First things first - Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there. Now on to the real business.
The list of potential CF's shortened by one on turkey day as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (got to be PC around here) signed Torii Hunter to a 5 year $80 million dollar deal.
Most of us Pads fans were pretty sure Hunter was going to be out of our price range anyway but now the point is moot. Time to turn our attention elsewhere.
Speaking of FA signings, we will definitely have a new 2B next year now that Geoff Blum has signed a 1 year deal with Houston.
It's not time to panic but as teams are starting to fill their rosters now it would be nice to see more than just the re-signing of Greg Maddux and adding four minor leaguers.
But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I will leave with one final thought - at least we aren't feeding the A-Rod beast. Good luck with that New York, we saw how that worked before.
Showing posts with label Houston Astros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Houston Astros. Show all posts
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tough start on the road
I realize I have been lax in updating the blog but between quitting my old job, starting my new job and my brother-in-law coming home for the first time in 2 years, the blog has been last on my to do list.
Things seem to have gotten worse since the last time I wrote. SD lost 2 of 3 to the Astros and then Trevor Hoffman blows the save in New York in the opening game of an East Coast road trip. Not a whole lot seems to have changed lately - the offense is still inconsistent as guys try to find their strokes, the pen seems to be wearing down and even the starting pitching looks like it's reaching its limits. At this rate SD could be out of the playoff hunt in a week.
Positives? Milton Bradley is back in the lineup and still seems to be swinging a steady bat and for all of the talk that circulates about needing to be hot entering the playoffs just remember St. Louis won the World Series last year after almost missing out on the playoffs on the last day of the season. By no means do I want the Pads to go in that way but I think just making the playoffs at this point is the main goal.
The rest of the season is going to be a roller coaster so it's at this point that we as fans just need to sit back and see what happens - and hope for the best even though the process could be extremely agonizing.
Things seem to have gotten worse since the last time I wrote. SD lost 2 of 3 to the Astros and then Trevor Hoffman blows the save in New York in the opening game of an East Coast road trip. Not a whole lot seems to have changed lately - the offense is still inconsistent as guys try to find their strokes, the pen seems to be wearing down and even the starting pitching looks like it's reaching its limits. At this rate SD could be out of the playoff hunt in a week.
Positives? Milton Bradley is back in the lineup and still seems to be swinging a steady bat and for all of the talk that circulates about needing to be hot entering the playoffs just remember St. Louis won the World Series last year after almost missing out on the playoffs on the last day of the season. By no means do I want the Pads to go in that way but I think just making the playoffs at this point is the main goal.
The rest of the season is going to be a roller coaster so it's at this point that we as fans just need to sit back and see what happens - and hope for the best even though the process could be extremely agonizing.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Big inning leads to series win
Two things stick out to me from Thursday night's game.
1. How about the offense scoring 9 in the 5th? Cavernous Petco looked more like Coors last night (yes, I realize a lot of people are writing the same thing) with an 11-9 outcome. But with the deep fences and long alleyways in Petco, should it really be a surprise to see teams take advantage of all that green in the outfield as they hit it to the gaps? Nice to see the comeback and then see the Padres hold on for the win.
2. Our team is definitely an enigma. There are some teams, no matter what year or what sport, that you can just predict how they will win and where the trouble spots will be. Not so with the Padres. Last night it was the offense that came through after SD fell behind but the lead was almost squandered by the pitching and defense when most people would say those are the Padres strengths. They have mainly been a pitching team throughout the year but it seems of late our starters are having trouble getting deep into games and the pen looks likes it wearing down. I realize Kevin Towers is doing everything he can to spare the pen (getting rid of David Wells and running an all-night shuttle between SD and Portland so as to bring up and rest a different batch of arms every night) but what really needs to happen is the Padres need to get 2-3 consecutive starts to last 7 innings or more.
In Denver, it looks like the writers are already saying this game could be the breaking point for the Rockies but if you ask me, wouldn't you need to see another game and see how the team bounces back from a loss like this before you start calling it the end of a playoff run. The best part is the fact where Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the manager has looked like a genius because his pen has held up so well lately but last night seems to erase all of that.
They're hitting the panic button in the Rockies, which should now make this a race between the Padres and the Diamondbacks but just in case Colorado isn't done after one bad game, let's hope the team can put it all together against Houston this weekend.
