yagsy
03-30-2007, 07:42 PM
This last off season was a busy one for KT and Alderson. It remains to be seen how these moves have worked out. All the media "experts" say the Padres will not threepeat as the Division Champs but then again, they never pick the Padres. I do think it's because they have all gone to bed by the time the Padres play a game and they don't know the overall foundation of this team.
My personal analysis of this season is:
1) Barfield/Kouzmanoff trade was not a bad one after seeing how Kouz has performed this spring. He's playing a strong 3rd base defensively and the Pads have not really had a strong 3rd baseman since Cammy. So it's nice to see the defense shored up after Vinny was let go last year. :hmm: Offense is increased for sure as Kouz has shown his reputed power that he had in the minors. And that's an increase since last year. But time will tell during the season to see how Kouz works out overall or if the Padres gave up too much to gain a minor league 3rd baseman.
2) Also in the Barfield/Kouz trade, the Pads got reliver Andrew Brown. With KT's knack for finding relievers and Brown's overall performance this spring, I believe Brown will be a good addition to the Padres.
3) 2nd Base - Marcus Giles - Hometown boy, playing with his brother and in general seems to be very happy as a Padre. His offense this spring has been one of really trying to lead off but I still think he's better suited for the #2 spot in the order. He's a pest though and that is a good thing to be. :)
3) Left Field - Termel Sledge last year was a nightmare in the outfield. But as we came to realize, he had an injured hamstring so, that affected much more of his game. This spring he's been the guy who had a really solid rookie season with the Expos (last year of their existence). He's shown his power, he hasn't been an adventure in the outfield and he's been smart with his base running.
4) Pitching - If the old guys can stay healthy, this staff, both rotation and bullpen are frightening good. Peavy showed in his last outing he looks to be back to the ERA king he once was (giving up leads last year killed me), C Young is going to be the first Padre to throw a no hitter, Clay Hensley - such a stud. He's taking advantage of Maddux and Wells in his same clubhouse and with his stuff, I think he will turn into a star pitcher. All Maddux and Wells have to do is remain healthy and they'll be fine. Wells lost a LOT of weight in the off season and looks to stay that way with his recent diagnosis of Diabetes. If anyone goes down, the Padres have middle relievers or AAA guys that can fill in fabulously with Tim Stauffer, Kevin Cameron and Mike Thompson.
The pen - the middle relief is looking good. I am in awe of how KT can do it year after year in getting guys and Darren Balsey turns them into brilliant pitchers. Guys like Heath Bell and Doug Brocail are going to be huge this season and I'm surprised how confident I feel in these guys. If the Padres are leading after 6 innings, then the game is over. Cla Meredith, Scott Linebrink and Trevor = call it a game. :clap2: These guys know how to get it done.
5) coaching Staff - when the Padres let Boch walk, I was so upset. I love that man, he's been a Padre manager for so long. And I thought that a rookie manager would not have the ability to be a good manager. He was cheap and malable which is why Alderson wanted him hired. Make no mistake, Alderson runs this club and he wanted someone that would not question him. This is why Dusty Baker or anyone with previous MLB managerial experience would NOT be hired as the Padre manager. But Bud Black has really won me over this spring with his preachings of team building and clubhouse unity philosophies. Even the veterans of this club; Hoffy, B Giles, Peavy are praising Black. Expectations are still very high for the Padres by the front office and especially by the fans. But Black has surrounded himself with good people in and always has the ear of former SDSU teammates in Bobby Meacham (1st base coach), Tony Gwynn (currently the SDSU baseball coach) and Bench Coach Craig Colbert. Remaining from last year are Glenn Hoffman, Darren Balsey and Merv Rettenmund who were all critical to the team's success last year.
So let the season begin! :cheer: :jump: :banana:
My personal analysis of this season is:
1) Barfield/Kouzmanoff trade was not a bad one after seeing how Kouz has performed this spring. He's playing a strong 3rd base defensively and the Pads have not really had a strong 3rd baseman since Cammy. So it's nice to see the defense shored up after Vinny was let go last year. :hmm: Offense is increased for sure as Kouz has shown his reputed power that he had in the minors. And that's an increase since last year. But time will tell during the season to see how Kouz works out overall or if the Padres gave up too much to gain a minor league 3rd baseman.
2) Also in the Barfield/Kouz trade, the Pads got reliver Andrew Brown. With KT's knack for finding relievers and Brown's overall performance this spring, I believe Brown will be a good addition to the Padres.
3) 2nd Base - Marcus Giles - Hometown boy, playing with his brother and in general seems to be very happy as a Padre. His offense this spring has been one of really trying to lead off but I still think he's better suited for the #2 spot in the order. He's a pest though and that is a good thing to be. :)
3) Left Field - Termel Sledge last year was a nightmare in the outfield. But as we came to realize, he had an injured hamstring so, that affected much more of his game. This spring he's been the guy who had a really solid rookie season with the Expos (last year of their existence). He's shown his power, he hasn't been an adventure in the outfield and he's been smart with his base running.
4) Pitching - If the old guys can stay healthy, this staff, both rotation and bullpen are frightening good. Peavy showed in his last outing he looks to be back to the ERA king he once was (giving up leads last year killed me), C Young is going to be the first Padre to throw a no hitter, Clay Hensley - such a stud. He's taking advantage of Maddux and Wells in his same clubhouse and with his stuff, I think he will turn into a star pitcher. All Maddux and Wells have to do is remain healthy and they'll be fine. Wells lost a LOT of weight in the off season and looks to stay that way with his recent diagnosis of Diabetes. If anyone goes down, the Padres have middle relievers or AAA guys that can fill in fabulously with Tim Stauffer, Kevin Cameron and Mike Thompson.
The pen - the middle relief is looking good. I am in awe of how KT can do it year after year in getting guys and Darren Balsey turns them into brilliant pitchers. Guys like Heath Bell and Doug Brocail are going to be huge this season and I'm surprised how confident I feel in these guys. If the Padres are leading after 6 innings, then the game is over. Cla Meredith, Scott Linebrink and Trevor = call it a game. :clap2: These guys know how to get it done.
5) coaching Staff - when the Padres let Boch walk, I was so upset. I love that man, he's been a Padre manager for so long. And I thought that a rookie manager would not have the ability to be a good manager. He was cheap and malable which is why Alderson wanted him hired. Make no mistake, Alderson runs this club and he wanted someone that would not question him. This is why Dusty Baker or anyone with previous MLB managerial experience would NOT be hired as the Padre manager. But Bud Black has really won me over this spring with his preachings of team building and clubhouse unity philosophies. Even the veterans of this club; Hoffy, B Giles, Peavy are praising Black. Expectations are still very high for the Padres by the front office and especially by the fans. But Black has surrounded himself with good people in and always has the ear of former SDSU teammates in Bobby Meacham (1st base coach), Tony Gwynn (currently the SDSU baseball coach) and Bench Coach Craig Colbert. Remaining from last year are Glenn Hoffman, Darren Balsey and Merv Rettenmund who were all critical to the team's success last year.
So let the season begin! :cheer: :jump: :banana: