1969: Koosman Fans Fifteen in Mets’ Win over Padres

by Geoff Young on May 28, 2007 (0) Comments

May 28, 1969, New York: Mets 1, Padres 0 (box score)

Mets left-hander Jerry Koosman dominated from the beginning, striking out two Padres in the first. He did the same in the second, fourth, and seventh. Heck, he struck out the side in order in the eighth. In fact, Koosman struck out at least one San Diego batter in every inning except the ninth.

The offensive highlight for the Padres came in the fifth, when Cito Gaston led off with a double to right and was stranded there. Beyond that, they managed just three singles and four walks against Koosman and eventual winner Tug McGraw.

Clay Kirby, meanwhile, spun nine shutout innings against the Mets. The bullpen did its job, too, until the 11th, when it and the defense conspired to lose the game.

Cleon Jones led off the frame with a grounder to shortstop that Tommy Dean booted. After an Ed Kranepool strikeout, Frank Reberger came on to face Ron Swoboda, who responded with a single to right-center. Reberger then intentionally walked Jerry Grote to load the bases for Bud Harrelson. A single to left-center plated Jones to end the game, and the Mets had prevailed, 1-0.

Trivia: McGraw’s son, Tim McGraw, is a country music singer.

IGD: Padres vs Brewers (27 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 27, 2007 (129) Comments

first pitch: 1:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Jake Peavy (6-1, 1.63 ERA) vs Jeff Suppan (6-4, 3.49 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

Free-agent acquisition Jeff Suppan got off to a surprisingly hot start (2.55 ERA in six April starts) that almost made his 4-year, $42 million contract palatable. Since then, however, his ERA is 5.11 in four May starts.

At the end of the season, Suppan’s numbers will look like they always do: he’ll have made about 30 starts and finished with an ERA right around league average. In other words, he’ll be Pedro Astacio or Ismael Valdez. And he’ll be making a filthy amount of money in the process.

I shoulda been a pitcher…

1969: Santorini, Padres Survive Mets at Shea

by Geoff Young on May 27, 2007 (0) Comments

May 27, 1969, New York: Padres 3, Mets 2 (box score)

The Mets outhit the Padres in this one, 12-9. The home team also left 11 men on base, while the guests left only 6.

New York scored almost immediately against Padres starter Al Santorini. With runners at the corners and two out in the first inning, Ed Kranepool dropped down a bunt single to drive home the game’s first run. Santorini and the Padres escaped without further damage.

Ollie Brown then led off the top of the second with a home run to tie the score. The bottom half saw the Mets break that tie, although they could have done much more.

After allowing singles to the first three batters, Santorini induced Tommie Agee to fly out to center. Jerry Grote tagged and scored from third, but Bud Harrelson, who had been on second, was thrown out at the plate behind him. The next batter flied out to end the inning.

In each of the next three frames, New York managed to get a runner into scoring position. All three times, however, the home team came away empty.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the sixth, Mets starter Jim McAndrew allowed a one-out double to Jerry John Sipin. After Tony Gonzalez flied out to center and Nate Colbert walked, McAndrew uncorked a wild pitch, putting runners at second and third with two out.

Brown then delivered a single to center, scoring Sipin and tying the game. Right-hander Don Cardwell came in from the bullpen to face Roberto Pena, who whacked a single to right that scored Colbert and gave the Padres their first lead of the day.

The Mets put a runner on base in each of the final four innings — including a one-out triple by Ron Swoboda in the eighth — but couldn’t push another run across against The Great Santorini. The Padres hung on for the win and improved to 18-29 in front of nearly 12,000 fans at Shea Stadium.

Trivia: McAndrew’s son, Jamie McAndrew, pitched briefly for the Milwaukee Brewers in the mid-’90s.

IGD: Padres vs Brewers (26 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 26, 2007 (101) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Justin Germano (2-0, 0.47 ERA) vs Claudio Vargas (3-0, 3.68 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

Lame dad-type thing to say: Love the participation, but as a reminder to everyone, please take a moment to review the Comments Policy. If you think I’m scolding you, I’m not; just want to make sure this continues to be the best place for intelligent discussion of Padres baseball.

Okay, enough of that. Kevin Kouzmanoff is on fire. Among National League batters with 50 or more plate appearances in May, nobody has a higher OPS than Kouz (1141). Also, his OPS at home (851) is more than 300 points higher than his OPS on the road (540).

Of course, OPS is a nonsense stat. But we use it anyway because it’s easy and it gives us a rough idea of how a guy is doing.

Anyway.

The other story is Justin Germano, who has done a remarkable job of filling in for Clay Hensley while the latter is on the DL. Germano’s K/9 is alarmingly low (2.37) and he would appear to be due for a “correction” at any moment. Still, he’s gotten the job done.

I thought tonight might represent more of a challenge for Germano, but Milwaukee’s offense (4.73 runs per game) isn’t really much different from Atlanta’s (4.79) or Seattle’s (4.70). Here’s hoping he can enjoy the ride a little longer.

Go Padres!

IGD: Padres vs Brewers (25 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 25, 2007 (184) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Greg Maddux (3-3, 4.14 ERA) vs Dave Bush (3-4, 5.56 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

Here come the Brewers. Anthony Gwynn makes his San Diego professional debut. Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy are tied for the league lead with 14 homers. Rickie Weeks has committed only two errors at second base (after 20+ each of the past two seasons). Closer Francisco Cordero has notched 17 saves and allowed just five hits.

Cordero’s numbers this year are plain goofy. Opponents are batting .083/.179/.133 against him. He’s struck out 13.26 per nine or, if you prefer, 41.8% of batters he’s faced (Jake Peavy is at 29.5% for comparison). The obvious strategy would be to keep Cordero out of the game at all costs.

The club from Milwaukee has a better record than the Padres, but the two teams should be fairly well matched:

Padres vs Brewers, Tale of the Tape
  Padres Brewers
Stats are through May 24, 2007, and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
W-L 26-21 28-19
Pythag 28-19 26-21
RS 193 221
RA 158 200
HR 41 61
Bullpen ERA 2.21 3.45

Greg Maddux seeks win number 337 on Friday night. Go Padres!

Friday Links (25 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 25, 2007 (27) Comments

Tough loss on Thursday (recap | boxscore), but in light of Wednesday’s gift, I can’t complain too much. Besides, the Padres won another series and it’s hard not to like that.

To the links…

  • Greene’s play just a reaction (Padres.com). Coaches and teammates gush over Khalil Greene‘s spectacular spinning play on Tuesday night to rob the Cubs’ Ryan Theriot. It should come as no surprise that Greene actually practices that move.
  • How does Trevor Hoffman get guys out? (Friar Watch). Anthony deconstructs Trevor Hoffman‘s May 20 outing against the Mariners. I find the pitch Trevor used to retire Adrian Beltre particularly fascinating. It missed badly, but the speed fooled Beltre just enough.
  • Bowen enjoys being a Padre (Padres.com). Corey Brock chats with backup catcher Rob Bowen:

    The biggest similarity between the Twins and Padres is that both clubhouses are tight-knit groups. Everyone here gets a long and we all hang out with each other. You talk about team camaraderie, and I think that’s a big thing. It all starts in the clubhouse. You feel comfortable with everybody.

    Regardless of whether “chemistry” can be quantified, there’s a lot to be said for guys liking their job and being happy to show up for work every day.

