Eggplant

by Geoff Young on Apr 17, 2007 (7) Comments

I hate eggplant. It’s like eating an old, purple sponge. Why would someone want to do that? Why would I want to do that? Sure, you can fry it up and slap some sauce on, but at the end of the day, it’s still just an old, purple sponge.

Last night, after I’d lost my stomach for baseball courtesy of a few too many home runs off the bat of Cubs hitters, I switched over to Good Eats. Wouldn’t you know, Alton Brown was talking about eggplant. He addressed my texture problem right away and suggested using kosher salt to help remove moisture and give it a better consistency.

Honestly, the eggplant didn’t look half bad. I even thought I might eat some if given the chance.

Then I remembered it was on old, purple sponge and wondered why I was watching this show. Wasn’t there a baseball game on or something?

I hate eggplant.

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

Luke Carlin: 2 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2 BB
Leo Rosales: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR

AA

Will Venable: 5 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 1 RBI; 2B — batting .400/.463/.486
Chase Headley: 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; 2B
Tim Brown: 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; SO
Nick Hundley: 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 RBI
Mike Ekstrom: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

High-A

Off

Low-A

Cedric Hunter: 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI; HR, BB, CS
Kyler Burke: 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; SO, SB
Aaron Breit: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR

Commentary:

I’m not sure how likely it is that Ekstrom will produce at the MLB level, but he keeps doing what he does…

Cedric Hunter, my favorite prospect, shows some power. He hasn’t completely gotten untracked (hitting .160 through 7 games), but I’m not worried.

Early start today against the Cubs. No television. We’ll get the IGD up and running around 10 a.m. PT.

1969: Padres Lose Again to Marichal

by Geoff Young on Apr 17, 2007 (0) Comments

April 17, 1969, San Francisco: Giants 5, Padres 4 (box score)

Nine games into their existence as a big-league franchise, the Padres scored more than two runs in a game for the very first time. After pouncing on Juan Marichal for two runs in the top of the first inning and adding another in the second, the club from San Diego had the future Hall of Famer on the ropes.

Unfortunately, despite collecting six hits in those first two innings, the Padres managed to leave five runners on base. They let Marichal off the hook, and he didn’t need a second invitation to make the Padres pay for their transgression.

Staked to a lead thanks to some timely hitting by Tony Gonzalez and Chris Cannizzaro, as well as an error by Giants shortstop Hal Lanier, Padres starter Clay Kirby cruised through the first three innings. Then he served up back-to-back homers to Bobby Bonds and Willie McCovey to start the fourth. The Giants had pulled to within one run.

In the sixth, with Bonds and McCovey again leading off for San Francisco, Kirby walked both men. After a single to center by Dick Dietz plated Bonds to tie the game, right-hander Frank Reberger entered the contest. Reberger then walked Jim Ray Hart to load the bases for Jim Davenport, who unloaded them to give the Giants a 5-3 lead. Reberger escaped the inning without further incident, but the damage had been done.

After scratching across a run in the eighth, the Padres went quietly against southpaw Joe Gibbon in the ninth. In front of nearly 31,000 fans, the Friars had lost their fifth straight game.

Trivia: The Padres collected 12 hits off Marichal, who finished the season with 21 wins and a 2.10 ERA. Only one other team (Phillies, May 18) notched as many base knocks against Marichal in 1969.

Bonus trivia: Bill Stoneman, currently GM of the Angels, spun a no-hitter for the expansion Montreal Expos at Philadelphia in just his fifth big-league start.

Elsewhere in the world: Singer Janis Joplin performed in Stockholm; Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of killing U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy.

IGD: Padres @ Cubs (16 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 16, 2007 (157) Comments

first pitch: 5:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Clay Hensley (0-2, 9.00 ERA) vs Jason Marquis (0-1, 3.27 ERA)

previews: Padres.com | SI.com

After suffering their first series loss of 2007, the Padres head to Chicago for two with the Cubs. Clay Hensley starts for the Pads in the opener. Pay no attention to his poor numbers to date; assuming he has a plate umpire that knows the strike zone and a defense that can make plays behind him, Hensley will be fine.

