Peavy needs to be more careful in words, deeds

Jake Peavy needs to grow up sometimes when it comes to the things he says and does.

The Padres’ ace pitcher stayed silent all winter when it came to possibilities of him being traded to the Chicago Cubs, etc. … which was probably his best course of action.

Why should he be silent more often?

Because as a celebrated athlete, Peavy does get caught up at times in thinking that he and his peers are above the law.

Rather than try to say it myself, consider a “right on” letter to the editor from Bob Bagnall of San Diego in the San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday:

“So Jake Peavy asks, in reference to baseball players found to have used steroids, “How can you fault a guy for trying to make a living for his family?” Apparently Peavy makes no distinction between those who choose to adhere to laws, ethics, morals and values as they struggle to make livings for their families, and those who choose to ignore them.

So I guess someone robbing or cheating someone else should also be absolved as long as he makes it clear he's doing so to support his family. Unfortunately, Peavy has a history of acting as if sports stars are above the law. He was arrested and jailed after ignoring an Alabama airport official's request to move his unattended truck, responding “Write me a ticket” and “Call a real cop.” (“Peavy gets arrested on disorderly charge,” Jan. 5, 2007 U-T)

I'm a huge, lifelong Padres fan. And I hope Peavy spends his entire, sure-to-be-stellar career in San Diego. But I had also hoped that exposure to influences such as Bud Black and Greg Maddux had resulted in some necessary maturing on his part. His statement here makes me question that. Thank goodness Maddux is back in a coaching role, and Peavy also has an honorable teammate like Chris Young to show him the way. Hopefully he'll listen.”

Well said, Bob.

Why do athletes think they are above the law?

Just what is it with athletes thinking they are invincible and above the law?

Take Matt Bush, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2004 amateur baseball draft (by the Padres, of course.)

Or take Vincent Jackson and Jamal Williams of the Chargers, both recently arrested on charges of drunken driving.

And while you’re at it, PLEASE take these guys.

Bush has been nothing but a pain the past five years. His latest incident – suspected of being drunk and beating up two freshman lacrosse players at Granite Hills High – fits right in with his lifelong pattern of thinking he's above everyone else.

If you don’t believe me, ask his former teammates from El Cajon National Little League and El Cajon Pony League, among others.

Let’s not forget that the Padres passed over the likes of Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver to selected Bush first in 2004. And let’s not forget that it was a story by Bill Center in the San Diego Union-Tribune that led to the Padres selecting Bush.

In Center’s own words on the day after the Padres drafted Bush: “And the story started with a report in this newspaper Friday.”

(Thank goodness, the Padres finally got rid of Bush this week.)

As for Jackson and Williams, the Chargers will only keep them because of their star status. If they were back-up offensive linemen, they would have been cut on the spot for being suspected of DUIs.

In their cases, maybe the NFL will impose the discipline the Chargers should – but probably won’t – because these are two of their top players.

Sad.

Padres owner must produce before fans will

I don’t know about you, but this quote from new Padres owner Jeff Moorad certainly caught my attention:

“To the extent that we feel that the community is supporting the club, we're going to invest every last dollar back into the product.”

OK, but let’s remember this team lost 99 games last year. Let’s remember this team will be starting some players more suited for Triple-A this year.

And let’s not forget that the Padres have had a horrible offseason in the marketing/publicity department.

Jeff, this is the “Field of Dreams” in a sense. If you build it, they will come.

What you must build is a baseball team that can earn some respect in the community by being respected on the field and respectable in the way it operates.

Let’s not make it sound as if the community must start supporting the Padres before the organization will give back.

The team is bad; the national economy is worse.

We’re glad to have a new owner in San Diego; but the proof of the fans’ support will be decided in (and by) the pudding of the baseball team.

San Diego sports talk radio ain't happening

San Diego is way too small for two all-sports talk radio stations.

Is it even big enough for one?

