Colorado Rockies enjoying Rocky Mountain High

Don’t look now, but the Colorado Rockies are making it appear as if it’s 2007 all over again.

You remember those Rockies? The team that won 21 of 22 games to make it to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox?

Well, these Rockies of 2009 are looking like another miracle team.

How many people thought Colorado had a chance when it trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by 15 ½ games on June 3?

But how many of those people now think the Rockies don’t have a chance as they are only two games behind the Dodgers in the NL West?

The Rockies have certainly made their impression with a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and last night’s win vs. the Dodgers.

Suddenly, it appears as though they are the best team in a very competitive three-team race in the NL West.

And to think the Dodgers were supposed to be unbeatable after Manny Ramirez returned from his 50-game drug suspension July 3.

Problem is, somebody forgot to tell the suddenly resurgent Rockies!

Cheating is fine; if you're on the home team

So here we go again.

Now we discover that the Boston Red Sox first World Series title in 86 years was tainted when they won in 2004.

Surprise, surprise … David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among the 104 major league players listed as having tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003.

Does that diminish Boston’s championships in 2004 and 2007 with these guys on the team?

If you’re a Red Sox fan, absolutely not. If you’re a fan of someone else, of course it tarnishes the accomplishment.

Funny, but it wasn’t so long ago that Red Sox fans were on the New York Yankees for having known cheaters such as Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi.

But failing a drug test is only a crime if you are not on the home team, according to the fans.

After all, Los Angeles Dodgers fans couldn’t figure out why San Francisco Giants followers cheered cheater Barry Bonds. Now those same Dodgers fans support Ramirez … because it’s OK to cheat if you’re on the home team.

Mark McGwire will always be a hero in St. Louis; same with Sammy Sosa in Chicago.

And the list goes on.

Lesson learned? Society has taught us to cheer for cheaters … as long as they wear the uniform of our home team.

Padres sure know how to get other managers fired

Say this about the San Diego Padres:

They sure know how to be involved in the timing of somebody else’s manager being fired.

Back on May 7, the Padres hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks in an afternoon game. D-backs Manager Bob Melvin was out of work by that evening.

Now the Padres are in Colorado for a three-game weekend series vs. the Rockies.

Say goodbye to Colorado Manager Clint Hurdle.

Melvin’s undoing was never having a safe lead due to a horrible bullpen. (Just ask current manager A.J. Hinch.)

Hurdle raised expectations too high in Colorado with an amazing run at the end of the 2007 season that took the Rockies to the World Series. (Hey, they were never as good as that fluke of a three-week stretch.)

As for the Padres, they’ve done a magnificent job of saving the hide of their own manager … Bud Black.

His occupation was on the line from the beginning of 2009 with a contract that expires after this season and a team expected to do poorly this season.

Who would have ever thought that Black would outlast both Melvin and Hurdle?

San Diego Fox5 News Can't Catch a Break

This could have been an opportunity for endless promotions for the struggling San Diego Fox5 News.

Just think: A World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox would mean tons of viewers for Fox5 watching Manny Ramirez face his old team.

Then, Fox5 could promote the heck out of its glamour girls such as Kathleen Bade, Arthel Neville and Chrissy Russo from its bumbling news shows.

Well, bad news for the Dodgers and Red Sox could mean worse news for Fox5 … if the Dodgers and Red Sox don’t make the World Series; forget about high rankings for Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia.

And even more so in San Diego, forget about the multitude of viewers who could be inundated with Fox5 News promos during the World Series.

Low ratings would certainly be the order of the day for Rays-Phillies; just as low rankings now follow Fox5 news because it still isn’t up to par despite the babes.

The Dodgers and Red Sox could each come back from current 3-1 deficits, but it’s doubtful. After all, each team would have to win the final two games of its current series on the road even if either were to win a Game 5 at home.

The bad news for Fox nationally is that it probably isn’t going to get the Dodgers-Red Sox World Series that is so desires.

The worse news for Fox5 locally is that there won’t be nearly as many people viewing the countless teases of its female personalities.

New York teams say 'bye' to MLB playoffs

What’s the best storyline about the upcoming Major League Baseball playoffs?

How about the fact that there are not any New York teams involved for the first time in more than a decade …

As much as the TV networks jam New York down our collective throats, it’s nice to see the playoffs commence with some truly compelling possibilities for smaller market teams.

