Teams with limited financial flexibility often have to find alternate ways to be successful. While the large- and medium-market teams can spend to contend, small-market teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates (to an extent) must attempt to stay ahead of the curve by finding new ways to win.

The Oakland Athletics of the early 2000s, as most know, began looking more at stats as opposed to traditional scouting means. The Tampa Bay Rays brought in Wall Street executives for an outside perspective on the baseball and business operation of the team. Recently, to a much lesser extent, the Blue Jays brought in Jamie Evans and his weighted-ball training program for pitchers - a program that has worked so well in the past.

Something being done by many teams now is platooning. When you take an average player who is good against right-handed pitchers, and take another average player who is good against left-handed pitchers, and play them accordingly, you end up with an above-average player. You are essentially turning two mediocre players with large platoon splits in to one player who is good against both right- and left-handed pitchers.

This isn't to say that platooning is a new thing at all, or even some outlandish tactic that only few teams are attempting to use. It's a legitimate strategy implemented by many teams in order to get the most out of players.

From page 173 of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball:

Platooning is an effective way of increasing a team's offensive output. A platoon featuring a lefty and righty with comparable skills (offensively and defensively) and average platoon splits will win about one extra game per season. If one or both platoon players have an unusually large platoon split, you will gain more than a win per season.

That being said, let's take a look at an example from each of the three teams mentioned above - the Pirates, the Athletics and the Rays. Small sample size alert for much of this, beware.

Platoon Examples

The Pirates - First Base

The Pirates have been using a combination of Gaby Sanchez and Garrett Jones at first base for the majority of the year.

Here are their splits against righties (all stats via Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs):

And against lefties:

You can see that in playing Sanchez vs lefties and Jones vs righties, you end up essentially turning two players with large platoon splits in to one player who is great against both-handed pitchers without losing bench flexibility. The Pirates now have a first baseman who can hit to the tune of a .428 wOBA vs lefties and a .331 wOBA vs righties.

The Athletics - First Base

Like the Pirates, the Athletics also have a platoon at first base (as well as in left field, catcher, second base...). The Athletics are easily one of the best teams in the league at utilizing platoons, and it shows in their record. Seth Smith and Chris Young share time in left field and at DH, Eric Sogard and now Alberto Callaspo share time at second base, and John Jaso (when healthy) and Derek Norris split time behind the dish.

The platoon I want to highlight is Nate Freiman and Brandon Moss at first base.

Freiman was picked in the second round of the Rule 5 draft this past offseason by the Houston Astros. He was originally drafted by Texas, but never really panned out for them. He was nearly added to the Astros 25-man roster to begin 2013, but Carlos Pena, Chris Carter, and Brett Wallace forced the Astros to place him on waivers, which is where the Athletics got him.

More Rule 5 stuff - If the Athletics ever remove him from their 40-man roster, they have to offer him back to the San Diego Padres, which is from whom the Astros took him in the Rule 5 draft.

This is what Kevin Goldstein, the Astros' Director of Pro Scouting had to say

"This is a guy who's worth taking a chance on, a guy we've like since his days at Duke," Goldstein said. "He was great in Arizona and played well for Israel as well. Right-handed guys with that kind of power are not normally available in the Rule 5. He destroys left-handed pitching, and he's a guy you give an opportunity to him in the spring and see what he can do."

Brandon Moss was also a bit of a scrap-heap pickup for the Athletics when he was signed to a minor-league deal after the 2011 season. Moss was the primary return to the Pirates back in 2008 in the Jason Bay - Manny Ramirez trade. Moss fell short of expectations, eventually slipping to the bench, then was outrighted to AAA the next season.

The point I'm trying to make here is that when you use platoons, you are not just leveraging players in to situations where they will perform better - you also happen to save quite a bit of money.

Nate Freiman is making $490k this year, Brandon Moss $1.6M. That's a total of $2.09M for Athletics first basemen this year.

Here is how they hit against righties:

And lefties:

If you were to look purely at Moss vs righties and Freiman vs lefties and adjust to a single slash line based on plate appearances by each player, you would end up with a .275/.337/.484 slash line with a .356 wOBA.

That .356 wOBA for Athletics first basemen is enough for ninth place among all first basemen, tied with Allen Craig, and ahead of the likes of James Loney, Adrian Gonzalez, Mike Napoli, and Eric Hosmer.

Adrian Gonzalez makes $21M this year, Napoli $5M, Hosmer makes $528k with just over a year of service time, and Allen Craig, on one of the more team-friendly deals for first basemen will earn an average of $6.2M over the next five years.

Again, the combination of Brandon Moss and Nate Freiman makes $2.09M this year, and they are tied or better than all of the above players in terms of wOBA.

The Rays - Left Field

The Rays have been using a combination of Sean Rodriguez ($1M) and Matt Joyce ($2.45M) in left field.

Off righties:

Off lefties:

Combining the slash lines like we did with the Athletics, Rays left fielders have hit .259/.348/.433 with a .345 wOBA, which would put them in a tie for eighth among major league left fielders. Again, you don't lose bench flexibility as you still have suitable players on the bench who could come in at any time.

How does this relate to the Blue Jays, now that we're 1000 words in? Well...I feel like the Blue Jays could improve the team with platoons. It would take quite a bit of skillful GM-ing, and I'm not entirely sure that any of it is possible, but it's fun to make lineups anyway.

It's not even that hitting has been the problem for the Blue Jays this year, it's just that I really enjoy making lineups. So here we go!

Constructing a better 2014 team

The Blue Jays have clear holes at catcher, second base, and left field, and potentially an issue at one of first base or DH as well, if Adam Lind's option is not picked up.

Here is one possible scenario that I might like to see next year. The players acquired are for the most part free-agents after this season or the next, courtesyof MLB Trade Rumors.

• Adam Lind's option is picked up and he continues to platoon with Mark DeRosa. Actually platoon. Like, Lind never bats against a lefty ever again. Ever. Again.
  • .263/.348/.485 vs L and .295/.377/.530 vs R in 2013
• Maicer Izturis is traded, Brian Dozier is acquired and shares time with and Munenori Kawasaki at second base.
  • .319/.406/.593 vs L and .227/.320/.320 vs R in 2013
  • Another potential option for second base could be Kevin Frandsen, a player who also has a large platoon split. He has hit .262/.385/.429 off of lefties this year.
• Melky Cabrera is traded, Chris Young is acquired and Nate McLouth is signed, they platoon in left field.
  • .187/.313/.355 vs L and .288/.357/.421 vs R in 2013
• J.P. Arencibia and Josh Thole platoon at catcher, with Thole getting the majority of the at bats vs righties. The problem with this platoon is that while Thole has a large platoon split, Arencibia's split is virtually non-existent.

I feel like the offense would be better than the 2013 version, and yet, I can't see Anthopoulos doing much to adjust the lineup, considering how awful the pitching staff has been. Regardless, it would be nice to see the Blue Jays platoon as much as possible, as I believe that it would lead to a more successful team... assuming something can be done about the pitching.

Considering I took an unplanned nap at the end of the game and missed Will Venable's walk-off homer, I think this tweet was the highlight of the game for me.

#WalkOffHomer! #Padrespic.twitter.com/mlQcnR39lQ

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 18, 2013

That's a picture of Fox Sports Sideline Reporter Kelly Crull finally escaping her usual postgame dousing after a walk-off win. I was rooting for her to escape, in the same way I root for a baby gazelle to escape a cheetah in a nature documentary.  For me yestrday had two victories in one.

@MeganOlivi Absolutely!! My dry cleaning bills are out of control :)

— Kelly Crull (@kcru11) August 19, 2013

In the video below Crull tells Venable that this is the second time she's interviewed him after a walk-off win. The interview, however, is interrupted as he's doused with water and sports drink by his teammates and as she jumps for safety. When they resume the interview she says "I've gotten better at moving too since then." Venable replies dryly "Nice job."

If you missed the homerun like I did, you can watch it below.  I think my favorite part of the video is Mets pitcher Pedro Feliciano bending over at the waist, grabbing and his knees and spitting after the homerun.  It's a pose I've used many times when I'm about to vomit.

Video: Venable's Walk-off Homer:

Venable currently has the longest hitting streak in the majors with 15 games to his credit. He's having quite the August, but doesn't even compare to Mr. Padre.

Will Venable owns a .377 average in August. The highest average for @Padres player in Aug. (min. 100 PAs) is Tony Gwynn’s .448 in 1993.

— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) August 19, 2013

The Dodgers haven't lost two consecutive games since June 20 and June 21 against the San Diego Padres. Don Mattingly's club will attempt to prolong the streak on Monday, as the series between the boys and blue and the fish begins.

The offensive production from Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez and company hasn't produced more than five runs in the past six games. The lack of runs could continue against Marlins ace Jose Fernandez. The rookie Cuban star may be the sole spotlight for the 47-75 team.

Fernandez sports a 8-5 record, 2.49 ERA and 149 strike outs. The 6'4 240 pound right-hander features one of the best fastballs in baseball, capable of touching 99 MPH. Fernandez defeated the Dodgers on May 10th, tossing six innings, allowing three runs and fanning seven.

Since the beginning of June, Fernandez has yet to surrender over three earned runs. In addition, the 21-year-old is nearly untouchable at home, boasting a 5-0 record and 1.39 ERA.

According to ESPN.com, Kansas City Royals first baseman described Fernandez by saying: "The kid's good, he's got three well-above average pitches, he commands them all, throws 'em all for strikes, knows what he's doing and has a good game plan up there. He's a good pitcher, he's going to be sticking around for a long time."

Opposing Fernandez on the mound will be fellow NL rookie of the year candidate Hyun-Jin Ryu. The South Korean southpaw ranks amongst the Dodgers biggest surprises, accumulating a 12-3 record, 2.91 ERA and 121 strikeouts. However, Ryu's numbers on the road are signifcantly worse, with a 6-2 record and 4.09 ERA.

Ryu dominated the Marlins on May 11, collecting the victory by throwing 6 2/3 frames and one run. In spite of the pro-longed MLB season compared to Korea, Ryu continues to progress. Over Ryu's last seven starts, he strung together six wins and one no decision.

Game info

Time: 4:10 p.m.

TV: KCAL

MLB Gameday

Will Venable has been absolutely crushing it the past couple of weeks. Since the start of August, he has hit safely in every game, resulting in a career-high 15-game hitting streak. That's the longest active streak in the majors and the longest streak for a Padre since Rondell White's 16-game run in 2003. During that 15-game stretch, Venable is hitting .377 with four doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He also collected four stolen bases during his streak, bringing his career total to 100.

Yesterday was no different. Venable helped lead the Padres to a win over the Mets in the series finale, securing the four-game split. He did it with both his bat and his glove.

It all started with his RBI infield single in the 5th inning. Venable lobbed the ball and it bounced off the tip of Matt Harvey's glove, allowing Venable to beat out the throw at first. It also allowed Logan Forsythe to scored from third base and put the Padres on the board. 

In the top of the 8th, Venable made a great grab on a long fly ball off the bat of Marlon Byrd. It saved, at the very least, an extra base hit, but possibly a home run.

The Padres tied it up in the bottom of the 8th, but Venable was not in the mood for bonus baseball. He hit the ball deep to right field for his first career walkoff homer.

He greeted his team at home plate.

And then he got showered in ice water and Gatorade as Kelly Crull slowly backed away to avoid the beverage bath.

Keep swinging that hot bat and chasing after those balls, Will. We've ALWAYS loved you.

Part One

As we stood in foul territory in front of the Padres dugout, we watched batting practice and killed time talking to old friends and new.  This, after all, is where the media elite hang out and for one night, only retractable belt stanchions and a considerable amount of talent separated us from them.

Media Folk

Bob Scanlan was the first to approach us.  He's taller than I remember and I remember him being really tall.  Head Grounds Crew guy Luke Yoder stopped by too.  I couldn't take my eyes off his sculpted calves.  He "fielded" some questions from us. I waited for a private moment with him so I could bring up my suspicions that the Dancing Grounds Crew guy isn't doing his fair share of work, but it never came.

Next was Fox Sports Host Laura McKeeman who made us all really nervous because as bloggers we aren't use to talking to girls.  I really wish Fox Sports San Diego would give her a chance to fill in for Dick Enberg for a game.  Her skills are polished.  You never hear women in the broadcast booth and I think Laura could do it with ease.

I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.  Former Padres Channel 4 Host John Weisbarth approached from the ether of the visitor's dugout.  I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say I leapt into his arms.  He was doing some field work for the Mets.  He seemed happy to see us, but insisted that next time we just do the "bro hug" instead of me wrapping my legs around his waist.  I miss him.

Padres beat writer Corey Brock stopped by and shook our hands.  You should know that Corey has really soft hands.  He also has the kind of personality that makes me wish he was a more frequent radio/TV guest.  I still think he and Laura should team up and do a podcast.

Speaking of @PadsCast, Andy Masur was there too and is maybe the nicest guy ever and that's coming from me, the guy that everybody agrees is really nicest guy ever.  He told us horror stories of parking near Wrigley Field.

I called over Fox Sports Reporter Kelly Crull who was catching up with a friend in the dugout.  She didn't answer to "Laura" the first three times I called to her.  Once I started using her actual name, she came over in a jiffy.  I heart her.

Jaff Decker

I was leaning against the dugout fence when Jaff Decker sidled up beside me.  I was caught off guard.  I asked him a question about his neon Phiten bracelet, it was the first thing I noticed.  "Do you believe in the power of titanium bracelets?"  "Nah", he said, "I just like the way they look and I got a hit after wearing it the first time."

Friarhood asked him a serious question that led to an answer where Decker admitted that he thought "For Love of the Game" was a great movie.  I couldn't contain myself and groaned, "Ugh, that movie sucks."  He and Friarhood tried to convince us that it was a baseball movie with romance and not a romance movie with baseball.  "Whatever dudes."  Decker kept up his defense saying that romance like that was part of the major leagues.  That intrigued me, but he didn't expand upon it to my chagrin.

I told him that Bud Black had commented on his long hair on a recent radio interview with Darren Smith.  Decker said that he and Casey Kelly get teased about their hair in the clubhouse.  They both have T-Shirts that read "Mucho Flow".  I got to get me one of those.

Decker was starting that night so had move on.  Good dude that guy.

Padres Purse Store

We exited the field and ran smack dab into Padres Broadcaster and Hall of Famer Jerry Coleman.  He made a jovial comment about us, he said he was hoping we weren't "the enemy".  I'm not sure if he meant the Mets or if he was having a flashback to his days of aerial combat.

It was then that we saw a new store nestled behind the Sony Dugout Home Plate Club.  There sits an upscale store that sells really expensive Padres merchandise.  More expensive then the regular expensive merchandise.  RJ's Fro and I raced to take a picture.  It's a really weird place for a store.  Because of its location it's probably seen by, at most 50 fans a game.  Sure they're the rich fans, but is this where they'd come to buy purses and handbags?  Is this the types of investments we can expect from the new ownership??  I already see this as a black eye for Fowler and company.

In Part Three we'll visit the suite and make even more friends.  Making friends is what we do.

Nothing can slow the Dodgers down, but Jose Fernandez proved to be an exception, helping the Marlins defeat the Dodgers 6-2. Fernandez appeared fired up to face one of baseball's elite teams, providing a solid quality start of six innings and two runs (one earned). The young Miami ace placed extra emphasis on fellow-country man Yasiel Puig and ex-Marlin Hanley Ramirez, causing the stars to go 0-for-6 against him.

Fernandez biggest jam came in the fifth frame, facing the bases loaded with no outs. In spite of the precarious situation, Fernandez only allowed one run and escaped nonchalantly. Third baseman Ed Lucas dropped the ball on a routine play, therefore Fernandez wasn't charged with the run. Moments later, Carl Crawford collected a RBI single on a groundout.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Marlins lit up the scoreboard for the games first runs. Hyun-Jin Ryu retired the first two batters, yet the Marlins rattled off three straight hits. Christian Yelich hit a laser RBI triple off the left field wall, scoring Fernandez and giving the fish a 1-0 advantage. Donovan Solano followed it up with a RBI single to right, extending the lead to 2-0.

Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe tied it up at 2-2 in the sixth, driving in a clutch RBI double. Uribe went 3-for-3 against Fernandez and is now 4-for-4 against him all-time. Uribe has been locked in over his last two starts, going 5-for-8 with 3 RBI.

After the commercial break, Logan Morrison allowed the Marlins to regain the lead (3-2) on a RBI single. Dodgers color commentator Steve Lyons didn't like the pitch and it ended up being the deciding run.

