is having a real tough time adjusting to his new league:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/statistics
I hadn't noticed his stat line really, and now that I know I'm not all that glad I checked. It's like having an ex-girlfriend, and it just so happens we are both invited to the same three-day party June 20th-22nd at her house. She's rollin in with a boob job and a new car her boyfriend bought her after her promotion at work, and we've heading in to this shindig after we've moved back into our parents' spare room, blisters on our hands, and pissed that Dad filled up the Netflix with 3 seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond but psyched that Mom remembered to get our favorite cereal at the store.......Not like that shit's happened to me before................
It's hard times in Friarland: after losing five straight, 8 out of our last 9, being swept by the (equally as) lowly Twins, reaching 600 team Ks for the season, giving up 3 unearned runs late to lose on Father's Day. Now the beaten and bruised Friars are heading to Fenway to face the one of the hottest teams in baseball in the Boston Red Sox.
I'm dreading these three days in June.
That's why Patty Ice and I have made a commitment to drink during this particular inter-league series. Doesn't have to be a rager, but this next few days might be painful and poppa needs some sweet and tender medicine to lull away the night terrors. But hey if you have the time and the means to rage, let's make up some spiteful drinking game rules:
1. Drink every time Adrian comes up, and then once more for every base he touches during that at-bat.
2. Drink for every runner the Padres strand.
3. Drink every time the Padres go down in order.
4. Drink twice for every error, and twice more for every un-earned runs.
5. Drink at the start of every half-inning you are glad Dick Endberg is not in the booth.
6. Drink every time you unknowingly let out a loud sigh.
7. Drink whenever a Padres batter hitting below .250 comes up.
8. Drink for every extra-base hit given up by the Friar staff, twice for every run.
9. Drink whenever a Boston fan is on camera doing something obnoxious.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
IN HONOR OF FATHER'S DAY
Here is the opinion of my Dad on the 2011 Padres:
"Gat-damn they're boring. At the end of the day baseball is supposed to be entertaining, and lately it's just no fun to watch."
Pop has a point. To give you some reference on my parents, they go to about 25+ games a year, and if they go to a really good game they have been known to come home and watch the replay on Channel 4 of the game they just went to -- they are not people with huge expectations of constant entertainment. But you've got to give them something.
Obviously, it's the league-worst offense that results in the snooze-a-thons. But also they Padres usually only score runs in the 7th inning or later (or if in extra-innings, never) and with our leet pitching staff, you are looking at a 90ish minute commitment to dullness before anything of note happens, especially anything of positive note. So far it's just been one of those hang-with-em seasons yea?
"Gat-damn they're boring. At the end of the day baseball is supposed to be entertaining, and lately it's just no fun to watch."
Pop has a point. To give you some reference on my parents, they go to about 25+ games a year, and if they go to a really good game they have been known to come home and watch the replay on Channel 4 of the game they just went to -- they are not people with huge expectations of constant entertainment. But you've got to give them something.
Obviously, it's the league-worst offense that results in the snooze-a-thons. But also they Padres usually only score runs in the 7th inning or later (or if in extra-innings, never) and with our leet pitching staff, you are looking at a 90ish minute commitment to dullness before anything of note happens, especially anything of positive note. So far it's just been one of those hang-with-em seasons yea?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
FRANCHISE EXPECTATIONS, AND HORRENDOUS CULTURE OF CHAMPIONSHIP JOCKING
A while back I think it was ESPN had an article that paired MLB teams with Premier League teams. So the article would say that if you are Yankees fan, then you should follow Chealsy, Bo Sox were Man U etc etc. The Padres were paired with Fullham F.C and in the lil blurb summary the articled said something along the lines of 'both fan bases love their teams but do not expect championships'. It's sad for die-hards and the Faithful, but for baseball in America's Finest City, that's entirely true.
What should be the expectations for our franchise?
What do we as fans and ticket buyers generally expect?
Should we demand World Series title(s) from our team?
First and foremost, we in San Diego are not clamoring for championships because we live in Southern California. It's beautiful, there's a lot to do but no pressure to always be doing something, and if you want to go outside and enjoy your life with the windows down and the taco stand open, you can do it 340 days a year. Even Petco feels more like an artistic sandstone addition to the Gaslamp Quarter and, not necessarily negatively, gives the feeling of little homage to the old tenants of the houses of baseball that other newer parks like SF and MIL have incorporated into the design. We live in paradise. Do we want to watch a big league ball game? Absolutely. But is it cool if our boys of summer don't make the playoffs? Yes. Generally it's because we can still go to the beach in December, and nobody says 'wicked pissah' to us ever.
What should be the expectations for our franchise?
What do we as fans and ticket buyers generally expect?
Should we demand World Series title(s) from our team?
First and foremost, we in San Diego are not clamoring for championships because we live in Southern California. It's beautiful, there's a lot to do but no pressure to always be doing something, and if you want to go outside and enjoy your life with the windows down and the taco stand open, you can do it 340 days a year. Even Petco feels more like an artistic sandstone addition to the Gaslamp Quarter and, not necessarily negatively, gives the feeling of little homage to the old tenants of the houses of baseball that other newer parks like SF and MIL have incorporated into the design. We live in paradise. Do we want to watch a big league ball game? Absolutely. But is it cool if our boys of summer don't make the playoffs? Yes. Generally it's because we can still go to the beach in December, and nobody says 'wicked pissah' to us ever.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
THIS WEEK IN HATE: ONLINE COMMERCIALS
The pendulum has swung back to the point where now I want to see more commercials online. To be more specific, I want to see varied commercials online, and not have the same ones over and over like I'm in a police stand-off and they are playing Yani on loop to get me to come out. I've watched almost every game this season online at MLB.TV, and although the DVR function definitely has its benefits and its issues, by far the biggest hate I have is the commercials.
