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: It's time for instant replay!

Umpires are human beings. Yes, they make mistakes (lots of them in some cases.)

Now that the San Diego Padres have concluded a 10-game homestand punctuated by missed calls, it has become more than obvious that instant replay is needed in MLB.

Take just a few instances of the past week, and it’s hard not to conclude that it’s time for instant replay:

Tony Gwynn was called out for a batted ball hitting him on the basepaths. Problem is, the ball clearly missed him.

Chase Headley made a great sliding catch to end an inning. However, the umpire wrongly said Headley trapped the ball.

Headley was again the victim on a play at the plate. He was called out, yet replays showed he was unquestionably safe.

Everth Cabrera was ruled safe on a stolen base attempt of third. He was unmistakably out.

However, that one more than evened out. Cabrera was ruled out for missing home plate on a sliding attempt; replays showed his hand clearly touched the plate.

Kyle Blanks was ruled safe at home on a tying run in the ninth inning vs. the New York Mets. Replays showed he was definitely tagged out by catch Brian Schneider.

Ok, this was only the Padres. On a scale of MLB, there seems to be an attitude of “Who cares what happens west of the Mississippi?”

Let’s hope the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox have this many blown calls on a homestand. Then, MLB will do something about adding instant replay.

San Diego Padres should give Drew Macias a shot

Did you know that the San Diego Padres have a player with a .667 slugging percentage and an on base percentage of .435?

No, it’s not Adrian Gonzalez, Tony Gwynn or anybody else on the current major-league roster.

The man with the big stats and big bat is outfielder Drew Macias, who’s currently playing for the Triple-A Portland Beavers.

So, why, might you ask, would the Padres have a player with such potential in the minor leagues?

That’s a good question … without a good answer.

Sure, the left-handed hitting Macias has a very small sample this year with 18 official MLB at bats and five walks (not a bad percentage, walking more than 20 percent of the time.)

What’s really of note is that Macias has four doubles and one home run in those 18 at bats; meaning he has gotten an extra base hit in nearly 30 percent of his at bats.

OK, these aren’t nearly enough at bats to judge Macias; so why not give him a try to find out for sure if he’s for real?

The Padres currently have youngsters Will Venable and Kyle Blanks playing in the outfield … at least part-time. Neither has exactly set the work on fire, fitting in with the rest of the downtrodden team.

Macias did set the world on fire earlier this season. So why not see if he can do it again on what has turned into MLB’s worst hitting team?

Padres begin real baseball season tonight

Now it’s time to get on to the real baseball season, when real baseball fans are watching.

It all goes back to Tony Gwynn’s comments about opening night. He always looked forward to the second night, because that’s when the real fans come out.

So, if you’re a true fan, we’ll see you at Petco Park tonight when the Padres face the Houston Astros.

The season opener? Fans were all dressed up. Petco Park was all decked out, as if it were a playoff game.

From an appearance standpoint, it was the best of times. From other aspects, it was the worst of times. Or did you not notice all the local TV stations yesterday at Petco Park, who were tripping over themselves as if they are going to be there for games in mid-season?

Those news anchors who were wearing Padres uniforms now won’t know the difference between Brian Giles and Brian Prilaman, who also works for the Padres and is the best traveling director in the league.

Many of these people who “have” to be there on opening day won’t “have” to be at another game until next year’s home opener. Of course, they’ll also be the first ones wondering why they can’t get playoff tickets if the Padres make the postseason.

They're called front-runners and they make up a large percentage of San Diego fans.

We hope you enjoyed opening night, since it only comes once a year.

Jake Peavy was great in a 4-0 win vs. Houston; the pregame festivities honoring first responders to last October’s wildfires in San Diego County were awesome.

Just remember, the Astros are here through Thursday before the Dodgers come in for the weekend.

If you’re a real baseball fan, you’ll be around.

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)

Gwynn, Aztecs seek their day in the sun

Tony Gwynn had his day in the sun in Major League Baseball, easily being voted into the Hall of Fame this year.

Now, if only he could enjoy another day in the sun as San Diego State’s baseball coach.

Gwynn is in his fifth year at the helm of the Aztecs. He has yet to lead his team into the NCAA playoffs.

But that’s nothing new around SDSU. The Aztecs, despite being in an ideal city for baseball, have not made the NCAA playoffs since 1991 as they enter the Mountain West Conference Tournament today against the New Mexico Lobos.

Collegiate baseball teams can shine in San Diego. Just look at the University of San Diego Toreros, who are ranked fifth in the nation.

The Toreros will most certainly be in the NCAA Tournament the weekend of June 1 … most likely hosting games at SDSU of all places!

Gwynn earns sportsmanship award

You probably know by now that Tony Gwynn will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29.

You probably don’t know that the man known as "Mr. Padre" will be honored a month before in St. Louis at the 2007 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards.

The 15-time All-Star and eight-time batting champion will receive the Career Achievement Award from the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) at the organization’s June 21 event.

Appearing with Gwynn (currently the baseball coach at San Diego State) will be Sharon Robinson, daughter of the late Jackie Robinson. Her father broke the color barrier in Major League baseball 60 years ago.