"That's probably the worst pitch we have seen from Ryu all night long, just kind of a nothing fastball." Lyons said.

However, Ryu was able to settle down after the miscue to Morrison. Adeiny Hechavarria came to plate with the bases load and one out, but Ryu got him to ground into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play. Ryu's brilliance got overshadowed, tossing 7 1/3 innings of three run ball.

Among the Marlins few strengths is their bullpen, and it showed Monday. The combination of A.J. Ramos, Chad Qualls and Steve Cishek provided three innings of spotless work to close the game out.

The centerpiece of the Marlins rebuilding project, Giancarlo Stanton, launched an insurance solo bomb to center field. The eighth inning rally continued on Lucas's two-RBI single and Hechavarria's RBI single, putting the Marlins lead at the final score of 6-2.

Notes

• Yasiel Puig went 0-for-5 on the night and fanned twice. On the two strikeouts, Puig only saw six pitches and swung at numerous balls outside the zone. By doing so, Puig's average dipped to .351, which is his worst since debuting on June 3.
• During the sixth inning, Andre Ethier got hit on a 58 MPH breaking ball. Either limped down to first base but was able to stay in the game. Ethier turned in a 0-for-3 performance with three strikeouts.
• Hanley Ramirez couldn't make his old team pay, recording a disappointing 0-for-4 night.
• Chris Withrow received the nod out of the bullpen for the first time since August 14th, taking an unusual five days off. The hard throwing right-hander pitched 0.1 innings and allowed the home run to Stanton.
• Reliever JP Howell returned to action for the first time since August 14th. Don Mattingly normally uses Howell about every 2.5 games. Howell also looked rusty, as he failed to record any outs and allowed two earned runs.
• Ryu undeservingly got the loss, which was his first since June 19 against the New York Yankees.

Up next

Game two of the Dodgers at Marlins series will take place on Tuesday. Los Angeles sends Chris Capuano to the mound against Miami's Jacob Turner.

Monday's particulars

WP - Jose Fernandez (9-5): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 8 strikeouts and three walks

LP - Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-4): 7 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 5 strikeouts and two walks

MLB Hot Topics

Ryan Braun lobbied for support by Buster Olney -- ESPN

Ryan Braun took another public hit as information has leaked through that he reached out to major league veterans saying that the doctor who collected his sample was an anti-Semite, and that he was a Cubs fan. When Braun made the call to the veterans, they said he was anticipating he was going to lose his appeal, when he in fact ended up winning it. Braun is expected to speak out publicly, but since all this information has come out, and so many players are losing respect for him, I don't think it's going to help him much. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Braun going forward, like things have been going with A-Rod.

MLB: Willing to release A-Rod files by Mike Mazzeo -- ESPN

It seems as if the league is getting fed up with the threats from A-Rod and his legal team. The league's executive Vice President Robert Manfred said he is willing to waive the league's confidentiality clause in the league's drug-testing agreement, which would release all the evidence it has against A-Rod to the public. Nonetheless this should get interesting to say the least.

Red Sox promote 20-year-old Xander Bogaerts to major league squad by David Brown -- Yahoo Sports

Xander Bogaerts has been one of my favorite follows in the minors since he has shown great power for such a young hitter, at a premium position, SS, although the Red Sox might use him as a utility player to begin with at 3rd and SS. The number eight overall prospect coming into this season, hit 15 home runs in between AA and AAA this season. Seems as if there is a new and exciting player coming up every month, which can't help but make baseball more popular.

Nationals acquire outfielder David DeJesus from Cubs by Dayn Perry -- CBS Sports

The Nationals in an under-the-radar move acquired David DeJesus Monday from the Cubs for a PTBNL. The Cubs will be saving around $2.5 million with this move, and with Brian Bogusevic coming back, and Ryan Sweeney close to coming of the DL, the move makes sense for the Cubs in the short term. As for the Nationals I thought it was a weird trade since the Nationals will be paying the rest of DeJesus contract to be their fourth outfielder along with Denard Span, Bryce Harper, and Jayson Werth.

The Sabermetrics Community

Player’s View: The Best Stat to Evaluate Pitchers by David Laurila -- FanGraphs

One of my favorite columns that FanGraphs does is they ask players or coaches what they think is the best way to evaluate something in the game. This one relates to major league pitchers and what they think the best stat is to evaluate pitchers. As you would think there is a whole lot of variety between answers as their are starters and relievers who answer the question.

Exploring the Battery Effect by Max Weinstein -- FanGraphs

Max digs deep here into looking at the battery effect on passed balls and wild pitches. He wants to see who has the bigger blame for the amount of passed balls or wild pitches that do happen over time, analyzing 301 battery combinations since 2002 with at least 200 innings together to get the data.

Colby Rasmus Turns Back the Clock by Matt Klaassen -- FanGraphs

When you think of Colby Rasmus, first thing that comes to mind to many is one who never lived up to their potential. That might be the case still but one thing Rasmus does have is power. Colby is having his best season since 2010 with the Cardinals, this year he is having an above-average offensive year, although some might be quick to point out he has a career high K rate, still a low contact rate and very high BABIP. For Rasmus, a lot of his hits go for extra bases, and that might be his call to staying in the league is keeping that power and making the most of his poor plate approach.

National League West: runaway Dodger blue by Steve Treder -- The Hardball Times

The Giants haven't had their normal starting pitching they've had in recent years, The Padres have had below average pitching, and hitting since being in third place on June 17, The Rockies have been too bumpy all year to keep chase despite improved pitching , and besides Patrick Corbin and Paul Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks have had no other impact to keep their first place position in mid July until now. All these factors and the Dodgers historic hot streak has the Dodgers pulling away with the NL West.

New at SBNation MLB

Has Rawlings finally fixed the Gold Gloves? by Rob Neyer -- Baseball Nation

Rawlings is teamed up with SABR, who will provide the yearly award with 25% of the votes that goes towards the gold glove. Rawlings hired seven people to look over the defensive statistics using five different defensive metrics, while we all know the defensive metrics are suspect, the people they hired can come to a consensus on what is right.

When Ryan Dempster made us like Alex Rodriguez by Rob Neyer -- Baseball Nation

It seems to be that Ryan Dempster knew he was going to hit Alex Rodriguez the first time he faced him, as there were tweets from sources saying that Dempster told multiple people he would. There is also speculation it could be a personal vendetta since A-Rod blew off Dempster at a public event. Whatever the case is, many still believe what Dempster did was wrong in that he should have stopped after he didn't hit him with the first pitch and shockingly people were sticking up for A-Rod.

Yasiel Puig allegedly cusses out members of media by Mark Sandritter -- SB Nation

The media has found another thing to make a huge story about. Apparently Puig when asked about something cursed at the media, which happened after his press conference. Puig has been on record in saying how he doesn't like how America's media talks about stories of the players off the field, which is understandable.

. . .

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

Anthony Bauer is a writer at Beyond The Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @skipbauer22.

More from Beyond the Box Score:

• Adjusting to Life in the Pen
• Justin Masterson tries the strikeout
• Lineouts! 08/19/13: Scherzer wins again, Ellsbury market, and Dempster's control
• The best position players that never got a chance
• The Smallest Sample Size 8/19/13: Errors Everywhere!

I'm pretty easy going most of the time when it comes to the Padres.  I don't take losses that hard anymore.  I don't care when popular Padres players are traded.  I can roll with the punches.  But the one thing that gets my blood boiling is Padre uniform talk.  I cannot understand why anyone wouldn't want our team's colors changed back to brown and gold.

When I see tweets like this one from last night, I lose my shit.

#Padres are intrigued by PCL duds they wore in July. Like look and potential patriotic appeal. But I doubt they have new duds before 2016.

— Tom Krasovic (@UTkrasovic) August 20, 2013

Sound familiar? ROAR!!!

The PCL uniforms look good for throwback days, but the Major League team was created with a distinct color pallet that should be restored immediately.  When the same executive that created the shampoo Padres logo and dressed our team in tan and blue are making decisions on uniforms again I want to cry.  I fear I'll never see my beloved Friars play in their true colors on a daily basis ever again.  That pains me.

Paul Lukas from Uni Watch ranked the current uniforms the worst in the Major Leagues for the second year in a row.  I agree completely, bring back the brown.  I do question his taste though because if I remember correctly he doesn't like the 1984 uniforms which is insane.

