Spring Training Game 7 Preview: Rockies at Padres

Colorado vs. San Diego
Peoria Sports Complex, 12:05 p.m. PT

Jake Peavy makes his second start of the spring. And while it would be easy to make a joke about wearing a cup here I refuse to do so (mostly because I actually can't think of one funny enough). Glendon Rusch is scheduled to relieve Peavy and if he gives up less than 3 ER's, he could be the front-runner for a rotation spot, especially after Wednesday's game.

We face the Rockies for the first team this year, with Mark Redman scheduled to take the hill. The other obvious comment I will not make here? Whether or not Matt Holliday really touched home plate.

Enough with the past and optimism

So, spring training is under way and games begin soon. But as the local papers scramble to help feed our need for news on the Padres we get stories like this one about Brian Giles, another optimism piece talking about his progress relating to returning from surgery.

But the one thing that has always annoyed me in regards to the media is its tendency to drudge up the past in order to fill space. Hey, in case you haven't heard Matt Holliday never touched home and the Padres barely missed the playoff because of it.

Oh the drudgery of the offseason. Well at least we know that we are now safe until the season starts, and the first time we face the Rockies, and if we meet up again with the playoffs on the line. At least it will all be played out by 2009 right?

The offseason is now here ... somewhat unexpectedly

I don't want to be accused of being a fair-weather fan or any of that garbage but I have to say I am can't really say I'm frustrated over the events of Monday night.

Now I sat there and watched the game and I do agree that Matt Holliday never touched the plate, but in all honesty, the Pads season never should have come down to that slide. In fact, it never should have come down to Tony Gwynn Jr.'s triple on Saturday either. One more win at any time during the season and we're not sitting here now forced to talk about next season and the changes that need to be made.

While I want to secretly believe that the Padres allowed a playoff to happen so Jake Peavy could pick up his 20th win of the season - and further cement his claim on the Cy Young - we really were just a mediocre team after the All-Star break (and I really don't believe that 20-win nonsense, I'm just making conversation). The Pads had been inconsistent ever since Chris Young strained his oblique and while we were the top pitching staff in the NL this year, it was clear that our staff wasn't as good as it was early on.

There are bound to be quite a few changes this winter and it will be interesting to see who Kevin Towers decides to keep around and target in free agency. The only thing I can predict for sure is that things can't remain the same or we may be in a similar spot again next year.

As things heat up this offseason, look for my thoughts on the moves the Padres do and should make and hopefully the pain of Game 163 will be erased as SD sets the tone for the NL in 2008.