You’ll have to supply your own snappy intro today…

• The Case for Mark Loretta’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement (Gaslamp Ball). This is hilarious, although I’m not sure that’s its intent.
• Willie Mays, at 78, Decides to Tell His Story (New York Times). One of the game’s legends has a biography coming out soon. [h/t Didi]
• Different parallels for Mauer, Gonzalez (U-T). Tim Sullivan compares the Padres’ Adrian Gonzalez to Minnesota’s Joe Mauer. With all due respect to Gonzalez, who is one of my favorite players and a darned good one, there is no comparison. Sullivan needs to aim a little lower: Justin Morneau makes more sense. [h/t Gaslamp Ball]
• The running man (NC Times). According to John Maffei, former Padres outfielder Dave Roberts will be helping out this spring. Quoth Roberts: “I’ll be in spring training, working with all the players — especially the pitchers — on bunting. And I’ll work closely with Tony Gwynn Jr., Will Venable and Everth Cabrera on bunting and base stealing.” [h/t Gaslamp Ball]
• Power to all fields (Hardball Times). Jeff Sackmann shows us, among many other fascinating things, that Padres prospect Jaff Decker likes to pull the ball.
• Not a Rookie: Mat Latos (Minor League Ball). John Sickels talks about the young right-hander: “…if Latos does stay healthy, I think he has the natural ability to be a number one or number two starter. If he’d come in under the 50-inning limit, I’d rate him as a Grade A- prospect and would have put him at number four on my Top 50 pitcher’s list.” Sounds about right to me, although I would add the caveat that it might not happen right away. [h/t Gaslamp Ball]
• The Value of Everth Cabrera (Baseball Daily Digest Friarhood). Jeff Creps likes the Padres young shortstop.
• Best and worst starting pitching gambles of the offseason (Sports Illustrated). Sky Andrecheck likes the Jon Garland, noting among other things that “even if the Padres aren’t going to the World Series, respectability matters to the fans and at the box office and these types of smart signings that can slowly improve the club are a path to a better future.” You’ll get no argument from me. I’m on record here and at Hostove.com as liking the move. [h/t Friar Forecast]
• Minors vet Hayhurst to undergo surgery (MLB.com). Reader LynchMob informs us that friend of Ducksnorts Dirk Hayhurst is slated for shoulder surgery today. Hayhurst’s timetable for recovery is uncertain, but we’re wishing him the best.

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Tagged as: adrian gonzalez, dave roberts, dirk hayhurst, everth-cabrera, hall of fame, jaff decker, joe mauer, john maffei, john sickels, jon garland, justin morneau, mark loretta, mat latos, Spring Training, tim sullivan, willie mays