Friday Links (9 Nov 07)
Fri, Nov 9, 2007
by Geoff Young
Greetings from Vegas…
- Doggie Bagged: Maddux Re-Ups for 2008 (322 Feet). One of the newer Padres blogs (welcome!) talks about the Greg Maddux deal.
- Maddux leads list for NL Gold Gloves (MLB.com, via Phantom in the comments). Speaking of Maddux, congrats to him on winning his 17th Gold Glove award. I’ve had no use for the Gold Glove since the Rafael Palmeiro Fiasco, but it’s a nice honor.
- Padres can take heart in success of Rockies (North County Times). John Maffei chats with Baseball America’s John Manuel, who likes the direction the Padres are headed but notes that they’ve still got a ways to go.
- Speed and defense (Hardball Times, via Didi in the comments). Mitchel Lichtman, esteemed creator of ultimate zone rating, comes up with some interesting findings. Fast center fielder in Petco Park? Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.
- Searching for Hunter’s Replacement (AaronGleeman.com). Several folks gave me the heads-up on this handy list of available center fielders and the pros and cons of each.
- 2008 Top 50 Free Agents (MLB Trade Rumors, via Phantom in the comments). Tim has Barry Bonds, Maddux, and Freddy Garcia coming to San Diego. Bonds isn’t going to happen, Maddux already has, and Garcia might not be a bad fit if the price is right. Others of note: Mike Cameron to Astros; Geoff Jenkins to Tigers; Milton Bradley to Cubs. Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part, but I still think Bradley returns, with Jenkins being another option.
As always, we’ve got more links over at del.icio.us. If you’ve got an account, you can add me to your network; I guess that’s what the cool kids do. Happy Friday, yo…
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November 9, 2007 at 7:44 am
So much for the FO not wanting Greene to be a Padre for some time: http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....adres.html
I really, sincerely hope that they can get something done.
November 9, 2007 at 7:48 am
Re: 1 I think I can hear Coronado Mike all the way from the east coast
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”
November 9, 2007 at 7:49 am
Also from the UT article in comment # 1
“Left fielder Scott Hairston will prepare as a center fielder if a deal can’t be arranged, Towers said”
November 9, 2007 at 7:50 am
Haha you beat me to it Phantom! Yeah I saw that. If that is the case I won’t be upset at all. The one thing that does scare me is the part where towers says that Scott Hairston will be the Center Fielder if he can’t work anythingout. Scott Hairston?!?!?! Really?!?!?! I know that this is probably just some ploy or whatever to make it seem that we are not too desparate for a CF’R but dude please do that to me KT! Please! If we thought Brady Clark looked bad in the Rockies game I don’t even want to think about Shrek out there trying to run down a gapper or a catchable ball at the wall/warning track.
November 9, 2007 at 7:56 am
2: lol. I have nothing against CM personally, but that makes me chuckle.
4: Totally agree about the reservations with Hairston. He played a solid LF, but I don’t think he projects as a CF at all.
So, does 3 years $12 - 15 million make sense for the Padres and Greene? Maybe base it at 3 years, $12 and put salary escalators in based on PAs?
November 9, 2007 at 7:58 am
Im thinking the Padres should offer Greene a two year incentive laced deal with a mutual option for the 3rd year.
08 base $4M and $0.5M for every 50 AB’s over 500
09 base $5M and $0.5M for every 50 AB’s over 500
Padres option in 2010 for $10M, Player option for $5M
$0.5M for every all-star appearance and for every gold glove.
November 9, 2007 at 8:07 am
6: That seems fair. How do mutual options like the one you’ve suggested for 2010 work? If the team wants, they can grab him at 10? If Khalil wants, he can get 5? Is that sort of like a protection clause for both sides, where if Khalil is on fire the next two years, the team activates him for 10, but if he struggles, he can take the guaranteed five?
November 9, 2007 at 8:10 am
Khalil could make a lot of money as a free agent, I’d be surprised if he signs an extension but maybe he likes it here and he certainly seems like a guy who’s not overly concerned about money.
