Sunday, July 31, 2005

Charger Camps Opens!

I think today I'm going to mow my lawn, maybe take the kids the beach or pool. There is a concert at 5 pm at the park, maybe, well head to that.

I should be working on my novel instead of writing in this blog.

Is that a pimple on my chin, hmmmm?

Gotta wash the car today too. I'm I trying to do too much today.

Padres lost another one, oh well.

Gotta pay my bills today, end of the month.

2 games under 500, oh well. Are you allowed to start a sentence with a number? I should know that, I majored in English.

What, oh, sorry, thought I was writing in my personal diary, not my Padre blog. I can sure tell you which is more interesting right now.

We keep waiting for them to come out of it, but I think this is it, as I have argued before.

Somebody, keep all sharp objects away from Ducksnort, he's getting a little depressed I fear.

Damn, we're going to be just another sub 500 team out of contention if this keeps up. Maybe we should trade Giles to the big birds.

Oh well, Charger camp has started. I miss the UCSD days, but I guess the i-15 is nice, NOT!

Go Padres.

Padre Mike

Thursday, July 28, 2005

A Win, Finally at Last a Win

Its baseball folks, even the worst teams win occasionally. And the Padres are far from being the worst team. Try the Rocks (34-66) or Devil Rays (36-66).

OTOH, at 51-50, the Pads would be in third or forth in any other division.

Is the batter's box half-empty or half-full? Depends if Klesko is batting or not. heh. Doesn't strike me as the smartest guy in the dugout.

But I kid, I joke.

Wow, in all that losing I forgot a few things:

First, in baseball, its the series win that counts and the Pads have another chance to take a series from the bigbirds in today's day-game. But Carpenter is a serious pitcher.

Damn, forgot the other thing I forgot, Oh well, getting old.

Anyway, Padres still had LOBs, made stupid plays-Giles, and committed an error. Gotta tighten that up. But our luck may have changed. LaRussa left his man out there one batter too many. LaRussa doesn't often make many mistakes, but you can bet the sports writers at the St. Louis Post Dispatch are calling that a mistake this morning (here). Actually, LaRussa said he was trying to get his pitcher a win. Nice guy.

Ah, now I remember the thing I forgot. This Padre team isn't all bad. In fact, its pretty decent. We have been snake bit more then anything lately but that game last night was a sign our luck has changed, I think.

Now you know why I stay away from gambling.

Go Padres, win the series!

Padre Mike

1. Even if Giles didn't leave early, he made it seem like he did. Jerry was completely flummoxed by that play. Ted said the team is starting to scare him as in here's Johnny time.

2. I guess you have to bring in Trevor sometime to get work in. He did well, even though he wasn't closing.

3. Office workers, don't forget Gameday, if you get internet access, for today's day-game.

4. Hey, Phil had no LOBs! I kid, I joke. In fact, I am playing tennis tonight. I'll throw up a few lobs for Phil.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

.500

Well, its time for we Padre fans to come to grips with reality. We have been fooling ourselves into thinking that this Padre team is the type of team that played so well in May (22-6).

When the June swoon hit, we thought the Pads would cool off a bit, but were still a good team.

Now July is here, we've hit .500 and are on an 8-game slide, and finally the reality is sinking in.

And its this:

The Padres are not the Padres of May, but the Padres of June and July. We are an underachieving .500 club who happen to be in first place because the NL West is very weak. We are ordinary at best, and lousy on a bad day. And folks, its going to be a struggle from here on out to stay at .500, but we can win this thing.

There, doesn't that feel better?

Last night we had 9 hits (Bigbirds had 10) but 7 LOBs. Nevin alone had 5 LOBs. Giles hasn't hit a home run in 100 ABs. We had a base running blunder, a screw up in the outfield, and an error.

Its time for everyone to come to grips with the reality of the situation. We've spent the last two months trying to play like we did in May. May we a fluke. June and July are the reality.

"And, it is only from the hard stone of reality, that we can stand and gleam our future, grasshopper,"

So lets get over our fantasies of 98 or 84. We suck, but we are still in first place. We can win this division, but we gotta stop living in denial of the team we are.

Awww, I feel much better. Fresh reality, it stinks, but I know where we stand now.

And I'm a fan again. My pads are at .500 and that is were they deserve to be. Hell, its been this way for years and I still follow them.

So, turning a new corner, Go Padres!

Padre Mike

Notes:
1. One thing Bochy can do now is stop tinkering with the lineup, it isn't working anyway. Ro, L, Gi, Na, K, Ne, Ra, Gr. Leave it at that for a while. See what happens. You don't see LaRussa switching out players all the time.

