Normally, I'm not one to make too a big deal out of any one game in a baseball season for the simple fact that there's always another, then another one and another one. The NFL season ... well, there's 16 games, not 162. One injury to a key player can torpedo your season. So right out of the chute, your team can easily be sunk.
This doesn't hold true in baseball, does it? I'm beginning to wonder. I will give you an example from last season. It's April 17, the Padres are at PETCO Park against the Rockies and have a record of 8-7. Not too bad, not great either. They had beaten Roy Oswalt, Matt Cain and Chad Billingsley to that point, so it's not like they were beating up on the Albuquerque Isotopes.
The Padres lose that game in 22 innings, a loss that depletes their bullpen greatly. Not just that, Tony Clark plays the entire game, gets hurt isn't much help from there on out.
Then the next night in Arizona, Greg Maddux gets shelled and essentially is forced to fall on the grenade since there is no relief help to be had. The Padres lose seven of their next eight games, allowing 9, 10, 10 and 11 runs, as their bullpen is exposed.
At this point, the Padres are 9-15 and already 8 1/2 games back in the National League West Division. Don't get me wrong here: I'm not saying that if they had won that 22-inning game that things would have been different. The makeup of the 25-man roster from Opening Day was not good and this team certainly would have struggled anyway.
But ... it's food for thought.
That brings us to this season. I think we can all agree that the Padres got off to a much faster start than anyone would have figured. I never once thought, and still don't, that this team is a 99-loss team. They're better in several areas, none we have to get into now.
I want to talk about that loss in Philadelphia on April 13. That's the game where rookie Everth Cabrera broke a bone in his left hand and where Edwin Moreno allowed a game-winning home run to Raul Ibanez because an taxed Heath Bell got a game off as closer.
The Padres haven't been the same since that game, dropping six of their last seven. The loss of Cabrera, on the surface, doesn't appear to be much. He's a rookie who hasn't played above the Class A level before this season, right? Well, Cabrera is a much different player now than he was when he arrived at Spring Training, offensively and defensively.
I don't think it's out of the question that he could have pushed or even surpassed shortstop Luis Rodriguez for more playing time as we moved forward. He had gotten that much better, and earned the trust of the coaching staff. He also has the kind of speed that can prove to be very disruptive. Now he's out for two months.
As for Moreno, who won a job this spring with his ability to string together impressive outings, I think he's still going to be a pretty good pitcher. I would like to see him develop another pitch to go with his fastball and that nasty changeup. Can he be entrusted with important innings late in a game? Really, can anyone but Bell? We'll see soon enough.
Sunday update: Rodriguez was released from the hospital Sunday. He was to be at PETCO Park sometime Sunday though, according to manager Bud Black, was "likely unavailable" to play.
Shortstop Luis Rodriguez was taken to Scripps Green Hospital in nearby La Jolla on Saturday afternoon after developing an allergic reaction to something that he ate before the game against the Pirates at PETCO Park.
A team spokesman indicated that Rodriguez was "resting comfortably" and "undergoing observations."
According to the team spokesman, there would be more information during manager Bud Black's postgame session with the media.
Rodriguez wasn't in the starting lineup, though it wasn't because of the reaction. Chris Burke got the start at shortstop instead.
Rodriguez is hitting .243 with one home run and five RBIs in 14 games this season as the Padres starter at shortstop.
Hey friends, long road trip. I've been neglectful with the blog, so I apologize for that. I'll be better about it moving forward. I think we've had some good posts and, as always, it would be good to hear from you.
In fact, let's do this: Email me up with your Padres questions and I'll do my best to answer them in something we have now called the "Inbox." Think of it as the new mailbag. We're run a series of question and answers and I'll certainly let you know when we do.
So what's on your mind?
Is it the pitching? Do you wonder/worry about the bullpen, other than Heath Bell? I like what Bell has been able to do and I figure he's going to get plenty of save opportunities. I also like Luke Gregerson and think he can eventually become, maybe sooner than later, the eighth-inning guy.
How about the offense? Boy, it's sure a different game when you play in Philadelphia isn't it? Twenty runs in three days? Yep, I think the Padres would take that any day. Back in the NL West this week, they scored four in two losses.
