Giving Away Phillips, Part Two

by Geoff Young on Mar 21, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

I’m not done yet. Oh no, I haven’t even gotten started. Before we get into that, I’d just like to congratulate Brad Holland and the USD men’s basketball team on a great, great season. Yeah, they got bounced from the NCAA tourney in the first round but this was their first trip to the dance in 16 years, and they did give the Cardinal a run for their money. Way to go, guys.

Now, back to the topic at hand. I was hoping that after a good night’s sleep, one of two things would happen.

  1. I would wake up and discover it was all a dream.
  2. I would feel better about giving away Mark Phillips for chump change.

Guess what. Neither happened. In fact, now that I’ve had a chance to really think about it, I feel even worse.

In light of current world events, it seems awfully petty to be carrying on about this, but dammit I love baseball and the Padres are my team. And right now they’re killing me.

My good friend Medea’s Child puts it very succinctly when he says, "If you’ve got to give up one of your best prospects to make up for a terrible contract signing, that’s a problem."

It is a problem. A big one. Look, I like Mark Phillips a lot. I actually think he’s got a better shot to succeed than most folks give him credit for. But I want to make perfectly clear that I don’t have a problem trading him in the right deal. This was not such a deal.

What would I have considered reasonable value for Phillips? First off, I would want a young player in return. The only justifiable reason for the Padres to be moving a talent of Phillips’ stature is to get a rougly equal talent at an area of greater need. Because let’s face it, the "upgrade" from Bubba Trammell to Rondell White ain’t gonna take this bunch to the promised land.

The greatest area of the need for the Padres right now is behind the plate. And catching prospects tend to be about as flaky as pitching prospects, so both sides in a potential deal would be assuming a fair share of risk. So the next thing to do would be to figure out which catchers are roughly equivalent to Phillips in terms of future value.

Of course, all we can do is rely on reports and make a good guess. From where I sit, I can do even less. John Sickels rates Phillips a B prospect in his 2003 book. So what we need to do is find some B level catching prospects. Are there any? As it happens, there are two:

  • Miguel Olivo, ChA
  • Kevin Cash, Tor

Both of these guys are closer to the bigs than Phillips is, so they might be a shade much to expect straight up for him. Then again, they might not be. But do you suppose the Rockies could have spared one of J.D. Closser or Garrett Gentry to get a power lefty? How about the Astros and Hector Gimenez? The Dodgers and Koyie Hill? Those are the guys who check in at B minus.

Anyway, I’m just spinning my wheels here. Denial ain’t a river in Egypt, baby. But I keep hoping that, I dunno, White will fail his physical and deal will fall through.

Trade Phillips if you have to; it’s not the end of the world. But make sure you address a need and get value for him. The Padres did neither.

Enough of my whining. Let’s see if we can find any take-home lessons here:

  1. If you believe in your scouts enough to fork over $2.2M for a high school pitcher, don’t give up on the kid after 265 minor league innings, particularly when he has very good stuff and shows flashes of dominance.
  2. If you don’t believe in your scouts, get new ones.
  3. If you’re (justifiably or otherwise) frustrated with a prospect’s progress, take a close look at your player development people; I’m not pointing a finger at anyone here, just saying that it’s something to think about.
  4. If you’re working on a limited budget, don’t overpay for replaceable talent.
  5. If you do overpay for replaceable talent, don’t later attempt to remedy the situation by giving away the guys you should be building your team around for a relatively small amount of money.
  6. Having a surplus of talent at one position doesn’t mean you should value that talent any less. This is the first thing you learn when you play fantasy baseball: "But you already have Sluggy McSluggster at first base" is never a valid negotiating point. If you think it is, you need to find a new job.
  7. When you need to trade someone, don’t panic and take any old deal. If you feel the need to move quickly, try to explain to your employer why maybe now isn’t the best time. If that fails, well then I guess it’s time to panic. But don’t let it happen again.

