MLB FanHouse

Footprints in the Snow: Padres

Matt Snyder — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

About halfway through the 2009 season, the San Diego Padres looked poised to be among the worst teams in baseball. They were 38-62 and being outscored at an alarming rate. All of a sudden, though, they seemed to put some things together. In their last 62 games, they won 37 (a .597 winning percentage). There seems to be a foundation of youth in place, though they aren't yet ready to compete with the Dodgers, Giants or Rockies in the NL West.

The biggest issue is their offense. It's been well-documented it's tough to score runs in their home park because it sucks the power out of anyone. True to form, the Padres were last in the NL in slugging percentage and 13th in home runs. Still, it's not just the ballpark. Their .321 OBP was 12th in the NL, which was a major they scored fewer runs than everyone in the NL except the Pirates.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Henry Blanco, C; Brian Giles, OF; Adrian Gonzalez, 1B; Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B; Heath Bell, RP

Shopping List

Regardless of how they get there, the Padres must find a way to generate more offense. They are never going to be a great offensive team because of their park (they were seventh in road OPS and 15th overall), but there are several places where they could stand to upgrade offensively. It's not like the defense was so stellar that they can't mix it up.

One place they could upgrade with just about anyone is at second base. David Eckstein is, frankly, a terrible hitter and fielder at this point in his career. He shouldn't be more than a good clubhouse guy as a backup, so they need to get a real second baseman. Also, the Padres could create a hole for a solid outfielder by trading either Kevin Kouzmanoff or going for the big splash by trading Adrian Gonzalez.

Moving Gonzalez would net the Padres a huge return, as he's a budding superstar. They would then move the gargantuan 23-year-old slugger Kyle Blanks to first base and would have an opening in the outfield for a free agent signee. Former Padre Mike Cameron would add some punch and is a very solid defender.

More likely, though, the Padres would trade Kouzmanoff -- a 28-year-old former prospect who has yet to greatly impress on offense or defense. That would allow them to move the still-developing Chase Headley to third (his natural position) and make a run at someone like Cameron for the outfield.

The best move would be to find a suitor for Kouzmanoff and keep the star Gonzalez. The Padres would then be able to use Tony Gwynn Jr. and Blanks in the outfield and sign a solid bat to join them. Additionally, bringing in someone like Orlando Hudson to play second base would make sense. This would give the Padres a pretty respectable offense and defense.

As far as the pitching staff, some rumors have them trading Heath Bell. This would make sense to not only help them financially, but most also agree the 32-year-old will never have more trade value. The starting staff looks to be young but has some serious promise, especially with burgeoning star Mat Latos entering his first full season.

Money Matters

Things aren't nearly as dire this time around because the Padres shed a ton of payroll in the past 13 months. After last season, they let Trevor Hoffman walk. This year, they traded Scott Hairston and Jake Peavy. Now, they'll let Brian Giles walk. In the end, this team should have enough money left to add about $15 million in payroll.

Don't expect them to be big spenders, so the thought of John Lackey, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay in Petco Park isn't realistic. It's possible they'd have enough to make a run at Chone Figgins, who would be a perfect table-setter and could fit at third, second or anywhere in the outfield.

Further, in some really great news for the future of the franchise, the new ownership group reportedly has their sights on a payroll in the mid-$70 million-range. Not this year and not necessarily next, but this should give hope to Padres fans. In the meantime, they'd be better served to only sign veteran free agents to one- or two-year deals as they see how the economy and the state of their franchise improve.

Offseason Goals

They want to contend in 2010, plain and simple. The 37-25 finish prorates to 97 wins over the course of a full season, so it's difficult to say they can't be in the mix. With that in mind, they better hold onto Gonzalez and build around him, unless they get at least two guys who can help the team win now. Upgrading offensively at second base, at least one outfield spot and maybe even shortstop would do wonders for the club in 2010. They need to be careful not to mortgage the future, however, because there is promising youth all over the place. In fact, the team would be better served to focus more on 2011 than 2010. Continue developing the youngsters, while not spending a bunch of money on a multi-year deals to aging veterans should be the path.

Footprints in the Snow: Padres originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jed Hoyer Likely to Be Next Padres GM

Andrew Johnson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:25:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, MLB Biz, MLB Rumors, MLB Transactions

One of Major League Baseball's two general manager vacancies could be filled in the next few days. The Padres appear poised to hire Red Sox assistant general manager Jed Hoyer to replace long-time GM Kevin Towers, who was fired at the beginning of October, according to multiple outlets including the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Hoyer has been a bit of a hot property for awhile now, having interviewed for GM positions with the Pirates and Nationals in recent years, but this won't be his first general managing job.

He and Ben Cherington were named co-GMs of the Red Sox in the winter of 2006 during Theo Epstein's brief hiatus from his post running the club, and most famously helped orchestrate the deal that brought Josh Beckett to Boston.

While San Diego is not expected to make an announcement immediately, one could come in the next few days.

"We're still working on it," CEO Jeff Moorad told the Union-Tribune via e-mail Wednesday night. "We have a couple follow-up discussions scheduled for (Thursday), then are likely to move toward a decision."

Moorad took partial control of the Padres this year, agreeing to purchase the club in full from John Moores within five years, and though San Diego suffered through its second straight losing season and is cash-strapped because of Moores' ongoing divorce, the club showed promise by going 37-25 in its final 62 games.

That promise made it all the more surprising when Towers, highly respected in the industry and, at the time, the longest-tenured GM with one team, was forced out.

Hoyer is the second Epstein disciple to take the reins of a major league club, with current Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes -- also hired by Moorad, who was with Arizona at the time -- being the first.

The Red Sox front office is one of the most highly regarded in the game. While the team has deep coffers, it is also known for its creative and methodical approach to building an organization. Hoyer will not have limitless resources at his disposal in San Diego, so he will have to be especially ingenious to turn the Padres into a winner again.

Jed Hoyer Likely to Be Next Padres GM originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marcus Giles Arrested On Domestic Battery Charges

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:49:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Padres, MLB Police Blotter

Former Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres second baseman Marcus Giles was arrested early Wednesday morning for domestic battery after his wife called the police. The details of the incident are somewhat sketchy, but the El Cajon police were called by the California Highway Patrol to the scene where the incident allegedly took place.

Police arrived on the scene to find the Giles' car parked on the shoulder of the highway, placed Giles under arrest and took him into custody.

El Cajon Police Acting Lt. Fenton Sue said officers were called to eastbound Interstate 8 at Greenfield Drive at 3:20 a.m. by the California Highway Patrol. The CHP officers were with Giles, 31, and his wife Tracy, 30, who were in a vehicle parked on the shoulder of the freeway , Sue said.

Giles' wife told officers she was making a citizen's arrest on her husband for battery, Sue said. The incident happened near the intersection of I-8 and state Route 67, Sue said.

Giles was taken into custody on suspicion of domestic battery on a spouse, Sue said.

Tracy Giles was unhurt and was taken to El Cajon police headquarters to be interviewed, Sue said.

The details on what happened have not been released by the police but the CHP did say that they had a "be on the lookout" call for Giles' vehicle.

While this is the first incident of this type involving Marcus Giles, it's not the first time a story like this has come out about his family. Marcus' brother Brian Giles had a lawsuit filed against him back in December of 2008 by an ex-girlfriend, Cheri Olvera, who claimed that Giles had physically and emotionally abused her throughout their relationship. Brian filed a countersuit claiming it was Olvera who had been abusing him.

Marcus Giles Arrested On Domestic Battery Charges originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reports: Padres GM Kevin Towers Fired

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:19:00 EST

Filed under: Padres

The longest tenured general manager in baseball is about to be out of a job. According to multiple reports, the Padres are planning to fire general manager Kevin Towers, who is coming to the end of his 14th season. The Padres said that CEO Jeff Moorad would address the media in a press conference Saturday, although the subject was not specified.

Moorad released a statement:

"We're continuing our evaluation and assessment of multiple parts of the organization, baseball included. At this point, Kevin is our general manager, and is under contract through the 2010 season."

The move certainly sent shock waves around the baseball world. Towers, 48, is one of the most well-respected executives in the game, and he had the Padres playing much better as the season progressed. Since June 28, the Padres were 36-23, third-best record in the National League. They had already won 11 more games than last year heading into Friday's game.

"The organization is indebted to Kevin for not only the 14 years he served as general manager, but for the fact that the club is well-positioned to go forward into the future," Moorad told the Union-Tribune Friday. "I think we need to build a better baseball operations department, better skilled at the areas we're committed to going forward.

"I admire (Towers') skills very much and respect his relationships that exist around the game. But I think over the next period of time, our focus is on more of a strategic approach to drafting and development that has a chance to compete in the division year-in and year-out."

Towers led the Padres to the postseason four times, including winning a National League pennant in 1998. They contended as recently as 2007, when they lost to the Rockies in a one-game playoff for the wild card. Moorad, who took over the club earlier this season, had expressed enough confidence in the club's management to give manager Bud Black an extension. Apparently, that didn't extend to Towers.

Towers ought to have no problem finding another job in baseball, considering his experience and track record. At the moment there are no other GM openings, but Toronto's GM spot might be open if the Blue Jays decide to fire J.P. Ricciardi. The Padres do have at least one other member of the front office with GM experience. Former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta works as an assistant under Towers.

"I've enjoyed working with Kevin over the last six months immensely," Moorad said. "I have great respect for him. This is not someone getting shoved out the door, but rather this is about a decision for the organization for the long-term ...

