PEORIA, Ariz. — Yes, it’s a Peoria dateline today, though it could have easily read MY COUCH, Ariz. That’s right: I got a day off. In all honesty, I’m not spending my time indoors today as I’m headed to the Phoenix Art Museum to see their Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit.

I know, you could care less. And that’s fine. I’m cool with that. You want your Padres news.

I’ll try to add to the blog later if there were any stunning developments in camp. But to tie you over until then, I have got a treat — a Q&A with Padres vice president, assistant general manager A.J. Hinch, who was kind enough to give me a few minutes today.

Hinch was elevated to his current position in September after spending all of last season as vice president, professional scouting. I think he’s got a unique perspective and not just because of his diverse professional background but because in his position a year ago, he spent a lot of time on the road watching amateur players before the draft, current players in the Minor League system and even ones who weren’t yet Padres, like Joe Wieland and Robbie Erlin, who Hinch saw a handful of times before the July 31 trade.

Anyway, here’s that Q&A:

– Who are some of the players who have impressed you so far in camp?

“On the pitching side, it’s been an impressive group of young pitchers. Robbie Erlin, Joe Wieland, Andrew Cashner, three newcomers to the organization in the last calendar year have been positive for different reasons. Cashner looks the part, has life in his body and his arm. There is something about him that separates him from the pack. With the young starters (Erlin, Wieland and Casey Kelly), it’s been fun to see them do well. Starting pitching is so hard to find in our game.

– How do you typically divide your day before games start – watching catchers, pitchers, hitters, meetings?

“This time of year, it changes from day to day. You’re here developing a chemistry, a camaraderie around the ballpark, whether that be players, staff or the front office. You tend to touch everyone in camp. There’s something to do every day. I spent a lot of time checking in with different groups. When guys get on the field, you go out and you’re watching pitchers right now because they’re head of hitters. I watch bullpens. They’ve [pitchers] been here a little longer, they’ve been through that first week soreness and are starting to look like the players they going be.”

– As a player, what were the best and worst aspects of Spring Training?

“The best part in any role seeings the guys again and building the camaraderie and having the even slate again, no matter what you did last year. The worst part if the grind. The toll that it takes on your body, the pounding that your body takes. You feel in the best shape of your life when you get there, but after a few days, you just feel sore in every aspect. No matter how hard you train in the off-season, it beats you up.”

 – How difficult is it to evaluate players during games here (hard infields, big wind and varied level of competition)?

“It’s important to keep it all in context. No evaluation will sorely be based on what happens in Spring Training. We have files on players, we have seen these guys last year in the season, during instructional league, during winter ball. You don’t base your evaluation solely on one month. The two worst times to evaluate Major League talent are September (expanded rosters) and Spring Training. It’s not a perfect science.”

– Hitters are facing live pitching this week. From your own experience is this fun or a daunting task?

“It’s a necessary evil. The pitchers need to see hitters and you need to calibrate your eyes and mind to velocity and recognize spin and things like that. Sometimes you draw that savvy veteran who might be working on a few things. But more times than not you draw the young flamethrower who might be a little too amped up.”

– You saw catcher Austin Hedges before the draft last year. He’s got a good shot to make the Fort Wayne roster at 19. What do you like about his skills behind the plate and has the bat comes along faster than you guys thought?

“I think what’s played faster than we anticipated is his growth spurt. He’s put on some weight and added strength. He carries himself with maturity and that’s good to see. His physical maturity is starting to catch up with emotional maturity. His control of the bat head is better than when we saw him in high school. As he gets more at-bats, it looks like he can impact games both offensively and defensively.

That’s it for now. As I mentioned, I’ll update the blog if there’s any big developments in camp today. See you Thursday.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

PEORIA, Ariz. — Hey, double-digits! It’s Day 10 here in Peoria and we’re getting closer and closer to games (Sunday) where we’ll have some actual performances to talk about, like camp competitions (Forsythe vs. Cabrera, Owings vs. Bass, etc.).

I like the early work, the BP sessions, pitchers in the bullpen, all of that. But you get to a point here where it’s just time for games. I think we’re reaching that point. The players will flat out tell you this, though you can sometimes read it in their body language.

Remember kids, six weeks of Spring Training is mostly a function for pitchers and for new catchers (to learn a staff). The rest of the guys don’t need nearly that long and I’m pretty sure the beat writers don’t either (don’t ask my boss … trust me on this one).

Anyway, a few things from today, including some video of Casey Kelly throwing off a mound. Not my best work, but they’re not paying me to be the next Martin Scorsese. I promised I’ll try harder next time. Deal?

– I watched Dustin Moseley, Anthony Bass, Joe Wieland and Casey Kelly pitch to hitters today. You have two fields here for BP so you have to pick and choose who you want to see. I’m a little regretful that I missed Robbie Erlin’s session today because I heard he looked very good, but Wieland and Kelly were worth watching. Same with Bass, who showed some good smoke today.

– Padres manager Bud Black — who still won’t name a starting pitcher for Sunday — said that we could see Cameron Maybin, Will Venable or possibly Everth Cabrera in the leadoff spot a week from Wednesday when the Padres face Texas and Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. This was a joke of sorts, as we always try to get some pertinent information out of Black — Opening Day starter, leadoff hitter, what he has for dinner in San Francisco. Not that he’s tight-lipped, but he knows we want this information and isn’t afraid to remind us of that.

