What every Padres fan should know, Part 1

Let me get some housekeeping items out of the way before I start. First, this is not a guide to viewing games at Petco. Truth be told I have never been to Petco Park, I currently live in DC and I haven't seen the Padres in San Diego since 1994. In fact, I think the last game I went to was the first game of the double header in which Tony Gwynn collected his 2,000th hit.

Second, this is not a guide to being a fan in San Diego but is rather the opposite. I have lived among high concentrations of Colorado Rockies fans, Washington Nationals fans and Baltimore Orioles fans since 1994 and as such, your perspective about your team changes when you understand how other fans view your team. That is what I will talk about in this first part so without further delay, here is what fans need to know.

1. The Adrian Gonzalez rule. The player may change but the general rule still applies, and it applies to most teams, most players are not as popular away from home. Take Gonzalez's case - he is the premier power hitter in the lineup, is a hometown boy and put up numbers comparable to a certain Crime Dog when he played in town. But outside of SD, Gonzalez doesn't compare to the league's other 1B's, or does he? Ducksnorts has a pretty good breakdown showing that Gonzalez has put up some top slugging numbers on the road. Which brings me to my second point:
   
2. You will probably never convince opposing fans how good our players are until they see them in person. If you ask people in DC who the next big 3B will be, any Nationals fan is ready to argue that Ryan Zimmerman is a superstar in the making. Ask the same thing on the opposite coast and Kevin Kouzmanoff's name will dominate the conversation. I have seen both play last year in DC and guess what, they both have potential ... and they both have some work to do before they are even in a superstar conversation.
3. Our pitching staff is overrated by us and underrated by almost everyone else. The knocks against our staff by others, Jake Peavy and Chris Young had career years and aren't that good, Greg Maddux hasn't been an ace in 10 years and Mark Prior and Randy Wolf couldn't stay healthy even if they pitched for a team made up of doctors. Well, Peavy is a perennial Cy Young contender, Young is becoming more consistent, Maddux isn't supposed to be a staff ace and Wolf and Prior don't have to carry the load so whatever innings they turn in are worth the (relatively) small investments we have made in them.
4. The fan base actually travels well to some places. Maybe the lack of a team in the area for more than 30 years had something to do with it but for the past two years when I have gone to Nationals games against the Padres, there are just as many (if not more) Padres fans in attendance than Nats fans. We are no Red Sox nation but I know you didn't see any Pirates fans a week later when Pittsburgh came to town (but then again that was the Pirates). I can't speak for many other places but I do remember a decent fan base at Rockies games a few years back as well.

Hopefully I haven't rambled too much but these were the first things that came to mind. So now I turn the floor over to you, what are some other things every Padres fan should know? After I get some responses I will add Part 2, and you can bet there will be some info on helping Dodgers fans face reality.

Spring recap No. 18: Padres 6, Dodgers 3

Alright, so the Padres leave China with a winning record over the Dodgers after beating them 6-3 sometime while most of us slept Saturday night/Sunday morning.

A bunch of minor league pitchers with no shot at making the major league roster held the Dodgers to 3 runs while Scott Hairston knocked in 2 runs, Kevin Kouzmanoff knocked in another and Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Stateside, the game against the Rockies was rained out which in turn pushed back Brian Giles' 1st appearance this spring.

Spring Training Game 19 Preview: Padres at Rockies

At Hi Corbett Field, 1:05 p.m. PT
Starters: Jeff Francis (Col) vs. Shawn Estes (SD)

Padres are everywhere as Estes leads a split squad against the Rockies, Jake Peavy starts a minor league at the Peoria Sports Complex (also at 1:05 p.m. PT) and the China Team also took on the Dodgers sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, with Cesar Ramos starting.

Peavy, Chris Young and Greg Maddux are all scheduled to stay behind as the Padres travel through Tucson, instead relying on minor leaguers to power what remains of the team. Apparently the China Team will get back Monday night but may not see action until Thursday so they can get over the jetlag from the long trip.

Of course even that may not be enough time as my in-laws recently went to Malaysia on a business trip/vacation and they've been back a couple of weeks and are still getting over the traveling. Let's just hope this doesn't ruin our opener.

Spring recap No. 7: Padres 10, Rockies 3

Well, it looks like we've gotten that early fragility warning on Jim Edmonds we all feared. Apparently it is only a strained calf but his return is uncertain. Rather than speculate on a Plan B, let's just look at some of the happenings of yesterday's game.

Jake Peavy apparently is in fine form, striking out 4 in 3 innings but just to point out both sides, he also gave up 2 runs and 4 hits.

