Tag Archive for ‘albert pujols’ rss

Rizzomania

First baseman Anthony Rizzo been recalled by the Padres, and the hype machine is in full effect. Rizzo, acquired in the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston, should feel no pressure trying to replace a hometown kid who is one of the best hitters ever to don a Padres uniform. Nor should he suffer [...]

Like Taking Candy from Fish in a Barrel

Swept by the hated Mariners by a combined score of 14-2? Nice of the Padres to make a cameo in Seattle’s weekend romp through our humble hamlet. The Padres are now 8-18 at Petco Park and have been outscored 109-59, or by roughly two runs a game. Here is where pithy commentary on an increasingly [...]

I Missed It, but Maybin Didn’t

We were stuck in Dodger Stadium traffic but weren’t on our way to the deservedly hyped Clayton Kershaw/Tim Lincecum pitching matchup (probably just as well). We had tickets to see the pilot of a sitcom that hopefully will air this fall. I’m not a fan of the genre, but this show has a great cast [...]

One-Hit Wonders: John Urrea to Jaret Wright

This is Part 13 of a 13-part series examining the 65 men who have collected exactly one hit as a member of the San Diego Padres. The current installment features a man who once outpitched Dennis Martinez in the minor leagues, a high school teammate of Kerry Wood, one piece of the Ken Caminiti trade, [...]

Hungry. Thirsty. Whatever.

A poet friend and I exchanged Sarah Vaughan tunes on Saturday morning. I served with “Shadow of Your Smile”; he returned with “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” — nothing but aces with The Divine One. Her voice and a pot of freshly ground French roast go a long way toward wiping away [...]

Sunday Links (30 May 10)

I’m a little behind in my reading. Here are few items you might enjoy… The FanGraphs UZR Primer (FanGraphs). MGL continues his fascinating foray into the world of defensive metrics. Rebuilding not part of Peavy’s plan (MLB.com). Quoth ex-Padre Jake Peavy: “At this point in my career, I certainly don’t want to be a part [...]

I’d Like to Be You for a Day

What’s up with Jerry Hairston Jr.? The guy is hitting .225/.268/.271 with zero homers in 141 PA when the Cardinals come to town. Next thing you know, he’s got back-to-back game-winning jacks. I thought the other Hairston did that sort of thing. It’s like he borrowed Scott’s mojo: Jerry: Hey bro, I’m kind of sucking [...]

Youngsters and Salary Dumps

We’ve been tracking a few key young players since the All-Star break using Modified Box Scores (explanation). Let’s see how these kids are doing as measured by more conventional metrics. Bear in mind that we’re talking about 31 games, a tiny sample. First, the Padres as a team: Padres Offense, First and Second Half   [...]

Blast from the Past: Arizona Dreamin’

I usually make one or two trips out to Phoenix each year. Spring training has become a must, and I always enjoy taking in some Arizona Fall League games. Today, we’re all about the AFL… and whatever else happened to come with it on a particular journey… and whatever else that triggers in my mind, [...]

Gonzalez Garners Gold Glove

Congrats to Adrian Gonzalez for winning the first Gold Glove Award of his career. Although I’m thrilled for Gonzalez, who according to my eyes is a fantastic first baseman, I have mixed feelings about this choice from a group that essentially throws darts and hopes for the best. Albert Pujols (superior hitter) and Derrek Lee [...]