Quantcast
Channel: SB Nation - San Diego Padres
Viewing all 2658 articles
Browse latest View live

Padres 6, A's 5: Dickerson Leads The Way In Epic Comeback

0
0

The Friars rebounded from a 5-0 deficit on the back of a three-run homer off the bat of Poway native Alex Dickerson.

The Padres seemed destined for a brutal loss this afternoon, as Ian Kennedy had trouble locating his fastball, giving up four runs in four innings of work. The offense wasn't faring much better, recording just one hit against A's starter Sonny Gray. They entered the bottom of the fifth down 5-0, but Alberto Callaspo botched a play at third, allowing the Friars' first run of the game. They picked up another run the next inning when the speedy Rico Noel scored on a sac fly by Jedd Gyorko. But three runs down, how would they wrap up the comeback? With a three-run, game-tying blast to right center field from none other than hometown boy Alex Dickerson. Ryan Jackson scored later in the inning on a force out from Noel against former Padre Evan Scribner.

Tyson Ross will try to keep the winning streak going as he takes the mound against the Indians. First pitch at 1:05 pm PDT.

Roll Call Info
Total comments68
Total commenters9
Commenter listAxion, Darklighter, Friar Fever, Ron Mexico, Senor_Lumpy, Wonko, jbox, lonndoggie, mrbarneydangles
Story URLs

Wonko Wonked out the most comments. It was a pretty recless day, so Axion led the rec count with 2.


Steve Finley Birthday Cards: 12 of Number 12

0
0

Today is Steve Finley's forty-ninth birthday, and you know how I observe birthdays: with baseball cards. I'm not much of a Steve Finley collector, so I only have 12 Padres cards of him. Lucky for me, that's the number he wore with the Padres and nearly every other team he played for, so the headline looks calculated.

000_medium
1. 1997 Donruss Elite #144

The scan really doesn't do this one justice. It's extremely foil-laden with navy insets. They look a lot better when photographed.

000c_medium
2. 1997 Topps Stadium Club #24

This is my favorite Stadium Club design. You can't really tell, but the blue ribbon is Refractor-like and embossed outward. It features a good shot of Finley, too; it looks like he might have got a hold of one of the 30 homers he hit in 1996. As noted on the back, that was three times as many as he hit in 1995.

000d_medium
3. 1996 Pinnacle #6

This is about as perfect as a baseball card can be without having Joey Cora on it. Beautiful in every way.

000e_medium
4. 1997 Pinnacle #58

Pinnacle's followup effort was a strong one. I like the last-name graphic at the bottom, and the ivy-- wait, is that his hangdown? If so, that's downright Jon Hamm-ish.

000f_medium
5. 1996 Mother's Cookies Padres #7

I'm not sure whose bat that is, but it isn't Finley's. He used light-colored bats during his time with the Padres. Also, that fauxtee looks especially out of place on his typically close-shaven face.

000h_medium
6. 1998 Fleer Tradition #198

Here's this card again
I haiku'd it recently
And again today

000g_medium
7. 1997 Topps #189

I love the Rickey cameo on this one, and I bet Rickey does too. The back features either a horrible or wonderful pun, depending on your perspective:

000_medium
Bravo, Topps blurb-writer. Bravo.

000i_medium
8. 1996 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #696

The trivia question on the back inquires about the franchise's first home run, which was also the first hit. Do you know who hit it without looking it up?

000k_medium
9. 1996 Upper Deck #449

A lot of people hate on the '96 Upper Deck set, but I've always liked it. 1996 was the year I wandered away from collecting for about a decade, because I had recently turned 13 and began spending my baseball card money on booze and stuff of that nature. Needless to say, if I had it to do over again, I would have stuck to cards. I'd probably still be a big loser, but I'd be a less pathetic one. Let the tattered remains of my wasted life be a lesson to you, kids.

000j_medium
10. 1998 Topps #330

Well, that got dark all of the sudden; I need a distraction. Hey, look, there's Steve Finley locked in on a pitch, ready to pull it over the right field fence at The Murph. Or The Q. Or whatever. The back makes note of Finley's team-record two three-homer games in 1997.

000l_medium
11. 1995 Leaf Limited #164

This is another example of a card with an iridescent background looking far different in hand versus in scan. The stripes are much more orange than whatever that is, and the general pink haze is nonexistent.

000m_medium
12. 1999 Pacific #240

Pacific was probably my favorite trading card company. Between the bilingual backs (primarily in Spanish, with a smaller English translation below), and the wild foil-heavy designs, something clicked. This was likely their most restrained issue, and it works.