Glendon Rusch put in a solid performance yesterday and possibly solidified himself as a possible starter candidate with a no runs, no hits and only 1 walk in 2 IP yesterday. He also notched 2 K's. Trevor Hoffman also had goose eggs in runs and hits in 1 IP yesterday.

Tony Clark is going to be invaluable off the bench. I am not basing this statement on his 2-for-3, 1 RBI performance yesterday, but that sure does put the mind at ease as far as pinch hitters go.

Will Venable seems to be putting together a decent spring as well, going 1-for-2 to raise his BA to .400 while hitting his 2nd HR of the spring and driving in 2. Apparently the future in CF may not be as far away as we think, but I still think we need Edmonds for '08.

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?

Early predictions for the NL West

First things first: I apologize this did not get up on Monday as promised. As most of you probably know, life has a funny way of shifting priorities. But enough excuses.

As Jan. winds down, it's time for anyone and everyone to start making predictions. So starting today, here are my breakdowns of the NL West and the Padres. Today's prediction is the order in which the teams will finish in the division with a short reason why. (Disclaimer: Since it is Jan., I reserve the right to change my predictions based on potential injuries during Spring Training. You didn't seriously think I would allow myself to be held completely to these did you?)

1. Diamondbacks: It would be easy to go with the homer pick here but AZ really surprised everyone last year, especially those who said '08 would be their year. Well, it's now '08 and they have added Dan Haren to the rotation. This team will be tough to beat again and probably has the best shot at winning the division.

2. Padres: You didn't think I'd pick them to finish any lower did you? In midseason they were the best team in the NL but they faded fast and eventually lost game 163 to Colorado. Mark Prior and Randy Wolf are interesting additions to the rotation and along with Jim Edmonds and Tadahito Iguchi this team has made some changes in hopes of playing a little longer in '08. These moves should work.

3. Rockies: They needed to win 21 of their last 22 to make the playoffs and then swept through the NL before being swept out by the Red Sox. Kip Wells is not the answer to replace the "Dragon Slayer" Josh Fogg though and no one will be caught off guard this time. However, Matt Holliday is really good, even if he never touched the plate.

4. Dodgers: Call this a hater pick if you want but Joe Torre does not equal playoffs for the boys in blue. This team still has a lot of work to do and will need more than one year for Torre to work his magic.

5. Giants: This organization is currently a mess and we will definitely need a scorecard to tell who the players are, but they are finally escaping the loooooong shadow of Barry Bonds. But they are still a couple of years away from actually turning this thing around and they should safely be entrenched in the basement by the end of April.

There you have it. Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments.

Did the NL West just get tougher?

It's finally official, Joe Torre is now in charge of the underachieving Dodgers. And naturally all sorts of Padres followers are asking how this hire affects the NL West as a whole.

Like I have said before, Torre is a good manager but I question how well he fits with LA. But I am not going to get into that discussion again. What I want to talk about is how hard the NL West could be in 2008 if this move pays off for the Dodgers.

SD ended 2007 by falling 1 game short of the playoffs, losing out to eventual NL champ Colorado in a wild card playoff. Arizona played well above expectations and a streaking Colorado bumped us out of the mix. If things were to remain the same for AZ and Colorado, along with an LA team helmed by Torre playing well, more than one team in the division will be guaranteed an early start on the offseason again.

If Torre gets the Dodgers to live up to their potential, the NL West should clearly become the toughest division in baseball, despite the fact that SF will most likely be terrible again.

While I am not a proponent of throwing money around hoping a championship can be bought (I have watched my Washington Redskins try that approach year after year with no success), I do think this hire requires some smart moves this offseason, something Kevin Towers always seems to be ready for. The obvious areas are the backend of the rotation and the outfield, but even a strong middle reliever could be good enough.

Again, I am not proposing wholesale changes and a shopping spree, but some noise needs to be made. A lot is being made about getting a top name center fielder but even re-signing left fielder Milton Bradley is a great start. But with a thin - and overpriced - market for the other outfield positions, this could be the Padres biggest challenge. Somehow I think Towers pulls this off given what happened at the end of the year and don't be surprised if help once again comes in the form of a trade.

As the stove warms up there will be plenty more rumors to discuss and available players to drool over but for now the consensus is this - no one in the NL West is safe after last year and something obvious has to be done to improve. If it doesn't happen, the Pads will once again be on the outside of the playoffs.

2007 recaps: Offense

Alright, It's been almost two weeks now since Colorado prevented the Pads from making the 2007 postseason. To me, that means it has been long enough since the end of the season to now recap the 2007 season without two much bitterness. Today I will start with the offense.