– Black had some very good things to say about pitcher Edinson Volquez today. “I like him,” Black said. “He looks good.” Black indicated that Volquez has gone through all of his progressions this spring and passed them with flying colors. The big thing for him (well, any pitcher) is throwing strikes. That’s something he had an issues with in Cincinnati a year ago, one year after reconstructive elbow surgery. “As for the health of the arm … the initial impression is favorable,” Black said.

– I wrote about Andrew Cashner today, because I hadn’t done so in a day. I’m kidding, but it sure seems like he’s creating a buzz every time he pitches — bullpen or to hitters. He told me he played shortstop and even caught some in high school in Texas, though his bat was lagging a bit. “I couldn’t hit a curveball,” he said. He didn’t really find his velocity until he got to TCU and when he went from starting games to relieving them.

“When I was in high school, I was probably 88 to 92 mph, somewhere in there. Went to junior college and was 88-94 mph. I kept getting stronger and stronger every year,” he said. “But it really took off when I went to TCU and went from a starter to being a reliever.”

– Ernesto Frieri is always a good guy to talk to. He’s been in the system longer than anyone (signing a free agent deal in 2003, before the team selected Tim Stauffer, who would be second on the tenure list). Ernie, or ‘Big Ern’ as he likes to be called, is working to smooth out some things with his delivery, which is a little unique to begin with. I’ve detailed this at Padres.com. Check it out later. Frieri hit nine batters last season, the second-most among MLB relievers.

As Black said, Frieri’s delivery comes with “a couple different hitches, the shoulder sort of hitches. With the hand, there’s a little bit of a pump. And with the stride, it’s extremely across his body. A lot of his success is based on his stuff and his deception based on his delivery.”

–Clayton Richard threw to hitters for the first time since July 4 of last season. You might remember the five shutout innings he tossed against the Giants? That was his last game of the season as he went on the DL the next day with a strained left shoulder. Later in July, Richard ended up having arthroscopic surgery on the shoulder.

“It went well. It’s another step in getting ready for the season. It felt normal,” Richard said. “It’s good to throw to hitters. It’s been a while since I did that. It was nice to get that out of my system.”

That’s it for today friends, thanks for stopping by.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

– I try to update the blog by 2 p.m. PT each day with a recap. Thanks, Corey.

PEORIA, Ariz. –Morning comes early in Peoria, as players typically arrive at the complex between 7-8 a.m. There’s a meeting at 9 a.m. so they need to be dressed and ready to go by then. Some arrive far earlier than 7 a.m. so they can get some extra work in, some time in the training room or have a relaxing breakfast (remember, there’s Fruit Loops here).

The reporters? Well, I usually get here no later than 7:15 a.m. It allows me time to plug in, get a game plan for the day and enjoy some coffee before attacking the clubhouse for interviews. The rest of these guys roll in much later and in their pajamas. I only kid (about the pajamas).

Monday was a little different here as it was photo day, meaning the players and coaches were in their home white uniforms for posed shots, mug shots and everything between. Funny, I saw Yonder Alonso walking around with his coffee cup … setting it down only when it was time to have his picture taken. It was early, so I didn’t give him my typical Starbucks-Howard-Schultz-Let-The-Sonics-Leave-Seattle speech. Lucky him.

For obvious reasons, the Padres staggered the times when players/coaches would have their pictures taken. No sense in having everyone show up all at once. How they determined who showed up when is a little funny — service time. That’s right, the longer you’ve been in the big leagues, the later you showed up. For example:

The 7 a.m. photo group: Brad Boxberger, Matt Clark, Cory Burns, Jaff Decker and Robbie Erlin. These guys have exactly as much service time as I do. And that would be zero.

The last group at 8:30? Carlos Quentin, Jason Bartlett, Huston Street, Orlando Hudson, Jeff Suppan and Mark Kotsay. Makes perfect sense.

Anyway, not the greatest story I’ve ever told here (or elsewhere), but it goes to show that there’s a real pecking order to the way things are run.

Moving ahead, here’s what happened Monday:

– On a serious note, I’m sad to report that Frank Mattox, the Mariners former director of player development who later became a scout, passed away on Sunday. Mattox was a great guy and someone who I talked with a lot during his early years with the Mariners and then also here during Spring Training. Mattox lived here in Peoria and I would see him in the mornings getting coffee and then several times each spring at games when he was scouting. Frank always had time to talk to me or to listen to me give my two-cents on a player. I never heard anyone say anything bad about him. He was only 49.

–I talked with Kyle Blanks for a while today. The story will be live on Padres.com later. I’ve also Tweeted a pretty cool photo of his scar from the elbow surgery he had in 2010. Blanks had red stitches tattooed around the scar. It’s hard to believe Blanks has been around since 2009 (when he joined the team when Cliff Floyd went on the DL. Cliff Floyd!). He’s had big moments and big struggles but at this point he just wants to complete Spring Training healthy and not worry about where he starts the season. Pretty refreshing attitude.

“You look at it and it seems every place there’s a logjam,” Blanks said of the Padres glut of first basemen and outfielders in camp. “But it doesn’t really change anything for me. I can only do the things that I am capable of and do them well.”