So how do we apply these lessons to the Padres’ current situation? I can’t really speak to the scouting or player development issues; I simply don’t have enough information. But what about the other stuff? Here are a few suggestions, in no particular order:

  • If you decide to move Wiki Gonzalez and/or Kevin Jarvis, make sure not to give up any of Justin Germano, Javier Martinez, Ben Howard, Dennis Tankersley, Tagg Bozied, Jake Gautreau, Khalil Greene, or Xavier Nady in a deal unless you get something of substantial value in return. Let me rephrase that: unless you get a player of substantial value in return.
  • No matter how well they may do or how much "veteran leadership" they may bring to the clubhouse, do NOT sign Gary Bennett, Mark Loretta, or Luther Hackman to long-term deals. Just don’t do it.
  • If you do decide to trade, say, Tankersley, do it because the Mets are offering you Justin Huber, NOT because you already have Germano and Howard.
  • If one day you wake up and think Jake Peavy stinks, don’t let anyone else know. In fact, keep acting like he’s great. Because if they don’t know you know, chances are they’ll still believe you and you’ll be able to land Victor Martinez instead of settling for Tommy Arko. Who is Tommy Arko? Exactly.

I could go on in this vein for hours, but it probably would get boring (if it hasn’t already). For now, I’ll wrap up by putting the over/under on Rondell White’s plate appearances this year at 425. He’s done it twice in the past five seasons, so what the heck. And his numbers this year will look a lot like Trammell’s 2002. And he won’t be outhit by Deivi Cruz again. I hope…

Giving Away Phillips

by Geoff Young on Mar 20, 2003 (0) Comments

What the heck, I haven’t done a good rant in a while. Okay, there was the Junior Seau riff the other day but when you get down to it, that was just football.

So, if you missed it, the Pads acquired Rondell White from the Yankees. Yep, Kevin Towers finally found a taker for Bubba Trammell’s contract and he managed to pick up a decent outfielder in return. Not bad, right? Certainly no cause for a rant.

There was one other player in the deal: Mark Phillips. Honestly, when I heard there was a minor leaguer involved, I figured it was a lesser propect, like Bernie Castro or J.J. Furmaniak. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be Phillips. Seems to me a lefty with a power arm should fetch more than a gimpy corner outfielder.

The Padres are seriously working the experience angle in trying to sell this trade, but it’s pretty much a money thing. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but the basic idea is that the Pads take on additional salary this year while freeing up money for next year. The theory is that they’re setting themselves up to make a run at one of Kazuo Matsui, Miguel Tejada, or Vlad Guerrero.

Favorite line:

White helps to solve the right-handed power deficit the Padres are currently experiencing with the loss of left fielder Phil Nevin to injury.

How, exactly, does he do this? I won’t even bother making you guess which is which:

2002
Player    PA  BA OBP SLG HR RBI PA/HR PA/RBI ISO
White    494 240 288 378 14  62  35.3  7.97  138
Trammell 465 243 333 414 17  56  27.4  8.30  171

Career
Player     AB  BA OBP SLG  HR RBI PA/HR PA/RBI ISO
White    3946 288 343 471 134 503  29.4  7.84  183
Trammell 1973 263 341 464  82 280  24.1  7.05  201

So in White the Padres get a guy who historically hits homers and drives in runs at a lower rate than Trammell, who has a lower ISO, who has bad knees, who costs more this year, and who has played in as many as 140 games in a season exactly once in his career. Again, I ask, how does White help to solve anything? He’s a more expensive, more injury-prone version of what we already had. Oh, and he doesn’t have as much power.

Then again, more people probably have heard of White than Trammell. I guess that counts for something.

Baseball America gives their take on the trade. Basically the Padres get White for a year, lose Phillips, and save either $2.5M or $12M over the next three seasons. I’m trying, but I can’t find a way to make this palatable. My only hope is that the Pads land one of the big three free agents next winter.

I realize I may not be the most objective person when it comes to talking about Phillips. I’ve seen him pitch on several occasions and I even once had the chance to chat with him while he was charting a game at Elsinore. But beyond the fact that he seemed like a nice enough kid, he has a serious arm. You just don’t see a lot of young lefties with that kind of fastball/curve arsenal.

