World Series of Blog competition ends tomorrow, and we’re down, 283-218, to Blue Jay Way. I am keeping the faith, but it’s not looking real good right about now.

I’m still recovering from Bakersfield and Visalia (thanks to the folks who sent in suggestions for Asian Buffet places; we ended up staying in Tulare and eating at Denny’s, so we’ll have to hit some of those restaurants next time around). The full report will be here later this week or possibly next, depending on how lazy I am.

Dropping three out of four against the Rockies is pretty lame. That game Friday night was particularly annoying, but what are you gonna do. At least the Pads came back to win the finale. Ismael Valdez picking up the win, Trevor Hoffman nailing the save, and Ryan Klesko (finally!) hitting his second homer of the season were all huge.

Like I said, I’m still a little fuzzy from the road. Think I’ll turn things over to the fine folks out on yonder Web:

• Undaunted Stauffer pitches solid Futures Game inning (Oregonian). Faced three batters: two strikeouts, ground ball to first. The note on Harold Reynolds at the bottom is pretty funny.
• Oxspring looks forward to representing Australia (NC Times). Padre prospect heads to Athens next month to play in the Olympics. Catcher George Kottaras will represent the host country. Kevin Towers gives his blessing: “It’s not like they’re going to the world series of poker.”
• Sweeney takes perfect game into seventh in 8-1 win (OurSports Central). Brian Sweeney and Jon Knott, up with the big club earlier, are doing very well back at Portland. Knott, I might add, would be a good option in left field while Phil Nevin is on the shelf. Then again, so would Xavier Nady. Or pretty much anyone other than Terrence Long.
• Padres explain why Bozied not called up (Oregonian). Seems Tagg was a tad upset at being passed over for a promotion when Nevin went down. Good, he should be.
• Towers: Bush deal needs change (U-T). Oh boy, this could take a while.
• Glass only half full after first half (U-T). Bochy: “I think Ryan [Klesko] is going to have a better second half.” How could he not? (Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that question.) Catcher Ramon Hernandez is shooting for a July 26 return.
• He wants to play; he will in Triple-A (NC Times). “[Kerry] Robinson, who was hoping for full-time work when he was acquired in a spring trade from St. Louis, never embraced his role as a reserve outfielder with the Padres.” Robinson? Full-time? Welcome to my nightmare.
• Valuing Tony Gwynn and Tim Raines (Baseball Crank). Okay, this one is pretty old, but it appears that we helped inspire the research. Gwynn is one of those fascinating players whose value is so overstated by old-school thinkers (i.e., batting average is king) that he actually has become underrated by the stathead crowd. It’s like they’re reacting to the people who praise Gwynn rather than to the man himself.

And like a bad movie, this blog entry doesn’t end; it merely stops.