I like the Geoff Jenkins idea, I’ve always thought he would be less affected by Petco than a lot of guys because he tends to hit a lot of line drives. B Pro has a Jenkins profile:
http://www.baseballprospectus......cleid=6090
For those without a sub the gist is that he does well when he’s patient at the plate, his line drive % and BABIP go up. He should be a very effective LF platoon with Hairston.
Speaking of Shrek, there’s no way he’s our CF next year. That has to be some kind of posturing from KT. We’d be better off signing Lofton for a year. However, I could see him resigning Cameron and going with Hairston for the forst 25 games.
November 9, 2007 at 8:11 am
Honestly if I was Greene I would only sign a deal if it was a benefit to me. If he is going to make $5-7 million in arbitration the why would he sign 3 years $15 million? If he has another season like he did this year if he goes out and wins a gold glove if he brings his batting avg. and OBP up to acceptable he will be worth closer to $10 mil. I think if I was Khalil I would take maybe a 3 years $18-21M if they don’t want to do that then I would take them to arbitration every year. Maybe Khalil is not that type of guy who will try to get everything he can (I bet his agent is though) but I don’t put much faith into that. The only thing signing a deal for about $5M a year does for Khalil is protect him from an injury or something which is also something to think about.
November 9, 2007 at 8:14 am
Re: 7 yup
November 9, 2007 at 8:19 am
Re: 9 thats why I think the deal i suggested works, if he has a good 08 and 09 (ie 600+ AB’s) the padres would pick up his $10M 2010 option and he would make around $21M over the 3 years. Also if he neer picks up a bat again he will make $14M.
November 9, 2007 at 8:28 am
KG is going to make about 5M this year and probably close to 8M in 2009…..why on earth would he sign 3/15 when he is basically guaranteed 2/13?
I’d guess the contract ends up being something like 3/23(5,8,10) with a 4th year 11M club option.
Mark
November 9, 2007 at 8:30 am
11.
Yeah I’m not saying it a bad deal or anything. That seems pretty fair to me. I just wonder sometimes if KG has any interest in being a Padre past his arbitration years. He just doesn’t ever say anything and when he does it’s like watching paint dry. He’s very hard to read.
November 9, 2007 at 8:34 am
Re: 13 I can see where he would want to get out of Petco, but KG is a very regimented guy, I don’t think he likes change all that much so he may want to stay with the club because he feels conferrable here. Also to get big money he would have to go to a bigger market where the media will bug him. San Diego is kind of a safe haven for any player who does not like dealing with the media.
November 9, 2007 at 8:43 am
14.
I don’t disagree with you there at all. But I still think he wants his numbers to reflect just how good he thinks he is. That will always be hard to do in Petco and with a front office that is trying to get him to change his aproach at the plate and his philosophy on hitting. So basically what i mean is I can see him loving San Diego and never wanting to leave and I can see him hating it and counting the days until he can go wherever he wants to.
November 9, 2007 at 9:02 am
14 & 15: I’d be stunned if Khalil actively sought to leave San Diego. He has said that he’s frustrated that he is not as successful here as he is on the road, but I really think he appreciates his place here. He is someone who is pretty much adored by the fans and who can be the person he is without worrying about intrusions. I think the media learned very quickly to give him his space, and yet, he was almost always quoted in game recaps. I think 14 nailed it with saying that Khalil doesn’t seem like a person who is interested in dramatic change. San Diego is the perfect club for him. It might be one of the reasons that he declined to sign with the Cubs when they drafted him the year before we did. He probably realized that the media climate in Chicago would eat him alive.
November 9, 2007 at 9:12 am
16.
He didn’t sign with the Cubs because they wanted to make him a catcher.
I can see why he would like it here in dealing with the media but dude may be more concerned with his offense in this park just as much if not more. From everything i have heard is that KG is freak/fanatic/OCD almost when it comes to practicing. It seems hard for me to think that a guy who puts everything into his routine and training would be cool putting up the numbers he does in Petco when he thinks he would be a top player in a different park.