The bottom line is this: The Padres and Yankees exchanged mediocre outfielders. The Pads saved themselves a little cash, the Yanks picked up a damn good prospect.

I’ll probably have more to say about this in my next post, but right now I’m just bummed. Sometimes it stinks to be a Padre fan.

Spring Training Update for 3/18/03

by Geoff Young on Mar 18, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

So the Toreros are the #13 seed in the South and play Stanford this Thursday. The way I look at it, if you’re in, you’ve got a shot. Right?

  • Notes: Eaton shows toughness (padres.com). Adam Eaton worked five solid innings against the Brewers. Alex Pelaez made some nice plays at third filling in for Sean Burroughs. The catching situation is becoming less muddled, with Gary Bennett the likely favorite to win the starting job. Wiki Gonzalez and Michael Rivera look to be fighting for the backup spot.
  • Padres in a real pickle at catcher (NC Times). Then again, maybe the situation isn’t as clear as all that. Me? I’m torn. On the one hand, I’d like to see what Rivera can do; on the other, I think a guy like Bennett could help the young pitchers. I’ve seen enough of Gonzalez as a starter. I think he’s a useful ballplayer, but if it wasn’t clear when the Padres traded Ben Davis to the Mariners, it is now: Gonzalez is a backup catcher. Give him 60-70 games behind the plate, he’ll be solid. No reason he can’t have a career like that of, say, Doug Mirabelli or Bill Haselman. There’s no shame in that.

That’s about all for now. Questions? Comments? Drop me a line. Maybe we can do a mailbag entry one of these days.

Spring Training Update for 3/17/03

by Geoff Young on Mar 17, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

Hey, how’s it goin’ out there? Happy St. Patty’s Day! I’m sitting here listening to some cool tunes by Flogging Molly as I type, so I’m definitely getting into the spirit. Thanks, Jeff, for the music!

Movies to Avoid: "Evolution"

Man, this is the worst movie I’ve seen in a long time. The cast is good (David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Julianne Moore, Seann William Scott, Dan Aykroyd), but the writing is just brutal. Moore does some nice physical comedy and Jones has one good line about ice cream–the only point in the movie when I actually laughed. But two or three amusing moments are surround by nearly two hours of nothing. Imagine an Adam Sandler movie. Not a good one, like "Happy Gilmour" or "The Wedding Singer"; think "Little Nicky." Now take away the charm and sophistication of that movie, and you get the idea. Terrible waste of time and money for all involved.

Spring Training Update

There’s not a lot going on in Padre land at the moment. Here are a few items of note:

  • X marks the spot (padres.com). A quick look at Xavier Nady.
  • Notes: Nagy looks sharp (padres.com). Pads continue to hope one of the washed-up, injured veterans will claim the fifth starter job rather than someone with a future like Mike Bynum or Clay Condrey.
  • Loretta counted on to get on vs. lefties (U-T). Mark Loretta figures to see some duty in the leadoff slot against southpaws. Sean Burroughs’ shoulder continues to bother him. Brandon Villafuerte is the current favorite to open the season as the Pads’ closer. All indications are that Jeromy Burnitz will not be coming to San Diego.
  • Boston fixates on Burroughs (U-T). I feel bad for the Red Sox’ fans, who may believe there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of this happening. The offer mentioned here is funnier than "Evolution."
  • Padres down to three in race for No. 5 (NC Times). Another look at the battle for the fifth starter job.
  • Padres show off Bozied, Nady (NC Times). Personal observation: Bozied showed excellent selectivity on Saturday; he battled every time up. Nady looked a little overanxious but he did a nice job lining an 0-2 pitch to right in one at-bat. FWIW, Giant prospect Tony Torcato looked real good at the plate.

Pete Rose

ESPN’s Jim Caple has written an interesting piece on the interminable Pete Rose situtation. He basically says that Rose should never be allowed back in baseball in any capacity that could influence the outcome of a game but that he should be allowed into the Hall of Fame. Best passage:

Keep Rose on death row, and he remains baseball’s official canker sore. Put him in Cooperstown and he becomes Johnny Bench. Just another guy with a plaque.