Uni Watch Power Rankings rates MLB's uniforms from 1-30 - ESPN

By far MLB's blandest, most watered-down uniform set. A blank slate would have more character, and a Little League uni would have more gravitas. Bring back the brown!

So if you're keeping score, the Padres have been ranked the ugliest and the worst twice.

Part One

Part Two

Sugar walked us up to a suite behind the right field pole.  There we dined on ballpark fare,  which included hot dogs, sliders, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, soda and brownies.  I inhaled a Sprite, a water, three sliders and three bags of Cracker Jacks before Bob Scanlan made his second appearance of the night.

Bob Scanlan

Friarhood asked him a question about Edinson Volquez's composure.  Scan said that in his own youth he was a very passionate pitcher and he had to learn to control his emotions.  He had to learn to let mistakes go and become 100% focused on making his next pitch.  He told us that when Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley is standing behind Volquez in the bullpen he is at his best and a completely different pitcher.  Balsley says Volquez has incredible "no hit stuff" and could be a quality starter on any team when he's standing behind him.  When Volquez is in a game though, he let's his emotions control him.  Scan suggested that Volquez needs to become his own pitching coach by calming himself down and keeping his focus on the next pitch.

Jake Peavy was mentioned as an emotional pitcher who has been successful by one of the bloggers.  Scan said there were even times Peavy would get carried away.  He recalled a time when Padres teammate Greg Maddux told Peavy to "shut up and pitch".

Scan was also argued very passionately against instant replay in baseball.  He doesn't want to change the game and slow it down by reviewing plays.  He seems to believe in baseball karma where bad calls will even out over the course of a game and season.  He said usually it's not a blown call that costs a team a game, it's a team not executing on the field.  I disagree wholeheartedly.  Getting the call right is of the utmost importance.

We also learned that his fellow radio broadcaster, Ted Leitner, has seen every episode of The Simpsons.

Josh Byrnes

Padres GM Josh Byrnes entered next.  We had been kept in the dark about any possible Padres employees that would visit us.  We were told that we might be able to talk to Bud Black, but nothing beyond that.  Seeing Byrnes walk into the suite to talk to us was a surprise to all.

He's a really nice guy.  He introduced himself, shook our hands and sat down to answer any questions we might have.  He just started talking baseball when one of the bloggers placed an iPhone in front of him to record.  Byrnes asked "So we're on the record now?"

I kind of lost my composure at this point.  I was frustrated.  As a blogger and a fan, I've learned over the years that the worst thing you can do is get baseball guys on the record.  You'll never learn anything new.  You might as well just read Padres.com for your information.

After Byrnes finished his answer, I asked if we could turn off the recorder and get back to just talking.  Everyone seemed to agree and the recorder was switched off.  It's not that Byrnes was going to start confessing his deepest secrets, but there was a different vibe when you're just talking conversationally.  Even though we might not be able to write about something that's off- the-record, it can help with your perspective towards other issues and at least serve as background information when forming an opinion.

I asked if this year's ballpark fence changes has done what the team had hoped.  He told us he hadn't looked at the numbers yet, but that he feels they've been a success.  He thinks they might have cut down on triples, but that no one in the clubhouse was complaining about hitting in Petco Park anymore.  I asked him the tough follow up question, "No one?".  He insisted he hadn't heard any grumbling.

The PA system at Petco prior to game made it really difficult to hear his answers from across the room.  I asked him to diagnose Chase Headley's problems at the plate.  I can only tell you what I heard.  I think he said that opposing pitchers are pitching to him differently now, they've adjusted after last year.  Also not having Carlos Quentin hitting behind him has given him less good pitches to swing at.

In Part Four we get an advance look at some the new Padres giveaway items.

You've probably read all the articles by now about the Dodgers tying an old record for the most wins in a 50 game stretch.  It's pretty impressive...

Dodgers join elite company with 10th straight win | MLB.com: News

The victory puts the Dodgers in elite company. They are 42-8 since June 22, matching the 1941 Yankees and 1942 Cardinals for the best 50-game stretch since 1900.

but I don't care too much about the Dodgers.  If you're anything like me you're more interested in the Padres best record over a 50 games stretch.  I did the research, you do the reading.

The Padres best 50 game stretch happened in 1998 and it's worst in 1969.

The Padres best 50 game stretch

The Padres worst 50 game stretch

The Colorado Rockies will look to snap a three-game losing streak and even the series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park tonight as Jorge De La Rosa faces off against Tyler Cloyd.

De La Rosa enters tonight's contest with a 3.22 ERA and 12-6 record in 25 starts this season. He has struck out 98 in 142 1/3 innings. In his last start, against the Padres Wednesday at Coors Field, he allowed two runs on eight hits in seven innings of work, walking one and striking out six. He has not faced the Phillies this season.

Cloyd has made six starts in each of the last two seasons for the Phillies and enters today's game with a 3.41 ERA and 2-2 record in 2013. This will be just his second start of the season at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed a run on six hits his last time out at Minnesota, walking three and striking out a pair. He faced the Rockies last year, allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings in a game at Coors Field.

Charlie Blackmon will start in left field for the Rockies tonight in place of Corey Dickerson. He bats eighth with DJ LeMahieu returning to the second spot in the order.

Delmon Young enters the lineup for the Phillies tonight, playing first base and batting fifth. Darin Ruf moves to right field with Casper Wells going to the bench.

#Rockies 8/20 vs. #Phillies: Fowler 8, LeMahieu 4, Tulo 6, Cuddy 9, Helton 3, Rosario 2, Arenado 5, Blackmon 7, De La Rosa 1

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 20, 2013

Tonight's 7:05 #Phillies lineup vs. #Rockies. Cloyd vs De La Rosa. CSN/1210WPHT/94WIP/MLB.tv. pic.twitter.com/EKkJzk6KXd

— Phillies (@Phillies) August 20, 2013

Bud Black interview with Darren Smith (MP3)

• Carlos Quentin has knee pain when trying to run that's keeping him on the disabled list.  He has cartilage damage, a lesion, joint issues and bone on bone issues.  "When you can't run, you can't play."  He's had three injections to help his knee glide, but they haven't helped so far.  "We're still optimistic that he can come back, at thirty years of age, and play the outfield."
• Black says that Yonder Alonso's slugging percentage is down.  He thinks that Alonso's time on the disabled list has caused him to lose some strength.  Black thinks he'll knock in 80 runs in a season if he's healthy and remains a middle of the order hitter.
• Will Venable is the National League Player of the Week.  Black credits Venable's approach and stance for his consistency at the plate and improved numbers against lefties.
• New Padres President/CEO Mike Dee talked to the team in the clubhouse yesterday.  "Nice guy, really has a nice way about him."

The San Diego Padres have placed third baseman Chase Headley on revocable trade waivers, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman notes that Headley is not a free agent until after next season and is only owed $8.575 million, meaning that there is a decent chance that he will be claimed.

Headley, 29, has hit only .237 with 8 HR and 35 RBI in 110 games with San Diego on the season. His numbers this season are disappointing in comparison to his 2012 campaign, when a .286 average, 31 HR and 115 RBI helped Headley finish fifth in the voting for NL MVP. Due to his age and potential, many teams will likely show interest in Headley now that he is available on the waiver wire.

The Padres were expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, but instead opted to acquire Ian Kennedy from the Diamondbacks and hold on to assets like Headley, Huston Street, Luke Gregerson, Chris Denorfia and Edinson Volquez. Headley is a prime candidate to be dealt this offseason, but his status on revocable trade waivers means that a contender in search of a third baseman could claim him and make an offer in an effort to acquire him for the last month of the season.

The Yankees have shown consistent interest in Headley over the past couple of years, but the return of Alex Rodriguez and recent signing of Mark Reynolds likely mean that they will not put in a claim on Headley this month. If Headley stays in San Diego through the end of the season and is made available in trade talks this winter, the Yankees are among many teams expected to show interest in acquiring him.

To keep track of all that is going on with the August waiver wire, check out our August waiver tracker.

Reymond Fuentes has put together quite a season. After a poor showing at AA San Antonio last year, Fuentes returned to the Missions this year and raked his way to a promotion to AAA Tucson less than two weeks ago. Since then he has been on fire, hitting safely in all 11 games he's played and putting up a .400 batting average in that time.

