The Padres are one of the worst-hitting teams in the league. Their lineup is Carlos Quentin, Chase Headley, and a bunch of stank. R.A. Dickey is one of the best pitchers in the league. He has arguably been the best pitcher in the league, depending on your feelings towards various statistics. So on paper, tonight's game looked like a mismatch, a fine opportunity for the Mets to continue their strong west coast swing. However, poor defense and a lack of timely hitting doomed them at Petco Park, a stadium in which the Mets' all-time record is now just 9-19.

Dickey cruised for much of the game. He did not allow a hit until the fifth inning, a single by Yonder Alonso. He walked Everth Cabrera in the third inning but ended up picking him off first base. This had the makings of one of those brilliant Dickey starts from June. Then the game turned in the Padres' favor, starting in the sixth inning. Cabrera lead off with a walk and avenged the pickoff by executing a delayed steal of third base, with some help from slow-on-the-uptake Josh Thole and David Wright. Chris Denorfia drove Cabrera home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1. After the Mets went down quietly in the top of the seventh inning against Clayton Richard, the Padres came up to bat in what would be the decisive inning.

Quentin singled against Dickey with one out. Then Yonder Alonso hit what looked like a catchable fly ball to right-center field. Scott Hairston had the best opportunity to snag it from his right field position but his awkward sliding attempt at the ball failed. The hefty Quentin lumbered around the bases and Ronny Cedeno made a terrific relay throw to Thole which beat Quentin by 30 or 40 feet. Unfortunately, Quentin dislodged the ball from Thole's grasp in the ensuing collision, scoring what proved to be the decisive run. It's a play Thole has to make -- he was charged with an error -- but if a tepid defense is to be offered, it might be that: a) Quentin is a big dude; and b) Perhaps Thole had memories of the concussion he sustained earlier this season on a collision with Ty Wigginton. John Baker then singled home Alonso to give the Padres a 3-1 lead.

The Mets were on base 11 times -- 9 singles and 2 walks -- but managed just the 1 run because of double plays and untimely strikeouts. Their only run came on an RBI infield single by Cedeno in the fourth inning. The eighth inning saw the Mets' last strong chance to put some runs on the board. Justin Turner led off with a pinch-hit single and Ruben Tejada followed with a single of his own. However, Andres Torres and Wright both struck out against Luke Gregerson, and Huston Street came on to retire pinch hitter Jordany Valdespin on a ground ball to second base. Street sent the Mets down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to finish it.

Thole went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and double play, in addition to the defensive miscues. His slash line is down to .264/.316/.329. For context, the average National League catcher line is .252/.323/.405. His expected lack of power is usually offset by his ability to draw a walk but his walk rate has dropped off significantly from the prior two seasons. He should continue to play almost everyday behind the plate but the lack of progress he has shown in his age-25 season is slightly disappointing.

Both teams wore a 1989 throwback uniform as part of an '80s Night promotion. It was cool; have a look:

The Mets are now 5-4 on this west coast trip with two games remaining. It will take two straight wins to match last season's first-ever series victory at Petco. Saturday's game starts at 8:35 pm. The pitching matchup is Jeremy Hefner vs Edinson Volquez.

SB Nation Coverage

* Traditional Recap
* Box Score
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Gaslamp Ball Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: Ronny Cedeno +10.2%, Justin Turner +6.4%
Big losers: R.A. Dickey -21.9% (as pitcher), Josh Thole -14.4%
Teh aw3s0mest play: Ronny Cedeno RBI single in the fourth inning +10.7%
Teh sux0rest play: Carlos Quentin scores on Josh Thole error in the seventh inning -28.6%
Total pitcher WPA: -21.1%
Total batter WPA: -28.9%
GWRBI!: N/A -- GW run scored on Thole error in the seventh inning

thekid snapped this photo from Section 114, Row 6, Seat 13 during Friday night's game between the Mets and the Padres at PETCO Park:

(click to embiggen)

--
Send the view from your seat to amazinavenue@gmail.com and if it's good we'll post it on the site. Include the date of game and your section/row/seat (or location) from when the photo was taken, as well as your Amazin' Avenue username if you'd prefer we use that instead of your real name. We typically post the View From Your Seat a few hours after the game ends, so if you'd like us to consider using your photos please get them in as quickly after the final out as possible. Better yet, send your photo in right after you take it!

The Mets drew ten walks -- Mike Baxter drew five of them! -- and made Padres pitchers throw 212 pitches en route to a stress-free win. Four of the walks came in the second inning, during which the Mets scored four runs, in the process knocking out Padres starter Edinson Volquez. Josh Thole and Ruben Tejada each drew a bases-loaded walk in the frame, and Jordany Valdespin smacked a two-run double.

Jeremy Hefner walked none in his six fine innings of work, keeping his manager and Mets fans sane by throwing strikes with a lead. The Padres made 12 groundball outs as Hefner kept the ball in the lower half of the zone. He allowed one run on five hits and needed just 72 pitches to do the job.