– Today was the dreaded day (for hitters, at least) who got to step in and face live pitching for the first time. As Bud Black promised, we saw guys do more than just track pitches. Andrew Cashner showed off his live arm, but was impressive with the use of his change-up and slider. I think he will do just fine in that eighth inning role. He even also sounded a little empathetic about throwing to hitters who, to this point, have done nearly all of their work in the batting cage. Mark Loretta, a special assistant, said he never liked the first day of facing live pitching. Makes sense.

“The guys here were really aggressive and wanted to swing the bat,” Cashner said.

Here’s some video of Cashner throwing.

– Catcher Nick Hundley was proudly displaying a football-shaped trophy above his locker on Monday. He and pitching coach Darren Balsley were the winners of the Padres fantasy football league this year. Previous winners included Tony Gwynn Jr/Chris Denorfia in 2010 and Mike Adams in 2009. In fact, it was Adams who bought the trophy himself and had it engraved. Anyway, the nickname for the Hundley/Balsley team was ‘Moneybals’ … as Balsley’s nickname is, Balls. Ah, my proud moments in journalism.

– We saw players working on first-and-third drills on Monday. I wish I could come up with a great anecdote here, like there was a 76-throw rundown or something, but the truth is, this is a pretty boring drill. If you really want more, I guess I can shoot video, live Tweet it and send you a personal fax with more details. Just let me know, OK?

– I talked to Mark Kotsay a little about his role and if he thought about walking away from the game after last season. Sounded like he was really energized by the Brewers season and that he knew right away that he wanted to come back in 2012. Check out the notes at Padres.com later for details. It’s been fun watching him so far in camp, the stories he has to tell, the way he interacts with teammates and coaches. I think he’ll be a good fit for the team — not just with his on-field contributions, either.

“It’s not about the words you speak … it’s about your actions. The way you go about handling yourself as a professional day in and day out, both on and off the field,” Kotsay said. “Hopefully I can come across in a positive manner. Hopefully that flows over and the guys learn that you’ve got to put in the work and effort to get the result in the field.”

Anyway, that’s it for today. Catch you Tuesday.

Corey Brock, MLB,com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

PEORIA, Ariz. — Happy Sunday everyone. We’re one week away from games here in Arizona. The Padres will face the Mariners in their annual charity game next Sunday at the Peoria Sports Complex. I’ve said it before and will say it again, if you’re a Padres fan, baseball fan or Nickelback fan, you really need to get over to see some games. It’s a great time. Monster truck not required though you would be in good company.

Well, we’ve wrapped up our first week of camp here in Peoria. I hope everyone is enjoying the blog. The sight views are great and everything but I hope I’m providing you with at least a little look behind the curtain — the inner workings and thought process of the team.

Again, we’re not privy to a lot of conversations that go on here. That wouldn’t be good business for the Padres, although the conversations with players, coaches, the manager and front office that we get or seek individually connect the dots here to some extent. Hopefully, I’ve been able to relay some of that to you.

OK, Corey. Shut up and get to the video. Yay, video! Here’s outfield prospect Rymer Liriano taking some hacks today. Good looking kid. Thick, but well put together. Ball comes off his bat with a little different sound. Saw some power and a lot of line drives. There’s certainly a lot to like about this kid. And he is a kid. Liriano won’t turn 22 until June 20. Yes, he was born in 1991. Holy Roxette! That makes me feel old.

Your Sunday nuggets:

– Outfielder Chris Denorfia is the first casualty of camp — sort of. The Padres are “slowing down” Denorfia for a bit as he has a sore lower back. He played catch, hit in the cage and continues to grown an awesome beard but wasn’t able to take BP on the field. Bud Black doesn’t seem too worried. “We’re confident he’s going to be fine.”

– Black was asked about how often/much he thinks about lineups. Sounds like he’s been doing it since the season ended in October. He had dinner Saturday with four coaches and they talked lineup. Remember, the Padres used 140 different lineups a year ago. There’s a lot that goes into making a lineup, as you know. I think some people get a little obsessed about the lineup. I don’t quite understand that. Anyway, whatever. “A lot of it is a function of how they’re going [offensively] and how they’re swinging the bat,” Black said.

– Black said he doesn’t have a crystal ball (regarding predictions). I mentioned you can probably get one on eBay. He picked up that saying from Mike Scioscia when he was with the Angels. Sounds like Mike doesn’t have one, either. So if you don’t mind, get one to FedEx (too soon?) — c/o Padres here in Spring Training. I’ll make sure it gets into the right hands.

– Mark Kotsay looked good in BP today, spraying line drives around the back field. One of his last swings results in a line drive down the right field line. He said that it looked like a triple. “Well, maybe seven years ago.” Kotsay is going to be a nice fit for the team. He’s fit right in here so far and he’s not afraid to show a little personality. He’s not a cut-up, though. He’s provide something this team missed a year ago — chemistry. And, most importantly, he’s still got some punch in his bat.

– Sounds like the Padres will Jesus Guzman plenty of looks in the outfield this spring. He played a lot there in winter ball and the Padres, being starved for offense, will try to get his bat in the lineup as much as possible. They’ll have to be creative about it to do so, but he’s going to play if he hits at all like he did a year ago.

