Good morning from Peoria, where the sun is out and the games count. Well, starting today they do as the Padres face the Royals here in Peoria at 12:05 p.m.

Should be an interesting day on a lot of fronts, especially with what figures to be a larger than usual gathering of Japanese media who will be here to watch Tadahito Iguchi in a Padres uniform and Hideo Nomo pitch for the Royals. We’ve been warned that we need to stake our our seats in the pressbox early. It’s sad it’s come to that.

Reminds me a little of my days covering the Mariners, especially after Ichiro arrived in Seattle. The crush of Japanese reporters was crazy and it stayed that way for a while. There’s still a decent group of reporters who cover him and, honestly, these guys are pretty cool.

Anyway, on to baseball. Here’s the lineup for today’s game against the Royals. Remember: Don’t get too worked up about who is playing and who is not. There’s a lot of games and playing time and at-bats will come for players.

DH Callix Crabbe
2B Tadahito Iguchi
CF Jim Edmonds
1B Tony Clark
SS Khalil Greene
C Michael Barrett
LF Scott Hairston
RF Paul McAnulty
3B Craig Stansberry
SP Shawn Estes

My thoughts: Estes pitches to Major Leaguers — presumably, the Royals will have a few in the lineup today — for the first time since 2006. There’s a few regulars in the lineup and I like seeing Crabbe at the top of the order. I think this guy has a lot to offer and the Padres want to see as much of him as possible.

Hey, feel free to leave a comment of what you think about the lineup or any questions you might have. Gets a little boring talking to myself. Plus, people look at you a little strange.

Cheers, Corey

Yes, Thursday’s game here against the Mariners doesn’t count in Cactus League standings, nor do the statistics from it, but as Padres manager Bud Black said, it’s a game nonetheless.

Anyway, here’s the starting lineup for today’s game. I’ll do my best to post these each morning to give you an idea of who is playing and maybe break down the lineup a little bit, as we move forward.

CF Jeff DaVanon
2B Oscar Robles
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff
1B Adrian Gonzalez
C Josh Bard
RF Jody Gerut
LF Chase Headley
DH Chip Ambres
SS Luis Rodriguez
SP Tim Stauffer

My thoughts: Stauffer will go two innings today, followed by (in no certain order) Heath Bell, Cla Meredith, Trevor Hoffman, Joe Thatcher, Michael Gardner, Mauro Zarate and Jared Wells. As we expected, some of the non-roster invitees (DaVanon, Ambres and Gerut) are getting early looks.

Cheers, Corey

I talked with Michael Barrett the other day about a number of topics, mostly last season and everything he went through. My story goes into that more but I didn’t, for lack of space, get too much into the play in Colorado, something Barrett talked a lot about.

Barrett entered the game late after starter Josh Bard left the game and was on the field in the 13th inning when the Rockies rallied for the victory on Jamey Carroll’s sac fly that scored Matt Holliday from third base.

Here’s what Barrett had to say about that inning, that play:

"I went in around the sixth or seventh inning and it was like ‘we’ve got to hold them, we’ve got to hold them,’ the whole time. Just having that feeling is what you live for, what you play for. Right before the play happened, I went out to Trevor [Hoffman] and told him we were going to get out of this. I said it will all the confidence in the world. I knew that Trevor was going to get out of it.

"With Jamey Carroll up, I’ve known him for years and I Knew he wasn’t going to hit a ball out our outfielders. I knew with Holliday at third, we’ve get him out [on a play at the plate]. When the ball was hit, I couldn’t stand in front of the plate because the ball wasn’t there yet. I blocked the plate at the last minute and he was called safe and the place just erupted.

"It was like time stopped. For a moment, the world stopped turning. All I wanted was to go to the playoffs. I was just standing there, wondering what happened. The roaring of the crowd was just numbing."

My story about Jim Edmonds’ insane offseason workouts is up on the site now and while I don’t usually go too far out of my way to plug my own stories, I think that this one is worth a peek, if for no other reason than the quotes from Edmonds’ trainer, Jim Moss.

You seem to hear every spring how some player is in the "best shape of his life," an often-mentioned cliche that makes the rounds during Spring Training each year. I don’t doubt that it’s true but often it doesn’t really have too much of a bearing on what happens during the season.

But with Edmonds, I’m inclined to think his much-improved leg strength and his overall shape and condition have helped him immensely and that his sub-par seasons in 2006 and 2007 are behind him. I’m not prediciting 150 games, 30 home runs, 90 RBI from the guy. I just think his improved health will help him to stay on the field, which can only be a good thing.

Cheers, Corey

So things are pretty slow these first few days of Spring Training, position players are just starting to show up and pitchers and catchers have been here a week — imagine this — pitching and catching. It really isn’t too exciting and there’s little news, though things will pick-up shortly.

Just to give you an idea how a typical days goes, I arrive at the field no later than 8 in the morning, depending if I made coffee back at the condo (it actually happens) or stopped at the local Starbucks. Well, let’s be honest, there’s a lot of local Starbucks stores. These are essentially on every corner, just begging for visitors. Who am I to say no.

After driving over to the Peoria Sports Complex, where the Padres train, reporters get set up in the media workroom and slowly head over to the clubhouse where players start trickling in early, some earlier than others. Take Greg Maddux. He gets his work done early (weights and such) so that he doesn’t have to do it in the afternoon, thus freeing him up for 27 holes of golf. I’m not kidding here.

We meet with manager Bud Black in his office around 9:15 to discuss, well, any number of topics. As I mentioned, since it’s still early, there’s not a whole lot to kick around: A player with visa issues, a strained hamstring, etc. But these sessions are far from boring.

