Maddux Forgets He’s Old, Spins Complete Game Against Reds

by Geoff Young on May 15, 2007 (39) Comments

Vintage Maddux? I didn’t watch enough of Greg Maddux during his prime, but I can’t imgaine him (or anyone else) pitching much better than he did on Monday night against the Reds (recap | box score). How good was The Professor? According to the U-T, Jake Peavy, who charted the game, said that Maddux “missed his location maybe five pitches all night.”

Peavy obviously has a better eye for such things than I do (it is, after all, his job). Reader Didi and I were stationed in Section 300, directly behind home plate, and I only counted one pitch that missed: About 93 or 94 pitches into the night, with Maddux battling Brandon Phillips, Josh Bard set up outside off the plate on a 2-2 count and Maddux missed inside. Phillips swung and fouled the ball straight back.

I was at Petco for Chris Young‘s near no-no last September, and with all due respect to Young, I’m pretty certain I’ve never seen a better performance in person than what Maddux did on Monday. He worked ahead in the count all night, froze guys with mid-80s fastballs on the inner half, broke bats, and generally frustrated the heck out of the Reds.

Even when Cincy broke through in the ninth, it did so on a couple of bloop hits. The ball that Ryan Freel struck for a double down the right field line couldn’t have been more perfectly placed. Maddux promptly settled down and finished the job. With runners at second and third and nobody out, he allowed just the one run to score on a sacrifice fly.

If I sound overly effusive in my praise, forgive me. I’ve never seen anyone pitch like that. Ever.

On the offensive side, what happened to the guys who can’t convert with runners in scoring position? Where did they go? Who told Mike Cameron he could knock a two-run triple in the first? Who told Kevin Kouzmanoff that he could start finding green with those line drives he’s been hitting lately instead of leather?

Whatever happened and whoever did it, I’d like to thank them. On a rare night when Adrian Gonzalez, normally the offensive savior, looked completely lost at the plate, it was great to see Cameron, Kouzmanoff, Bard, and Khalil Greene step up and get the job done. Heck, even Maddux put on a bunting clinic.

Get guys on, move ‘em over, bring ‘em in. The Padres did that on Monday, and it netted them seven runs and a victory. More of that approach, and even the most vehement critics of the current squad and/or brain trust will have trouble finding things to complain about.

Winning. It’s not just for breakfast anymore…

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

Vince Sinisi: 4 AB, 3 R, 3 H, 0 RBI; 2B, 3B
Craig Stansberry: 3 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 5 RBI; 2 HR, SF
Jared Wells: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 5 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; SO
Nick Hundley: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2 2B

High-A

Yordany Ramirez: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; SB

Low-A

No notable performances

Commentary:

In 2003 Vince Sinisi was considered a first-round talent, but he slid due to bonus demands. Texas swooped in the second round and signed Sinisi for first-round money: $2,070,000. Since then, Vince Sinisi has done okay, but has not developed the expected power (25 career homers going into 2007). Vince is still just 25 (he’ll turn 26 in November). He’s obviously not a “prospect” anymore, but he might end up being a useful MLB backup…

Speaking of useful MLB backups, Stansberry looks good.

* * *

[Ed note: Over the next two weeks, Peter will be profiling the top hitters and pitchers available in the 2007 draft. He'll cover approximately 10 per day. Enjoy!]

Draft Preview: College Hitters

The following are a collection of collegiate hitters who are draft-eligible. I compiled the list based on Baseball America‘s top 50 collegians and a few other players I “found” perusing statistics. BA‘s top 50 list is copyrighted, so I removed the ranking order; players are listed alphabetically. Stats are through games of May 13, 2007.

1B/LHP Sean Doolittle (Virginia): .302/.412/.481 with 11 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, and a 36/19 BB/SO ratio — Nice on-base skills, but not as much power as you’d want to see out of a first baseman. I’m not profiling pitchers here, but he doesn’t strike me (out) as a pitching prospect either…

C Ed Easley (Miss St.): .376/.461/.624 with 12 2B, 0 3B, 12 HR and a 25/22 BB/SO ratio — Solid statistics, it comes down to defense and athleticism…

SS Todd Frazier (Rutgers): .376/.502/.753 with 15 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, and a 49/44 BB/SO ratio — Frazier will likely move to third base or the outfield as a professional.

