy shoes and duct tape. Anything else? Nope, that’s pretty much it. This entry will self-destruct when Barrett comes to bat. Have a nice day.
47, 49: I believe Jim Callis made the comment and Mark reported it. And I largely agree with LM in 49. A good depth guy is a relatively good outcome for most draft picks. Not the #1 overall, but it’s still valuable. I try not to get too excited about anybody below AA. Last year Cedric Hunter was the golden boy, even with his high BABIP and low ISO. He’s still young, he had a couple of good months, he ended strong, but still, he’s gone silver.
Blanks’ upside is big, but his probable production, like most players, will be in the wide band of average.
I brought it up: a Jim Callis chat on ESPN.com today.
From a Cubs fan here, I miss Michael Barrett a lot. San Diego hasn’t given him a chance to succeed, and he’s been hurt. There are a lot of Cubs fans that now have turned their back on him recently since the trade, but he was one of their best players over the past 3 years. He got a bad rap because Zambrano is a hot head. He is the most passionate player who cares about his team that I have ever seen. I have been watching the Padres game he’s played in since the trade and he has struggled offensively, but he’s been pretty solid behind the plate. That wild pitch on the pitch out from Maddux was not a ball that was easy to handle either(for the person who commented about that earlier). San Diego is lucky to have him, so stop your whining.