In my opinion, the offense this season was maddeningly inconsistent. While the Padres scored 741 runs and only allowed 666 (that's an ominous number), it seems like many winnable games were lost this season that again, any one of which could have send SD to the postseason.

Adrian Gonzalez led the team with 30 home runs - but that was way too low for the way he started the season, he should have reached 40 and knocked in more than 100 RBI. However, this was only his second full season and so I am sure he will continue to progress and avoid three-month long slumps in the future.

Khalil Greene was second on the team in HRs (27) and RBI (97) but he also struck out 128 times. Remarkably Gonzalez (140) and Mike Cameron (160) struck out more than him but it seemed like he always struck out. I guess he only hit .254 so maybe that's why it felt like more K's than it really was.

I liked Brian Giles once he was moved into the leadoff spot this year. He is a shell of the power hitter he once was (although he had quite a few multi-HR games during dry spells for the rest of the O), but he knew how to get on base (.361). If we decide to once again not worry about stealing bases, Giles could be an interesting candidate for the leadoff spot again - but that is a discussion for later this offseason.

I liked the additions of Milton Bradley and Scott Hairston during the season, especially the spark that Bradley provided, but for the most part the only other offensive players I won't mind having back are Kevin Kouzmanoff and Josh Bard, but again, another topic for another day.

One final thing I will say is that a return to the playoffs will hinge on getting the pitchers run support next season and this year's crew didn't cut it, meaning changes will need to be made. There are some interesting pieces here and it showed during 2007. Now lets see the Pads take the next step in 2008. A review of the starting pitching is up next.

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.

Bonus baseball ... but not the playoffs yet

So Brett Tomko couldn't get the job done and now the Pads are subjected to trying to win a tie breaker match against the Rockies at Coors Field. I lived in Colorado for almost 7 years and they never had a team this good, even with the "Blake Street Bombers" so this will be a big scene.

Apparently Bud Black's plan to "save" Jake Peavy for Monday will come off as paying off but I am still confused about the decision. Shouldn't the plan have been to win Sunday? I realize Tomko has been decent for us and had never lost at Miller Park until Sunday, but wouldn't you rather put your chips on Peavy with three days rest than any form of Tomko?

And now it sounds like Peavy may have to wait until Game 3 of the NLDS to pitch, assuming we beat Colorado. Is anyone else as nervous about this situation as I am? I am usually a fan that always gives my team way more credit than it deserves, but - to quote Star Wars - "I've got a bad feeling about this." Especially since Peavy and Greg Maddux have been the only stable starters we have had since the All-Star break.

I guess if there is at least one thing to take solice in, it's that at least we get to see the Pads play at least one more game than the non-playoff teams.

True playoff excitement

While listening to ESPN Radio on my drive home last night, an interesting scenario was brought up. Apparently, if the Pads, D-hacks, Mets, Phils and Rockies all finish the season with the same record, it would extend the season until Oct. 4 because it would take that long to play enough games to sort out the mess. Now that's what I call playoff fever!

Another big win for SD on Thursday (of course every win is huge at this point) but the best part was that Jack Cassel went a whole 4 2/3 in his start. Amazingly he only gave up two runs before he was pulled but it seems like when Cassel starts, it's more of a bullpen start. Hopefully there is only one more of those in our immediate future.

With the final three games also in Milwaukee, this will be the series that defines the season. The Pads have maintained their lead in the wild card up to this point but that is no guarantee as we are facing a Brewers squad that is also fighting desperately to keep its playoff aspirations alive. Should make for a tough end to the season but as the saying goes: "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Hopefully we're strong enough to survive this.

Winning clutch games

Between watching the chases for the various division pennants and with the start of football season, it has occurred to me - and maybe that's just because I'm slow - that there are certain franchises that just win clutch games.

The most obvious example of this for me is an NFL one (sorry guys), the New England Patriots (sorry again). It doesn't seem to matter what hype is surrounding what upstart team, the Pats just seem to get the job done and are a constant contender for the Super Bowl.

The best examples of this in baseball come from the AL East (here's the third apology) and you guys know who they are. But what about in the NL? It seems there has been a changing of the guard of some sort in the NL with no team really establishing itself like Atlanta had done for about 14 years.

All three division leaders are struggling towards the postseason and the biggest opening is for the Pads, only a 1/2 game behind Arizona. We've been a playoff team a few times the last decade but now is the time for the Padres. With 10 games left it's time to see how clutch this group is and if they can put it all together, they could establish themselves as the team to beat in the NL in 2008 and beyond.