  • Giles’ knee keeps him on bench (San Diego Union-Tribune). The lead here is about Brian Giles‘ knee, but what interests me are that a) the Padres only have “mild interest” in recently released right-handed masher Craig Wilson and b) Trevor once attended a Metallica concert with Rob Dibble.
  • Crazy Idea Dept: Matsui As A Friar? (San Diego Spotlight). Rich at San Diego Spotlight makes a modest proposal: Clay Hensley and Paul McAnulty or Terrmel Sledge for Hideki Matsui. It’s a fascinating idea, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Matsui come to San Diego. (For one thing, my mother-in-law would stop following the Yankees.) That said, the fact that Matsui’s game is so similar to that of Brian Giles gives me pause. Still, I like the way Rich is thinking here — trying to redistribute talent to shore up weaknesses makes a lot of sense.
  • Longview native Bud Black has Padres on track, and no one seems surprised (The [Longview, Wash.] Daily News, via LaMar in the comments). Mostly fluffy, but a nice read.
  • Sign of Hope (The Columbian). Thanks to a reader for sending this article on Padres farmhand Ryan Ketchner. You may recall that Ketchner is deaf, but did you also know that the last deaf pitcher in the big leagues retired in 1908? I saw Ketchner in January at the Temecula Winter Warm-Up, and he provided one of the evening’s funnier moments.
  • Bounty Hunter (Yahoo! via LynchMob in the comments). I’m having trouble getting into the “who do we get to play center field next year” mindset when we’re a game out in May, but with the recent discussion on Ichiro Suzuki and Andruw Jones, here’s a sobering reminder about Minnesota’s Torii Hunter: “He’s making $12 million this year, and there’s every reason to think he could get $15 million a year for five years.” And this is a guy who has nowhere near the visibility and marketability of Ichiro.
  • Excerpt: The most overrated CF of all time (ESPN, via Phantom in the comments). Speaking of Andruw, I think we al realize that he’s slipped quite a bit since his heyday. Still, and without doing the research that Jayson Stark has, this assessment seems a tad harsh. We are talking about a future Hall of Famer here. The salient point for us, as Padres fans, is that a team looking to procure Andruw’s services likely will pay for perception rather than reality. That is a problem. I swear I’ll have more intelligent thoughts on center field at some point — give me about six months, hopefully after we’ve won the World Series.
  • I’ve added a link to coolstandings.com in the sidebar. Thanks to LaMar for the heads-up.

And now, here’s Les Nessman with the hog report. Er, I mean Peter with the Padres Prospect Report…

The Padres Prospect Report

by Peter Friberg

You will not see all the notable performances from the night before, but you will see the notable performances from those who are actually prospects.

AAA

Luis Cruz: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; HR

AA

Chase Headley: 4 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B
Sean Thompson: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B, SO, SB
David Freese: 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 3 SO
Chad Huffman: 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 SO

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 5 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI – .267/.348/.329
Rayner Contreras: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 3B

Commentary:

Luis “might as well call me ‘Devi’” Cruz is now hitting .169/.217/.344.

Matt Antonelli now has 9 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, and 13 stolen bases and a 31/32 BB/SO ratio. Assuming a 450 AB season, Matt is on pace for 24 doubles, 13 home runs, and 34 stolen bases this season. Nice.

Eleven strikeouts by the Lake Elsinore Storm — one walk… Ouch!

Cedric is scuffling.

* * *

[Ed note: This week, Peter is profiling the top pitchers available in the 2007 draft. Below is the final installment. Enjoy!]

Draft Preview: College Pitchers

The following are a collection of collegiate pitchers who are draft-eligible. I compiled the list based on Baseball America‘s top 50 collegians. BA‘s top 50 list is copyrighted, so I removed the ranking order; players are listed alphabetically. Stats are through games of May 24, 2007.

RHP Wes Roemer (Cal State Fullerton)

3.30 ERA, 8-6 in 109.0 IP, 113 H, 47 R, 40 ER, 21 BB, 118 SO, 4 HR, .268 BAA

Roemer has great strikeout and walk rates… However, the BAA is too high and the unearned runs worry me… Roemer might be victim of his own size (most collegiate 6′ pitchers are actually 5’10″). Color me interested.