"He's been told that he can office here, he can stay here for as long as he's comfortable being around. This is a person I care about, I've enjoyed working with, and I understand that there's a strong likelihood that he'll end up being a general manager elsewhere."

Reports: Padres GM Kevin Towers Fired originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Bizarre, Rich Legacy at Metrodome as Twins Depart

Ed Price — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Nationals, Padres, Rangers, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Johan Santana had never seen the Metrodome before the Twins took him from Single-A in the Rule 5 draft.

"When I first got there," Santana told FanHouse, "my first impression was, 'How can you play baseball in a place like this?'

"I came from Single-A and from Venezuela, and we don't have any of that stuff. ... I couldn't figure it out. How could this thing [the roof] be up in the air? And then it feels like you're in a bubble. And then you play baseball."

Yes they did. The Twins won two World Series in that bubble, but unless they rally to make the playoffs, they will say goodbye to the Metrodome this week.

Open-air Target Field opens next April.

The Twins say about all they'll miss about the Metrodome is the guarantee of no rainouts (or snowouts).

Kent Hrbek -- who grew up in Bloomington and attended games outdoors at old Metropolitan Stadium -- went 2-for-4 in the April 6, 1982, regular season opener at the dome.

He said he has "so many good memories" there. But, "after playing the game there and becoming a fan again," he said, "it's a horrible place to see a baseball game."

It's not just the artificial turf. Or the noise level. And the seats that don't point the right way for baseball.

"Playing inside is not fun," former Twins center fielder Torii Hunter said. "It's not baseball."

In Minnesota, summer doesn't last very long -- and it's gorgeous. Who wants to spend it indoors?

"I just came back from five days in Canada," Jack Morris, who grew up across the river in St. Paul and pitched one of the most memorable games in Metrodome history (Game 7 of the 1991 World Series), said earlier this month. "I saw over 200 bald eagles. Believe me, what God creates is so much better than anything man can create, it's unbelievable."

Said closer Joe Nathan: "When you walk through the doors when it's a nice day out, it kind of deflates you.

"You get nice days, you see this place like half-empty and you wonder why. It's because it's nice out. People are outside."

But the Twins might lose their home-field advantage when they go outdoors.

Visiting teams, especially those in the AL Central, hated coming to the Metrodome so much they sometimes seemed psyched out.

"This ballpark is an advantage," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "just because people hate coming in here so much that maybe it intimidates them a little bit.

"But there's been an advantage in here. I guarantee it. We've had teams that can play on this [turf] and play in here and irritate the crap out of people, so that's been kind of fun."

Plus fly balls lost in the those 10 acres of Teflon-coated fiberglass overhead and the strange bounces off the turf and speakers hanging overhead and the "baggie" in right field.

In 1984, Dave Kingman hit a fly ball so high it went into one of the holes in the roof and stayed there.

Double.

"Especially during day games," said Aaron Rowand, who visited often with the White Sox in 2001-05, "if you try to go back on the ball and take your eye off it to run to a spot, and try to look back up and find it, it's real tough.

"I remember once somebody hit [a fly], it was going foul, it bounced off [a speaker], came back in and one of the infielders caught it."

There have been other subtle advantages. Some accused the Twins of manipulating the air conditioning, but Hunter said that once fans started leaving in the seventh inning, the opening of doors created a swirling wind current that carried balls out to right-center field. A "napkin" -- makeshift weather vane -- near the home on-deck circle would let the Twins know when to hit to right.

In the 1987 and '91 World Series, the Metrodome's advantage was mostly fans, packed houses making noise intensified by the roof.

"It's the most intimidating home field of any team, any sport that I've ever seen or been around," Oakland general manager Billy Beane, who played for the Twins and had A's teams lose in Minneapolis in the playoffs, told FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher. "As a player, as a GM, as a fan of other sports, from what I hear Saturday night in Baton Rouge is supposed to be pretty tough, but I'd put the Metrodome up there. If you had one of those tournaments for most intimidating it would be LSU and the Metrodome in the final, and I'm going with the Metrodome.

"There is nothing like the Metrodome. There is nothing that is even close."

The Twins' winning percentage since 1982 is 100 points higher at home than on the road. Of the teams that have been in existence since 1982, only Houston and Texas have had a larger advantage at home.

Metrodome Mosts
Stat	Twins	Visitors
Hits	K. Puckett (1,269)	C. Ripken (123)
HR	K. Hrbek (138)	J. Thome (28)
Wins	B. Radke (85)	Mussina/Clemens (10)
Saves	J. Nathan (123)	Montgomery/Jones (18)

Even so, the Metrodome won't be missed by the Twins.

"It wasn't really a baseball stadium," said Hrbek, who played more games at the Metrodome than anyone but the late Kirby Puckett. "It was a football stadium, and they decided to put a baseball park in there."

Said Gardenhire: "We can't wait to get outside and have our own field and not share it with anybody."

Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who grew up in St. Paul, played his first football game in the Metrodome, as a fifth-grader, and never saw an outdoor big-league baseball game until he played in one.

"I think it's more a football stadium than anything," he said. "I have a lot of great memories here ... but I'm really looking forward to getting outside and playing outside."

Target Field, not far from the Metrodome in the Warehouse District, will seat 40,000 and cost $412 million (about six times what the Metrodome cost).

"It's typical Minnesota," said Mariners infielder Jack Hannahan, who grew up across the river in St. Paul, attended the University of Minnesota (which plays its home baseball games in the Metrodome) and still has a "Homer Hanky" from the 1991 World Series.

"It took them forever to do it, and once they finally did it, they didn't do it right. If it would have had a retractable dome, like what Safeco [Field in Seattle] has, it would have been perfect. It didn't work out, it didn't work out. But anything they'll build will be successful in Minnestota because the fans are so good."

"It's the most intimidating home field of any team, any sport that I've ever seen or been around. ... There is nothing like the Metrodome"
-- Billy Beane University of Minnesota baseball and the Vikings will continue to play in the Metrodome; Gophers football opened its new on-campus stadium this year.

A large numeral beyond left field in the Metrodome indicates how many Twins games are left there. Then a series of banners reads, "Countdown to outdoor baseball," "Countdown to farmer-tanned vendors," "Countdown to mustard-flavored lip balm," "Countdown to ch-ch-ch-chhhhh (the sound of sprinklers on natural grass), "Countdown to skyline sunsets," "Countdown to real grass stains," "Countdown to starry nights."

The team itself is counting down to when it has a decent-sized clubhouse, it doesn't have to store equipment in the hallway and it won't have to share a weight room and batting cage that are on the other side of the stadium.

"If I play next year," Seattle's Mike Sweeney said, "and it's April and I go to Minnesota and its 25 degrees, I'll miss the Metrodome big time.

"But the stadium is outdated and it's cool to move on to a new place. We just might need to pack some more [long] sleeves."

Overheard and Understood

o. Angels ace John Lackey, an impending free agent, has told people he is seeking a $100 million contract. And a major league source said the Angels have no intention of meeting that demand. Who would -- even despite Lackey's dependability over the years? There have been five nine-figure deals for pitchers; Kevin Brown and Mike Hampton didn't produce over the entire lengths of their deals, Barry Zito looks similar and the jury is still out on CC Sabathia and Santana.

Chart of the Week
Colorado's Seth Smith is 17-for-35 as a pinch hitter. In the past 35 years, just four players have batted .500 in the pinch (minimum 20 at-bats):
Player	Team	Average
Bruce Boisclair	'76 Mets	.571 (12-21)
Kevin Seitzer	'91 Royals	.550 (11-20)
Alex Arias	'99 Phillies	.545 (12-22)
Willie McGee	'92 Giants	.524 (11-21)
Seth Smith	'09 Rockies	.486 (17-35)
Source: STATS LLC

o. Washington plans to talk with Bob Melvin about its managerial position soon after the season ends. Melvin and general manager Mike Rizzo worked together in Arizona. Bobby Valentine's name has also come up as a Nationals candidate, and there is talk that those interviewed for the Washington GM job were asked directly about Valentine, an indication that he has been in the team's sights for a while.

o. Are we in a golden age of second basemen? For the first time ever, five second basemen -- Dan Uggla, Aaron Hill, Chase Utley, Jose Lopez and Ian Kinsler -- have 25-homer seasons in the same year. Then there's Brian Roberts (55 doubles), Robinson Cano ( .321 average and .519 slugging percentage,), Dustin Pedroia (110 runs scored and .297 average) and Brandon Phillips (20 homers, 95 RBI). Only Roberts and Utley are in their 30s.

o. A scout who has examined the Diamondbacks system said it is severely lacking in top prospects, and he cited three factors: some of the top young players in the organization are already in the majors; Arizona gave up prospects in the deal for Dan Haren; and a couple of bad drafts in a row. In contrasting the depth of two systems, the scout said the Giants "have 20 guys like" Diamondbacks lefty Daniel Schlereth.

o. Texas' Elvis Andrus is the fourth-youngest player to steal 30 bases in a season after Rickey Henderson, Ty Cobb and Claudell Washington.

o. The Red Sox face a tough decision on how much to play catcher Jason Varitek in the postseason. He looks terrible at the plate (.167 with 20 RBI in 156 at-bats since June 30) and in the field. About all manager Terry Francona can cite is intangibles: "There was a reason they put that 'C' (for captain) on his chest. And even through disappointment and a little bit of a reduced role, he still exhibits a lot of leadership."

o. With the Angels, Phillies and Cardinals having closer issues, we wondered: how much does a closer matter in the postseason. Conventional wisdom says a lot, since the competition is better, the games are closer, and each loss is so significant. Well, according to STATS LLC, since the three-tiered playoffs began in 1995, there has been an average of one save opportunity every 2.89 postseason games. Over the same span, save opportunities have been MORE frequent in the regular season -- an average of one save opportunity every 2.68 regular-season games. And the save percentage is about the same, 67.0 in the regular season and 67.2 in the postseason.