What about:

Tampa Bay being in for the first time ever
Milwaukee being back for the first time since winning the World Series in 1982
The chance of Minnesota getting back in if it survives in the AL Central

Then the bigger markets:

The Chicago Cubs trying to win a World Series for the first time in 100 years
The Los Angeles Dodgers trying to win their second playoff GAME since a World Series title 20 years ago
Philadelphia looking for its first championship in 28 years
The Anaheim Angels shooting to win it all for the second time in six years
The Boston Red Sox attempting to make it three titles in five years

The happiest guy of all in the playoffs may be Manager Joe Torre of the Dodgers.

He’s taken so much criticism for the Yankees seemingly losing in the first-round each year lately. (Without him, the Yankees won’t face such a fate while looking from the outside in from the beginning.)

That coincides with the best news of all: No New York teams!

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?

Wishful thinking: An all-Florida World Series

Wouldn’t it be great to have an all-Florida World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins?

OK, it’s not going to happen; but at least the Floridians are proving you can win on the cheap.

With two of the three lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball, the Rays (first-place AL East) and Marlins (tied for second NL East) are at least in contention at mid-season.

Not only are the Marlins doing it with baseball’s lowest payroll ($21 million); they are also a contender with the youngest pitching staff in the majors.

No team outside of the Marlins has a rotation of starters exclusively 25 years of age or younger. They are:

Ricky Nolasco; 25 years, 209 days
Scott Olsen; 24 years, 179 days
Josh Johnson; 24 years, 158 days
Andrew Miller; 22 years, 49 days
Chris Volstad; 21 years, 288 days

As the dog days of summer continue, one can only hope that the Marlins and Rays continue to dog the big-name teams such as the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

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!

Padres should trade Maddux to Chicago Cubs

The Padres should do Greg Maddux a favor and trade him to a contending team – the Chicago Cubs.

The last-place Padres aren’t doing Maddux any good, but vice versa isn’t necessarily true.

Maddux is winless in eight starts since career victory No. 350 on May 10, yet it isn’t his fault at all.

Since then, Maddux is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA and has watched the beleaguered Padres’ bullpen blow the lead four times after he left a game while in line for win No. 351.

This has to stop!

The Padres have long coveted Cubs outfielder Matt Murton, so a Maddux-for-Murton trade could certainly be in line at this point since Murton does little more than warm Chicago’s bench.

Plus, sending Maddux to the Cubs could turn out to be one of those Cinderella stories that are few and far between in Major League Baseball.

Maddux pitched his first career game in relief for the Cubs on Sept. 10, 1986; remaining with Chicago until playing for Atlanta (1993-2003) and returning to the Cubs (2004-July 2006).

As the Cubs seek their first World Series title since 1908, Maddux could be the missing piece to the puzzle in their starting rotation.

It would be quite a story if Maddux could go back and help the Cubs win the World Series in likely his final season.

Frankly, it’s the type of story that happens once every 100 years or so on the north side of Chicago.

Edmonds key reason Chicago Cubs are winning

The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t want Jim Edmonds back after eight seasons with them.

The Padres didn’t want him around after the first 1 ½ months of the 2008 season.

So what is Edmonds doing these days?

How about helping the Chicago Cubs on their way to a possible first World Series title in 100 years?

The Cubs have Major League Baseball’s best overall record (48-28) and have won 14 straight at home.

In his last 10 games, Edmonds is batting .333 with three home runs and nine RBIs.

In Saturday’s 11-7 win over the Chicago White Sox, Edmonds hit two home runs in the same inning.

“Whenever you get done tying me to the Cardinals, it'll be fine so I can start getting a little bit of Cubs' history in my background,” Edmonds told reporters after Saturday’s game.

It now appears the Padres let Edmonds go too early. Perhaps they/he rushed him back into the lineup too soon after suffering a spring training injury.

For now, it looks like Edmonds is the Cubs’ gain … and a big loss for the Padres and Cardinals.

Are you tired of Boston fans yet?

Remember back when we were all feeling so sorry for Boston Red Sox fans until their team won the World Series in 2004?

Well, four years later, aren’t you tired of hearing about Boston fans?

Sure, their Celtics won their 17th NBA championship last night. The Red Sox have won two World Series in four years and the Patriots have three titles this millennium.

Frankly, the Boston faithful were much more lovable when their teams were losing.

Who can remember that the Celtics went 22 years before winning their latest title? Or the Red Sox going 86 years between championships? Or the Patriots losing to the Chargers, 51-10, in the 1963 American Football League championship game?

The New Englanders woke up today with one more title; which very well may be one more than San Diego earns in the entire 21st century.

Even so, the New England area is likely in for another miserable, muggy summer. San Diego’s hottest days would be pleasures on the East Coast during the summer.