What about Brian Giles? Do the strikeouts bother you, how he's chasing pitches or do you believe in track record and figure that Giles, a slow starter, will get it together as we move ahead into May? I think we've seen some good things from the young guys, Chase Headey and Nick Hundley. I think David Eckstein is the perfect No. 2 hitter.
Anyway, hit me up with some comments here and leave me an email for your "Inbox" later this week.
Well, today it is. And tomorrow is supposed to be even nicer, with temperatures running in the mid-70's, which, as anyone who has ever visited the East Coast in spring knows, that's pretty good. We could easily be sitting here watching it rain.
Anyway, back to baseball, where the Padres are 7-3 heading into this four-game series with Philadelphia (4-4). Tonight promises to be a good pitching match-up with Cole Hamels facing Chris Young, who has looked awfully good in his first two starts.
The Padres go from spacious Citi Field -- think PETCO Park East -- to Citizens Bank Park, which is a much more hitter-friendly stadium, a place where Padres' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez probably would hit 50 home runs if he played 81 games here. Heck, brother Edgar might he 20 here.
OK, that's a stretch, but you get it.
Pitching figures to be very important this series and the Padres, who after Young will send Shawn Hill, likely Josh Geer (replacing Walter Silva) and Kevin Correia to the mound. Does that worry you? Consider this: For as much as this stadium caters to hitters, you can pitch here.
Last season, the Padres dropped two of three games here, one where they allowed seven runs, four from the bullpen in the eighth inning. The Padres then won here 4-2 as Young allowed two runs over six innings. Finally, the Padres lost 3-2 as starter Randy Wolf pitched well but Joe Thatcher allowed a late home run to Ryan Howard.
I like Young. What's not to like? I think Hill can have success here if he gets that bowling-ball sinker going. Correia has pitched pretty well, though he's been much better from the wind-up than stretch. As for Geer, who whoever starts Sunday, well, we'll see.
The Phillies are going with Hamels (17.18), Brett Myers (5.54), Chan Ho Park (10.38) and Jamie Moyer (6.55). They have a 6.94 ERA, so it's not like they're setting the world on fire. Should make for an interesting series. As I've said time and time again, it's all about pitching.
Jake Peavy, 1-1, 3.52 ERA and coming off a start where he struck out 10 and came within two outs of a complete-game victory. Everything looks good there.
Chris Young, 2-0, 1.38 ERA and nine hits allowed in two starts. This is about how Young began the 2007 season when he was picked for the National League All-Star team. No worries here.
Walter Silva, Kevin Corriea and Shawn Hill. These three are 1-0 with a 4.79 ERA and 12 walks over 20 2/3 innings. Granted, two of these starts belong to Silva while Correia goes here today against the Mets. Hill, after a rotation shuffle, will go again Saturday in Philadelphia.
I imagine I'll have more to say about Correia and Hill after their next starts but we're free to pick away at Silva, who was entrusted with a 5-1 lead on Monday at Citi Field only to tire, lose his command, walk two in the fifth and then, in a decisive blow, allow a three-run home run to David Wright.
The Padres, of course, would eventually win the game, thanks in large part to more strong work from the bullpen. Yes, I'm impressed with what this group has done over eight games. No, I never saw it coming. Yes, it's eight games but I'm seeing some good stuff among the relievers and while they might not continue at this pace, I think this group, as a whole, has what it takes to consistently get outs.
So back to Silva. As I mentioned, he'll get his next turn in the rotation in Philadelphia but the Padres are clearly a little concerned with his command, which was supposed to be his calling card. I like his stuff when he's on, how he keeps the ball down and command three pitches. I think he can pitch better than he did Monday. I think stamina is still an issue with this guy. He threw 69 pitches in his first start and was up to 84 when the at-bat with Wright started.
Again, we've talked about this at length but the back end of that rotation is going to be a key as we move forward. Peavy and Young can't pitch every day. The back end of that rotation has to pitch better and pitch longer. That's important because the bullpen was responsible for picking up the final 4 1/3 innings Monday. That's a lot to ask.
The off-day on Tuesday allowed for some much-needed rest for those guys, especially Edwin Moreno, who had a big two-inning stint Monday. He's likely down tonight to get another day of rest. The rest of the bunch should be ready to go.