November 9, 2007 at 9:15 am
With Khalil’s less-than-stellar energy level during interviews and the way he makes playing shortstop effortless will not play well in certain other cities. Which is too bad that some baseball fans don’t understand how hard it is to make playing SS look so easy, like Khalil does. If Khalil wants to stay comfortable he should stay.
I liken him to Roger Maris, who just went out and did his job, but didn’t give great interviews, or look like he was having fun.. he got ripped for it in NY, but not so much in Kansas City, for example.
November 9, 2007 at 9:19 am
17: I know that he didn’t want to be a catcher, but I wonder if the media environment didn’t have something to do with his decision.
Bottom line, I hope they get something done. It’s a very good sign that the FO has publicly stated this desire. I don’t believe Khalil to be the kind of person that will coldly negotiate, and I sincerely doubt that he would employ an agent who operated in such a fashion. Does anyone even know who represents him? I’ve never been able to figure that one out.
November 9, 2007 at 9:19 am
I dont think Khalil has the Ego to be a guy driven by his numbers.
November 9, 2007 at 9:35 am
To be honest I don’t think Khalil is that type of guy either. With that said I don’t know that any of us are in a position to say what type of person we think Khalil is or isn’t. The truth is that none of us know him at all. He doesn’t really do interviews and when he does he doesn’t tell us anything. Even if he did athlete’s are not always genuine or who you think they are. I also thought Mike Cameron was a lot smarter than apparently he is. I thought a lot of things about a lot of players that didn’t turn out to be reality.
I’m glad the FO is saying they want to sign him but until it happens I will always be skeptical that they are not just blowing smoke.
November 9, 2007 at 9:39 am
Quick hello from Vegas. Good presentations yesterday from Will Leitch, Jamie Mottram, Rob Neyer, Dex (Padres represent!), and more. Got to chat a little with Mottram and Neyer, as well as several other baseball bloggers (including lboros of Viva El Birdos). Good times…
November 9, 2007 at 9:41 am
Hey G.Y. good to hear Vegas is going well, have you seen Keith Law around? If so did you throw anything at him? - j/k
November 9, 2007 at 10:18 am
Jon Heyman at SI is predicting Mike Cameron will sign for 3 years $21M. The Padres were reported to of offered 2 years $20M last spring. Has his value dropped that much, or is Heyman just guessing.
November 9, 2007 at 10:33 am
Heyman is also saying this…
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
The Twins might get rid of the best pitcher in baseball and then have the best young rotation in the league bar none. Can you imagine going against the Twins with their rotation looking like this…
1. Phillip Hughes
2. Joba Chaimberlin
3. Matt Garza
4. Francisco Liriano
5. Kevin Slowly / Boof Bonser
Obviously Liriano is coming back from TMJ but that could be an amazing rotation in 08 or 09!
November 9, 2007 at 11:09 am
25: would that mean Garza or Slowey won’t be available for Headley anymore?
November 9, 2007 at 11:32 am
26.
That’s a good question.
November 9, 2007 at 11:43 am
Re: 26 it didn’t sound like the Pads were interested in that anyways.
November 9, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Today’s BP STAT OF THE DAY is interesting …
Bottom 5 2007 NL Center Fielders, by VORP
Player, Team, EqA, VORP
Jason Lane, HOU, .210, -9.1
Steve Finley, COL, .153, -8.1
Felix Pie, CHN, .212, -5.7
Alejandro De Aza, FLO, .205, -5.7
Brett Carroll, FLO, .133, -5.2
November 9, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Hairston as a center fielder ? For one thing, have any of you seen him throw ? He virtually has no arm at all. Also, is he really fleet of foot enough to cover Petco ?
November 9, 2007 at 12:28 pm
30.
HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 9, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Greene’s agent is not listed on Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.c.....adres.html
Also, incentives with Greene or any other player are not based on at-bats. They are based on plate appearances. Do you really want even more incentive for Greene not to draw walks?
