Padres (12-22) @ Braves (17-15)
Wil Ledezma vs Jo-Jo Reyes
10:00 a.m. PT
no TV
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 186
MLB, B-R
In an extraordinary display of mercy, Thursday morning’s contest will not be televised.
Padres (12-22) @ Braves (17-15)
Wil Ledezma vs Jo-Jo Reyes
10:00 a.m. PT
no TV
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 186
MLB, B-R
In an extraordinary display of mercy, Thursday morning’s contest will not be televised.
Loaded ‘em up, DP is set up if Thatch can get a ground ball. Come on, baby…
Wow, that sucks.
and thats the ball game….
So – when does May begin?
can’t listen to the game at work, can someone tell me what happened?
#150@John Conniff: You’ve seen Morton more than us…and what we’ve seen hasn’t been much. What do you like about him?
Incredible. Thatcher, arguably their worst pitcher, decided the last two games, and Hoffman never even warmed up.
Look on the bright side, they could get to draft Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State with the first pick in 2009. And then we can watch him have Tommy John surgery in 2010. I know I’m looking forward to that!
#144@John Conniff: Would you feel comfortable with any of the 3 guys (Morton,Hundley, or Carlin) starting one game a week ?
Wow… Did that just happen?
So I ask again… Anyone think Stephen Strasburg will sign for slot? It looks more and more everyday like we are going to have first shot at drafting the kid and I sure hope he doesn’t want a dime more than MLB says the 2009 1st pick is worth because that would take us out of the running.
#155@John Conniff: Thatcher loaded the bases with one out then gave up a single to diaz pares lose 5 to 4….
Guess Gameday doesn’t understand the concept of the bottom of the ninth.
Tough game, tough series, tough road trip, tough season. Just tough all round. Well, back to work.
Oh, and the Braves won their first one-run game of the year.
And home where Peavy gets to try to break another losing streak.
Just tell yourself the season is over and treat the games as extended spring training. It’s what I’ve been doing for two weeks. Much less stressful or troubling.
#156@Bryan S: I haven’t seen him that much, but I thought he was a decent defensive catcher – some problem getting to low balls, good arm and called a good game. Offensively he really tightened up and posted a decent OBP last year in Texas and has good power if he gets a hold of one.
I think Hundley has the potential to be a little better all around, but many think Canham in LE will be the best.
#161@Steve C: thanks
#159@JP: Probably Carlin right now. I think Hundley is the best long term of the three but he needs to play everyday – especially he needs to make progress offensively. He started out slow last year and came around.
#165@John Conniff: Canham’s the Oregon State kid, right? I heard good things about him when he was drafted…I live 15 min. from the Diamond, I need to go give the kids a look.
You heard it here first- the Padres will finish with a record of 12-150.
#68@SDSUBaseball: Then perhaps I should have added, ymmv.
#158@Schlom: no way, Strasburg will want more than slot. The Pads will draft a polished left handed college pitcher with ok stuff.
Is this 17 of 21 losses?
#73@Coronado Mike: Yes, I agree and feel it’s a good move in that situation.
Hey guys, I just found out I’m heading to Petco Park in June to see the Mets play the Pads. Any recommendations/suggestions on where I should buy tickets? Any sections better or more fun than others? Feel free to email me suggestions at toastyjoe@gmail.com. Thanks.
#168@Bryan S: Yeah – he’s really still learning how to play there – OSU converted him from 3b. His defense is good, but his ability to throw out runners needs some work. Supposedly he calls a great game
Decent bat – not a lot of power right now, but a good OBP
Joe what are you looking for as far as seats go? I prefer upper IF reserve (sections 300 – 302). You look right down on the plate and you can see the whole field and I think it’s the best value (tickets are about $20 or so).
One tip I have is do not get seats in Toyota Terrace, they are really expensive, not great seats and the restaurants that you get access to are really not that great.
#171@Steve C: I don’t think they will really finish with the worst record but if they do I don’t see there is anyway they could pass on the best player after the 2004 (and 2003 as well) fiasco. Plus add in the fact that he’s a local boy (went to West Hills HS in Santee) there is no way they could pass on him. However, I seriously doubt that they finish with the worst record.
#176@Steve C: Thanks Steve. Yeah, I didn’t want to spend more than $30 a ticket, so that sounds like a plan.
Again, I really hate to criticize the manager (this is just the fifth time in two days), but Thatcher has almost zero confidence, you’re going to lose this game eventually (Padres never score after the 6th), so why couldn’t he just go with Rusch or Germano to save Thatcher another loss? Even Hoffman for two innings would have been OK with me as he’s barely pitched while the team’s lost nearly every game in the last three weeks.