"Tony Gwynn and Jackie Robinson represent the ideals of the National Sportsmanship Awards," CTSA chairman Ron Stratten said. "Tony’s career is defined by his class, grace and charm; and Jackie was known for his determination, teamwork and citizenship. We couldn’t be more fortunate to have the chance to recognize these two stars, especially at such a significant time."

USD baseball looking beautiful

When it comes to college baseball, people often wonder why San Diego can’t have a Top 10 team nationally.

After all, the weather is perfect for year-round baseball, and the talent is certainly in the area.

It hasn’t happened with coach Tony Gwynn at San Diego State, but the honor is being celebrated across town.

Congratulations go out to the University of San Diego Toreros for being ranked No. 9 in the latest Baseball America top-25 poll, and at No. 10 in the latest Collegiate Baseball top-30 poll. This is the second time in history the Toreros have been ranked in the Top 10.

“We look at these things kind of like a beauty pageant,” USD coach Rich Hill said on CSTV.

To top off the honor, the Toreros completed a three-game sweep of Pepperdine for the first time in 22 years Monday with a 7-3 win.

Even with Gwynn (who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer) at SDSU; local high school baseball players continue to flock to USD, where Hill has built the best collegiate baseball team by far in a hotbed of baseball prospects.

The Toreros are setting a standard that can only be envied by SDSU, a school that has not even been invited to the NCAA playoffs in 16 years.

SDSU Dominates Fox Baseball Telecasts

Check out the Fox television in-studio commentators some Saturday on the Major League Baseball game of the week.
Jeanne Zelasko has been the in-studio host since 2001. Her primary partners during the 2007 season are Kevin Kennedy and Mark Grace.
What do all three of them have in common? Each is an alumnus of San Diego State University.
Guess the folks at Fox can start coloring their set in red and black.
Aztecs also come in threes in the NFL. There are currently a trio of ex-Aztecs serving as head coaches with Joe Gibbs (Washington), John Fox (Carolina) and Herman Edwards (Kansas City).
And there is one other famous SDSU alum that will certainly be in the spotlight this summer. Tony Gwynn, who will be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame, is also an alumnus of SDSU … as well as the university’s head baseball coach.
Seems like the major sporting leagues just can’t get enough of the Aztecs.

Let's get past the home opener!

The home opener. Fans will be all dressed up. Petco Park will be all decked out, as if it’s a playoff game.
This only happens once a year. It’s the Padres vs. Colorado Rockies, Game 1 of 81 at Petco Park this regular season.
From an appearance standpoint, it’s the best of times. From other aspects, it’s the worst of times. Or did you not notice all the local TV stations this morning at Petco Park, who were tripping over themselves as if they are going to be there for games in mid-season.
It all goes back to Tony Gwynn’s comments about opening night. He always looked forward to the second night, because that’s when the real fans come out.
I’m sure there will be fans tonight wondering why the Cubs loaned Greg Maddux to the Padres to pitch their home opener. Or why Steve Garvey isn’t playing first base. Or why Bruce Bochy isn’t managing the Padres.
Many of the people who “have” to be there on opening night won’t “have” to be at another game until next year’s home opener. Of course, they’ll also be the first ones wondering why they can’t get playoff tickets if the Padres make the postseason.
Their called front-runners and they make up a large percentage of San Diego fans. Look at the Chargers. They barely sold out several of their early-season home games in 2006. By the time they won 10 straight and the bandwagon was in full gear, tickets were harder to come by than a snowy day in San Diego.
Enjoy opening night, since it only comes once a year. Just remember, the Rockies are also here tomorrow night. See you then!

There's still a long way to go!

There are still 160 games to go. You hear that all the time when a baseball team starts 2-0. But why not enjoy the Padres so far?
Jake Peavy was spectacular on opening day. Chris Young didn't have his good stuff in Game 2, but so what? The team won without an above average outing from its starter.
And what do you think Bruce Bochy is thinking about in the Giants dugout? He has left Cla Meredith, Scott Linebrink and Trevor Hoffman behind in the bullpen. Now he has Brad Hennessey, Jack Taschner and Armando Benitez in their place. Ouch! If you think the Padres are a potential sinking ship, just look at the Giants. Their bullpen has about as much spark as Chargers' General Manager A.J. Smith has personality.
Tonight will be interesting with Clay Hensley facing Matt Morris of the Giants. Morris has turned into an average pitcher, at best. Hensley is up-and-coming, but he needs to get over that blister problem on his pitching hand.
Are you all looking forward to the Padres' home opener Friday night? Not me. I'm more interested in the second home game on Saturday night. Tony Gwynn always said the REAL baseball fans come out the second night. Let's face it: Mr. Hall of Famer knows what he is talking about.
One note of caution. Don't be fooled by the Padres averaging six runs in their first two games. This is a team with a pop-gun offense that is going to struggle to score runs. If it is to win a third straight NL West title, it will probably be because of the bullpen again.
It's April; everybody's eyes are on a new season. Just don't let the first week fool you. I remember the original Padres in 1969 won their first three games, then won only 49 more over the next six months. In Jerry Coleman's year as manager, the team started 5-2 the first week and was running the bases like crazy. By the end of the season, Coleman was run out of town (at least as manager.)
It's way too early to judge Bud Black now. He looks like a genius so far. We'll see over the next 160 games ... starting with a potential three-game sweep tonight at San Francisco.