OF Ryan Hill (Rutgers): .359/.492/.549 with 9 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, and a 48/24 BB/SO ratio — Ryan did not show much power. But that strikeout to walk ratio is impressive. His draft status will depend a lot on whether or not he can play center field.

SS Josh Horton (North Carolina): .333/.459/.541 with 9 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, and a 41/9 BB/SO ratio — Yes, you read that correctly. Josh has struck out all of 9 times in 183 at-bats. He seems to have pop-gun power, but those on-base skills will probably play (and at shortstop, his glove and on-base skills trump the lack of power). Horton isn’t a first-round guy, but he’ll likely be taken in the first 150 picks…

OF Austin Krum (Dallas Baptist): .348/.449/.599 with 16 2B, 7 3B, 9 HR, and a 40/35 BB/SO ratio — Austin received an invitation to try out with the 2006 U.S.A. National Team so he’s been on the prospect radar screen for a while. His 7 triples jumped out at me. He has also gone 18 for 22 in stolen base attempts. The strikeout total is a tad high but the walk total is nice. He could be a good second- to fourth-round selection.

OF Kellen Kulbacki (James Madison): .397/.532/.893 with 15 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, and a 50/28 BB/SO ratio — Last year, as a sophomore, Kellen put up similarly ungodly numbers (.464/.568/.943) and people said he needed to do it again. He’s doing it again. He still isn’t projected to be a first-round selection, but with these numbers, and 35 picks in the supplemental round, it is unlikely he’ll still be available when the Devil Rays open the second round. With the Padres’ statistical approach and Kellen’s likely availability in the supplemental round, I almost expect the Padres to draft Kellen.

1B Matt LaPorta (Florida): .423/.579/.853 with 10 2B, 0 3B, 19 HR, and a 41/15 BB/SO ratio — Huge power. LaPorta will likely be taken in the top 20 (Padres draft 23rd). He’s also reportedly smoother defensively than his pre-2007 reputation suggested he could be… (See also January 2006 article at Baseball America)

C Jon Lucroy (Louisiana-Lafayette): .377/.417/.682 with 18 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, and a 18/27 BB/SO ratio — Lucroy isn’t striking out, but he isn’t walking either… That bat won’t play if he can’t get on base.

3B Matt Mangini (Oklahoma St.): .340/.443/.567 with 13 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, and a 34/42 BB/SO ratio — Matt is considered one of the better collegiate third base gloves in the draft but he has a bit of an off year with the bat. BA ranks Mangini as the 29th best player in the draft.

Thanks, Peter!

Quick reminder that we’ll be doing a Ducksnorts meetup on Saturday, June 9, at Petco Park. Drop me a line if interested, and we’ll work out the details.

Game 2 of the Padres and Reds tonight starts at 7:05 p.m. PT. We’ll have the IGD up and running by 6. Be here or — nah, there’s no alternative this time. Just be here. :-)

IGD: Padres vs Reds (14 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 14, 2007 (27) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Greg Maddux (2-2, 3.67 ERA) vs Matt Belisle (3-2, 3.45 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

Here’s a split that is sure to baffle us all:

NL West Batting with Runners in Scoring Position
Team AB BA OBP SLG ISO RBI/AB
Stats courtesy of ESPN, through May 13, 2007.
Giants 308 .289 .380 .461 .172 .419
Padres 302 .268 .351 .397 .129 .354
Dodgers 349 .269 .375 .364 .095 .398
Rockies 336 .256 .381 .336 .080 .342
Diamondbacks 282 .245 .348 .355 .110 .369
NL average 317 .256 .356 .394 .138 .369

The Giants are on fire, with the second best OPS in the league behind Atlanta. One thing about the Padres is that despite hitting reasonably well with RISP, they’re not driving in nearly as many runs as they should be. At first I thought this might be due to the relatively low ISO, but a quick glance at the Dodgers’ success suggests this isn’t the case.

My guess is that the Padres don’t do as good a job at advancing runners, which is exacerbated by poor overall team speed. (The Dodgers have swiped 18 of 20 bases with RISP, while the Padres are 0-for-1; they’re the only team in the NL that hasn’t stolen a base with RISP.) I’d be real interested to see how the Padres and Dodgers compare in terms of scoring from second on a single.