Prior to this season, Fuentes moved up the ladder one rung per year. He showed promise in Rookie League and Single-A ball for the Red Sox in 2009 and 2010 after being selected twenty-eighth overall in the '09 draft. He performed ably for Advanced-A Lake Elsinore in 2011 after being acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and even made the Futures Game that year. 2012 was his first taste of outright failure but Fuentes worked through it and was named a Texas League All-Star this year in his second go-round.

After slashing .316/ .396/ .441 with 29 steals in 39 tries in the shadow of the Alamo, Rey Fu got the bump up to Tucson and hasn't looked back since. While the Pacific Coast League is hitting central and there's no way he'll maintain a Ted Williams-ish BA, there's a lot to like about Reymond's run of success since getting the call. Four of his 18 hits have been for an extra base. He's driven in seven runs out of the leadoff spot and, more relevant to his skillset, stolen five bases in six tries. Unsubstantiated reports that I just made up state that he also has a huge swingdown hanging between his knees that distracts teammates in the shower. It's huge, y'all. Dude burns up most of his salary on custom, huge protective cups.

I'm not one to get too excited over prospects because I've seen so many of them peter out, but Reymond Fuentes has my interest piqued. His off year pushed him out of my active consciousness but his resurgence is a good reason to kay tee eff in the future. And you know what's crazy? After what seems like all of the times, he's still only 22 years old.

Let's start with Tyson Ross who's come up lately and been a very effective starter. Anything to get excited about or just a slightly older prospect who could round out a rotation?

Tyson Ross is a power arm that didn't have full command over all his pitches. The coaching staff has worked with him and it seems to be paying dividends. As with any pitcher that has trouble locating his pitches, this could just be a temporary stars aligning sort of thing where we are seeing the best he can be for a short time. I think we'll know more next year to see if the adjustments he made can stick. From what I understand he has always had the potential to be an asset in a major league rotation, but needed refinement. It is certainly possible that refinement has now happened, but too soon to tell.

We talked about him when the Pads were here, how has Andrew Cashner's season gone?

Andrew Cashner has been very solid this season and probably has been the Padres' most consistent starter. His transition to solid starter has been one that has seen him miss fewer bats, but last longer in games and give up less walks. He should be able to maintain his progress so far, but I imagine some would see the gaudy strikeout numbers he put up in the past and think that if he could just bring those back he'd be a top of the rotation starter. For now though, it seems he has developed into a guy that can be counted on every 5th day and occasionally be dominant. Which is a nice skill set to have and will make him a lot of money.

What's up with Chase Headley? Seems like it's been a season long struggle.

I think a lot of people would like to know what is up with Chase Headley. In some ways, the Chase we've seen this season is similar to the Chase that we've seen in other non 2012 and 2010 seasons. He sometimes looks lost, he piles up strikeouts and you wonder if he should scrap switch hitting so that he doesn't have to maintain two swings. All the while though playing superb defense. Part of his struggles might be due to the injury he suffered in Spring Training that derailed his start to the season. Part of it might be pressure he's putting on himself. However, as I alluded earlier this season isn't all that different than 2009 or 2011, so I don't know if something wrong so much as it is more about the expectations that all of us put on him after his 2012 season.

Yonder Alonso was the main prize in return for Mat Latos, but hasn't quite fired yet. Still patience needed or turning a critical eye?

Yonder Alonso will be a lineup stalwart for a while. There's not really any competition for the 1B spot since Kyle Blanks can't stay healthy and can play the OF and there's no one in the minor leagues that looks promising. I think what we'll see with Alonso is steady improvement over the next few years and eventually he'll move on when his arb years are up or close to up. I don't think a critical eye is needed since no one expects him to be an MVP caliber player. Some more power would be nice and it was showing up early this season before he got hurt, so maybe some patience is needed waiting for that to return.

Are there any prospects who might get a  look for these final six weeks of the season?

The next 6 weeks should be pretty quiet on the prospects front. The team is in no hurry to rush anyone from AA and no one in AAA is banging down the door for a call up. Perhaps Robbie Erlin and Burch Smith make returns to the majors come September. Keyvius Sampson gets some attention due to his recent successes, but he just got re-promoted to AAA recently and I don't think the club wants to rush him again (he struggled in his first AAA promotion). The upper minors are pretty barren when it comes to hitting prospects, which is why Jaff Decker is getting an extended run. Most of the interesting names in AA in AAA have already been promoted once this season (either from A+ to AA or AA to AAA) and again would be rushed if sent to the big leagues in September. The team also will return almost all of its roster next season, so 40 man roster space will be at a premium and you don't want to take up a spot with someone who isn't quite ready for primetime.

How are you feeling about your team's rebuild and where it is now?

Calling what the franchise is doing a "rebuild" is kind of a loaded question. Was it ever really built? When did it start this rebuild? In my view the team has been trying for a long time to become a franchise that can draft and develop its own talent and fill out much of a roster that way. It's been trying to become that since before the club moved into Petco Park in 2004. It is still a work in progress, but showing signs of life. However, if by rebuild you mean how things are progressing since the team traded Adrian Gonzalez, Mike Adams and Mat Latos for prospects (and Volquez), then I'd say it's not going great. Mainly due to the number of injuries these players have suffered. Injuries to highly thought of prospects (Kelly, Wieland, Liriano, Erlin, Darnell) and promising young players (Luebke, Maybin, Grandal, Blanks) has really derailed any sort of building or rebuilding this team was trying to do. It can still get back on track being that they still have a number of promising (and still healthy) prospects in the minors, but the train is certainly delayed.

Padres CEO Mike Dee's return to San Diego began with a bang. In his introductory press conference on Tuesday, the team's new president announced plans to invest more money in the club, focus on internal player development, and solve the TV crisis that has plagued San Diego residents for years, reports A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com.

Dee, who was an executive with the Padres from 1995-2002 before moving on to the NFL, believes that the foundation for a winning ball club has been set by enhancing the fan experience and immersing the organization in the local community. The final step -- which, obviously, is easier said than done -- is to put a winning product on the field:

"Philosophically, in a small market, it's very important to draft well and to develop your own talent," Dee said. "You can have success if you don't do it, but it's appreciably harder...

"Clearly, we're going to look to invest more in the team, moving forward," Dee said. "We're in a great condition to do that."

Dee didn't add any grand predictions about reaching the playoffs in a certain amount of time or bringing home the Friars' first World Series title, but that his return to the Padres was the "last move" of his sports career, and that he plans to remain in California for the "long haul."

The Padres are currently in last place in the NL West with a 56-70 record on the year. The club hasn't reached the playoffs since 2006.

Dee said that one of his first orders of business was solving media rift that has kept Padres games out of scores of San Diego homes for years. Time Warner Cable has been in a standoff with Fox Sports San Diego for at least two years now, meaning TWC is embroiled in a two-front war now that things with CBS have gone sour.

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• Neyer: The meaning of Ichiro's 4,000 hits

• Pirates "have some interest" in Justin Morneau

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Yankees 4, Blue Jays 2:Ichiro Suzuki notched his 4,000th professional hit and Alfonso Soriano homered for the eighth time this month to overcome an eight-inning complete game from R.A. Dickey.

Dickey struck out nine and allowed just six hits, but he also surrendered four runs and didn't get much offensive support. It certainly didn't help that Jose Reyes was ejected in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes.

Dodgers 4, Marlins 1: Behind a stellar performance from Zack Greinke, the Dodgers started a new winning streak in Miami. Greinke tossed eight innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and racking up seven strikeouts. He owns a 1.41 ERA over his past nine starts.

Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez had two hits apiece. Giancarlo Stanton homered off of Greinke in the first inning for the Marlins' only run. Yasiel Puig went 0-for-5 with a run scored in his return to the Dodgers' lineup.

Braves 4, Mets 1: Chris Johnson hit a tie-breaking, three-run homer in the top of the 10th inning to salvage a split of a two-game series for the Braves. The big home run also helped the team overcome the loss of Jason Heyward, who was hit in the face with an errant fastball from Jonathan Niese:

Heyward will likely miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a fractured jaw.

Orioles 4, Rays 2:Chris Davis hit his 46th home run of the season and Adam Jones went deep for the 26th time to power Baltimore past Tampa Bay. Wei-Yin Chen worked around a pair of solo homers to earn the win by allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings.

The series victory moved the O's to 4 ½ games behind the Rays for second place in the American League East.