Albeit a plaque he’ll be willing to sell if your credit limit is high enough.

Obviously Caple’s opinion of Rose isn’t real high, but I think he’s sick of seeing the guy slowly turn into a martyr. So am I. Caple’s position actually makes a lot of sense. Stick Rose into the Hall and forget about him. I could probably live with that.

Junior Seau

I hesitate to juxtapose a segment on Seau, one of the professional athletes I most admire, with one on The Gambler. But I can’t figure out a better place to put this, so here it is.

I’m not a huge football fan, but I’ve followed the Chargers for a reasonably long time–since the very end of the Tommy Prothro era. I’ve seen them win big games with Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow, I’ve seen them lose to the Raiders in unfathomable ways, I’ve seen them go to the Super Bowl, and I’ve seen them win only one game in a season.

Junior Seau grew up in Oceanside, about 45 minutes north of San Diego. He has played with the Chargers since they drafted him in the first round out of USC back in 1990. He was on the lone Super Bowl club the franchise has known. He’s been to the Pro Bowl in 11 of his 13 pro seasons. Seau is the heart and soul of football in these parts. He’s the Tony Gwynn of San Diego football. He owns a restaurant in Mission Valley, a stone’s throw from the Q. Everyone knows him, everyone loves him.

And now he’s leaving town.

This would probably bother me a lot more if I were more of a fan. I know that football is a business; I’m not naive that way. But the Chargers have really been irritating me the past several years. Between their treatment of the Padres, the hack job they did on Qualcomm Stadium to appease the Super Bowl folks, the Ryan Leaf debacle, Alex Spanos’ whining about needing a new stadium, the rumors of a move north to LA, and their summary dismissal first of John Carney and now Seau, I’ve had enough.

The Chargers show a lot of promise, and GM John Butler strikes me as a reasonably intelligent guy. But Spanos and company have pretty much done everything in their power to alienate the people of San Diego at every turn. I like watching LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees. They’re exciting young players who may be capable of great things. But at this point, if the price of not having to put up with Spanos is moving the team, I’ll gladly pay it. And I think a lot of people around here agree with that sentiment. He just isn’t worth the trouble.

As for Seau, I’m sure he’ll hook on with another team and be successful wherever he goes. It won’t look right when I see him in different colors. It won’t feel right. And in many ways, it won’t be right. But he’s handled the entire situation with the grace we’ve come to expect from him. And to those folks who live in whatever town he ends up calling home: If Seau is healthy, you’re in for a real treat. He may have lost a step, but you will not see many who play harder or smarter than Seau.

So Junior, thanks for all the wonderful years here and best of luck to you. You’ll be missed more than you can imagine. Wherever you end up, I’m sure you’ll do great. And if your new team plays the Chargers, I hope you kick their butts.

Oh, and one more thing. Please, please, please don’t go to Oakland. It would break a city’s heart.

Spring Training Update for 3/13/03

by Geoff Young on Mar 13, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

NCAA Tourney

You know I don’t care much for college hoops, but holy smokes, the Toreros are going to the dance! They haven’t been in the tourney since a few months before I got there back in 1987. Way to go, guys!

