We got a late start on Saturday and didn’t arrive at the ballpark until 12:30 p.m., which meant missing all the morning practices. We sat in Section 119, up along the foul line in left field — close to the action but at a severe angle. The Cubs had come to Peoria and so had [...]
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Me, Elsewhere: Would You Like Fries with That?
I caught a few innings of Monday night’s game between the Padres and White Sox on television. At one point, Mark Loretta joined Mark Grant and Dick Enberg in the broadcast booth, and the three of them discussed whether spring training is too long. The consensus opinion was that, yes, it is too long. The [...]
Best Single-Game Hitting Performances in Padres History
I’ve had this on my to-do list for a while. Now’s as good a time as any… Using Baseball-Reference’s Play Index tool, I found the top 300 single-game performances by Padres hitters as measured by RE24 and WPA. One of these measures runs, the other wins… so they’re not on the same scale. It makes [...]
Gardenhire’s Cat
As you may have surmised from the title of this blog, I’m a big fan of quirky baseball terminology. With that in mind, I’ve got an idea for a phrase we should start using. Physics has Schrodinger’s cat. Baseball should have Gardenhire’s cat. This term would be used to describe seemingly irrelevant details provided in [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Rizzo, Belt, and the Rest of the West
My latest at Baseball Prospectus ($) examines two top-shelf first base prospects in the NL West, San Diego’s Anthony Rizzo and San Francisco’s Brandon Belt. It also discusses Jon Garland’s recent oblique strain, recalling how badly Chris Young fared after a similar injury in 2007. My favorite piece of information to come from researching this [...]
Wednesday Links (9 Mar 11)
I’ve got nothing today but links. Enjoy…
Me, Elsewhere: NL West Rotation Questions and Three More at the Sweet Spot
My latest at Baseball Prospectus ($) focuses on NL West rotation questions. You already know about the Padres’ situation, but it’s also good to be aware of what’s happening in enemy camps. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself anyway. Meanwhile, I’m also making another guest appearance at ESPN’s SweetSpot. I’ll have an article on [...]
Notes from Peoria
On practice field no. 2, relievers play long toss. Luke Gregerson and Heath Bell are throwing to each other. Chad Qualls is throwing to a left-hander whose name is not visible from here. On other fields, players are working on bunting, fielding, and other skills that might come in handy during the season. It’s 9:30 [...]
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