Still, we suspect that closers do matter, because of the importance of every game and the psychological effect of a blown save.

o. Seattle could be the second team ever to win 85 games the year after losing 100. The 1989 Orioles were 87-75 after going 54-107 the previous season.

o. Arizona vice president for player personnel Jerry DiPoto didn't get the Washington GM job, but if San Diego decides to promote long-time general manager Kevin Towers to a position such as team president, DiPoto would have a shot at becoming Padres GM.

o. The possible Game 1 matchup in one American League Division Series is Sabathia and Justin Verlander. They have faced off six times, their teams splitting the games (two this year between the Yankees and Tigers and the other four between Cleveland and Detroit). In the six games, Sabathia has gone 3-3 with a 5.13 ERA while Verlander has gone 3-2 with a 3.26 ERA.

o. An AL executive who recently saw St. Louis' John Smoltz in person said, "His stuff is really, really good. I guess Boston must be really good not to need that guy." The minuses, according to the executive: Smoltz's "command is not what it used to be" and he "labors," throwing a lot of sliders.

o. Some suspect Chad Billingsley's struggles for the Dodgers -- 3-6 with a 5.40 ERA since the All-Star break -- come from not getting along with catcher Russell Martin.

o. Derek Jeter, 35, is the oldest regular shortstop with a 200-hit season.

o. They aren't the most indicative statistics, but the Dodgers could become the first team since the 1946 Cardinals to lead the NL in club batting average, ERA and fielding percentage.

Baseball Brunch: Bizarre, Rich Legacy at Metrodome as Twins Depart originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One

Ed Price — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Yankees are still fired up despite their large lead in the AL East.

After two Yankees pitchers hit Blue Jays batters in Tuesday's game, Toronto's Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth.

Posada glared, benches briefly emptied, but there were no punches. Yet.

Instead of letting it end there, or charging the mound, Posada waited until he walked and then scored a run to give Carlson a shove after he crossed home plate.

And then it was on.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Posada ended up on the bottom of the pile in the ensuing melee -- and the Yankees can't afford to have him hurt. (Posada missed most of last year, and the Yankees missed the playoffs.)

"He was just right there on the line to the dugout. We got carried away and hopefully that's the end of it," the 38-year-old Posada said. "I don't want my kids to see that. ... Fight in the middle of the field, benches clearing -- that's a bad example."

A suspension seems likely.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," [home plate umpire Jim] Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi met with his team after the game to ask them to chill.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Jarrod Washburn, Detroit's big trade deadline pickup, had to come out after an inning against Kansas City because of a bad left knee.

"Shortly after the strikeout [to start the game], we could tell he was in pain," [manager Jim] Leyland said. "We'll see what happens, but it seems pretty obvious to me that, at this point, he's unpitchable."

The Tigers went on to lose for the sixth time in eight games, four of those losses have come to the last-place Royals.

Numbers Game ...
Heath Bell's ERA has gone up almost a full run in less than a week. On Tuesday he gave up the winning runs after blowing two straight saves. In those three games, he has given up seven hits and seven runs in three innings, so his ERA has gone from 1.98 to 2.90. If Bell blows his next save chance, he will be the first Padres closer to fail in three straight save opportunities since Craig Lefferts in 1990; Trevor Hoffman has never blown three straight.

In Their Own Words ...
"I felt great in batting practice, ran around great, and then the second pitch he threw me, I got off balance, landed on my front side a little too hard and it just grabbed,. I didn't want to make it worse. I've been making too much progress." -- Texas' Michael Young, who tried to return from a strained left hamstring but came out of the game against Oakland after one plate appearance

Advance Scouting ...
With a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race, Colorado will try to avoid its sixth straight loss to San Francisco in the teams' final regular-season meeting (10:15 PM ET). Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa is 2-0 against the Giants this year, but in those two starts he has a 5.40 ERA. He faces Matt Cain, who in 17 career starts against Colorado has allowed opposing hitters to bat just .212.

Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Senior Circuit Resembles Rest Home for Pitchers

Ed Price — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Athletics, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Red Sox, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Ahhh, the National League -- where pitchers can play out their golden years without a care in the world.

Think of the NL as baseball's rest home.

Just in the past few weeks, Brad Penny and John Smoltz have reached the legendary fountain of youth that Ponce de Sabathia discovered last year in the wilds of Wisconsin.

"In reality, it's a little tougher to pitch in the American League than it is the National League," said Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who formerly managed in Seattle and Tampa Bay.

At least he admits it.

Others asked about the difference between leagues tried to downplay it.

"If you make pitches, you're going to get outs," Penny told FanHouse a few days after joining the Giants. "When I got hit in the American League, it was because I didn't make pitches.

"Obviously the American League's a little harder, but it's not as big of a gap as everyone would think."

As Red Sox this year, Penny and Smoltz combined to go 9-13 with a 6.24 ERA and a .310 opponents' average.

Thus far, back in the comfy NL, they are 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA and .205 opponents' average.

Then -- in perhaps the ultimate indignity -- Jose Contreras, who went 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA this year for the White Sox, held the Diamondbacks to one run in 6 2/3 innings in his NL debut for Colorado.

Sounds like a pretty big gap.

"I don't see how it could be," Cubs GM Jim Hendry said. "How many American League lineups are better than the Phillies?"

Point taken, and for Penny to shut down the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park was pretty impressive.

Ted Lilly, who went from the Blue Jays to the Cubs two years ago, would admit to only noticing "a little bit" of a difference between leagues.

Penny said Smoltz wasn't bothered by the AL as much as he wasn't fully recovered from shoulder surgery.

"He was trying to rush things," Penny said, "and got back out there probably a little too soon."

Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton also claimed to notice no drop in class when he switched leagues.

"Hitters are hitters," said Blanton, who was 47-46 with Oakland and has gone 13-6 with Philadelphia. "I mean, other than facing the pitcher, hitters are hitters."

It's not just the presence of the DH that makes the AL harder on pitchers. Lineups are deeper, ballparks are smaller and the style of play different.

For example, through Friday's games, according to STATS LLC, American League No. 8 hitters had combined for a .400 slugging percentage and a homer every 33.4 at-bats. In the NL, No. 8 hitters had a .374 slugging percentage and a home run every 52.4 at-bats.

The National League has pitcher-friendly parks in San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Florida and Los Angeles. The AL has Seattle and Oakland -- and hitter's havens in New York, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago and Texas.

"I think the teams are put together a little differently," Piniella said. "The [AL] teams are put together with a little more offense in mind."

More AL teams, notably in Boston and New York, seem to emphasize patience at the plate and building opposing pitchers' pitch counts.

"I think that the lineups in the American League are more powerful," said Johan Santana, in his second year with the Mets after winning two Cy Young Awards for the Twins. "You see more guys with longer swings than you see here in the National League. ... You don't see that many bunt plays, you don't see that many hit-and-runs in the American League.

"What I found out here, is that here they make a lot of contact and they put the ball in play. In the American League, there are more swing-and-misses."

In any case, it seems not to bode well for Jake Peavy, who (eventually) will make the reverse trip, from a team that plays in one of the NL's top pitchers' parks to an AL team that plays in a home-run den.

Maybe, for Smoltz and Penny, it was just getting out of the AL East. Scott Kazmir stayed in the league but left the division when he went from the Rays to the Angels, and he allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings in his first start after having a 5.92 ERA in Tampa Bay.

Or maybe Smoltz and Penny will eventually revert to their Boston form.

"Well, let's wait and see how it goes," Lilly said. "Four games, that doesn't give you much to go on."

Overheard and Understood

o. The early AL MVP talk -- and it's early, since September performance can swing the race -- has focused on Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Yankees teammates Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter. But I see drawbacks with all three.

Mauer (back) and Teixeira (.200 average, 10 RBI) took April off. Jeter recently bunted against Contreras with two men on, a 2-0 lead in the second inning with Sergio Mitre pitching for his team. Jeter is a great player having a great year, but that's not an MVP play.