It’s sad that XTRA Sports 1360 has gone by the wayside after just 14 months, but how does a town with only two pro teams (Chargers, Padres) have two such stations in the first place?

It was obviously a train wreck waiting to happen … just as is the Bleacher Bums show on Double-X 1090 Sports each day from 3-7 pm.

Speaking of, who knows if 1090 will even be able to keep its all-sports format?

After all, owner John Lynch cut his higher salaried people such as Bill Werndl and Joe Tutino (not to mention Mark Larson on 1700 AM) strictly due to finances.

And that of course led to the current afternoon show, which is about as popular as the plague right now.

Lynch excuses his new hires (a couple fans off the street) by saying he hired the likes of Jim Rome, the late Chet Forte and the brilliant coach John Kentera under similar conditions.

OK, using that logic, remember that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

Therefore, does it mean every guy cut by his high school basketball team is destined to be the next Michael Jordan?

Come on; you can’t fool the listening public. Sadly, San Diego sports talk radio is a perfect example.

Padres trying to get better/cheaper?

Evidently, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ double play duo of Bill Russell and Davey Lopes from the 1980s isn’t available.

Maybe that’s why the Padres have signed David Eckstein to play second base … and perhaps shortstop Omar Vizquel could be the next to come.

The Padres got away with signing veteran players on the cheap for a couple years, but it didn’t work in 2008. (Remember Tadahito Iguchi and Jim Edmonds?)

So now, with a projected $40 million payroll, the Padres apparently have no choice but to go with rookies or veterans on the cheap.

More than 60% of that payroll is already committed to pitchers Jake Peavy and Chris Young, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Brian Giles. (A Peavy trade could still open up some room for cash – but not miracles.)

So don’t expect the Padres to jump in on the Manny Ramirez bidding on the last minute.

We all know you get what you pay for: which likely means another last-place finish in 2009 for the Padres.

Padres should close out Hoffman era

Sorry, but it’s time for Trevor Hoffman and the Padres to go their separate ways.

This is certainly not a knock on Hoffman. Nor is it one on the organization.

With all of the acrimony at this point, it would just be best for everyone if Hoffman departs.

If Hoffman has anything left at age 41, then he should be part of a pennant contender. It isn’t going to happen in San Diego.

Since the Padres are obviously rebuilding, they need to discover the identity of their next closer.

Hoffman, the all-time saves leader in Major League Baseball, has been an icon in San Diego for more than a decade.

But last season, it became apparent there wasn’t much gas left in his tank. His 2008 ERA of 3.77 paled in comparison to his career ERA of 2.78.

And remember, Hoffman came to the Padres in 1993 as part of a fire sale from the Florida Marlins.

For those old enough to recall, Hoffman was booed during his early years with the Padres because he represented (not by his own desire) the fire sale of the franchise.

Now, in a very similar situation, it’s time to find out whether Heath Bell can come within 50% of being the next Hoffman.

Maybe he will. Maybe he’ll be the next Gary Lucas.

But in either case, it’s time for Hoffman to join a contender … and the Padres to find their next closer.

Padres problem: Not the hitting coach!

Dave Magadan was fired as hitting coach of the Padres in June 2006.

Sixteen months later, he was hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox when they won the World Series.

Merv Rettenmund replaced Magadan and was fired in July 2007.

He was long considered among the best hitting coaches in Major League Baseball.

Wally Joyner has just resigned as hitting coach of the Padres.

Does anybody see a pattern here?

Maybe, just maybe, it isn’t the hitting coach. Gee, do you think that maybe the problem is the hitters … not the hitting coach … for the Padres?

Give somebody chicken salad and that’s what your final product will be. But give them chicken manure … and guess what that smells like?

How about the Padres hitting …

Certainly, Petco Park has been a hindrance to Padre hitters the last five years. But other teams play in expansive parks, and they don’t go through hitting coaches on an annual basis.

Rather than continue the merry-go-round on hitting coaches, isn’t it about time that the higher ups in the front office be held accountable?

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.