How does the division look with RISP and two out?

NL West Batting with Runners in Scoring Position and Two Out
Team AB BA OBP SLG ISO RBI/AB
Stats courtesy of ESPN, through May 13, 2007.
Giants 145 .262 .389 .483 .221 .393
Dodgers 154 .221 .385 .305 .084 .325
Padres 142 .218 .331 .345 .127 .246
Diamondbacks 141 .213 .323 .340 .127 .270
Rockies 167 .222 .366 .269 .047 .263
NL average 152 .233 .354 .375 .143 .316

The Giants can’t really keep this up, can they? Closer to home, I’d like to see the Padres drive home that run with two outs every now and then. This isn’t some great revelation, but it confirms our suspicions founded on anecdotal evidence.

On a happier note, here’s a fun split:

Padres Splits by Inning
  PA BA OBP SLG R
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, through May 13, 2007.
Innings 1-3
Padres 488 .237 .309 .390 52
Opponent 472 .248 .299 .369 50
Innings 4-6
Padres 487 .243 .316 .366 59
Opponent 486 .235 .311 .354 57
Innings 7-9
Padres 444 .249 .322 .418 46
Opponent 417 .198 .275 .275 28
Innings 10+
Padres 74 .174 .219 .232 3
Opponent 78 .178 .231 .247 4

I love this bullpen. Go Padres!

Out with the Cards, In with the Reds

by Geoff Young on May 14, 2007 (25) Comments

Do you suppose Phillies fans pine for Justin Germano the way some Padres fans pine for Jack Cust? After Sunday afternoon’s 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals (recap | box score), in which Germano shut down the defending World Series champions for seven innings and quite possibly earned himself a more permanent spot in the rotation, I would think so.

Germano didn’t impress Cardinals infielder Aaron Miles: “This guy’s a guy you hope to face every time you come to the yard.” Miles apparently has been talking to Albert Pujols about how to diss the opposing pitcher. Suggestion: Maybe learn how to crush the ball on a regular basis first, then start talking trash.

But that’s just me.

After last week’s debacle in Atlanta, it’s great to see the Padres come home and spin two shutouts in three days. Granted, at 15-20, the Cardinals aren’t the same team that won it all last season, but they’re still the defending champs and that counts for something.

Next up are the Cincinnati Reds, who come to town for three games starting Monday night. It’s always fun to watch guys like Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. This year, we get the added pleasure of seeing outfielder Josh Hamilton, whom the Devil Rays should regret letting go more than the Padres ever will regret parting with Cust.

In case you missed it, Hamilton was taken with the first overall pick in the 1999 draft. Due to injuries and drug problems, he stalled out at A-ball in 2002, then was out of baseball for three years before playing 15 games of short-season ball in 2006.

Taken in the Rule V draft by the Cubs this past winter and promptly traded to Cincinnati, Hamilton is batting .257/.342/.552 in 120 plate appearances so far. (He also has hit twice as many home runs as the Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano, whose price tag is a tad higher than Hamilton’s.)

Life is good at 20-18. It could be better, and we still find things to complain about because, well, that’s what we do. But this Padres team is right about where I expected it to be at this point in the season. The Dodgers are playing better than I thought they would, but we’ve got a long way to go — Brad Penny and Mark Hendrickson can’t keep this up forever.

I love the fact that despite not playing consistently well, the Padres remain right in the thick of things. Unless you believe that Mike Cameron will finish the season hitting .201 with five homers, there’s plenty of reason to think that this team will improve. They still have to do so, of course, but at least the talent is in place.

Did I mention that life is good? Yes, I believe I did.

And now for an extra helping of prospecty goodness, here’s Peter with the PPR:

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.

Friday, May 11, 2007

AAA

Craig Stansberry: 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 1 RBI; HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB
Nick Hundley: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; 2B, 2 BB
Will Venable: 4 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; BB, SB
Josh Geer: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

High-A

Wade Leblanc: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 3B, 2 SO
Nathaniel Culp: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR
Ernesto Frieri: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

Fuson likes pitchability guys. Geer, Lebanc, and Culp… I’m hoping he goes after some high-upside (read “plus” velocity) guys in this draft.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

AAA

Mike Thompson: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2B, BB, SF
Nick Hundley: 5 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 SO
Mike Ekstrom: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

High-A

David Freese: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B, 2 BB
Chad Huffman: 3 AB, 3 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB, SO
Kyle Blanks: 4 AB, 3 R, 3 H, 6 RBI; 2 HR, BB, SO
Nic Crosta: 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2 2B, BB, SB – Stole home!

Low-A

Aaron Breit: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

Chase Headley is in a serious grove.

Geoff and I had a discussion about Kyle Blanks on Saturday. Then, later that day, Blanks went off… Kyle is hitting .323/.388/.573. Baseball America rated the Padres organization 29th and rated Blanks as the 30th best prospect in the second worst organization in all of baseball. Blanks will turn 21 on September 11and he’s treating High-A as his own personal batting practice — 30th best prospect in the Padres organization… (?)

The Padres have Adrian Gonzalez entrenched at first base now, and they have Kevin Kouzmanoff in his first full season of major-league ball handling third base. And they still have Headley, Huffman, Freese, and the previously mentioned Blanks vying for future playing time at the four corner positions.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

AAA

No notable performances

AA

Sean Thompson: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; 2 SO, SB
David Freese: 4 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 2 RBI; HR, BB
Chad Huffman: 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; HR, BB, SO
Nic Crosta: 5 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 RBI; 4 SO – ouch!
Matthew Buschman: 3.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR

Low-A

Daryl Jones: 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; BB
Andrew Underwood: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR
Ernesto Freiri: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

First, Happy Mothers’ Day to my wife, Becky, the mother of my two boys, and my Mom!

I can’t wait for June 9 — who’s going? [Ed note: We have a meetup scheduled for the doubleheader at Petco Park -- drop me a line if interested. It might be fun to make a road trip up to Elsinore at some point, too; just a thought...]

Daryl Jones took a look at the impending corner-bat logjam (see commentary above for 5/12) and decided to do something about it.

* * *

[Ed note: Over the next two weeks, Peter will be profiling the top hitters and pitchers available in the 2007 draft. He'll cover approximately 10 per day. Enjoy!]

Draft Preview: College Hitters

The following are a collection of collegiate hitters who are draft-eligible. I compiled the list based on Baseball America‘s top 50 collegians and a few other players I “found” perusing statistics. BA‘s top 50 list is copyrighted, so I removed the ranking order; players are listed alphabetically. Stats are through games of May 13, 2007.

C J.P. Arencibia (Tennessee): .309/.446/.512 with 13 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, and a 30/33 BB/SO ratio — One of many solid collegiate catchers on this list. He has a decent statistical profile, but nothing earth-shattering… He’s a top 50 collegian so he’ll likely go before the end of round 2.

OF Julio Borbon (Tennessee): .322/.340/.462 with 6 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, and a 3/17 BB/SO ratio — Julio puts everything in play. His on-base skills worry me. Scouts love the tools and Julio is a virtual lock for the first half of the first round, but I worry because he hasn’t produced consistent to his tools… He could be a major “get” for some team, but his statistical profile screams, “Bust!”

OF Corey Brown (Oklahoma St.): .361/.514/.794 with 14 2B, 5 3B, 18 HR, and a 52/51 BB/SO ratio — Like Texas’ Kyle Russell, the high strikeout total suggests an “aluminum bat” swing but combined with the walks suggests Russell Branyan. A latter-round target?

OF Shane Buschini (San Diego): .366/.448/.668 with 18 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, and a 27/38 BB/SO ratio — Buschini has also gone 9 for 15 in stolen base attempts. He reportedly hit a home run off a nearby rooftop in a recent game (500+ feet). A senior, Buschini won’t be top pick but his power will play if he can make consistent enough contact.

C Mitch Canham (Oregon St.): .352/.478/.593 with 13 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, and a 32/24 BB/SO ratio — Mitch is the starting catcher for the defending National Champion Oregon State Beavers. I haven’t heard much about his defense…

OF Brad Chalk (Clemson): .407/.531/.472 with 8 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, and a 29/14 BB/SO ratio — Brad has nice on-base skills but zero home runs with aluminum bat indicates a serious power deficiency.

