My latest at Hardball Times examines how the 1987 draft would have unfolded had we known then what we know now. This is the first of a four-part series and covers picks 1 through 8. Although the Padres didn’t pick until the 10th spot, they would have been affected by the revised fifth pick. In [...]
Tag Archive for ‘hardball times’ 
Me, Elsewhere: Dog Days and Showcases
I’ve got a couple items to share with the class today. One benefit of Ducksnorts’ inclusion in the SweetSpot network is that occasionally I am asked to contribute content to ESPN. Currently they are running a series called “The Dog Days of August” that examines “various teams in the hunt for a playoff spot to [...]
Me, Elsewhere: The Wild, Wild Dominican Summer League
My latest Hardball Times article examines the control of pitchers at various minor-league levels. It actually started out as a blog entry for Ducksnorts but then morphed into something bigger. The inspiration for this piece was a pitcher in the Padres organization named Ivan Marcano. He’s a right-hander for the DSL Padres who has had [...]
Me, Elsewhere: On Petco and Hoyer
I have two new articles of potential interest floating around on teh interwebs. First, Rob Neyer has graciously allowed me to contribute a guest post at his ESPN home. The piece focuses on the Padres’ increased offensive success at home this year: …hitting coach Randy Ready has gotten these guys to do something they haven’t [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Revisiting Some Freakish Starts
My latest Hardball Times article revisits several players who got off to “unusual” starts this year. There isn’t much of a Padres connection, although I suppose there have been rumblings that the club might have interest in Cleveland right-hander Jake Westbrook. Another player featured in the article is Nationals outfielder Josh Willingham. I’ve expressed my [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Not Tall, Just Good
My latest Hardball Times article focuses on the little people. I’m not talking metaphorically here: I thought it might be fun to highlight some players who enjoyed considerable success despite being “vertically challenged.” Since I’m such a fan of creating fake teams, I decided to assemble a squad of short players who were also very [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Call Him Deacon Blues
My latest at Hardball Times recounts the career of former Padres farmhand Warren Newson, who could have had a darned good career if given the chance. The Padres selected Newson in the fourth round of the 1986 January draft (they’d tabbed right-hander Doug Brocail in the first round) and he proceeded to post silly numbers [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Driving to Portland
My latest Hardball Times article recounts the recent road trip Mrs. Ducksnorts and I took up I-5 to Portland. It expands on the little nuggets I provided last week and, like the trip itself, wanders all over the place. We examine some former and current Padres farmhands, a forgotten minor-league star, Portland’s great 1964 rotation, [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Cabrera and Seven Other Second-Year Players
My latest at Hardball Times revisits eight position players who garnered regular playing time as rookies in 2009. Some, such as the Cardinals’ Colby Rasmus and the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen are enjoying terrific sophomore campaigns. Others, such as the White Sox’s Gordon Beckham and the Padres’ Everth Cabrera, are struggling. From the segment on Cabrera: [...]
Me, Elsewhere: Griffey, with a Twist of Whitman
Lost in the madness of last week’s nearly perfect game, Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement. My latest at Hardball Times examines one of the best players I ever saw and includes a story I may have told once or twice but that bears repeating, about the first time I got to see him in [...]
Recent Comments