The Cubs, meanwhile, have started the season 4-7. Probably not what the Tribune Company had in mind after throwing $300 million at players over the winter and putting the team up for sale, but oh well. Mark DeRosa has more homers than Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano combined. Yeah, that’s totally bogus, but it’s probably the only chance I’ll ever get to say it, so there you go.

Speaking of power numbers and small samples, have you noticed that the Padres are outhomering the opposition, 12-4, so far? The Padres haven’t done that over a full season since 1998. Again, it’s way early, but this bears watching.

I feel like I should say something else here — something really motivational to pick us up after Sunday night’s debacle. All I can come up with is, “Please don’t send Dwight”; does that qualify?

Padres Drop Finale in LA, Hope Chicago Is Their Kind of Town

by Geoff Young on Apr 16, 2007 (10) Comments

Strange series up at Dodger Stadium over the weekend. I expected tighter contests. Instead, one team’s starting pitcher failed to show up in each of the three games. Unfortunately for the Padres, it was their guy in two of those three.

Sunday evening’s victim, Chris Young, never looked comfortable and needed 84 pitches to record just six outs. Anthony breaks down Young’s start over at Friar Watch — not for the squeamish. We’ve grown spoiled watching Young pitch, and it’s really weird when he just implodes.

On the bright side, Jake Peavy pitched another gem on Saturday, Crudge appears to be solid in left field, and I think the Padres may have found something in Kevin Cameron. The latter did a fantastic job of keeping the Friars in the game on Sunday.

Next up, the Padres head to Chicago for a two-game engagement with the Cubs. Clay Hensley and Jason Marquis hook up in Monday night’s opener, with Greg Maddux returning home to face Wade Miller on Tuesday. Here’s hoping the guys get back on track in the Windy City.

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, April 13, 2007

AAA

Cesar Carrillo: 3.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 2 HR

AA

Will Venable: 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 RBI

High-A

David Freese: 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; SO

Low-A

Drew Miller: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

You gotta wonder about the elbow and the psyche…

Saturday, April 14, 2007

AAA

Justin Germano: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, O HR — Blast from the past!

AA

Will Venable: 3 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; 2B, 2 BB
Chase Headley: 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; BB, SO
Cesar Ramos: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR

High-A

David Freese: 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B, 3 BB

Low-A

Postponed

Commentary:

I’m still not excited about Ramos as prospect, and the biggest reason is that his success so far has come almost completely without strikeouts (115 K in 204 career minor league IP). One 8-strikeout game doesn’t change my mind, but that “8″ jumped out at me.

Lake Elsinore Storm third baseman David FreeseDavid Freese will turn 24 on April 28. Last year in Short-Season Eugene and even in Low-A Fort Wayne he was accurately considered old for his league. However, his minor league career spans only 80 games and he’s making short work of his third level. He won’t be in Lake Elsinore long.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

AAA

Tim Stauffer: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO, O HR

AA

Will Venable: 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 RBI; SO

High-A

Manny Ayala: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, 1 HR

Low-A

Ernesto Frieri: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR

Commentary:

Stauffer’s done. 12.79 ERA so far.

Lake Elsinore Storm right-hander Manny AyalaManny Ayala is not a top prospect; yet. But I have high hopes for him. I’m watching him closely. [Ed note: Ayala's fastball wasn't overpowering on Sunday -- it sat in the high-80s -- but he did a nice job of changing speeds and keeping hitters off-balance.]

Frieri could be interesting as a reliever.

As always, thanks to Peter for providing the dirt on Padres’ minor leaguers. That’s all for now. We’ll have the IGD up and running around 4 p.m. PT. Go Padres!

1969: Four Dodger Homers Too Much for Padres

by Geoff Young on Apr 16, 2007 (3) Comments

April 16, 1969, Los Angeles: Dodgers 9, Padres 1 (box score)

The Padres dropped their fifth straight in front of 12,180 at Dodger Stadium. Right-hander Bill Singer went the distance, holding the visitors to a single unearned run on just four hits. The 25-year-old Singer would go on to win 20 games for the first time in his career.

San Diego scored first, courtesy of errors by second baseman Jim Lefebvre and right fielder Bill Russell in the second inning. The Dodgers countered with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning. They then added at least one more run in each of the following frames except the fourth, when Padres starter Dick Kelley retired the bottom of the lineup in order.

