yagsy
02-26-2005, 01:45 PM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20050226-9999-1s26padres.html
February 26, 2005
PEORIA – Complaining about Petco Park last year, Padres hitters poured more "whine" than General Manager Kevin Towers has in his vintage collection that numbers more than 700 bottles.
Manager Bruce Bochy wants to put a cork in it, and yesterday challenged the Padres to play consistent, winning ball in their spacious home.
In his first address to players since last season, Bochy emphasized improving skills that Petco accentuates: situational hitting, solid fielding and good baserunning. Bochy said his team can't be satisfied with last season's 23-victory improvement from 2003.
"The gist was that we've got work to do," Bochy said after his 15-minute talk to 57 players. "We made a lot of improvement, but we did come in third place in this division. We have some ground to make up. There are things we need to do."
The Padres wasted many chances to grab the National League West in 2004, often because they flopped at home. In their $474 million park, the Padres went 42-39, a mediocre result for a team with playoff potential.
The first-place Los Angeles Dodgers were 49-32 at home, which allowed them to finish six games ahead of San Diego. The second-place San Francisco Giants went 47-35 at home and finished two games ahead of the Padres.
"Honestly, if we had taken care of things at home, we quite possibly could have won this thing," right fielder Brian Giles said.
Reliever Trevor Hoffman said the organization "has done some introspection on how to perform well in Petco." Hoffman said he's thrilled with the addition of speedy leadoff man Dave Roberts and by Bochy's message.
"It's the hardest park to score runs," Hoffman said. "Because of that, you are going to have an emphasis on playing good baseball, on moving runners, making quality outs, good defense and great baserunning."
Towers said he was willing to overpay for Roberts, whose bunting skill, intangibles and base-stealing prowess could help a heretofore plodding attack score more runs.
The Padres also are working to increase the speed of players who returned. Rahn Sheffield, the San Diego State women's track coach, advised Padres players on how to run more efficiently during winter workouts. Similar twice-weekly workouts will continue in spring camp.
Bochy is working with the pitchers to improve their success ratios on sacrifice bunt tries. A year ago, starters Adam Eaton, Brian Lawrence and Jake Peavy fell short of the 80-percent rate Bochy desires.
More so than in other spring camps, Bochy is diagramming bunt defenses and pickoff plays with his coaches.
The greatest challenge could be with the team's sluggers, Ryan Klesko, Phil Nevin and Giles. They draw the largest salaries on the team, largely because they are home run hitters. But their collective home run strength is to right-center, where Petco's 411-foot "Death Valley" swallows up many drives.
"You might just want to try to hit .300 and maybe increase your extra-base hits," Giles said. "It's tough not to talk about the park. This year, it won't be a topic. We'll go and try to win games."
Klesko said he's aiming for a .320 batting average, 15 home runs and a .400 on-pace percentage. If the Padres expected big home run totals from the trio, Klesko figures the club should have built a smaller home.
"They paid a lot of money for me and Giles and Nevin to come in here and drive the long ball, and to build something like that is their own fault," Klesko said on his first day at camp. "They can't blame us."
Towers, Bochy and former Padres pitcher David Wells – the rotation's veteran leader last season – became increasingly irritated with complaints by the team's hitters in 2004.
"Without question, early, the ballpark got in their heads a little," Bochy said on Aug. 24. "It shouldn't have happened, but it did." At the time, Bochy said he and Towers had "demanded" Padres hitters stop talking about the hitting problems at Petco – but to no avail.
"You should never play with any excuses, but we had a few guys that did use it as an excuse when their production was not what it usually is," Bochy said that day. He also said Petco's reputation as an anti-hitter's park was overblown.
Wells sounded off in April, then again in late August.
"Guys are psyched out in our ballpark," he said shortly before fourth-place Colorado won its third of three series at Petco. "It's in their heads. We need to go home and figure it out. Wake up and smell the coffee. We've got a beautiful ballpark. Let's show our fans we can play in our beautiful ballpark."
Did the Padres psyche themselves out of a playoff berth? You be the judge: On the road, the offense scored more runs than any NL team save the Cardinals, who finished with the majors' best record; at home, the Padres scored fewer runs than any NL team save the lowly Expos, who had no true home.
Hoffman said Bochy is shaping the team's mentality for the expected plethora of tight games. At Petco last season the Padres played 10 more one-run decisions than they did on the road. They went 20-5 in those games.
"If you have the will to win, you also have to have the will to prepare," Hoffman said.
Padres sign catcher
The Padres paid $250,000 to the Mexico City Tigers for the rights to 17-year-old catcher Ramon Solis, who will report to minor league camp March 4. "For his age, he shows arm strength and power," said Randy Smith, director of international scouting. The Padres also purchased 19-year-old pitcher Rolando Valdez from the Mexico City club.