2. Sandi must be scratching his head. "John, what did you get me into down here?"

3. I wanted Phil to knock in some runs yesterday, but no...5 LOBs, and I ain't talking tennis.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Tough, tough, tough...Trading Nevin

Wow, Phil is really in a tough position. But Towers is making the right move, trade or bench. The Padres have to move on and find new leadership and a more productive bat to protect Klesko and Giles.

As I understand it from the papers, Phil can stay and ride the bench or move to Bal and be away from his family. Hmmm, not sure what I would do, but I like this approach to Phil. Either way, its Nady's time to shine.

So, what will the lineup be Tuesday again the Big Birds?

Jackson/Roberts
Loretta
Giles
Klesko
Nady
Hernandez
Rhonda
Greene

Not bad, Should be able to take the weak NL West with that lineup.

I really like the Jackson/Roberts lead off spot situation. Its obvious Roberts will break down, but Jackson is pretty good, so there isn't much drop off. Its interesting that although the two players are close in age, Dave looks so much older. Jackson, who is 31, looks 25, Dave, who is 33, looks 40.

I gotta believe Towers will not hold onto Ponson if Nevin decides to move on, but will in fact trade his 13 million contract to the Yanks. Ponson is a classic Yankee restoration case, high dollar, high maintenance, but high potential too.

Steinbrenner can't resist. Remember Strawberry?

But with Joe Torrey Pines and Randy's Johnson to provide guidance, Pondscum might improve.

Of course, they will have to watch his night life in NYC.

Either way, the Padres are trying and the national media has taken notice. It should be a fun week.

Enjoy the day off.

Padre Mike

Notes:

1. I see Sandi Alderson behind this tricky approach to Nevin. We know Towers has been flummoxed as to how to move Nevin for years. Sandi simply says give him an offer he can't refuse. Is Sandi the Godfather? Padre a Dios?

2. I can't help but wonder how much the Petco Park financing led to some of the current troubles in City Hall.

3. I'm voting for the BK mayor, Shea I think it is. Take the medicine now, feel better later. Everyone else is just kidding themselves.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Moving 9-mil

That is the big rumor this morning, moving 9-mil to Balitmore for a 13-mil pitcher. Well, dunno.

What can you say about yesterday other then, the maragaritas at Marrietas in La Mesa are the best in town.

IOWs, I wast paying to close attention.

Todays game is on Fox at 12ish. Oh boy.

Go Padres!

Padre Mike

Notees:
1. The NL west is for the taking. Towers should make a move to ensure we get into the playoffs. Moving Nevin might be a little strong. For all my ragging in 9-mil, he can hit the ball occasionally.

2. Hate to see Towers sit on his hands while the Dogbones, GayAnts , and Snakes make moves. They all know the West is up for grabs too.

3. Sorry, no time to spell check. Off to see Charlie and the Chocalate Factory.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Bag on 9 Mil Day-Because it Feels Good

Its bag on 9.6-mil today because in yesterday's humiliating lose, 9 mil went 1 for 4 and had 4 LOBs. His one heroic single came in the top of the ninth with the score 12-0.

Oh, and BTW, guess who bats before 9-mil in the lineup, that's right, Giles who got his major league leading 70 and 71st walks.

What a minute, you say, they don't want to pitch to Giles. They would rather take their chances with the next guy, who happens to be 9-Mil.

Pitch around Giles, take you chances with Nevin, all for 9.6 millions dollars a year. That's $369230.76 a bi-weekly paycheck. What I make is dust on Phil's Nevin's shoes by comparison, but I can't hit a baseball either.

Oh, wait, neither can he. Something is fishy here.

BTW Padre fans, for you numbers lovers (I was an English Major but I'm trying), based on his salary divided by 162 game season, Phil made $59,259.25 for yesterdays three hour performance. That comes out to $19,753.08 an hour. Or, $14,148.81 for every runner he left on base. Not bad work if you can get it.

Don't get me wrong, Phil has contributed to this Padre club. He's given us some great years, I think he still leads the club in RBIs, but as Jack Buck once said, I've given St Louis the best years of my life, now I'm giving them the worst, and so it is with Phil.

Its the curse of the mid-market team, struck with high priced ball players as their performance declines.

The problem is we are paying Phil through next year (2006) and other teams don't want an aging has-been who cost 9-million. So, dear fan, we are saddled with this guy.

