yagsy
07-14-2006, 05:43 PM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20060714-9999-1s14scoreca1.html
UNION-TRIBUNE
July 14, 2006
Grand slam
A six-player trade with Texas in January brought pitcher Chris Young and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez for pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka and saved the Padres more than $5 million.
Extra bases
Xavier Nady is giving the Mets power hitting, but trading him in November for center fielder Mike Cameron has paid off for the Padres, who intend to pick up Cameron's $7 million option for 2007.
GM Kevin Towers circled the bases after a May trade with Boston brought catcher Josh Bard, reliever Cla Meredith and saved about $900,000 – all for unpopular catcher Doug Mirabelli, 35.
Towers is happy he dialed up former understudy Theo Epstein, Boston's GM, and got reliever Scott Cassidy (for outfielder Adam Hyzdu) last July. Cassidy has struggled lately and will be optioned to Triple-A Portland today, but he was spectacular in April and May, posting an ERA of 0.83 in 212/3 innings.
Getting catcher Rob Bowen off waivers on Opening Day more than repaid the $20,000 fee for the Tigers castoff, who came recommended by Padres scout Ken Bracey.
Singles
Vinny Castilla's offensive struggles have the Padres searching for a third baseman, but Castilla has been sturdy defensively. For about the same money, he has given the Padres more than they would have gotten from pitcher Brian Lawrence, who blew out his shoulder after Towers dealt him for Castilla.
Hitting coach Dave Magadan gave Dave Roberts pointers that the leadoff man parlayed into a career-best season in 2005 and a solid first half this year. Magadan also diligently worked with Padres pitchers, who are second in the league in combined on-base and slugging percentage. But it appears that Towers arranged a timely fit June 15 when he fired the ultra-intense Magadan and hired the glib, wisecracking Merv Rettenmund.
Whiffs
As the host franchise to the inaugural World Baseball Classic, perhaps the Padres had to back Jake Peavy's entry. But before the fact, several baseball people were against depriving Peavy of a full spring camp, six months after a shoulder injury had shut him down and four months after he had recovered from a fractured rib. Whether Peavy's choppy April and May related to pitching in the adrenalized WBC is anyone's guess, but pitchers say spring training's forgiving environment fosters pitch development and improved mechanics, Peavy's stated goals in February.
Meredith and reliever Brian Sikorski were kept in Triple-A as the Padres kept giving the ball to veteran Jim Brower, whom they had claimed off waivers. Brower posted a 9.39 ERA in six games.
Catcher David Ross, a good defender, was having a big spring camp with the bat when the Padres gave him to the Reds for fringe prospect Bobby Basham on March 21. Ross is having a strong season and Basham has pitched only nine innings in Double-A.
Towers has said the club should have heeded the recommendation of scout Randy Smith that it choose Dan Uggla in the Rule V draft in December. Viewed by Smith as a potential swing man at second base and third, Uggla won the Marlins' second base job and is batting .307 with 13 home runs.
– TOM KRASOVIC
UNSUNG HEROES
Phil Nevin : When the disgruntled Padres first baseman vetoed a trade to Baltimore last July, it kept problem-child pitcher Sidney Ponson (left) from becoming a Padre. Ponson would go on the DL, was recently designated for assignment with a 4-4 record and 5.24 ERA and is expected to sign with the Yankees. The pitcher the Padres got for Nevin instead, Chan Ho Park, is having a solid year and is well-liked in the clubhouse.
Texas Rangers: Padres GM Kevin Towers said he felt sick to his stomach upon learning that Nevin had vetoed the trade to Baltimore. A few days later, Texas provided Pepto-Bismol when it agreed to take on Nevin for Park. What's more, the Rangers absorbed the extra $5 million due Park. Helping out the Padres again in January, the Rangers dealt them pitcher Chris Young and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Tim Wakefield's knuckleball: Josh Bard couldn't catch it. Doug Mirabelli (pictured) could. Advantage Padres, who profited hugely from the May 1 swap that brought them Bard and reliever Cla Meredith, saved them at least $900,000 and returned Mirabelli to the Red Sox as Wakefield's caddie – a role that best suits the 35-year-old catcher.
Bill “Chief” Gayton: The Padres' director of scouting drafted shortstop Khalil Greene and second baseman Josh Barfield. He also drafted George Kottaras, now a Triple-A catcher who has become a potential chip in the club's trade search for a third baseman.