Reds 10, Diamondbacks 7: Cincinnati nearly squandered an 8-0 lead before a pair of run-scoring singles in the bottom of the eighth inning put the game away. Shin-Soo Choo homered off of Brandon McCarthy in the first inning to kick-start the scoring for the Reds.

Gerardo Parra and Adam Eaton went deep for Arizona in the loss. McCarthy was roughed up for seven runs on eight hits in 2 ⅓ innings.

Red Sox 12, Giants 1:Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino had three hits apiece for Boston, which got home runs from Stephen Drew and Will Middlebrooks in a rout over San Francisco.

Felix Doubrount allowed a run on five hits in eight innings. The Sox pounded Giants starter Barry Zito to the tune of six runs on seven hits in 3 ⅔ innings. About the only thing that went wrong for Boston was the early exit of David Ortiz, who left in the fifth inning with lower back soreness.

Rangers 5, Astros 4:Elvis Andrus hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Texas its 14th victory in 16 games against Houston this season.

Derek Holland went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, but he was robbed of a win after reliever Tanner Scheppers surrendered two runs on three hits, a walk and two hit batters in the eighth inning. One of the players Scheppers hit was Max Stassi, a rookie appearing in his second big-league game, who took a 96 MPH fastball to the face and had to go to the hospital after the game for further evaluation.

Tigers 7, Twins 1: Detroit scored all seven of its runs in the seventh and eighth innings to rally from a 1-0 deficit to beat Minnesota. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier committed a pair of costly errors, leading to five unearned runs.

Austin Jackson led the Tigers with three hits while Torii Hunter, Victor Martinez and Jose Iglesias had two apiece. Miguel Cabrera had only one hit, but it was in the form of a bases-clearing double in the eighth inning.

Anibal Sanchez struck out eight batters in 6 ⅔ innings but was saddled with a no-decision.

Cardinals 8, Brewers 6: St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook wasn't all that effective on the mound, but his two-run double in the second inning helped the Cardinals jump out to a 7-0 lead. Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and Allen Craig each did their part with home runs.

Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer off of Westbrook to help Milwaukee cut its deficit to 7-5 before Holliday's long ball. Logan Schafer also homered for the Brewers in the loss.

Mariners 5, Athletics 3: The A's fell to 2 ½ games behind Texas after dropping a three-game set to the Mariners, who entered the series nine games under .500. Mike Morse and Brad Miller homered for Seattle, which got another solid start out of Hisashi Iwakuma.

Brandon Moss hit his 20th homer of the year and Coco Crisp also went deep for Oakland. Brendan Ryan had a pair of hits and three RBI for the Mariners.

Padres 2, Pirates 1:Ian Kennedy ensured Pittsburgh wouldn't leave town with a sweep by tossing eight shutout innings. Kennedy struck out eight batters and allowed only four hits, outdueling Pirates starter Gerrit Cole, who gave up two runs in six innings and notched five strikeouts.

Logan Forsythe led the Padres with three hits while Yonder Alonso chipped in two knocks and drove in both of San Diego's runs.

Indians 3, Angels 1: Cleveland kept pace with Detroit in the AL Central with a sweep of the Angels, who played their third straight game without star outfielder Mike Trout. Justin Masterson worked around five walks to pitch 6 ⅔ effective innings, racking up seven strikeouts and giving up only one run.

Nick Swisher's two-run home run off of Angels starter Jerome Williams provided Masterson all the support he needed.

Nationals 11, Cubs 6: Washington blew a 6-1 lead but was bailed out by Scott Hairston, who hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo homered twice, including a two-run bomb onto Sheffield Avenue in the fifth inning that kick-started a five-run rally.

Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer in the third inning to get the Nats on the board. Adam LaRoche, Ryan Zimmerman and Kurt Suzuki had two hits apiece.

White Sox 5, Royals 2: Dayan Viciedo's fourth-inning grand slam propelled the White Sox to their second straight win over the fading Royals. Viciedo had three hits to pace Chicago, which tallied five runs on nine hits against Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie.

White Sox starter Andre Rienzo allowed two runs on five hits in six innings, becoming the first Brazilian to win a major league game.

Phillies 4, Rockies 3: Philadelphia scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, including Michael Young's walk-off single, against Colorado closer Rafael Betancourt. That wasted a go-ahead RBI hit off the bat of rookie Nolan Arenado, which put the Rockies ahead, 3-2, entering the bottom of the eighth.

Cliff Lee allowed two runs on nine hits in seven innings of work. He struck out six and allowed one home run, a solo shot off the bat of Wilin Rosario in the second inning.

Holds! I mean, seriously ...

HOLDS! Am I right?

Here's a question to all those who manage a team in a league that counts Holds as a stat, "Is there a stat in this universe we inhabit that drives you any more insane than Holds?" "No." That's the answer. The answer is "no." Next question. Actually. That's the only question.

Holds are a nice addition to a league in that they add value to a group of players generally ignored in most Fantasy Baseball formats, but, Holds will keep an owner up at night. Holds will drive an owner to drink. Holds will leave you questioning all that is holy and good in this world of ours while you curl up in a ball in the corner of your basement. Why? Because they're impossible to predict. Impossible.

There is no strategy for Holds. Well, there is a strategy, but it's rate of success is minimal as that's just the nature of Holds, from what I can tell. To me, this is the best thought process when targeting Holds at your draft or off the wire:

Pitchers to Target:

1) You want a relief pitcher a manager trusts to throw out there in the 8th inning with a 1-3 run lead. Sometimes 7th inning guys are OK, but 8th is ideal as it gives a team one more chance to acquire a lead and is late enough that the starter will be out of the game most of the time. Sometimes, which relief pitcher this will be on a team isn't clear until the first couple of weeks of the season (think Trevor Rosenthal), meaning it might not be the best idea to invest early in setup men at your draft. If at all.

2) You want that relief pitcher to be on a good team, preferably a good National League team (more pitching changes, etc.). This is much easier to predict as there are only so many NL teams and most can guess who the Top 5 or so teams in the league should be. Bonus hint: The St. Louis Cardinals will be a good NL team from now until the end of mankind.

3) You want that pitcher to be on a good NL team but not a good NL team with an excellent pitching staff, just a pitching staff that's good enough to have a lead after the 7th inning of a lot of ball games. Not a staff where the starters routinely pitch into the 7th, 8th and 9th innings of games while setup men twiddle their thumbs in the bullpen. You might not have guessed it to start the year, but the Pittsburgh Pirates have exactly that kind of staff.

4) Target a LHP "Loogy" on a good NL team that has a good-but-not-excellent pitching staff. A Loogy likely will only have to face 1-2 hitters max to earn the Hold (limiting the chance of blowing said Hold) and can be used multiple days in a row due to the limited amount of pitches they throw per appearance (in theory). The only setback here is that the Loogy is unlikely to contribute much in the way of ratios or strike outs to your weekly or season totals.

5) If possible, you want there to be a solid closer on the team so that the odds of the setup man taking over the closer role sometime in the season and therefore no longer acquiring Holds is limited. Injuries and deadline deals make this extremely challenging to predict but someone like Kenley Jansen, despite being the setup man to start the season, probably wasn't a good bet for big Holds totals this year thanks to Brandon League being Brandon League and all.

6) Unless you just so happen to be Miss Cleo, I don't see any way of predicting this, but, should you be aware of a pitcher that either has or is about to have dual SP/RP eligibility and is going to be one of the lead setup men on a team, most definitely acquire that pitcher. The ability to start that pitcher in a SP slot on days when one is available is AWESOME. Despite not pitching in the NL, Drew Smyly, Brett Cecil, Tommy Hunter and Brian Matusz are nice examples of such pitchers.

That's it. That's my strategy for targeting Holds at the draft and early in the year. Late in the year. Like now. For example. It's whoever just so happens to be the setup man getting the ball in Hold situations the most recently. It's a fluid situation, y'all.

Holds Totals Over the Past 14 Days:

Player Notes:

New York Yankees / Chicago White Sox

It's been a good two weeks to be a setup man for either the Yankees or the White Sox with 6 of the Top 25 coming from those two teams. So much for my NL strategy.

Kevin Siegrist - St. Louis Cardinals

Siegrist has turned into the "Go to LOOGY" for Mike Matheny and the St. Louis Cardinals with 3 Holds in the last two weeks, and now a total of 6 on the season. In 25.1 IP, Siegrist owns a 0.71 ERA and 0.83 WHIP combined with a dazzling 12.09 K/9. Considering left-handed hitters are batting a combined .098 BAA vs. Seigrest in 2013, I'd expect him to continue facing them with the game on the line as the Red Birds continue their pennant chase.