And as I always say, if the situation is intractable as this one clearly is, bitterness and resentment are your only escape. Either that or a lot of beer.

Go Padres!

Padre Mike

Notes:
1. Despite the loss yesterday, it was a lot of fun using the comments on Ducksnort to commiserate with follow Padre fans at work during the game. Thanks Brian G., Lynchmob, and Kevin for the comments, and thanks to Goeff for providing the forum.

2. Are you all following the UT photo journalist as he travels with the Pad dogs? Nice pict yesterday of Woody on the Queens Number 7 subway. Even nicer picture of Klesko getting massage therapy from a pretty girl.

Like I said, nice work if you can get it.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Fuck the Padres!

They have broken my heart for like the 20th time, like finding out that the girl you were crazy about at summer camp has dating Joe Smo at your HS during the Fall, like your best freind seeing your girl on the side, like that college girl who kept stringing you along until something better comes along.

The Padres are complete pretenders, saddled with high dollar contracts for two guy way past their primes who make very fews contributions.

This is what baseball does to mid market teams, saddles them with over paid, under performing guys, i.e. Klesko and Nevin while high dollar teams get the cream of the crop.

The Yanks and RS can afford to make a mistake, but the Pads can't. The Padres, in a disasterous NL West, with decent pitching, are stuck with two BIG TIME losers, Klesko and Nevin.

Oh, their numbers are decent but not 9 mil and 8 mil decent, and their ability to hit in the clutch put my little league team at a major league level.

I declare right now, send a message, Bochy. Sit these two over paid, beyond thier prime, players on the bench and say, "you don't perform, you don't play, PERIOD!"

But no, because its baseball, we'll continue to play them until Phil hits a homer in a 10-2 game against the Devil Rays and until Rhino has a two game hit streak against the Royals.

I tell you what, give me football any day. Guys have to perform or your on STs.

Is there any reason at all N and K get a pass when better players sit on the bench?

Maybe Schotenhimer and Smith can take over of Towers and Becky. Put the fear of God into these over paid primadonnas.

Pissed off BIG TIME!

Padre Mike

F the the Notes!

That Game Killed Me

LOB people, that is our problem Runners Left On Base.

7 LOBs last night. We can get them on, like in the first with bases loaded, but just can't get them over.

The problem is the four boppers in the middle, G, K, N, H. They are streaky hitters all.

In May at least three of them where going well lead by Giles who was superman. Since then, none has gotten hot and two have been on the DL.

These four guys are killing us right now and as we swing through the other teams in the NL, we are going to have a difficult time winning if these four idiots don't start hitting.

And I don't mean looking to ride the home run train in the top of the either down by 4 runs, I mean hitting they way you are supposed to, plate discipline, working counts, walking if need be, fouling balls off, making pitchers throw strikes.

Giles is the only one who does this.

So tonight we'll get another chance to show we deserve first in the NL West against Tom Glavine and the Mets.

Go Padres

Padre Mike

Notes:
1. Do Nevin and Klesko feel good about the fact their contracts are killing the Padres? They make money but aren't hitting. Do they feel good about preventing the Padres from having the $$$ to resign Giles and Hernandez?

2. I hear that now that N and H are back, Towers should focus on pitching. WRONG! We pitch just fine with or without Eaton. We can't hit worth shit though. Towers needs a hitter, a line drive hitter. Finley comes to mind as an example.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

frustrating

Really frustrating this team, no?

Was at the game Sat night due to the generosity of my neighbor and it was great, we won, but....

But we are so bad at hitting.

I figured out this team finally....we are a mid level American League team. We can only hit home runs. And today, it showed. Lost 6-1 because we didn't hit any home runs. Saturday we hit three and won the game.

See the pattern.

Hard to deal with.

Off the the big apple. We shall see.

Padre Mike

Friday, July 15, 2005

Not a Great Start, But...

Well, that ain't the way to start off the second half, surely. Especially the errors. Hate errors with a passion. Hate attending poorly played games too. Felt sorry for the fans at Petco last night.

But lets not panic, yet. Lets focus on the series and a series win, although in the NL West, a tie with Az would be fine too.

Padres fans, myself included, tend to think the sky is falling all the time and with good reason. The boys have not played well in nearly two months and I now starting to believe May was a fluke.

But, we are still in first, all be it because we play in the weakest division in baseball, and still 4 games out and still 6 games above .500. If the season ended today, we be in post season.

With N, L E returning, we are going to get better, so I am now going to take the glass is half full approach to the second half. Not to mention, the trading deadline is coming and Kevin my make moves to improve the team.

