Who Are These Guys? The 2009 San Diego Padres

I'm pretty sure they'll be out of contention by the All-Star Break, but they are winning with the shittiest assemblage of players I have ever seen. Somehow they came back to win AGAIN tonight. Is this voodoo or what?

energy orbs

I'm enjoying it while it lasts but I'm super afraid that Heath Bell's calling out of ESPN for Yankee/Sawx bias is going to make him look really bad once the team starts playing like they're supposed to (shitty)

it's 3ck$te1n...

Heath Bell is on pace for 100 saves

it's 3ck$te1n...

He has been pretty good so far. I can see why people have been so willing to overlook his faults, historically. He's wily, and sees a lot of pitches. And at 2b, his bad arm is somewhat irrelevant.

good story on bbtn last night abt an unnamed young pad going up to jake peavy and asking if he played against him in AAA last yr

what is this

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/players_l/20090407/7199.jpg?x=65&y=85&xc=1&yc=1&wc=164&hc=215&q=100&sig=Ww4eAwDC7ggAhMo6QPTkLg--

would punch in face

so you guys are seeing that too? i thought i was hallucinating or something.
it seriously looks like a hack photoshop job, it's so ridiculous.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mgI9X6VuOBs/SbmzOVS7qiI/AAAAAAAABjs/dmL2HcjfajM/s400/chad-gaudin.jpg

they should trade him to system of a down

seven straight! wins!

I am fully prepared for them to follow it with ten straight losses.

The most amazing story going, even more surprising than the National League favorite Cubs' eight-game losing streak, was the Padres' 10-game winning streak. This is the very team that scouts were calling a potential 100-game loser this spring -- although, their team was somewhat hard to judge with Peavy, Gonzalez and others away for the World Baseball Classic.

I asked Towers on Tuesday how they're doing it, and Towers, answering frankly, said, "I have no idea."

The Padres opened 9-3 then went 4-19 over their next 23 before starting the 10-game streak. They are the most interesting .500 team going.

"I haven't been able to figure them out," Towers added.

The two things that Towers pointed to on behalf of the Padres, whose payroll is a puny $46 million (and may still go lower if Towers can find a place Peavy would like to play, beyond the Padres, that is): 1) There is no quit in them; and 2) David Eckstein is on their roster.

"A lot of it has to do with David Eckstein," Towers said.

kyle blanks is awesome, tho

Best .207 hitter in baseball!

you can't measure that young man's heart with your "metrics," billy beane

At the end of August 2008, the San Diego Padres brought three young players from Latin America to Petco Park for a workout in front of coaches and local media. The players -- pitcher Adys Portillo, shortstop Alvaro Aristy and outfielder Luis Domoromo -- all had signed with the team for expensive bonuses in July, and the workout was to be a showcase, a culminating event to show off the Padres' new commitment in Latin America.

Before their signings, the Padres had been little more than bit players in the Latino market. At the start of spring training in 2008, none of the 64 players in the Padres' big league camp hailed from the Dominican Republic -- an astonishing fact considering that Dominicans comprise about 13 percent of major league players. But after building a new $8 million baseball academy in the Dominican and doling out more than $5 million in bonuses for players from Latin America later that season, the Padres were primed to be players on the international market.

Less than a year later, the Padres' stellar signing class of 2008 has been tainted, and the club's international scouting efforts may be in jeopardy. First, third baseman Jefri Peña, whom the team gave $325,000, was discovered to really be 20-year-old Jefri Mercedes and was suspended for a year by MLB. Then, last week, MLB announced that Aristy would be suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a metabolite of nandrolone, a semisynthetic steroid derived from testosterone. Aristy, who signed for $1 million, is the highest-profile Latin American signee to be suspended for steroid use.

Goddamnit.

eckstein doin the little things

rong thred

??

Since July 27th, the Padres have won 10 series and lost 3. They lost two series against the Cardinals, and split two series with the Braves.

And I look at the roster and think "How?"

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/257277/tonygwynne-babushkas.jpg

i think those sizes are backwards

lol

Watching Jake Peavy pitch for the White Sox makes me so sad. :/

Ryan (San Diego):

Reason for optimism in San Diego with all the young kids up and playing well? Add in Chris Young and Matt Latos for a full season, can they get over .500 next year?

Keith Law:

Since most of those young kids aren't very good, I'd say no, don't get too excited. Latos is legit, though.