David Carpenter - Atlanta Braves

It's basically a Holds Factory down in Hotlanta every season with players like Johnny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty in '11 and '12 and now Jordan Walden and David Carpenter in '13. Targeting RP from the Atlanta Braves coincides with #2, #3 and #5 above. Carpenter has nailed down a setup role for the best team in baseball thanks to a sterling 1.86 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. 57 strike outs in 48.1 IP isn't too shabby either.

JJ Hoover - Cincinnati Reds

Hoover hasn't allowed an earned run since June 6th. Correct. June 6th. That scoreless stretch has earned him the trust of Dusty Baker and the lead setup role behind Aroldis Chapman. Suck up Hoover fast if he's available in your Holds league.

Brian Wilson - LA Dodgers

"Fear the Beard!" I fully anticipate Wilson to be a must-own option in Holds leagues down the stretch. He should see ample opportunities to setup Kenley Jansen thanks to the LA Dodgers being the hottest team in baseball in the second half. Although, feel free to bench him every fifth day when Clayton Kershaw pitches. Clayton Kershaw hates Hold opportunities. It's a fact.

Ronald Belisario - LA Dodgers

Well, it was a nice run, Ronald. Belisario has been excellent for the Dodgers throughout the team's recent hot streak, allowing only 1 ER in his last 10 appearances, but with Wilson now in the fold and Paco Rodriguez and Brandon League as well, it seems like the Hold opportunities could be sparse for him. Keep a close eye on the situation. A close goggled eye.

David Robertson - New York Yankees

David Robertson takes my NL-focused Holds strategy and spits in its face. He has 30 Holds this season and now 94 Holds over the last three seasons combined. If Robertson isn't owned in your Holds league, I have one question for you ... do you know what a Hold is? Unfortunately, his domination in a setup role is nearing its end as it's likely he takes over for Mo in the 9th in 2014. You will be missed, Dave.

Tyler Clippard - Washington Nationals

See "Robertson, David" above. Clippard has been a beast in terms of Holds for most of the past three seasons. Unlike Robertson, Clippard should continue in the role in 2014 with the presence of Rafael Soriano on the 'Nats. Possibly the #1 target for Holds next season.

Questions? Comments? Have a better Holds strategy that works for you? I'd love to hear it. Seriously. I would.

all stats courtesy of Yahoo Sports

The 2012 MLB Draft: Where are they now?

It has been more than a year since the 2012 draft. Here's an update on how the early picks have performed.

1) Astros: Carlos Correa, SS: From high school in Puerto Rico, Correa has been excellent with Low-A Quad Cities in the Midwest League, hitting .324/.406/.472 with 10 steals and 31 doubles, showing good plate discipline, and playing very well on defense. He's a complete prospect and doesn't even turn 19 until next month. He's lived up to everything expected and more and is a clear Grade A prospect.

2) Twins: Byron Buxton, OF: From high school in Georgia, Buxton is a Five Tool player who has actually exceeded expectations, hitting .330/.416/.522 on the season with 67 walks and 52 stolen bases between Low-A Cedar Rapids and High-A Fort Myers. His combination of speed, power, on-base ability, and stellar defensive play makes him the top prospect in baseball.

3) Mariners: Mike Zunino, C: From the University of Florida, Zunino showed power in Triple-A with 11 homers in 47 games but hit just .238. He struggled in the major leagues before going down with injury, hitting .242/.315/.343 in 29 games, and while it seems clear he was rushed, he still has to rank among the premier catching prospects in baseball.

4) Orioles: Kevin Gausman, RHP: The former Louisiana State star has been effective in Double-A and Triple-A (3.65 ERA, excellent 78/14 K/BB in 79 innings) but got knocked around a bit after being rushed to the majors (6.21 ERA in 33 innings). Scouts still love him and still see him as a future ace starter; he just needs a bit more experience.

5) Royals: Kyle Zimmer, RHP: From the University of San Francisco, Zimmer had problems early on with High-A Wilmington but turned things around in June, then earned a promotion to Double-A where he was overpowering in four starts before being shut down with a tired arm. His outstanding 140/36 K/BB ratio in 108 innings this season is more indicative of his talent than his 4.32 ERA, which was elevated by some rough games early. Like Gausman, he still projects as a top-of-the-rotation arm.

6) Cubs: Albert Almora, OF: From high school in Florida, Almora has been hampered with injuries but played well for Low-A Kane County when healthy, hitting .329/.376/.466 in 61 games. He's expected to continue hitting for average and power as he moves up the ladder.

7) Padres: Max Fried, LHP: A high school pitcher from California, Fried has been reasonably solid for Low-A Fort Wayne in the Midwest League, posting a 3.58 ERA with a 94/55 K/BB in 106 innings. He could stand to improve his command, but at 19 he's got plenty of time to do that. Athletic lefties with 90+ fastballs get lots of slack.

8) Pirates: Mark Appel, RHP: Stanford ace Appel didn't sign with the Pirates, a move which paid off in 2013 when he was drafted first-overall by the Houston Astros. He's looked good thus far down at Quad Cities in the Midwest League, with a somewhat misleading 4.18 ERA in 28 innings but a solid 24/6 K/BB, a strong ground ball tendency, and enthusiastic scouting reports.

9) Marlins: Andrew Heaney, LHP: Drafted out of Oklahoma State, lefty Heaney has had an excellent season but little fanfare, posting a 1.42 ERA with an 80/23 K/BB in 82 innings between High-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville. He has a 90+ fastball, a good slider and changeup, throws strikes, and has adapted rapidly to pro ball.

10) Rockies: David Dahl, OF: Drafted from high school in Alabama, Dahl had a spring disciplinary run-in with the Rockies, then tore his hamstring early in the season, leading to a lost campaign. He hit .275/.310/.425 in 10 games in Low-A before going down.

11) Athletics: Addison Russell, SS: This Florida high schooler kept his head above water despite being the youngest regular in the High-A California League, hitting .279/.370/.520 with 16 homers and 15 steals, unusual production for a shortstop. He'll reach Double-A next year at age 20 and is clearly one of the top infield prospects in the minors.

12) Mets: Gavin Cecchini, SS: From high school in Louisiana, he's hitting .286/.318/.333 in 39 games in the short-season New York-Penn League, drawing praise for his glovework and instincts. It is an open question if he'll hit enough at higher levels, but at age 19 he has time to develop.

13) White Sox: Courtney Hawkins, OF: A high school slugger from Texas, Hawkins was given a very aggressive assignment to High-A at age 19 and has suffered for it, hitting just .187 with 145 strikeouts in 342 at-bats. He's also slammed 19 homers. Most scouts felt Hawkins was too raw for this level and that judgment has been proven correct. His power remains impressive and he's quite young, but we'll have to see how the Sox handle him going forward.

14) Reds: Nick Travieso, RHP: From high school in Florida, Travieso has been somewhat disappointing for Low-A Dayton in the Midwest League, posting a 5.22 ERA with a 56/22 K/BB in 71 innings, allowing 76 hits. He's not throwing quite as hard as he did in high school and his secondary pitches need more refinement, but at age 19 he has time.

15) Indians: Tyler Naquin, OF: Rated as a polished hitter coming out of Texas A&M, Naquin has unexpectedly struck out 121 times in 481 at-bats this year over 116 games between High-A and Double-A, with an overall .279/.345/.426 line. He's hit 10 homers and stolen 15 bases. Ultimately he may profile best as a fourth outfielder.

16) Nationals: Lucas Giolito, RHP: From high school in California, Giolito would have gone 10-15 spots higher if not for an elbow injury which required Tommy John surgery. He recovered quickly and has looked good since retaking the mound in July, posting a 2.28 ERA in 28 innings thus far with a 29/10 K/BB between rookie ball and the New York-Penn League. His stuff is first class and if his command (and health) remains strong he could be a top ten prospect a year from now.

17) Blue Jays: D.J. Davis, OF: This toolsy outfielder from high school in Mississippi is hitting .253/.332/.455 with 10 steals for Bluefield in the Appalachian League. He's got some contact issues (62 whiffs in 198 at-bats) but his combination of speed and power potential is rare and the Jays will be patient.