While those are the only twelve cards I have of Finley pictured as a member of the Padres, you still haven't seen my favorite Steve Finley card I own. It's from his days with the Astros, before the massive trade that sent him to San Diego. As soon as you see it, you'll understand why I love it.

000_medium
Happy birthday to Steve Finley. I might not have the most cards of him in the world (that would probably be Marcus), but he'll always have a place in the most important part of my collection.

Keep an Eye on Jankowski

0
0

Travis Jankowski puts on quite the show on the ball field. Keep an eye out during the 2014 season, you won't be disappointed!

Travis Jankowski, a humble, educated, highly talented ballplayer is definitely someone to keep an eye on for the 2014 season.

Jankowski, originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round (44th overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, has made quite the mark thus far. Drafted out of Stony Brook, Jankowski has been quite the assist for the organization in the short time he's been with us.

The 22 year old center fielder has a set of wheels; Jankowski lead the California League in 2013 with 71 stolen bases, 20 more than Delino DeShields of the Houston Astros, who came in second with 51. Jankowsli also had a batting average of .286, with 89 runs and 141 hits last season.

But apart from the numbers he's put up, Jankowski is incredibly interesting and entertaining to watch. He is easily a crowd favorite with his base stealing abilities alone. But on top of everything else, Jankowski is simply a team player across the board. He's always up for an autograph, a quick convo, or a high five. It really does pay off to be a good guy, and that's exactly what Travis Jankowski is.

I'm not alone when I say that I can't wait to see where baseball will take him. Keep an eye out on this guy, he's going places.

03/12 Padres Preview: ST Game 15 @ Indians

0
0

The Padres rallied back from a 5-0 deficit yesterday afternoon to get the victory over the Athletics. Today our boys travel to Goodyear Ballpark in Phoenix to take on the Indians for the second time this Spring.

We'll see Tyson Ross make the start for the Friars as he looks to keep spotless his Spring record so far. In five innings of work over his first two Cactus League outings, Ross hasn't allowed a run or even a hit, though he's issued three walks. He's also struck out four batters in that time. His last time out, he led the Padres to a 6-2 win over the Brewers, throwing three scoreless frames and striking out three.

A lot of the guys who are fighting for roster spots will be in the starting lineup at Goodyear today. Tommy Medica, our Spring Training hero, will bat third and make the start in left field. And yesterday's hot shot, Alex Dickerson, will bat fifth as the DH. Ryan Jackson, who's also had a decent Spring so far, will hit seventh and make the start at short. Then there's Xavier Nady, Alex Castellanos, and Alberto Gonzalez making up the rest of the infield and batting 4th, 6th, and 9th, respectively.

Meanwhile the Indians will send righty Corey Kluber to the hill to face off against our Padres. This will be Kluber's second start, but fourth overall outing, this Spring. In his previous appearances he's gone six innings and given up three runs (two earned). He's allowed four hits, but collected six strikeouts while not allowing a walk.

WATCH/LISTEN:

Guess what. Today's game will be showing LIVE at 1:05pm on MLB Network and MLB.TV! Unfortunately that means no Gameday Audio, no radio, and (I'm guessing?) no At-Bat.

ST Game Thread: 03/12 Padres @ Indians

0
0

A lot of players looking to prove themselves in today's starting lineup. Should make for some exciting baseball this afternoon!

Lineups:

GO FRIARS!! KEEP THE FAITH!!

Broadcast info:

TV: MLB Network, MLB.TV
Radio: Gameday Audio, At-Bat
Gameday

Indians Wednesday Game Thread: Corey Kluber to start vs. Padres

0
0

The Tribe takes on the Padres in today's Cactus League action.

The Indians will host the Padres today at Goodyear Ballpark, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:05 ET. The game will be available on STO and through MLB.TV.

Corey Kluber will start for the Indians, and is expected to throw 4 innings. This puts him in line to be the Tribe's #2 starter to begin the year, which is not surprising, given that the team has been working Danny Salazar into the mix more slowly than his teammates. In Kluber's last outing he recorded 5 strikeouts while allowing no walks and just 1 hit in 3 innings. Let's hope for more innings like that (today, and all season long).

Kluber is scheduled to be followed by John Axford, Marc Rzepczynski, Josh Outman, C.C. Lee, and Frank Herrmann, each of whom will go for 1 inning.

Today's starting lineup:

1) Elliot Johnson (2B)

2) Nick Swisher (1B)

3) Asdrubal Cabrera (SS)

4) Carlos Santana (3B)

5) Lonnie Chisenhall (DH)

6) Yan Gomes (C)

7) David Murphy (RF)

8) Mike Aviles (LF)

9) Nyjer Morgan (CF)

Other notable news: The Indians have made their first "cuts" of spring training.