Josh Edgin continued to impress, tossing two scoreless innings with a strikeout. Bobby Parnell started the ninth inning by giving up a home run to Chase Headley. He recorded one out and allowed two baserunners before giving way to fresh-off-the-DL Frank Francisco. Frank Frank induced a groundball double play by John Baker to end it.

We knew it was over when...

Ike Davis singled home Tejada in the eighth inning to make the score 6-1. There wasn't much worry of even the Mets' bullpen blowing a five-run lead in the eighth against the weak-hitting Padres.

What else?

• In addition to Baxter, Daniel Murphy was on base five times tonight. He went 4-for-4 with a walk and a double.
• Andres Torres struck out three times, twice with the bases loaded. That really hurt the Mets' chances of turning this one into a laugher.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by Terry_is_God; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Mike Baxter drew five walks tonight. He did it against five different Padres pitchers. No one from Baxter's former team wanted a piece of him. He saw 25 pitches and just 5 went for strikes. This will grow the legend of Mike Baxter, which was already robust following his fantastic catch to preserve Johan Santana's no-hitter. Here is a giddy Ronny Cedeno saluting Baxter after walk #5:

And yet Baxter's memorable achievement probably wasn't as important to the Mets winning tonight as Jeremy Hefner's performance on the mound.

Hefner allowed one run in six innings, turning in his best outing since joining the rotation when Santana hit the disabled list. He struck out just two but did not walk anyone. Control has been his biggest strength; his walk rate is the best of anyone on the current roster, relievers included. Without going too nuts over a guy with a 5.04 ERA, I'll say that Hefner could have some usefulness going forward, especially if he can maintain an above-average groundball rate. Santana is scheduled to return next Saturday, meaning Hefner's time in the rotation is likely coming to an end for the time being.

Padres starter Edinson Volquez did not fare as well as Hefner, not even close. He lasted just 1.2 innings due to issues with finding the strike zone; he walked four in the second inning alone. Just 17 of the 42 pitches he threw in that second inning went for strikes. Josh Thole and Ruben Tejada drew bases-loaded walks. Then Jordany Valdespin delivered the death blow, a two-run double. It was an early night for the Padres' bullpen.

The Mets added two runs over the next 7.1 innings against five Padres relievers, none of whom I've heard of except for Dale Thayer. Speaking of Thayer, his moustache has been making moves since his stint with the Mets last season. Compare then and now:

Mike Baxter's five-walk performance overshadowed a big night from Daniel Murphy. Murph went 4-for-4 with a double and a walk, and also started two 4-6-3 double plays. In total, the Mets drew ten walks. The only starting position player who failed to reach base was Andres Torres. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, continuing his struggles against righthanded pitching.

Josh "Fire Time" Edgin has impressed since being called up. And with Tim Byrdak on the disabled list, Edgin is the only lefty in the bullpen. He threw two scoreless innings tonight, striking out one without issuing a walk. His K/BB ratio is now 19/4. Let's hope Terry Collins resists the urge to use Edgin every stinkin' night like he did earlier this season with Byrdak.

Collins indicated before the game that Frank Francisco would pitch tonight, regardless of the score. When Bobby Parnell came out of the 'pen to start the ninth inning with the Mets winning 6-1, it looked like Collins changed his mind. Parnell struggled mightily though, allowing a home run, a double, and a walk while notching just one out. Francisco was summoned because it was a save situation, or so Collins said after the game. Regardless, Francisco needed just two pitches to end it, as John Baker grounded into a double play. Welcome back!

The Mets will try to win the rubber game Sunday afternoon at 4:05 pm. Matt Harvey faces Staten Island's own Jason Marquis. Go Mets, beat the Padres.

SB Nation Coverage

* Traditional Recap
* Box Score
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Gaslamp Ball Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: Jeremy Hefner +16.0% (as pitcher), Jordany Valdespin +11.0%, Mike Baxter +11.0%
Big losers: Andres Torres -11.7%, Bobby Parnell -2.6%
Teh aw3s0mest play: Jordany Valdespin two-run double in the second inning +13.3%
Teh sux0rest play: Andres Torres strikeout with the bases loaded in the second inning -7.5%
Total pitcher WPA: +19.4%
Total batter WPA: +30.6%
GWRBI!: Jordany Valdespin two-run double in the second inning

We've all been wondering who would start Tuesday's game against the Padres in San Diego once the announcement was made that Matt Garza was headed to the DL:

The Chicago Cubs sent Matt Garza back to Chicago to see a doctor, and the pitcher is bound for the disabled list, according to manager Dale Sveum.

Garza has not pitched since July 21 at St. Louis, when he suffered a cramp in his right triceps. An MRI revealed no major damage, although there was slight fluid buildup around the muscle.