Go Padres!

(Of course, if they lose tonight, I'll be certain the sky is falling.)

Padre Mike

Notes:
1. Star Game, clearly the Al is better then the NL. They have all the hitters it seems.
2. Saw our boy Jake pitch. Had 15 people from Alabama at the game, all of them escaping the hurricane down south, according to the Fox talking heads.
3. I think pitchers are really starting to like Petco, opposing pitchers that is.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Avoided the Sweep

Heh, that was close, but we avoided the sweep.

That is how we need to play. Single, single, single, single, home run, single.

What the hell is wrong with Rhino?

Phil Nevin gets 9 million dollars this years. That is $346,153.84 a paycheck, minus whatever his taxes are.

A PAYCHECK!

I hate ball players, I really do.

Stauffer to pitch in Colorado, heh. I'm sure Balsely will take him aside and say something to the effect, "don't worry, be happy. Ten runs down is nothing at Coors Canaveral. And BTW, your curve won't."

Go Padres.

We really should sweep the hapless Rocks, if not take the serious at the very least and get some Mo into the break.

Padre Mike

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Lets start thinking Second Half

The All Star break is nearly here (although we passed the half way point last weekend) and it traditionally serves as a corner in which good teams hunker down for the long second half, bad teams put up the Garage Sale signs, and all teams think about who to trade.

In other words, its reality time.

The Padres need hitting.

Despite the injuries, the "one bad pitch" problems, the bullpen blowups, its the lack of hitting that has hurt us most. I know there are stats to back this theory up, but at work, I don't have time to hunt for them. But from the empirical evidence of watching games during the first half, it seems once a team gets a lead on us, its over.

Unless the pitching keeps a game within a run or two and our bully holds, the game is lost.

Whatever happened to the hitters of May?

But, by some cruet twist of fate, we remain in first place, 4.5 up on the rest of the sorry NL West and fours games behind the Wildcard leading Braves.

go padres!

Padre Mike

Notes:
1. Thanks to ducksnorts for the word fugly. Very apt word for the last month and this month too.
2. Heard that in June, the Padres went 12 and 20 and gained a game.
3. I turned off the game after Fuglyburg gave up the three run jack, because it just became pathetic. Then to hear that everyone in the NL West lost, except the Rocks, was even more pathetic.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Finally Happened

Well, the NL West is bad, but now, with yesterday's lose, the Padres have crossed The Line.

The Line you ask? Yes, The Line.

The Line is when a team in leading its division but playing worse then the Wildcard team in another division. Yes, that line.

How bad is the NL West? The Padres are in first by 4.5 games in the NL West and the only team playing above .500. We are playing at .542, a respectable 7 games above 500 (45-38). The problem is that Atlanta is the current Wildcard team and is playing at .554 and 9 games above 500 (46-37).

The Wildcard team is two games better then the NL West leader. In the old days, it would be too bad Atlanta, but the Wildcard gives them a chance.

We need to think of a good name for this situation. Of course, if it were the end of the season, we would go to the playoffs, so its not all bad news.

BTW, Redsox (.568) are in the same position, first in the AL East, but the Twins are the Wildcard team and playing better at .575.

But for all our weird play over the last month, we have not lost ground. Thank you Snakes, Dogbones.

Another nugget to think about is that N, H, E, L are still out of action probably til after the All Star game. When they return, we get better.

Hopefully, we can gain a little respect by crossing back over The Line in the second half.

Go Padres!

Padre Mike

Notes:
1. Hmm. Seattle will pay Brett Borne 8.3 million this year yet they designated him for assignment this weekend. Since steroid testing, he's hitting in the low 200s. And there doesn't to be a whole lot o interest in a pretty decent player. My bet is he can't pass a drug test. What do you think, Barry?
2. Peavy is an all-star. Giles should be there to and probably will when LaRussa makes his picks.
3. Not a big All Star fan. And now, its way over-hyped. Seems the home run derby is bigger then the game.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Can't Hit

Well, it shte old rap so I'll only say it once. We can't hit, so we lost to the Gay Ants because we can't hit.

Tower making moves. May and Redding to the Tanks for Paul Quantrill and some cash. Read about it here.

It appears now the Pads will limp along until the AS break, then get some players back. I think Lorretta doesn't return until mid Aug...bummer dude.

Eric Young returns tonight I think. He the guy who started in center, made a great catch in the home opener and screwed his shoulder up and went on the 60-day disabled list.

Did I mention we can't hit?

Go Padres!

Padre Mike