Padres and Chargers Raise the Bar

Published: Monday, September 3, 2007 10:37 AM PDT

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The Padres are neck and neck with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West and hold the lead in the race for the wild-card berth, yet the talk in the clubhouse is about winning the division for a third straight year.

The Chargers aren't shy in their locker room about saying their goal is the Super Bowl, implying that a second straight AFC West title and return to the playoffs isn't enough.

What's happened to our pro sports teams in San Diego? Success begets success, that's what. Both franchises are stable in the front office and benefiting from a keen eye for talent.

Padres general manager Kevin Towers continues to find pitching talent others overlooked, such as acquiring reliever Heath Bell from the New York Mets and selecting Kevin Cameron as a Rule V draft pick.

He also brought in a mustard-and-brown bat without breaking the bank when he acquired Milton Bradley. A mustard-and-brown bat is a guy with power -- a Nate Colbert, Dave Winfield or Steve Garvey from the Padres' mustard-and-brown uniform days -- with the presence in the lineup to make others better hitters too.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith continues to stock his team with depth with his draft picks, even on a talent-laden lineup. The Chargers returned 47 of 53 players from last year's active roster, yet every one of Smith's draft picks, including some free agents, were impressive in training camp. There wasn't a bust in the bunch.

Buster Davis, Courtesy of Chargers.com
First-round pick Buster Davis, a wide receiver from LSU, caught a 40-yard touchdown pass in the chargers' 16-13 preseason win Thursday over the San Francisco 49ers. He displayed the deep-ball threat and speed the Chargers lacked last year.

Second-round pick Eric Weddle, a safety from Utah, intercepted two passes, giving him three for the preseason on his favorite field, Qualcomm Stadium.

It was at Qualcomm last year when Weddle intercepted three passes and returned two for touchdowns and scored a third touchdown as a running back in a rout of San Diego State.

Nice, Eric, but when are you going to score some touchdowns? After all, the bar has been raised with the Padres and Chargers.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

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