Austin Adams, Carlos Moncrief, Jesus Aguilar, T.J. House, Erik Gonzalez, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Jake Lowery, Tyler Naquin, Roberto Perez, Joe Wendle, and Tony Wolters are all finished with MLB training camp for this year (though many of them will remain in Arizona for Minor League spring training, which begins later this week). Those are most of the top prospects who were in camp, and none of them had a real chance of making the 25-man roster, so today's news is not surprising.

Fox Sports San Diego announces channel information for Time Warner customers

0
0

Last month we got the news that a long-awaited deal was finally made between Time Warner Cable and Fox Sports San Diego. After two years of unsuccessful talks and attempts at reaching a deal between the two corporations, a partnership finally formed and now every household in San Diego county (as well as Palm Springs, Yuma, and Hawaii) will get to see Padres baseball on a regular basis.

Over the weekend, for the very first time since 2011, some San Diego county residents and Time Warner customers were able to see a Padres game (a Spring Training contest between our Friars and Dbacks) in their own homes. It still wasn't available at my parents' house up in Carlsbad, but it was exciting to see others (like Geoff Young, for instance) able to watch the Padres at home after two long years. Today, FSSD announced the channel info for the rest of the county's TWC customers.

Now if you're kevintheoman, you probably couldn't care less about this information. The rest of you can probably at least appreciate that the entire San Diego region will be able to see Padres baseball on their TVs this season, and that's a good thing.

18 DAYS UNTIL THE SEASON OPENER!!

Indians 12, Padres 7: Pitching suffers, but roster hopefuls deliver on offense

0
0

In today's game preview I talked about how Tyson Ross hadn't allowed a hit or a run in either of his Spring Training starts prior to today. Unfortunately Ross wasn't able to continue that streak as the Indians tagged him for three runs in 3 1/3 innings today. The first two runs came with two outs in the 1st inning. Asdrubal Cabrera walked and stole second, then the cleanup hitter Carlos Santana homered to make it an early 2-0 lead for Cleveland. Ross gave up another run in the 3rd inning, allowing two hits and two walks. Ross threw 35 pitches (20 for strikes), walking three and striking out two along the way. Not a great outing, but it allowed him to build up some endurance.

Fortunately for the Padres, Cleveland's starter ended up giving up three runs of his own. Corey Kluber's runs all came in the top of the 4th, his last inning on the mound. Back-to-back one-out doubles by Xavier Nady and Alex Dickerson put San Diego on the board. Dickerson came home when the next batter, Alex Castellanos, singled and then reached second on the throw. With two outs, a wild pitch to Rene Rivera moved Castellanos over to 3rd. Then a double by Rivera brought him home to even up the score.

The Indians got the lead back in the bottom of the 4th with help from a wild pitch by Leonel Campos and a throwing error by Alberto Gonzalez. But Nady homered in the 6th to make it a tie game again. After that, things got ugly.

Another Indians run came home in the bottom of the 7th off Dale Thayer, breaking the tie once more. But it was the 8th inning that really sealed the victory for Cleveland. Anthony Carter came in to relieve Thayer and after getting the first out of the inning fairly easily, things fell apart for the right-hander. I won't get into all the ugly details, but Carter allowed five runs to come home and exited the game before even recording a second out. Two more runs scored in the inning off Carter's replacement, Kevin Quackenbush, but the first of those was credited to Carter.

WG love 'em, our Padres started to rally in the top of the 9th. Rocky Gale led off the inning with a single. But it wasn't until two outs later that the magic began to happen. Rymer Liriano, pinch-hitting for Reymond Fuentes, knocked a two-out two-run shot to left field on the the first pitch he saw. Tommy Medica, who up until that point had gone 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, followed with a double. Medica's 1-for-5 day lowered his Spring batting average to a MEASLY .441. Another double by Jace Peterson brought home the third Padres run of the inning. But that is the extent to which the Padres were able to rally as Dickerson grounded out to end the inning and the game.



Roll Call Info
Total comments111
Total commenters12
Commenter listAxion, B Cres, CurbEnthusiasm, Friar Fever, Jonathan Holmes, SD_Hat_Guy, Sam (sdsuaztec4), TheThinGwynn, Wonko, jodes0405, lonndoggie, mrbarneydangles
Story URLs

Wonko once again dominated with 52 comments. I came home with the lead in recs with 2, with CurbEnthusiasm receiving the only other rec of the thread.


