Satisfying win on Tuesday night. The last two games I’ve attended have followed the exact same pattern: Randy Wolf serves up a two-run homer in the first, settles down, and watches his teammates play long ball late.
To the bullet points:
- Hard to complain about a victory, but I’ll do it anyway. The Pads really should have put Shawn Hill away early. He had zero command.
- I love watching Adrian Gonzalez play first base. Aaron Boone hit a grounder down the line at third to start the sixth. Kevin Kouzmanoff made a nice backhanded grab, then fired across the diamond well ahead of Boone. The throw came up the line, back toward home plate, and Adrian shifted his feet on the bag to maintain his balance and make the play with ease.
Rich and I were talking about this the other day, and it’s a subtle point about first base defense that often gets overlooked. Andres Galarraga was the best I ever saw at it. A lot of guys will keep the back foot anchored to the bag no matter what and then reach across their body. The problem is, it’s real easy to fall over that way. The Big Cat used to keep his other foot on the bag on throws up the line and then extend with what normally would be the back foot. Adrian is very adept at that play, so much so that you probably haven’t noticed him doing it.
- Khalil Greene drew two walks. That’s the second time he’s done it this season and the 21st time in his career. He tried for his first-ever hat trick in the fifth but was caught looking at a 3-2 pitch.
- Speaking of Adrian and Kouz, how about homers on consecutive pitches in the seventh? Adrian’s just cleared Wily Mo Pena’s extended glove in left, but Kouz absolutely crushed his. He’s been doing that a lot of late. Heck, he has five homers on the current homestand. Kouz is batting .333/.389/.788 over those eight games.
- Seven of Kouz’s eight home runs this season have come at Petco. Guess he didn’t get the memo.
- Actually, the entire team didn’t get the memo. As they did in 2007, the Padres are outhomering the opposition at home, 24-22. That’s not as wide a margin as last year, but still… for all the fan and media grousing about the ballpark’s dimensions, the players seem to deal with their environment okay.
- Just can’t get enough Kouz. Here are his stats through the Padres’ first 53 games last year and this year:
- 2007: .204/.276/.372
- 2008: .280/.316/.436
- We sat in Section 300. Here’s a tip for anyone looking to buy tickets in the upper deck: If you’re in rows 9 to about 16, be sure to get seats in the middle of the row (seats 4 to 12 or so); at the ends, your view is likely to be obstructed by plexiglass and/or metal.
- Another thing about Petco Park — and I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while — is there’s a cool little exhibit about the history of baseball in San Diego down the left-field line. From the 7th Street entrance, hang a right and go up the stairs. Once at the top, turn left and it’s on the wall to your left. The exhibit contains photographs, equipment, and other items of interest from by-gone eras.
I learned, among other things, that Hall of Fame second baseman Bobby Doerr played for the PCL Padres in 1936, when the team called Lane Field home. Thanks to the SABR Minor Leagues Database, I can see that Doerr hit .342 with two homers that season. Doerr, inducted in 1986, returned to Cooperstown this past summer, where he was honored (and sadly, ignored by most of the crowd) shortly after Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. received their inductions.
- Meanwhile, back in the NL West, the top two teams lost on Tuesday. Remember how the Diamondbacks were going to run away with the division because of one good month? Yeah, well, they’re 10-14 in May. Guess that’s why teams keep playing games this late in the season.
- Off the field, the Padres have acquired right-hander Cha Seung Baek from Seattle for right-hander Jared Wells. Once upon a time, Baek was considered a prospect. He ranked #12 among Mariners farmhands in the Baseball America 2001 Prospect Handbook, sandwiched roughly between two pretty good relievers, Rafael Soriano and Brian Fuentes. The M’s #1 guy in ’01? Lefty Ryan Anderson, who never reached the big leagues. The runner up was that season’s American League MVP, Ichiro Suzuki… Anyway, I don’t know much about Baek, but I guess that’s obvious.
That’s all for now; more as it happens…
Great assesment of the win. It was a nice game to watch.
