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Why?
That seemed to be a good question for what took so long for the Padres to announce manager Bud Black would return in 2009. By not announcing earlier in the month that Black wouldn't be the fall guy for 99 losses in 2008, the Padres allowed speculation to fester.
Would the Padres' brass really let him go because he didn't follow a so-called manual of the organization's philosophy on how many pitches to take before swinging?
Black had some fun with the philosophy question when it was finally announced on Monday he would return and Black and general manager Kevin Towers met with the media in the dugout at Petco Park.
Black recalled a philosophy class he took at San Diego State in which the professor asked students on an exam just one question.
"He wrote on the chalkboard, 'Why?' Black said. "One guy turned in his answer in about 15 seconds. I asked him later what he wrote. He said he wrote 'Why not?' And he got an A. I wrote four or five pages and got a C."
It turns out Towers -- and by extension team president Sandy Alderson and owner John Moores -- isn't a nutty professor. He had more than one question for Black when the two talked Sept. 21 in Los Angeles during the series against the Dodgers.
"We met for about four or five hours," Towers said. "I told him what I thought went wrong this year and asked him what he thought. I was comfortable with the responses I got back from him that we're on the same page about where the breakdown was."
"That was enough for me to go back to Sandy and John and tell them we need to keep this guy."
Black says the issue is whether he buys into the so-called "moneyball" philosophy of working the count for the right pitch and getting walks to increase on-base percentage.
"We want to develop pitch recognition throughout the system," Black said. "We want aggressive hitters ready to hit their pitch, and that's especially true in rookie ball and low A ball. We want to ensure they hit strikes and take balls."
So why fuel the speculation there was a rift between Black and the organization? Even after hitting coach Wally Joyner resigned Sept. 22 and expressed a difference in philosophy on how to coach hitting, they left the issue in doubt.
We know the Padres aren't a knee-jerk reaction organization, so I think it has more to do with the Padres deciding they were going to follow a certain procedure, and speculation in the media wasn't forcing them to move up their time schedule.
It might have been the smart thing to do, especially with all the doubt surrounding the franchise's future with the owner's divorce proceedings. But maybe it just made them more stubborn to wait until after the final game.
There really isn't a mystery as to why the Padres weren't very good this year. They didn't have good players. Or more specifically, too many players that didn't to play up to the front office's best-case scenario.
They were hoping for big years from Scott Harriston, Khalil Greene, Jim Edmonds, Tadhito Iguchi and a bullpen to get the ball to Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning.
They struck out on all five counts, but I don't blame them for trying to squeeze one more year out of contending for a National League West title with their core players.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is an All-Star, outfielder Brian Giles is a pro's pro and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff is a No. 6 hitter with 20-plus homeruns miscast by default as a No. 5 hitter by necessity.
Towers said discussions have begun to bring Hoffman back for another year.
The gamble didn't work, and now they begin re-tooling the lineup with younger players in their minor leagues in 2009 instead of wondering if they pulled the plug too soon in 2008.
"The challenge is to get this turned around like we did from '03 to '04," Towers said. "I think we're in a better position now than we were then. We have more young players in our system and we have our core players. We have young people other teams want in trades."
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, September 30 -- 7:11 pm
The Oakland Raiders and their owner Al Davis, who collectively represent everything that is evil in sports, are finally getting what they deserve.
The Chargers are heavy favorites to win Sunday when they play the Raiders at Oakland, and why wouldn't they be? The Raiders are being mocked around the country as a bad football team and a dysfunctional organization.
What took so long?
The Raiders are the ones who popularized black uniforms that gangs embraced and celebrated.
Before long, respectable pro sports teams were incorporating black into their uniforms. The St. Louis Cardinals wore black baseball hats, even though black isn't a team color. That's just one example of gang-style clothing inspired by the Raiders creeping into the mainstream.
The Raiders and Al Davis are the ones who popularized the expression, "Just win, baby!"
In other words, bend the rules, flat out cheat and set examples of poor sportsmanship. And then laugh about how you got away with it. Never mind the negative trickle-down effect on high school and youth sports.
Sports talk radio personalities latched on to the expression as a gimmick to talk about on the air, spreading the word among impressionable fans. They celebrated the Raider way. Never mind they denigrated everything good about sports.
The Raiders are the ones who popularized milking public tax dollars from schools and fixing roads to remodel stadiums. They did it when they moved from Los Angeles to Oakland and then back to Oakland. In between, Davis suckered Irwindale, Calif. in to paying him millions for the possibility to move the Raiders up the freeway from the Coliseum.
"Genius," the Raiders players chanted in the locker room after they won the Super Bowl in 1980 by beating the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now we know Davis is nothing more than an eccentric old man who is spoiling the proud legacy he built, but we're stuck with this "genius" label being thrown loosely around within all sports.
For example, after Eric Mangini was called a genius in 2006 after he went 10-6 with Herm Edwards players. "Man-Genious," they said. Yeah, right. Try saying that now.
Remember how Davis was always accused of interfering with the head coaches' game plans? The coaches and players always denied it. Even after they left the Raiders organization, they wouldn't admit it.
Now people are finally admitting Davis interferes with the team. There was an interesting interview Thursday with former Raiders head coach Tom Flores on XX Sports Radio.
Flores, now a commentator for Raiders radio broadcasts, admitted Davis always interferes. He explained it was that way when he played for Davis, so people brought up in the Raider system accepted it. I was stunned to hear him admit it. He must figure Al is so out of it, word won't get back to him about what he said.
But Davis has brought in so many outside coaches in recent years, and he can't get away it anymore. Plus, he has apparently lost his ability to judge football talent.
Here's one more story, and then I'll get off this rant about Al Davis and the Raiders. I heard it from a former Raiders assistant coach.
La'Roi Glover, the former Point Loma High and San Diego State defensive lineman, started his career with the Raiders in 1996, but was cut after one season.
A couple of years later Glover, who is now a six-time Pro Bowler in his 13th NFL season with the St. Louis Rams, played against the Raiders as a member of the New Orleans Saints. Glover, exacting his own revenge, had a monster game, blowing up the Raiders' offense line from the first snap.
When the coaches watched film on Monday -- with Davis present as always -- Davis kept muttering out loud, "Can't anybody block him?" each time Glover made a play.
The coaches, under their breaths, kept muttering, "He used to be on this team, Al."
That's the Al that used to be considered the clever guy who was a step ahead of everyone. Now we know the Raiders are what they are -- and that they represent everything evil about sports.
-- TOM SHANAHANThursday, September 25 -- 6:23 pm
Norv Turner opened his post-game comments stating the defense set the tone of the game. He felt it was the reason Chargers beat the New York Jets 48-29 Monday night at Qualcomm Stadium.
"When (the Jets) have an interception for a touchdown and kickoff return to the 5-yard line, and those are their only points of the half
-- we only gave up 80 yards in the first half (84 actually) -- well, we got back to the way we play," Turner said.
Then somebody reminded Turner that second-year wide receiver Buster Davis -- coming off an unproductive rookie year -- kept two early scoring drives alive for a 10-7 lead with three third-down catches over the middle that totaled 43 yards.
"I'm glad you reminded me of that," Turner said. "That is something that set the tone for the game. He’s a talented young player, but he’s had unfortunate injuries. It was a big lift he gave us. I think he’s going to be an exciting player for us. Sometimes it takes young guys a little longer. He’s doing that, and he stepped up big tonight."
So which one set the tone, Norv? The defense or Buster?
It's not that Turner was confused; it’s just that he had a choice this week, unlike those two season-opening losses to Carolina and Denver when the Chargers’ defense gave up big yardage and dramatic winning touchdowns.