03/13 Padres Preview: ST Game 16 vs. Brewers

0
0

A late rally by our Padres yesterday afternoon wasn't enough to overcome the deficit made by the pitching corps. Josh Johnson hopes to have better luck today when the Brewers come to Peoria Sports Complex. Johnson has had a great Spring so far, giving up three runs on five hits through five combined innings of work. He's only walked one batter and collected five strikeouts through his two Cactus League starts.

Yasmani Grandal is also expected to make the start behind the plate this afternoon. It will be his second appearance, but first start of the Spring. Grandal's knee recovery has progressed fairly quickly and he hopes to be ready for Opening Day at the end of the month. In his 2013 debut on Monday, the catcher came in and caught three innings and went 1-for-2 to help the team get the victory over the Rockies.

Milwaukee will give Marco Estrada the ball to make his fourth start of the Spring. The right-hander has given up six runs on 13 hits in 8 1/3 innings. His most recent start was especially troublesome for him. He gave up three runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Royals.

Watch/Listen

Today's game will be available live on Fox Sports SD and MLB.TV. Only the Brewers audio feed will be available via Gameday Audio, but you can also catch the radio broadcast on At-Bat.

ST Game Thread: 03/13 Padres vs. Brewers

0
0

Lineups:

Screenshot_2014-03-13-11-41-41_medium

GO FRIARS!! KEEP THE FAITH!!

Broadcast info:

TV: FSSD, MLB.TV

Radio: Gameday Audio (MIL feed), At-Bat

Gameday

Keep an eye on Jace Peterson

0
0

The future of our organization is churning in the minors and Jace Peterson makes quite a wave.

Jace Peterson, selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round (58th overall) of the 2010 First-Year Player draft out of McNeese State University, is most definitely a player to keep an eye on.

Peterson, at the age of 22, has done well for himself and the organization. Just last season while spending time in single-A Lake Elsinore, Jace knocked out seven homers while keeping his batting average at that magic level above .300. Peterson is also quite the base stealer, collecting 42 stolen bases in the 2013 season, and 51 in Fort Wayne in 2012.

This year at Spring Training the young shortstop's determination has not wavered. Peterson received a non-roster invite to Major League camp, and he has displayed his go-getting attitude every step along the way. When Chase Headley strained his right calf early in Spring Training, Peterson reportedly spoke with manager Bud Black about getting some playing time at third. Peterson has made several starts at third in Peoria as a result.

Jace Peterson is quite the interesting player and is certainly someone to keep an eye on in 2014.

If the Brewers win 8-0 and no one sees it, does it count?

0
0

Let's say it counts, for now.

W: Marco Estrada (2-0)
L: Josh Johnson (0-1)

HR: None

Box Score

We've gotten spoiled, you guys. It wasn't that long ago that spring training Brewers games on TV were a rare event to be celebrated. Now it's rare when they're NOT on, so missing today's 8-0 win over the Padres was something of a disappointment.

A midwestern daytime television audience missed an opportunity today to watch Marco Estrada have the best outing by a Brewers starter this spring. He pitched 5.2 innings (he's only the second Brewer starter to complete four innings this spring) and did not allow a run, scattering five hits. He walked none and struck out six in the outing.

He was aided by Scooter Gennett's first big offensive day of the spring. The Brewers' lefty second baseman hit RBI doubles to drive home Jeff Bianchi as part of run-scoring innings in both the third and fifth. Three of his five hits this spring have been for extra bases and driven in runs.

Jeff Bianchi, as mentioned previously, reached base twice and scored a pair of runs. He also stole his fourth base of the spring. Martin Maldonado had a pair of hits, scored a run and drove one in.

The Brewers are now 7-9 on the spring and return to Maryvale tomorrow to host the Diamondbacks. Wily Peralta will take on Randall Delgado at 3:05 Central time.

Brewers 8, Padres 0: Relief corps can't handle the Brew Crew

0
0

The Padres got shut out today while pitching gave up a billion runs. In his third Cactus League start, Josh Johnson kept the Brewers to just one run in four innings of work while collecting three strikeouts.
0313_johnson_strikeout_medium

Burch Smith didn't have the same success, however. In the bottom of the 5th, he gave up two singles and a bases-clearing double before recording the first out. Another double padded the Brewers' lead even further. Smith stayed in to pitch the 6th and another run came home on a throwing error by Jace Peterson before the inning's end.

Joaquin Benoit (balls) tossed a scoreless 7th inning. Then Alex Torres and Donn Roach gave up a run each in the 8th and 9th innings.

There wasn't much success on the offensive side, but Yonder Alonso did go 2-for-3 (both doubles) to raise his Spring average to .333. There was a glimmer of home in the 5th inning when Austin Hedges led off the inning with a single, then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch and reached 3rd on a sac fly during the next at-bat. But the remaining two outs of the innings were made while Hedges was left on 3rd.