Chart of the Week
Seattle's David Aardsma has 34 saves -- sixth-most all-time for a pitcher who had zero career saves coming into that season:
Pitcher	Team/Year	S
Eric Gagne	'02 Dodgers	52
Derrick Turnbow	'05 Brewers	39
Kaz Sasaki*	'00 Mariners	37
Shawn Chacon	'04 Rockies	35
J. Papelbon	'06 Red Sox	35
Kerry Wood	'08 Cubs	34
David Aardsma	'09 Mariners	34
Chris Ray	'06 Orioles	33
Billy Koch*	'99 Blue Jays	31
* - First year in majors Source: Mariners

So let's expand the discussion. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is in the top five in slugging and on-base percentage for a first-place team. And as the Angels went on a 44-16 tear from June 12 to Aug. 19, Kendry Morales led the league with a 1.083 OPS over that span (.345, 18 homers, 47 RBI).

o. A friend of Bobby Abreu's said Abreu would be open to remaining with the Angels, but if there have been talks about extending him past his current one-year deal, they have not progressed significantly.

o. Interesting managerial matchup last week when the Diamondbacks played the Dodgers. Arizona manager A.J. Hinch was born on May 15, 1974 -- at which point counterpart Joe Torre already had won an MVP, been an All-Star nine times, and accumulated 2,035 hits. Torre managed his first game, as player/manager for the Mets, 16 days after Hinch's third birthday.

o. The Giants have that rare combination of neither power nor speed. San Francisco is on pace for 118 homers and 78 stolen bases. But give the Giants credit for somehow being in contention anyway. Since the three-tiered playoffs began in 1995, four teams have failed to have either 80 stolen bases or 120 home runs -- the 1995 Phillies and Cardinals, the 2005 Nationals and the '07 Royals -- and none had a winning record or finished higher than third place.

o. One scout, using the 20-80 scouting scale, rated San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, 22, an 80 on range and a 75 on arm. A year ago, Cabrera was with Asheville, N.C., in the lower-level Single-A South Atlantic League. Then the Padres took him from the Rockies in the Rule 5 draft. "Within a year or two," the scout said, "he's going to be the best defensive shortstop in the National League."

o. Oakland has used a starting pitcher age 23 or younger 85 times this year and could wind up with the most such starts since the woeful 1998 Marlins had 135. (Livan Hernandez and Ryan Dempster turned out OK; Brian Meadows, Jesus Sanchez, Rafael Medina and Joe Fontenot are not as easily remembered.)

o. The Rangers have clinched home field for a playoff tiebreaker game against the Red Sox or Rays and need one more win over the Angels to have an AL West playoff, if needed, at home.

o. The Division Series with an extra day off -- the one that allows teams to use a three-man rotation without anyone going on short rest -- is in the American League this year. The AL team the finishes with the best record has the choice of whether to play in the seven-day series or the eight-day series.

Baseball Brunch: Senior Circuit Resembles Rest Home for Pitchers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Crazy Eights for Jays' Lind

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Padres, Tigers, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That in a game of runs -- the basketball, not baseball variety -- it was Adam Lind who stood out.

The Blue Jays jumped out to an 11-0 lead through five innings in Texas. Then the Rangers, fighting to hang with Boston in the AL wild-card race, answered with 10 runs of their own. And Toronto followed with seven insurance runs in the ninth inning to win a slugfest 18-10.

The main difference? Lind, who homered twice, including a grand slam, and drove in eight runs

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"I hit it on the sweet spot on a couple of pitches," Lind said.

His eight RBI are the most by a Blue Jay since Roy Howell drove in nine 32 years ago.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Kyle Blanks' season may be in jeopardy. The promising Padres rookie was diagnosed with a partial right plantar fascia tear. The plantar fascia is the tissue that supports the arch of the foot. Blanks has played off and on since Aug. 22, when he initially injured his foot, but was placed on the disabled list over the weekend. He'll be fitted for a cast and re-evaluated in a week.

Numbers Game ...
The before and after picture isn't pretty for Jarrod Washburn. The left-hander, who came to the Tigers in a July 31 trade, gave up eight runs in a loss to the Rays Monday afternoon. In six starts with his new club he is 1-2 with a 6.81 ERA. That's more than four runs higher than his ERA with the Mariners this season.

"He certainly didn't have very good success today," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Some of it by his own doing and some of it was that's just the way it is sometimes.

"Sometimes it just isn't your day."

In Their Own Words ...
"He was like, 'You took the pressure off me.' He goes, 'If I haven't thrown a no-hitter by now, then I'm not going to do it.' He was probably the best. He said he didn't want to throw nine innings anyway. That's what type of attitude he has." -- Yankees utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. on how Andy Pettitte consoled him after he made an error in the seventh inning that ended Pettitte's bid for a perfect game. Pettitte gave up a hit immediately after Hairston's error, but New York still beat Baltimore 5-1.

Advance Scouting ...
Tim Hudson makes his first start in the major leagues since last July, completing a lengthy rehab process from Tommy John surgery, and he'll do it on the same mound which he was initially hurt. The right-hander will take the hill at Land Shark Stadium as the Braves take on the Marlins (7:10 PM ET) in the second game of a critical series in the NL wild-card race. Atlanta won the opener to pull within three games of the wild-card lead.

Starting Five: Crazy Eights for Jays' Lind originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Padres Extend David Eckstein

Tom Fornelli — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, NL West, MLB Transactions

The San Diego Padres have made no secret of the fact that they're going with a youth movement to try and rebuild their franchise. They've traded Jake Peavy for four young pitchers, and reportedly came close to moving first baseman Adrian Gonzalez at the trade deadline as well.

So, with that youth movement in mind, the Padres went out and announced on Saturday that they'd signed second baseman David Eckstein to a contract extension. Yes, he's 34 years old, but he looks like he's 13, so it's cool.

Eckstein let the team know shortly before the All Star break that he'd like to be back next year and that he likes being in San Diego as a part of this team.

"I understand where the club is headed," Eckstein said yesterday. "They are going to the youth movement.

"It's good to be a part of that. I like what I'm seeing already. To see (Everth) Cabrera at short and the ability he has. Plus (Kyle) Blanks and (Will) Venable, I see the improvement.

"I see a lot of good things coming here, (including) the pitchers we got for (Jake) Peavy. I believe we're not far off from putting this team together and getting to the playoffs.

"I really enjoy coming to the park. I go home with a smile on my face. And that hasn't always been the case. It's going to be great to help guys fulfill their careers and reach their full potentials in this game."

As you'd expect him to say, Padres manager Bud Black likes having Eckstein around for his leadership in the clubhouse. I mean, it certainly can't be his .255 average. Eckstein has played solid defense for the Padres at second base as well. His range isn't the greatest, but he has only made one error this season and his arm isn't a problem at second base like it was a shortstop.

Padres Extend David Eckstein originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: We Can Rebuild Him

Jon Bois — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, The Dugout

Mark Prior has not pitched a game in the major leagues since 2006. Thanks to state-of-the-art age-progression software, here is an image of what he might look like today. If you see him, please contact your local police department. Also, please check the back of this website for valuable Little Caesar's coupons.

The Dugout has had a lot of fun making light of Prior's perennially injured status, largely because we sit in front of our computers all day and are free of the perils of playing sports or going outside. As Matt Snyder points out, though, he didn't ask for this. Despite the frustration and the jeers, he refuses to quit, and we're pulling for him.

This morning's Dugout is after the jump.

The Dugout

	OnlineHost Welcome to San Diego Padres Chat!
	MarkPrevious: Coach, I feel like I can pitch again.
	MarkPrevious: Let me restate that. I think I can pitch again. I can't feel anything because the other day I fractured every single one of my nerve endings while attempting to make toast.
	back_in_bud: Simply "being able to pitch" isn't enough for this team, Mark. We can't give our pitchers any run support.
	MarkPrevious: Well, what's your strategy? Small ball? Swing for the fences? What?
	back_in_bud: Adrian Gonzalez gets on base and makes a series of shrill bird noises in an attempt to distract the pitcher. If it works, he gets balked around the bases and scores.
	back_in_bud: I tell all the other hitters to drop their bat, run directly from the batting circle to first, and start rounding the bases. If we try it enough times it's bound to work. Law of Batting Averages and all that.
	MarkPrevious: oop, hold on, I think my appendix ruptured
	back_in_bud: Does it hurt?
	MarkPrevious: i don't know
	back_in_bud: What do you mean you don't know?
	MarkPrevious: i am physically unable to know things. i was riding my bicycle one day and my head was blown off by a cannon ball
	back_in_bud: But you still have a head!
	MarkPrevious: you ever been to a JC Penney and seen a headless mannequin? well that's because i stole it
	MarkPrevious: also i've found that i've inherited a preternatural ability to stand still and model carpenter jeans that no one should buy
	back_in_bud: Wh--what's wrong with carpenter jeans?
	MarkPrevious: they make you look like a domesticated juggalo
	OnlineHost The team doctor has entered the chat room.
	Doctor: Hey, I just found Mr. Prior's medical history.
	back_in_bud: And?
	Doctor: It's not pretty.
	MarkPrevious: Well of course not. I've been on the disabled list so many times that you would not believe how many times I have been on the disabled list.
	Doctor: /flips through pages on clipboard Let's see... Okay, one time you broke your elbow while trying to sign a contract extension.
	Doctor: /flips You walked over to flirt with some women on the beach, and you fell into the ocean and drowned.
	Doctor: /flips You were having a conversation with someone once, and you nodded to the other person in agreement, and your ear fell off.
	Doctor: /flips You were sent to the disabled list after picking a fight with a 13-foot-tall emaciated man who could run 45 miles per hour and breathed Africanized killer beetles out of his mouth.
	Doctor: Mr. Prior, how are you still alive?
	MarkPrevious: Someone once told me that I'm like the skeleton Koopa Troopas from Mario 3. Whenever I'm touched by anything, my skeletal structure completely collapses.
	MarkPrevious: Then I get back up, slowly lurching back and forth between the side of the sewer pipe and the brick wall, waiting for an Italian midget to knock me down again.
	Doctor: I have to warn you both. If Mr. Prior returns to baseball, it could be dangerous.
	Doctor: If you take a line drive to the arm or someone breathes on you or something, there's a serious risk of you completely falling apart and losing your complex molecular structure. You'd collapse into a plasma-like stew of carbon, water, and salt.
	back_in_bud: And if that happens, is his career over?
	Doctor: Well... /flips through pages on clipboard
	Doctor: I suppose there's the possibility that, given hundreds of millions of years and a massive electrical spark, such as a bolt of lightning, the salts and water could react with each other, resulting in the phenomenon of abiogenesis. Bacteria would form and eventually evolve into more complex forms, and eventually the 90 trillionth descendent of you could -- I stress, could -- find himself in a society in which people play baseball, the San Diego Padres exist, and they're looking for someone to fill the fifth slot in their rotation.
	MarkPrevious: Hmm. We could try that.
	back_in_bud: yeah yeah let's try that

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout: We Can Rebuild Him originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Russell Martin, Brendan Ryan Slam Their Teams to Wins

Ed Price — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Padres, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Yankees, MLB Injuries, MLB Inside Scoop, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Russell Martin and Brendan Ryan felt just grand last night.