The Chargers' defense wasn't dominating against the Jets -- it gave up
308 total yards. But it forced three turnovers, including an interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
If the Chargers can hold their opponents without a scoring drive in the first half, the offense can build big leads as it did against the Jets.
The Chargers have scored 110 points in their first three games. Only the 1981 Bolts, with Hall-of-Famers Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner and Chuck Muncie, a running back with Hall-of-Fame talent wiped out by drug problems, have scored more in their first three games.
You can gripe about the big plays the Jets put together or their long kick returns -- and plenty of you will -- but that’s football, especially in this era of parity. Turner said a focus this week will be fixing those problems before Sunday's game at the Oakland Raiders.
But the offense doesn't need to be fixed. It just needs to get healthy.
It's put up 110 points without full production from running back LaDainian Tomlinson, a future Hall-of-Famer, and tight end Antoino Gates, a Hall-of-Famer at the pace he's producing, fully healthy.
One reason is quarterback Philip River, now in his fifth NFL season and third as a starter, is playing at the highest level of his career.
"They doubled our outside receivers and every one doubles Gatesy,"
Turner said. "When they do that, (Davis) ends up in can single coverage. Philip has done a great job of moving in the pocket, which he's done in each game to buy a little extra time. He was getting the ball to (Davis)."
Hey, maybe it was actually Rivers who set the tone.
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, September 23 -- 2:45 am
After coming off two last-minute losses, the San Diego Chargers earned a decisive victory Monday night, defeating the New York Jets 48-29.
For photos of the game, click on the player below.
Monday, September 22 -- 10:34 pm Sam Posner, a Torrey Pines High teacher who has long served as the public address announcer at the school's football games, was attempting to decipher a confusing situation.
Oddly enough, his description at the microphone Friday night turned out to be quite similar to one that legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg attempted to provide his audience during the Chargers-Broncos game broadcast Sunday afternoon on CBS.
That's not a bad thing to have somebody say about you.
But more importantly, because what happened in the Torrey Pines game Friday night with a referee's whistle was similar to the Chargers' game at Denver, Torrey Pines football coach Scott Ashby had a little easier time explaining it all to his teenage players.
"I did help," Ashby said. "I told our young men that we made our fair share of mistakes in the game, and the referee made a mistake with a quick whistle. You just have to realize everybody makes mistakes and try to overcome it and move on to the next game."
Chargers fans who watched the Bolts' 39-38 loss at Denver know all about referee Ed Hochuli blowing a call when he ruled a fumble as an incomplete pass and stopped play with a whistle.
Everyone was confused, and Enberg admitted he didn't know why the referees placed the ball at the 10-yard line before resuming play.
That's similar to what Posner said, too, when everyone was confused that the referee in the Eastlake-Torrey Pines game spotted the ball at the Eastlake 40-yard line after Torrey Pines running back Brock Ringo had run around end and scored an apparent touchdown. Ringo was holding the ball aloft in the end zone when the referees instructed him to bring the ball back.
"They're putting the ball at the 40-yard line, and I don't know why," Posner told the fans at Falcon Field, which, by the way, should be re-named John Lynch Field for the future Hall-of-Famer once he officially retires.
Torrey Pines runs a Wing-T offense that relies on deception, and what happened is fullback Robert Murray carried out his fake so well into the middle of the line, the referees blew the play dead when Eastlake's defenders gang-tackled him. But Ringo was on his way to the end zone before anyone realized the fullback didn't have the ball.
I didn't know what happened, and neither did Curt Stephenson, a La Jolla High alum who knows a lot more football than me as a former Buffalo Bills and University of Michigan wide receiver. He provides color analysis for the Torrey Pines radio broadcasts, and he pulled off his headset and exclaimed, "Can you believe that?"
Similar to Hochuli admitting his mistake to Chargers head coach Norv Turner, Ashby said the referee (sorry, I don't have his name, so Torrey Pines fans might be disappointed that they can't flood his e-mail box similar to poor Hochuli) admitted his mistake before play resumed.
"My reaction was utter helplessness," Ashby said. "You know it's a mistake, but you also know there is no recourse. They (the referees) felt very bad about it. All you can do in that situation is own up to your mistake, and they acted very professionally."
The mistake wasn't nearly as costly in the Torrey Pines game - on the scoreboard or, of course, in financial terms in the billion-dollar business of the NFL. Eastlake, ranked No. 8 in the CIF San Diego Section, won convincingly, 35-17, so the whistle didn't change who won the contest.
But it did make it easier for Ashby to get his players to accept what happened and move on to this week's game against Rancho Bernardo.
"I was working, preparing for the next game, so I didn't see it happen on TV, but I did see the highlights later," Ashby said of the Chargers' game. "It just goes to show you that it happens at every level."
Pro athletes do such a disservice to high school coaches by setting bad examples - from fighting to taunting to excessive celebrating -- that at least this is one time when pro sports made life easier for a high school coach.
-- TOM SHANAHANFriday, September 19 -- 4:51 pm Chargers head coach Norv Turner will never be confused with Jimmy Johnson, his boss when he was an assistant on Johnson's staff with the Super Bowl-champion Dallas Cowboys.
He will never be confused with Super Bowl ring-sporting Bill Parcells, his old NFL coaching rival.
But just because Turner isn't as effusive as Johnson or as ornery as Parcells doesn't mean he can't break down a football game, recognize what went wrong and know how to try to fix it.
That's what I listen for when Turner meets with the media for his post-mortem. That's what more fans should listen for instead of making snap judgments they've picked up on Internet message boards or sports talk radio.
If Turner had Johnson's personality, he could bluff his way through interviews with clichés and one-liners without explaining much about football. If he had Parcells' personality, he wouldn't suffer fools gladly in interviews.
But Turner is just a football coach -- that's all he wants to be -- who lacks the type of personality that keeps frustrated fans coming back. One of the first observations Turner made following Sunday's 39-38 loss to the Denver Broncos was that it reminded him of the Chargers' 31-24 loss to Green Bay last year, which dropped the Chargers' record to 1-2.
If you'll recall, Green Bay's then-quarterback Brett Favre passed the Chargers silly at Lambeau Field, similar to Denver quarterback Jay Cutler did Cornerback Antonio Cromartie was a victim against Favre and Cutler.
"It reminded me of our Green Bay game in a lot of ways," Turner said. "There are things I look at where we need to get better; we need to get better in all three phases. We can get better. A lot of the plays it was one guy out of position or one guy a step away from getting pressure. Those are things we can improve upon."
After that game, the Chargers eventually improved, struggling at 5-5 before they won their final six regular season games and two playoff games before losing in the AFC Championship game.
This time a year ago Denver's defensive players were lamenting their inability to stop the run. Denver never did shore up its defense, but do you think it was because Mike Shanahan and his staff forgot how to coach? They tried a lot of things that didn't work until they had a chance to re-tool the roster in the offseason.
Turner and his staff know they have to get a better pass rush on defense. They know they have to do it without Shawne Merriman, the three-time Pro Bowler lost for the season with knee surgery.
"One of the things that helped us turn it around a year ago is we got better on coverage, and we made the most of our opportunities to create turnovers," Turner said. "That's the biggest difference between now and the high level we were playing last year. We have to create more of a pass rush and when we have opportunities for turnovers, we have to make them."
He was asked how much the Chargers' pass rush missed Merriman.
"That's impossible to say, and I'm not going to answer it and get into it every week," said Turner, getting about as close to a snippy Parcells as you'll see him.
So it's back to work. Maybe the Chargers will find what's missing like they did a year ago. Maybe they'll never overcome the loss of Merriman's pass rush, just as Denver was unable to stop the run a year ago.