So as you're watching these games when Silva, Correia and Hill are throwing remember this: Are they laboring? Are they holding their stuff beyond the fourth inning? Are they throwing strikes? Remember, Chad Gaudin is now in Portland and pitching on Saturday for them. He's not just there to enjoy the city -- though there's a lot to enjoy, but don't get me started.
If one of these guys stumbles, he'll be here in a heartbeat. Hot start or not, the Padres can't and won't wait for one of these guys to figure things out if they stumble too long.
Good morning from New York, where I flew yesterday in order to avoid a red-eye flight. It only figures that I missed a game at PETCO Park that last two hours and 28 minutes. But I won't complain about that because ...
I don't know about everyone else here, but after the way they rebuilt the bullpen in the final three weeks of Spring Training (and even last week by adding Luis Perdomo) I didn't have a clue that these guys would go out and allow three earned runs over their first 18 2/3 innings. That was impressive. I like Gregerson, Mujica and, of course, Bell at the back end. I think Moreno will be fine (early jitters, normally has better control).
As for the starters, we've talked about this before. I think you see what Peavy and Young are going to give you, what they're capable of. It's those other three guys, Silva, who makes his second start tonight against the Mets, Correia and Hill. You can possibly toss in newcomer Chad Gaudin to the mix. He was signed Saturday and will report to Triple-A Portland to get stretched out. We'll see where he fits in a week or so, if anywhere.
I think these three guys, Silva, Correia and Hill, each showed a little something promising in their first starts. I think Silva's command could be/has been better, the same with Correia, who had too many walks. Hill was good and is at his best when he keeps the ball down. I think he will be fine as well.
Manager Bud Black has his first off-day to contend with Tuesday, which means the rotation will have a different look to it during the first road trip of the season.
Silva will get the start Monday when the Padres and Mets open Citi Field in New York. After Tuesday's off-day, Correia will start Wednesday and Peavy will start the final game Thursday in New York. The team will go with Young, Hill, Silva and Correia for four games in Philadelphia and then Peavy and Young when the team travels to San Francisco for two games on April 21-22.
I like what I've seen, at times, from the offense. I still think that scoring runs is going to be a chore for this team, though not nearly as much as it was a year ago. I think we're seeing that Nick Hundley is a better hitter than he showed a year ago and I think Chase Headley is still getting comfortable at the plate. The home run off Tim Lincecum was a testiment to that.
I think David Eckstein and Kevin Kouzmanoff remain important pieces to the offense. Eckstein for the way he can move runners over, bunting, hitting behind them, just the way he handles an at-bat. Kouzmanoff because he's hitting behind Adrian Gonzalez. He had two hits Sunday. He has to show he can be productive over the long haul there or Gonzalez gets walked a lot.
I'm curious what you think at this point. Is it too early to get excited? Do you like the positive signs you've seen? Are you withholding judgement until after this long road trip?
Greetings from PETCO Park where some of us are gathered for the first true day game of the season, a 12:35 p.m. start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Today, against the left-handed pitcher, manager Bud Black has Scott Hairston hitting out of the leadoff spot David Eckstein hitting second. Edgar Gonzalez gets his first start of the season at third base. He's there to get him some playing time and because Kevin Kouzmanoff has a sore hamstring.
And behind the plate? Well, today is Nick Hundley but tomorrow it could easily be newcomer Henry Blanco. Black has had a different catcher each of the first four games of the season. It's Blanco one day, Hundley the next. Don't look for that to change.
"If you think back to last year, you had Bard and Barrett ... they were two guys who felt they could play every day. You can draw some comparisons to those guys. I think that it might benefit Nick to step back and watch," Black said. "It might be best that they share time."
So there you have it. I don't think this will be a true job-sharing sitiuation. Not by any means. I think Hundley, when it's all said and done, will get the majority of starts. But, to be clear, this doesn't mean Blanco starts every Sunday or day games after night games and little else.
I think this tandem is a big upgrade over what the team had a year ago in Josh Bard and Michael Barrett, two players who spent more time on the disabled list than on the field and, health aside, just weren't very good, offensively or defensively.
Hundley had a 23.1 percent caught stealing rate a year ago (13 of 42) while Barrett and Bard combined for 14 in 96 attempts. This spring alone, and yes, I realize it's spring, Blanco threw out 3 of 5 would-be base stealers while Hundley nabbed 4 of 11.