“Guzie has a lot of winter ball play in the outfield,” Black said. “That’s good enough for us.”

– Also, infielder Everth Cabrera will get some looks at third base this spring. The Padres are trying to find their reserve infielder here and will likely take all of the six weeks in Arizona to make that decision. This play has to be able to play shortstop. That might give Cabrera the upper hand over Logan Forsythe and Andy Parrino. Forsythe will get looks at shortstop this spring to see if he can handle the position.

– I had a nice talk with Cameron Maybin. He gave me some good stuff that will be included in my story later today at Padres.com. Maybin had some things to say about his desire to remain in San Diego for a long time. Also, he talked about his relationship with former Major League OF Ken Griffey Jr. Maybin and Griffey have the same agent, Brian Goldberg.

“When I first came out [of the Draft], we talked a whole lot. He was great early in my career, telling me not to let this turn into a job. He told me that this is still baseball, but just at a different level,” Maybin said.

– The Padres staff (media relations, support staff, front office) defeated their Mariners counterparts Saturday in softball, 6-5 in 10 innings. Why should you care? Well, a year ago, the Padres lost with A.J. Hinch, Brad Ausmus and Mark Loretta in their lineup. On Saturday, they went old school and played with no pros — and won. My boys Warren Miller, Bret Picciolo and Josh Ishoo have a lot to be proud of. Drinks on you boys!

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

PEORIA, Ariz. — Hey, position players on the field today! That means no more bullpen sessions for me. Ha! Kidding of course, though for as much as I do like watching bullpen sessions, I prefer watching the hitters do their thing. We got to see a little bit of that today and we’ll see a whole lot more in the coming days.

A lot of happy faces in camp today. The first day of full squad workouts has a way of (seemingly) putting everyone in a good mood. Maybe it’s having everyone back and under one roof. I can’t say.

I know one one guy how had a great Saturday — Minor League infielder Drew Cumberland, who was back on the field for the first time in almost a year. I’ll have a story later Saturday at Padres.com.

I wrote about Cumberland a fair amount last year — first here in August about his rare neurological condition and then in December when, after seeing another specialist in Los Angeles, it appears he could play again.

Well, Cumberland has been cleared to play and is part of the 36-play minicamp for top Minor League players that started on Saturday. I wrote about the minicamp on Thursday.

Anyway, this is about as good of a feel-good story as we’ve had so far in camp. As a reporter, of course, you don’t play favorites and you don’t get attached to players. It’s part of the business. But I think we can all agree that a Cumberland comeback is a pretty damn good story.

Anyway, let’s head to some of the highlights Saturday:

– Here’s some video I shot today of Padres coach Dave Roberts working with players on leads at first base. As we know, the running game is an important component for the team.

– Nice start to the weekend for Padres reliever Joe Thatcher. First of all, Thatcher, as we’ve written before, hasn’t made it through a full spring with good health thanks for a balky shoulder. He’s been fine in the first week and then capped it off on Friday with a hole-in-one while playing a round of golf with three others, including pitcher Luke Gregerson. If you’re wondering, Thatcher was playing the north course at the Boulders Golf Club in Scottsdale. He used a 4-iron on the No. 17 hole, covering 176 yards in what he said were “three hops.”

– A couple of quick notes on the Minor Leagues. I know a lot of you want to come out to watch Minor League games, which take place on the back field here in Peoria and elsewhere throughout the valley. The games start on March 15 and run through March 31. I’ll try to post a schedule of them the closer we get. Also, I discovered an old rule Saturday: Posted in the Minor League clubhouse was a pants policy. Players will be fined $105 if they cut, stretch or alter their pants. Also, players must show some sock and some blue must be visible.

– Saturday afternoon is the annual Padres vs. Mariners softball game. This game includes members of the front office staff from each team as well as any other ringers they can pull in. Last year, the Padres had a handful of several former Major League players who work in the front office, like Brad Ausmus and Mark Loretta, play and still lost. We’ll have the results tomorrow. I hope my Padres media relations friends don’t break any bones. Yes, I’m looking at you Josh Ishoo. My prediction: Mariners 11, Padres 7.

–The first question we ask manager Bud Black each morning — we call it ‘nuts and bolts’ — is how healthy everyone is and if there are any injuries, minor or otherwise. It’s a good journalistic rule to follow. He doesn’t have to offer that information up unsolicited. It’s incumbent upon us to ask. Anyway, Black said everyone is healthy and you don’t usually see soreness/minor injuries until the team is “two or three weeks” into camp. At any rate, we’ll keep asking and pass along anything that pops up. But, as Black said, so far so good.

– Position players took part in their first workout on Saturday and, needless to say, they’ll be behind the pitchers for a little bit. Now, it doesn’t take a hitter nearly as long to get up to speed because these guys have been hitting for a few months. Pitchers? Well, they usually need most of if not all of the entire six weeks here to build endurance, etc. On Monday, hitters will face live pitching on the back field here for batting practice. Usually it consists of hitters actually watching pitches more than swinging at them. This helps them get a look at a pitcher, how the ball comes out of his hand and with timing at least for the first day or two. A new wrinkle this spring? Black wants to see more swings, less looking. “We’re encouraging them to swing,” he said.