Obviously looking that far ahead is a little far reaching at this point but this organization seems to be on the verge of doing something special and my only plea is for these guys to focus the rest of the way. When these guys are on they can beat the best teams in the league but they have struggled against teams like tonight's opponent Colorado.

This is the point of the season where legendary tales begin and SD is in the position to write a true epic. It all comes down to how bad these guys want it and how well they are willing to play for it. If I am Arizona I am peeing my pants right now because the Pads are in the best spot they can be in. I smell the playoffs and a division title.

Rocked in Colorado

It's a good thing the Friars had an off day because their performance in Colorado is not what you want to see out of a team fighting for the playoffs. And if it wasn't for Greg Maddux the Pads would really be hurting.

If these guys expect to make it further than the first round in the playoffs (or even make the playoffs at the rate they are going), they need to win games, especially against teams that are trying to get ahead of them in the Wild Card race. It's hard to believe that earlier in the week a NL West title was still a possibility. Now I am just hoping we aren't witnessing a monumental collapse. It's hard to believe that it was only June when SD had the best record in baseball.

We should be relieved that Jake Peavy will take the hill to open a 3-game set in LA (especially since he is pitching on normal rest), but with the way this season has been going, nothing surprises me anymore. This LA series is just as important as the last two (Arizona and Colorado) so let's hope our boys don't choke.

If you squint hard enough, the playoffs are still in sight.

The old college try

I hand it to Jake Peavy for trying to help out the team by starting on short rest and keep the Padres in first in the division.

It's just too bad he had his worst outing of the season while trying to be the hero. I didn't see the game live but it looked on Gameday Live that Peavy had some location issues. It looked for a while that he might have been ok with the Padres up 5-3 going into the fifth inning but then he and Doug Brocail surrendered the lead and SD lost ground.

Obviously this loss isn't the end of the season but it sure stings. The offense should stay hot with a trip to Colorado up next but it seems what the Pads really need now is for its starters to get hot. Justin Germano is next up while the Rockies throw out Elmer Dessens and his 8.10 ERA.

These next few weeks are key (as if it wasn't obvious) and right now the Pads need as many wins as they can get. Hopefully the rotation will hold together long enough to get to the postseason.

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.

Time to play catchup

With 45 games and 2 1/2 games out of first, SD has to start making its move now if it is going to secure a spot in the playoffs. The Padres still hold a slim lead in the wild card standings but that is not the way you want to enter the playoffs, especially if you had the league's best record earlier in the season.

This stretch begins with a home series against Colorado - one of the hottest teams in the NL right now - but the funny thing about this is that both Colorado and Arizona are the teams in the thick of it with SD instead of the Dodgers. I don't think anyone thought either the Rockies or Diamondbacks would be in position to compete this year but here they are.

The next step in the march to the postseason takes place now, and if the Padres are going to solidify their place they need to begin by winning the series against Colorado.

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.

Pharewell to the Phils

If there is one thing I bet all Padres fans are united about Monday it's the fact that Philly has left town. SD got thoroughly beat down this weekend and it didn't seem to matter who the Padres threw out there, Philly was going to take advantage.

But I think the thing that boggles my mind the most is how hard Philly hit the ball. I think someone forgot to tell them Petco is a pitcher's park and home runs are hard to come by.

While it is frustrating to lose 3 of 4 to a team like Philly that has had its struggles this season, the good news is SD is heading to hitter-friendly Coors Field to start a three-game set with Colorado. If there is one thing SD needs it's to jump start its offense and if there is one place to get an offense started, it's at Coors.

I have varying reactions of panic online this morning and while it would be easy to say the wheels are falling off, I would tend to think that SD just needs some thin mountain air to get things going again. But if the offense continues to stall upon leaving Colorado, then someone can hit the panic button.

Bats alive

Someone finally found the power switch to the Padres offense. After scoring more than five runs in two of the first 15 games, San Diego has scored 11, 11 and seven runs in its last three.

Being on the east coast and not having many of the games on TV out here, I don't know exactly what happened starting Thursday but its nice to see the Friars on a three-game winning streak where they have scored 29 runs.

It's also nice to see that even despite still dealing with the blister on his throwing hand, Clay Hensley picked up his first win of the season, meaning David Wells is the only SD starter still looking for his first win of the season.

Wrapping up their series in Colorado on Sunday, the Padres could sweep their first series of the season if Greg Maddux is on. A win will also cut the Dodgers' early season NL West lead, which is always a positive. Let's see if the Padres can put up 12+ runs in the humidor-free zone of Coors Field.