Greene seems to take some really unwarranted criticism for two charactertistics that I am a big fan of — his privacy and his lack of outward emotion. I think many of the rah-rah athletes are phony and waste their energy with that stuff. Greene doesn’t. He is actually more evolved than most athletes. He prepares well and then goes out and does it. When athletes like Terrell Owens are criticized — and rightly so — for their nonsense, it’s a little unfair to Greene to criticize for the opposite.
November 9, 2007 at 12:43 pm
I just got pissed!
“We’ve been good citizens (not going over slot in the draft). But not all the teams have done that, and the competitive balance is not fair. We have to take that position under review as an organization.”
Kevin Towers in San Diego? No. Bob Melvin in Milwaukee? No. Twins new GM? No…
Omar Minaya.
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....65152.html
Give me a break! I’m not a fan of the salary cap (or floor) and I think the current revenue-sharing program is counter-intuitive & counter-productive… But life isn’t fair; deal with it. And when Omar & the Mets complain about competitive imbalance it’s a joke.
November 9, 2007 at 12:44 pm
32: “more evolved”
Red Bull gives you wings!
November 9, 2007 at 12:51 pm
What do you think about getting Nate McLouth from the Pirates for CF?
He’s still young, seems to have improved his K-zone judgement, got speed, some pop in his bats and good OBP. His glovework is sound. Granted he’s only been a part time player in his career but that means he can improve as well.
November 9, 2007 at 1:02 pm
35.
I don’t know much about him other than he didn’t play LF very well when the Pirates were in town towards the end of the season. I honestly don’t really remember the game but I just remember him playing a couple of balls really badly in 1 game. Not that 1 game is any indication of him as a total player , just saying that’s what pops into my head when I see his name.
Speaking of the Pirates though seems like we could get a strictly defensive guy from them fairly cheap. Nyjer Morgan and Chris Duffy both play a great center if memory serves me correctly. Neither one hits much I don’t think but something to consider I guess.
November 9, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Mets’ top 10:
1. Fernando Martinez, of
2. Deolis Guerra, rhp
3. Carlos Gomez, of
4. Kevin Mulvey, rhp
5. Eddie Kunz, rhp
6. Brant Rustich, rhp
7. Philip Humber, rhp
8. Jon Niese, lhp
9. Nathan Vineyard, lhp
10. Robert Parnell, rhp
(the list & organizational commentary are free, the scouting reports require subscription)
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....65152.html
#1, F. Martinez, has tools but hasn’t produced
#2 looks like a monster
#3 is similar to #1…
#5 is Oregon St. closer drafted this 42nd year.
I’ll take the Padres top 10 (likely to be some combination of: Headley, Antonelli, Latos, Hunter, Leblanc, Kulbacki, Schmidt, Carrillo, Huffman, Blanks…)
November 9, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Page 2 of Heyman’s article on SI.com
“• Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp, who will be dealt, is believed to have drawn interest from at least Texas, Minnesota, Philadelphia and the White Sox.”
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....day/1.html
It’s interesting that the Padres are not mentioned. Crisp seems like a fit-match more than an ideal solution, so it’s not surprising to me the Padres are looking elsewhere…
November 9, 2007 at 1:22 pm
38.
I think the Padres would have welcomed Crisp depending on the price. It’s interesting how being on a championship team changes perception. Do you think if Crisp played for Royals this year his named would be as hot as it seems to be now?
November 9, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Khalil’s agent is Carlos Castaneda. That’s why he’s so elusive and doesn’t give many interviews. Ha ha.
November 9, 2007 at 1:34 pm
This was probably already linked to before, but it’s a nice little rant, from the aptly named Rumors and Rants, on those lopsided trades that get mentioned in the media, it focuses on Peavy-related talk
http://sportsyenta.blogspot.co.....nsane.html
November 9, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Thanks for the link, Geoff! Glad to see you like my stuff. I look forward to talking baseball with you and all the fine folks here throughout 2008.
November 9, 2007 at 1:50 pm
No “I hate Moneyball” rant from Kentera during his chat with KT. What a big wuss.
November 9, 2007 at 1:52 pm
41.