Boston has the titles; San Diego has the weather. Advantage, living in San Diego.

Can Cubs win it all this year?

Go Cubs go,
Go Cubs go,
Hey Chicago, whaddya say,
The Cubs are gonna win today!

Back in 1984, that was the theme song for the best Chicago Cubs team in decades.

Of course, that team made it all the way to the National League Championship Series; only to win the first two games and lose three straight to the Padres … who went on to lose the World Series to Detroit.

As the Cubs begin a three-game series in San Diego tonight at Petco Park, this is arguably their best team in a century. And, yes, it has been a century since the Cubs won their last World Series in 1908.

It’s interesting that the Cubs have won seven straight games, all against the Weak Weak West of the NL (three vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers; four vs. the Colorado Rockies.)

Alfonso Soriano is certainly playing like a Most Valuable Player … but we can’t call him an MVP candidate since every player is technically a candidate for the award.

Derrek Lee is having a great year, Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome is off to a hot start, and Jim Edmonds is playing 10 times better than he did for the Padres.

The pitching staff is again led by Carlos Zambrano, who gets the start in the series opener vs. the Padres.

Are the Cubs good enough to win the World Series for the first time in 100 years?

We say “yes” from this vantage point.

Will Adrian Gonzalez hit 50 home runs?

Local media members are tripping all over themselves, trying to figure out which person first said Adrian Gonzalez should represent the Padres in the 2008 All-Star Game.

Let us be the first to ask: Will Gonzalez hit 50 home runs this season?

It looks like he very well could.

Gonzalez already has 15 homers one-third of the way into the season, 10 coming in May.

He’s two off the club record for home runs in a month, set by Greg Vaughn in May 1998 on his way to an all-time team record of 50 homers.

The difference in teams is immense: Vaughn played on a team that went to the World Series; Gonzalez is on a team with the worst record in the National League.

This brings up the point that opposing teams will likely start pitching around Gonzalez because he is the one hitter to fear in the Padres’ lineup.

That being said, Gonzalez is one of the best there is at taking an outside pitch and going the opposite way over the left field wall.

As the Padres limp through the last four months of the season, at least the Gonzalez home run watch will be something worth talking about.

Headley should be Padres' left fielder

Chase Headley should be the starting left fielder for the Padres in 2008.

Why?

More than anything, it would be like history repeating itself.

In 1984, the Padres took rookie first baseman Carmelo Martinez and moved him to left field because Steve Garvey was already at first base.

Martinez turned out to be a somewhat adequate outfielder with pretty good power. Along with rookie center fielder Kevin McReynolds, he helped the Padres make it to the 1984 World Series.

Headley, a converted third baseman, wouldn’t be a great outfielder … but probably better than Martinez. He also has decent power and would not be a liability in the line up.

But here’s the big difference: Martinez was on a much more talented team in 1984 than Headley would be in 2008. Don’t expect the current Padres to make the World Series.

Why should Headley be the leading contender in left field?

Well, have you heard anything lately about center fielder Jim Edmonds improving from his strained calf?

Didn’t think so. Scott Hairston in center field and Headley in left sounds like a plan for now.

Dodgers gaining on Padres?

The Padres better not look back, because someone could be gaining on them.

And that someone is none other than the Dodgers.

When Joe Torre becomes manager of the Dodgers, it could create a domino effect. Don’t be surprised if former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez follows, which is just exactly what the Dodgers need.

If the Dodgers had a black hole last year (besides pitching injuries), it was third base. And A-Rod is only the best in the business at that position, which could make the Dodgers a contender in 2008.

Already, the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have clearly surpassed the Padres. If the Dodgers sign A-Rod, the Padres could be staring fourth-place in the face next season.

The Padres already need a second baseman, (most likely) a center fielder if/when Mike Cameron leaves in free agency, and a right fielder. Brian Giles must move to left field where he has less ground to cover.

The post-World Series offseason has barely begun, yet the Padres already have some catching up to do.

The NL West is just becoming too strong for the Padres not to make major improvements this winter.

Atlanta's Cox a loser?

Bobby Cox is a loser.

The Atlanta Braves’ manager, who leads his team into a four-game series tonight against the Padres, simply can’t win in the postseason.

He’s been to the playoffs 14 times. He has just one World Series title and has lost four times in the Series.

Want me to take my tongue out of my cheek now?
Calling Cox a loser is similar to all the San Diego fans who referred to Marty Schottenheimer as a loser when he coached the Chargers.