Yasmani Grandal made his first start this afternoon, but went 0-for-1 at the plate while catching four innings behind it.

Roll Call Info
Total comments98
Total commenters7
Commenter listAxion, Friar Fever, Senor_Lumpy, TheThinGwynn, Thelonious_Friar, jodes0405, lonndoggie
Story URLs

Friar Fever and Thelonius_Friar topped the comment count today. FF racked up as many recs as JJ did strikeouts this afternoon, while Axion and TTG split the only other two recs of the thread.

1984 Padres playing catch from the top of a skyscraper

0
0

I was just re-watching MLB's Triumph and Tragedy episode about the 1984 San Diego Padres.  I've had the DVD sitting around since 2009 and probably watched it a half dozen times.  It's got some great interviews with the players from the 25 year reunion at Petco Park.

There's a good story about Bruce Bochy grabbing Ed Whitson in the pool during a break at Spring Training.  Bochy who grew up in Florida and was showing the guys how alligators roll their prey during an attack.  When Whitson finally managed to come up for air his toupee was barely hanging on from the back of his head, revealing his bald head.  Tim Flannery who was telling the story says that Bochy pretended as if he suddenly recognized Whitson for who he was, "Hey you're Ed Whitson!"  Whitson tried to fight everyone and Flannery had to run away because he was laughing so hard.

I think my favorite part though is when they show footage of Terry Kennedy and Kurt Bevacqua playing catch from high above San Diego.  Terry Kennedy rode to the top of a downtown building and threw a ball to Bevacqua who's waiting below in the street.  Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the old Imperial Bank building.  Bevacqua is standing on a target, that looks like an on-deck circle, with a large crowd gathered around him.  Kennedy tosses the ball and Bevacqua tracks and catches it to the crowds amazement.  Now a days the man would never let a crowd stand so close to an object falling from a building.  Can you imagine the lawsuits if someone was hurt by a plummeting baseball?

My words didn't paint a clear enough picture?  You actually want to see it?  You're in luck I captured a portion of the video, edited it down and created a gif just for you!

Padres_play_catch_medium

For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fell--

Everybody sing along!

*Revisiting the Jake Westbrook-Ryan Ludwick trade of 2010

0
0

Analyzing the short-term and long-term effects of the 2010 trade.

One of the biggest deadline deals of 2010 consisted of a three-team trade that sent streaky outfielder Ryan Ludwick to the San Diego Padres and sinkerballer Jake Westbrook to St. Louis from the Cleveland Indians. At the time of the trade, the Cardinals (58-46) led the Reds (58-47) in the division by one-half of a game, and the front office was looking to shore up the back end of the rotation for the stretch run. At the time of the trade, it was ultimately a two-horse race between the Cardinals and the Reds, with the Astros, Brewers, Pirates, and Cubs already brushing the dust off their golf clubs for the off-season.

The State of the 2010 Rotation (through July 31st):

Chris Carpenter (2.93 ERA over 23 starts), Adam Wainwright (2.23 ERA over 22 starts), and rookie Jaime Garcia (2.33 ERA over 20 starts) were all having fantastic seasons at the time, but Garcia was on the verge of being shut down due to a predetermined workload limit. In fact, he only pitched 47.1 innings after the trade deadline, and his last start occurred on September 13th. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, two pitchers, regardless of their beastliness, were not enough to fill a five-man rotation. So, who else was there?

Brad Penny had pitched decently well earlier in the season (3.23 ERA over nine starts), but he somehow got injured hitting a grand slam and didn't have a start after May 21st. Kyle Lohse pitched with an injury all season and was only able to muster a relatively ineffective 7.25 ERA over nine starts in August, September, and October. They had previously acquired Jeff Suppan from the Brewers in June, but with a 4.14 ERA and seven home runs allowed over eight starts (5.1 IP per start), he appeared to be nothing more than a #5 starter going forward.

Thus, if you include Lohse, Suppan, and an innings-limited Garcia, the rotation needed one more pitcher to log innings, get outs, and hopefully lead the team to some victories. That guy ended up being Jake Westbrook. To be frank, he wasn't having a very good season (4.65 ERA, 4.67 FIP), but the belief around the league was that Dave Duncan, combined with pitching for a contending team, could help turn things around for the veteran righty.

2010 Effects:

Did the trade pay immediate dividends? Compared to his numbers with the Indians, Westbrook was statistically solid with the Cardinals. He pitched 75.0 innings (6.25 IP per start) with an improved 3.52 FIP, but the Cardinals won in only five of his twelve starts. Given the fact that Westbrook faced teams like the Astros (twice), Marlins, Cubs (twice), Pirates (twice), and Brewers, this is somewhat disappointing. I realize that a pitcher can only do so much, but it's still worth noting in my opinion.