NL West has seen worse days than now

So you think the NL West is terrible this season?

Maybe so, but it’s not as weak as it was three years ago.

Consider the standings after Sept. 1, 2008; compared to what they were in 2005:

2008
WEST
W
L
PCT
GB
Arizona
70
67
.511
-
LA Dodgers
68
70
.493
2.5
Colorado
65
74
.468
6
San Francisco
59
78
.431
11
San Diego
53
84
.387
17

2005
WEST
W
L
PCT
GB
San Diego
67
66
.504
-
LA Dodgers
61
72
.459
6
Arizona
61
74
.452
7
San Francisco
59
73
.447
7.5
Colorado
52
81
.391
15

As you can see, at least there’s a “race” to the finish this season (which is more than happened in 2005.)

But this time, the Padres aren’t going to win it. And same as last time, nobody deserves to win … but somebody has to!

(* Thanks so much to David A. West of Biola University for information used in this blog.)

Milwaukee Brewers need to quit crying

The Milwaukee Brewers need to quit crying over whether CC Sabathia pitched a no-hitter Sunday in Pittsburgh.

There are two reasons Andy LaRoche’s leadoff single in the fifth inning deserved to be called an infield hit:

No. 1: Sabathia tried to bare-hand the ball. Whenever somebody does that, it means they know there is a 50-50 chance at best of getting the runner.

If every player was given an error who tries to bare-hand a ball, Major League Baseball would need to change its scoring rules and call hundreds of more errors each season on such plays.

No. 2: Sabathia is left-handed. He not only needed to pick up the ball; he needed to turn his body to make the throw (it would have been much easier for a right-hander.)

There’s even a third compelling reason not to change the call. Had the play been ruled an error, the Pirates may have played the game differently from then on in an attempt to get a hit.

(Perhaps someone could have tried for a bunt single to break up a no-hitter; such as Ben Davis of the Padres did years ago vs. Curt Schilling of the Padres; or Steve Garvey of the Dodgers did vs. San Diego’s Bob Owchinko in the late 1970s.)

The Brewers are a great team. Here’s hoping they win the World Series ... and quit crying about a one-hitter by Sabathia that should stay that way!

Without Maddux, Padres face pitching blues

Now that Greg Maddux has traded in his Padre uniform for Dodger Blue, it sure leaves the Padres’ pitching staff with the blues.

After Jake Peavy (and with Chris Young disabled), who would you now consider the team’s No. 2 starter?

Cha Seung Baek, who is 0-7 at Petco Park?

Josh Banks, whose ERA is 6.51 since the All-Star break?

Chad Reineke, who has one major-league start and throws a fastball without any movement?

Yikes!

Thinking back to the start of the season, the Padres were hoping to make a pennant run with a pitching rotation of Peavy, Young, Maddux, Randy Wolf and eventually Mark Prior.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Padres: Things may only get worse

Now we’re hearing rumors that the Padres may have a $40 million payroll in 2009.

Do you know what that means?

It would amount to likely the second lowest payroll in Major League Baseball. Only the Florida Marlins, at $22 million, have a payroll below $40 million in 2008.

If $40 million is the going rate for the 2009 Padres, look for another last-place finish in the Weak, Weak NL West.

Four players alone are down for $25 million from the Padres next season: Jake Peavy ($11 million), Khalil Greene ($6.5 million), Chris Young ($4.5 million) and Adrian Gonzalez ($3 million.)

Should the Padres hold true to a $40 million payroll, it would mean $15 million for the remaining players beyond Peavy, Greene, Young and Gonzalez.

Sure, the Padres will try their best to unload Greene’s salary on somebody else. But considering he had his worst season ever in 2008, it just isn’t going to happen.

If you can remember the fire sales of the early 1990s by the Padres, you have a good memory.

And that time period may also be a look into the team’s near future.

Sad.

San Diego Fox5 News: What a Joke!

Have you watched the local news yet on the new "Fox5 San Diego?"

