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Open Thread: This Time, You Ask Me a Question

My favorite color is red… no, blue. Next?

Mailbag: On Lineup Construction

We had some good discussion about possible lineups for the 2011 Padres in last week’s open thread. Several suggestions were made regarding specific order, but a few “big picture” comments caught my attention.

Duke Snider, Original Padres Color Commentator, Dies at 84

Hall of Fame center fielder and longtime Fallbrook resident Duke Snider died this past Sunday in Escondido at age 84. I’m not seeing this mentioned anywhere, but it’s worth noting that Snider was one of the Padres original color commentators in 1969.

Tuesday Links (1 Mar 11)

Cleaning off the metaphorical desk… Cajon Speedway Track History (Tracks Back When). Who knew the old Cajon Speedway was supposed to be a baseball facility for a Detroit Tigers farm club back in the day? You did, that’s who! Veteran Gerut announces his retirement (MLB.com). Good on former Padres center fielder Jody Gerut for realizing [...]

Me, Elsewhere: Is It Lukewarm in Here, or Is That Just the Third Baseman?

I’m writing a new weekly column about the NL West at Baseball Prospectus this year. My first report examines the division’s third basemen. You know about Chase Headley, of course, but here are some of my thoughts on him: Headley has been better than many people realize, but with the departure of Adrian Gonzalez, the [...]

Has It Started Yet?

Hey, look, a box score. The Padres lost, 13-12, to the Mariners (those rapscallions!) in 10 innings. Nick Hundley, James Darnell, and Logan Forsythe all homered for San Diego. Starter Tim Stauffer got shelled. Samuel Deduno took the loss.

BP Kings: Don’t Let J.J. Hardy Ruin Your Draft

My draft philosophy is weird, and I wouldn’t recommend it. The basic approach is to fill the tough positions first and to go where others aren’t going. I don’t rely on projections (maybe I’ll sneak a quick glance, but not always), and I try not to think too hard about my picks. Each draft takes [...]

Open Thread: What’s Your Lineup?

I’ve got nothing today, so let’s kick off our open thread a little early this week. My question to you: If you had to set the 2011 Padres lineup, what would it look like? Of course, other topics are fair game as well. Whatever floats your boat…

Regardless of Venue, Homers Are Hard to Come By in San Diego

The folks at Gaslamp Ball have a fun article up about polarizing topics for Padres fans. Among the topics is Petco Park’s effect on offense. It’s a legitimate concern, but part of the discussion centers on a fallacy: “Fans used to seeing home runs fly out of a Qualcomm Stadium at an average rate were [...]

Tony Phillips (Almost) Played for the Padres?

As someone once said (or should have said), Twitter is 99% crap and 1% gold. Every now and then, you are rewarded for your patience with a nice shiny bit of information: This date in #Rangers history: (1980) Texas trades 1B Willie Montanez to the #Padres in exchange for 3B Tucker Ashford & RHP Gaylord [...]