Schottenheimer has never won ... or been to ... the Super Bowl in 13 postseason appearances. His history is to turn around rotten teams and lose in the playoffs; which is exactly what he did with the Chargers.

Schottenheimer has a .613 career winning percentage, compared to Cox’s .563 mark. Cox has been cited for spousal abuse before; Schottenheimer hasn’t.

The next time anyone in San Diego talks about Schottenheimer being a loser, then just think of the loser the Atlanta Braves have in Cox.

Randy Johnson: Is He Washed Up?

Is Randy Johnson washed up at age 43?
We’ll begin to find out tonight when Johnson makes his season debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the San Diego Padres.
You could argue that Johnson won 17 games each of the past two seasons for the New York Yankees. To counter that, consider that Johnson’s ERA has risen from 2.60 in 2004 with the Diamondbacks to 3.79 and 5.00 in the past two respective seasons with the Yankees.
Certainly, the Big Unit benefited from a Yankees lineup that is as potent as any around. He won’t enjoy the same luxury with an Arizona team that has lost four straight and scored three runs in its last three games.
Johnson made three rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues this year while working his way back from offseason back surgery. He’s a hero in Arizona, where he won four of his five Cy Young awards from 1999 to 2002 and was co-MVP of the 2001 World Series along with Diamondbacks teammate Curt Schilling.
Arizona is certainly banking on Johnson to still be the Big Unit, as opposed to a smaller unit. The Diamondbacks signed him in January to a two-year, $26 million contract. He’s being paid $4 million this year, $10 million next year and has a $12 million signing bonus payable through 2010.
Even if he is not the same this time around, the Diamondbacks will consider him a good investment because of what he brought to them in the past and what he brings in present marketing value.
Johnson pitches tonight against San Diego’s David Wells, another 43-year-old. In fact, their combined ages will be the oldest in history of two major league left-handed starting pitchers facing each other.
Both still have that competitive fire, but are they still competitive at age 43? We’ll know by September.

Yankees-Red Sox: It's Getting Tired

Two years ago, Channel 4 San Diego announcer Matt Vasgersian described the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees act as “tired.”
The Padres play-by-play voice had it right then … and he is certainly on the money more than ever now.
This weekend, the Yankees and Red Sox play their first series of the season. Pardon me while I yawn.
So what does this mean? How about ESPN, Friday night; Fox, Saturday afternoon; ESPN, Sunday night? Then next weekend, it’s Red-Sox Yankees again on Fox. Give me a break, national TV!
New Yorkers and East Coasters just don’t get it. Those of us in the most populated state in America (California) and others could give a darn about New York and the East Coast.
Want proof? The 2000 World Series featuring New York-New York recorded the lowest TV ratings in World Series history up to that time, according to Baseball Almanac.
During Game 5 of that Subway Series, 61% of the televisions in New York were tuned in to the game. Everybody else? The next 30 largest television markets, during that exact same viewing period, registered double-digit percentage losses compared to the New York City market for the Series.
What do we have this weekend with Yankees-Red Sox? How about a Yankees team that hasn’t won a World Series since beating another New York team seven years ago? How about a Boston team that finished third out of five teams in the AL East last year?
You can have Yankees-Red Sox. I’ll gladly take Cubs-Cardinals … or even Padres-Rockies … as a more than viable alternative this weekend!

Get it over with ... fast!

What has been the most impressive thing about the Padres through the first week of this season?
The team’s 5-2 record? The bullpen not allowing a run in 20 2/3 innings?
Maybe it’s none of the above. Perhaps the most noteworthy item about the 2007 Padres through Week One is how rapidly their pitchers work.
Through seven games, the Padres are playing in an average time of 2:34. Their longest game took 2:42 opening day at San Francisco, which would be considered a fast game by today’s standards.
The past two games have seemed to move at the speed of light. It took only 2:27 to beat the Colorado Rockies, 2-1, in 10 innings Sunday; then last night’s 1-0 win over the San Francisco Giants took a mere 2:25.
This is all bringing to mind the 1998 pitching staff led by Kevin Brown, Sterling Hitchcock and Andy Ashby. They worked as if they were double-parked and wanted to get away from the ballpark before they were issued a parking ticket. And their ultimate ticket was a trip to the World Series that year against the New York Yankees.
Nobody has ever been a quicker worker for the Padres than Randy Jones. I can remember seeing Jones once in 1976 beat Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0, in one-hour and 33 minutes.
This year’s Padres are also pitching as if they have an early date for the night. All spectators can be thankful for that in the era of the three-hour game.