The Dodgers catcher and Cardinals' shortstop both swatted grand slams for some rare RBI as their division-leading teams won.

Martin's sixth-inning blast broke a tie with the Cubs, and the Dodgers went on to win 7-2. His four RBI on that swing were more than he had in the previous 21 games. It was also Martin's first homer since July 26 and his fourth of the season after hitting 13 a year ago.

"I haven't trotted around the bases too often this year," Martin said. "It was nice just to get a breather."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Ryan had never before had more than three RBI in a game, and he went into last night with five career home runs and just one in the past 12 months, on June 22.

But he connected off San Diego's Tim Stauffer in the second inning after Stauffer hit two batters and walked one, and St. Louis won 5-1.

"Every day I'm trying to prove to myself, to prove to the other team, prove to everybody that I belong," Ryan said. "I want to play at this level a long time."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Attention Angels, Tigers, Cubs, Marlins and anyone else who could use bullpen help: Billy Wagner looked pretty good last night.

In his first game after about 11 months after major elbow surgery, Wagner hit 96 on the radar gun and showed a decent slider as he struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning for the Mets.

One note about the possibility of the Mets' trading Wagner: despite missing most of this season, he should still wind up a Type-A free agent. So the acquiring team would have to risk offering him arbitration to get the two draft picks as compensation if he left.

Numbers Game ...
Tampa Bay Opening Day starter James Shields, who took the loss Thursday against Baltimore, has one win since June 20. Shields, who tied the franchise record last year with 14 wins, is 7-10 with a 3.81 ERA. Over his past 11 starts, Shields is 1-5 with a 4.44 ERA. He also has the lowest run support in the AL.

In Their Own Words ...
"Again, baseball is something you can't figure. He only hit three down there in the minors, and then he comes up here and hits one. What a dramatic way to get your first home run." -- Reds manager Dusty Baker on rookie Drew Stubbs, who beat the Giants with a walkoff, 10th-inning homer off the foul pole in his second big-league game.

Advance Scouting ...
Two series between playoff contenders open tonight. It's the usual Armageddon when the Yankees visit the Red Sox (7:10 PM ET). In the series opener, Brad Penny goes for Boston, 6 1/2 games back of New York in the AL East, against Andy Pettitte. Later, the Giants visit the Rockies (9:10 PM ET) as the two NL wild-card leaders go head-to-head. Aaron Cook starts for Colorado against Jonathan Sanchez, who is 2-2 with a 4.04 ERA in six starts since his July 10 no-hitter.

Starting Five: Russell Martin, Brendan Ryan Slam Their Teams to Wins originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Braves Keeping Up Heat in Playoff Chase

Jeff Fletcher — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Diamondbacks, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Braves have gotten themselves back into the thick of the pennant race, and on Tuesday they did it by beating the hottest team in baseball. The Braves whipped the Nationals, 8-1, snapping Washington's eight-game winning streak. Rookie Tommy Hanson picked up the latest victory, allowing one run in 6 2/3 innings to improve to 7-2.

Atlanta, winners of six of its past seven, is now just three games out in the wild-card race. It remains 4 1/2 games out in the NL East, with the Marlins a game ahead of them.

"You can definitely feel what's going on in this division, with us and Florida putting a lot of pressure on the Phillies," said Braves center fielder Ryan Church. "It's going to be a heck of a September."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room ...
Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler, who has been out with a strained left hamstring since July 28, is set to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday. Kinsler may be activated as soon as Friday.

Numbers Game ...
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez had six hits for the Padres, becoming the first player in franchise history to do so in a nine-inning game. Two other players, Freddy Sanchez and Kinsler, have had six-hit games this year, both in regulation.

In Their Own Words ...
"Every day I still pinch myself, is it real or is it a dream," -- Diamondbacks rookie Trent Oeltjen, who had four hits against the Mets. He finished a homer short of the cycle. Oeltjen has 12 hits in his first 24 big league at-bats.

Advance Scouting ...
Pedro Martinez will make his Philies debut against the Cubs at Wrigley Field (8:05 PM ET). Martinez hasn't pitched in the majors since last year. In three minor-league games, he was 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA. He did have 16 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings, though.

Starting Five: Braves Keeping Up Heat in Playoff Chase originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mariners Nixed Blockbuster Deal

Matt Snyder — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, Padres, Red Sox, MLB Rumors

According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, there was a trade in the works which would have been the biggest deadline deal in recent memory. It was no secret the Red Sox were interested in Adrian Gonzalez, and there were some rumors circulating that they also coveted Felix Hernandez. They ended up trading for Victor Martinez, but that was -- according to Baker -- only because a three-team blockbuster deal was vetoed by Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik.

The proposed deal? The Red Sox would have received King Felix by bringing in the Padres as a third team. The Mariners would have received Gonzalez, Clay Buchholz and two other prospects from the Red Sox. The Padres would have gotten back upwards of four top-notch prospects along with Brandon Morrow.

The fact that Seattle scoffed at the deal shows their loyalty to and belief in Felix Hernandez. It would be incredibly tempting to swap him out for Gonzalez, Buchholz and some other prospects -- especially after the Bill Bavasi-trading-for-Erik Bedard debacle. But Felix is only 23 years old and he's already one of the best pitchers in the majors. So far this season he's 12-4 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He's on pace to shatter his previous career highs in pretty much every category. There are over a decade of All-Star seasons left in that golden right arm, and the Mariners control him through 2011. Thus, it's likely they'd need an absolute killing for him right now.

Considering their ability to turn down such a hefty package, they'll probably see much better offers -- ones where they won't have to part with three prospects in addition to Felix -- in the next year or two as long as they are willing to listen. It's going to be interesting to see how the Mariners progress in terms of both their on-field product and ability to sign Felix long-term in the next year.

If strides are made in neither department, the Roy Halladay sweepstakes from this past month could be made to look like child's play compared to the King Felix fury at the 2010 deadline. We're talking about a top-five pitcher in the league for the next 12 years, and the Mariners won't be stupid enough to let him walk for free.

Report: Mariners Nixed Blockbuster Deal originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Off to the Races

Ed Price — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Mets, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, MLB Playoffs, Minor Leagues, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch, MLB Trade Deadline

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Now that the hands are dealt -- expect for one or two more this month -- we can examine the pennant races to come.

There wasn't much point in assessing the races until after Friday's non-waiver trade deadline, when we know what we're dealing with. Some important pieces will change hands after they clear waivers this month, but they probably won't be difference-makers.

Before we get to the predictions, though, let's talk about one trade that didn't happen.

Toronto held on to Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays had every right to ask for a boatload of prospects for him, as Halladay may be the most reliable pitcher in the game.

The strategy was to either use Halladay for a quick rebuild or keep him and make a run in 2010. An official from another team told FanHouse that strategy comes "right out of the Oakland playbook: load up for a year, take your shot. If it doesn't work, start over."

Remember, Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi came from the A's.

There's one problem, and that's Halladay himself. He was said to be quite motivated to move on, because his goal -- stated publicly -- is to get a chance to pitch in the playoffs.

That won't happen this year. And now that he's been teased with the proposition of moving to a contender, he may itch even more to get out of Toronto. He may be more vocal about what he really wants, which is a shot at October.

One person familiar with the situation assured FanHouse that trading Halladay will get revisited over the winter. He won't be worth quite as much then as he was last week, since the acquiring team gets him for just one season rather than one plus part of a second, but there may be more clubs involved in the bidding.

Halladay and Ricciardi have a good relationship. If Halladay makes it known he's unhappy, Ricciardi may accommodate him.

Until then, though, we have to play two months plus the postseason.

The most compelling race should be in the division that was most active in July trading. And while Cleveland was trying to re-stock its farm system, contenders Detroit, Chicago and Minnesota were all making a move for this year.

Edge to the Tigers.

At least for this year. They figure to get about 12 starts from Jarrod Washburn, which gives them the best one-through-four starting pitchers in the AL. Meanwhile, Jake Peavy figures to make seven starts max for the White Sox because he has to work back from an ankle tendon problem.

That five-start gap is enough for Detroit to hold onto its division lead.

The other three AL playoff teams should be the Red Sox, Angels and Yankees -- even though the latter two didn't make a significant move.

Boston recognized its offensive deficiencies and addressed them with the addition of Victor Martinez. The Angels should hold on because the Rangers seemed to be fading and couldn't pull off a booster deal.

The Yankees have an issue in rotation depth, and maybe some back-end starter will pass through waivers. They need to do something, because if they don't, then if Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett, Joba Chamberlain or Sergio Mitre has any kind of issue the rest of the way, the Yankees will have to subtract from their bullpen to fill the hole.