– We’ll get into this more later in camp, but Black was asked about having two hitting coaches today. Phil Plantier is the primary coach and Alonzo Powell will be the assistant. Powell can’t be in uniform or in the dugout during games. He’ll stay inside the clubhouse with the video machine, available to hitters during the game. Anyway, Black has something interesting to say about the hitting coach job: “The hitting coach job on any staff is the most physically demanding of any job on the staff.” What he means is that as hitters show up early for games (in-season), the want to hit early in the cage or off the tee or sit down and go over video. Having a second set of eyes will help divide the workload, so to speak. But, make no mistake, these guys will be on the (insert cliche) same page.

“They’ll act as one as far as philosophy,” Black said. “It’s not unlike Darren [Balsley] and [Darrel Akerfelds] on the pitching side.”

OK, that’s it for today. Hope everyone has a good weekend. We’ll be back at it again on Sunday.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

– A reminder that I try to update the blog by 2 p.m. PT each day with a recap of the day in camp. Thanks, Corey.

PEORIA, Ariz. –Hey there, Day 6 is in the books here in Peoria, where the temperatures continue to climb. It’s supposed to be 81 tomorrow. The 10-day forecast (yes, those always prove to be accurate) is showing an expected high of 79 degrees next Sunday, March 4, for the Padres very first game of the spring.

Things are really starting to pick-up here in camp as all but one position player (more below) as reported to camp. The first full workout is set for Saturday, though the first real teaching day, as manager Bud Black called it, won’t occur until Sunday.

One of the things I thought was interesting, and something Black talked about today, was having the pitchers in camp speak to the seven catchers here about what each of them are trying to do when they take the mound — what pitches they like to throw, when in the count and also where they like to throw. For example: Maybe a pitcher likes the catcher to hold his glove higher on an 0-2 count. Maybe he likes to throw a backdoor slider when he’s behind in the count. These type of things.

In most cases, Black listens, tucking his information away for later. At other times, he’ll interject a question or two. The catchers, well, they’re in the information upload business, trying to soak all of this in, saving for later, saving it for a June game against the Mariners or, for the catchers who will end up with Triple-A Tucson, knowing what to call for and when (and where) during a 102- degree day in Omaha in August.

“Hopefully the retention is there,” Black said.

Black said that some of the pitchers “present better than others” but generally this is a practice that has yielded good results in his five five years as the manager and even going back to his days as the pitching coach in Anaheim.

Anyway, a little behind-the-scenes nugget for you. Let’s move ahead, yes?

– The relievers threw off the mound today. This was the third time they’ve done so. I didn’t actually see this myself (I explain where I was later on below) but everyone emerged from the session healthy. So far, no health issues at all in camp. I talked to catcher John Baker about reliever Andrew Cashner, he of the 147 mph fastball (kidding, of course, it’s only 123). I wrote about this on Padres.com, but Baker had more than a few glowing comments for Cashner — and it wasn’t just about his fastball. And you remember how we’ve talked about how Cashner might end up in the rotation sometime in the future (not 2012)? Well, Baker has another spot for him:

“He’s got all the tools to be a great closer in the future,” Baker said.

So, you know, tuck that away for later.

– You know how you say breakfast is the most important meal of the day — insert your breakfasttown joke here — well, I’m happy to say that they serve Fruit Loops in the cafeteria here. The players have all sorts of breakfast food to ponder, including a lot of fruit. I saw a player arrive in the cafeteria later and inquire about the breakfast burritos, which are made of lean turkey and egg whites. The player, with a straight face, told the chef that: “Nah, it’s too healthy.”

– The Padres aren’t expecting infielder Jonathan Galvez in camp until the middle of next week. Galvez, a non-roster invitee, recently cleared a random United States Consulate age and identity investigation that included him and his parents. Galvez is now awaiting his visa before he’s allowed to leave the Dominican Republic. “Nobody is concerned about anything,” said Randy Smith, the Padres vice president of player development and international scouting. Galvez, 21, has hit a combined .280 in his first three seasons in the Padres Minor League system as mostly a shortstop, though he has played second base.

– One of the players I wrote about today (head to Padres.com) is left-handed reliever Alex Hinshaw, who is a non-roster invitee who played parts of two seasons with the Giants. Hinshaw is an interesting guy, having been drafted four times (three alone by the Giants). He played one season at San Diego State for Tony Gwynn, too. Had some good things to say about Gwynn. Also, and this is the best part of the story for me, is that he grew up east of Los Angeles and likely would have been a Dodgers fan except for his first game at Dodger Stadium. Let’s just say his first time at the stadium didn’t go well — because of how the Dodgers fans treated him.

“I was getting popcorn thrown at me,” Hinshaw said.

You’ll want to read that note.

– There was a fun catching competition on the backfield today with the seven catchers in camps. They kept score of how the catchers fared with blocking balls in the dirt, catching pop-ups, throwing to the bases and sprinting (with gear on). Jason Hagerty narrowly edged Nick Hundley as Baker finished third. I shot shot some video of the blocking balls drill with Yasmani Grandal. Have a look.

That’s it for today. Thanks for following along. Now someone please bring me a growler of Habanero Sculpin already, OK?

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

– A reminder that I try to update the blog by 2 p.m. PT each day with a recap of the day in camp. Thanks, Corey.