Lance Carter: The Padres were mired in an offensive funk that Bruce Bochy called the worst of his tenure and were three outs from their sixth consecutive defeat – all at home against division rivals – when Dodgers middle reliever Carter (pictured) assumed a 5-0 lead on April 30. The first three Padres reached, triggering a win that ignited a 15-1 Padres tear. A bonus: The rally sent the Dodgers and their closer, Danys Baez, into reverse. Baez had worked the prior two games and assumed he was getting the day off. Rushed into relief of Carter, Baez chucked several neck-high pitches and never regained the form – 8-for-8 on saves, zero earned runs – that he enjoyed entering April 30.
– TOM KRASOVIC
DID YOU KNOW?
Padres pitchers have induced the majors' highest rate of popups and the lowest of ground balls. Starter Chris Young, making it easier for his fielders, has induced a higher rate of popups (15.5 percent) than any pitcher in the majors who has worked at least 50 innings. His popup rate last year was 6 percent.
Closer Trevor Hoffman leads a bullpen that has the fewest blown saves in the NL West. Padres relievers have the league's second-lowest ERA. They have averaged the fewest walks per inning (.29), half the average of last-place Atlanta.
San Diego's rotation ranks second in the NL in ERA, a big improvement on last year's 11th-place finish.
Among catching units in the NL, the Padres are first in home runs, doubles and combined on-base and slugging percentage. Mike Piazza and David Ross, traded by the Padres in March, lead NL catchers in home runs with 12 apiece, followed by another former Padre, Miguel Olivo, who has 10.
A statistic called Runs Created/27 projects how many runs a team would score if it used the same player in all nine lineup spots. The 10.47 total of Padres catcher Josh Bard ranks second in the NL among players with at least 100 plate appearances. First is Albert Pujols. Third is Barry Bonds.
Padres pitchers rank first in the NL in ERA and road ERA, third in home ERA. Away from Petco, the Padres' offense is second in the league in runs per game (5.32). The Padres are last in runs per game at home (3.72).
Padres pitchers have the majors' lowest allowance of walks and hits per inning pitched (1.23) and the team's defense leads the NL in converting balls in play into outs.
SOURCES: MLB, ESPN, BASEBALL PROSPECTUS
UNION-TRIBUNE
July 14, 2006
Grand slam
A six-player trade with Texas in January brought pitcher Chris Young and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez for pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka and saved the Padres more than $5 million.
Extra bases
Xavier Nady is giving the Mets power hitting, but trading him in November for center fielder Mike Cameron has paid off for the Padres, who intend to pick up Cameron's $7 million option for 2007.
GM Kevin Towers circled the bases after a May trade with Boston brought catcher Josh Bard, reliever Cla Meredith and saved about $900,000 – all for unpopular catcher Doug Mirabelli, 35.
Towers is happy he dialed up former understudy Theo Epstein, Boston's GM, and got reliever Scott Cassidy (for outfielder Adam Hyzdu) last July. Cassidy has struggled lately and will be optioned to Triple-A Portland today, but he was spectacular in April and May, posting an ERA of 0.83 in 212/3 innings.
Getting catcher Rob Bowen off waivers on Opening Day more than repaid the $20,000 fee for the Tigers castoff, who came recommended by Padres scout Ken Bracey.
Singles
Vinny Castilla's offensive struggles have the Padres searching for a third baseman, but Castilla has been sturdy defensively. For about the same money, he has given the Padres more than they would have gotten from pitcher Brian Lawrence, who blew out his shoulder after Towers dealt him for Castilla.
Hitting coach Dave Magadan gave Dave Roberts pointers that the leadoff man parlayed into a career-best season in 2005 and a solid first half this year. Magadan also diligently worked with Padres pitchers, who are second in the league in combined on-base and slugging percentage. But it appears that Towers arranged a timely fit June 15 when he fired the ultra-intense Magadan and hired the glib, wisecracking Merv Rettenmund.
Whiffs
As the host franchise to the inaugural World Baseball Classic, perhaps the Padres had to back Jake Peavy's entry. But before the fact, several baseball people were against depriving Peavy of a full spring camp, six months after a shoulder injury had shut him down and four months after he had recovered from a fractured rib. Whether Peavy's choppy April and May related to pitching in the adrenalized WBC is anyone's guess, but pitchers say spring training's forgiving environment fosters pitch development and improved mechanics, Peavy's stated goals in February.