SS Zach Cozart (Mississippi): .318/.390/.464 with 14 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, and a 22/18 BB/SO ratio — Zach is one of the few collegiate shortstops who’s glove is MLB caliber; but that bat won’t play…

OF Collin DeLome (Lamar): .330/.391/.580 with 15 2B, 7 3B, 8 HR and a 12/36 BB/SO ratio — The doubles and triples intrigue me, but the lack of walks scares me.

OF Grant Desme (Cal Poly): .405/.494/.733 with 17 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, and a 30/42 BB/SO ratio — SDSU transfer; see scouting report at Minor League Baseball.

C Josh Donaldson (Auburn): .338/.443/.582 with 19 2B, 0 3B, 10 HR, and a 37/27 BB/SO ratio — Josh opened the season with some gaudy statistics but has cooled off since. If he can’t stay at catcher (a lot of people think he’ll move) he’s a lot less valuable. He’ll probably get popped in the first supp or second round.

Thanks, Peter. Good stuff for a Monday morning.

Padres and Reds tonight at Petco. Greg Maddux toes the slab for San Diego. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. PT, so we’ll have the IGD up and running by 6. Go Padres!

1969: Padres Can’t Avoid Sweep at Wrigley Field

by Geoff Young on May 14, 2007 (0) Comments

May 14, 1969, Chicago: Cubs 3, Padres 2 (box score)

After dropping the first two at Wrigley Field, the Padres sent Tommie Sisk to the mound to try and avoid the sweep. For most of Wednesday afternoon, it looked like they might do that.

The Padres broke through first. Catcher Chris Cannizzaro led off the third inning with a rare homer to left off right-hander Bill Hands. The Cubs answered with a leadoff homer of their own in the fourth, courtesy of Ron Santo.

The score remained tied at 1-1 headed to the seventh. That inning, after a one-out walk to Bill Davis, Ed Spiezio doubled to center, putting runners at second and third.

Ted Abernathy replaced Hands on the mound and intentionally walked Cannizzaro to load the bases. Abernathy then unintentionally walked pinch-hitter Ivan Murrell to give the Padres a 2-1 lead. Jerry DaVanon proceeded to hit into an inning-ending double play, allowing the Cubs to escape without further damage.

Johnny Podres came in and worked a scoreless seventh and eighth. In the ninth, the first batter he faced was Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. The Padres had held Banks in check, but in his fourth trip to the plate, he launched a solo homer to left, tying the game.

After retiring Randy Hundley, Podres served up a double to Nate Oliver. He then walked Adolfo Phillips intentionally to face right fielder Jim Hickman.

Right-hander Frank Reberger relieved for the Padres, prompting Cubs manager Leo Durocher to send the left-handed hitting Willie Smith to the plate in Hickman’s stead. Smith responded with a single to left, driving Oliver home from second and giving the Cubs the sweep.

Trivia: Cannizzaro hit 18 career home runs in 2240 plate appearances spanning parts of 13 seasons.

Elsewhere in the world: Actress Cate Blanchett was born in Melbourne, Australia. Yummy.

IGD: Padres vs Cardinals (13 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 13, 2007 (53) Comments

first pitch: 1:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Justin Germano (0-0, 1.50 ERA) vs Anthony Reyes (0-5, 5.03 ERA)

Happy Mothers’ Day! Padres need to win one for the madres…

1969: Padres Lose Laugher in Windy City

by Geoff Young on May 13, 2007 (0) Comments

May 13, 1969, Chicago: Cubs 19, Padres 0 (box score)

If you look up “ugly” in the dictionary, you might well see this box score. Dick Kelley started for the Padres, while Dick Selma got the nod for Chicago. Selma, you may recall, won the first game in Padres history. Less than three weeks later, he was shipped to the Cubs.

Whether it was a case of revenge or just one team completely overmatching another, this was more of a beating than a game. The Cubs scored four runs in each of the first two innings, and never relented. They scored multiple runs in five of the eight innings in which they batted. Hey, 28 baserunners will do that.

Selma went the distance for the home team, matching the 10 strikeouts recorded by Ferguson Jenkins a day earlier. Ernie Banks homered twice and drove in seven runs. Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit except Ron Santo — he walked four times, scored three runs and drove in another.

Highlights for the Padres? Well, Jerry DaVanon knocked two singles and Nate Colbert doubled in his only at-bat. Joe Niekro pitched a scoreless eighth. Only 5,080 people witnessed the beating. Nobody died.