Headley article in the UT this morning:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080528/news_1s28sullivan.html
Baek is nothing special at all, 5th starter at best – but better served as a long man/spot starter. Throws junk….
Good stuff, G. The pads clearly are not the worst team in baseball as their record indicates. If Kouz and Agon can warmup a bit, and we get Peavy and CY back soon, we can climb out of the basement.
What is really promising is how Agon is becoming a leader on the team, something the team doesn’t have. And Kouz is following a bit. And he is doing it with his bat and his glove, not his ego.
BTW, what position does Chase H, play? They want to bring him up, but where?
Seems like a good win for the boys.
Re: 300 level seats – The front row 300 level seats are amazing and not too expensive. If you want a brilliant view of the game without breaking the bank, I would highly recommend those seats.
If you go over to the USSM, their line of thinking is that this trade sucks and is another perfect example of the Mariners FO not knowing what they’re doing..it’s almost comical…
#1@Oside Jon: It would be foolish to bring up Headley if it could cost the team millions of dollars. I would think KT can’t say that because the union would be all over him if he did.
#1 & #6
Obviously, they give lip service to other potential and plausible reasons BUT the moment they said it was for the money, then they’d be in a world of trouble with the union, the player, the player’s agent and everyone else. This is a pretty standard move and this is a pretty standard excuse. Bruce was called up, btw, because I don’t believe he ever played any major league games whereas Headley has 1/4 of a season under his belt. And he’d play LF I imagine
Can you imagine Agon-Kouz-Headley-Greene in that lineup? YEOW!
Wow, the Padres got somebody to trade Wells with? I never thought that possible.
This is the most interesting rotation shift ever. We get to see how KT and the FO manuever around the mines and potholes. This is exciting.
#7@Loren:
Are we really supposed to be that excited about that quartet?
I believe Sullivan’s column said Headley has 19 days.
#9@Stephen: Yeah, I looked at BR and he played 8 games last season, so 19 days is probably about right as he didn’t play every day he was up.
And, no, I’m not very excited about those 4 either. I like being a glass half full person, but to me they look like a great hitter, a potentially good hitter, an unknown quantity, and an average hitter who is trending downward, way downward. Call me Captain Bringdown.
#7@Loren: The money certainly is a factor but it’s not the only one. It might be the number one factor for keeping him in the minors for now but let’s not forget that he’s playing a new position. Not too many players learn a new position on the job in the majors — or at least ones as dissimilar as LF and 3B.
#2@Rain Delay: That’s about what I would have expected for a guy like Wells.
Incidentally, I’ve added Baek to the org tree.
This is OT, but heard some stuff on the post-game show last night on the way home from a crushing High Desert defeat. This is all according to Kenterra, so God knows how accurate any of this is:
- Carrillo has been throwing in extended spring training and should be placed with an affiliate by mid-June. This part is pure speculation by me, but I would assume that we could possibly see him after the ASB if all goes well.
- Schmidt is recovering well from TJ surgery and is throwing from about 120 feet. I imagine he might get a couple throw away starts for the Ems or the Wizards near the end of August.
- Batt Mush is recovering from TJ surgery and is experiencing some tightness. Kenterra said this is normal for guys recovering from the surgery, but it still makes me nervous all the same. Of the 3 who recently had TJ surgery, he’s the farthest away.
- Stauffer had surgery last Friday and is probably done in the organziation (my speculation).
What’s the word on Hensley? What kind of rehab starts has he had? Are they stretching him out, or does it appear that they’ll use him primarily as a reliever?
Grar, double post. Can you help me out, GY?
#13@Phantom: The Carillo, Schmidt, and Bush info is from yesderday’s Grady Fuson interview, and Kenterra seems to have gotten it right.
#13@Phantom:
That is all verbatim what Grady Fuson told Kentera on the air yesterday afternoon. Fuson said that the Matt Bush “tighness” was totally normal and he was completely on track in his recovery. He also said that Carrillio’s velocity currently was mid 80′s but may still improve.