A series of tweets from people connected to Iowa Cubs lefty Brooks Raley indicated that Raley was on his way to San Diego, offered him congratulations, and then there was this:

LHP Brooks Raley, 6th round pick in '09, will get 1st ML start Tue nite for #Cubs

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) August 6, 2012

Raley has made 14 starts for Triple-A Iowa this year, posted a 3.62 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, and given up just seven home runs in 82 innings. He'll be the 14th rookie to play for the Cubs this year, and the 46th player overall. Have at it.

Seattle Mariners Top 20 2012 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

Continuing with our reviews of the Top 20 pre-season prospect lists, we journey back to the American League and review the Seattle Mariners. Remember, this is a pre-season list. It is not a new list.

This list was originally published January 17, 2012.

The next team on the list is the San Diego Padres, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Miami Marlins to finish up.

1) Jesus Montero, C, Grade A: Hitting .262/.304/.393 with 10 homers, 22 walks, 78 strikeouts in 351 at-bats for the Mariners overall, but hitting .309/.344/.449 on the road. I still believe in him.

2) Taijuan Walker, RHP, Grade A-: 4.12 ERA with 91/40 K/BB in 94 innings for Double-A Jackson, 85 hits, 1.08 GO/AO. Has had some rough patches, but combination of stuff and athleticism still gives him elite potential.

3) Danny Hultzen, LHP, Grade A-: 1.19 ERA with 79/32 K/BB in 75 innings for Jackson, 5.23 ERA with 41/24 K/BB in 33 innings for Triple-A Tacoma. Walk rate has been much higher than anticipated, but he's picking up plenty of strikeouts, too. I'm honestly not sure what to make of him at this point.

4) James Paxton, LHP, Grade B+: Borderline A-. 3.09 ERA with 84/41 K/BB in 79 innings for Jackson, 68 hits. Needs to get the walks down, missed June with injury but seems fine now.

5) Nick Franklin, SS, Grade B: Borderline B+. .322/.394/.502 with 24 walks, 38 strikeouts in 205 at-bats for Jackson, .242/.315/.410 with 15/53 BB/K in 161 at-bats for Tacoma. Some contact issues in Triple-A but I'm not concerned at this stage. Still have to figure out where the glove fits.

6) Vinnie Catricala, 3B-1B-OF, Grade B-: Borderline B. Very disappointing: .237/.300/.350 with eight homers, 31 walks, 67 strikeouts in 389 at-bats for Tacoma. His glove at third base hasn't been bad, but what happened with the bat? Still making contact but all numbers down.

7) Francisco Martinez, 3B, Grade B-: .241/.308/.324 with 26 walks, 61 strikeouts in 278 at-bats for Jackson, 25 steals. Fine defender, using speed better, but power and OBP skills remain undeveloped. Just 21.

8) Alex Liddi, 3B, Grade B-: .245/.317/.397 with 20 walks, 55 strikeouts in 184 at-bats for Tacoma, .231/.289/.365 with nine walks, 42 strikeouts in 104 at-bats for the Mariners. I keep thinking this guy is going to develop into a very useful player, despite the kind of high-strikeout/low-walk profile that I normally don't like. Nothing objective to back this up, it's just a feeling.

9) Phillips Castillo, OF, Grade B-: .252/.348/.454 with five homers, 11 walks, 28 strikeouts in 119 at-bats for Pulaski in the Appalachian League. Much lower strikeout rate this year, a good sign even if his raw numbers don't stand out. Just 18, high ceiling.

10) Brad Miller, SS, Grade B-: .339/.412/.524 with 52 walks, 79 strikeouts in 410 at-bats for High-A High Desert, but has kept most of his juice after promotion to Double-A, .326/.415/.478 for Jackson. I think the bat is real, not just HD illusion. Seems to have the range for shortstop but still working to cut down on the errors. I like him.

11) Chance Ruffin, RHP, Grade B-: Borderline C+: 6.75 ERA with 43/30 K/BB in 59 innings for Tacoma, 68 hits. Awful season from a guy expected to take a strong role in the bullpen.

12) Guillermo Pimentel, OF, Grade C+: .251/.285/.373 with seven homers, 12 walks, 92 strikeouts in 295 at-bats for Low-A Clinton. Impressive raw power being short-circuited by inability to control zone/make contact. Young at 19.

13) Stephen Pryor, RHP, Grade C+ Has pitched at four levels this year, minor league composite numbers are 0.93 ERA, 10 saves, 47/19 K/BB in 39 innings, 18 hits. In the majors now, he's got the stuff if the command holds together.

14) Martin Peguero, SS, Grade C+: .217/.256/.261, eight walks, 20 strikeouts in 157 at-bats for Pulaski. Doesn't look like he was worth $2,900,000.

15) Victor Sanchez, RHP, Grade C+: 3.56 ERA with 49/20 K/BB in 61 innings for Everett in the Northwest League, 51 hits. Only 17 years old, another $2,500,000 guy.