At the time of the trade, Ludwick had a quality .281/.343/.484 slash line and had contributed 1.9 fWAR for the Cardinals. Yet, after the trade, he struggled mightily to a .211/.301/.330 slash line with six home runs in 239 plate appearances in San Diego. He contributed -0.4 fWAR, or 1.6 less than what Westbrook had with the Cardinals. So, Westbrook filled the hole in the rotation, but what about the apparent opening in the outfield with Ludwick's departure?

Two players received more starts as a result: Jon Jay and Allen Craig. 42 of Jay's 66 starts (about half in RF and half in CF) occurred after the trade. Jay had an overall solid 2010 with a .300/.359/.422 slash line and 1.2 fWAR. However, he did have a decline in production (.244/.309/.314) after the trade, and if we didn't have his 2011-2013 numbers to look at, one would have argued that this was due to the extra exposure. Craig received 19 of his 27 starts (mostly in RF) after the trade, but he struggled to make much of an impact.

Thus, despite what appears to be a valuable, immediate-impact trade, the Cardinals staggered to the finish line, going 28-30 after the trade deadline. They finished five games behind the Reds and missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons after improbably winning the World Series in 2006.

Long-Term Effects (beyond 2010):

The impact of a trade lasts much longer than just two months after it's made. How do Westbrook's numbers compare to Ludwick's four years later? Well, after the trade, Westbrook accumulated 3.7 fWAR with the Cardinals while Ludwick has been worth 3.8 fWAR. One major difference is that all of Westbrook's "wins above replacement" occurred with one team while Ludwick's occurred with three teams: the Padres, Pirates, and Reds. Both players were injury-ridden in 2013, but one cannot forget that Westbrook was solid (2.95 ERA) from April through July 24th last season.

A few quick things of note: Westbrook was the winning pitcher (Yeah yeah, cue the "Kill the Win" comments) in Game 6 of 2011 World Series after pitching a scoreless top of the eleventh inning. Aaron Miles' Fastball had a brief post-retirement post on Westbrook if you're interested in reading about some of his Cardinals career highlights. (P.S. The post includes a link to a must-see video of his grand slam back in 2011).

Now that Westbrook is officially retired, Ludwick is primed to extend his lead in fWAR. However, he will turn 36 years old this season and is just now reportedly fully recovered from the shoulder surgery he received last season. He "feels good to be strong again," but as Cardinals fans, we know just how tough it can be to return to 100% after shoulder injuries, especially in the twilight of a player's career (i.e. Scott Rolen). Plus, with an outfield of Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman, Colby Rasmus, Carlos Beltran, Jon Jay, Allen Craig, Peter Bourjos, etc. from 2011 through the present, where exactly would Ludwick have fit into the Cardinals plans?

Finally, what non-statistical impact did Westbrook have on the Cardinals? Unfortunately, we cannot quantify this, but I don't think it can be totally ignored. According to all reports I've read, Westbrook was a great presence in the clubhouse during his time as a Cardinal and was a leader for all the young pitchers despite his struggles at the end of last season.

Poll
Were the Cardinals winners or losers in the Westbrook-Ludwick trade?

  249 votes |Results


03/14 Padres Preview: ST Game 17 vs. Angels

0
0

Eric Stults will make his fourth start of the Spring today as the Padres host the Angels in Peoria. In he previous three starts he's given up a combined eight runs, all earned, on 11 hits and four walks. And through those 6 1/3 innings, he's only struck out one batter.

Stults is projected to be the number five starter going into the season, as is 22-year-old Tyler Skaggs, who will take the mound for the Angels this afternoon. Skaggs has also pitched 6 1/3 innings this Spring, but has kept opponents to just two runs on four hit and four walks while collecting five strikeouts.

WATCH/LISTEN

Today's game will be televised on Fox Sports San Diego and Fox Sports West, as well as MLB.TV. The Angels radio feed will also be available for all on Gameday Audio, or you can listen on MLB At-Bat.

ST Game Thread: 03/14 Padres vs. Angels

2014 Season Preview: Houston Astros

0
0

Another dismal year is in store for the Astros, but things are beginning to look up.

The 2013 Houston Astros were about as bad as any one team can get (ok, maybe not this bad), being outscored by 238 runs, hitting for an atrocious team TAv of .248, and posting the worst FIP in baseball (4.69). This season, the Astros shouldn't expect to be much better, though it is highly unlikely that they repeat the 111-loss total that they had last season. A new wave of talent is on its way, as Jeff Luhnow's extensive rebuilding project should bear some fruit this year by way of top prospects such as George Springer, Jonathan Singleton, and Mark Appel. While the results on the field should be poor this year, 2014 should tell us quite a bit about the future of the organization.