Offensively, I like Hundley's upside. He's worked with new hitting coach Jim Lefebvre on his "violent load" where he would gear up for his swing with a big-time weight load. This spring, Hundley's approach is better and he has a much quicker path to the ball.
Blanco has shown a live bat as well with some pop. I'm not too worried about him at the plate at all. And, perhaps best of all, Blanco comes with a reputation of being a teacher and I'm sure Hundley has already gathered things from Blanco. I expect that learning curve to continue.
Hundley will be better off for having Blanco around. The Padres will be better off for having the two of them around.
Man, does it get chilly up in the press box at night.
There. That's my thought after two days at PETCO Park. You've been great, take care now!
OK, just kidding, but I guess my point is, and I think I have one, is it's far too early to draw any kind of conclusions about anything that we've seen thus far. It's two games. That's no sample size, my friends.
That said, there are some things worth discussing. Like Chris Young, who looked good last night other than getting a couple of balls up to Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin. So much for that 12.96 ERA in Spring Training and how his velocity was down.
Young might just want to skip Arizona next spring and work out at home. For some guys, the six or so weeks in Arizona is much-needed. For others, like Young, it's merely a time to get prepared for the regular season, build stamina and arm strength.
Maybe we can shorten the games to four innings there. But that would probably mean the Dodgers couldn't sell $100 seats at their palace at Camelback Ranch-Glendale for games that, as we've seen, mean very little.
Wow, how's that for a rant. Anyway, back to first (and second) impressions, shall we?
The bullpen. Two games and five scoreless innings, including three last night with Moreno, Sanchez and Bell, who struck out the side (he did walk one). So far, so good. Again, this is far from a good sample size but I think the Padres feel good about what they have.
As for what they can do over 162 games, we'll see.
I think Peavy and Young will be fine. As I've said before, it's a matter of what the other three guys do. We'll get a look at Walter Silva tonight. I'm curious to see how he fares and, of more importance, how he'll fare the second time around with some of these teams.
Offensively, I don't want to get things too much because, again, it's far too early. But ...
I like the lineup the team rolled out there last night against a left-handed pitcher. The Padres were 20-37 against lefties last season but having Eckstein in the leadoff spot, Hairston lower in the lineup and having Headley hit right-handed looks like a nice mix.
Kouzmanoff is a key. Hitting behind Adrian, he's going to have to produce, otherwise Adrian just won't see any pitches. None. He'll walk a bunch and clog the bases. That's not good for the greater good of this team, this offense.
Hey, I love me some Opening Day as much as the next guy. A packed house, a marching band playing the national anthem and just the general buzz of beginning a new season.
The day after? Not so much.
Less folks in the press box (that's a good thing), I'm sure far fewer fans (but loyal ones) in the seats. It's the kind of baseball experience you're going to see moving forward into the rest of the regular season.
What did we learn on Monday? Well, not a whole lot. It's one game, though there were some signs of things we saw in 2008 that found their way back to PETCO Park -- Peavy pitching reasonably well, no run support and an anemic offense that was 0-for-8 with RISP.
Whatever, it's one game. But it's the type of game the Padres played a lot last season and can ill afford to do that again, especially with questions in the back of the rotation. You can't afford to lose with Peavy and Young and then have to wait for their turn in the rotation while Silva, Correia and Hill make their starts.
That's why I think these starts Peavy and Young make, especially early in the season and against NL West foes, are so important.
Hey folks, people are still finding their seats here at PETCO Park and the Padres are already losing 2-0. I'm sure there's a joke there somewhere but I'm not going to touch it.
Anyways, Jake Peavy allowed singles to Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson to start the game, got two outs, walked Russell Martin and allowed a two-run single to James Loney.
Regardless of the score, it's great to see how full this place is. Haven't seen it like this since, well, last March, also Opening Day. Anyways, Opening Day is great, a lot of pagentry, former players, optimisim, etc.
I'll be back with some more thoughts during the game. Let me know what you think if you're watching this, Twittering it, whatever.