16) Tyler Marlette, C, Grade C+: .300/.324/.407 with five walks, 28 strikeouts in 140 at-bats for Pulaski, 38% of runners caught. Raw tools exist on both offense and defense, looks like plate discipline could be an issue, just 19.

17) Stefen Romero, 2B, Grade C+: .357/.391/.581 in 258 at-bats for High Desert, .338/.381/.619 in 139 at-bats for Jackson. Reliable defense, scouts not wild about him but so far he hasn't found a level that he can't handle.

18) Carter Capps, RHP, Grade C+: 1.23 ERA with 75/12 K/BB in 51 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 40 hits, 19 saves. Just promoted to the majors. Rapid rise from Mount Olive University in 2011 to the major leagues in 2012. Nasty fastball.

19) Erasmo Ramirez, RHP, Grade C: 3.60 ERA with 37/8 K/BB in 50 innings in Triple-A, 3.82 ERA with 25/7 K/BB in 31 innings in the majors. What you see is what you get, control will keep him in the picture, just 22.

20) Jabari Blash, OF, Grade C: .228/.345/.410 with 12 homers, 50 walks, 104 strikeouts in 312 at-bats for Clinton. Raw power, strikes out too much.

(The following comments are not intended as comprehensive overview of system, but are rather impressionistic).

So I've been thinking about this farm system for several hours today, and I just come away with a sort of stumped "huh" feeling about guys like Hultzen, Walker, and Paxton, none of them quite meeting expectations this year but none of them awful either.

As usual, people are putting up big numbers at High Desert. Some of it is real I think (Brad Miller, Stefen Romero, Julio Morban perhaps), others we'll simply have to see. Left-handed starting pitcher Anthony Fernandez has taken a big step forward this year. Reliever Carson Smith is handling High Desert and has an intriguing combination of strikeouts and grounders. Jackson starter Brandon Mauer needs to be watched.

Closer Tom Wilhelmsen wasn't on the top 20 list due to age, but he is a technical rookie and has certainly had a fine year in the bullpen.

I like 2012 first-rounder Mike Zunino a lot, and you can project him as the future regular catcher, enabling Montero to move to 1B or DH. The draft class is a balanced mixture of high school and college talent, with a lean to hitting. Fourth round pick Patrick Kivlehan out of Rutgers is raw for a college guy but athletic with an interesting power/speed mix.

We knew, I think, when the Cubs made multiple trades in the days leading up to (and now, past) the July 31 trading deadline, that the final two months of the season were not going to be easy ones. The team is in transition, rookies are getting more and more playing time, and the Cubs have had a rough go of it on the road this year anyway.

Monday's game, a 2-0 loss to the Padres, proves the point, I suppose. The Cubs had just five hits -- a double by Darwin Barney and four other singles. And it's not as if this were Clayton Kershaw again; Eric Stults, who shut the Cubs down (along with help from four San Diego relievers), is kind of their version of Justin Germano, only lefthanded and two years older. The Cubs seem back to their old ways of losing to lefthanded starters; the loss drops them to 12-20 vs. LHP. Only the Rockies, at 10-21, are worse in the National League.

There is one instructive thing we can learn from last night's game, and his name is Huston Street. Why Huston Street? Follow me past the jump.

Like the Cubs, the Padres are a team in transition; they just missed the playoffs in 2010, then dumped quite a number of players and are rebuilding with young players. But last offseason, they traded for Street, then the Rockies' closer. They didn't really need him; it appeared to be a salary dump by the Rockies, who owed him $7.5 million this year.

Since the Padres are buried deep in the NL West (only the Rockies are worse), they get little attention, but Street has been one of the best (if not the best) closers in baseball this season. With Monday night's save against the Cubs -- in which he threw just nine pitches -- he's got 19 saves, zero blown saves, just three runs allowed all season, and only 11 hits and eight walks given up in 34 innings. That's a 0.79 ERA and 0.558 WHIP.

Street was recently signed to a contract extension by the Padres, that tore up his $9 million option for 2013 and replaced it with a two-year deal worth $14 million, with a $7 million club option for 2015.

What does this have to do with the Cubs? Well, we now have four potential building blocks of the next Cubs contender in the starting lineup (Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo, Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters). Jeff Samardzija could be a starter on those teams; maybe Travis Wood can as well.

We're seeing the organization trying to acquire as many good young players as it can in order to bring, as some here have put it, "waves and waves" of talent. That's great. But if, during that build, someone like Huston Street becomes available -- and I'm not saying a closer or even a pitcher -- either by trade or free agency, you grab him now. Street was reasonably priced for San Diego and, at 29, could be part of the next Padres contending team, especially with new ownership about to be in place there.

I hope Theo & Jed will be looking for opportunities like this in the offseason. Note, this does not mean buying a closer, specifically, or the shiniest toy in the shop, or spending hundreds of millions on a 30-something free agent whose best years are behind him. It's finding value that will still be there when the Cubs contend again, no matter what position such a player would play.

