My latest at Baseball Prospectus ($) breaks down NL West teams’ run scoring and prevention tendencies in three-inning increments. Surprisingly, the Padres are easily the best (+18 run differential through July 31) from the seventh inning onward — this despite being outscored by 13 runs in extra frames. Of course, when you are getting obliterated [...]
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Bell’s Tell
One scenario we examined yesterday in discussing how Heath Bell’s situation might play out is that he could accept arbitration and remain in San Diego another year rather than pursue long-term options elsewhere. The notion that a professional ballplayer would take less money to stay in a place he considers home may seem curious to [...]
Adams and Ludwick Go, Bell Stays, Godzilla Threatens to Destroy Village
You know how all those people in the Godzilla movies are running around like crazy all the time on account of the giant lizard thing that keeps chasing them? Twitter at baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline is like that, only without the lizard. Jed Hoyer isn’t doing anything. Why isn’t he doing anything? Oh crap, he [...]
Irabu and Me
Former Padres right-hander Hideki Irabu was found dead on Wednesday in a home in Rancho Palos Verdes, a wealthy Los Angeles suburb. His death is being called an “apparent suicide.” Irabu never pitched for the Padres, of course, and that is why this blog exists today. When the Padres secured his rights from NPB’s Chiba [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Bruce Bochy and One-Run Games
My latest at Baseball Prospectus (free) examines San Francisco’s outstanding record (27-13 at time of publication) in one-run games this year. Bruce Bochy’s Giants aren’t historically great in that regard (current winning percentage of .675 would place them in a tie for 35th place all-time), but they’re pretty darned good. Bochy, in fact, has enjoyed [...]
Maybin Haunts Former Team, Chicago Supports Current Team, Blanks and Rizzo Switch Places
I paid a visit to Chicago last week for three reasons: To escape the lack of extreme heat and humidity prevalent in San Diego this time of year; it was becoming downright comfortable back home To avoid hearing any mention whatsoever of the Padres, who are actually a figment of San Diegans’ collective imagination; I’ve [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Kids in the NL West
My latest at Baseball Prospectus ($) explores the success of young hitters in Arizona and lack of same in Los Angeles. It also touches on the resurgence of old guys in Colorado, namely Jason Giambi and former Padres draft pick Todd Helton. Ah, Helton. I sometimes wonder what might have been had Tom Werner spent [...]
One Day, They Will Be Less Young and Less Awful
by Geoff Young on Aug 03, 2011 (12) Comments
It is difficult to watch the Padres right now. Between Cory Luebke’s Monday night clinic on how not to field the pitcher position, Rob Johnson’s excellent Gary Bennett impersonation (hey, there’s a 2-0 slider; I’ll bet if I swing, I can pop it up to shortstop), and the team’s general offensive incompetence, there just isn’t [...]