Spring Training Update

  • Say it softly: Vazquez at short (U-T). Ramon Vazquez was named the starting shortstop and leadoff hitter for the Pads. He was expected to hit lower against lefties, but with the season-ending injury to Phil Nevin, Mark Kotsay likely will bat third every day, which keeps Vazquez at the top.
  • Eaton, Loretta have big games in 6-6 tie (U-T). Adam Eaton worked four innings Wednesday, and Bruce Bochy opined that his young right-hander is fully recovered from 2001 surgery.
  • Addition by subtraction? (U-T). The Padres are looking to unload players with long-term contracts such as Bubba Trammell, Kevin Jarvis, and Wiki Gonzalez. They have expressed interest in the Yankees’ Raul Mondesi, the Orioles’ Brook Fordyce (?), and the Mets’ Jeromy Burnitz. Also, some in the organization share Rick Sutcliffe’s fascination with Donaldo Mendez and believe he may eventually push Vazquez to second base. You can pick yourself back up off the floor now. Bochy compares catcher Michael Rivera to the Braves’ Javy Lopez. He also said that lefty Mike Bynum is making a push for the fifth starter spot. Now that would make for an interesting rotation.
  • Nevin-less Padres aren’t dealing yet (NC Times). Phil Nevin’s surgery went well. Kevin Towers isn’t panicking, and so far has resisted efforts by "ambulance chasers" to make a trade. In addition to Mondesi and Burnitz, Tampa Bay’s Ben Grieve (intriguing) is mentioned as a possibility. BTW, if you don’t already know it, Shaun O’Neill at the NC Times probably covers the Padres better than anyone else in town.
  • Kotsay inherits No. 3 spot in order (NC Times). Brian Lawrence worked four strong innings. Luther Hackman became the first Padre reliever to pitch on back-to-back days. Xavier Nady missed yesterday’s game because of groin tightness; it’s not serious and he’s expected to play today. Sean Burroughs experienced soreness in his throwing shoulder but it was attributed to "normal spring soreness." Jaret Wright is recovering well from his strained left oblique; Jay Witasick’s elbow has been slower to heal. Michael Rivera continues to impress.

Reading Material

Picked up John B. Holway’s The Baseball Astrologer the other day. This is basically a collection of unusual baseball stories. Holway is a bit "out there"–ouija boards, UFOs, and of course astrology–but this makes for an interesting read. For instance, thanks to Tony Gwynn and Rogers Hornsby, Tauruses have won the most batting championships. It’s a fact. Take it for whatever you think it’s worth.

What’s really cool about this book, though, are the anectodal pieces. The story of shortstop Jack Lohrke repeatedly defying death is fascinating, as is that of Jim Busby’s 1958 season. An outfielder, Busby played in 113 games for the Orioles that year, hitting an unremarkable .237/.320/.330 (OPS+ 84). But according to Holway, the O’s went 74-37 in games Busby started. When he sat, they went 0-42. Yep, you read that right. They lost all 42 games in which Busby wasn’t in the lineup. I ran a quick Google search but couldn’t come up with anything more about this bizarre feat, so I’ll have to assume Holway, who has written several baseball books–most notably about the Negro Leagues–has done his research. Heck, he thanks Pete Palmer for helping out with stats.

I’m barely in to this thing, and I don’t really know what to make of Holway. But his book certainly is entertaining. And in the end, isn’t that the whole point of baseball anyway?

Here, There, and Everywhere

Thanks to one of the legion of Jeffs for helping me out with the ending to The Langoliers. I feel much better now.

Thanks to another of the Jeffs for pointing out the new Petco Park webcam the other day. Oh, that reminds me. We’re getting a Yahoo fantasy baseball league together. At last check there were eight teams; we’re looking for four more. Drop me a line if interested, and I’ll send you the details.

That’s about all for now. My band Tunesmith will be at Janie’s in Chula Vista tomorrow and Saturday night. Stop by and say hey if you’re in the neighborhood. I’ll be wearing the Hawaiian shirt and Elsinore Storm cap.

How It Is, How It’s Going to Be

by Geoff Young on Mar 10, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

How It Is

Do you have the time to listen to me whine?
–Green Day, "Basket Case"

My new job has me building and editing web sites 8+ hours a day. I’m loving it, but by the time I get off work, my wrists and elbows are shot. The last thing I want to do when I get home is work on a web site.

That said, Ducksnorts ain’t going away. No chance. When I started this site back many moons ago, the idea was to talk about baseball in general and learn some web technology along the way. I’ve had the chance to talk to a lot of baseball fans with many ideas and opinions, which has been awesome. And I’ve learned a lot about baseball, probably the most important lesson being that there’s a lot more to learn. Web technology? Hey, Ducksnorts is at least partially responsible for my current position. Can’t complain there.

There was a point to this. Ah, yes. I started out talking about baseball in general but slowly gravitated toward covering the Padres and its minor league affiliates. My mission has moved from spouting off about anything and everything baseball (there are better places for that–see Baseball Primer) to spreading the word that there is a Major League Baseball team in San Diego and that it’s a pretty darned exciting franchise.