A couple of other things to note about events Monday:

Matt Garza has a "stress reaction" in his right elbow and could be shut down for the season; he's not going to pick up a baseball for at least two weeks. This could lead to this problem:

Without much of a chance to prove himself, even his offseason trade value would seem to be limited at best. That is why general manager Jed Hoyer suggested to reporters on the road trip that the Cubs are now expecting Garza to be a member of the 2013 rotation.

That could be fine; if Garza is healthy going into 2013, he could be traded at the deadline next year -- or extended.

Finally, Brett Jackson had four at-bats Monday night, and struck out four times. This has been the biggest worry about him this season, his large number of Ks. Monday was just one game. But this sort of thing can't be repeated very often, if at all. Still, I'd send him out there every day for the rest of the season. He'll either make the adjustments he needs to and become the player the previous regime hoped he would when he was drafted -- or current management will move on.

OK. So referencing my handy dandy notes from back before the season started, I see that Arts and Crafts is to be the subject for August.

One way that fans love to express their fanhood is by enhancing the pleasure of watching and keeping track of baseball with various enhancements, a la arts and crafts.

Who among us hasn't, with pride, collected baseball cards and displayed them proudly or meticulously kept a binder of pages organized by player, team, or general value?

Who among us hasn't made a bracelet out of a baseball?

Who among us hasn't practiced the mysterious arts of dark Vodou in an effort to summon forgotten gods to do our bidding and cause an opposing batter to strike out and/or melt into a fiery pile of burning flesh from a giant talking alligator that we were forced to kill with a bone dagger?

Answer? All of us... Or none of us depending on how you read those previous questions.

Therefore, Arts and Crafts! If anybody has any arts and crafts that they want to show off, please do. Otherwise, we'll go over a few different arts and crafts that we can all try to show just how much we love the Padres.

August: Arts and Crafts

• Make a baseball bracelet
• Make a t-shirt quilt/pillow
• Organize and display a baseball memorabilia collection
• Start a Lucky Explorer Hat project
• Make a Guatemalan Worry Doll in the likeness of your favorite Padre player or Padres Front Office member
• Make a Voodoo Doll in the likeness of your least favorite player or front office member of another team

After months of negotiations, the San Diego Padres have finally been sold to a group headed by the heirs of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune:

The O’Malley Group purchased the Padres from majority owner John Moores and a group of minority owners formed by Jeff Moorad in 2009 to buy the Padres.

The sale price of approximately $800 million includes $200 million in upfront money the Padres received as an advance payment from Fox Sports San Diego as part of a new 20-year television agreement.

In addition to the O'Malley heirs, members of the purchasing group also include professional golfer Phil Mickelson, beverage distributor CEO Ron Fowler and some members of Moorad's ownership group.

The kin of Peter O'Malley, sons Kevin and Brian O'Malley and nephews Peter and Tom Seidler, are expected to assume the "hands-on" ownership roles of teams operations and leadership. No immediate changes are expected to be made in the Padres' front office.

While the final purchase agreement was agreed to by Moorad and the O'Malley Group last night, it is still pending the approval of the other MLB owners.

_________________________________________________________________________

Can the O'Malley Group help reverse the Padres' fortune?

_________________________________________________________________________

In this day and age every team's fans seem to be known for something. In St. Louis they are supposedly the best and most knowledgeable but recent studies show that in fact they're the most obese. The A's fan base is well known for being worst overall because they're pitiful and have bad skin. In LA they are widely known as classless and violent. In San Francisco their smugness makes them the best bandwagon riders. In Arizona they are the worst dressers. In Colorado they are the most nosy, always up in every other team's business.

I like that Padres fans aren't just considered the prettiest anymore, we're gaining the reputation as the best fielding fans in baseball too. As Dex says "We're very strong defensively." Sure Petco Park helps us to some extent, with the sea air allowing balls to hang a little bit longer but San Diegans have excellent hand-eye coordination which sets them apart from the butterfingers around the rest of the league.

Fox Sports San Diego has been spotlighting the fans' defense this season. We've seen guys with broken arms catching balls, veterans from Afghanistan catching balls in their beers and now a young father with baby in his arms fielding a grounder cleanly.

So if you believe the "news", then the Padres are in an "agreement" (which only means that two people have said "yes" at the same time) to be "bought" by Peter O'Malley, Ron Fowler and Phil Mickelson (but in all probability by a conglomerate of investors both foreign and domestic to be represented by the three men in an effort to make it seem like a "baseball" person, a successful businessman, and a "local" celebrity will be running the club, when in actuality all said figureheads just enjoy fame and, just as likely as not, could use said fame and fortune to attract the eyes of young women who will woo them away from their wives).