LHP/1B Joe Savery (Rice)

2.41 ERA, 8-1 in 74.2 IP, 60 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 33 BB, 51 SO, 1 HR, .228 BAA

Ho hum, another draft, another Rice starter who will be a top draft pick… In the last three drafts Rice has had eight pitchers taken in the first five rounds of the draft. Savery will likely be another first-round selection. He isn’t overpowering, as you can tell by the low strikeout total, but hitters are not making solid contact either (only 14 extra-base hits).

LHP Daniel Schlereth (Arizona)

2.76 ERA, 2-0 in 29.1 IP, 22 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 24 BB, 42 SO, 1 HR, .214 BAA

Daniel is the son of Mark Schlereth, former offensive guard for the Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, etc. This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Daniel’s dad can tell him what it takes to succeed: work. On the other hand, Mark doesn’t need the money. He might be content to lead a privileged life (I’m guessing the former is more likely).

The one home run allowed by Daniel Schlereth is the only extra-base hit he’s allowed all season. The walk rate is atrocious, but the strikeout rate is sublime. He isn’t allowing a lot of hits, and the opposition is clearly not making good contact. Schlereth is intriguing — to say the least…

LHP Nick Schmidt (Arkansas)

2.85 ERA, 10-3 in 117.0 IP, 82 H, 42 R, 37 ER, 50 BB, 107 SO, 9 HR, .201 BAA

Nick isn’t giving up many hits, but he has given up his share of long balls. He has also walked more than you would like. He’s rated right around that mid-20′s spot the Padres will pick and his size is certainly nice, but that statistical profile worries me.

[Ed note: See also scouting report at MiLB.com.]

RHP James Simmons (UC Riverside)

2.08 ERA, 10-2 in 108.1 IP, 87 H, 39 R, 25 ER, 13 BB, 107 SO, 7 HR, .214 BAA

Riverside, Calif., is in the heart of the High-A California League. And the UC Riverside home park, Riverside Sports Complex, faces northwest. Part of what makes the Cal League so hitter-friendly are the winds of the high desert area. I bring this up because Simmons has allowed 7 HR and 13 doubles and it doesn’t bother me. The one red flag I see is the disparity between runs allowed and earned runs. Did Simmons’ defense let him down, or did he give up a bunch of runs after meaningless errors? All in all, I like this kid; his walk rate is strikingly good and his BAA is equally impressive.

LHP Cole St. Clair (Rice)

1.80 ERA, 0-0 in 15.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 18 SO, 0 HR, .160 BAA

Cole St. Clair apparently wasn’t healthy for all of 2007 but has racked up six saves and impressive rate stats (albeit in a small sample size)… However, 6’5″ lefty closers don’t grow on trees.

LHP Tony Watson (Nebraska)

3.94 ERA, 6-4 in 93.2 IP, 91 H, 48 R, 41 ER, 26 BB, 80 SO, 9 HR, .261 BAA

Last year, as a draft-eligible sophomore, the Baltimore Orioles drafted Tony in the 17th round. According to Baseball America, Watson was willing to accept money consistent with a second- to fourth-round pick… Watson does have shoulder surgery in his history, but Watson’s stuff reportedly does not suffer because of it.

Watson does not have the 1+ strikeout per inning I like to see, but I still like him more than some of other “finesse” lefties…

RHP Casey Weathers (Vanderbilt)

2.21 ERA, 10-2 in 40.2 IP, 19 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 18 BB, 59 SO, 1 HR, .144 IP

I’m generally not a fan of taking a closer in the first round. Weathers might be an exception. According to Baseball America‘s Draft Tracker, he’s the 20th best player in the draft. He’s allowed just one extra-base hit. He’s giving up approximately 1 hit every 4.1 innings and has a WHIP of less than 0.91. By the way, he throws in the mid-90s…

RHP Jordan Zimmerman (Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

2.35 ERA, 9-0 in 69.0 IP, 48 H, 17 R, 20 ER, 16 BB, 80 SO, 4 HR, .201 BAA

Wisconsin-Stevens Point is a Division III school, so Jordan should be dominant to be rated as a top 50 collegiate. His hit rate is exceptional, his walk rate is outstanding, his strikeout rate is solid… Pending a stamp of approval from the scouting department, there’s a lot here to like.