That’s a good rant but the writer ignores the fact that Olney said the deal wouldn’t happen and that the “random pitching prospect” was also the best pitching prospect in baseball. I agree that the rumors we heard last year about Peavy for Lowell were insane but this one is nowhere near that. The Yankees have 3 of the top probably 10-15 prospects in baseball and Peavy is a top 3 or 4 pitcher why is it so insane to invision a trade happening between the 2?
November 9, 2007 at 1:55 pm
From NCTimes (linked by Geoff at top)
“We had the Padres system (No.) 29 last year. This season, they jump to somewhere between 11 and 20.”
Maffei is quoting BA’s John Manuel…
November 9, 2007 at 1:56 pm
43 - I wans’t listening, KT say anything interesting?
November 9, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Oh, boy, best Coach cliche (to drive you mad): Speed shows up every night. Power might show up once or twice a week. I know, he’s the lovable Coach, but what a doofus sometimes, dare I say hack? We need all these .305 OBP rabbits to drive the pitchers and OFers batty, by golly.
KT said the Hairston in CF is a last resort kinda thing. Received an e-mail from Cameron’s agent that said MC has interest in coming back, but KT said the 25-game suspension hurts given the lack of depth in OF as of now.
He was asked about Prior. KT says he lives near Prior in Mission Hills. Prior told him that he feels good. He reminded Kentera than Prior is still Cubs property, so can’t say much.
Coach asked about where speed fits into org philosophy. KT said it’s a nice bonus but the team wants guys he get on base and hit the ball. He repeated the silly thing about filling 2B internally. (Silly if you doubt MA is ready.)
That’s about it.
November 9, 2007 at 2:12 pm
47: It’s a pretty ridiculous argument (that speed shows up every night … power doesn’t).
The fast player always has his speed and a power guy always has his power. It only turns into something positive when it .. uh .. works out. Speed doesn’t show up (on offense) when you go 0-4 and don’t get on base. Power doesn’t show up either. But it’s always there just like with speed. The threat of each skill is always present.
That’s one reason why power hitters generally walk more and speed guys get hits because of the infield playing in.
A ridiculous argument, imo.
November 9, 2007 at 2:12 pm
The Antonelli “problem” is interesting… He MIGHT be ready (Jack would tell us he IS ready - ALWAYS love your comments Jack!), but if he’s not, you don’t want to spend a ton on a guy or committ more than one year when Antonelli should be ready by the 2nd half of the season or next year at the latest… But Antonelli isn’t a secret either, so FAs aren’t going to want to come in as a stop-gap…
The other night Alderson said they could go Robles or Standberry if Antonelli isn’t ready at the beginning of the season…
November 9, 2007 at 2:18 pm
The funny thing is, KT, Alderson, et al, would LOVE a guy like Carlos Beltran in his prime (speed, power, contact-hitting ability, and patience):
2004 Stats:
.307/.389/.522 with 14 2B, 10 3B, & 26 HR, 41/45 SB/SBA, and a 72/81 BB/SO ratio…
…But those guys just don’t grow on trees. And if you’re going to sacrafice one of those tools, you give up speed first.
November 9, 2007 at 2:33 pm
50: I always think of Beltran along these lines and did when KT was talking.
November 9, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Hi Peter
I watched Dustin Pedroia hit 150 the first month of the season. The Red Sox stuck with him and he ended up hitting over 300 and maybe rookie of the year. If Matt gets the opportunity I hope he starts off well.
November 9, 2007 at 2:34 pm
32b … Kevin, I think you’ve confused your logic … having incentives based on PAs rather than ABs does not diminish incentive to walk … right?
32c … RIGHT ON! Up with KG-types … down with TO-types!