The purchase price of $800 million has supposedly been agreed upon and will be put to a vote at an owner's meeting today August 16th (read: "meeting of rich white men and one Mexican-American representing invisible groups that wield billions of dollars). The Padres need 75% of the vote to ensure that John Moores successfully capitalizes on the downfall of Jeff Moorad and Moorad's success at garnering an extra $400 million over the last 3 years in the value of the club, at the expense of his own reputation and that of Time Warner Cable customers who are still unable to watch Padres games on television.

Also, in unrelated news, a group of pigs was seen flying over Santee among a flock of formerly domesticated Amazon parrots and religious leaders across the world have all met to agree that their respective versions of the afterlife that is assigned to evil people and non-believers has recently frozen over.

In the latter half of the 90's there was no better baseball owner than John Moores. Tony Gwynn said as much so you know it's true. He was enthusiastic, involved and had some of the best and brightest working for him. He was at the helm in '96 and '98, maybe the most exciting period in Padres baseball history. He was the driving force behind the construction of the new ballpark. The fact is that there would be no Petco Park without him.

But I firmly believe that the lawsuits that held up construction of the ballpark for years are also the reason for his rapid decline as an owner. He was never the same after that. In the last decade Moores has been one of the absolute worst owners. He disappeared, making only his frustrations public, leaving a power vacuum in his place. The stress of horrible Padres teams, a new but empty ballpark and the onset of a midlife crisis led him into the arms of a mistress which led to divorce. The divorce split his fortune and forced him to sell.

Now after a bump in the road with Jeff Moorad, Moores has once again agreed to sell the team this time to former Dodgers owner O'Malley.

"This brings a long baseball blood line to San Diego," Moores said.

Yeah Dodger Blue blood.

"I couldn't be more pleased. I feel like I'm handing over the club to the right people."

The right people meaning those that would pay Moores the most.

"There's no question that the market lifted in the last year," he said. "A lot of that seems to be attributable to the new generation of TV contracts. I think that's what drove the Dodgers value up so much. I don't think we'll have any problems with the sale this time around. This one is so solid. I don't foresee any outstanding issues."

Moores hasn't really cared about the Padres for quite some time and as he retreats back to Houston it's becoming harder to remember a time when he did.

It remains to be seen how O'Malley's reign will affect the franchise but with Moores being an absentee owner for so long there's a sense of relief knowing that we're finally free from him, for good.

Anyone else wish there was Olympic baseball going on?

• After moving in the fences at Citi Field before this season, the New York Mets are apparently thrilled with the result, which saw their park move up from the third lowest home run rate last year to the seventh lowest this year. "It's changed the mental attitude of our hitters, made it a far less of an issue," says Mets general manager Sandy Alderson. "It certainly hasn't been a topic of conversation since early in the season, which means it's probably gone pretty well." Thanks in large part to that success, the Padres and Marlins are also thinking about moving in their deep fences. I can understand that the change would be enjoyed by the fans (in the aggregate, fans tend to prefer more offense - yes, there are exceptions). But, when considering both sides of the ball, why would a team be pleased by it, or suggest that it made their team better? Unless you've constructed your team to play to a certain park, the size shouldn't matter - either it helps your pitchers and hurts your hitters (and does the same for your opponent), or it hurts your pitchers and helps your hitters. In other words, I don't see why a change from one year to the next would make much of a difference in the overall production of a team, unless they had already been built for the wrong ballpark. Consider Petco, where the Padres have shied away from left-handed power-hitting players, because they tend to struggle there. If the fences come in next year, it's not like the Padres will suddenly generate left-handed power at a rate better than their opponents - indeed, the opposite is more likely to be true, because the Padres intentionally don't have a lot of left-handed power.

• Toronto Blue Jays' outfielder Jose Bautista is still experiencing pain in his wrist, an injury originally termed mere inflammation when the slugger went down after a mid-July swing. He'll go in for a second MRI to see if there's anything more serious going on.
• The Padres' sale to a group led by former Dodgers' owner Peter O'Malley (and which includes pro golfer Phil Mickelson) is now finalized and in place. All that's left is MLB approval, which is expected not to be an issue. The sale price is believed to be about $800 million, which would put just under the Cubs' sale price from a few years ago.
• The Dodgers, the most recently sold team - at a crisp $2.15 billion - are getting praise for their newly-found free-spending ways. Although the new ownership group took over mid-season, the Dodgers have still managed to increase their payroll from around $90 million to more than $110 million. They've signed big extensions, taken on big contracts, made a big international signing ... I can only imagine what their offseason is going to look like. Good luck to the team bidding against them.
• FanGraphs looks at whether Yu Darvish's command issues - because of his great stuff, he strikes a lot of guys out, but he also walks a ton of guys - are correctable, or whether he's going to deal with them for the rest of his career. Based on precedent, the latter is far more likely, which isn't great news for the Rangers or their $100 million investment.
• Roy Oswalt and Ron Washington have talked out the pitcher's bullpen issue (in short, he isn't thrilled to have been moved to the pen, and recently declined to continue a relief outing after two innings). Oswalt simply didn't want to throw more than 200 pitches in a week (which is reasonable), but it seems like that's the kind of thing that could have been discussed before it became an issue.
• The Blue Jays' efforts to wait out and rehab a Drew Hutchison elbow injury have failed - after not pitching since mid-June, Hutchison is finally undergoing Tommy John surgery.
• A humorous take on Mike Trout's dominance of the American League at such a young age.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