I myself, growing up in Los Angeles, was a Dodger fan until the early-’90s. This is tough to admit, but I used to hate the Padres. I cheered for the Tigers in the 1984 World Series (I had family in Michigan and actually attended a game at Tiger stadium that summer; plus Steve Garvey was a traitor). But after living in San Diego for several years and watching the team, I gradually shifted allegiances. You could say the Padres converted me.

So now here I am. A convert of the worst kind. I’m going to spread the word if it kills me. Memo to the world: The Padres are here; they’re not quite ready to kick serious tail but they’re getting close. And when (not "if") it happens, Ducksnorts will be here to celebrate with y’all. It’s gonna be sweet.

How It’s Going to Be

Okay, this is starting to read like one of those lunatic manifestos, so we’ll shift gears here.

The larger point is that, although Ducksnorts ain’t going away, it’s changing a bit. I’ve thought long and hard about this, and right now the best I can commit to is two blog entries a week. So what I’m going to do is post a long piece on Monday and a shorter piece on Thursday that kind of catches whatever gets missed in the long piece. Anything beyond the two entries a week will be a bonus.

How long will this arrangement last? I have no idea. We’ll see how things go. Rest assured, though, coverage won’t be diminished, it’ll just be distributed a little differently. I’ll also be posting more Padre items over at Baseball Primer so we can bring our plan of global domination to a larger audience.

And speaking of the Padres at Baseball Primer, thanks to all of you who have read and commented on my 2003 Padres preview over there. I’ll keep updating that as situations dictate throughout Spring Training.

Fine, Thanks for Asking

I watch the sea; it helps to anchor me
–Geddy Lee, "My Favorite Headache"

Some of you have asked about the new job and expressed your sympathy at my not being able to visit Petco Park at lunch. Just wanted to let you know, I’m doing well. Working in La Jolla is a very different experience from working downtown, and I do miss Petco Park. But it’s not all bad. Here’s my new favorite lunch spot:

Geoff's lunch spot

I sit on that there bench and watch the seagulls and seals. It’s very calming.

Spring Training Update

Enough babbling. Let’s talk baseball! What’s happened to the Padres this week?

  • Nevin could miss season (U-T). The converted third baseman dislocated his left shoulder while making a diving catch in left field. He’ll have surgery, which likely will cause him to miss the entire 2003 season. Brian Buchanan, Roberto Kelly, and Xavier Nady are listed as in-house candidates to replace Nevin.
  • Padres, Lawrence agree on four-year contract (U-T). The deal reportedly is worth a guaranteed $8 million. The club has an option for 2007. Given Lawrence’s health record and pitching style, this seems like a good investment to me.
  • Perez rocked for three HRs (U-T). Oliver Perez is struggling early. Nobody is particularly concerned. Also, former top prospect Eric Cyr was claimed off waivers by the Angels and Tagg Bozied hit a homer nearly 500 feet in a game.
  • Rousing return for Ramsay (NC Times). Left-hander Rob Ramsay, recovering from brain cancer, retired Ray Durham, Neifi Perez, and Rich Aurilia on five pitches in a game last week. It was Ramsay’s first appearance in a game since September 2001. Ramsay still must undergo chemotherapy every six weeks. He may never appear in a big-league game for San Diego, but his spirit and the way the organization has treated him make me proud to be a Padre fan.

Game Report

Caught most of yesterday’s game against the Cubs. A few quick notes:

  • Oliver Perez is overthrowing according to Rick Sutcliffe, who also claimed that he might be the Padres’ second best outfielder behind Mark Kotsay. He struggled with command of his fastball, which is one of the main things he’s working on this spring.
  • Xavier Nady looked very comfortable in left field and at the plate. First time I’d seen him in the outfield. His arm isn’t great, but it’s stronger than I expected and accurate. He nailed a runner at the plate to end the second; did a good job of charging the ball and throwing while moving toward the target. At the plate he lined two singles and flied to the warning track in right to end the sixth.
  • Shane Victorino, viewed as a replacement for Eugene Kingsale, showed similarities to his predecessor. Long swing from the left side, speed to burn, good arm in center. He’s expected to make the team as a Rule V guy.
  • Brady Anderson is in great shape. He has no bat speed. He also had the best line of the day. Responding to Mark Grant’s question about his off-season workout regimen, Anderson said (the quote may not be 100% accurate, but I assure you the spirit is): "Same as yours; sit around and drink beer."
  • Dennis Tankersley again looked tentative, falling behind in the count too often and allowing an impressive homer to Corey Patterson on a pitch down and in. Sutcliffe mentioned Tankersley’s need to throw first-pitch strikes (in a limited sample, last year batters hit .238/.297/.425 against him after the count was 0-1, as opposed to .310/.504/.560 after a 1-0 count). Sutcliffe also talked about trying to lower Tankersley’s hands so that his arm doesn’t have to catch up to his body. I’m not smart enough to fully understand that, but the important point is that they’re working on his mechanics.
  • Cubs’ Class-A left-hander Felix Sanchez reminded me a bit of Perez. John Sickels gives him a C grade in his upcoming book but Sanchez looked intriguing to me.
  • Darkhorse catcher Miguel Ojeda made a great throw in the sixth, nailing Bobby Hill trying to steal second base on a curve ball in the dirt.
  • Jaret Wright came out of the game after pitching to three batters due to a strained left oblique. No word yet on how long he’s expected out of action.
  • Sutcliffe and Matt Vasgersian sang the praises of Donaldo Mendez, who did manage to hit a ball to the warning track in center in the seventh. I still don’t see it.
  • Sutcliffe speculated that the Padres might try to acquire Kansas City’s Carlos Beltran. That seems far-fetched to me, and I shudder to think of what Kevin Towers would have to part with to make it happen..
  • I have to admit, I was impressed by what I saw of Roberto Kelly. His bat speed appeared to be real good. He might yet be this year’s Ron Gant.

Next televised game: tonight against the Angels at 6 PM on Channel 4.

The Langoliers

Has anybody seen this movie, based on a Stephen King story? I ask because, due to an unfortunate programming error, I didn’t tape the final 10 minutes or so and I’d like to know how it ends. I saw right up until they decided which person would stay awake when they returned through the time rift. If you’ve seen the movie, please drop me a line and let me know what happens. It’s driving me nuts.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s really not all that great. But when you invest that much time into something, you want resolution.

Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

Three Padre prospects made the list: Xavier Nady (#44), Khalil Greene (#57), and Mark Phillips (#84). Tagg Bozied also merited an honorable mention.

Wrap It Up, I’ll Take It

Whew, that was a lot of information. Well, a lot of words anyway. Just to recap:

  • Monday = big report
  • Thursday = little report
  • anything else = gravy

Meantime, I’ll be at Baseball Primer and Fanstop, or you can always drop me a line. Maybe I can do some "mailbag" type columns.

Finally, I leave you with two more sites:

Okay, I’m done now. Really, I am. See ya Thursday…

Welcome to March

by Geoff Young on Mar 05, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

Hello, and welcome to March. Caught a little of the Florida-Georgia basketball game last night. Then I remembered, hey I don’t care about college hoops. Talk about your buzz kill.

Baseball Primer is running a series of team previews for 2003. Check out my contribution when you have a moment or two.

While you’re at it, take a look at this masterpiece by David Brazeal.

That’s all for now. More soon…

Mailbag and Spring Training Update

by Geoff Young on Feb 28, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

Fact: If you forget to pay your bill, they’ll shut off the water. Go ahead; it really works!

Mailbag

I’m too lazy to write, so I’ll let y’all do the job for me. You guys rock!

Diggin’ the ballpark pictures. I used one of the first batch for my background at work, now I got an updated one. Just wanted to let you know your work is appreciated… Keep ‘er up. –Jeff

Half the people I know are named Jeff; if you think you wrote this, you probably did. Anyway, thanks for the love. It’s good to know you’re enjoying the pictures. I’m liking them too, because I no longer get to look at the ballpark every day. But don’t worry, I’ll get more photos; my wife still works downtown. :-)

And some kind souls pointed these out to me; I now share them with you:

  • For Canada’s Rush, immortality to die for (Globe and Mail). Rush bobblehead dolls. Oh, and they’ve been inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The band, not the dolls. That would be silly.