18) Dodgers: Corey Seager, SS: From high school in North Carolina, Seager was excellent in the Low-A Midwest League (.309/.389/.529 in 74 games) which earned him a promotion to the High-A Cal League. The going is tougher there (.194/.296/.435), but overall this has been a very successful season. He combines pure hitting skills with good power, and has at least a chance to stay at shortstop.

19) Cardinals: Michael Wacha, RHP: This right-hander from Texas A&M has had a strong campaign, thriving with Triple-A Memphis (2.65 ERA, 73/19 K/BB in 85 innings) and holding his own in major league action (4.73 ERA but a solid 26/7 K/BB in 27 innings). He should be ready to take a larger role in the Cardinals staff next year as a workhorse starter, providing a very rapid return on the first round investment.

20) Giants: Chris Stratton, RHP: From Mississippi State University, Stratton has been effective for Low-A Augusta, with a 3.08 ERA and a 117/41 K/BB in 120 innings. He's performed well and in many organizations he would have been promoted by now, but the Giants have enough arm depth to avoid rushing people.

21) Braves: Lucas Sims, RHP: This home state high school pitcher from Georgia has been terrific for Low-A Rome, with a 2.78 ERA and a 121/44 K/BB in 107 innings, allowing a mere 74 hits. He's been particularly effective in August; don't be surprised if he ranks very highly on prospect lists entering 2014, despite not receiving quite as much hype as he likely deserves.

22) Blue Jays: Marcus Stroman, RHP: He may be just 5-9 but the right-hander from Duke has a great arm, posting a 3.22 ERA with an excellent 109/22 K/BB ratio in 95 innings for Double-A New Hampshire. At this rate we should see him in Toronto some time in 2014, although opinions remain mixed on his long-term role as starter or reliever.

23) Cardinals: James Ramsey, OF: The senior from the University of Florida had a fast start in High-A (.361/481/.557 in 18 games) but Double-A has been tougher, with a .245/.346/.427 line for Springfield. He's hit 15 homers but also fanned 101 times in 323 at-bats at that level. He can take a walk and profiles as a productive platoon player.

24) Red Sox: Deven Marrero, SS: A slick fielder from Arizona State, Marrero has hit .253/.333/.324 on the season between High-A and Double-A, with 22 steals in 24 attempts. His lack of power is a significant hindrance, but his defense and speed will get him to the majors in at least a utility role, and it's not impossible that he'll hit enough to start.

25) Rays: Richie Shaffer, 3B: The former Clemson star hasn't hit with the expected authority in High-A, batting .252/.309/.402 with 11 homers, 34 walks, and 102 strikeouts in 433 at-bats for Charlotte in the Florida State League. His glove has been decent but he has to improve his hitting to make it as a corner infielder.

26) Diamondbacks: Stryker Trahan, C: The high schooler from Louisiana is hitting .259/.338/.466 for Missoula, which isn't great by Pioneer League standards.  He's also given up 15 passed balls and 11 errors in 35 games behind the plate. He still has the potential to be an impressive hitter with power and patience, but it remains to be seen where he winds up on defense.

27) Brewers: Clint Coulter, C: A high schooler from Washington state, Coulter got off to a slow start in Low-A (.207/.299/.345 in 33 games) but has hit more effectively since being sent to rookie ball, hitting .350/.409/.617 in 17 games in the Arizona League and .333/.375/.444 in 10 games in the Pioneer League. Like Trahan, his defense is very raw and he may not stick behind the plate long-term.

28) Brewers: Victor Roache, OF: Drafted out of Georgia Southern, Roache had to shake off the effects of a serious wrist injury and hit just .209/.303/.341 in his first 50 games this year. He turned that around in his next 57, hitting .263/.325/.504. Overall he's hit 20 homers on the season and excites the Brewers with his power, but will have to watch his strikeout rate at higher levels.

29) Rangers: Lewis Brinson, OF: From high school in Florida, super-toolsy Brinson is hitting .236/.320/.431 in the Low-A Sally League, showing power and speed with 20 homers and 20 steals, but also a serious contact problem with 179 strikeouts in just 415 at-bats. His defense draws raves and he's very athletic, drawing comparisons to Mike Cameron, Chris Young, Drew Stubbs, and Devon White. Such outcomes are plausible if the strikeouts don't eat him up in the minors.

30) Yankees: Ty Hensley, RHP: This hard-throwing Oklahoma prep right-hander missed the entire season following spring hip surgery.

31) Red Sox: Brian Johnson, LHP: An advanced lefty from the University of Florida, Johnson has a 2.87 ERA with a 69/28 K/BB in 69 innings for Greenville in the Low-A Sally League. He's performed well, but a pitcher with his polish should be expected to at this level. He missed all of June with mild shoulder trouble but has pitched well since his return.

OTHER SUCCESS STORIES: Three players who were not first round picks have already reached the major leagues.

Paco Rodriguez, LHP, Dodgers: Drafted in the second round from the University of Florida, Rodriguez has had an outstanding season in the major league pen, with a 1.94 ERA and a 54/13 K/BB ratio in 46 innings, allowing only 22 hits. He's picked up two saves and looks like a key component of the Dodgers bullpen going forward.

Michael Roth, LHP, Angels: A ninth round pick from the University of South Carolina, Roth has spent most of 2013 with Double-A Arkansas (4.43 ERA, 43/33 K/BB in 69 innings) but did make 15 relief appearances with the Angels, posting a 7.20 ERA. The soft-tosser projects as an 11^th man on most pitching staffs.

Alex Wood, LHP, Braves: This second round pick from the University of Georgia has been outstanding in 58 major league innings, used as both a starter and reliever, posting a 2.50 ERA with a 61/16 K/BB ratio and a .221 average against. Like Wacha with the Cardinals ,Wood provided a quick return on investment by the Braves and should be in the rotation for 2014.

More from Minor League Ball:

• The 2012 MLB Draft: Where are they now?
• Prospect of the Day: Chad Bettis, RHP, Colorado Rockies
• Minor League Ball Gameday, August 21
• Astros sign Mexican slugger Japhet Amador
• Prospect of the Day: Ethan Martin, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
• Prospect Retrospective: Jeff Kent
• Minor League Ball Gameday, August 20
• Prospect Note: Leury Garcia, INF, Chicago White Sox

Part One / Part Two / Part Three

This is the last post about Padres Blogger Night, thank goodness.  I just wanted to show off some of the new giveaway items that were previewed for us, if you didn't already see them on our Twitter account (@gaslampball).

Padres Reusable Grocery Bags

These will be available tomorrow, August 23rd, for the first 25,000 fans.  You'll randomly get one of three bags.  If I were you I'd be pissed if I missed out or got the one that looks like the team's current jersey.  They look cool up close, but they're a little small.  They'll fit about the same amount as most plastic grocery bags, but most reusable bags are bigger.  Still it's a cool idea. I just need about 10 of the throwback ones.

Padres Ballcap

The Padres ballcap will be available to the first 25,000 fans on Saturday, August 24th. This was the one giveaway that we were allowed to take home with us.   I already gave mine away to my friend's two year old.  He wore it to last Saturday's game.  He got like 3 comments on it because it hadn't even been released to the public yet.  I'm not really a fan.  It looks like something a tourist would buy at a gift shop in Seaport Village.  Very generic and you can't even tell it is Padres related until you see the Swinging Friar logo on the back.  They should have put the Friar on the front, then they'd have something.

Luchador Mask and Flip Flops

The flip flops were given away last Saturday, I got a pair.  They're a great idea but they're made for people with really long feet but really short toes, so they fit people with really attractive feet (like me) kinda weird.  Still they'll make a good shower shoe at the gym.  I'll use these when I surf on hot days.  I'll use them to walk on the hot pavement and then bury them in the sand while I paddle out.  If I can't find my buried treasure later on, no big deal.

I've got the original Luchador Mask from back when they did a cross promotion with Nacho Libre.  Surprisingly I don't wear it that often.  I can't imagine I'll be wearing this one much either.  It will be available on September 7th.

Padres/Xolos Soccer Scarf

I'm not a scarf person... at all.  I know some of you are though.  This one is double sided.  One side supports Tijuana's Xolos soccer team and the other, the Padres.  Yep.

Padres Fan Appreciation T-Shirt

This is a ringer tee, though you can't see it in the picture.  It's a cool design.

"We root for the the home team in flip flops and so does our mascot."

I'd wear it and I wouldn't even be embarrassed to wear it.