San Diego Padres closer Huston Street suffered a left calf injury last night. Here's what manager Bud Black told George Von Benko of MLB.com:

"We got some ice on it. We don't know the significance of it. As always, we'll see how it sets up overnight. But my early premonition is that it's going to put him out for a while. Hopefully I'm wrong."

Street was sprinting to cover first base on a ground ball to Yonder Alonso when he suffered the injury. He needed to be assisted off the field. Based on the looks of the injury (click the link above for the video) and quote from Black, Street could be headed to the 15-day disabled list.

San Diego's lone All-Star, Street has been nearly unhittable this season. The 28-year-old has a 0.75 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 to go with 21 saves. He already missed a month of this season with a strained lat muscle.

The Padres acquired Street this offseason in a trade with the Colorado Rockies. Late last month, San Diego singed him to a two-year, $14 million extension with a $7 million option for 2015. Dale Thayer picked up five saves in Street's absence earlier this year.

The San Diego Padres have placed closer Huston Street on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf strain injury, according to Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune. The team will call up right-handed reliever Cory Burns from Class Triple-A Tucson to take Street's roster spot while he is sidelined.

#Padres @huston Street going on the disabled list with a left calf strain. Cory Burns called up from Triple-A Tucson

— U-T Padres (@UTPadres) August 11, 2012

The 29-year-old Street is having an excellent season as the team's closer, posting a 0.75 ERA across 36 complete innings of work. Street is also sporting a career best 11.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9, which has helped him shut the door on 21 saves.

While Street is out, the Padres have several options in play for high leverage situations, including Dale Thayer and Luke Gregerson. Thayer has been in that role this year and has 5 saves.

Impressed with his bat off the bench and clubhouse presence, the San Diego Padres have agreed to terms on a contract extension with outfielder Mark Kotsay through the 2013 season, the team announced today in a press release. Padres GM Josh Byrnes made the announcement.

"Mark provides versatility and a very good late-game at-bat," said Byrnes. "He brings invaluable leadership to our club and has become one of the key members of our team."

The 36-year-old Kotsay entered today sporting a triple slash line of .275/.333/.363 in 111 plate appearances over 55 games. The 16 year pro has done well as a pinch-hitter, batting .290/.333/.484 in such situations, but that is in just 33 plate appearances. The Padres value his leadership as much as his bat, and do need veteran players like Kotsay to mentor their extremely young team.

Corey Brock of MLB.com was first to report the deal and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports later reported Kotsay will earn $1.3 million in 2013.

I'll be reviving another Amazin' Avenue staple starting this week: While You Were Out. In short, I'll compile the best of the site from each week, including community work from the FanShots and FanPosts. So since I don't have anything more to say, let's get to the point.

• This Date In Mets History: August 11 — K-Rod Punches Old Man, The Kid Knocks Out #300: Gary Carter hits home run, people are happy.
• New York Mets Daily Farm System Report- 8/11/12: No Owen Wilson Picture Today, I Promise: Is it too early for me to start getting excited about Rafael Montero? Yes? Okay.
• Do You Like The New SNY Camera Angle?: As always, this just serves to stoke my jealousy, since SNY isn't easily available in Indianapolis. Sad.
• Johan Santana's Return Will Help Mets, But Is It Enough?: Personally I remain confident that Johan Santana will be better than he was yesterday, but that was not a lot of fun.
• Grand Hyatt Hotel In New York City Is Favorite For Hotel Of The Year: Anything that causes Chipper Jones discomfort is okay by me.
• Transcript Of Bobby Ojeda's Chat With Mets Bloggers And A Brief Pat LaFrieda Steak Sandwich Review: I really like it when the Mets make an effort to extend access to people outside the mainstream media. And that sandwich sounds delicious.
• R.A. Dickey's Season In Mets Historical Context: Start #23: RAmen.
• Dickey Continues Cy-Worthy Season in Mets Romp: I included this mostly because we won so seldom this week. Remember the good times.
• An Explanation Of Win Expectancy Graphs: This is a good primer/refresher.
• Prospect Spotlight: The Re-Emergence of Alonzo Harris: A really cool look at a prospect that Omar Minaya tried really hard to ruin, evidently.
• New York Mets Daily Farm System Report- 8/5/12: It's that damn Hansel, he's so hot right now: Zoolander quotes are a great way to get my attention.
• Mike Baxter's Five Walks, Jeremy Hefner's Six Strong Innings Help Mets To 6-2 Win Over The Padres: Come for the fact that this is the other game we won this week, stay for the analysis of Dale Thayer's mustache.