Kevin Towers is out.

That wretch Heyman on MLBN says the Pads are looking to hire "a valedictorian" as opposed to Towers' "student body president"

I think this is an incredibly dumb move unless they can get someone like Jed Hoyer.

No 2010 Pads thread?

Anyway, why are these guys wearing camo?

Because they're near a major marine camp.

fucking david eckstein

they're the official team of the US military for whatever reason

san diego is a huge military industrial complex: camp pendleton usmc, miramar AFB (top gun), coronado NAB, etc....

that said, this team blows.

I am considering switching my allegiance to another team, but I'll give Hoyer a year or two.

FollowThePadres
David Wells was in the #Padres clubhouse. I miss his clubhouse guests more than him. Once brought in Creed's Scott Stapp and Emmanuel Lewis.

suggested source for name of 2010 padres thread:
tracy morgan apparently went up to an extra on 30 rock and said "look at your fine self, you look like you should be married to one of the san diego padres"

The Padres are in first place! Clearly they will win the World Series.

STATS_MLB The #Padres 5-2 win over the #Giants puts them in 1st place. This is the latest date that San Diego has held 1st place since 2007 (Sept. 4)
30 minutes ago via web

8 in a row wow

I don't really understand what's going on but I'm not going to complain.

A crappy team can have an 8-game winning streak, y'know

100 cats are strangled each minute you spend watching Major League Baseball.

A crappy team can have an 8-game winning streak, y'know

You should know!

Saturday July 5th through Thursday July 17th, 2008 was a heady time for Morbs.

Number nine hitters currently out-slugging leadoff hitters .186-.163. Pinch hitters likely a factor, but still...

Small Ball Champions:

Bottom 4th: San Diego
- S. Hairston safe at first on third baseman C. Counsell's fielding error
- K. Blanks walked, S. Hairston to second
- O. Salazar singled to shallow left, S. Hairston scored, K. Blanks to second
- Y. Torrealba singled to shallow center, K. Blanks scored, O. Salazar to second
- W. LeBlanc singled to pitcher, O. Salazar to third, Y. Torrealba to second
- J. Hairston Jr. grounded into fielder's choice, O. Salazar scored, Y. Torrealba to third, W. LeBlanc out at second
- D. Eckstein singled to shallow right, Y. Torrealba scored, J. Hairston Jr. to second
- A. Gonzalez grounded into double play second to shortstop to first, D. Eckstein out at second

4 runs, 4 hits, 1 errors

San Diego Inning Summary
- C. Headley singled to shallow center
- S. Hairston singled to shallow right center, C. Headley to third
- J. Suppan relieved D. Davis
- K. Blanks singled to pitcher, C. Headley scored, S. Hairston to second
- O. Salazar singled to shallow center, S. Hairston to third, K. Blanks to second
- Y. Torrealba singled to shallow left, S. Hairston and K. Blanks scored, O. Salazar to second
- W. LeBlanc singled to left center, O. Salazar to third, Y. Torrealba to second
- J. Hairston Jr. singled to shallow center, O. Salazar scored, Y. Torrealba to third, W. LeBlanc to second
- D. Eckstein grounded into double play shortstop to second to first, Y. Torrealba scored, W. LeBlanc to third, J. Hairston Jr. out at second
- A. Gonzalez flied out to deep left center
- End of Inning (5 Runs, 7 Hits, 0 Errors)

SD has 13 hits through 5 innings, 0 XBHs.

Gonz is 0-4, pitcher Will LeBlanc is 3-3.

LeBlanc has been really good so far. Kinda hard to send him down when Young gets back.

The strike zone in this game has been absolutely terrible. So bad that Adrian Gonzalez got ejected for arguing balls and strikes, which I don't think I've ever seen happen before.

Also, Dick Enberg is getting everyone's names wrong.

This is the first time I've been excited to see Trevor Hoffman appear in a Padres game in like six years.

Will Hoffman get the call?

Yessir

here we go. *prepares a stiff drink*

Strikeout on a changeup, just like old times

1-2-3

Best start since 1996.

they are 4-0 vs. SF. can't argue with that for division dominance.

Showdown with LA this weekend. Im eager to see these guys on tv since I havent followed them closely enough to know wtf they are and what their stats look like..

Their strength is middle relief, as usual.