Who knows? Turner may not entertain us like Jimmy Johnson or ignore us like Bill Parcells when trying to explain what went wrong in a game, but to say he doesn't know what he's doing is a snap judgment that shouldn't be taken seriously.
-- TOM SHANAHANWednesday, September 17 -- 12:22 pm Maybe next year, the NFL Competition Committee will decide to allow referees to watch the network telecast if NFL replay equipment fails. Maybe they'll decide that if a referee mistakenly whistles a play dead and then determines that the subsequent action resulted in a change of possession, they have the discretion to decide who should be awarded the ball.
Maybe next year.
The Chargers found themselves in both of those circumstances on Sunday, leading to a 39-38 loss to the Denver Broncos. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello has already stated that the league will review the plays for possible rule changes.
"As for things that occurred during the game, in my mind, they're done," Chargers head coach Norv Turner said. "We sent the plays ... that we had in question. We expect to get a response back. Anything that we talk about or anything that is discussed in terms of any of the rules or any of the calls isn't going to change the outcome of that game. That game is going to be 39-38, forever."
The first blown call occurred when the referees ruled what appeared to be a completed pass (from Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to wide receiver Chris Chambers) an interception, though replays showed Denver cornerback Champ Bailey pulling the ball away after both were on the ground. Denver was awarded the ball at the 28-yard line and quickly converted the possession into a touchdown.
But the replays were the network replays. The NFL replay equipment failed.
"That was tough to swallow because it turned into seven points," Rivers said. "You'd like to think there is a backup plan. You've got every TV angle paused and highlighted and four jumbotrons in the stadium that can show it."
But the bigger play in the game came in the final minute when an inadvertent whistle turned a fumble by Denver quarterback Jay Cutler into an incomplete pass. Denver retained possession and scored a touchdown and two-point conversion for the one-point victory.
"It's a point blank missed call," Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "So many people are affected by it. That's the thing that's most disappointing. It's not just us -- it's our families, the fans. Everybody is affected by the call. A prime example is when I called my wife after the game, and she was crying, all because of a call. It happens, but it's huge."
In 2007, the NFL changed the "down-by-contact" rule so that such a fumble ruling could be a reviewable play. The same could happen with the pass/fumble rule in 2009.
Usually, an inadvertent whistle involves a play during which the referee is fooled on a misdirection play in which player with the ball is running away from the scene of the falsely-blown whistle.
But in Sunday's particular play, the ball was bouncing away from Cutler and Chargers linebacker Tim Dobbins, who recovered the ball before it went out of bounds. No other player was near the ball and, thus, no other player was confused by a whistle.
A new rule in 2009 should allow the referee to interpret what happened and make amends for the inadvertent whistle.
But that will help the 2008 Chargers as much as the 1978 Chargers were aided by a new fumble rule after the Oakland Raiders pulled off the "holy roller" play to beat the Chargers 21-20. In this game, Raiders quarterback Kenny Stabler "threw" a fumble before he was sacked, and Pete Banazsak kicked the ball forward while pretending to be grasping for it. Dave Casper advanced it with his own stumbling grasp before finally falling on it in the end zone for a touchdown.
By 1979, there was a new rule in place that prevented such a fumble from being advanced.
But, like Turner said in reference to the 39-38 loss in 2008, the 1978 Oakland-San Diego score has remained 21-20 "forever."
-- TOM SHANAHANMonday, September 15 -- 10:50 pm We're about to find out how good the Chargers' defense is without Shawne Merriman applying pass rush pressure.
 Merriman, a three-time Pro Bowler who had hoped to play as long as possible this season on his injured knee, informed the Chargers Tuesday he would undergo season-ending surgery to repair torn ligaments.
Merriman didn't have a sack -- as a team, the Chargers had only one sack -- in the Bolts' season-opening upset loss Sunday to the Carolina Panthers.
The Chargers released a statement from general manager A.J. Smith:
"Shawne informed me he did not feel right (on the field) and thought it best to shut it down. The road to winning the AFC West just got more difficult, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Shawne is a great player and an inspirational leader. He will be missed. We wish him a successful surgery and a speedy recovery."
We're also about to find out how strong Jyles Tucker is as a linebacker. He started the 2007 season on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent.
But he sure looked good as Merriman's replacement at the end of last season, especially in the Oakland game when he had three sacks, forcing a fumble on one he recovered for a touchdown, and was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
On the other side is "The Other Guy," a label Shaun Phillips got saddled with while playing in Merriman's shadow. Phillips will draw more double-teams, but this is also his opportunity.
He can make a Pro Bowl simply by duplicating his past seasons that were overshadowed by Merriman's play. After all, he got his label when an opposing coach said "the other guy's pretty good, too."
At the end of the preseason, Merriman visited doctors around the country for opinions on whether he could play on the knee. He has a torn posterior cruciate ligament and a tear in the lateral collateral ligament.
A tear to the anterior cruciate ligament, like the season-ending one suffered by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday, is more serious and requires surgery before play can resume.
Merriman's decision to attempt to play this season goes back to what I said in an earlier blog. Football is still a game for him. He wanted to play. He ignored those who say that the game is a business and he was risking future injury.
How can you criticize the guy for that? Plenty did, and will continue to find fault with how he approached this season, but I don't know why.
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, September 9 -- 5:20 pm
Internet message boards are buzzing. Sports radio shows are talking. Blogs are blogging.
San Diego State fans are angry at Chuck Long for the Aztecs' season-opening loss to Cal Poly.
But I wonder if it's true that the times have changed in sports and we really do live in harsher times? Or are the snap judgments simply more instantaneous and available to public debate?
Let me take you back to 1977 on Notre Dame's campus. History tells that Notre Dame won the national championship under Dan Devine that season with a 38-10 upset of then-No. 1-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
But the weekend Notre Dame was scheduled to play Michigan State was just two weeks after the Irish had lost to Mississippi. That defeat turned out to be the only loss of the year, but it came in the second week of the season -- after Devine's first two teams finished 8-3 and 9-3.
Remember, this is back in the day when a three-loss record at Notre Dame was considered a losing season. Devine had fewer backers then than Charlie Weis does now, after coaching the Irish to a 3-9 record last year.
Also, know that Devine had arrived at Notre Dame after being run out of Green Bay as the Packers' head coach. Legend has it that a Packers fan shot and killed the family dog, although the veracity of that story has been disputed.
Consider this, though: Today, even Internet posters and sports talk radio hosts would say it's unbelievable. But back then, since the rumor continued to spread, people must have nodded their heads and agreed, "Yeah, that's possible."
Anyway, back to the Oct. 1 Michigan State-Notre Dame game, which I remember like it was yesterday. I never saw anything like then or since. I was a student at Michigan State, writing for my college newspaper, when a friend who attended Notre Dame showed me around campus.
When we passed the basketball arena, I noticed that painted on the curb, designating parking spots, were the names of the football coaches.
Dan Devine's name was crossed out with bold black paint.
That night we went to the pep rally at the old basketball field house. The band was playing the Notre Dame Victory March, and student-thrown streamers flew back and forth. The atmosphere was electric.
Then Ross Browner, Notre Dame's All-American defensive end, stood up on stage to speak.
"We know we're going to win tomorrow because we have the best fans!" he said to roars from the students.
"We know we're going to win because have the best offense!" Louder roars.
"We know we're going to win because we have the best defense!" Still louder roars.
"We know we're going to win because have the best coaches!"
Total silence.
I was about to burst out laughing until I saw all the serious looks on the faces surrounding me. In an instant, the mood went from joyous to hostile.
To the students' credit, they didn't boo as Browner stammered on stage before generating excitement again. This lack of boos, maybe, is the one difference between then and now.