1. How about the offense scoring 9 in the 5th? Cavernous Petco looked more like Coors last night (yes, I realize a lot of people are writing the same thing) with an 11-9 outcome. But with the deep fences and long alleyways in Petco, should it really be a surprise to see teams take advantage of all that green in the outfield as they hit it to the gaps? Nice to see the comeback and then see the Padres hold on for the win.
2. Our team is definitely an enigma. There are some teams, no matter what year or what sport, that you can just predict how they will win and where the trouble spots will be. Not so with the Padres. Last night it was the offense that came through after SD fell behind but the lead was almost squandered by the pitching and defense when most people would say those are the Padres strengths. They have mainly been a pitching team throughout the year but it seems of late our starters are having trouble getting deep into games and the pen looks likes it wearing down. I realize Kevin Towers is doing everything he can to spare the pen (getting rid of David Wells and running an all-night shuttle between SD and Portland so as to bring up and rest a different batch of arms every night) but what really needs to happen is the Padres need to get 2-3 consecutive starts to last 7 innings or more.
In Denver, it looks like the writers are already saying this game could be the breaking point for the Rockies but if you ask me, wouldn't you need to see another game and see how the team bounces back from a loss like this before you start calling it the end of a playoff run. The best part is the fact where Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the manager has looked like a genius because his pen has held up so well lately but last night seems to erase all of that.
They're hitting the panic button in the Rockies, which should now make this a race between the Padres and the Diamondbacks but just in case Colorado isn't done after one bad game, let's hope the team can put it all together against Houston this weekend.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Padres end up buying as trade deadline passes
I don't know about you but after all of the deals the Padres had made before today, I didn't think Kevin Towers would pull the trigger on any more deals but alas, SD is welcoming four new players into the organization: Rob Mackowiak, Morgan Ensburg, Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup.
The truly masterful stroke of all of this dealing though is the fact that the only real player with any experience in the majors is Royce Ring - which I would say is a pretty good deal.
I do admit though that I am a little puzzled by the move to acquire Ensburg since SD clearly wanted Mark Loretta or Mike Lamb from the Astros. And the fact that Houston designated him for assignment and seemingly gave up on him raises a red flag, but maybe a change of scenery will help like it did for Milton Bradley. Mackowiak's comments on being traded make me think he doesn't want to be on his way to SD either but maybe when he is on a winning team again that will change.
The best thing about all of these moves though is the fact that it signifies Towers and company are not satisfied with the team this is now and want to do what they can to make sure we get past the first round of the playoffs.
The depth of the bench just a major boost and it will be interesting to see how all of these pieces fit together. This is a great time to be a Padres fan. Now let's hope they can get back on track against the Diamondbacks.
The truly masterful stroke of all of this dealing though is the fact that the only real player with any experience in the majors is Royce Ring - which I would say is a pretty good deal.
I do admit though that I am a little puzzled by the move to acquire Ensburg since SD clearly wanted Mark Loretta or Mike Lamb from the Astros. And the fact that Houston designated him for assignment and seemingly gave up on him raises a red flag, but maybe a change of scenery will help like it did for Milton Bradley. Mackowiak's comments on being traded make me think he doesn't want to be on his way to SD either but maybe when he is on a winning team again that will change.
The best thing about all of these moves though is the fact that it signifies Towers and company are not satisfied with the team this is now and want to do what they can to make sure we get past the first round of the playoffs.
The depth of the bench just a major boost and it will be interesting to see how all of these pieces fit together. This is a great time to be a Padres fan. Now let's hope they can get back on track against the Diamondbacks.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Adding to the W column
I never thought that in a season in which the Padres are one of the top teams in the NL, that a single win would be such a relief. But after all of the struggles of late it was nice to see Jake Peavy finally pick up win No. 10 in a 9-4 romp over the Astros on Friday.
This game actually had no business being this close though as SD was actually up 9-1 in the bottom of the ninth before Houston tried to mount a come back. I give the front office credit for trying to see exactly what they have acquired for Scott Linebrink but does anyone else find it odd that a pitcher can save his ERA by just committing an error and only allowing those runners to score.
Anyone who just looks at the box score will notice that the newly acquired Joe Thatcher still has an ERA of 0.00 but his 1/3 of an inning resulted in 3 runs, 1 hit and 1 walk - and the need for Heath Bell to come in and get the last two outs before giving up the game.
Obviously this one game doesn't make or break a career but it is a reminder that sometimes stats don't tell the entire story. Let's hope the Padres can make it 2 in a row tomorrow (it seems like it has been such a long time since that has happened). Greg Maddux takes the hill so let's hope Bud Black can remember the number 65.