Additions

RHP Scott Feldman, RHP Anthony Bass, OF Dexter Fowler, RHP Jerome Williams, RHP Matt Alberts, RHP Chad Qualls, 1B/OF Jesus Guzman, RHP Jesse Crain

The Astros had a pretty busy offseason, acquiring more in bulk than quality (Feldman at three years, $30 million was the only major free agent signing), but they still drastically upgraded their roster. Their primary objective was to seemingly upgrade their bullpen (which finished last in pretty much every statistical category in 2013), and they did just that, signing a multitude of free agent relievers including a pair of closing options in Crain and Qualls.

They also went about adding a couple much needed rotation candidates in Feldman and Williams. Both should be able to provide roughly league average production over ~180 innings, a category which Houston desperately needed to fill considering the extreme youth of their rotation (their other 3 projected starters are all between the ages of 23 and 26). Considering just how bad the Astros' rotation was last year, Feldman and Williams represent vast improvements.

Houston also managed to acquire first baseman/outfielder Jesus Guzman from the Padres, giving them a solid bat off the bench. Guzman had a rough year in 2013 (94 OPS+), but he posted a combined 121 OPS+ over 196 games in 2011 and 2012.

The most noteworthy acquisition Houston made this winter was their addition of outfielder Dexter Fowler from the Rockies for a relatively cheap package of Brandon Barnes and Jordan Lyles. Fowler immediately becomes one of the two or three best players on the team, and is currently penciled in as the club's leadoff hitter this season. Nearly 28 and with two years of club control remaining, Fowler should be expected to put up another 2-3 WAR season this year, and a strong performance could lead the Astros to locking him up, or trading him for even more assets.

Subtractions

LHP Erick Bedard, RHP Jordan Lyles, OF Brandon Barnes

Houston really wasn't effected much this offseason as far as player departures. Barnes and Lyles moved on to Colorado, but neither appeared to have a future with the club, as Barnes seemed to be no more than a fourth outfielder and Lyles having posted three straight 5.00+ ERA seasons. Bedard, a free agent signing last offseason, was one of Houston's best pitchers in 2013 (4.59 ERA, 151 innings), though that has more to do with the quality of Houston's pitching staff than Bedard himself. He recently signed a minor league deal with the Rays.

Players to watch

The Astros don't have a lot of players facing make-or-break years, but they do have a number of guys who should be worth paying attention to this season.

Jesse Crain could become a valuable trade asset for Houston if he can fully recover from an October biceps surgery and put together a couple of healthy months. It will be interesting to see if the Astros install him as their closer, considering some teams still pay premiums for saves.

The development of their youth will likely be the most prominent storyline in Houston this summer. Right-hander Jarred Cosart was excellent in a 10-start stint with the big league club last year, putting up a 1.95 ERA in 60 innings. He will likely start the year in Houston's rotation, where expectations are high considering his once lofty prospect status and success down the stretch last season. The debuts and progress of top prospects such as Mark Appel and George Springer will also be worth keeping tabs on, as Astros fans will finally get a glimpse at a few of the team's so-called "saviors".

It could also be worth keeping tabs on already established players such as Fowler, Jason Castro, Jose Altuve, and Chris Carter. All four of them are in their early-to-mid twenties and are good enough that the organization could consider them a part of their long-term plans.

Best Case Scenario

The most optimistic outcome for the Astros is still pretty brutal. There isn't much to hope for in terms of team success, so individual player performances are probably the best way to go in terms of 2014 rooting interests. Here are a few things that would make the Astros' season a true success:

  • Crain returns from injury and posts numbers similar to what he did for the White Sox during the first half of last year. He is traded away in July for a package of prospects.
  • Cosart shows that his 2013 performance may not be completely out of line with what his expectations should be going forward, throwing roughly 175 innings with a 3.50 ERA and 8.0 SO/9.
  • Castro, Altuve, and Fowler all turn in strong seasons furthering their cases to be a part of the team's future. Castro especially has a breakout season and emerges as one of the top 5 catchers in the game. Houston rewards him with a contract extension.
  • Carter cuts down on his strikeouts while also maintaining his power production, making him a valuable trade chip for the 2014-15 offseason.
  • Springer, Appel, Singleton, and Domingo Santana all make their major league debuts and perform well enough to warrant starting jobs in 2015.
  • Other top prospects such as Carlos Correa, Mike Foltynewicz, and Vincent Velasquez continue to develop.
  • Carlos Rodon...
  • Nobody gets hurt.