November 9, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Thanks for the invite lynchMob
November 9, 2007 at 2:42 pm
52 … It’s not clear to me that Pedroia 2007 is a good comp for Antonelli 2008 … Pedroia has 204 AAA ABs in 2005 and another 423 AAA ABs in 2006 plus 89 MLB ABs in 2006 …
Sure seems like Matt’s gonna need a season like Pedroia had in 2006 … but that’s just based on numbers …
For sure Matt will get an opportunity … what the Padres have to decide is when … when will be the best for Matt and for the Padres organization … and I trust them to think “long-term” on both of those factors …
November 9, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Jack, we watched Kouz hit .107 through first week of May and he ended up hitting .275… So yeah…
It’s not that rookies often struggle that worries me, it’s that (in your own words) Headley is Padres Prospect #1 and Antonelli is #2… Headley should be considered “more ready” and if we hand LF to Headley and 2B to Antonelli, will either player struggle enough in year one to cause us to miss the playoffs again?
If the Padres had better production at 2B or LF, or if C. Young hadn’t been injured, or any one thing, we would have made the playoffs this year.
I don’t think any of us doubt Matt’s ability - again, I think he’ll be a prenniel (sp?) all-star - we just don’t know if he’s MLB-ready now, or if the Padres would be better served with a few months+ of additional minor league seasoning…
November 9, 2007 at 2:48 pm
52.
If there is one thing you can be encouraged about is that Bud Black is patient with his kids. If you think Pedroia hitting .150 for the first month was bad then you should look at Kevin Kouzmanoff’s numbers for the first 5 or 6 weeks of the season. Black stuck with him and he finished the season very strongly and finished right around .280 i think. Pedroia not hitting in that Red Sox lineup didn’t hurt nearly as much as Kouz not hitting in the Padres. Black and the organization as a whole gave Kevin lots of support and I think it really paid off. I’m sure if they decide to go with Matt he will get the same if not more.
November 9, 2007 at 2:57 pm
The Padres missed the playoffs because the pitching let up 24 runs the last three games. They won 89 games with no production from 2nd or left all year. I think even if you start with Chase and Matt you can only improve .
November 9, 2007 at 3:08 pm
44: I was vouching for the rant, not every characerization within said rant. Though I’m not sure you and the author are talking about the same statement from Buster because the rant is from Wednesday and the Buster statement you are referring to is from Thursday. The quotes the author discusses are also not in the post you are referring to. However, there is some discussion of the trade mentioned in that post in the comments section of the rant.
November 9, 2007 at 3:23 pm
59.
Totally agree!
November 9, 2007 at 4:22 pm
I join the blog and it comes to a complete stop sorry Geoff
November 9, 2007 at 4:23 pm
LOL @ Jack…
How is Matt doing by the way? Are the Padres telling him anything regarding their spring plans for him?
November 9, 2007 at 4:27 pm
They havnt said anything to him yet He cant wait to get home from Arizona. Padres players got screwed with playing time
November 9, 2007 at 4:31 pm
63: I noticed
November 9, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I dont understand why I know the coaches played their own all the time but its fall ball Matt never got a chance to lead off or bat 2nd to get a few extra at bats
November 9, 2007 at 9:58 pm
61 … nowhere near you, Jack … Friday afternoon on the west coast means other things to do! THANKS for checkin’ in!
63/65 … did Matt do anything to try to compensate for lack of playing time? (ex. more cage time)
November 9, 2007 at 11:30 pm
58: Wasn’t left field one of our more productive positions? I’ll have to check.
November 9, 2007 at 11:51 pm
53: My question (Do you really want even more incentive for Greene not to draw walks?) was in response to the posts at the beginning of the discussion (like No. 6) that said the incentives should be based on at-bats.
My question was saying, Do you really want a player up there trying to accumulate at-bats instead of plate appearances.
Maybe the person mistakenly put ABs instead of PAs, but my logic was not confused.
November 10, 2007 at 6:57 am
So, what do we have to give up to get Barton?
What does Cleveland need?
November 10, 2007 at 7:33 am
67, I think when Milton was in LF it was productive, otherwise I don’t think so (but I know you’ll check the numbers to be sure)…
November 10, 2007 at 8:27 am
Peter,re #56.Thru SD game 42(5/10/7) KK was 115/175/207.SD lost 6games by 1 run and 2 by 2 runs.In those games he was 2-30 had 20 runners on base, drove in 2 lob 18. (BP game log data.) We dont want to do this again.