This game actually had no business being this close though as SD was actually up 9-1 in the bottom of the ninth before Houston tried to mount a come back. I give the front office credit for trying to see exactly what they have acquired for Scott Linebrink but does anyone else find it odd that a pitcher can save his ERA by just committing an error and only allowing those runners to score.
Anyone who just looks at the box score will notice that the newly acquired Joe Thatcher still has an ERA of 0.00 but his 1/3 of an inning resulted in 3 runs, 1 hit and 1 walk - and the need for Heath Bell to come in and get the last two outs before giving up the game.
Obviously this one game doesn't make or break a career but it is a reminder that sometimes stats don't tell the entire story. Let's hope the Padres can make it 2 in a row tomorrow (it seems like it has been such a long time since that has happened). Greg Maddux takes the hill so let's hope Bud Black can remember the number 65.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Still walking a slippery sloap
April was good, May was better, June was okay.
Then came July and it seems that any momentum SD has built this year has vanished. Not only are the Padres losing games against teams they should be beating, but they are getting hammered. SD's run differential in July? The Padres have been outscored 113-68 as of Thursday's 7-1 loss in Houston.
I know I have suggested this before but with the call-up of Clay Hensley and the struggles of David Wells, I think it is time to move Wells to the pen and give Hensley another shot at starting. Even though Hensley has been struggling this year in the majors and minors, he looked like he was turning things around as he pitched 3 shutout innings Thursday.
My biggest question is, what could this switch hurt. Wells obviously doesn't have the stamina he used to and giving up 7 runs in 3 innings shouldn't be too hard for a guy like Hensley to top, who has had success before in the majors. It is a known fact that Wells can only go about 5 innings anyways so why not let him pitch fewer innings and keep his arm fresh for the postseason.
It's obvious more changes need to made, and that does not necessarily mean making a trade. Bud Black has tried shaking up the lineup and now I think it's time to shake up the pitching staff. The Padres have not had a lot of success from their starters of late so a change like this could help stir the guys up and get them going in the right direction again.
What do you guys think needs to be done? Is a change in the rotation a good move? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
Then came July and it seems that any momentum SD has built this year has vanished. Not only are the Padres losing games against teams they should be beating, but they are getting hammered. SD's run differential in July? The Padres have been outscored 113-68 as of Thursday's 7-1 loss in Houston.
I know I have suggested this before but with the call-up of Clay Hensley and the struggles of David Wells, I think it is time to move Wells to the pen and give Hensley another shot at starting. Even though Hensley has been struggling this year in the majors and minors, he looked like he was turning things around as he pitched 3 shutout innings Thursday.
My biggest question is, what could this switch hurt. Wells obviously doesn't have the stamina he used to and giving up 7 runs in 3 innings shouldn't be too hard for a guy like Hensley to top, who has had success before in the majors. It is a known fact that Wells can only go about 5 innings anyways so why not let him pitch fewer innings and keep his arm fresh for the postseason.
It's obvious more changes need to made, and that does not necessarily mean making a trade. Bud Black has tried shaking up the lineup and now I think it's time to shake up the pitching staff. The Padres have not had a lot of success from their starters of late so a change like this could help stir the guys up and get them going in the right direction again.
What do you guys think needs to be done? Is a change in the rotation a good move? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Linebrink traded to Milwaukee
I wish I had something insightful and useful to say as far as the Scott Linebrink trade is concerned but after ready what Anthony had to say over at Friar Watch, he pretty much gives all the details we need to know about the young guys SD gets and what they can bring to the club.
As far as Wednesday's game is concerned, SD got absolutely shelled by a guy who threw only 74 pitches and should be getting shelled himself considering the type of season he is having. While I admit that all good teams eventually slump at some point, you still can't lose games to teams like the Rockies when they send pitchers like Aaron Cook to the mound. His season stats beg for him to get knocked around every game and SD should be able to do that.
Now I have said before that you need to ride these things out a little bit before panicking, but I am starting to seriously wonder if the Padres have enough consistent offense to make the playoffs. Sure we can put up runs with the best teams but it seems when one or two guys begin to struggle there is no one there to pick up the slack. Adrian Gonzalez seems to finally be hitting the ball again but where is the support?