If not, don’t bother.

The show has more glitches than the Padres have had in 2008.

On Friday, Aug. 8, the evening news looked like a 1920 "B" movie in pantomime.

Kathleen Bade was talking, but you couldn’t hear the sound. The picture even went off for awhile; but when it came back on, still no sound.

That followed a weekday morning show when Chrissy Russo sounded like an echo while doing the weather. Arthel Neville had to take her microphone off then go over and hold it for Chrissy to be heard.

Speaking of Chrissy, that map she stands on while doing the weather has to go. And when she goes to a location where there is an accident then holds a "Slow" sign; that, too, has to be ditched.

Kathleen Bade, Chrissy Russo and Arthel Neville may be easy on the eyes ... but the Fox 5 news isn’t!

John Moores finally appears in San Diego!

Where is John Moores, owner of the San Diego Padres?

If you didn’t blink, you could have seen him Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.

Moores actually stopped by the box of General Manager Kevin Towers during the first couple innings of the Padres rare 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.

The significance?

Moores has hardly been seen in months. He didn’t even attend the 10-year celebration of the Padres 1998 National League championship team last month at Petco Park.

Obviously, the pending divorce with his wife, Becky, is weighing heavily on his mind. Becky even attended that 10-year festivity last month.

John Moores could very well be losing the team to Becky, who has hired a litigious divorce lawyer. Or more likely, the team could wind up in the hands of their daughter, Jennifer.

But at least it’s nice to know John Moores is still alive and kicking despite the divorce proceedings.

When – or if – we’ll see him at Petco Park again is another question.

Petco Park: It's 'baseball proof'

As much as we all didn’t like Barry Bonds, perhaps the most unpopular baseball player of all time, he did get one thing right.

“Baseball proof” is how Bonds described San Diego’s Petco Park after his first appearance in the spacious stadium.

For proof, just ask Jody Gerut of the Padres.

He hit a fly ball 399 feet against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night that would have been a grand slam anywhere else in baseball.

Instead, Alex Romero made a terrific over-the-shoulder basket catch at the fence to rob Gerut and preserve Arizona’s 3-0 win.

If the game had been in Arizona, the ball would have landed in the pool beyond right-center for a grand slam. In other parks, it would also have been well beyond the wall.

In San Diego, it reopened the controversy about whether they should move the 400-foot fence in right-center closer to home plate.

The answer, without argument, is “yes.”

Just think of Arizona reliever Jon Rauch, who only faced Gerut in the game. He could walk off the mound with a smile and say “well, I got my man.”

But only in San Diego!

Padres don't appear to be good sellers

So the Padres are sellers instead of buyers this year.

What goods do they have to sell?

We saw the answer was “not much” when Tony Clark was traded back to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a minor-league pitcher.

After all, what else could you expect to get for someone batting .239 with one home run and three RBI in 88 at bats?

Now the Padres’ most likely candidates to go are pitchers Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf.

When you consider their recent fates, it’s doubtful they could bring much more than Clark in a trade:

Maddux: He’s winless in his last 12 starts and has been the victim of some bad luck. But when you consider he couldn’t hold a 3-0 lead against Minnesota at Petco Park last month, some of it is certainly on him.

Wolf: In his last six starts, he’s 1-5 with a 6.82 ERA. Considering he tends to be injury prone in the second half, his value isn’t exactly going through the roof, either.

So there you have it. The Padres are sellers with little of value to sell.

So much for baseball interest in San Diego this summer.

Bring on the Chargers!

Adrian Gonzalez: All Star on, off the field

It’s nice to see Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres finally getting some recognition as the team’s lone 2008 All Star.

If you haven’t heard of Gonzalez and live off the West Coast, join the majority. The big boys at ESPN, Fox, etc. just simply don’t promote anything or anyone west of the Mississippi.

Here are a couple of things you would know about Gonzalez if he played on the East Coast:

He’s fourth in the National League in RBI (71) and sixth in home runs (22), despite playing his home games at a pitcher’s park called Petco Park.