The next day, the game was close until Devine pulled quarterback Rusty Lisch and sent in some backup named Joe Montana. A buzz came over the press box, not to mention the stadium crowd. Montana trotted into the huddle and led the Irish to a 16-6 win.
Two weeks later, No. 5-ranked USC traveled to No. 11 Notre Dame. That's when Devine worked some magic, changing his legacy from reviled to worshiped.
He had his players warm up in traditional blue jerseys, only to return to the locker room to find green jerseys. When they emerged from the tunnel dressed in green, the place went nuts. Notre Dame won 49-19.
In today's climate, former Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham didn't survive after three years. Weis may not see a fourth season if he doesn't turn around last year's record.
We know that Joe Montana and green jerseys helped Devine earn a fourth year at Notre Dame and a place in Irish lore.
But what if he'd had to contend with the Internet and sports talk radio and the snap judgments that fuel criticism and spread like wildfire?
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, September 9 -- 5:20 pm
The story swirling around Chargers Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman -- should he or shouldn't he play this year -- reminds me of a scene from the 1979 movie "North Dallas Forty."
The late John Matuszak, a former defensive lineman with the Raiders and a monster of a man, is raging at an assistant coach about the issue of playing with injuries as the team dressed for a big game.
 "Every time we say it's a game, you say it's a business! Every time we say it's a business, you say it's a game!"
Now that Merriman, who will eventually need reconstructive knee surgery, has decided he will play on his wounded knee in the season opener Sept. 7, some NFL pundits and fans are essentially saying, "Shawne, it's a business. Don't risk further injury and multi-million dollar contracts."
Merriman, though, is saying, "It's a game. I'm a football player. I want to be part of a possible Super Bowl season."
How can you fault the guy for that? Did anybody call Philip Rivers a fool when it was revealed he played in the AFC Championship game on a knee that needed surgery after the season?
My guess is Merriman probably won't make it through the season, but barring the bad luck of a catastrophic injury -- which could happen even if his knee was 100 percent -- he will be back negotiating multi-million dollar contracts in the future.
Merriman knows the deal -- that later in life he'll probably be getting knee replacements. Willie Buchanon, the great Chargers and Green Bay Packers cornerback from San Diego State and Oceanside High, had two knee replacements at the same time in April and says he's walking around better than he has in years.
I saw Art Powell, the great wide receiver from San Diego High who was one of the American Football League's all-time great wide receivers in the 1960s with the Oakland Raiders, recently. We were talking about his grandson, Alec Williams, a San Diego State-bound basketball recruit.
Williams is a 6-foot-6, 245-pound "small forward," so naturally I asked Powell with a body like that why his grandson wasn't playing football.
"Because I wouldn't let him," said Powell, referring to the injuries football players suffer without the guaranteed contracts of basketball and baseball players.
There's no way to tell from Matuszak's lines in North Dallas Forty if "The Tooz," as he was known, would have played or not in Merriman's situation.
My guess is he would have played. When you're that big, that strong and having that much fun playing a game, it overrides the business aspect.
Shawne Merriman is no one's fool. He' knows what he's doing.
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, September 2 -- 11:06 am
Our media partner, NBC 7/39, has this report about Stephen Strasburg, a pitcher for my alma mater, San Diego State and, now, an Olympic bronze medalist. You can check out all NBC's coverage of local Olympians here.
Wednesday, August 27 -- 8:44 am
The Chargers preseason match-up against the Seattle Seahawks ended in dramatic fashion Monday, with a two-point conversion in the final minutes of the game giving the Bolts an 18-17 victory. Here's a selection of photos from the game:
Monday, August 25 -- 9:37 pm
The Padres and Chargers couldn't even win this one.
Forbes magazine has ranked San Diego the second-worst major metropolitan city for sports fans, saying its high ticket prices and low winning percentages put San Diego only behind Miami on its list of worst cities to be a sports fan.
From the magazine:
Throw in a $38,632 median household income for the greater Miami area, fifth-lowest of the 29 markets, along with a $292.50 price tag for a family of four to see a game, and the city's pro sports scene ranks as the worst deal in the country by our accounting. That's what happens when the NBA Heat and NFL Dolphins combine to go 16-82 during the 2007-08 season, more than offsetting the competitiveness of baseball's young Florida Marlins.
Lining up behind Miami for the booby prize are San Diego ($300 a game for a family of four; .425 combined winning percentage for the Chargers and Padres), Indianapolis (a lower-income market with middle-of-the-road ticket prices) and New York (second-highest prices in the country for teams that lose just over half their games, the Super Bowl champion Giants not withstanding).
This is how the magazine calculated the index:
In figuring the toughest cities in which to be sports fans over the past year, we compared the latest median household income figures from the Census Bureau to the Fan Cost Index for each team compiled by Team Marketing. Those metros with the lowest ratios of income to ticket cost were deemed most expensive for fans. Those ratios were then compared to team performance, with regular season won-lost records and playoff outcomes combined for all teams in a given city.
Here's a link to a specific slide on San Diego.
It contains this nugget:
The Chargers are one of only nine NFL teams with a fan cost index that exceeds $400.
Monday, August 25 -- 2:01 pm
"The draft has never been anything but a f------ crapshoot. We take 50 guys and we celebrate if two of them make it. In what other business is 2-for-50 a success? If you did that in the stock market, you'd go broke." -- Billy Beane
While 2003 may have been the end to an era, it would be difficult to argue that much had changed following the 2004 Amateur Draft. In a draft where the executive decisions were inexplicably carried out by owner John Moores, the Padres drafted local Mission Bay High School product, Matt Bush. The team immediately felt the return of their $3.15 million investment when, 13 days later, Bush was arrested in a night club scuffle under suspicion of "felony assault, and misdemeanor trespass and disorderly conduct ... [and] underage drinking." What's worse, the dude's a biter.
The move was immediately scrutinized as many believed it was merely predicated due to a financial bottom line as opposed to acquiring top shelf talent. While this isn't necessarily a fair assessment (Bush was considered a Top 10 prospect in many circles and the Padres weren't the only team who refused to pay premium prices for first round picks), the move ushered in a new philosophy and face for the front office:
John Moores rebuilt the Padres' entire draft and development department, from the top down. Sandy Alderson, former executive with Major League Baseball became a part owner and team CEO. Grady Fuson, who nearly worked his way to general manager in the Texas Rangers' system due to his extensive experience as a scout and talent evaluator, was named Padres director of scouting. Paul DePodesta, former executive vice president and general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, became Padres special assistant for baseball operations.
The franchise distanced itself from frivolous spending and settled with modest payrolls ranked either near or below the Major League average; fan favorites left via free agency. While the casual fan saw departing players and the concept of a modest player payroll as a black mark upon the franchise, the team began a new approach to the draft to create an advantage.
Since the move to Petco Park, the Padres have struggled promoting from within due to years of neglect that relegated their farm system near useless, ranking near the worst in the league up until this past season (courtesy of Baseball America):
2005: 27th
2006: 29th
2007: 29th
2008: 12th
The marked improvement can definitely be attributed to the new franchise philosophy and although this couldn't happen overnight, the franchise continues to exhaust every effort in order to restock their depleted farm system. The methods in which Alderson and company sought to improve this franchise were dubbed by sportswriter Tom Krasovic as "Sandyball," and simply reiterated the importance of acquiring extra draft picks in any way possible:
[Getting extra draft picks] is done by offering salary arbitration to a free agent who played for your club the previous season. If the player declines and signs with another team, the original club gets one or two high-end picks in the next June amateur draft. Under Alderson, the Padres have obtained 12 extra picks, including seven in 2007 and another three for the upcoming June draft. From 2000-2005, they had two extra picks. "The farm system has improved," Alderson said. "That's partly because of more draft picks. But it's also partly more effective use of draft picks."