In the NL, the race for two spots between the Rockies, Giants, Cubs, Cardinals, Marlins, Braves and (perhaps) the Mets should be fun.

All but the Mets made some kind of move. The suspicion here is that San Francisco grabs the wild card because all it needed was a little more offense to supplement its pitching. Since the All-Star break, the Giants have lost eight games, and five of those were by the scores of 2-1, 2-0, 4-2, 4-2 and 5-1.

The Phillies will hold on in the East and the Dodgers in the West, leaving the jumbled Central. Like with San Francisco, St. Louis addressed its offensive need and seems OK in the pitching department, so that's the pick.

That gives us a postseason first round of Philadelphia vs. San Francisco and Los Angeles vs. St. Louis. We'll go with a Phils-Cards NLCS and the Phillies back in the World Series.

In the AL, the Angels would play the AL East runner-up (we'll say the Yankees) and the Tigers the AL East winners. We know the Yankees can't beat the Angels, and we'll take Boston over Detroit.

But the Angels aren't quite that good, so they fall to the Red Sox -- meaning a Boston-Philadelphia World Series.

Who wins? Get back to us in October if these predictions are correct.

Overheard and Understood

o. Lost in the shuffle after the bungled news conference to announce the decision is the impact of the Mets' firing of Tony Bernazard, who was supposedly overseeing their farm system. Bernazard had detractors inside the organization as well as in the media, but sources said he had ingratiated himself with GM Omar Minaya and COO Jeff Wilpon. One source said Bernazard ran off a number of good minor-league instructors (which has manifested itself when the players have reached the majors) and Gary LaRocque, who at one point ran the scouting and player development departments. LaRocque, the source said, brought a sense of organization to the front office, making up for one of Minaya's weakness -- and that too has been exposed in recent years. "We do a number of things by the seat of the pants," the source said. [LaRocque] was a structure guy. [Minaya] knows he needs a structure guy." Now Minaya has a chance to correct that.

Chart of the Week
It's a lofty comparison, and not a prediction, but look at Mike Schmidt's statistics from his 23rd birthday (July 27, 1972) through his 26th birthday compared to Mark Reynolds' numbers since his 23rd birthday (Reynolds turns 26 on Monday):
Stat	Schmidt	Reynolds
G	404	365
AVG	.244	.262
OBP	.362	.342
SLG	.470	.503
OPS	.832	.845
HR	74	75
RBI	227	229
SO	401	476
BB	234	153
Source: Diamondbacks, STATS LLC

o. While getting Cliff Lee, the Phillies kept most of their top young players. "They don't want to give up [lefty J.A.] Happ, and I don't blame them," one scout said. "He's come up with a really good changeup. He throws across his body but is able to get the ball back inside. If you can do that, you're going to be successful." Another scout called outfielder Michael Taylor, now in Triple-A, "the best player in the [Double-A] Eastern League. Plus, plus power. For a big kid, he doesn't strike out a lot. Good pitch recognition. He has a chance to hit for average and power. He can run and throw."

o. Four rookies have nine wins: Rick Porcello, Ricky Romero, Jeff Niemann, Matt Palmer. There haven't been four rookie 13-game winners in the same season since 2002 (Ryan Jensen, Kaz Ishii, Rodrigo Lopez, Jason Jennings).

o. Philadelphia went 20-7 in July, its most wins in any month since going 20-8 in May 2001, and its winningest July since 1963.

o. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, when San Diego beat Cincinnati on Wednesday, it marked the first time since the rookie rule was established in 1957 that three rookies combined on a one-hitter (Mat Latos, Greg Burke and Mike Ekstrom).

o. Enough already of people ripping the Pirates or bemoaning the breakup of the team. This isn't the selloff of the 1997 Marlins. At least Pittsburgh is trying, by using what players had value to restock and start all over.

o. Colorado has rocketed into contention under interim manager Jim Tracy, but one NL scout said first baseman Todd Helton deserves a lot of the credit. "He's this decade's [Jeff] Bagwell," the scout said, "the star player in the clubhouse who puts the team on his back. He's part of the reason they've recovered."

o. Unless there's a rainout, Oakland will play a franchise-record 28 straight days after the All-Star break (July 16-Aug. 12). In fact, the A's have just five off days in the second half because of makeup games.

o. Toronto's Marco Scutaro is on pace to be just the fourth shortstop to field .993 or better and average more than three assists per nine innings, after Rey Sanchez in 2000, Mike Bordick in 2002 and Omar Vizquel in 1998.

o. When Kansas City got double-digit strikeouts games from starters two nights in a row last weekend (10 for Zack Greinke and 13 for Luke Hochevar) it marked the first time that happened for the Royals since Tom Gordon and Kevin Appier in 1993.

Baseball Brunch: Off to the Races originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deadline Shocker: White Sox Get Jake Peavy From Padres

Ed Price — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:38:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, White Sox, MLB Trade Deadline

A major league source has confirmed to FanHouse that the White Sox have obtained injured Padres ace Jake Peavy -- who earlier this year rejected a trade to Chicago -- for lefties Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda and right-handers Dexter Carter and Adam Russell.

The deal was completed 23 seconds before the 4 PM ET trade deadline, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said.

"In my world," Williams said, "if you get to a situation where you have a chance to get to the playoffs, you certainly want a chance to dream about being in the playoffs and getting to the World Series and winning the World Series. I simply did not feel as though we were positioned right now to match up against some of the big boys when we're in a short series. You're talking about the Yankees, you're talking about Boston."

Williams said Peavy, recovering from a strained tendon in his right ankle, would throw off a mound Saturday, start a minor-league rehabilitation assignment around Aug. 13-15 and be off the disabled list in late August.

"In our division," Williams said, "this thing is going to go down to winning games in September, and we want to be as strong as we can possibly be in September, and that is what we're focused on."

Peavy, who has a full no-trade clause, makes $11 million this year, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011, $17 million in 2012 and a $22 million team option for 2013. He won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award and was 6-6 with a 3.97 ERA this year before the mid-June ankle injury.

Poreda and Richard were in the deal that Peavy vetoed in May, citing a desire to stay in San Diego.

"If you recall," Williams said, "he never said no. He said, 'Not yet.' ... If you allow the process to play out sometimes and you're patient in your pursuits, sometimes you ultimately get what you want. When we called back this time, he and his family were better prepared for what lies ahead."

SI.com's Jon Heyman first reported the surprise trade.

It was a busy day in the right AL Central, with Detroit getting lefty Jarrod Washburn and Minnesota adding shortstop Orlando Cabrera.

"We've got the ability to win this division," Williams said. "I think it's less to do with the other teams and more to do with how we come on a day-to-day basis to compete."

Richard, 25, was 4-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 14 starts and 12 relief appearances for Chicago. He was scheduled to start Friday night against the Yankees, but right-hander D.J. Carrasco came out of the bullpen instead.

Poreda, 22, was the White Sox's first-round pick in 2007. He made 10 appearances in the majors earlier this year and was back in the minors, at Triple-A, after starting the season in Double-A.

Russell, 26, was 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 34 relief appearances at Triple-A. He made 22 appearances for Chicago last year.

Carter, 22, was 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA in Class A, leading the South Atlantic League in strikeouts. He was a high school teammate of Justin Upton.

Deadline Shocker: White Sox Get Jake Peavy From Padres originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Youth Served in L.A.

Ed Price — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Padres, Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, MLB Draft, FanHouse Exclusive, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Yes, the Dodgers' solar system revolves around Manny Ramirez. He's their star on the field and their main attraction.

But they wouldn't have Ramirez, nor many of the players who carried the team in his absence, were it not for a farm system that has been remarkably productive.

"It's nice that management kept us all here," ace Chad Billingsley told FanHouse. "There's some teams that maybe just start trading guys away. And believing in us, that's a huge thing."

In the 2002-03 drafts, Los Angeles took Russell Martin, James Loney, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Kemp and Billingsley. Those five players made their big league debuts within an 11-month span, from July 2005 to June 2006.

And they aren't the only homegrown products on the roster. Clayton Kershaw came in the 2006 draft, James McDonald was part of that '02 draft crop and Ramon Troncoso was an international free agent.

"We've been fortunate to have great scouts," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "We have Logan White as scouting director and great scouts with him. They have an eye for talent and pick the right players. And player development people have taken it from there."

It's not just the guys in L.A. who have had an impact.

Catcher Carlos Santana, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2004, and Jonathan Meloan (2005 draft) were traded to the Indians for Casey Blake. And third baseman Andy LaRoche (2003 draft) and Bryan Morris (2006 first-rounder) went to the Pirates in the three-way deal that brought Ramirez to what is now Mannywood.

Still, the Dodgers kept together a pretty good group. Martin, Loney and Kemp account for 31 percent of the team's RBI. Kershaw and Billingsley have 18 of the team's 61 wins, and Broxton has 23 of the 29 saves.

"It shows a lot about the front office and the scouting," Kemp said, "how good they are and basically just having the faith in us and letting us come up here and show our abilities."

White shared credit with his scouts and the player-development people, but he has certainly had an impact since coming from the Orioles, where he had been the west-coast scouting supervisor.

"When we completed that (2002) draft," he said, "we had a feeling we had something special. Maybe because it was my first. We were surprised at the depth and players we were able to get."

The players say their path to the majors, and their adjustment to the big leagues, was made easier because they did it pretty much as a group.