November 10, 2007 at 8:52 am
I’ve been out of town for the last 10 days or so and was just catching up on some “rumor” links. Just came across this one from Rosenthal yesterday.
“The market could intensify for free-agent second baseman Luis Castillo. Both the Astros and Mets remain interested, and other teams might jump in. The Indians could pursue Castillo if they trade shortstop Jhonny Peralta and move second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera to short. The Padres view Castillo as a fallback position if they fail to add punch in their outfield. The Dodgers also could enter the mix if Jeff Kent declines to return. …”
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7421808
I’m pulling for MA, though. (Welcome to the blog, Jack!)
November 10, 2007 at 10:14 am
58: Actually between Bradley and Hairston, the Padres got quite a bit of production out of LF.
November 10, 2007 at 10:23 am
67,70: LF for the year, .252/.340/.462, 30 HRs, 28 2B 89 RBIs. 2B was definitely our hole, RF really wasnt all that great either, but Giles gets on base alright.
November 10, 2007 at 10:24 am
Re: 73 but that was for less than half the year, when crudge was out there it was a big hole.
November 10, 2007 at 12:56 pm
71, It is a bit disingenious to blame KK for the losses during his cold start unless you also give him credit for the wins during his hot periods.
However, my point wasn’t strictly that 2B, LF, etc. cost the postseason, it was questioning whether a slow start from another rookie could derail next season. I’m a HUGE proponent of building from within I just think Headley is more likely to be ready than Antonelli. I know Matt wants to be in San Diego starting at 2B for the Padres against the Astros on 3/31 - and I know I’m looking forward to many years of Antonelli in Padres uni - I just don’t know if the Padres would be better served by having someone else start ‘08 there…
November 10, 2007 at 12:58 pm
When Alderson was on Mighty XX Wednesday night, he said that the Padres will look to get better at 2B and LF, maintain production in CF, and they need to fortify the back of the rotation…
November 10, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Bartolo Colon?
Hide your fish tacos.
November 10, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Names Ive been hearing for second and left dont excite me at all thats why I think you can do just as good with Headley and Antonelli with 100 times better upside
November 10, 2007 at 11:14 pm
In 62 at-bats in April, Jose Cruz Jr. hit .355/.429/.677.
Yes, he was awful after that, but let’s not revise history too much.
November 10, 2007 at 11:48 pm
79, I agree, but with one caveat. I wouldn’t mind bringing in a low-cost vet who might “turn things around” to take pressure off Antonelli & Headley to produce immediately for a couple months of seasoning. However, if the team thinks they are ready now, I trust their judgement.
November 11, 2007 at 10:45 am
Anybody see this in the UT this morning?
http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....adres.html
Only 28 home games after the ASB? WTF?!?!
November 11, 2007 at 12:56 pm
82: I noticed that last night. I don’t understand how something like that gets scheduled. That strikes me as the kind of thing that could cost us a game or two next season and I doubt we’ll be able to afford even one “extra” loss.
November 11, 2007 at 8:35 pm
82/83 … I don’t see what the big deal is … Padres play an excess of Home games in June and an excess of Road games in September … eh … especially since 6 of those Sept road games are in LA (ie. not far from home, if you think that’s what the issue is) … I just don’t see what can “cost us a game or two” … Padres play 81 at Home and 81 on the Road for the season … what difference does it make when you play them? A win in April - June counts the same as a win in September, doesn’t it?
November 11, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Here’s a better look at the schedule …
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com.....;year=2008
November 11, 2007 at 8:43 pm
“Good news for Clay” here …
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com.....mp;c_id=sd
Pitcher Clay Hensley, who had surgery in September to repair a tear in his right shoulder, is still on schedule to start throwing as he normally would in January, which is certainly the best-case scenario for the right-hander.
November 11, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Check this out …
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com.....=originals
Tony Gwynn: The Making of a Hall of Famer … Get up close & personal with Tony and his family on his journey from Little League to Cooperstown … download it for 4 bucks … cool … fyi … I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but prolly will …
November 11, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Update on the World Cup …
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....5#more-655