The method -- from the standpoint of retooling the farm system -- worked. As outlined above, over the past three years the Padres have hoarded sandwich picks more than at any other point in franchise history and, in that time, selected more players in the first three rounds than any other team in baseball.
Money allocated for contracts to Padres' draft picks is also far more significant than in years past. In 2007, the Padres managed to sign all but one of their 12 first-day draft picks and this year they not only had a successful Amateur Draft, but they locked up an additional $4.8 million in player contracts during the International Draft -- which, not so coincidentally, is the first year in which the Padres' $8.5 million scouting facility in the Dominican Republic has been open. That total, according to a report in the Union Tribune, was approximately five times their normal amount, "as the Padres spend about $1 million during the international signing period." Of the five players taken that day, all four that played in Latin America made ESPN's Top 12 "Best Latino Prospects of 2008" list.
The hope is that their growth and maturity as a franchise continues with an unshakable focus for sustained future prosperity, no matter how the major league squad is playing at the moment. With this front office and the impressions they've made through their accomplishments, there's reason to be optimistic.
Friday, August 15 -- 7:35 pm
Our media partner, NBC 7/39, has video of the family and friends of Tiffany Snow, the local Olympian who I had the privilege to meet and photograph for this story.
Check it out below.
Friday, August 15 -- 12:30 pm
Our media partner, NBC 7/39, has a cool photo gallery on its site featuring San Diego athletes at the Olympics in Beijing. Enjoy.
Thursday, August 14 -- 3:30 pm Sorry my Voice posts have become an All-Burgener sports page, but when I called Mike Burgener for a former college football player and Marine's perspective on San Diego State practicing at Camp Pendleton, I had to ask him about his son, too.
Casey Burgener, if you didn't hear, qualified for the USA Olympic men's weightlifting team on May 17 at the Olympic trials in Atlanta when he finished third in the super heavyweight division.
At least that's what Burgener, 25, thought.
The Rancho Buena Vista High alumnus traveled to Beijing with the USA Olympic weightlifting team as planned only to learn on Thursday that the International Weightlifting Federation had ruled the USA would only have two spots at the Olympics instead of three.
Understandably, it was a great disappointment for Burgener, but his father, a Bonsall resident and retired teacher and coach at Rancho Buena Vista, said Casey has received an outpouring of support in Beijing from other U.S. Olympians, as well as athletes from other countries. When Casey talked with his father on Thursday morning, he told him he was so depressed that his father shouldn't expect to hear from him for three or four days.
But support from other Olympians helped salve the wound, and officials at USA Weightlifting, the national governing body for the sport, found a way to keep him busy. Casey checked in with an update.
The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Burgener told his father he's even serving as a bodyguard at some practices and games for the U.S. men's basketball 'Redeem Team,' which includes Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
"He said the players have been coming up to him and offering support," Mike said. "He said it was weird that he was looking at them as the best in the world, and they were treating him like one of the best in the world at what he does. He was real impressed with them; he said they're regular guys."
Well, the "regular guys" label might be hard to apply to pampered multi-millionaire athletes, but the point was that NBA stars took the time to offer their sympathy.
Mike Burgener said USA Weightlifting has also provided Casey with tickets to attend other Olympic events. And Casey also is watching his fiancée compete. Natalie Woolfolk is a member of the U.S. women's weightlifting team.
--TOM SHANAHANTuesday, August 12 -- 8:52 pm
Here's a select few shots from the Chargers' Saturday night preseason victory against the Dallas Cowboys. Stay tuned throughout the season for more photos, along with insight and analysis about the team in our Cheap Seats blog.
Date: 8/9/08 I see Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith opened more than his big mouth this time. He unloaded his fists on a teammate, breaking cornerback Ken Lucas' nose Friday at the Panthers' training camp.
Thank you, Carolina head coach John Fox for the courage to suspend your best player for the season's first two games. Smith will miss Carolina's games against the Chargers Sept. 7 at Qualcomm Stadium and Sept. 14 against the Chicago Bears in the Panthers' home opener.
But Fox -- especially as a former SDSU safety -- should go a couple of steps further.
Instead of leaving Smith behind in Charlotte, Fox should make him travel to San Diego for the Chargers game. He should buy former SDSU cornerback Donte Gamble a ticket close to the Panthers' bench. Fox should make Smith sit within earshot of Gamble so Gamble can mock him for the stupidity that will cost Smith an estimated $205,882 out of his $1.75 contract.
A brief history lesson: Smith played at Utah, and in the 2000 season at Qualcomm, he beat Gamble with touchdown catches of 74 and 69 yards in the Utes' 21-7 win over SDSU.
It was a meaningless game that dropped the Aztecs to 1-5 en route to a 3-8 record. But Smith, stopping for a question I asked him at midfield, acted as if he'd avenged taunts from Deion Sanders in the Super Bowl.
"I punked Gamble, right there; I punked him," Smith said. "He talks garbage. I don't like him. That was one-on-one, me and him. He lost. There isn't much more to say. It's a waste of my time. I mean, look at the scoreboard."
Except I never asked Smith about Gamble; I asked him about his touchdown catches.
Understand that Gamble was a 5-foot-8, 160-pound walk-on junior college transfer thrown into an impossible situation. The Aztecs, already thin at cornerback, had lost their projected starter, Bishop Miller, to what turned out to be a season-long a suspension shortly before fall camp opened.
The Aztecs scrambled to find a warm body, and all they could come up with was Gamble. He literally filled out his paperwork for the Sports Information Office about who the heck he was after his first practice.
Following Smith's tirade, I asked Will Demps, then an SDSU safety now in his seventh NFL season with the Houston Texans, what happened between Smith and Gamble. He said he didn't see anything out of the ordinary for trash talk in a football game.
"Donte came into a tough situation and people pick on him," said Demps, meaning quarterbacks, not bullies like Smith. "He's short, but he's a tough player. He's leading the Mountain West (Conference) in passes defended (actually third). He'll pick it up."
Why would a guy like Smith with an NFL future care about embarrassing a player like Gamble that wouldn't have been on a Division I-A football roster if the Aztecs' projected starter had stayed out of trouble? I was tempted to tell Smith how foolish he sounded. Good thing I didn't. With his temper, he might have unloaded on me.
Smith's attack on Lucas isn't his first fisticuffs with a teammate. In the 2002 season, he was suspended one game when he injured Anthony Bright in a fight that broke out in a team meeting room. Bright filed a civil suit that was settled out of court.
So, here are a few suggested taunts for Gamble directed at Smith:
"Anthony Bright punked you!"
"Ken Lucas will punk you one-on-one in court!"
"You talk garbage! You're a waste of time!"
And, presuming the Chargers are winning the game since Smith's absence will handicap the Panthers' offense, one more taunt from Gamble:
"I mean, look at the scoreboard!"
--TOM SHANAHANDate: 8/4/08 It has been a crazy and rumored-filled past couple of months really, but the non-waiver trade deadline has now officially passed and the only guys who left town are Randy Wolf and Tony Clark.
It was signings like Wolf and Clark that had us optimistic before the season started but for whatever reason, they really weren't the answer to our offseason puzzle.
Somewhat remarkably, Greg Maddux and Brian Giles are still around and while they still could be dealt by the Aug. 31 waiver deadline, it is a lot tougher to pull off. For a more detailed explanation about how that deadline works check out Paul DePodesta's post on the subject.
Over the weeks of trade talk the one thing I couldn't help but get tired of hearing is how activity or inactivity at the deadline was somehow related to how much an organization cared about its fans. Winners were making moves to show their fans how much they wanted to win while losers were showing their fans that this season was lost but are thinking about the future.