First inning update (4:27 p.m.) -- Hey, so much about PETCO Park being a tough place to score runs, right? It's 2-1 Dodgers, going to the second inning. Jody Gerut had a double to start the game and newcomer David Eckstein moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. I have to think we're going to see Eck do that quite a lot this season. Brian Giles RBI ground ball for the first Padres run of 2009. Let's see how Peavy fares with the bottom of the order. Third inning update (4:52 p.m.) -- Peavy got back on track quickly in the second inning, as he needed only nine pitches to dispense with the Dodgers. He was his own worst enemy in the third inning, walking Manny, throwing away a pickoff attempt and then watching Manny race home on an Andre Ethier single. Henry Blanco has been active behind the plate. He just threw out Ethier trying to steal second base. Peavy, who for my money is one of the best hitting pitchers in the game, gets his first at-bat here this inning.
Ninth inning update (6:54 p.m.) -- OK, the in-game thread hasn't been a real hit. Guess we won't try that again. Peavy is out of the game, seven innings, three runs, eight strikeouts. He probably deserved better, at least more than one run of support. Looks a lot like last season. Newcomers Ed Mujica and Luke Gregerson are getting some looks today, which is good. The Padres have to figure out what they have in these two and what they're capable of.
After seven weeks in Arizona, or, as I like to call it, the longest pitching tryout in the history of the game, the Padres are ready to get the regular season underway. The powers that be have decided on a 25-man roster that, really, looks little like the one they would have projected two months ago.
Consider the evidence:
There are six players on the roster who were either invited to camp on Minor League deals or weren't on the 40-man roster when Spring Training started (Sanchez, Correia, Silva, Moreno, Gregerson, De La Cruz and Hill).
Five players who made the Opening Day roster weren't even with the team at the beginning of Spring Training (Sanchez, Mujica, Hill, Silva, Gregerson and De La Cruz). Remember, Silva was a late arrival, after the team saw him pitch in the Caribbean World Series.
Nine players on the 25-man roster have never been on an Opening Day roster before (De La Cruz, Silva, Gregerson, Headley, Hundley, Cabrera, EGonzalez, Mujica and Moreno). Nine players! Is it just me or is that a little crazy.
Obviously, guys like EGone, Headley and Hundley aren't short on experience, having been with the team during the second half of last season, but they're still short on service time, a lot like the rest of these guys.
What does it all mean? I guess we'll find out starting today against the Dodgers. After all that time in Arizona, the Salty Senorita, all those games that didn't count and making fun of the Olive Garden, it's time for the real deal.
I'm excited. Again, I'll be blogging here, posting stories on Padres.com and Twittering. So hit me up anytime. I'm always up for talking baseball and the Padres. Leave me a comment and I'll try to get back to you. Let's get some lively discussions going.
For starters, here's a little video of catcher Nick Hundley I took at the workout on Sunday. I asked him about his first Opening Day and the adjustments he made to his swing with new hitting coach Jim Lefebvre during Spring Training. Enjoy!
-- It's not sunny and warm. Yes, I know it's San Diego, but it looks like Spokane a little today. -- I'm wearing pants, real shoes and I'm clean shaven. To be clear, I was wearing something in Arizona, though it wasn't pants. Didn't want anyone to get the wrong image. -- In Arizona, I never needed a coat. About the sixth inning tonight, I'll likely wish I would have brought one. Oops. -- I don't want to get into details here, but I got lost today, a little. It's my third season covering the team, so that probably sounds bad. Took a wrong highway, found near TJ. Hopefully getting home won't be as difficult.
OK, enough with that, right? Let's talk Padres.
The 25-man roster doesn't have to be official set until Sunday, though we have a very good idea of what it will look like. The players haven't arrived yet for this exhibition game with the Angels and there will be Minor League players here to get some time tonight and tomorrow.
I like the offense a little more than last season, especially with the addition of Eckstein at second base. I like the way he handles the bat, how he can drop a bunt or a squeeze (we actually saw that last week) and generally his overall approach to hitting.
But let's face it: Pitching is the story. Without that, you're sunk. It's that simple. Look at the offense in 2007 and then last season. Was the offense in 2007 that much better than a year ago? No it wasn't. It's all about pitching and I have to think the staff is better now than it was just three weeks ago.