Thanks, Peter.

That’s all for now. The Brewers are in town Friday night for the first of three. We’ll get to see Anthony Gwynn (who is going by the moniker Tony Gwynn Jr. as a pro) play in his hometown.

And hopefully lose. ;-)

First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. PT. As always, we’ll have the IGD up and running about an hour before then. Happy Friday, folks, and go Padres!

1969: Padres, Cubs Split Doubleheader

by Geoff Young on May 25, 2007 (0) Comments

May 25, 1969, San Diego: Padres 10, Cubs 2 (box score); Cubs 1, Padres 0 (box score)

Ernie Banks was famous for saying “let’s play two.” On a Sunday afternoon in San Diego, that’s just what Banks’ Cubs and the Padres did.

The first game featured Johnny Podres and Rich Nye. The Padres struck quickly against Nye, plating three in the first on two home runs. With one out, Ollie Brown knocked a two-run blast to center. Then, after a Nate Colbert strikeout, Al Ferrara added a solo shot to left.

Chicago scored a run in the fourth, but the hometown club answered with four in the bottom half. After two singles and a walk to lead off the inning, Colbert came up and drilled a grand slam to put the Padres up, 7-1.

Podres, meanwhile, held the Cubs in check all afternoon. They added a second run in the seventh, but the left-hander cruised to a complete game victory despite allowing nine hits and five walks. The Padres had broken their seven-game losing streak and improved to 17-28 on the season.

The second game pitted Joe Niekro against Bill Hands. The two teams combined for a mere nine hits, and took a scoreless tie into the top of the ninth. Ron Santo homered off Niekro to lead off that inning, and the Cubs held on to win, 1-0.

Trivia: Catcher Sonny Ruberto, acquired three days earlier in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, made his big-league debut for the Padres and went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts. He would finish his career with three hits, all singles.

Elsewhere in the world: Midnight Cowboy was released.

IGD: Padres vs Cubs (24 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 24, 2007 (194) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chris Young (5-3, 2.89 ERA) vs Jason Marquis (5-1, 2.76 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

In light of the “only 17 percent of runners who steal bases eventually score” mantra we’ve been hearing, I thought it might be instructive to see how that stat is holding up so far this year for the Padres rotation:

Padres Starters and the Running Game
  GS PA SB CS SBR SBR/SB
Stats are through May 23, 2007, and courtesy of Baseball-Reference. SBR is the number of runs scored by runners who stole a base.
Germano 3 68 1 1 0 .000
Hensley 6 138 4 0 3 .750
Maddux 9 228 14 0 5 .357
Peavy 10 261 5 1 1 .200
Wells 9 219 5 2 5 1.000
Young 9 227 15 0 5 .333
Starters 46 1141 44 4 19 .432

Bearing in mind the usual small sample caveats, that’s a shade higher than 17%. Reportedly, only six of the 41 runners who stole successfully against Chris Young last season came around to score, which I find amazing. I’d be curious to see what the numbers look like from season to season.

Maybe this year is the aberration. Or maybe 17% is just a figure thrown out there to provide comfort in the face of this team’s complete inability to control the running game.

On an unrelated note, Jason Marquis is hereby invited to turn into a pumpkin.

Kouz Control

by Geoff Young on May 24, 2007 (41) Comments

Let’s start with the obvious: The Padres were lucky to win on Wednesday night (recap | boxscore). In a reversal of two recent losses in Atlanta, the Padres came away with a victory when they probably shouldn’t have.