So what is it supposed to mean when a team trades two aging pieces for two once promising but now somewhat forgotten arms? If you buy into that philosophy, it means our Padres don't care about us.
However, I think our lack of activity is more about wanting to get proper value in return more. We know Kevin Towers will pull the trigger on all kinds of deals but if he isn't getting anything close to what he wants, he's not going to make a trade just to make a trade.
Maybe part of my problem is that I still refuse to believe we really are a basement team in a weak NL West. We probably should have realized that our No. 5 starter was going to be a permanent problem once Mark Prior was lost for the long term, but who knew Khalil Greene would fall off as much as he did offensively and that Jim Edmonds wouldn't start playing until he secured his release from SD?
There's a difference between cursed franchises like the Pirates and just having bad luck. Hopefully we aren't about to become the Pittsburgh of the West Coast.
Friday, August 1 -- 1:46 pm
The San Diego Padres Baseball Club, like any large business, is a complex entity. Many employees with different skill sets work together to provide fans with the entertainment experience they have come to expect. From groundskeepers to broadcasters, quantitative analysts to medical staff, it takes a lot to operate a baseball team.
As is the nature of the entertainment industry, fans can only follow the workings of the team as often as their leisure time (and entertainment budget) allow. In order to follow a sports team, fans rely on others, most often members of the media, to report on and summarize team related information and keep fans in the loop with their team. The spectrum of these reports varies wildly, ranging from sports updates on the nightly news to in-depth, frequently updated Web sites.
Now, thanks to the internet and other new forms of communication, in-depth coverage is available to anyone who cares enough about watching grown men run in circles. Web sites provide competition in the analysis fans need to enjoy the game.
The bad news is, San Diego traditional media hasn't successfully responded to the improvement in sports coverage. Radio commentators and newspaper columnists supply fans with misinformation, poor research, and display a less than thorough understanding of the complexity under which the San Diego Padres conduct business.
Therefore, The Sacrifice Bunt, in conjunction with voiceofsandiego.org, present a series titled "Padres 101." We will break down the business environment that surrounds the team, and all the background info behind decisions the team has made to stay competitive. This is the stuff you don't hear on the radio. Stay tuned.
--MELVIN NIEVESTuesday, August 12 -- 8:52 pm In a period of just a few months, Candice Wiggins went from breaking the Pac-10 career scoring record to leading Stanford to an NCAA runner-up finish to receiving the Wade Trophy Player of the Year.
Then, no sooner than the college basketball season ended, the WNBA season began. Wiggins was the third overall draft pick by the Minnesota Lynx and is averaging 16.4 points a game as a rookie, including being name the league’s Rookie of the Month for June.
As the season progressed, she was a strong candidate for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as a member of the U.S. Women's basketball team.
Oh, and somewhere along the line she found time to walk in Stanford's graduation ceremonies.
So after that whirlwind of events, what does Wiggins do after she isn't picked and suddenly has some time off while the WNBA takes a break for the Olympics?
She comes home to San Diego to put on a basketball camp at her alma mater, La Jolla Country Day.
What about a trip to Hawaii to relax in paradise?
"San Diego is paradise for me," Wiggins said.
The Candice Wiggins Basketball Camp is Aug. 1-3 for boys and girls from ages 6 to 17 at LJCD. The camp (for more information call 619-850-6226) was put together quickly once Wiggins realized she had time for a trip home.
"This is huge for me," Wiggins said. "I have to really thank Coach
(Terri) Bamford -- I guess I can call her Terri now -- and Lindsay (Kagawa, her agent) to help set up the camp. I went to so many camps when I grew up. Now that I'm in position to do this, I want to be able to give back."
Not even an injury, a back contusion suffered July 24 in a game at the Indiana Fever, was reason for her to take some time off.
If I know Wiggins, this is only the beginning. Since she was a high school All-American at LJCD, she has said if she gains a platform as a prominent athlete, she plans to use it to help others.
Wiggins is the daughter of the late Alan Wiggins, the catalyst of the Padres' 1984 National League championship team as a second baseman and leadoff batter.
Her father's struggle with drugs and death from AIDS-related symptoms has motivated her to launch an anti-drug program at the appropriate time. Wiggins was too young to remember much about her father when he died, but she takes great joy from encountering Padres fans that tell her stories about him.
Although Wiggins would like to be preparing to leave for Beijing, she didn't second guess the selection committee for the final three spots named earlier this month.
"I knew they were going to pick the best team, and I think they did,"
Wiggins said. "I'm still young, and I look forward to the chance to represent my country in the future."
The Olympics can wait, but a basketball camp back home can't.
--TOM SHANAHANTuesday, August 12 -- 8:52 pm _The sports world -- or maybe just uninformed men -- are all atwitter over the Los Angeles Sparks' Candace Parker and the Detroit Shock's_Plenette touching off a brawl in a WNBA game.
Television replayed video over and over of Parker and Plenette fighting for position for under the basket and then going after each other like_-- well, like men are used to seeing men go after each other in such situations.
It was one of those events that triggers and electronic trip wire, with the media members stumbling over each other to show video, talk about it or write about it. The presence of television cameras tends to do that. In reality, though, it was much ado about nothing. Women athletes have been getting into tussles for years. Women, after all, are competitive and tempers flare. Just like men. If you don't know that, you haven't watched many women's sports events. And it's not just the archaic stereotype of the woman athlete "who plays like a man."
One of the Sparks players suspended for the brawl was Lisa Leslie, a_36-year-old mom that has dabbled in modeling -- for obvious reasons.
Leslie apologized for setting a bad example, especially as a_ mother._The comment was disingenuous, though, if you ask me.
I remember covering a USC-San Diego State women's basketball game when_the 6-foot-5 Leslie and the Aztecs' Michelle Suman went after each other with the same ferocity you'd see from a couple of NBA thugs battling under the boards._
Suman, you might recall, was a 6-3 center on Beth Burns' NCAA_Tournament teams who was absolutely gorgeous. SDSU male students used to hoist banners with marriage proposals at games. The referees let Leslie and Suman go at it the whole game, which should tell you something else about how accepted such physical play was in women's basketball.
After the game, I told Suman it looked like she and Leslie didn't like each other.
"You could tell, huh," she said sardonically. She declined to go into detail, but acknowledged their dislike for each other dated back to previous games, including summer travel ball leagues in their high school years. That should tell you something, too, that's it's not unusual for women athletes to play rough.
You can see girls in high school games playing aggressively, too. I was_at a Horizon-La Jolla Country Day game last winter when LJCD's star point guard, Ariana Elegado, got roughed up on a scramble for a loose ball by a couple of Horizon players, Elegado jumped up and confronted one of the Horizon players but the refs quickly stepped in.
Coincidentally, Elegado sat near me in the stands later that night_during the LJCD-Horizon boys game, and I asked what happened.
I told her she needed to remember that someone watching her play for the first time would remember only that incident and not how good of a player she is.
She thought about for a moment, said I was right and said she would remember to control her emotions the next time.
And that, perhaps, is the real difference between men and women in sports.
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, August 12 -- 8:52 pm During the All-Star break I chose to ignore the game and look at what may happen to the Padres during the impending trade deadline. In an effort to answer the question of whether we should begin a rebuild process or reload in hopes that we have better luck in 2009, I have broken this series into parts. On Monday I looked at the strengths and weaknesses of our position players, and Tuesday I looked at the glaring holes in our pitching staff that can't seem to be covered up by increasing the number of pitchers on our roster.
Before I go into who our value commodities are and what type of return we expect, I want to just make it clear that the approach Kevin Towers took of reloading this year and trying to replace guys like Geoff Blum with Callix Crabbe or Mike Cameron with Jim Edmonds seemed like a reasonable one during spring training and fit within the overall philosophy of the organization -- finding cheap talent.