Trivia: Padres backup catcher Chris Krug struck out to end the eighth inning in his final big-league at-bat. Ten days later he was released. He finished his three-year career with a .192/.245/.290 line.

Elsewhere in the world: Citizens rioted in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

IGD: Padres vs Cardinals (12 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 12, 2007 (25) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chris Young (4-2, 3.29 ERA) vs Braden Looper (4-2, 2.66 ERA)
preview: Padres.com

Braden Looper’s transition from reliever to starter fascinates me. After 572 consecutive relief appearances to begin his big-league career, the 32-year-old right-hander has made seven starts this season and pitched remarkably well. He’s only had one bad outing, at Milwaukee on May 1. Considering that the Brewers are beating up on everyone, we’ll cut him some slack there.

If you’re the Cardinals, the concern is that Looper already has worked more than half as many innings as he’s ever worked in an entire season. From the Padres’ standpoint, there isn’t much of a sample against him. Adrian Gonzalez has doubled and walked against him in two trips to the plate, and Russell Branyan has the lone home run.

Irritating split so far for the Padres? As a team, right-handed batters are doing nothing against right-handed pitchers. When we complain about the lack of right-handed hitting on this team, we need to be more specific:

Padres Platoon Splits, 2007
Split PA BA OBP SLG BB/PA ISO
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, through May 11, 2007.
vs RHP as RH 455 .210 .264 .328 .062 .118
vs RHP as LH 589 .255 .330 .407 .097 .152
vs LHP as RH 257 .267 .341 .443 .101 .176
vs LHP as LH 123 .250 .344 .442 .106 .192

Here’s hoping Merv Rettenmund and the boys can figure out how to solve this one. Go Padres!

1969: Jenkins, Cubs Blank Padres

by Geoff Young on May 12, 2007 (9) Comments

May 12, 1969, Chicago: Cubs 2, Padres 0 (box score)

Fresh off their first ever road series win, the Padres headed to Chicago for their first series at Wrigley Field. San Diego sent Gary Ross to the hill in the Monday afternoon opener. The Cubs countered with Canadian right-hander Ferguson Jenkins.

The Cubs featured names such as Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and an aging Billy Williams. Early in the season, though, shortstop Don Kessinger, catcher Randy Hundley, and left fielder Al Spangler were leading the charge, helping the Cubs to a fine 21-11 start under manager Leo Durocher.

Originally signed by the Phillies, Jenkins had won exactly 20 games in 1967 and again the following season. Coming into Monday’s game, Jenkins owned a 4-2 record on the season, with a 2.77 ERA over eight starts. In a sign of the times, the 26-year-old already had thrown five complete games. In his previous start, against the Dodgers, Jenkins worked 12 innings and took the tough-luck loss.

Today, Jenkins would need only nine frames. He dominated from the start, retiring the Padres in order in the first and striking out the side in the second. The Padres managed to load the bases in the third before Tony Gonzalez grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat, but beyond that, they never got a runner past second base.

The Cubs, meanwhile, broke the ice in the second on a Jenkins groundout that scored Hundley. In the fifth, Williams singled home Nate Oliver to give the hometown club an insurance run should they need it.

Ross allowed five hits, walked five, and hit a batter in 5 2/3 innings of work. He was lucky to escape with just the two runs. The way Jenkins pitched, those two runs were more than enough for the Cubs. Jenkins finished with a five-hit shutout, including 10 strikeouts.

Trivia: Cubs second baseman Glen Beckert later finished his career in San Diego, playing nine games for the Padres in 1975 before calling it quits.

Elsewhere in the world: Kim Fields, who played Tootie on The Facts of Life, was born in New York; Boston Celtics star John Havlicek graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.

IGD: Padres vs Cardinals (11 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 11, 2007 (179) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Jake Peavy (4-1, 1.75 ERA) vs Kip Wells (1-6, 6.59 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

After a poor showing in Atlanta, the Padres return home for a three-game series against the Cardinals. Jake Peavy gets the start Friday night, which is great news for a San Diego bullpen that has thrown more innings so far this season than any other in the National League except for that of the Marlins.