FanPost of the Week: Lutz in LF? by gh41. Admittedly it's not a pantheon FanPost and it could really use some line breaks, but there were only two this week. It wasn't posted this week, but since this feature didn't exist then, also take a look at An argument for a hypothetical Bay/Bell/Buck trade by Reg Dunlop. Beside the fact that it's written by my favorite fictional hockey player, it's well-written and well-thought-out. Use this as your guide, and let's get some more action on the FanPosts!

FanShot of the Week: Untitled Batman Parody by The Apple. It's just great.

Neil Walker, one of the key players in the Pirates' 11-5 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres Sunday, has some praise for the other key player, shortstop Clint Barmes, whose grand slam in the fourth gave the Pirates the lead.

"I honestly could not have been happier for a person on this entire team. Fans want to give him crap about what the numbers are, but ... this is one of the best teammates I've ever played with and a guy who's helped me out a lot (with) his positive attitude and the way he plays the game and grinding it out."

When you're having a year as terrible as the one Barmes has had, intangibles only count for so much. The Pirates have been giving away outs all season with Barmes and his .242 on-base percentage in the lineup, even if Barmes has taken some of those back with his strong defense. But it's nice to see that there's a bond between the Bucs' two starting middle infielders.

For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Nick Hundley

#4 / Catcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 08, 1983

Favorite Quote: "Do as I say, not as I do"

My new hatred may be unreasonable to some, but to be perfectly honest, I only kinda liked Nick Hundley before. Now, with all that's happened, I'm pretty sure I hate him.

To me, his claim to fame is, "First Padres Catcher In 6 Years Who Could Throw To Second Base". However, now that we've had a taste of the "Second Padres Catcher in 9 Years Who Could Throw To Second Base" and "Third Padres Catcher...", I'm realizing that if Nick Hundley just settled into his role as "Maybe Slightly Overpaid Catcher Kept Around To Mentor The Kids", then I'd be fine with it.

Take exhibit A: The first half of the season. Nick Hundley was our primary catcher, and the Padres sucked. Sucked. Nick Hundley went out there and his game plan seemed to be to call for whatever pitch would most quickly blow out his pitcher's arm. Why is everybody looking at the training staff? Why aren't they realizing that it was Nick Hundley who blew out all of these arms by throwing signs that made pitchers' arms fall off? He would throw signs that basically said, "Start with a curveball overhand, but midway through, drop your arm into a sidearm position and turn it into a changeup".

Do you even know what that does to a person's ligaments?

Then take Exhibit B: Yasmani Grandal and John Baker. I want to see more of either of these guys. Just like more. Yasmani Grandal reminds me of a Cuban Benito Santiago. John Baker reminds me of somebody not Nick Hundley 2012.

Exhibit C: Nick gets sent down. Works things out. Realizes what he's doing right. Comes back and goes 0-7 with 3 Ks. At least he made it on base once with a walk, so there's that.

In conclusion, when it comes to the Nick Hundley experiment, I'm over it.

I reserve the right to appreciate Nick Hundley if he ever stops sucking potato this season.

There was quite the debate in 8/14's Game Thread as to why Carlos Quentin wasn't in the line up. One hysterical commenter believed that Bud Black wouldn't let Quentin face right handed pitching and called for Black to be fired for the billionth time. Another more mild-mannered commenter reasoned that while the pitching match-up may play a part in the decision that it was more than likely that rest periods are scheduled to prevent further aggravation of Quentin's knees.

Bob Scanlan emailed last night to tell me that he had weighed in on the subject. He told me I was correct. Sure, he mistakenly thought the mild-mannered commenter was me since he has a link to my name in his signature, but still let it be clear, he said I was right and that's some Scanalysis you can take to the bank!

Here's how the process usually works for resting Quentin.

Q days off usually planned

Buddy understands that Q needs days off at times. Usually these days are planned out and discussed ahead of time by Buddy and Q so that they are on same page with no misunderstandings and best use of the short respite. EX; Buddy will say to Q that he’s going to get a day off during next series, what do you think would be a good day? They look at all the factors and discuss. Maybe they pick the day before a scheduled team day off to get 2 days rest, maybe the day a tough righty is going so that Kotsay can get some AB’s on a day that may be particularly tough on RHB anyway, maybe a day when a fly ball pitcher is going for Pads so Q gets day off from running balls down, maybe day game after night game, etc., etc. In other words there is no hard and fast rule on what day it will be. Yes there have been times where Q just doesn’t feel 100% and needs a day as well. Point is Q needs his preventative days at times and are usually pre-scheduled, and Kotsay needs his at bats as well to stay sharp. So far seems to be working pretty well.

So will this stop the calls for Bud Black's head on a plate? Not likely, but one can hope.