#16@KRS1:
See what happens when I don’t listen to radio during the day? Thanks for the info, guys. I thought I had some exclusive information
#16@KRS1:
Carrillo’s velocity had better improve, and if he hasn’t been throwing from a mound yet, it should.
I’m very surprised that Schmidt is already throwing. We shouldn’t rush him at all.
#18@Tom Waits:
Yeah it better improve you are right but I am pretty sure Fuson said that Carrillio had been throwing from a mound in extended spring training. He made it sound as if he was basically ready to go and should be assigned to a minor league club here shortly.
Depodesta has a blog up on Baek, it sounds like he will get a shot at starting.
http://itmightbedangerous.blogspot.com/2008/05/baek-for-wells.html
DePo with an excellent analysis of the trade and the FO’s reasoning in acquiring Baek. It’s really amazing to have this kind of direct inisight into the FO’s thought process: http://itmightbedangerous.blogspot.com/2008/05/baek-for-wells.html
21: The best part of that post – okay, outside of the interesting baseball information – is that he quotes Dumb & Dumber. ….
We got no food, we got no jobs, our pets HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!
#22@Marsh:
Are you serious? I can’t read his blog at work but that is awesome!
#22@Marsh: DePo is a modern Renaissance Man.
In draft news, MLB’s Jonathan Mayo currently has us taking Daniel Schlereth, LH relief pitcher from the University of Arizona, at pick 23. I’m not currently thrilled. He’s already had Tommy John surgery. Throws hard (peaking 98 this season), needs to work on his command. It’s hard to worry this far in advance and without knowing who might fall ahead of him. Depending on who’s available, grabbing a college reliever with that pick could be a smart idea, as long as they take chances elsewhere. But it seems like a reach at this point; I haven’t seen anyone but Mayo put him in the 1st round, and that sounds as if he’d be available with a supplemental pick or even our second rounder.
#23@KRS1: Yeah, it’s a quick reference, but not the one that I noted. he quotes “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” in parantheses when describing why they would DFA a player instead of outright releasing them (because by DFA’ng there is a chance of trading the player)…
Would somebody tell Matt Vasgersian how to pronounce the name Gonzalez, please. He pronounces the first syllable Gin, which rhymes with sin.
Nice Tim Sullivan explanation in today’s UT about the Chase Headley situation. If I were Headley I would be pissed and would not forget this when it is time to go to arbitration. Yes, I know what the Padres are doing to him is within the rules, but it stinks. And one again we are reminded that KT is not into the truth. But KT is an employee who answers to a higher power, so the buck really stops with Sandy Alderson, who works for the less than honorable John Moores.
I would like to see Edgar Gonzalez in the lineup more often. Almost every at bat with the Padres he has put a charge into either a foul ball or a shot put into play. How much could Edgar hurt the team if he played some left field?
ballpark frank in vegas
Considering Antonelli’s lack of hitting and Iguchi’s good play making him a viable trade candidate, I’d tolerate E. Gonzalez at 2B
#26@Frank Barning: As a lot of people noted earlier, KT can’t come out and tell the truth or else he’d get hell from the union. And it’s not like the Padres are the first team to ever hold-up a propsect’s promotion solely to avoid SuperTwo rights. If I remember right, the Rays did the same thing with Longoria this year, right?
#26@Frank Barning:
Sullivan’s piece isn’t an explanation. It’s an interpretation. Does anyone really think the Padres would put themselves in a position to be 13 games under .500 in order to save a couple million dollars five years from now? If that was true they never would have called Headley up last year. Money may be some part of the reason Headley’s not here, but determinant? No.
Anyone who’s been dismayed by McAnulty’s play in LF should be very worried about Headley. McAnulty’s played thousands of innings in the outfield. Headley’s somewhat more athletic, but we’re getting almost league-average hitting out of LF.