Take Wednesday, when myself, AP writer Bernie Wilson, ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez, Dan Hayes of the North County Times, Tom Krasovic from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Black and general manager Kevin Towers somehow strayed off the topic of baseball and instead talked music.

Now we had some divergent musical tastes here. Black isn’t a big fan of music from the 80s. I am. Hayes, the youngest of the lot, isn’t a big fan of music from the 70s. Some of the bands we talked about? Believe it or not, the Bangles, Clash, Black Flag, Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie and, one of my favorites from the 80s … Loverboy.

I saw Loverboy no fewer than two times in my youth, once in the Kingdome (RIP) where they played with Bryan Adams, BOC (if you have to ask, well …) and the Scorpions. I was young, so young that I had to ask my uncle what that weird smell was (again, if you have to ask …).

Somehow, we get some stories written and we start it all over again the next day. It’s fun, I won’t lie. Baseball and Loverboy make for a pretty good day in my world. Mix in some Guster and, well, I would be in heaven.

Working for the weekend, Corey   

There’s was a report on the Internet on Monday that indicated the Padres might have some interest in free agent outfielder Shannon Stewart, though San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said that it’s unlikely the team will bring in any more free agents during Spring Training.

That doesn’t mean Towers won’t consider a trade, though.

"Unless there’s an injury, we’re pretty comfortable with the 64 guys that we have in camp right now," Towers said Monday. "The only thing I could maybe see happening is a potential trade. We have had some discussions with a couple of clubs in the winter that we’ll probably carry those into the season."

One player who likely won’t be traded, though his name has been circulated a bit, is catcher Michael Barrett. Towers likes the idea of having what he considers to be two No. 1 catchers. It remains to be seen how playing time will all break down, but Barrett will play quite a bit.

Cheers, Corey

There’s been a lot of speculation this winter about Khalil Greene’s future in San Diego, especially after his agent balked at offers of three and four years offer from the team, instead opting for a two-year deal for $11 million that will keep him from ever having to go to arbitration.

The implication, publicly, at least, was that Greene might be looking to bolt for greener pastures and possibly play close to his home in South Carolina. Well, guess again.

Greene talked to reported on Monday and went as far to say that "there’s nowhere else where I would want to play than San Diego."

Greene was the Padres’ MVP for 2007, hitting .254 with 27 home runs and 97 RBI in a career-high 153 games. He also had the highest fielding percentage among NL shortstops (.984) who played in 108 or more games.

So there you have it. We’ll have more on the site a little later about Greene.

Cheers, Corey

Had a chance to stop by Greg Maddux’s locker in the clubhouse yesterday after the first workout for pitchers and catchers — and before he bolted for the golf course, his typical routine during Spring Training.

Maddux talked about a number of things, one of which was how much more prepared players are  physically coming into the spring now than they were in 1986 when he first broke into the Major Leagues. I found this quote to be interesting.

"I think it’s a full-time job now, keeping your body in shape," Maddux said. "When I first came up, you hear about the older guys and how they had to get jobs in the off-season. A lot of them drove trucks … UPS trucks. For a lot of guys, that was the job to get in the winter.

"Now with the money guys are making, they don’t have to work. Now you have more time to take care of yourself. That’s kind of your job."

It’s funny because there’s few times when you watch Maddux pitch that you find yourself thinking, hey, this guy made his Major League debut in 1986. Or, for me, when I was a junior in high school. Wow, that’s a sobering thought.

Consider that summer of 1986 when Maddux broke into the Major Leagues. Here’s who was on that Cubs staff: Dennis Eckersley (before he starting closing), Scott Sanderson, Steve Trout, Jamie Moyer and Rick Sutcliffe. How again did these guys lose 90 games?

Cheers, Corey

It appears as if catcher Josh Bard has avoided arbitration, settling on a one-year deal with the Padres catcher for the 2008 season worth $2.2375 million.

An official announcement by the team could come as soon as Thursday afternoon.

Bard, 29, is the last of the team’s arbitration-eligible players to settle. Bard asked for $2.5  million after a season where he hit .285 with five home runs and 51 RBI. The Padres countered with an offer of $1.85 million.

Bard made $1.05 million last season.

The Padres had previously agreed to terms and thus avoided arbitration with pitcher Wil Ledezma and shortstop Khalil Greene.

"The Padres are a professional organization. I want to be here and a part of the team," Bard said Thursday. "They were hard negotiations but fair. It’s business. I’m ready for business to get done."

Bard reported to camp in Peoria on Thursday,, the report date for pitchers and catchers. The first workout is Saturday.

Cheers, Corey

Since this is will be my first entire spring covering the Padres — I came over from the other side of the parking lot last year at this time, where I had been covering the Mariners — I consider myself lucky in that I no longer have to fly to Spring Training, rent a car, all that jazz.

Instead, I got to drive over from San Diego today in my own car, the first time I’ve taken the mostly not-so scenic drive on I-8 through such lovely destinations as Aztec (seriously, that’s its name) and, of course, Gila Bend, where I actually heard a Milli Vanilli song while in the Burger King bathroom.

"Baby … don’t forget my number." Don’t lie. You know that song.

Anyway, glad to be in Peoria, where things will pick up on Thursday when Padres’ pitchers and catchers report. There won’t be a whole lot of action until the first workout Saturday but I’ll be here to report on what’s happening and, of course, to blog.

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to comment on the blog and I’ll do my best to answer them as we move forward. Six weeks (well, five, with the trip to China) in Peoria, it should be fun.

Here’s hoping I brought sunscreen, Corey