Does that mean this crew of new relievers -- Mujica, Sanchez and De La Cruz -- are going to pitch the Padres to the National League West Division title. A lot of things would have to go right -- Jake and CY combine for 60-plus starts, for starters -- and the bullpen has to hold up over 162 games, getting the lead to new closer Heath Bell, who least we forget, hasn't done this job before.
It's a lot to ask, really. I'm curious as to what your thoughts are? Is this team close to being a (gasp) .500 team or a whole lot closer to 99 losses? I tend to think they'll be better this year ... you really have to do a lot wrong and have bad things happen (injuries) to lose 99 games.
What about 71-91? That's a eight-game improvement. Which, if you hadn't lost 99 games the season before, would qualify as substantial (in my book).
1. Heath Bell came into the press room with his pet rat, Daisy, on his shoulder. Daisy was sort of a companion for Bell this spring. Not sure if Daisy did the Wii Fit or not, though. Daisy won't make the trip to San Diego. She'll have a home in Peoria.
2. Two buses of Minor League players, manager Bud Black, first base coach Rick Renteria and Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff, Henry Blanco left this morning for the airport for the trip to San Antonio. For Black, Renteria and the guys who will be on the 25-man roster, they'll spend a few hours in San Antonio and fly to San Diego tonight. Three states, one day.
3. I've been to Starbucks twice today and it's not even noon yet. No, I don't think that I have a problem.
4. Hearing that Blanco will catch Peavy on Opening Day. Makes some sense, since it has been Blanco who has been behind the plate for each of Peavy's last two starts here -- with very good results, 11 scoreless innings. Nick Hundley will still get the majority of starts and will, I'm sure, catch Peavy at some point soon.
5. I'm not really looking forward to the drive tonight back to San Diego. So I'm hoping for a fast game here, which means four hours. No, I'm not a pessimist. This is just how things seem to go here, espeically since Minor Leagues will be playing most of the game.
Turns out, he is and he'll be in that late-inning mix with Duaner Sanchez, Edwin Moreno and Eulogio De La Cruz.
The last open spot, if that's indeed the case, is picking between left-hander Arturo Lopez and newcomer Luke Gregerson, the PTBNL in the Khalil Greene deal. Lopez is a left and it never hurts to have one of those and Gregerson hasn't pitched above Double-A. So I think Lopez is on the team.
Other than that, the Padres are leading the White Sox here at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, 3-0. Jake Peavy has thrown five scoreless innings so far and Adrian Gonzalez has all three RBIs, two on a long home run to center field.
I don't expect much if anything in the way of player movement today, unless general manager Kevin Towers adds another arm. He seems a little concerned about the starting rotation and there's always a chance the team could jump on one of these out-of-options players.
Otherwise, here's the roster:
Catcher: Nick Hundley, Henry Blanco Infielders: Adrian Gonzalez, Edgar Gonzalez, David Eckstein, Evereth Cabrera, Luis Rodriguez, Kevin Kouzmanoff. Outfielders: Jody Gerut, Brian Giles, Chase Headley, Cliff Floyd, Scott Hairston. Rotation: Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Walter Silva, Kevin Correia, Shawn Hill. Bullpen: Heath Bell, Cla Meredith, Arturo Lopez, Edwin Moreno, Duaner Sanchez, Eulogio De La Cruz, Ed Mujica.
Good morning from Peoria, two more days and it's time to go back to San Diego. Good times!
Today promises to be a buys day here with roster moves aplenty -- I like that word, aplenty -- starting with an announcement later this morning that the Padres have acquired Ed Mujica from the Cleveland Indians.
We mentioned this yesterday, Mujica was a guy the Padres have been looking at this spring and would be a good fit. They saw him on Monday, for one out at least. But he's a guy who will fit right into the bullpen. He's on the team.
Mujica, who turns 25 in May, has a 8.10 ERA with Cleveland this spring, though all reports are that he's performed better recently. His velocity runs in the low 90s, from what I hear.
Mujica, who is out of options, has a live fastball and a career 3.35 ERA in the Minor Leagues with just 60 walks in 231 1/3 innings. Mujica is 3-3 with a 6.04 ERA in 33 career games with the Indians.
Also, pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu has returned from the Indians. Not sure how just yet, but he's been assigned to the 40-man roster. We'll get clarification soon.