David Wells pitched another fine game at home (2.67 ERA in five starts at Petco Park this year), but for six innings, Chicago’s Sean Marshall had the upper hand. The young southpaw, just up from the minors and making his first start of the season, held the Padres scoreless for the first two-thirds of the contest.

Then came the pivotal seventh inning. Both managers left their starting pitcher in a little too long. Bud Black got away with it, Lou Piniella didn’t.

In the top half, Wells walked back-to-back batters with one out. Mark DeRosa followed with a bloop single off the glove of Marcus Giles to load the bases. Then, after falling behind Cesar Izturis, 3-1, Wells induced the Cubs shortstop to rap into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Did I mention that the count to Izturis was 3-1? Honestly, the Padres had no right to escape the seventh unscathed, but somehow they did. Thank you, Mr. Izturis.

Okay, so the Padres were lucky. Now tell ‘em about Kouz. Did you see where that thing landed?

Right, we’re getting there. In the bottom half of the inning, Khalil Greene struck out for the first out. Josh Bard then lined a one-out single to center, bringing Kevin Kouzmanoff to the plate.

Kouz is becoming a fan favorite. It’s hard not to pull for a guy who handles himself with dignity even during difficult times. Or maybe we all just like to say “Kouz” when he comes to bat.

Or the home runs. Did you see where that thing landed?

Yes, it could be the home runs. Whatever the case, in this particular at-bat, Kouz watched Marshall’s first pitch sail outside for ball one.

Piniella then strolled to the mound. It was the kind of stroll that usually comes with a hook.

The Cubs had a left-hander and a right-hander warming in the bullpen. Presumably the right-hander, Mike Wuertz, would be coming in to face Kouzmanoff. Odd that Piniella should wait till a 1-0 count to make the change, but evidently he’d seen something he didn’t like.

Or not.

Piniella returned to the dugout without Marshall. After missing again to fall behind, 2-0, Marshall left a fastball out over the plate and Kouz destroyed it. The ball landed in the upper deck in left-center, an estimated 438 feet from point of departure.

Home runs hit at Petco Park through May 23, 2007
The Padres have outhomered the opposition at Petco Park, 20-5, through May 23, 2007.

Aside from the fact that it gave the Padres a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, there’s something else I liked about Kouzmanoff’s homer: He pulled the ball.

Kouz has a beautiful opposite field stroke that results in line drives to right and right-center. He’s similar to ex-Padre Phil Nevin in that regard, only Kouz (usually) doesn’t get quite as much loft as Nevin did, which plays a little better at Petco — it’s tougher for outfielders to track down a ball when it doesn’t hang up there all day.

I love Kouzmanoff’s approach, but it’s great to know that he can turn on one when needed. That is what will keep pitchers honest and keep the gaps open for Kouz all season long.

Great, thanks. You can stop talking about Kouz now.

Okay, then. Scott Linebrink worked a scoreless eighth and Trevor Hoffman sealed the deal with his 13th save. As has become his custom, Hoffman provided some drama in the process. DeRosa, who finished with four hits, lined a two-out triple into the right-field corner. Hoffman then came back to get pinch-hitter Jacque Jones on a sinking liner to right to end the game.

Wells? Efficient and effective. Kouz? Love him. Bullpen? With apologies to Stevie Smith, they were not breaking but bending.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Wednesday night was one of those times.

The Padres Prospect Report

by Peter Friberg

You will not see all the notable performances from the night before, but you will see the notable performances from those who are actually prospects.

AAA

Pete Laforest: 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; HR, SO

AA

Chase Headley: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; BB – .340/.429/.583
Mike Ekstrom: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR – weird!