Meredith and reliever Brian Sikorski were kept in Triple-A as the Padres kept giving the ball to veteran Jim Brower, whom they had claimed off waivers. Brower posted a 9.39 ERA in six games.
Catcher David Ross, a good defender, was having a big spring camp with the bat when the Padres gave him to the Reds for fringe prospect Bobby Basham on March 21. Ross is having a strong season and Basham has pitched only nine innings in Double-A.
Towers has said the club should have heeded the recommendation of scout Randy Smith that it choose Dan Uggla in the Rule V draft in December. Viewed by Smith as a potential swing man at second base and third, Uggla won the Marlins' second base job and is batting .307 with 13 home runs.
– TOM KRASOVIC
UNSUNG HEROES
Phil Nevin : When the disgruntled Padres first baseman vetoed a trade to Baltimore last July, it kept problem-child pitcher Sidney Ponson (left) from becoming a Padre. Ponson would go on the DL, was recently designated for assignment with a 4-4 record and 5.24 ERA and is expected to sign with the Yankees. The pitcher the Padres got for Nevin instead, Chan Ho Park, is having a solid year and is well-liked in the clubhouse.
Texas Rangers: Padres GM Kevin Towers said he felt sick to his stomach upon learning that Nevin had vetoed the trade to Baltimore. A few days later, Texas provided Pepto-Bismol when it agreed to take on Nevin for Park. What's more, the Rangers absorbed the extra $5 million due Park. Helping out the Padres again in January, the Rangers dealt them pitcher Chris Young and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Tim Wakefield's knuckleball: Josh Bard couldn't catch it. Doug Mirabelli (pictured) could. Advantage Padres, who profited hugely from the May 1 swap that brought them Bard and reliever Cla Meredith, saved them at least $900,000 and returned Mirabelli to the Red Sox as Wakefield's caddie – a role that best suits the 35-year-old catcher.
Bill “Chief” Gayton: The Padres' director of scouting drafted shortstop Khalil Greene and second baseman Josh Barfield. He also drafted George Kottaras, now a Triple-A catcher who has become a potential chip in the club's trade search for a third baseman.
Lance Carter: The Padres were mired in an offensive funk that Bruce Bochy called the worst of his tenure and were three outs from their sixth consecutive defeat – all at home against division rivals – when Dodgers middle reliever Carter (pictured) assumed a 5-0 lead on April 30. The first three Padres reached, triggering a win that ignited a 15-1 Padres tear. A bonus: The rally sent the Dodgers and their closer, Danys Baez, into reverse. Baez had worked the prior two games and assumed he was getting the day off. Rushed into relief of Carter, Baez chucked several neck-high pitches and never regained the form – 8-for-8 on saves, zero earned runs – that he enjoyed entering April 30.
– TOM KRASOVIC
DID YOU KNOW?
Padres pitchers have induced the majors' highest rate of popups and the lowest of ground balls. Starter Chris Young, making it easier for his fielders, has induced a higher rate of popups (15.5 percent) than any pitcher in the majors who has worked at least 50 innings. His popup rate last year was 6 percent.
Closer Trevor Hoffman leads a bullpen that has the fewest blown saves in the NL West. Padres relievers have the league's second-lowest ERA. They have averaged the fewest walks per inning (.29), half the average of last-place Atlanta.
San Diego's rotation ranks second in the NL in ERA, a big improvement on last year's 11th-place finish.
Among catching units in the NL, the Padres are first in home runs, doubles and combined on-base and slugging percentage. Mike Piazza and David Ross, traded by the Padres in March, lead NL catchers in home runs with 12 apiece, followed by another former Padre, Miguel Olivo, who has 10.
A statistic called Runs Created/27 projects how many runs a team would score if it used the same player in all nine lineup spots. The 10.47 total of Padres catcher Josh Bard ranks second in the NL among players with at least 100 plate appearances. First is Albert Pujols. Third is Barry Bonds.
Padres pitchers rank first in the NL in ERA and road ERA, third in home ERA. Away from Petco, the Padres' offense is second in the league in runs per game (5.32). The Padres are last in runs per game at home (3.72).
Padres pitchers have the majors' lowest allowance of walks and hits per inning pitched (1.23) and the team's defense leads the NL in converting balls in play into outs.
SOURCES: MLB, ESPN, BASEBALL PROSPECTUS