Adrian Gonzalez is quite a hit(s)

How about that Adrian Gonzalez?

Forget Baseball Hall of Fame players Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield for a moment.

Gonzalez became the first San Diego Padres player ever to collect six hits in a nine-inning game Tuesday at the Milwaukee Brewers.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone.

After all, Gonzalez was tearing the cover off the ball and leading the National League in home runs until opposing teams wisely decided to start walking him over-and-over again from June on forward.

And to think that Gonzalez and Padres closer Heath Bell could have been members of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the July 31 trading deadline …

The Padres were asking for Dodgers first baseman James Loney and catcher Russell Martin … among others … for Bell and Gonzalez.

Can you imagine even how much better the Dodgers would be with Bell and Gonzalez?

Speaking of the trading deadline, it doesn’t look so much like a fire sale when the Padres traded Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox for four pitchers on July 31.

Has anybody else noticed that the Padres have won all three games started by Clayton Richard, a key figure from the White Sox in the Peavy deal?

For the past two weeks, it’s all good news for the Padres as they gaze toward what the future might have to offer.

MLB's 'greats' will never make Hall of Fame

First, Pete Rose became MLB’s all-time career hits leader with 4,256.

Then, Roger Clemens became the first pitcher ever to win seven Cy Young awards.

Finally, Barry Bonds became the all-time career home run king with 762.

Besides being all-time leaders, what else do these baseball “greats” have in common?

None of the three will ever make the Baseball Hall of Fame.

You can bet Rose will never get there due to his gambling on MLB games.

Clemens and Bonds not only are career leaders; they are also among the “leaders” in the clubhouse of those being exposed as probable cheats due to suspected drug usage.

It’s too bad that the modern era of MLB is so tainted. It’s even worse that perhaps the three finest players of their respective eras will never make the Hall of Fame.

But this is not a case for them getting there: In each instance, keeping them out of the Hall is justified.

What’s worse is that Alex Rodriguez may be the one to break Bonds’ record. And he’s certainly among the top … if not the top … cheaters of today.

On top of it all, Rose is already petitioning for A Rod to make the Hall of Fame despite the New York Yankees third baseman’s admitted drug usage.

“I'm willing to give a guy a second chance,” Rose said in an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show.” He later went on to say that steroid use is worse than someone such as himself betting on his own team to win.

No matter what, cheaters will be cheaters.

Barry Bonds belongs in prison; not Hall of Fame

Greg Anderson must be one of the dumbest men in America … and among the richest.

Just what is his deal in refusing to testify in the government’s case against Barry Bonds for lying to a grand jury investigating steroids use by athletes?

It’s clear as day that Anderson, the personal trainer, supplied Bonds with steroids. But as long as Anderson doesn’t testify, the feds will have a much tougher task in proving that Bonds is guilty.

Heck, Anderson has already spent a year in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury about his relationship with Bonds. He certainly isn’t going to change anything in federal court.

The ultimate question: Why does Anderson keep taking the fall for Bonds; a guy whose reputation is paying the price for the rude manner in which he has treated people for years?

You have to think that Bonds has paid off Anderson, which is a shame.

There’s no way home run king Bonds is going to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Too bad his chances of going into the prison cell are being lessened by a character named Anderson, who’s being a fall guy for one of the worst individuals in America.

Will Trevor Hoffman make Hall of Fame?

Is Trevor Hoffman destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Apparently, a lot of people in Los Angeles don’t think so.

During a Los Angeles Dodgers telecast on KCAL Channel 9 recently, viewers were asked whether they believed the Padres’ closer would make the Hall of Fame.

The responses:

Never: 38%
Eventually: 36%
First ballot: 26%

Even Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully said on the air that he was surprised by the low support for Hoffman.

After all, Hoffman is the all-time saves leader with 552. (But the man he passed, Lee Smith, still isn’t in the Hall of Fame.)

Normally, we could blame the oversight on Hoffman due to East Coast bias. But these were West Coast fans in the Los Angeles area.

It kind of makes you wonder just when ... or if ... Hoffman will get his due respect in the Hall of Fame.

Padres, Rockies fans have a right to boo

Remember when so many people made a big deal out of Trevor Hoffman being booed in San Diego last week?

The theory was that people should not boo a hometown hero likely headed for the Baseball Hall of Fame; no matter how poorly he had performed.

For those who disagreed with the booing of Hoffman, how about the Colorado Rockies fans Monday night?

They turned on the Rockies in a 15-8 loss to the lowly Padres, Colorado’s eighth straight loss (hey, it broke the Padres’ eight-game losing streak!)

If some think Padre fans shouldn’t boo Hoffman, what about Coloradoans showing their displeasure with the Rockies?

After all, aren’t these the same Rockies who went to the World Series last year? Because of that, should their fans be exempt from booing them?

In all cases, the answer is “no.” Fans pay a huge premium to attend a game; they have the right to show their displeasure as long as they do not cross the line (and booing is not crossing the line.)

Think about your job situation. If all of a sudden you became a failure, could you save your job by pointing to what you did in the past?

Not likely!

Gwynn is first true Padre Hall of Famer

Enjoy the moment!

When you watch Tony Gwynn being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, remember that he is the first true Padre ever to be elected to the Hall.

Dave Winfield went in as a Padre, but he is the same Dave Winfield who couldn’t wait to get out of San Diego after his contract expired in 1980.

Gwynn, the real Mr. Padre, had a career that may never be paralleled in Padres history. Consider:

Eight NL Batting Titles (tied with Honus Wagner for the league record)
15-time NL All-Star
Seven Sporting News Silver Slugger Awards
Five Sporting News All-League Selections
Seven-Time Most Valuable Padre
Five Rawlings Gold Glove Awards
Five-Time NL Player of the Month
Roberto Clemente Award in 1999 for community service
Branch Rickey Award for Community Service by a Major League Player in 1995
Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Community Service by a Padres Player in 1995
Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award in 2001
Four Consecutive Batting Titles (1994-97)
Seven NL Hit Titles
Seven NL Singles Titles
16 Consecutive Seasons with .300 or Higher Batting Average (1984-99)

Indeed, enjoy the moment Sunday!

(Source: 2007 San Diego Padres Media Guide)