milton_bradley

Reality: You’re Soaking in It

Tuesday, October 2, 2007
by Geoff Young

Where do I even begin? That this isn't the way I'd wanted to see the season end seems so beyond doubt that it hardly bears mentioning, and yet I just mentioned it. Even though a thing is obvious, it still needs a voice. I hate writing this. I hate thinking this. Honestly? I hate everything about this. But you can't go through life hating, right? Well, you can, but it's probably not a good idea. Besides, it's just baseball. "Just baseball." I hate that, too. Like that somehow negates it all, makes the experience less important, less real. Yeah, buddy, screw you. Anyway. Now you see the problem. I can't even get started. Do I whine about Monday night's outcome (...

Keep reading >>

Posted in Playoffs | 234 Comments »

False Expectation

Tuesday, September 25, 2007
by Geoff Young

For the working magician, the best tool in his toolbox is a little thing we like to call the false expectation. If played right, it can stun an audience into total submission. 1973 Draft Need a break from the current season? My article on the '73 amateur draft is now up at Hardball Times. Where's Dave Winfield when you need him... "What About Bob," the tenth episode of the regrettably short-lived Dresden Files, opens with Harry's father receiving word that he's landed a job on a cruise ship. Moments later, after telling young Harry the good news, the father suffers a heart attack and dies. False expectation. Seems like ...

Keep reading >>

Posted in Baseball | 73 Comments »

Padres tickets Chargers tickets Sports tickets

Jenga, Jenga, Jenga

Monday, September 24, 2007
by Geoff Young

Oh well, we knew it was only a matter of time... It is clear that Milton Bradley has problems. Still, just because you're crazy doesn't mean they're not out to make you crazy. On a more practical note, here's hoping that Bradley's latest episode serves to galvanize the Padres. Oh, and in the above video, the tower's collapse was provoked by external forces.

Posted in Baseball | 97 Comments »

IGD: Padres @ Rockies (9 Sep 07)

Sunday, September 9, 2007
by Geoff Young

Game #142 time:12:05 p.m. PT tv:4SD sp:Chris Young (9-6, 2.63) vs Josh Fogg (8-9, 5.01) pre:Padres.com, B-R.com I liked this pitching matchup a lot better in July. Now would be a good time for Chris Young to remember that he's a dominant big-league pitcher and not some guy who can't find his command. In other news, according to the U-T, "there is no timetable" for Milton Bradley's return. Has there ever been a more appropriate nickname for a ballplayer than Jenga is for Bradley? We admire the skill required to build the tower, ...

Keep reading >>

Posted in In-Game Discussion | 36 Comments »

IGD: Padres @ Phillies (26 Aug 07)

Sunday, August 26, 2007
by Geoff Young

Game #129 time:10:35 a.m. PT tv:4SD sp:Tim Stauffer (0-0, 17.18) vs Kyle Kendrick (6-3, 4.06) pre:Padres.com, SI.com, B-R.com Four things: Glad to see Doug Brocail take care of business with Carlos Ruiz. Plunking the punk in the hip won't hasten Marcus Giles' return from the DL, but it's good to know that guys have each other's backs. And Ruiz is still an idiot. Craig Stansberry, recalled from Triple-A Portland, whacked the first pitch he saw in the big leagues just over the outstretched glove of Philadelphia second baseman Tadahito Iguchi for a single. Stansberry was batting for Rob Mackowiak, who had been announced for Brocail but who was lifted ...

Keep reading >>

Posted in In-Game Discussion | 95 Comments »

IGD: Padres @ Phillies (25 Aug 07)

Saturday, August 25, 2007
by Geoff Young

Game #128 time:4:05 p.m. PT tv:4SD sp:Clay Hensley (2-3, 6.70) vs Kyle Lohse (7-12, 4.61) pre:Padres.com, SI.com, B-R.com Three things: Carlos Ruiz is an idiot. Thanks for lighting a fire under the team's collective posterior. Here's hoping Marcus Giles is okay. Great response by the Padres. Embarrassing the opposition in its home park with a 14-3 whooping is sweet revenge. What did we ever do without Milton Bradley? The Padres score ...

Keep reading >>

Posted in In-Game Discussion | 135 Comments »

Peavy Ties Benes, Bullpen (Barely) Holds On to Beat Mets

Thursday, August 23, 2007
by Geoff Young

Nice to hang on for the win Wednesday night (box score). Congrats to Jake Peavy for tying Andy Benes' career mark for strikeouts by a Padres pitcher. The game wasn't without its white-knuckle moments, aka the ninth inning. Several folks have noted that the Padres are having difficulty closing out games, and I'm happy (or unhappy, really) to report that it's not all in your head: Padres Relievers, First and Second Half PlayerFirst HalfSecond Half IPERABAOBPSLGIPERABAOBPSLG Statistics are through games of August 22, 2007, and are courtesy of Baseball-Reference. Note: Linebrink's numbers are with ...

Keep reading >>

Posted in Game Recaps, Minors | 95 Comments »