The Dodgers benefited in part from homers in four consecutive innings. Andy Kosco launched a two-run shot to left in the fifth, while Tom Haller, Wes Parker, and Willie Crawford added solo blasts in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.

Bright spots for the Padres? None, really. They’d lost five games in a row and been outscored, 41-3, in the process. They’d faced exactly five pitchers during that stretch:

Padres Opposing Pitchers, April 11 – 16, 1969
Date Name IP H R ER BB SO
Apr 11 Ray Sadecki 9 6 0 0 4 5
Apr 12 Juan Marichal 9 7 1 1 1 5
Apr 13 Gaylord Perry 9 5 1 1 1 4
Apr 15 Claude Osteen 9 3 0 0 2 2
Apr 16 Bill Singer 9 4 1 0 1 7
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

Even accounting for the fact that two of these pitchers ended up in the Hall of Fame, this was a putrid offensive showing by the Padres. The worse news? They were scheduled to face Marichal again the following night — in San Francisco.

Trivia: Haller’s homer in the sixth came off Kelley. Five years and one day earlier, Kelley had made his big-league debut. Then pitching for the Milwaukee Braves, Kelley entered in the third inning of a game against the Giants. He walked the first batter he faced, Haller.

Bonus trivia: In that same game, Kelley failed to retire any of the five batters he faced. He was pulled for another pitcher making his big-league debut, Phil Niekro.

Elsewhere in the world: The Beatles were recording Old Brown Shoe and possibly also Something.

IGD: Padres @ Dodgers (15 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 15, 2007 (201) Comments

first pitch: 5:05 p.m. PT
television: ESPN
matchup: Chris Young (1-0, 2.13 ERA) vs Randy Wolf (1-1, 3.75 ERA)
preview: Padres.com

Major League Baseball is branding this as the “Jackie Robinson Game.” As such, it will be televised on ESPN at a time that makes no sense whatsoever. Every member of the Dodgers will be wearing #42 in Robinson’s honor.

Others have pointed out the absurdity of “unretiring” a number that was retired in perpetuity (unless that word doesn’t mean what I think it means). Robinson deserves every possible accolade we can give him, and then some. That said, there are probably better ways to celebrate one of the game’s true pioneers. None, of course, will generate as much revenue as this — think of the uniform sales.

Anyway, you may want to find an alternate feed today if possible. There’s a real good chance the ESPN broadcasters won’t even acknowledge the Padres.

1969: Padres Blown Out in LA, Drop Fourth Straight

by Geoff Young on Apr 15, 2007 (7) Comments

April 15, 1969, Los Angeles: Dodgers 14, Padres 0 (box score)

Southpaws Claude Osteen and Johnny Podres matched scoreless frames through four innings. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, the proverbial wheels fell off for Podres.

With one out, Tom Haller drew a walk. Ted Sizemore, Osteen, and Willie Crawford followed with singles to put the Dodgers ahead, 2-0. After a walk to rookie right fielder Bill Russell and a ground out by Wes Parker, left fielder Andy Kosco stepped to the plate and hit a grand slam to left to break the game wide open.

The Dodgers added a run in the sixth, five in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. The final runs came on a Kosco double to left that plated Russell and Parker.

After winning their first three games as a franchise, the Padres now had fallen below .500 for the first time. Unfortunately, this was a place they would become intimately familiar with over the next several years.

Trivia: Padres center fielder Cito Gaston and Dodgers second baseman Jim Lefebvre both finished the game 0-for-4. Both also managed American League teams from 1989 to 1991. Gaston’s Blue Jays enjoyed a .564 record during that stretch, while Lefebvre’s Mariners came in at .479. Gaston also led Toronto to back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

IGD: Padres @ Dodgers (14 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 14, 2007 (86) Comments

first pitch: 7:10 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Jake Peavy (1-0, 0.69 ERA) vs Jason Schmidt (1-1, 4.00 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

I would dissect Friday night’s game, but the Dodgers pretty well took care of that themselves. The bullpen scoreless streak is over. At least the guy who ended it, Mike Thompson, did a nice job of soaking up some innings to keep the high-leverage relievers fresh for the rest of the series.

The Padres misfired on all cylinders. Stuff happens. Call it a mulligan. Get back out there and don’t suck.

