Slow news day, eh? Neither team has confirmed this, but sources too numerous to count are reporting that the Padres and Red Sox have agreed to a trade that would send All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to Boston for right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, center fielder Reymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later. Continue reading ›
Friday Links (3 Dec 10)
If there is a worse way to travel than by airplane, I’d just as soon not know about it. Anywho, I’m back from Hawai’i with links… Continue reading ›
Me, Elsewhere: Show Some Glove
I went on vacation and wrote an article about the Padres defense. Yeah, I know how to party.
Among the many interesting things I discovered in conducting my research are these:
- Padres outfielders can’t keep baserunners from advancing.
- Padres infielders are excellent at defending against the bunt.
- The Padres turned more double plays in 2010 than in 2009 despite getting fewer opportunities to do so.
- Chase Headley is a stud at third base, or at least he was last year.
- The Padres may end up missing David Eckstein and Jerry Hairston Jr. more than you might think.
The actual article provides, you know, details and stuff. Go read it…
One-Hit Wonders: Atlee Hammaker to Jerry Johnson
This is Part 6 of a 13-part series examining the 65 men who have collected exactly one hit as a member of the San Diego Padres. Our current installment features a man once traded for Vida Blue, Trevor Hoffman’s predecessor as Padres closer, the survivor of Mike Darr’s fatal car crash, a former teammate of Bud Black, and a man who very indirectly helped pave the way for free agency. Continue reading ›
Me, Elsewhere: Pitchers Duels of the 1940s
The second part of my “epic pitchers duels” series is up at Hardball Times and focuses on the 1940s. There is a little more of a San Diego/Padres connection in this installment. Bob Kennedy (father of former Padres catcher Terry Kennedy) merits a mention, as does the pride of Hoover High, Ted Williams. One of the stellar pitching performances detailed in the article is by right-hander Jesse Flores, who won 21 games for the PCL Padres in 1949.
Give it a read if you are so inclined.
I Almost Prayed in Albuquerque: It’s Not a Problem for Me
In Summer 2007, I drove from San Diego to Cooperstown for Tony Gwynn’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is Part 6 of a nine-part series covering the first day of my journey.
Welcome to the Arizona League: home of stealth baseball.
The league represents the absolute lowest level of affiliated baseball. Most of these kids had been playing high school ball just a few months earlier. It’s hard to imagine a more low-key environment than this. There are two teams worth of players and coaches, a smattering of scouts, and a girlfriend or two (hopefully attached to different players, although that also could be interesting).
Temporary aluminum bleachers rest underneath a canopy directly behind home plate. Maybe 100 people could squeeze in here if they were motivated. Continue reading ›
One-Hit Wonders: Steve Fireovid to Charlie Haeger
This is Part 5 of a 13-part series examining the 65 men who have collected exactly one hit as a member of the San Diego Padres. Our current installment features four right-handers (one of whom earned 139 minor-league victories, one who once was traded for Cito Gaston, one who threw the knuckleball, and one about whom I can think of nothing interesting to say) and a left-hander who attended the same school as Khalil Greene. Continue reading ›
Me, Elsewhere: They Don’t Pitch Like That Anymore
My latest at Hardball Times examines the four greatest pitchers duels of the 1920s and 1930s, including the classic May 1, 1920, battle between the Brooklyn Robins and the Boston Braves that saw starters Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger work all 26 innings of a 1-1 tie. There is no real Padres angle here. Gaylord Perry gets a mention (he is the last big-league hurler to work 16 shutout innings in a game, doing so in 1967), as does Ismael Valdez (he compares well to another pitcher discussed in the article, Cardinals right-hander Tex Carleton.
Anyway, if you’re a fan of history and pitching, give it a read.
Once Upon My Mind: It’s Just a Big Jumbled Mess
Ah, November… Of all the months between October and December, it is by far my favorite. It’s also the month in which I once wrote many things, some of which have not come back to embarrass me… Continue reading ›
I Almost Prayed in Albuquerque: A Crow Left of the Murder
In Summer 2007, I drove from San Diego to Cooperstown for Tony Gwynn’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is Part 5 of a nine-part series covering the first day of my journey.
I listened to Incubus’ A Crow Left of the Murder during this stretch. You might think that it’s appropriate to listen to an album with “murder” in the title while driving near a prison but you would be wrong. The word refers to a group of crows, in the same way that “pack” refers to a group of dogs.
The follow-up to 2001′s Morning View features well-crafted and often intricate compositions. Singer Brandon Boyd pushes his vocals hard, so a little Incubus goes a long way. Mike Einziger, an underappreciated guitarist, creates complex textures that serve as the backdrop for Boyd’s sonic assaults. Continue reading ›
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