I have no problem with the fact that our team wants to win on a budget, especially since we don't have the resources of teams in New York or Boston. However, I find myself having to remember that fact in seasons like this because sometimes our investments just go belly up. Keeping in mind that most of our core group of players will be back next season, I say we roll the dice again on trying to plug the holes -- they are the same as last offseason for the most part -- and maybe in 2009 we will have good luck again.
A perfect time for us to try and start filling those holes is now, when teams trying to make a run will overpay to "rent" a player for a few months. So I want to take a look at the names that make the most sense to deal or have been rumored to be on the market and assess from there.
Greg Maddux: Maddux's name seems to be at the top of most lists and is probably the most valuable player we have. However, he has previously stated he wants to play for either us, the Braves or the Dodgers and with a full no-trade clause, he can make that a reality. He said he would also consider waiving the clause over the All-Star break if that's what we really wanted. Considering what pitchers like CC Sabathia and Rich Harden cost to acquire and the relative lack of available pitchers on the market, we might be able to get a decent outfielder or middle infielder that could start as early as 2009 or 2010. We might have to settle for a 2-for-1 with a low-level, low-ceiling talent brought in but this trade could be the quickest way to get some depth into our organization.
Randy Wolf: Wolf seems to be the other guy drawing a lot of interest from clubs looking for pitching but he too wants to stay in SD if he can. The fact that he is healthy at this point of the season is a great boost for us. Wolf can block moves to certain clubs but there are still some clubs not on his list that could use a veteran pitcher for the long haul. Wolf's value is probably significantly less than Maddux's, although he may be able to get a similar return to what we got for Scott Linebrink at the deadline last year. (Update: Since the writing of this post, Wolf has been traded to the Houston Astros for a minor-league prospect.)
Tony Clark: Apparently Clark's old team is missing him something fierce, and with all of the talent Arizona has in its farm system, it seems like we might be able to uncover a prospect that could turn into something with a little more seasoning. We probably wouldn't get someone who could help right away but we would probably get more than a bag of baseballs. (Update: Clark has been traded to Arizona since the writing of this post.)
Brian Giles: I think Giles has been most rumored out the door by Padres fans and not as much by the organization or the media. This is probably our second most intriguing piece as Giles still continues to hit for average and the occasional home run. If traded to the right place he could experience a home run revival of sorts in that he could add up to 10-15 more if he gets sent to a hitter's park. Supposedly the team seems content to hold onto Giles, with the thinking being a better replacement won't be available this winter but you have to believe that with Towers' track record that if the right deal comes along he will snatch it up.
While names like Kevin Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene continue to get thrown out there as possible trade deadline casualties, I find it hard to believe that either of them could be traded given our current status. Kouzmanoff is doing a good job filling a position that had been tough to fill for years and there simply is no one else to fill the hole Greene would leave.
Rumors will swirl, teams will get desperate and at some point Towers will take advantage. While this may be a tough season to deal with as it relates to wins and losses, this may actually be a good thing for us in the long run as it will give us a chance to restock our system at the expense of someone else without having to completely enter rebuild mode. I will gladly take one bad year to avoid multiple rebuilding years.
Tuesday, August 12 -- 8:52 pm In this three-part series I am examining what I believe the Padres should do at the trade deadline so we are in position in 2009 to contend for the playoffs once again. Yesterday I looked at our depth by position, seeing where we had talent for this year and beyond and noting where we could upgrade. Today, I want to look at pitchers.
If there is one thing Padres fans have learned to trust Kevin Towers on, it's his assessment of pitching. Heading into the season we knew we had three solid starters but also two glaring holes in the rotation. Towers took on this project like he did any other that involves pitching and sought out some bargain basement deals. He then proceeded to plug the holes in our pen with younger, cheaper talent but kept the main parts in tact.
This approach should not have caused much of a drastic change in our team ERA, especially since we led the league in that category last year, but somewhere along the way we ended up with more garage sale junk than we did bargain finds.
Starters: Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Greg Maddux did a great job as starters for us last year and we had no reason to believe anything would be different this year so Towers focused on getting guys to fill the last two rotation spots and put (very little) money on Randy Wolf and Mark Prior. Heading into the season we all knew Prior was still in the rehab process and he wasn't likely to return until June 1, but at $1 million for the season, it seemed worth the gamble to bring him on, especially if he could bring a fresh (if oft-injured) arm to the rotation while we were in the thick of a pennant race. It didn't seem that tough to find someone who could fill in for two months and with Justin Germano coming back, we thought he could take care of it after his great first half last season.
Wolf was in a similar situation, having spent much of the past few years injured, and for another $1 million this season he was another low-priced gamble that seemed better than giving a mediocre pitcher a high-priced, lengthy contract that would saddle us for years.
Somewhere along the way though the law of averages caught up with us and brought bad luck with it. Peavy started OK but had to hit the DL because his arm was sending him warning signals. Young got hit in the face with a ball and has yet to return. Maddux hasn't won a game since May 10 despite a 3.90 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and seven quality starts since then. Wolf has been that bargain Towers always finds and has been a great No. 4 starter. The fact that he has not had injury problems yet is also a bonus. Prior never came back, Germano couldn't get his smoke-and-mirrors routine to fly this year and every other plug-in should not be starting.
Hopefully the Padres decide that they only need to reload for 2009, not rebuild for the future. If that is the course they take, bringing back Maddux and Wolf could be a smart move yet again (provided they aren't traded) and maybe there will be a No. 5 starter in all that talent we have acquired in the minors. It can't be worse than what we've started this year.
Verdict: Keep the old guys and find a No. 5 starter.
Relievers: I think most of us felt going into the season that the loss of Doug Brocail wouldn't be that tough to overcome. That hasn't been the case though and even the steady Cla Meredith has pitched pretty mediocre. We have had a non-stop shuttle from AAA Portland bringing arms to us all year and I don't think that trend will change any time soon. However, Towers will probably get a reliever or two thrown in to any deal we make so we should never run out of guys to at least try out.
Verdict: We won't bring in a big name, but Towers will eventually find something decent -- he always does.
Going through position by position, it appears we have definite needs in the middle infield, outfield and pitching. Next I will look at the guys who have a shot at being traded and the type of value we should hope to get in return. I won't name specific names because who knows what we ever pick up, but looking at other recent trades I think we can look at the types of guys we can get back.
Tuesday, July 22 -- 7:46 am Now seems like a great time to assess what the Padres should and can do before the July 31 trade deadline. But before we target players or determine who should be put on the next bus out of town, I think it is very important to see exactly what we have. So in Part 1 I want to look at what position players we have for this year and beyond. In the next part we will look at our pitching -- starters and relievers -- before we talk about who is/should be expendable and what type of return we should look to get in a trade in Part 3.
Catcher: We have an entire system of younger catchers but even guys like Josh Bard aren't necessarily full-time starting material. Nick Hundley, Luke Carlin, Colt Morton all seem like capable backups but we lack a true No. 1 starter. There seems to be no difference between the young group and Michael Barrett so Barrett probably doesn't figure into future plans. The only in-house option that could become an undisputed full-time player could be Mitch Canham, but he probably won't be ready until 2010.
Verdict: Needs an upgrade.
First Base: Even if Adrian Gonzalez wasn't entrenched at first for the long haul, this is one of the few positions where we can afford to trade a guy or two and still have plenty of depth. Obviously Gonzalez is staying but backup Tony Clark seems to be a hot name as mentioned by Paul DePodesta. Bryan Myrow seems to have been brought up to get acclimated but he is older than Gonzalez so he is not a permanent solution. Kyle Blanks has been doing a good job in the minors and first round pick Allan Dykstra provide even more depth.
Verdict: Future is bright.