I hesitate to mention this because a sample of two games isn’t nearly enough to draw any meaningful conclusions, but it’s worth noting that Jake Peavy is getting more strikes called in the early going than he has in the past:

Jake Peavy’s Strikes, 2002 – 2007
Year Str StL% StS% StF% StI%
2002 1044 24 20 27 29
2003 2035 25 17 29 29
2004 1753 24 20 30 26
2005 2071 27 20 28 26
2006 2151 23 20 31 26
2007 129 38 13 19 29
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

Str – Strikes Thrown
StL% – Percentage of strikes that were looking
StS% – Percentage of strikes that were swinging (this includes 3rd strike foul tip strikes and foul tip bunts)
StF% – Percentage of strikes that were foul (includes foul bunts)
StI% – Percentage of strikes that were in play (any ball put into play fair)

Again, this could be noise; then again, maybe not. We’ll have to wait and see…

IGD: Padres @ Dodgers (13 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 13, 2007 (136) Comments

first pitch: 7:05 p.m. PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: David Wells (0-0, 2.70 ERA) vs Derek Lowe (0-1, 5.73 ERA)
previews: Padres.com | SI.com

So, we were talking about Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica the other day. It’s Friday and I can’t help myself. Here are some quick scouting reports for a few characters from each show (plus some from Stargate for extra geeky goodness):

  • Lee Adama: Broad shoulders, strong arm. Curve can flatten out on him in the later innings. Occasionally loses killer instinct and makes poor off-field decisions.
  • Gaius Baltar: Intelligent, throws a Niekro-esque knuckleball. Tends to alienate teammates.
  • Data: Tremendous raw strength and mental capacity. Still learning the nuances of the game — sometimes unknowingly offends opponents by breaking “unwritten rules.”
  • Ronon Dex: Aggressive hitter who can pound a mistake. Swing gets long at times. Runs surprisingly well for a big a man. Best suited to first base, but can play corner outfield spots in a pinch.
  • James T. Kirk: Strong leadership abilities, good instincts. Can be distracted at times, but performs well under pressure. Quick wit and strong will make him an invaluable member of any team.
  • Neelix: Indifferent defender, susceptible to sliders down and in. Popular with teammates due to cheerful personality, but there are better options for the last spot on a bench.
  • Miles O’Brien: Doesn’t possess any one outstanding skill, but does a lot of things reasonably well. Works hard, very resourceful. Think Eric Owens, with a little less speed.
  • Tom Paris: Tremendous hand-eye coordination, intelligence. Occasionally lost focus earlier in his career but appears to have outgrown this problem.
  • Montgomery Scott: Sometimes volatile and even combative left-hander can bring the heat. Conditioning issues limit him to LOOGY status.
  • John Sheppard: Lean, athletic build. Runs well, can hit the ball to all fields. Quick thinker. Will do well at any spot in the lineup.
  • Hikaru Sulu: An expert fencer, Sulu features a compact, efficient stroke. He runs well and is a brilliant defender. Overall game very similar to that of Ichiro!
  • Teal’c: Similar to Ronon Dex in terms of physical abilities. A former football player, Teal’c has adapted his intense competitive instincts to the subtleties of baseball.
  • Tuvok: Deceptive strength, excellent mental focus. Able to handle adversity with grace. A true gamer.
  • Galen Tyrol: Hard worker, intensely loyal. Not the most physically talented player, but nobody — Brian Giles included — goes into second base harder breaking up the double play.
  • Worf: Gifted physical specimen with little aptitude or patience for a sport that doesn’t involve constant, violent physical contact. Good to have on the bench — just in case a brawl erupts.

Make it so. Go Padres!

Friday Links (13 Apr 07)

by Geoff Young on Apr 13, 2007 (32) Comments

Plenty to cover today. Let’s get right to it:

  • Too Much Information (Baseball Prospectus). Joe Sheehan likes the Chris Young signing and has kind words for the young right-hander:

    I compared Young to Mike Mussina on the air in Indianapolis the other day, and I still like that comp. Both are smart pitchers from top-tier academic schools who mostly work in the strike zone and can be prone to bad games if the fly balls are finding gaps.