Egon would be a fine stop-gap second baseman. Who knows, if (when) Iguchi is traded, maybe he gets a chance to show that his minor league numbers weren’t all a product of being older than the competition. But again, he’s hitting about like McAnulty and Hairston, with less power and OF experience in his past than either.
#28@Phantom: There’s no clause in the CBA that gives the union a leg to stand on in call-ups or options. The rules are what they are. If the Padres are hiding the truth, they’re not doing it because of the union, but because of the fans. But I don’t see money being the prime cause in any case.
#26@Frank Barning: It’s not all about money. Just because Tim Sullivan thinks it is doesn’t make it true. Now it might have to do more with money then anything else but it’s certainly not 100% about money.
I’ve complained about Moores’ cheapness before but there are certainly better examples to point out then this.
#24@Tom Waits: It’s odd that the Padres are so risk averse in the draft yet they will take gambles on the major league team. Seems like you’d want to do it the other way around, but what do I know?
#30@Tom Waits: Yeah, the Padres can keep him down there for as long as allowed for any reason they want. Brian Giles and Edgar Martinez were late to get their chances in the majors. It happens.
Sullivan is acting like a fan and guessing what the front office is thinking and not using any deep thinking to do so.
The Padres front office has just made some really baffling decisions the past season or so. They decided they’d rather go cheap and take Nick Schmidt over Rick Porcello but do the opposite with their CF position this season. Not only did they miss badly with both decisions but it was pretty obvious at the time that they were both the wrong choices. They decided that last season’s high school draft picks of Tommy Toledo (went to Florida) and Christian Colon (CS-Fullerton) wanted too much money to sign but decided that Mark Prior was worth a guaranteed $1m plus incentives.
The problem is that teams that have low payrolls simply can’t afford to make any mistakes. Unfortunately for us this season, Towers just hasn’t had the magic this season. I don’t think a single one of his acquisitions this season has worked out — Wolf hasn’t been terrible but that might be it.
#31@Schlom:
31.
Great point!
Between Edmonds, Wolf and Prior that’s what $15mil. worth of gambled money. $8mil. of which in Edmonds and Prior is already a bust.
I’d rather have Rick Porcello but I’ll quit beating that dead rotting decaying horse.
#26@Frank Barning: I’ve never heard him pronounce it Ginzalez.
And the term, “Nice Tim Sullivan explanation…” is the funniest oxymoron I’ve heard in a while. Thanks for the laugh.
“If I were Headley I would be pissed and would not forget this when it is time to go to arbitration.”
Um, what should he be pissed about? That they asked him to change positions and gave him some time at AAA to learn the new one? Or are you implying he should be pissed they didn’t call him up last month when he was hitting .242/.317/.396? Sure he’s had a red hot May, and that’s great, but I don’t see what he has to be upset about. If he continues to hit for a few more weeks, I’d be all for bringing him up and moving Mac or cutting him loose, but I have no problem waiting to see whether he maintains his offense for a bit longer.
#35@Pat: Actually I should have said moving Huber or cutting him loose; I’d prefer to keep Mac over Huber.
Anyone remember Vince Sinisi? He’s the guy we acquired for ‘Fast’ Freddy Guzman a few years ago. Portland activated him off of the DL today. I thought he was done after he fractured his wrist this spring. If he could ever stop getting hurt, the guy is a pretty good hitter. In 80 games for Portland last season, he hit .310 with 9 HR’s, 5 SB’s, and 21 doubles.
#28@Phantom: Longoria is 22 and playing full time for Tampa this year.
#38@parlo: I lot of people thought the Rays initially demoted Longoria to keep him from reaching arbitration/free agency earlier but they signed him to an extension within a few weeks of the start of the season so obviously it didn’t matter anymore. His situation was slightly different from Headley because the Rays had no 3B (their Opening Day 3B was Willy Aybar), played regularly in Triple A at end of last season, and was a much higher regarded prospect (3rd pick in the 2006 Draft and BA’s #2 prospect).