Billingsley and Martin met a their first day together on a rookie-ball team in Ogden, Utah -- not long after Billingsley was drafted in 2003.

"We all kind of broke in at the same time," Billingsley said. "It's pretty much like a brother relationship. Being in minor-league ball, you get to know each other with 10-hour-plus bus trips, the hotel rooms, not a whole lot to do in some of the cities."

White said Kemp and Loney pushed and fed off each other on the way up in a friendly competition, as did Billingsley and Broxton, who began as a starter.

Then they arrived in the majors virtually together.

"I think usually when a rookie comes up," Kemp said, "he's the only rookie and you've got all the older guys picking on him. When I came up there I think there were eight rookies, and we all knew each other. So it kind of made it more comfortable in the transition."

Every team knows the value of young players, whose salary can be controlled for three years and can't be free agents for three more. The money saved there can be spent on free agents or players with big contracts, such as Ramirez.

"I think we've been patient, as patient as we can be," Colletti said. At times we've probably fast-tracked a few of them and went through some growing pains because of it. But here, 3-4 years later, they've been in the postseason two out of three years, most of them."

A productive farm system had been the staple of the Dodgers franchise going back to Brooklyn, and it seems to be back that way.

White said he had almost the same feeling about his 2008 draft as that '02 crop, with right-handers Ethan Martin, Josh Lindblom, Jon Michael Redding and Nate Eovaldi, power-hitting outfielder Kyle Russell and speedy shortstop Dee Gordon (son of Tom Gordon).

"We have some pretty good players in the system still," White said. "That's the thing I'm happy about."

Overheard and Understood

Chart of the Week
Just because the Rays were the victim of a perfect game Thursday doesn't mean they can't make the postseason. Two teams on the wrong end of perfect games -- both by lefties, as happened to Tampa Bay -- reached the playoffs. Here's how teams that were victims of a perfect game in the past 50 years ended up:
Team	Perfect Pitcher	Finish
'04 Braves	Randy Johnson	96-66, 1st
'99 Expos	David Cone	68-94, 5th
'98 Twins	David Wells	70-92, 4th
'94 Angels	Kenny Rogers	47-68, 4th
'91 Dodgers	Dennis Martinez	93-69, 2nd
'88 Dodgers	Tom Browning	94-67, 1st
'84 Rangers	Mike Witt	69-92, 7th
'81 Jays	Len Barker	37-69, 7th
'68 Twins	Catfish Hunter	79-83, 7th
'65 Cubs	Sandy Koufax	72-90, 8th
'64 Mets	Jim Bunning	53-109, 10th

o. The Mets' lineup is so filled with backups that before one recent game, as the batting order was being announced, an infielder from the other team turned to an umpire and said, "Did they clinch the division last night?"

o. Milwaukee believed as of late last week it was a player in the Roy Halladay drama. "Toronto likes our players," one Brewers person said. "It's just a matter of can we make it work. I don't think money's a problem. We don't have young pitching, that's the problem. I think we'll be in the mix." Milwaukee also has its "toes in the water" on Cliff Lee.

o. The Red Sox weren't looking into Halladay just to block the Yankees. In fact, the Sox felt they won a battle in the never-ending war over the winter when the Yanks doled out three free-agent contracts of five-plus years worth a combined $423.5 million. The Yankees aren't interested in giving up what the Jays want for Halladay, nor do they want to add to their luxury tax.

o. Scouts say Seattle lefty Jarrod Washburn (recently scouting by Philadelphia) is a different pitcher this year. He has added a sinker and split-finger pitch to his repertoire. Before, he had trouble going anywhere but inside on right-handed hitters with his below-average fastball. Now he can work them away and work down. As a result, a career-low 5 percent of his fly balls are going for homers, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is a career-best 2.6 and he has a 2.71 ERA.

o. If Tampa Bay is to make a charge in the AL East, it will have to earn it. The Rays have 63 games left, with 10 against the Yankees, eight against the Red Sox, and six each against the Rangers and Tigers.

o. Mark Buehrle's perfect game was his first, of course, but it was the third time in his career he pitched nine innings and faced the minimum 27 batters (a no-hitter with a walk and a pickoff and a two-hitter with two double plays). No other pitcher in the past 55 years has done that three times, according to baseball-reference.com, and the only pitcher with two such games in Sandy Koufax. The White Sox said the quick-working Buehrle spent just 32 minutes on the mound in his perfect game.

o. The Indians have averaged 3.5 runs a game when Lee starts and 5.5 runs per game for all their other starters.

o. Last week's series between the Mets and Nationals was the first in the majors since July 2004 in which all three games lasted 2 hours, 20 minutes or less (2:16, 2:09, 2:20).

o. Despite playing in Petco Park, the Padres have gone 531 games without a complete-game shutout (the last was by Chan Ho Park on June 2, 2006). That's the second-longest streak ever, behind the 2001-05 Rockies, 645.

o. The Athletics call the first three pitches of a plate appearance "conversion pitches" and consider them crucial for pitchers. That's because batters have a .832 OPS after getting ahead 2-1 but a .520 OPS after falling behind 1-2. So, according to Oakland manager Bob Geren, the goal is two-thirds strikes on those first three pitches. "We stress it here," he said, "from the minor leagues all the way up. We track it and we teach off of it."

o. No Brewer has ever had 100 walks in a season, but Prince Fielder has a shot, with 72 so far.

o. Eric Hinske joined Dave Kingman as the second player to hit four homers in his first five games as a Yankee. Kingman's streak started Sept. 17, 1977 -- 43 days after Hinske was born.

o. Where did the Braves spend the All-Star break? Atlanta hit 68 homers in 88 games before the break and have 15 in 10 games since (four by Yunel Escobar and three by Chipper Jones).

o. Dan Rohn of the Giants' Triple-A Fresno (Calif.) team earned his 1,000th win as a minor-league manager last week.

Baseball Brunch: Youth Served in L.A. originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adrian Gonzalez Knows Trading Him May Be the Best Thing for San Diego

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:53:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, NL West, MLB Rumors, MLB Trade Deadline

With the San Diego Padres falling further and further out of contention with each passing day -- they're currently 23 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West -- it's clear that they will be sellers at the trade deadline this season. Everybody knows that they'd have loved to move Jake Peavy by now, and would have if not for his no-trade clause and ankle injury.

So now that they're facing the prospect of having to continue paying Peavy while maintaining a low payroll, there's been a lot of speculation that the team may consider moving its All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. It's talk that the Padres have rebuffed, but it seems that even Gonzalez himself thinks it may be the best thing for the Padres to do.

"To a certain extent, I don't disagree with people who say the best thing for the Padres is to go out and get a bunch of people for me," said Gonzalez. "If you're looking at it from an ownership standpoint, I think there's a lot to it, just because of where the team is and everything.

"Would I want to be traded? No. Is it to a team that has a chance to win the World Series? I'd have to be intrigued by it. Know what I mean?

"I'm in the prime of my career. Who wouldn't want to play for a chance at the World Series every year?"

Gonzalez is the type of player that a lot of teams around the majors would covet and pay a high price for in return. He's a left-handed bat that hits for power and he's a Gold Glover at first base to boot. Then there's the fact that his contract is very friendly. The 27-year-old slugger is only making $3 million this season and will only make $4.75 million in 2010 with a club option for $5.5 million in 2011.

In other words, he's an absolute bargain, so other teams would be willing to give up a lot of young talent to get him. Of course, it's for that very same reason that the Padres don't have to move him unless they're blown away by an offer.

That being said, if the Padres focus is going to be on the future and rebuilding, you have to wonder how sound the strategy would be to build around Gonzalez when it's almost certain he'll leave after 2011.

Adrian Gonzalez Knows Trading Him May Be the Best Thing for San Diego originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout Injury Report: The Last Days Of Edgar Gonzalez

B. Thompson Stroud — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries, The Dugout

There is no joy in watching a player get drilled in the head with a fastball. Other than the Indians, it is maybe the worst thing that can happen on a baseball diamond. Crashes are a selling point of NASCAR, fights are a loyalty-building exercise in the NHL, and limp-wristed sissy fights are top shelf NBA news. In baseball, everyone needs to be OK. They need to be on drugs, and totally OK.

Thank goodness that the Padres' Edgar Gonzalez is doing well after catching a heater to the ear flap during San Diego's Saturday night 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. At least, I think he's doing OK. I can't really remember.

Tonight's Dugout is after the jump. Somebody told you to read it, because it is good!