Worst Case Scenario

Even the worst case scenario has some silver lining by way of a fourth consecutive number one overall pick. Really, the worst that can happen here is injuries and/or stalled development from some of their more notable prospects.

Final Thoughts

Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projects the Astros to be a 66-96 team, and that number sounds about right. They're still probably one of the two worst teams in the league (don't worry Miami fans, at least you got Lebron!), but they have made enough improvements this offseason that 100 losses is no sure thing. 2014 will be tough to watch for Houston fans, but the future is clearly on the horizon.

Poll
How many games will the Astros win in 2014?

  0 votes |Results

Padres Pitching And Hitting Defeat the Angels 4-2

0
0

All of the high fives were well deserved.

Padres won.

Even that should be able to suffice for a Spring Training game recap, right?

It's short and to the point. Plus, it delivers the only point that ever needs to be made.

The Padres won.

But, that's probably not enough, is it? In this day and age you need details, am I right? You can't be fine with a "Padres won" and be done with it. Not a chance. You need substance. You need something to distract you on this beautiful Friday night. Well, let me help you out there. It's the least I could do.

The Padres took to the field against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Somewheresville, Arizona. The location is not what's important here.

It's the results that matter.

Eric Stults stood up on that mound and made some pitches. 5 innings worth of them. Which translated to 66 if you're wondering. And in those 66 pitches over 5 innings, he struck out 4 batters, gave up 3 hits, walked 1 batter, and gave up only 1 earned run, which happened on a sacrifice fly in the 1st inning.

The rest of the Padres pitching staff (Blaine Boyer, Patrick Schuster, Tony Sipp, Dennis O'Grady) gave up 5 hits and 1 earned run while recording 3 strikeouts and walking no one. And with so much good pitching, you have to have a good offense to compliment it. And what a compliment it was.

After being down 1-0, Nick Hundley came to the plate and did what he does pretty well when he can do it. What is it? Hitting home runs.

0314_hundley_hr_medium

That solo homer, his 2nd this spring, came off Tyler Skaggs to tie the game. In the 4th inning, Hundley came to the plate to give the people what they want. More Padres scores.

0314_hundley_rbi_medium

That single scored Tommy Medica to give the Padres the lead. Ryan Jackson stepped up to the plate soon after and got himself an RBI single of his own to push the Padres to a 3-1 lead.

0314_jackson_rbi_medium

In the 5th inning, Jedd Gyorko connected on a mighty fine pitch for a mighty fine home run.

0314_gyorko_hr_medium

The home run off Fernando Salas was Gyorko's 2nd of the spring.

The Padres would hold that 4-1 lead until the 9th inning when the Angels scored a run on ground out to Cory Spangenberg. The run scoring ended there and the Padres recorded the final outs to win the game 4-2 over the Angels.

Overall, the game was a good one. Especially since the Padres won.

Roll Call Info
Total comments135
Total commenters9
Commenter listAxion, Friar Fever, Sam (sdsuaztec4), TheThinGwynn, Thelonious_Friar, freelunch, jodes0405, kevintheoman, lonndoggie
Story URLs

Thelonious_Friar led the way with 35 comments. Axion was too busy thinking about lunch and finished with 33. In the land of rec-age, TTG and jodes each captured 2 for their troubles.

Huston Street spies on Carlos Quentin

0
0

As much as I like the Padres players they are mostly terrible at using their Twitter accounts.  The most frustrating is probably Cameron Maybin who has one of the best personalities on the team, but has been consistently boring since he tweeted his disgust for Panda Express. Once a few Gaslamp Ballers connected the fact that the Panda Express CEO held an ownership stake in the Padres at the time, the sh_t really hit the fan.  Since then he rarely tweets and constantly deletes and recreates his Twitter account.  Lame.

#SpyOnCarlos

Fortunately Huston Street joined Twitter this week and his social media game is tight.  The Padres closer has already won me (and most fans) over with his daily hashtag #SpyOnCarlos.  Street uses the hashtag when he takes a daily picture of an unsuspecting Carlos Quentin.  It's especially funny because Quentin is notoriously private, angry and hates social media everything.  As Ben Higgins noted earlier this week, if a media personality tried this, he'd probably suffer a similar fate to Zach Greinke.

I'm impressed that the tweets have continued 3 days in a row, that's longer than some Padres blogs last.  I wonder if Quentin knows about the #SpyOnCarlos yet.  I'm sure at some point a media member will bring it to his attention.  I fear for them when it happens, he can't hurt his teammate but he can hurt the messenger.

Viewing all 2658 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images