As many have pointed out above, Headley didn’t exactly tear it up in Portland in April and also was playing in a new position (which he may have never played before in a game in his life). Since he’s not going to be a season changing player (he might hit below 250 in Petco) doesn’t it seem smarter to let him learn to play LF in Portland? Obviously Tim Sullivan doesn’t think so but who else (that can think critically) thinks it’s a mistake to leave him down for a little while longer?
#24@Tom Waits: If the draft unfolds as Mayo sees it (which it won’t because conditions are extremely volatile), I’d tab Ethan Martin or Jemile Weeks at #23. I could also see us making a play for Josh Fields or Jason Castro if those guys are still available.
#39@Schlom: Longoria debuted April 12 this year.
As for the Sullivan comments, I think he is entitled to write such an article. We may not like to hear it, but there is certainly truth to what he wrote. Are there other reasons the Padres have held him back ? Sure, of course! But those other reasons dont discount the financial aspects that influenced the FOs decision.
#41@parlo: Of course he is entitled to write whatever he wants, because it’s his column.
That doesn’t mean it’s good or correct or well thought out.
Many of the comments here have said that the finances of the situation are a part, even a big part, of it. No one is trying to discount it.
#41@parlo: Truth? That’s a strong word. Neither Sullivan nor anyone writing here knows the truth of the situation. What we have is informed supposition, with the “informed” of variable degrees.
Chris Jenkins, Sullivan’s colleague at the Union-Tribune, recently wrote that Petco should increase base hits. Well, we’ve been playing there for four years, and exactly the opposite has been proven. That’s actual truth. Simply because something resonates with certain readers is no evidence of its truthfulness.
#40@Geoff Young: I like Martin’s tools, plus he’s from Toccoa, where the 506th PIR of “Band of Brothers” fame trained. Don’t see him as a Padre pick, though.
Agree on Fields. He’s had more consistent success than Schlereth and doesn’t have a replacement tendon in his throwing arm already. Wouldn’t surprise me if Field was available at 23 and Schlereth with our next pick, anyway.
#44@Tom Waits:
You are right it wouldn’t surprise me either but can you say… BLAHHHHH!!!!
#43@Tom Waits: The Jenkins diversion aside; do you believe financial considerations have played a role in the decision to keep 24 year old Chase Headley in the minor leagues ?
I think Headley is still in Portland for a combination of all the above reasons… money… low-stress OF practice…crappy April numbers and the same reason they’re not going to rush Peavy back: He’s not going to make that big of a difference. If we’re 4 games back and the only chink in our offensive production is LF then Headley is playing now. But since we suck right now, it just makes more sense for him to still be in AAA.
#46@parlo: Played a role, maybe. Been the primary cause, as Sullivan asserts? No.
#48@Tom Waits: Fair enough, but I think it played a bigger role than you do. The strikeouts and walk problems are certainly issues that I agree need to be worked on. But I bet he will be called up regardless of whether those numbers improve.
Before this year, Headley had never played above AA except for a small, unsuccessful spell in the majors. He was good in AA, but not otherworldly. Meanwhile, the Padres had three guys on the roster who had never been given a fair shake in the bigs — Hairston, Huber, and Macca — who HAD played well in the minors. Why not give those guys a shot? The Padres didn’t give Jack Cust a shot, and that didn’t work out too well. Huber doesn’t seem like he’s been given a fair shot in San Diego either, but he definitely has not taken advantage of his minimal opportunities.
I feel like there’s a big difference between taking a flier on Prior / Edmonds, two guys who have displayed all-star capability in their careers but either were coming off a down year or a bad injury profile, and paying out of slot for a draftee. I wish Moores wasn’t part of Selig’s crew of yes-men, but that doesn’t make him cheap, it just makes him an MLB team player at the expense of team success.
But on the other hand, I think Prior/Edmonds were also moves made in the name of name recognition. It’s a lot easier for sports talk guys to get excited about the idea of a healthy Mark Prior than the potential of Porcello, even though Porcello will probably have a much, much better career than Prior from here on.