  • Black’s outlook different (San Diego Union-Tribune). From Tom Krasovic’s piece on Padres skipper Bud Black:

    Black, a former pitcher, said it was educational to get a hitter’s view of 333-game winner Greg Maddux. Black, who had batted against Maddux more than a decade ago, said he discovered by standing in against Maddux in recent weeks that the 6-foot right-hander is exceptional at hiding the ball in a natural, fluid way. He said the blocked view begins from the time Maddux removes the ball from his glove and swings his arm behind his left leg and torso.

  • Maddux gets the calls (Friar Watch). Long-time reader Anthony has started a blog dedicated to “keeping an eye on the San Diego Padres pitchers.” He’s doing some fascinating stuff with MLB Gameday data, including a look at whether Maddux may have received help from the men in blue during Wednesday night’s victory. Solid effort; I’m looking forward to more of these throughout the season.
  • Non-Prospect Diary: Dirk Hayhurst (Baseball America). Padres minor-league right-hander Dirk Hayhurst talks about meeting big-league pitchers Clay Hensley and Maddux during spring training. On the latter:

    He said he is always prepared for his outings. He gets his sleep, his food, and his game knowledge checked off the list before a start. Once he gets his needs before the game taken care of, he can take the field with confidence he is ready. This allows him to trust himself out there. He has done what he needs to in order to feel prepared so he can relax and focus on the present.

  • Two articles on Will Venable: one at the San Antonio Express-News and another at The Hardball Times.
  • Soft-spoken Wizard delivers at the plate (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette). Another article on everyone’s favorite hitting prospect, Cedric Hunter. I’ll take this opportunity to remind everyone that he turned 19 just last month. By all accounts the kids is a special talent, but don’t expect to see him at Petco Park anytime soon.
  • Moores says farm must be cultivated (San Diego Union-Tribune). There isn’t a whole lot here that hasn’t been covered elsewhere, but I find it interesting that several of these types of stories have been cropping up in recent days. Where there’s smoke…
  • Padres give Merila the family treatment (North County Times). Nice story on bullpen catcher Mark Merila and his ongoing battle with cancer. There’s also an article on former Padres left-hander Rob Ramsay, who has beaten a brain tumor.
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

Jared Wells: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

AA

Chase Headley: 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B
Sean Thompson: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR

High-A

Matt Antonelli: 1 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 RBI; 2B
David Freese: 3 AB, 2 R, 1 H, 2 RBI, 2B, BB
Nick Crosta: 4 AB, 1 H, 1 H, 4 RBI; HR

Low-A

G1 — Cedric Hunter: 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 2 RBI; SO
G1 — Kyler Burke: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 1 RBI; SO
G1 — Drew Underwood: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR
G2 — Orlando Lara: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR — not pretty…

Commentary:

Jared Wells’ start shouldn’t deserve notice, but last year’s AAA stint was so bad, this ordinary start was relatively outstanding…

Chase is off to an “it’s still too early to get excited, but it’s nice to see nonetheless” .357/.400/.607 start in 7 games.

At the time of submission, I could not find out what happened, but Matt Antonelli left the game after one inning. [Ed note: Antonelli strained his left groin while running the bases -- he's out two to three days.]

I’ll say it again, David Freese is Kevin Kouzmanoff (with a more conventional swing). On a more serious note, the Padres just locked up two of their young stars, Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young. Assuming Kouzmanoff hits like we think he will, Freese’s presence may make a long-term contract for Kouzmanoff unnecessary — options are a good thing.

I’m not completely sold on Crosta as a prospect, but he’s a GREAT story. [Ed note: See March 2006 interview at MadFriars.]

Contests

We’ve got two of ‘em, so pay attention:

  • Today is the deadline to enter the Big League Baseball Report Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual giveaway. Let Joe know why you think the Padres will defend their NL West title and you just might win a free copy of the book!
  • According to the folks at Minor-League Town, I’m giving away a T-shirt. Hey, great idea. So here’s how Guess the Innings will work. David Wells is scheduled to start Friday night’s game in LA. Let me know how many innings you think Wells will pitch (7, 5.2, whatever). Rules are simple: Leave your guess in the comments by 7 p.m. PT. Whoever comes closest wins a Ducksnorts T-shirt of their choosing.

There you go, folks. Read stuff, enter contests, be back here at 7 p.m. PT for the IGD. Happy Friday!