Well, I guess it’s only fair that if it rains in San Diego once in a while than it’s only fair the same occurs in Arizona. That’s what happened today.

On the second day of workouts for pitchers and catchers, rain fell in Peoria, though many of the pitchers were still able to get their work in. Any work on the practice field, though, like pitchers fielding practice (PFP) was scrubbed.

Padres manager Bud Black said that even if the rain continues on Sunday — it’s supposed to, though not nearly as much as Saturday — that it won’t be an issue for the pitchers and their preparation, mostly because it’s still so early in camp.

A few things of note:

Veteran Matt Stairs, who is in camp on a Minor League contract, showed up today and talked to the media. Stairs dropped 32 pounds in the off-season dieting and playing hockey in Maine, where he makes his off-season home. He had some great lines. You’ll have to check them out in my story, which will be live on Padres.com later Saturday.

Chris Young had his first bullpen session on Friday and felt fine after 40 pitches. Young is coming off shoulder surgery and has graduated from his rehabilitation program to the plan of the other Padres pitchers. I maintain that he’s a big key to the season. Keep an eye on his velocity this spring.

Also, I’ve been told that the Padres are highly unlikely to land free agent infielder Felipe Lopez. I doubt the Friday signing of Josh Barfield to a Minor League contract had anything to do with this. I’m thinking it’s more a case of the financial end and also that Lopez probably wants to play every day. Unless something dramatically changed here (moving Eckstein?), that wasn’t going to happen.

For breakfast Saturday, the Padres served, among other things, sausage wrapped in pancake batter. It looked just like a corn dog. I wasn’t brave enough to sample. In fact, I didn’t see too many players who did. Yogurt seems to be a popular choice among players, though again, I don’t really keep track. That would be weird.

Bud Black, given the news that the Diamondbacks will give pitcher Dan Haren the Opening Day nod, said, for obvious reasons, that he doesn’t have an Opening Day starter in mind for April 5. He did say it will either be Jon Garland, Chris Young or Kevin Correia. This hasn’t been a terribly difficult decision for Black in the past, as Jake Peavy started four Opening Day games from 2006-09.

Broadcaster Dick Enberg has been in camp the past few days, talking to coaches and others. It’s still a little strange (in a good way, for sure) to be in the same room and here him speak. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. Enberg (I keep wanting to type Ensberg, a former Padre) has some great stories and I’m sure will do a great job this season.

Anyway, that’s it form Peoria on a rainy day. Be sure to check out all the Padres news over at Padres.com and on Twitter at @FollowThePadres.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Greetings from Peoria, where beginning Thursday, we’ll have six weeks of Padres coverage here at MLB.com, Padres.com and Twitter: FollowThePadres.

Up at Padres.com right now is a pre-Spring Training Inbox talking about, among other things, where David Eckstein will hit in the lineup. Also, later Wednesday night, we’ll have a story on Kyle Blanks, who will start in left field.

Tomorrow, it all starts for real. I know fans have been patiently waiting for the start of Spring Training. New general manager Jed Hoyer was anything but idle this winter, making several roster moves to help shape the 2010 team.

I’m curious, now that Spring Training has arrived, which player will you be keeping an eye on the most? Is it Jon Garland, Mat Latos, Chase Headley, Chris Young or someone else? Who, in your mind, holds the key to the season?

There’s certain things we come to expect — Adrian Gonzalez, for one. You know what you’re going to get from Kevin Correia and even Heath Bell. But who are you watching the most?

Corey Brock, MLB.com

I went to Europe with my wife and built a fence.

Jed Hoyer, the first-year general manager of the Padres, has certainly been far busier than I have, though that fence was a bear to build.

Anyway, here’s the story I wrote today, sort of a kickoff for Spring Training, on the first winter Hoyer endured here in San Diego, one full of challenges he won’t face again.

This is a guy who hasn’t been on the job five months and, in my opinion, has made a number of smart baseball moves within the tight payroll parameters he’s had to deal with. Jon Garland, Yorvit Torrealba, the Hairston boys, etc.

He’s also made a number of good front-office moves — Josh Stein, keeping Fred Uhlman Jr., Chris Gwynn, Jason McLeod, Randy Smith, Jaron Madison — moves, you can argue, will be every bit as important in the long run as any free agent signing.

I talked to Hoyer’s former boss/mentor, Theo Epstein in Boston, about Hoyer and he told me this:

“There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot to do to keep your head above
water while you’re trying to develop your vision for the organization,”
Epstein said. “The most important moves he’s made are the ones for the
long haul [in the front office staff].”

So, on the eve of heading to Spring Training, what do you think of the job that Hoyer has done? Remember, we’re talking players and front office hires here.

Corey Brock, MLB.com, Twitter: @FollowThePadres

Folks, we’re less than a week away from the reporting date for pitchers and catchers in Peoria.

How exciting is that?

We at MLB.com have already started our Spring Training coverage. We ran a preview story on Thursday that focuses on the youth of the team and if/how much they’ll get better in 2010. The link for the story is right here.

Here’s the question I asked there:

“But is it reasonable to expect that many of those young players who
fueled that run, such as outfielder Kyle Blanks, shortstop Everth
Cabrera and starting pitcher Mat Latos, among others, will collectively
continue to get better and won’t begin to reach their ceiling?”

We also ran our “quick hitter” preview on the Padres heading into the season which, if you have been living in a cave, might be a good primer on the team. You can find that story link right here.

We ask three questions there (and attempt to answer them), including where will Adrian Gonzalez be on Opening Day and at the trade deadline on July 31. Check is out.

Also, FanFest is Saturday. Yours truly will be at the digital media booth in case you want to stop by and say hello.

– Corey Brock, MLB.com

There’s a few Padres players who will have a serious rooting interest in today’s Super Bowl.

One of them is Padres reliever Joe Thatcher, a native of Kokomo, which is about one hour outside Indianapolis.

Or, close enough for Thatcher to take the plunge and buy season tickets to the Colts this season.

Because of workouts and other obligations, Thatcher figures he made it to about five games this season. He won’t be in Miami but will be at his parents house with a large group rooting for the Colts.

On deciding not to go to Super Bowl:

“It’s the last weekend at home before Spring Training and I
didn’t feel like traveling. I wanted to relax one last weekend.”

“We’re having a big Super Bowl party at my parents house (in
Kokomo), we’ll have about 30 or 40 people at the house, all Colts’ fans,”
Thatcher said. “It’s a smaller town and all everyone is talking about is the
Colts.”

Do the Colts have a chance?:”Anytime you’ve got Peyton Manning, you’ve got to like their
chances,” Thatcher said. “He’s awfully fun to watch. He’s the face of Indiana.
And I think their defense has been really good all year. You don’t win 14 games
in a row if you’re defense isn’t good.”