I’m all over the place today:
- How to Quit Your Job and Write a Book (Or Two) (BallHype). I posted this in the comments on Wednesday, but here’s a little “behind-the-scenes” look at the process of writing the Ducksnorts Baseball Annuals.
- Arizona Dreaming (Baseball Digest Daily). In spring training, what happens before the game is at least as interesting as what happens during the game.
- Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ’98, #41-50 (Knuckle Curve). The latest installment in my look back at the top young players from a decade ago includes ex-Padres Derrek Lee and Ben Davis. Ugh, Ben Davis.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Padres (well, some of them) are in China. Corey has photos. Over on this side of the pond, Chase Headley’s future appears to be in left field (i.e., the experiment worked).
On a more general note, I’m trying to keep up with game scores and individual performances, but the stories lack intrigue. Seems to me the only positions up for grabs are backup infielder, backup outfielder, fifth starter, and mopup guy. Be still, my beating heart:
- INF: Callix Crabbe, Edgar Gonzalez, Marshall McDougall, Brian Myrow, Oscar Robles, Luis Rodriguez, Craig Stansberry. Anyone care? I didn’t think so.
- OF: Chip Ambres, Jeff DaVanon, Robert Fick, Jody Gerut. Okay, Gerut is kind of interesting.
- SP: Shawn Estes, Justin Germano, Glendon Rusch. Yawn.
- RP: Michael Gardner, Edgar Gonzalez, Carlos Guevara, Jared Wells, Mauro Zarate. I liked what I saw of Zarate in a very limited sample, but still…
I’m fired up for the season, but these spring training “battles” just aren’t doing much for me.
Awww, come on Geoff. Ben Davis met the requisite “teen hearthtrob” quota.
Sources tell me that Colt Morton is ready to assume that role soon. Hopefully he delivers more production than Davis ever did.
Come on, get excited! Everyone knows pitching wins championships; ergo the 5th starter position is HUGE!! And that utility IF is the guy who supplies the grit needed to grind out some tough wins during the dog days of summer. Think about how crucial Tim Flannery was to those great Padres teams of the 80′s.
No P-Mac love GY?
The least you could be doing Geoff is pondering nicknames … we don’t have NOG, Jenga nor Blumhorn to kick around anymore.
2: Well, let’s be honest, the 5th starter killed us the last part of 2004, much of 2005, and most of 2007. I’m surprised the UT is still listing Estes as a candidate but has Rusch slated for the pen. Rusch has an uneven track record, but so do the other options (with LeBlanc, no major league track record), and he has been throwing well this spring.
Per the Boston Herald via RotoWorld, the Red Sox have released Doug Mirabelli.
#1: Morton could be the new Mark Parent, and that’s not intended as a back-handed compliment. Dude can hit the ball a long way.
#3: Totally spaced on P-Mac. Must be all the not-so-subliminal messages I was getting from Lance over the weekend.
#4: Good call; let’s get some nicknames going.
#6: Now we know that even Tim Wakefield has only so much pull.
That “Arizona Dreaming” article describes my morning at Peoria last week perfectly … just pure, dreamin’ fun! Thanks, GY!
3 – re: McAnulty … I’m assuming GY thinks he’s a lock for the #4 OF spot? I know I do
re: INF … “Anyone care?” … *I* do! And you will to if/when KG tweeks a hammy! I think those 7 names fall into 4 groups …
1. Having good spring but perhaps not able to handle role of backup SS … Edgar Gonzalez + Luis Rodriquez
2. Having pretty good spring and would be OK as backup SS … Callix Crabbe
3. A semi-decent backup SS because of his MLB experience … Oscar Robles
4. Will be at AAA Portland no matter what … Brian Myrow, Craig Stansberry, Marshall McDougall (note: Myrow is a *way* better hitter than any of the other 6 on this list … but it’s my understanding that he’s 1B only … so he’s stuck at AAA unless/until there’s an injury to either Clark or Adrian)
I don’t know how the Padres will decide between the options in groups 1/2/3 …
re: OF … the link above about Headley also has this note …
Center fielder Jeff DaVanon made two good catches and reached base four times.
… so I’m wondering if that keeps him more in the mix for a roster spot than I want him to be … an outfield of Gerut in LF, Hairston in CF, and McAnutly in RF does not scare me, especially offensively (perhaps it should defensively, but it doesn’t, based on what I saw in 5 games last week) … and that’s what I think the Padres will trot out there a couple of times if McAnulty is #4 and Gerut is #5 and both Giles and Edmonds need a day off at the same time (which is gonna happen) …
6 – Let’s pick him up and trade him back to the Sox in a month for Delcarmen & Okajima.
1 … Ben Davis has OPS+ of 88 in 448 ABs in 2001 and 92 in 228 ABs in 2002 … http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/davisbe01.shtml
Colt Morton will not deliver more production than that … I hope I’m wrong … but I just don’t see anything “eye-popping” about Colt Morton … if he does do better than this, it will be because of hard work, not raw ability …
Here’s what I see happening in April wrt the Padre OF …
– between Headley, Hairston, and Edmonds, they each get 20 starts in LF/CF in the first 30 games
– Giles gets as many starts as he can handle in RF, with Gerut getting the remainder
– McAnulty gets traded to an AL team for an RP or a prospect
– Portland’s OF will be Ambres, Macias, McAnulty (if not traded) (with Sinisi on DL)
– San Antonio’s OF will be Huffman, Venable, Baxter
– Lake Elsinore’s OF will be xyz1, Hunter, xyz2
– Ft Wayne’s OF will be Durango, Payne, xyz3
Spring stats available here … http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/padres/spring.htm
LM, there’s no way anyone’s giving up a “prospect” for P-Mac. We’d be lucky to swap him for a case of beer.
I’m still surprised that you didn’t snap him up in last night’s draft!
12 … xyz2 = Kulbacki
DaVanon will make the Padres if either Edmonds or Giles are on the DL on Opening Day …
Fick doesn’t seem to have a spot … unless they feel compelled to keep him as OF #5 because he can catch … but I don’t think he’s caught since the intrasquad game, has he?
13 … uh, what draft last night? oops