  • 2003 Peak Projections (Prospect Report). Chris Reed’s fascinating projections are back for 2003. Padre highlights:

    • Josh Barfield, .280/.315/.377
    • Jay Bay, .268/.346/.415
    • Tagg Bozied, .230/.285/.395
    • Sean Burroughs, .308/.391/.449
    • Vince Faison, .239/.309/.372
    • Jake Gautreau, .257/.322/.379
    • Khalil Greene, .287/.324/.454
    • Ben Johnson, .246/.342/.390
    • Donaldo Mendez, .210/.261/.315
    • Xavier Nady, .270/.324/.424
    • Alex Pelaez, .275/.311/.393
    • Michael Rivera, .253/.307/.453
    • Ramon Vazquez, .280/.366/.396

    Make of this what you will. I think the system vastly underestimates Bozied, Gautreau, and Nady; then again, it has only statistical output to work with, so that’ll happen sometimes. I also hold out hope that Burroughs will hit for more power than is suggested here.

    But I’m nitpicking. Chris is doing some very interesting work in this area. Check out his full report when you have a few spare moments.

Thanks, guys; keep those letters comin’…

Spring Training Update

Caught a little of the Spring Training Report on Channel 4 last night. A brief summary follows:

  • Xavier Nady is feeling good and will be ready when called. Viewers were reminded that he returned from Tommy John surgery in just 6 months (normal recovery time is 12-18 months).
  • Jaret Wright is throwing very hard and impressing staff. He is looking forward to working out of the Padre ‘pen and welcomes the challenge of closing games, should he be asked to do so.
  • Ryan Klesko has abandoned the goatee in favor of the soul patch. By most accounts, he’s still dreamy.
  • Tagg Bozied talked about his goals for the upcoming season. He said they are more process-oriented and not so much results-oriented. Bozied wants to be more consistent at the plate and in the field. Specifically, he is looking to reduce his strikeouts, increase his walks, and work deeper into counts. This is good news: knowledge is a powerful thing.

More coverage:

From Padres.com

From the U-T

  • Perez as closer intrigues Padres. I have to admit, it intrigues me too. I worry about Perez’ stamina and inefficiency. A move to the bullpen could do wonders for his career. Then again, so could 2-3 fewer pitches an inning.
  • Rockies’ Jones to close here? Tucked away toward the end of this one is this nugget: "Left-hander Eric Cyr became a hot prospect two seasons ago in Class A… But now the club appears to be phasing out the reliever."

That’s all for now. More as it happens…

Peavy, Hoffman, and Spring Training Update

by Geoff Young on Feb 26, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

I’d forgotten how much work a new job can be. Once again, we’ll keep things real short and sweet today.

Jake Peavy

No news, really. Just caught a little of Peavy’s August 13 start at Shea Stadium on TV last night. He allowed five hits and collected three of his own. Even the one time he made an out, to end the top of the first, he had a good at-bat. Man, he’s gonna be fun to watch.

Oh yeah, and when San Diegan Ty Wigginton came to bat, Rush’s "Limelight" blared through the stadium PA. Mark Grant noticed it, and Matt Vasgersian quoted some Rush lyrics (albeit from a different song, on a different album). Sweet.

Yes, I am easily amused. It helps.

Trevor Hoffman

It’s official: Hoffman to undergo shoulder surgery (U-T). This actually isn’t as bad as it sounds. The Padres weren’t likely to contend with him ready to go anyway, he’ll be back by the All-Star break, and there are plenty of in-house candidates to help out until he returns. Hey, maybe one of ‘em picks up some saves while Hoffy’s out and gets traded in July for a prospect or two.

Spring Training Update

Spring Training Update for 2/24/03

by Geoff Young on Feb 24, 2003 (Comments Off) Comments

I don’t have much to say today, so I’ll let others do the talking.

General Interest

Spring Training Update