It would be nice if we could save some of the offensive outbursts the team seems to regularly have and stretch them out over a few games so SD could notch more wins but sometimes you just have to take what you get when you can get it, and if you are the Padres you never turn down any form of offense. Let's hope someone else finds their stroke at Minute Maid park this weekend. SD is going to need it with David Wells taking the mound to open the series.
As far as Wednesday's game is concerned, SD got absolutely shelled by a guy who threw only 74 pitches and should be getting shelled himself considering the type of season he is having. While I admit that all good teams eventually slump at some point, you still can't lose games to teams like the Rockies when they send pitchers like Aaron Cook to the mound. His season stats beg for him to get knocked around every game and SD should be able to do that.
Now I have said before that you need to ride these things out a little bit before panicking, but I am starting to seriously wonder if the Padres have enough consistent offense to make the playoffs. Sure we can put up runs with the best teams but it seems when one or two guys begin to struggle there is no one there to pick up the slack. Adrian Gonzalez seems to finally be hitting the ball again but where is the support?
It would be nice if we could save some of the offensive outbursts the team seems to regularly have and stretch them out over a few games so SD could notch more wins but sometimes you just have to take what you get when you can get it, and if you are the Padres you never turn down any form of offense. Let's hope someone else finds their stroke at Minute Maid park this weekend. SD is going to need it with David Wells taking the mound to open the series.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Flashback Friday: Greg Maddux
I'm tired of complaining about the latest losing streak so I thought I would introduce a regular segment that looks back at the beginnings of some of the more "seasoned" veterans on the team (Note: I realize this post finally made it up after the Padres won Friday night but I did start this before the game).
Inspired by Wednesday's matchup between two future Hall-of-Famers, I decided to look back to the first appearance of Greg Maddux back on September 2, 1986 when his Chicago Cubs lost to the Houston Astros 8-7 in 18 innings.
Maddux, a 20-year-old end of season call up, actually entered the game as a pinch runner in the bottom of the 17th for catcher Jody Davis - moving to pitcher at the top of the 18th. After getting Craig Reynolds to groundout to second to lead off the inning Maddux gave up the game-winning run to Billy Hatcher on a home run. Maddux settled down and got the last two outs but the damage had been done. Maddux picked up the loss and ended the game with an ERA of 9.00. Quite the forgettable beginning.
By the way, one other player from that game is still active, current Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, who started for Chicago and faced off against Nolan Ryan. Future MLB manages Davey Lopes, Phil Garner and Terry Francona all were players in that game and current Padres outfield Jose Cruz Jr's father was in the outfield for the Astros.
Maddux finished his shortened '86 season 2-4 with a 5.52 ERA and '87 wasn't much better (6-14, 5.61). But in his second full season he turned things around, going 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA and after 21 seasons (plus seven appearances in 2007), Maddux is 335-205 with a 3.07 lifetime ERA and 3,195 strikeouts in 4,658 innings pitched - future Hall of Fame numbers.
Not bad for a guy who was 8-18 in his first 36 games.
(One final note: Game and career information was obtained from baseball-reference.com.)
Inspired by Wednesday's matchup between two future Hall-of-Famers, I decided to look back to the first appearance of Greg Maddux back on September 2, 1986 when his Chicago Cubs lost to the Houston Astros 8-7 in 18 innings.
Maddux, a 20-year-old end of season call up, actually entered the game as a pinch runner in the bottom of the 17th for catcher Jody Davis - moving to pitcher at the top of the 18th. After getting Craig Reynolds to groundout to second to lead off the inning Maddux gave up the game-winning run to Billy Hatcher on a home run. Maddux settled down and got the last two outs but the damage had been done. Maddux picked up the loss and ended the game with an ERA of 9.00. Quite the forgettable beginning.
By the way, one other player from that game is still active, current Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, who started for Chicago and faced off against Nolan Ryan. Future MLB manages Davey Lopes, Phil Garner and Terry Francona all were players in that game and current Padres outfield Jose Cruz Jr's father was in the outfield for the Astros.
Maddux finished his shortened '86 season 2-4 with a 5.52 ERA and '87 wasn't much better (6-14, 5.61). But in his second full season he turned things around, going 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA and after 21 seasons (plus seven appearances in 2007), Maddux is 335-205 with a 3.07 lifetime ERA and 3,195 strikeouts in 4,658 innings pitched - future Hall of Fame numbers.
Not bad for a guy who was 8-18 in his first 36 games.
(One final note: Game and career information was obtained from baseball-reference.com.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