February 26, 2005
PEORIA – Complaining about Petco Park last year, Padres hitters poured more "whine" than General Manager Kevin Towers has in his vintage collection that numbers more than 700 bottles.
Manager Bruce Bochy wants to put a cork in it, and yesterday challenged the Padres to play consistent, winning ball in their spacious home.
In his first address to players since last season, Bochy emphasized improving skills that Petco accentuates: situational hitting, solid fielding and good baserunning. Bochy said his team can't be satisfied with last season's 23-victory improvement from 2003.
"The gist was that we've got work to do," Bochy said after his 15-minute talk to 57 players. "We made a lot of improvement, but we did come in third place in this division. We have some ground to make up. There are things we need to do."
The Padres wasted many chances to grab the National League West in 2004, often because they flopped at home. In their $474 million park, the Padres went 42-39, a mediocre result for a team with playoff potential.
The first-place Los Angeles Dodgers were 49-32 at home, which allowed them to finish six games ahead of San Diego. The second-place San Francisco Giants went 47-35 at home and finished two games ahead of the Padres.
"Honestly, if we had taken care of things at home, we quite possibly could have won this thing," right fielder Brian Giles said.
Reliever Trevor Hoffman said the organization "has done some introspection on how to perform well in Petco." Hoffman said he's thrilled with the addition of speedy leadoff man Dave Roberts and by Bochy's message.
"It's the hardest park to score runs," Hoffman said. "Because of that, you are going to have an emphasis on playing good baseball, on moving runners, making quality outs, good defense and great baserunning."
Towers said he was willing to overpay for Roberts, whose bunting skill, intangibles and base-stealing prowess could help a heretofore plodding attack score more runs.
The Padres also are working to increase the speed of players who returned. Rahn Sheffield, the San Diego State women's track coach, advised Padres players on how to run more efficiently during winter workouts. Similar twice-weekly workouts will continue in spring camp.
Bochy is working with the pitchers to improve their success ratios on sacrifice bunt tries. A year ago, starters Adam Eaton, Brian Lawrence and Jake Peavy fell short of the 80-percent rate Bochy desires.
More so than in other spring camps, Bochy is diagramming bunt defenses and pickoff plays with his coaches.
The greatest challenge could be with the team's sluggers, Ryan Klesko, Phil Nevin and Giles. They draw the largest salaries on the team, largely because they are home run hitters. But their collective home run strength is to right-center, where Petco's 411-foot "Death Valley" swallows up many drives.
"You might just want to try to hit .300 and maybe increase your extra-base hits," Giles said. "It's tough not to talk about the park. This year, it won't be a topic. We'll go and try to win games."
Klesko said he's aiming for a .320 batting average, 15 home runs and a .400 on-pace percentage. If the Padres expected big home run totals from the trio, Klesko figures the club should have built a smaller home.
"They paid a lot of money for me and Giles and Nevin to come in here and drive the long ball, and to build something like that is their own fault," Klesko said on his first day at camp. "They can't blame us."
Towers, Bochy and former Padres pitcher David Wells – the rotation's veteran leader last season – became increasingly irritated with complaints by the team's hitters in 2004.
"Without question, early, the ballpark got in their heads a little," Bochy said on Aug. 24. "It shouldn't have happened, but it did." At the time, Bochy said he and Towers had "demanded" Padres hitters stop talking about the hitting problems at Petco – but to no avail.
"You should never play with any excuses, but we had a few guys that did use it as an excuse when their production was not what it usually is," Bochy said that day. He also said Petco's reputation as an anti-hitter's park was overblown.
Wells sounded off in April, then again in late August.
"Guys are psyched out in our ballpark," he said shortly before fourth-place Colorado won its third of three series at Petco. "It's in their heads. We need to go home and figure it out. Wake up and smell the coffee. We've got a beautiful ballpark. Let's show our fans we can play in our beautiful ballpark."
Did the Padres psyche themselves out of a playoff berth? You be the judge: On the road, the offense scored more runs than any NL team save the Cardinals, who finished with the majors' best record; at home, the Padres scored fewer runs than any NL team save the lowly Expos, who had no true home.
Hoffman said Bochy is shaping the team's mentality for the expected plethora of tight games. At Petco last season the Padres played 10 more one-run decisions than they did on the road. They went 20-5 in those games.
"If you have the will to win, you also have to have the will to prepare," Hoffman said.
Padres sign catcher
The Padres paid $250,000 to the Mexico City Tigers for the rights to 17-year-old catcher Ramon Solis, who will report to minor league camp March 4. "For his age, he shows arm strength and power," said Randy Smith, director of international scouting. The Padres also purchased 19-year-old pitcher Rolando Valdez from the Mexico City club.