The Dugout

	RegularGonzalez: /takes practice swings
	HammelFigurines: /looks for signs
	YourFeetAreRealBad: /signals for "high and way, way, way inside" by basically standing up and pointing at Edgar Gonzalez's head
	HammelFigurines: /readies pitch
	RegularGonzalez: /rests bat on shoulder
	Online Host Solipsism is a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing.
	PrincipatoBlanco: so hey, did you guys see hangover
	PastorQuotedEverth: oh yeah i heard about that, i want to see that, i heard it was good
	JoshGeerSolid: wow, when did you manage to "hear about that," was it when it was number one at the box office for like three weeks and made over 200 million dollars, and everyone in the world saw it
	PastorQuotedEverth: haha yeah man it looks good, somebody told me it was good
	JoshGeerSolid: who told you that
	PastorQuotedEverth: you don't know them, just some guy I know who saw it, he said it was okay /blank stare
	JoshGeerSolid: so was this the same little guy who lives in your head and convinced you that it's better to pretend like someone else had your opinions just in case the person you're talking to doesn't and you need to change them to fit in, orrrr
	PrincipatoBlanco: guys, hold on, something just happened to Edgar...
	Online Host
	Online Host Moments before...
	HammelFigurines: /readies pitch
	RegularGonzalez: /rests bat on shoulder
	RegularGonzalez: 71 degrees. Nice out here, as usual. Clear. It looks like he's setting up for a fastball. I need to run to first base if I make contact. I should shave.
	RegularGonzalez: Okay, here comes the pitch. The lady in the third row is wearing a low cut shirt. I would like to see her breasts. Do I get a discount at PETCO for playing at PETCO Park?
	RegularGonzalez: Steady now. Eye on the ball. Keep your hands back, follow through with your swing.
	RegularGonzalez: God, I don't talk to you as much as I should. Please don't let it happen.
	RegularGonzalez: Don't lose my memory. ... Let me be alive. Don't let something happen to my brain where I can't function. I didn't want anything to happen to my brain.
	RegularGonzalez: My mother is rocking me to sleep. The Fraggles are on television, I can hear them with my eyes closed. Yorvit Torrealba's shoes are dirty. Am I on the ground?
	RegularGonzalez: I'm walking. I'm riding on a cart. It feels like I'm typing this, but I might only be thinking it. My hands aren't moving, so I guess I'm not typing it.
	RegularGonzalez: I should get at least 10% off at PETCO, because I am basically an advertising employee and... lift your head, they're trying to put on the brace
	RegularGonzalez: deep breath, you're walking into the clubhouse, they haven't seen you since- since when?
	Online Host
	RegularGonzalez: /instinctively covers head, collapses to the ground
	HammelFigurines: oh sh**
	HammelFigurines: oh sh**
	HammelFigurines: ohhhhh sh**
	HammelFigurines: ugh, it is 71 degrees, why am I sweating so much... I wish Major League Baseball would spring for hats that don't make me feel like I've got a Sham-Wow on my head
	HammelFigurines: sh sh sh********
	TheWitzkiAintWorkin: Hey man, say something
	HammelFigurines: Oh. Sorry, I thought I was typing. I was trying to say swear words
	BarmesAway: we aren't hearing swear words, it just sounds like you're shushing us
	TheWitzkiAintWorkin: Man, you got him pretty good. You think he's all right?
	HammelFigurines: God, I don't know. I could've killed him. Just like that, the word turns, and everything changes.
	BarmesAway: good hitters are taught to turn into the ball
	TheWitzkiAintWorkin: and Edgar hits for the Padres, which means that he turned away from the ball. So he should be okay
	BarmesAway: lol yeah i saw this guy bunt one time by swatting at the ball with his hand and running off in the opposite direction
	TheWitzkiAintWorkin: if he dies, can we get his PETCO discount?
	BarmesAway: haha we are the worst Christians ever
	HammelFigurines: /stares down at hands
	Online Host
	JoshGeerSolid: so, what was Heaven like?
	RegularGonzalez: I remember the ball coming toward me, and thinking I should get out of the way... and then I woke up fresh, and painless, in a beautiful airport concourse.
	RegularGonzalez: The guide directed me to a series of hotel rooms... there was a big banner reading "OUR PLAYOFF HOPES," and Matt Bush was there, and he kept crying and screaming at me
	RegularGonzalez: Mike Darr was there... everything he said was profound and inspirational, but in a complacent, accepting way. He says hi.
	PrincipatoBlanco: awesome, what was his screen name?
	RegularGonzalez: WhereEaglesDarr
	RegularGonzalez: I don't know if it was the actual Heaven, though. It was more like an impressionist, romantic joke-Heaven. I can't imagine an afterlife that requires me to tackle the Crazy Crab
	RegularGonzalez: Jesus was there, though. Wait, why would the actual Jesus need a screen name? He's in every chatroom all the time, and... /holds head
	RegularGonzalez: I wish I could remember what happened.
	PastorQuotedEverth: did you eat any sofa pizza while you were there, hahahah have you seen that movie
	JoshGeerSolid: you still haven't seen that movie, ass, you only know that quote because it was my Facebook status
	PastorQuotedEverth: but it sounded funny, and I watched the trailer on daily motion and I could imagine them saying it
	PastorQuotedEverth: and i didn't get that quote from you, i got it from somebody else
	JoshGeerSolid: who, who did you get it from
	PastorQuotedEverth: .... uh, Edgar
	JoshGeerSolid: bull sh**, Edgar's facebook status has been "dahhhhhhh" since Saturday
	PrincipatoBlanco: I'm just happy you're okay, Edgar. We found you on the roof! You couldn't remember anything!
	JoshGeerSolid: loool
	PastorQuotedEverth: hahah, is that from something

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout Injury Report: The Last Days Of Edgar Gonzalez originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Bush Says His Behavior a 'Disgrace'

Matt Snyder — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, Prospects

You might remember Matt Bush as the No. 1 overall pick in Major League Baseball's 2004 first-year player draft; he went to the San Diego Padres. You might remember him for being a colossal bust who was never even serviceable in the minors, to the point where the Padres just cut him before he was even 24 years old. More likely, though, you remember him for his trouble with the law, and, most likely, his crying-on-YouTube performance.

Tuesday, Bush had to face the consequences for his actions in the crying incident. He was arrested for drunken driving, vandalism and resisting arrest -- and this followed being arrested for drunken assault in February of this year. He appeared to be contrite and accountable -- kind of.

"The way I acted was a disgrace," and took responsibility for his many run-ins with the law this year, blaming them on alcohol abuse.

"My actions were only a result of my drinking," said Bush, 23. "When I drink alcohol, I become another person which I do not like."

So, yeah, he admitted to acting a fool, but blamed it on his drinking. If that's true, he needs to not drink ever again. According to Bush, he hasn't since the latest arrest -- June 29. You have to wonder how much of this Bush actually believes and how much is being said because he's sorry he got caught. After all, when he was arrested in February, he was screaming "I'm Matt [expletive] Bush" to the police, according to several eyewitness accounts. Seven months is a good amount of time, but is it enough to wash away this sense of entitlement?

Hopefully the arrests humbled him enough and the sentence -- 120 days residential rehab, 240 hours community service, three years probation and a $4,400 fine -- are enough to help him get his life back on a positive track.

To give an idea of how big a bust Bush has been, considering his draft slot, here are some of the other players selected in the first round of the 2004 draft: Justin Verlander, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Sowers, Homer Bailey, Jered Weaver, Billy Butler, Stephen Drew, David Purcey, Josh Fields, Glen Perkins, Phil Hughes and Blake DeWitt.

As if the above list isn't painful enough for the Padres and their fans, check this out. Here are the top overall picks between 1998 and 2007: Pat Burrell, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Gonzalez, Joe Mauer, Bryan Bullington, Delmon Young, Bush, Justin Upton, Luke Hochevar and David Price. Four have already been All-Stars, eight of them currently receive substantial major league playing time and Bush is the only one who never made the majors. Talk about a big-time whiff.

Perhaps one name on that list can become an inspiration for Bush, even if it's just off the field. Mr. Hamilton was also once labeled a pretty big bust due to self-sabotage, but he fought through personal demons and is now a two-time All-Star. If anyone can talk to Bush from a position of experience, he can. Maybe he will. The most important thing Hamilton has going for him in regards to this situation is the fact that he is still clean, because Bush has bigger problems than his baseball career.

Matt Bush Says His Behavior a 'Disgrace' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: This Rockie Is the Marquis Of Wins

Ed Price — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Giants, Mets, Padres, Rays, Rockies, Royals, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
Jason Marquis is three wins shy of his career high.

Marquis won Sunday for the Rockies, giving him 12 for the season, most in the majors. Not bad for a guy the Cubs essentially dumped in the offseason so they could sign Milton Bradley.

Against the Padres on Sunday, Marquis got 16 ground-ball outs in eight innings, allowing five hits and walking none -- despite a blister on his middle finger.

"If today is any indication of what the second half is going to be like for Jason Marquis, we will take that," manager Jim Tracy said. "He's one of the best in our league when he's pounding the strike zone early in the count like he was today."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

No Rockies pitcher has ever led the NL in wins.

Meanwhile, Padres All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, 1-for-4 Sunday, is batting .140 in July, with no homers, a .175 slugging percentage and four RBI.

From the Trainer's Room ...
The Mets' injury woes continue. Fernando Nieve, who replaced John Maine (shoulder weakness) in the rotation, left Sunday's game with a strained right quadriceps. He suffered it in the top of the second inning running to first base after hitting a ground ball. Jon Niese, who has struggled in the majors but is hot at Triple-A, could replace Nieve next time through the rotation.

Numbers Game ...
Tampa Bay came from behind and took the lead in the eighth inning of all three games of its series at Kansas City, scoring two runs on Friday, three on Saturday and two on Sunday. The Royals have allowed 69 eighth-inning runs, second most in the AL to Cleveland's 70.

In Their Own Words ...
"All the other old-timers are older than I am. But it's OK. I'll be an old-timer the rest of my life." -- Mike Mussina, who, in the first year of retirement at age 40, allowed hits to the first four batters he faced in the Yankees' annual Old-Timers' Game

Advance Scouting ...
In his first outing since his July 10 no-hitter against the Padres, Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez tonight draws the Braves (7 PM ET). Atlanta is 18-14 when facing a southpaw starter, but one of Sanchez's three wins this year came against the Braves on May 25.

Starting Five: This Rockie Is the Marquis Of Wins originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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