I have accepted that there has to be commercials/advertisements in the world, the system is a necessity to fund the fancy light-pictures I watch as entertainment/friend-filler. So acknowledging that there has to be commercials, can we at least get some different ones? Good or bad, just change it up!
I've memorized every tick and inflection in the MLB Umpire Camp (at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton) spot from last month. I used to love (as much as one can) Coors Light, until that jackass baby goat pick up line commercial runs at me 18 times a game. It's always the same terrible two or three commercials in a loop. I only half watch most things online because of that deficit of attention so I can usually block that stuff out, but what distracts me from being distracted is now annoyed my subconscious is with this terrible ads are and I end up muting the computer and the next thing I know, I've missed two innings where the Padres got runners on 1st and 3rd with one out and failed to score because the computer's sound was muted and I forgot about it.
Are they really not selling ANY advertising space? Is that why they have to sell the whole block to one company? If so, Lexus needs to step the damn game up and get five or six spots up.
SOLUTION:
I have accepted that there has to be commercials/advertisements in the world, the system is a necessity to fund the fancy light-pictures I watch as entertainment/friend-filler. So acknowledging that there has to be commercials, can we at least get some different ones? Good or bad, just change it up!
I've memorized every tick and inflection in the MLB Umpire Camp (at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton) spot from last month. I used to love (as much as one can) Coors Light, until that jackass baby goat pick up line commercial runs at me 18 times a game. It's always the same terrible two or three commercials in a loop. I only half watch most things online because of that deficit of attention so I can usually block that stuff out, but what distracts me from being distracted is now annoyed my subconscious is with this terrible ads are and I end up muting the computer and the next thing I know, I've missed two innings where the Padres got runners on 1st and 3rd with one out and failed to score because the computer's sound was muted and I forgot about it.
Are they really not selling ANY advertising space? Is that why they have to sell the whole block to one company? If so, Lexus needs to step the damn game up and get five or six spots up.
SOLUTION:
Monday, June 13, 2011
DO CLOSERS NEED A SAVE SITUATION TO BE EFFECTIVE?
Over the last five games Heath Bell has given up four runs now in two games (2 runs a piece) where the score was tied in the 9th. I feel like Hoffy had similar issues over his years and so that got me wondering if the mindset is different for a closer coming into a tied game, if they need that competitive edge of having the game on the line. I know people who are at their best if you shit-talk them, so any fuel for the fire probably helps a lot.
The Big Kid got a lot of work over the last two plus weeks yeah? So I don't know if he's rusty. I'm def not pinning this loss on him, ya gotta score one run over nine people to even contemplate to win (we are 1-18 in games where we score one run...soooo maybe we gotta score two?).
Is Heath strictly a save-situation pitcher in our 'pen?
The Big Kid got a lot of work over the last two plus weeks yeah? So I don't know if he's rusty. I'm def not pinning this loss on him, ya gotta score one run over nine people to even contemplate to win (we are 1-18 in games where we score one run...soooo maybe we gotta score two?).
Is Heath strictly a save-situation pitcher in our 'pen?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
OUR OWN MEDICINE SUCKS
The Nats have been giving us a taste of our own medicine the last two games, winning back to back 2-1 games against our Pads with stellar starting and relief pitching. It's always funny in baseball to see the headlines for 2-1 games. The winning team's headlines will be 'our pitching is the bomb', and the losing team's headlines will always be 'our bats sucked this game'. So even though both headlines were true, our bats sucked more than their bats, and their pitching was better than our awesome (Clayton Richard takes the loss after a great outing giving up 2 ER) pitching, and Ryan Ludwick's missed dive cos the Friars a run and ended up being the deciding factor.
Either way, like in April, we are one well-timed double away from winning almost every game we lose.
Oh and Rizzo? Yes. Check. Down. Sold. I've been geekin out over Rizzo's swing. Choked down so far his right hand is barely on the knob. Long, extended cut. Pure power. He had a HR and a double today. Are lifetime contracts possible??
Now if only ___, ____, ____, _____, ____, and ____ (insert any names) were actually getting (timely) hits we could start winning ball games. Going for the series split tomorrow. C'Mon Pads!
Either way, like in April, we are one well-timed double away from winning almost every game we lose.
Oh and Rizzo? Yes. Check. Down. Sold. I've been geekin out over Rizzo's swing. Choked down so far his right hand is barely on the knob. Long, extended cut. Pure power. He had a HR and a double today. Are lifetime contracts possible??
Now if only ___, ____, ____, _____, ____, and ____ (insert any names) were actually getting (timely) hits we could start winning ball games. Going for the series split tomorrow. C'Mon Pads!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Seriously...
I couldnt believe my eyes a few days ago when I was reading through ESPN's baseball rumors and found out Clay Hensley was injured striking out Sean Burroughs. Haha I thought it was a misprint but i checked the stats. http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=ari He has 20 at basts this season. This made me feel a little better about the Padres free agent signings this year.
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