The headline story on my site for today was, “Black keeps giving Thatcher the ball and Thatcher keeps giving up runs”. Now I can use the same headline and story again tomorrow.
#179@JMAR: Nice headline. Too bad I really liked Joe coming into the year.
At least I didn’t introduce my daughter to any unusually bad words today. She’s heard everything I said today before, but usually when I’m bleeding or hit my thumb with a hammer.
The true head-scratching moves:
1. Not going with Iguchi at 2b with a 3 run lead when you’re desperate for a win. It’s not like Crabbe’s offense is better.
2. Bringing in Meredith rather than Bell to face Norton. That’s the highest leverage situation in the game, and Black lets his sidearm RHP throw to a lefty.
Ledezma looked gassed in person; his control had really wavered. He was throwing hard early. It’s a wonder he doesn’t get more strikeouts. And Estes, to whom I have an unvarnished antipathy, got an EASY ground ball that Crabbe muffed. It’s nobody else’s fault that he walked Corky Miller, though.
Corky Miller, the type of classic veteran backstop that JP seems to want, has 2 passed balls this season. Morton has 0. And Miller is hitting .083.
Strasburg is a San Diego kid whose parents both attended SDSU. His favorite athlete (not just pitcher) is Jake Peavy. He had a chance to go to Stanford, Yale, and Harvard if he wanted the kind of education that virtually guarantees you 100K entry-level salaries; he could have gone to Arizona or Arizona State if he wanted a better shot at a college national title. Something tells me he loves San Diego. If we’re ever going to have a shot with a high-end talent, he’s the one. As long as we don’t low-ball him we should have a good chance.
There are all kinds of ways to fudge the money, anyway. Give him a major league deal, that spreads the bonus out. Defer some of the bonus with interest.
#180@John Conniff: Yeah, he was the last guy who I thought would struggle. He had been excellent at every level up until this season.
John, what are the defensive scouting reports on Gerut and Carlin? You think Gerut can handle CF and how much better of a catcher is Carlin than Morton, and is he better than Hundley?
#181@Tom Waits: You went to the game today TW?
#179@JMAR: I couldn’t agree more.
Here was my story for today:
http://www.padresnation.com/kevinbrewer/game34.html
I am writing a similar one now.
#184@Steve C: I went to all 3 games here in Atlanta. I’m now going to curl up in a dark room in the fetal position and listen to whale song.
http://www.padresnation.com/kevinbrewer/game35.html
#181@Tom Waits: Cheap shot.Never heard of Corky Miller until today.
#181@Tom Waits: But seriously, a defensive replacement (Iguchi) in the 6th inning ?
#188@JP: Corky Miller exactly fits the profile you’ve talked about before, with his veteran reputation as a strong defender. I don’t know if Morton is bad, good, or indifferent defensively; the scouting reports on him that I can find (linked below) are generally positive. There’s no way I can understand writing him off defensively when he’s played 36 major league innings and doesn’t yet have an error or a PB. In case anyone didn’t notice, he and the pitchers would have a 1 run game today if not for shoddy defense.
#189@JP: If the defensive replacement is better both defensively and offensively, why the hell not? Iguchi’s better with the stick, better with the glove, and the team needed a win.
#190@Tom Waits: Morton was not ‘officially’ charged with a passed ball on that crucial 4th run but in any case, he made a weak stab at at ball that he turned his glove the wrong way on. Gotta make a better effort than that with a runner on third. How does this play show up in his fielding stats ?
If we can’t give Iguchi a full day’s rest and has to come in to close game in the 5th or 6th to spell a banjo hitter who also can’t field then we are indeed in trouble.
BTW, I will find the exact game, this is the 2nd time I have watched Morton make a weak stab at a ball w/ a runner on third w/o attempting to block the ball. Again, how does this play show up in his fielding stats ?
#191@JP: While I agree that “we are, indeed, in trouble,” I’m not sure that today’s use of Iguchi is the deciding indicator of said trouble. I thought we were in trouble as far back as last October, as I saw a division with three rapidly improving teams, and the Padres with no apparent way to immediately improve and keep up with the others.
Headley had a great night. 4 for 4 with a walk.
It seems that the Pads almost have to sign Jacques Jones as a centerfield stop gap simply because of his defense. Gerut in centerfield is not the answer even short term.
Jody Gerut, Luke Carlin and Luis Rodriguez (who I think is off the DL now) did not play for the beavers tonight.