High-A

David Freese: 2 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B, 2 BB
Manny Ayala: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR

Low-A

Aaron Breit: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR – yuck!
Pablo Menchaca: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR – more yuck!
Ernesto Frieri: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

I opened a can of worms (in the comments section — by the way, if you’re not commenting here — shame on you. It’s a good baseball community) with my Ichiro-to-Padres suggestion yesterday. Let’s stir the pot some more…

  1. Ichiro is a solid (to put it mildly) center field defender (leads MLB center fielders in range factor)
  2. Of the available center fielders in the 2007-2008 free agent class, he’s the least likely to lose range (because of his Steve Finley-esque body). Mike Cameron is regressing this year, Andruw Jones is clearly not at his 1999 levels, etc.
  3. His defensive profile — sick range and a great arm — are ideal for Petco’s cavernous alleys.
  4. His hitting approach is ideal for Petco and the NL West: He slaps it most of the time but he’ll occasionally turn on balls if the pitcher is careless (would work well in Arizona and Colorado).
  5. He rarely strikes out (between 53 and 71 strikeouts each season).
  6. Even with his low walk totals (between 30 and 70 each season), he has a career .376 OBP (overall career line: .330/.376/.437).
  7. He has an 80% career success rate stealing bases (247 for 307).
  8. As was pointed in the comments section, his biggish contract (not just big, but big related to what other contracts will be) will be offset by additional ticket sales, merchandise sales, etc.
  9. Ichiro would command a shorter contract than Andruw.
  10. One factor potentially reducing the insanity, the 2006-2007 free agents who received the biggest contracts, have not been living up to those contracts.

[Ed note: I agree with most of Peter's points, but I'm not so sure about those last two. I remain unconvinced that the owners, as a group, are capable of "reducing the insanity" when it comes to free agents. That said, I believe that Ichiro's skill set is perfectly suited to Petco Park. I also agree that Ichiro's marketability is a huge point -- from a business perspective -- in favor of possibly doling out more than his on-field contributions merit. I've got more thoughts on this, but I'm a little too focused on the current season to delve too deeply just yet.]

It’s nice to see Chase Headley get a multi-hit game. Including tonight he has only hit .263 over the last 10 games.

I really liked Aaron Breit coming in to this season. He is really struggling:

2-5 with 6.57 ERA in 38.1 IP, 47 H, 35 R, 28 ER, 3 HR, 15 BB, 22 SO

Last season he was among the league leaders in K/9. I can’t help but wonder if he’s injured.

Thanks, Peter. Good stuff as always. We’ll wrap up the draft preview tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Padres go for the sweep on Thursday night. The IGD will be in effect around 6 p.m. PT. See you then!

1969: Padres Roll Unlucky Seven

by Geoff Young on May 24, 2007 (3) Comments

May 24, 1969, San Diego: Cubs 7, Padres 5 (box score)

Saturday’s contest at San Diego Stadium featured southpaws Dick Kelley and Ken Holtzman in an afternoon affair. The Padres opened with a run in the first. In his first big-league at-bat, second baseman John Sipin tripled to left with one out and then scored on a single off the bat of Ivan Murrell.

Nursing a 1-0 lead in the third inning, Kelley gave up a one-out single to Glenn Beckert. After Billy Williams flied to left, Ron Santo stepped to the plate. He knocked a two-run homer to give the visitors their first lead of the game.

The Padres fought back, though. In the fourth, doubles by Al Ferrara and Chris Cannizzaro drove home three runs and put the home team back on top, 4-2.

The lead didn’t last long. In the top of the fifth, singles by Beckert and Williams, as well as a walk by Santo, brought up Ernie Banks. Padres skipper Preston Gomez then yanked Kelley and replaced him with right-hander Jack Baldschun.

Boom. Grand slam. Cubs up, 6-4. Chicago added another run, but the game was already over.

The Padres scratched across a run in the eighth to make the final score 7-5. In front of 4,432 fans, they had dropped their seventh straight game and seen their record fall to 16-28. The expansion club in San Diego wasn’t giving its hometown supporters much to cheer. Unfortunately, the current streak of futility would give those fans plenty of preparation for the coming months.

Trivia: The recently acquired Sipin hit two triples in his first two at-bats; those were the only two triples of his career.