It’s nice that the Padres can depend on the bullpen — San Diego’s relievers rank first in the NL in WHIP (0.99) and OPS (537), and second to the Mets in ERA (2.53). That said, I’m a little concerned that they’re being asked to work so hard in the early going. Guys aren’t getting called on quite as often as last year, but they’re staying out there longer:

Padres Bullpen Usage, 2005 – 2007
Year G App IP App/G IP/G
Stats courtesy of ESPN.
2005 158 456 518.2 2.89 3.29
2006 158 475 492.2 3.01 3.12
2007 35 100 124.1 2.86 3.55

Granted, the Padres already have played four extra-inning affairs, including one that went 17 and another that went 14, but the starters need to work a little deeper into games. Fortunately, Peavy has been the one pitcher that consistently gives the bullpen a break:

Bullpen Usage When Jake Peavy Starts, 2007
Date Opp App Pit IP
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
4/3/07 @SF 2 44 3.0
4/8/07 Col 3 33 3.0
4/14/07 @LA 2 37 2.0
4/19/07 Ari 4 49 3.7
4/25/07 @Ari 2 35 1.7
4/30/07 Was 2 32 2.0
5/6/07 @Fla 2 27 2.0

For the record, Padres relievers have combined to throw 100+ pitches in a game five times this season. I have no idea how that compares to last season or to other teams, but it’s worth noting. Here are those five games:

Games Where Padres Bullpen Throws 100+ Pitches, 2007
Pitcher Date Opp App Pit IP H ER HR BB SO Notes
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
Wells 4/29/07 LA 5 172 12.0 7 0 0 5 5 17 inn
Maddux 4/17/07 @ChN 5 127 9.0 2 0 0 2 8 14 inn
Wells 5/5/07 @Fla 7 115 6.7 4 3 0 4 9 12 inn
Hensley 5/2/07 Was 5 106 7.0 5 2 0 0 5 inj
Wells 4/13/07 @LA 3 101 5.7 5 4 0 4 3  

What the heck, as long as I’m throwing tables out there, here’s another. This one shows how hard and how effectively the bullpen has worked for each starter:

How Padres Relievers Have Fared for Each Starter, 2007
Pitcher GS App/GS Pit/GS IP/GS H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 ERA
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference. App/GS is the number of relievers used per start; Pit/GS is the number of pitches thrown by relievers per start; IP/GS is the number of innings worked by relievers per start; you know the rest.
Maddux 7 2.43 42.71 3.33 5.01 0.77 1.93 6.94 1.54
Peavy 7 2.43 36.71 2.48 7.79 1.04 0.52 6.23 2.60
Wells 7 4.14 88.29 5.43 5.21 0.00 4.97 5.92 2.37
Young 7 2.14 36.86 2.90 4.87 0.44 1.77 6.20 2.21
Hensley 6 3.17 62.00 3.94 7.61 0.38 2.66 7.99 3.42

Aside from the fact that I should stay away from spreadsheets on a Friday, I’m not sure what we can learn from this just yet. Something to keep watching, I suppose…

Friday Links (11 May 07)

by Geoff Young on May 11, 2007 (12) Comments

Before we get to all the good stuff everyone else is doing, I have to call my own number and let you know about my latest article at The Hardball Times, in which we discover that Adrian Gonzalez is real good. Yeah, you and I already knew that, but the rest of the world needs to get up to speed on him.

Fun stuff today; buckle up:

  • Quick! We need a plan! (Gaslamp Ball). jbox has identified an excellent three-point plan for success. The unstated fourth point, presumably, is to stop sucking.
  • Over at Friar Watch, Anthony’s done some excellent work breaking down the disastrous sixth inning of David Wells‘ Thursday start in Atlanta and also examining the classic matchup between future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. If you aren’t totally addicted to Anthony’s charts by now, what’s up with that?
  • Cameron’s stroke returning (Padres.com). Corey Brock reminds us that Mike Cameron got off to a slow start last year as well.
  • Voodoo Sabermetrics – David Wells (The Extrapolator). I don’t even know how to describe this, so I won’t. It seems like an appropriate Friday read, though.
  • Untouchable: The Best Bullpens of 2007 (So Far) (Beyond the Boxscore). This is before the blips in Atlanta; you know who’s on top. Incidentally, I have a theory that I’m thinking on right now — something about how organizational overreliance on a strength can diminish the effectiveness of that strength. I’m not sure how to test this, but it seems that in real life, incredibly effective people can burn out if overused — especially if they’re constantly picking up the slack for folks who aren’t doing their jobs. I could be speaking nonsense here, but I suspect I’m not.
  • Indians hot, but Barfield still warming (San Diego Union-Tribune). Everybody’s favorite former second baseman is adjusting to life in Cleveland. Batting just .208/.243/.264, Barfield forever will be a part of Padres lore thanks to the walkoff homer he knocked against Colorado’s Brian Fuentes last September 4 (as chronicled in the — shameless plug alert — Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual). Here’s to better days for young Mr. Barfield.
  • The Bizarro Hall Of Fame: Introducing The Class Of 1988 (One More Dying Quail). What is the Bizarro Hall Of Fame? Good question:

    It was created in the wake of Major League Baseball’s infamous Steroid Era as a way of honoring those players whose careers were perfectly mediocre: the only requirement is that a candidate be listed on the official Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and receive zero votes.

    An interesting list. Former Padres Randy Jones and Willie Montanez show up here.

  • Good for a laugh … (So they let the pitchers hit here? via FanHouse). Yo, Emmanuel Lewis is in the house.
  • Yankees Hit The Panic Button (Rumors and Rants). Interesting comparison between the Yankees and Padres in terms of what both clubs are paying their pitching staffs and what they’re getting in return for the investment.
  • Padres reviewing alcohol policy as Cardinals arrive (North County Times). Sad that it takes someone getting killed to think about this stuff, but better late than never. On a brighter note, the Storm are coming to town on June 9 and will play at Petco before the Padres game against the Mariners. Last year we had a meetup for the doubleheader; maybe we should do it again?

And now here’s Peter with the PPF (I didn’t run yesterday’s due to the morning game, so today we get a double dose; woo-hoo!):

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.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

AAA

Jared Wells: 5.0 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, 2 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; 3B, HBP

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B, 2 SO
Chad Huffman: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2B, SO
Kyle Blanks: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 4 RBI; 2B, HR

Low-A

G1: Cedric Hunter: 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; 2 BB
G2: Cedric Hunter: 4 AB, 3 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; BB
G2: Daryl Jones: 3 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; 2B, 2 BB,
G2: Rayner Contreras: 4 AB, 3 R, 1 H, 3 RBI; HR, BB, SO
G2: Kyler Burke: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; BB, 2 SO

Commentary:

After baseball has its amateur draft in June, teams will need to cut some players and promote others to make room for the incoming players. Jared Wells is playing like he wants to get cut.

The Lake Elsinore Storm may not be the ’27 Yankees, but that’s a heck of a lineup to get through: Antonelli (.307/.423/.456), David Freese (.296/.381/.478), Huffman (295/.382/.486), and Blanks (.312/.377/.505) make up 2 through 5 in the batting order (statistics are prior to Wednesday’s game).

Thursday, May 10, 2007

AAA

Tim Stauffer: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B, BB, SO
Cesar Ramos: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR

High-A

Yordany Ramirez: 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; CS

Low-A

Rayner Contreras: 5 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 2 RBI; HR, SO
Kyler Burke: 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 1 RBI; BB

Commentary:

There is a certain physical element to playing baseball, but more than any other sport, it is about the mental aspects. And pitching in particular is more about the mental aspects than other positions. When a pitcher doesn’t trust his stuff, it doesn’t matter how good the stuff is. And even without “lights out” stuff, when a pitcher is on his game, he can get people out. The rest of Tim Stauffer’s career depends more on what’s going on between his ears than it does about what comes out of release.

Cesar Ramos has had two bad starts (7 ER in 3.2 IP on 4/8 and 5 ER in 4.0 IP on 4/25). Other than those two poor outings, Ramos has allowed 6 ER in 32 IP. Even his hit-rate & K/9 are decent (40 hits allowed in 39.2 IP and 6.13/9).

Kyler is struggling (.194/.276/.247).

Thanks, Peter. Here’s hoping Stauffer can resurrect his career. Happy Friday, folks! The Padres are back in town tonight and will send Jake Peavy to the mound in the first of three against St. Louis. We’ll have the IGD up and running by 6 p.m. PT.

Rock on!