PEORIA, Ariz. –Hey friends, welcome back. We’ve just completed Day 5 of Spring Training here in Peoria and the fourth workout for pitchers and catchers. The pitchers have all thrown off the bullpen mound twice now — starters and relievers. They’ve now added their secondary pitches to the mix in addition to throwing fastballs. They’re stretching themselves out, throwing beyond 10, 12 minutes.

While it might appear a little mundane watching these guys, there’s some real value in it — beyond the front office. There’s value here for reporters and even fans who get to press their noses up against the fence during workouts. Here’s why:

On more than one occasion this week, I’ve witnessed a pitcher get worked up and frustrated over not being able to hit a particular spot or throw a particular pitch with the command they want. Example: Not being able to get over top in your delivery to throw a tight curveball or having trouble getting comfortable throwing from the stretch.

I saw new relief pitcher Huston Street get mildly upset the other day about not being able to hit his spots. No matter how early in camp it is, these pitchers always want to be able to execute their pitches — always! This is what they do. Telling them on Feb. 23 that they shouldn’t worry about missing their spots might get you a dirty look.

So while this might all just look like guys throwing off the mound, it’s more than that.

Before I forget, here’s some video I shot of Joe Wieland throwing today.

Anyway, let’s look at a few things that happened on Thursday:

– I’ve spent most of my time in camp watching the new pitchers work. I’m already familiar with guys like Tim Stauffer, Clayton Richard and Cory Luebke. I want to see what the new guys have. I’ve watched Robbie Erlin twice now and have been very impressed with his streamlined his delivery is and how throwing looks to effortless. It got me thinking about what his Major League (past or present) comp might be. What I’ve heard before and what I’ve seen with my own two eyes? Randy Wolf. Here’s what I have to go on:

Both are left handed. Both throw a lot of strikes. Both don’t rely on plus velocity. Both aren’t tall (Erlin is listed at 5-foot-11, Wolf at 6-foot, though I’m pretty sure he’s not 6-foot). Both have an uncomplicated delivery. It appears Erlin is a guy who could be an innings-eater like Wolf has always been. Since we don’t have a big body of work on Erlin yet, this is where my comps end. But tuck this stat away on Erlin: Last season, 147 1/3 innings, 16 walks. That’s crazy-good strike-throwing. Do you like the Wolf comp? FYI, Wolf has made over $59 million in his career.

– Manager Bud Black was asked about two newcomers from the Reds, catcher Yasmani Grandal and first baseman Yonder Alonso. We have a good idea that Alonso will make the team out of Spring Training. Grandal still needs some Minor League seasoning. Black had this to say about Alonso: “We’ve heard he thrives on the RBI.” That’s a pretty powerful statement, one that could bode well for the Padres if it turns out that way. The Padres aren’t necessarily leaning on him to drive in, say, 70 runs, but he’s going to get some chances to knock in runs for this team no matter where he hits in the order.

– As for Grandal, Black thinks he’s still got some work to do on the defensive end. That’s not uncommon for young catchers. The one thing that Grandal will benefit from out here, Black said, is some of the instructors he has to work with — Brad Ausmus, Terry Kennedy and John Gibbons. That’s a pretty good group to learn from here. There are also catchers in camp Grandal can learn from, like Nick Hundley and John Baker. I’ll be curious to see what kind of year he has defensively. There’s good reports on his bat (switch-hitter) but let’s see how he can handle a staff, call a game and, essentially captain a team like a good catcher does.

–Let’s talk prospects! Yay for prospects! The Padres love their prospects like they love their draft picks. Can’t get enough of them. Can’t talk about them enough. We’ve talked on his blog about the many prospects lists that are out there. Anyway, starting Saturday, the Padres will have their third minicamp, which is an accelerated development program for players entering their first or second full season or players who might be jumping a level in the organization. Some good names on the list and you can read my story later at Padres.com.

–Had a nice talk with pitcher Jorge Reyes, who is in his first big league camp. Reyes was part of that San Antonio team that claimed the Texas League title a year ago with 100 wins (postseason included). He’s a Washingtonian like myself. He spent the winter coaching basketball for his former high school. That story will be up on Padres.com soon as well.

That’s it for now. Friday comes early and we’ll have all the position players here in advance of Saturday’s first workout. There’s a buzz in the clubhouse as more and more guys show up. Should make for an interesting day.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

PEORIA, Ariz. — Greetings friends, hope you’re enjoying the Padres coverage here and at, of course, Padres.com. I’m glad to have so many of you — at least according to the WordPress.com stats. So unless it’s my mother hitting refresh ever three minutes, I truly appreciate it.

Anyway, back to baseball.

Not sure if you went to FanFest or not but there was one point where Huston Street and Andrew Cashner were playing catch on the field during the event. At one point, Cashner — who stands all of 6-foot-6, dropped down as if he was a catcher for Street. Street later returned the favor. Well, that happened here Wednesday morning. Nothing really to note here other than you don’t see a 6-6 relief pitcher who can throw 100 mph drop down into a full catchers squat.

Let’s be honest, though, Cashner’s arm is why he’s here. He’s shown an electric fastball in each of his first two sessions off the mound, without too much effort (or what doesn’t appear to be too much effort). He’s fun to watch. It’s that ball-exploding-out-of-the-hand thing. And, consider, that he isn’t trying to throw hard, not now at least.

