All-Time Padres Team

Friday, September 19, 2008
by Geoff Young
Last week I mentioned an all-time Padres team that I've been assembling. This wasn't just an intellectual exercise. Our friends at Seamheads are running a simulation league this off-season with the best players from each big-league franchise, and they invited me to submit a 40-man roster for the Padres. Most of the choices were fairly obvious (I'd already ranked the best players by position in the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual), but some presented a challenge. Usually it came down to questions of longevity versus effectiveness. For example, Luis Salazar spent a lot more time playing third base in San Diego than Gary Sheffield did, but only one of those guys will help you win baseball games. I tried to stick with players who ...
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Posted in Baseball | 6 Comments »

Has Anyone Seen the Part of Me That Cares?

Tuesday, July 8, 2008
by Geoff Young
In Ashland, just around the corner from the Standing Stone Brewery (excellent Oatmeal Stout), there's a cool little comic book store we always make sure to visit. This time, on impulse, I bought every baseball card they had in stock -- 41 packs of maybe 30-40 cards each, separated by team -- for $19. There's everyone in here from Hall-of-Famers Paul Molitor and Eddie Murray to the all-but-forgotten Bill Stein. Heck, I've got Omar Vizquel as a Mariner. Anyway, one of the packs contains nothing but Padres: Broderick Perkins Mike Maddux (x2) Frank Seminara Bip Roberts Jeremy Hernandez (x2) "Eddie" Whitson "Benny" Santiago Tim Teufel (x5) Andy Benes (x3) Rich Rodriguez (x3) Randy Myers (the moderately effective version, not the completely sucky and expensive one; x3) Dan Walters ...
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Posted in Baseball | 58 Comments »

Padres tickets  Chargers tickets  Sports tickets

Matched Pairs: Batters

Monday, January 14, 2008
by Geoff Young
I'm addicted to Baseball-Reference's PI tool. For grins I ran a search on everyone who has accumulated 1500 or more career plate appearances with the Padres (39 in total) and ordered them from top (Fred McGriff) to bottom (Enzo Hernandez) according to OPS+. Then I looked for "matched pairs" -- guys who have the same OPS+ (give or take a point). The rankings referenced in each entry are from the upcoming Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual. Let the fun begin: Another Retired Number? PlayerYearsPABAOBPSLGOPS+ Ryan Klesko2000-20063333.279.381.491134 Dave Winfield1973-19804512.284.357.464134 I've got Klesko as the best first baseman in club history and #6 left fielder. Winfield is the #2 right fielder and tied for 10th in left field. Logjam in Center Field PlayerYearsPABAOBPSLGOPS+ Mark Kotsay2001-20031647.283.355.426112 Steve Finley1995-19982640.276.334.458112 Kevin McReynolds1983-19861983.263.319.438111 It's amazing to me ...
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Posted in 2008 Annual | 32 Comments »

Interview: Steve Poltz, Part 4

Thursday, December 6, 2007
by Geoff Young
In Part 3 of our chat with singer/songwriter/Padre fan Steve Poltz (poltz.com), Steve discussed the connections between music and baseball, Jewel, and the Ramones. In the latest installment, Steve talks about the Roseanne Barr incident, running up Bruce Bochy's minibar tab at a hotel, and pelting his parents' walls with marbles as part of a childhood baseball game he'd invented... *** Ducksnorts: Getting back to baseball, what are some of your favorite memories from watching the Padres play -- or really any baseball memories? Steve Poltz: I'll always remember being at the game watching Roseanne Barr sing the national anthem and laughing so hard, thinking it was awesome because she was so funny -- not even thinking it ...
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Posted in Interviews | 175 Comments »