He’s also a well-above average first baseman defensively and was the first pick in the nation by the Florida Marlins in 2000 out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif.

Jon Sciambi, the outstanding play-by-play announcer of the Atlanta Braves, hit it on the nose over the weekend when mentioning that players like Gonzalez get overlooked on the West Coast.

“I think there is reality as it relates to the East Coast bias,” Sciambi said on the SportSouth telecast of a Padres-Atlanta Braves game.

Gonzalez credits much of his turnaround in the past year or two to his religious faith.

You can find out more about Gonzalez, an All-Star on the field and off, by visiting his new Web site at http://www.agonzalez23.com/

Klesko: Padres' best first baseman this decade?

As much as Adrian Gonzalez deserves to be making his first All-Star appearance for the Padres next week at Yankee Stadium, there was another Padre first baseman doing quite well at the break this decade.

Back in 2001, All-Star Ryan Klesko was having an even better year than Gonzalez is in 2008 nearing the mid-summer classic.

Here are Klesko’s 2001 stats at the All-Star break vs. Gonzalez’ going into the final weekend before the All-Star game:

Doubles: Klesko 22, Gonzalez 15
Home runs: Klesko 17, Gonzalez 22
RBI: Klesko 75, Gonzalez 70
Average: Klesko .297, Gonzalez .279
On-base percentage: Klesko .406, Gonzalez .348
Slugging percentage: Klesko .556, Gonzalez .510

While Klesko had a better first half seven years ago than Gonzalez is now, there are also mitigating factors.

Klesko played on a halfway decent team in 2001 that finished 79-83. Gonzalez is currently on a pathetic team at 36-56.

The sad thing is that as the Padres get worse and worse in 2008, more and more teams will continue to pitch around Gonzalez.

Umpire Joe West needs to eject himself

Even when Major League Baseball umpire Joe West gets it right, he gets it wrong.

West rightfully overturned a call by third base umpire Chris Guccione in the Florida Marlins’ 3-1 win over the Padres on Monday night.

Guccione called a line drive by Hanley Ramirez fair in the seventh inning; replays showed it was barely foul and West made the right call in overturning Guccione.

Then West did what he does best; he made the wrong call with his overly aggressive actions.

As soon as Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez came out to argue, West put up his hands up as if to tell Gonzalez not to come out. Within five seconds of arguing, Gonzalez was ejected by the hot-headed West.

Great umpires over history such as Doug Harvey let managers have their say and don’t eject people right away for arguing overturned calls. Ones like West think they are the show; and they are only too willing to prove they are the boss, such as West did Monday night.

“To me, that’s when an umpire tries to get a little bigger than the game,” color analyst Tommy Hutton said on the FSN Florida telecast. “That’s not his job.”

Hutton’s comments were right on.

If anybody needed to be ejected, it should have been West for trying to be bigger than our National Pastime; which he’s not!

Hot dog! Padres should lower ticket prices

So the Padres are offering $1 hot dogs and $1 regular size soft drinks – as well as $1 off beer – at all home games in July.

Hot dog! How about lowering the ticket prices at Petco Park while they’re at it?

The team’s home attendance is down more than 10 percent from last season.

You could blame it on our country’s weak economy. Or you could get real and blame it on the fact that the Padres have the second-worst record in Major League Baseball.

Let’s face it: You get what you pay for, and the Padres’ years of signing old veterans to contracts and getting lucky has finally run out on them.

Back to the hot dogs: Isn’t it ironic that the lower concession prices come in a month when the Padres have only nine home games; the fewest in any month this season?

Here is the team’s spin on the July concession prices:

“We are excited about this program, which is based in part on input from our fans,” CEO Sandy Alderson said. “We hope July Dollar Days will provide some relief to our fans from higher gas prices and the current overall economy.”

If the Padres really want to provide relief to fans, how about providing some relief in their bullpen (among other things) and a few more wins?