Anyway, another fairly quiet day here. More position players showing up but mostly the same routine of pitchers fielding their position while also throwing off the mound. Tomorrow, the starting pitchers get their second crack at the bullpen.

By the way, I’ve posted some video of Street, Brad Brach and Cashner throwing off the mound today. Still new to the video thing, so be kind. But it at least shows you a little something.

So what else happened Wednesday?

– We talked to second baseman Orlando Hudson, who called the 2011 season the most trying of his professional career. He had the two stints on the disabled list and struggled offensively. More on Padres.com but Hudson said he’s looking toward a better 2012. He’s earning $5.5 million and the Padres need him on the field and need him to be better with the bat this season.

– Talked to reliever Cory Burns about his funky delivery. I profiled him on Padres.com where he talks more about his unique delivery. Think Luis Tiant or Hideo Nomo. Burns said he switched to this delivery after a disastrous freshman season at the University of Arizona in 2006. Here is a little snippet from my story.

“My freshman year, I was terrible. I had terrible numbers, walked a bunch of people, still threw hard but I had no command,” Burns said. “[Head coach Andy] Lopez told me we had to do something different for me to be able to stay there.”

Anyway, take a look at Burns Minor League statistics — crazy good. Deception and location can take a guy a long way. I don’t think Burns will make the bullpen out of Spring Training but I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him in San Diego at some point this season.

– There are 29 pitchers in camp and most likely have a realistic viewpoint of where they’ll start the season — on the Major League roster or in the Minor Leagues. Sometimes, it’s not nearly as clear-cut as that. There have been a few occasions in manager Bud Black’s first five seasons when he has called a pitcher into his Peoria office and told the pitcher that he was headed to the Minor Leagues and the player feigned genuine surprise. Black has made it a point during the morning meetings to tell players that a lot of the pitchers in camp won’t make the 25-man roster. But, as he said, that doesn’t mean he and the staff aren’t watching: “Every day is a test,” he said.

– In Black’s morning meeting with reporters — we usually get him for 10-15 minutes, sometimes longer if he loses track of time — he talked some about velocity and how unimportant it is early in camp (to him, at least). There are no radar guns in camps because he doesn’t want pitchers thinking they need to be throwing harder. That will come later, not during the first week of camp. Black has been around the game long enough to know, roughly, what kind of velocity he is watching. He calls it “Eyedar” … though said he “heard it from someone else. I didn’t make it up.” But Black said he can usually come within a few miles per hour of what a pitcher is throwing.

– Kind of a fun note here. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s any number of front office staff watching these workouts, from GM Josh Byrnes to assistant general manager A.J. Hinch to others. Well, I saw Padres professional scout Chris Bourjos today and talked to him briefly. You might recognize that last name, as he’s the father of Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos, who led the American League with 11 triples last season. Bourjos scouts the NL West, Pacific Coast League and California League during the season but still gets a chance to watch his son play on occasion.

“I try to get to as many games as possible,” Bourjos said. “In Spring Training, I might try to match-up my teams with the Angels or there might be a night game or two I’m able to catch. And with television and the iPad, you can see a lot of games.”

That’s it for today. More coverage, as always, at Padres.com.

Also, have you seen the website: Bad Spring Training Twitpics? We’ve all been a little guilty of sending these, me included. It’s fun and reminds us all that we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously.

One last one: Do yourself a favor a pick up the new Sleigh Bells disc/download/whatever. Good, good stuff.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

PEORIA, Ariz. — Hey friends. We just wrapped up the third day of camp and the second full workout for pitchers and catchers. If pitching is your thing, well, you should probably be here. You can watch pitchers field ground balls, cover first base and throw off the mound for 10 minutes — all under the watchful eyes of manager Bud Black, his staff and the front office folks who usually wander by.

In other words, can some of the hitters please show up soon?

I’m only kidding, of course, as there are indeed catchers here and several position players have already trickled into camp for a little early work and to get acclimated to Peoria, the Olive Garden and every other chain restaurant known to man. I wish that I was kidding.

Pretty quiet day here, as things will start to pick-up the closer we get to report day (Friday) for position players and the first full-squad workout on Saturday.

I’ve wasted enough of your time. What’s with Going Full Gorilla? You’ll have to read on to find out.

– Saw Chase Headley today. We actually had a conversation about ostrich boots. Apparently, they’re super comfortable. I don’t own boots and am not sure I ever will. Aside from that, Headley talked about how he likes to get to Arizona a few days early to hit on the field, get used to the change in time zone (he’s from Tennessee) and to just generally get acclimated. He had a lot of good things to say about his January hitting session with new Padres hitting coach Phil Plantier. More on this at Padres.com.

– I’ve mentioned before how I like talking to the catchers, right? We’ve got a few good talkers here with Nick Hundley and newcomer John Baker. Baker is a Cal guy, so that he’s chatty and introspective isn’t really a surprise. He’s dressing next to Carlos Quentin (Stanford), so that should be interesting. Little known fact: Both of Baker’s parents went to Stanford. Anyway, Baker talked about taking on the responsibility of working with pitchers who he’s never worked with before. He uses a lot of video, something Jason Kendall taught him when Baker was coming up through the A’s system. There’s more at Padres.com, but here’s a snippet of something I cut for space.

“When I go into a game, my main objective is to never put down a sign I’m not sure of.  You want to put the pitcher in the right position. I learned a lot from Jason Kendall, about taking ownership of what you’re doing. If you put the sign down and if it’s backed up with enough research and enough evidence and they give up a hit, then it’s my fault.” — Baker

– A day after the projected relievers throw off the mound, it was time for the projected starters to do so. Everyone threw for 8-10 minutes — again, only fastballs and change-ups. I shot some video that’s on my Twitter feed @FollowThePadres of Robbie Erlin. I was impressed with his clean mechanics and easy delivery. The guy pounds the strike zone, too. He’s a lot like Joe Wieland in that respect.

– Speaking of pitchers (and I have been — a lot), I talked with Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley briefly. He mentioned how good Clayton Richard looked today. Again, Richard, coming off shoulder surgery last July, was firing bullets by any means, but Balsley mentioned how free and smooth his delivery looked and how much more “flexible” he looked throwing, which I gathered to mean that Richard didn’t look so robotic or mechanical in his delivery.

– OK, so what does ‘Going Full Gorilla’ mean? That means coming out, in this case, early in camp, and trying to impress everyone with your velocity. As Balsley told me, again you can find this at Padres.com, he did it, Bud Black did it and everyone does it at some point. As Balsley said on February 21, “it’s not important to air it out.” No, that will come later, though it won’t likely stop a few pitchers from doing so in the near future.

– I wrote about the changing face of the Padres’ bullpen today. The story will be up on Padres.com this afternoon/evening. The Padres had the best bullpen ERA in baseball from the start of 2009 until they traded Adams on July 31 (2.79). A lot of this, of course, has to do with the work of Heath Bell and Adams. Now that they’re gone and have been replaced by Andrew Cashner and Huston Street, I look at how good the Padres really had it. As Bud Black put it, there was a real comfort level with Bell and Adams: “It’s a tremendous advantage for the team and it makes the manager’s job easier because of the performance.”

– Lastly, if you didn’t get a chance to read my story on Padres non-roster pitcher Jeff Suppan, here’s the link. He’s an interesting guy and from everything I’ve read and from those I’ve talked to, is a great teammate. He’ll be good as a mentor to young pitchers like Casey Kelly, Wieland and Erlin. And Suppan even owns a restaurant in Woodland Hills. He doesn’t change light bulbs but he will clean the restrooms and take out the trash.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres

PEORIA, Ariz. — For those of you long-suffering baseball fans who have gone without a Padres game to watch since the end of last season … well, you have to wait a little longer for some game action.

But Monday was the start of something substantial, as pitchers and catchers went through their first workout of the spring here in Peoria under sunny skies with a slight breeze.

Rather than gush about how wonderful it was to see baseball again — well, pitchers throwing off a bullpen mound and also taking PFP — let’s get to some highlights from the first full workout.

- First, be sure to check back on Padres.com tonight for a story on veteran pitcher Jeff Suppan, who is a non-roster invitee in camp. He’s got an interesting story. Long time Major League pitcher, played all of last season in the Minor Leagues and is still at it. Also, he owns a restaurant in Woodland Hills, Calif. Fun story.

– I talked to Joe Thatcher (story to appear soon on Padres.com) about having a healthy left shoulder and being able to go through came with sound health — something he couldn’t do in 2010 and 2011 because of the shoulder. He had surgery on it last May and returned in August and said that he’s ready to win a job on the staff. The team will curtail his throwing program to some extent early, but there’s no other restrictions.

– Speaking of restrictions, left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard — who had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in July — doesn’t have anything working against him health-wise. He’s on a normal routine and will throw off a mound with the rest of the starting pitchers on Tuesday. If you’re wondering, pitchers are throwing between 8-10 minutes, throwing only fastballs and change-ups for now.

– I got a chance to watch new relief pitcher Cory Burns today (see picture below). Burns, as you might remember, was obtained from the Indians in the deal that sent outfielder Aaron Cunningham to Cleveland. Burns will likely start the season in the Minor Leagues but he’s certainly interesting to watch. He’s got this Luis Tiant/Hideo Nomo twist of a delivery that’s sort of funky.

– There’s a television crew from ESPN, led by Tom Friend, here trailing Padres bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds, who is battling pancreatic cancer. Wrote about Akerfelds here yesterday. Not sure when the segment is going to air but I’m sure it will be good. If you didn’t get a chance to read the story Friend did on Akerfelds in December, you really need to.

– Had a nice talk with Micah Owings today. He’ll be featured in my notes on Padres.com today. He told me about the comfort level he has here because of all the familiar faces around — some from his time in Arizona, Cincinnati and his days as an amateur, pitching with Huston Street on Team USA in 2003. Ten minutes after I sent that story in to be edited/published, Owings came into the media workroom to tell me he thought of another players — Jeremy Hermida, who was a teammate of his in 2001 when East Cobb won the Connie Mack World Series.

– Fun with numbers. There’s a total of 36 players in camp, 29 pitchers, seven catchers. Ten of the pitchers weren’t with the organization at the end of last season and 12 of them weren’t with the organization a year ago at this time. Also, five of the seven catchers in camp are new with just Nick Hundley and Jason Hagerty as the incumbents.

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Twitter: FollowThePadres