Second Base: Our second baseman of the future has struggled in his move to Triple A but Matt Antonelli will be the guy and if things go right, he should do it next year. Tadahito Iguchi was a good idea for this year but he went down injured before Antonelli was ready and has left a hole in the lineup. However, Edgar Gonzalez has been given a chance to prove himself and he has become this year's version of Geoff Blum, a guy who can fill in as a sub in multiple positions and can start for a short period of time if need be. We missed Blum early on but not as much once Gonzalez was called up.
Verdict: If we were contending we would rent a player for postseason.
Third Base: Before 2007 we traded an up-and-coming second baseman for an up-and-coming third baseman. Kevin Towers gave the reason that a solid 3B is harder to find than a solid 2B. We still haven't really filled the hole at 2B but we filled the hole at 3B with Kevin Kouzmanoff. We have to put up with slow Aprils and Mays from the kid but he is a good hitter and better than many of the guys who came before him. He was good enough to force our top prospect to move to left field. We drafted a couple of young 3B's in the early rounds this year as well.
Verdict: Another stacked position.
Short stop: We have one of the better defensive short stops in the league right now in Khalil Greene, and if you can put up with all of the strikeouts, he provides some power as well. But one of the things we have seen this year is that there really is no one behind Greene, in the majors or minors. If Greene were to go down - which has happened in the past - we have no idea who would come to the rescue. Luis Rodriguez may be serviceable but he is not a regular at this point.
Verdict: Desperately need some depth.
Outfield: I am lumping this all together because there is some need here. Chase Headley has the highest ceiling of any of the outfielders but he has only played the position this year. Scott Hairston and Jody Gerut project more as fourth/fifth outfielders with Hairston probably working best in a platoon. Both can man center which is a plus and would have been nice to know before we brought (and subsequently cut) Jim Edmonds to town. Brian Giles is still a solid hitter but he is on the downside of his career and may not be in SD for much longer. There is quite a bit of talent in the minors but most of it seems to be at least one year away.
Verdict: Would also upgrade if we were contending, but we could use a future starter or two.
Agree? Disagree? What are your thoughts on the roster? It needs work but where do we focus? Let me know below, I am interested in all thoughts on this subject.
Monday, July 21 -- 3:14 pm It's funny how events can juxtapose themselves decades later.
On Tuesday, the Chargers announced one of their all-time thoroughbreds, Fred Dean, would be inducted into the franchise's hall of fame on Oct. 12 during halftime of a game against the New England Patriots at Qualcomm Stadium.
Last Wednesday, the thoroughbreds began running for another season at Del Mar.
The two events made me think of Gene Klein -- the late Chargers owner, who later a major figure in thoroughbred horse racing after he had sold the Chargers in 1984 to Alex Spanos.
If Klein didn't get locked into a stubborn contract dispute with Dean, prompting the owner to virtually give his star player away in a 1981 trade with the San Francisco 49ers (a second-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks), maybe the Chargers would have finally won that elusive Super Bowl that escaped them during a run of four straight playoff trips from 1979 to 1982.
Klein would be remembered as a Super Bowl champion first and a horse owner second.
Dean was the key to the Chargers' fearsome pass rush in the 1979 and 1980 seasons, but it was with the 49ers under the late Bill Walsh that he established his credentials to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2009 on Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio.
It wasn't the first time the Klein gave away a player in a contract dispute. Remember when John Jefferson was sent to the Green Bay Packers?
Yes, I know, the Chargers replaced Jefferson by stealing Wes Chandler from the New Orleans Saints. But Jefferson was such a popular figure in San Diego -- it took some time for the franchise to recover after losing him. Jefferson might have ended up in the Hall of Fame -- like his teammate, Charlie Joiner -- if he had remained in the Air Coryell offense.
Dean was the kind of player off the field that needed direction in his life. He gained stability with the 49ers and ended up helping the franchise win two Super Bowls in the 1981 and 1984 seasons.
Dean didn't need a stubborn owner that wasn't going to budge. Jim Lazlavic, a Chargers player at the time and now a Channel 7 sportscaster, described it as the Chargers' biggest mistake when he asked Dean about it Tuesday at his hall of fame announcement.
Klein later earned the respect of sportswriters for his snappy quotes, once saying that he liked horse racing better than owning a football team because the horses don't ask to renegotiate.
But he never explained how he ripped apart key pieces from the Chargers so that he could continue to pay the equivalent of a bale of hay.
It's sad to think back on what might have been as the thoroughbreds run at Del Mar the next few weeks and the Chargers prepare to open training camp for the 2009 season.
--TOM SHANAHANMonday, July 21 -- 1:21 pm
Sometimes I come across talented high school athletes that carry themselves with the entitled attitude they mimic from watching pro athletes on television.
And then I come across a kid like Todd Doxey, and my faith is renewed that kids from San Diego’s toughest neighborhoods can resist the negative images they see on television and advertising, or hear in harmful hip-hop songs.
Doxey was not only a great athlete at Hoover High that earned a football scholarship to the University of Oregon, he was the kind of kid Hoover teachers and coaches could point to as a role model in the hallways or the neighborhood.
But now all Hoover teachers and coaches have is Doxey’s inspiring memory they can tell stories about to future students.
Doxey, 19, died in an accidental drowning Sunday when he joined several teammates for an outing on the McKenzie River in Oregon.
According to a Lane County Sheriff’s report, most of the Oregon players were floating ahead in inner-tubes when Doxey jumped from a bridge.
Doxey began having trouble with the current, but no one was close enough to help him in time out of the water.
“Anytime a young man or woman dies, it is a tragedy,” Oregon head coach Mike Belloti said in a statement posted on the University of Oregon athletics department website. “It’s hard to understand why. My heart goes out to his family, to our players -- some of whom were there and some who will find out about it. It‘s just one of those things we don’t have answers for.”
Doxey was one of San Diego’s top multi-sport athletes in the 2006-07 season school year, playing wide receiver and defensive back in football and guard/forward in basketball. He was one of the West Coast’s top recruits when he committed to Oregon.
He was a red shirt his first year on campus, but Oregon coaches were high on his future. Four weeks during the season he was named the Ducks’ Scout Team Player of the Week.
Hoover basketball coach Ollie Goulston said Hoover students are organizing a memorial at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hoover High. The students are seeking donations since the family didn’t have insurance to cover funeral costs.
TOM SHANAHANTuesday, July 15 -- 10:45 am
The distance to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is distant on the map, but the time to the Aug. 8 opening is near on the calendar.
In San Diego, though, we got a chance to get close to the Olympics with the USA Olympic Women's Water Polo team facing Australia Sunday before a full house of 600-plus fans at La Jolla High's Coggan Family Aquatic Complex. It wasn't a bad way to spend the day, especially if you have a daughter who likes sports.
The U.S. lost to Australia 12-11 in Sunday's match that was the second of four that will be played within a week between two of the world's top-ranked teams. The loss followed a 13-12 win on Friday at Los Alamitos.
The teams play again at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Coronado High's Brian Bent Memorial Aquatics Complex and Thursday in a match at Stanford that will be broadcast on MSNBC.
"These are always great matches when we play Australia," said Moriah van Norman, a 5-foot-10 center from San Diego that scored two goals.
"We're two of the best teams in the world. The play is always physical and it's only going to make us better."
The matches Sunday and Tuesday mark a rare homecoming for van Norman, a University of San Diego High alumnus. The three-time All-American led USC to the 2004 NCAA title when she won the Cutino Award as the national Player of the Year.
"It's great to be home and get a chance to play in San Diego -- or even America," van Norman said. "We don't play many matches here."
This was pretty much the real thing, although in exhibition matches coaches are going to hold back something before the games count next month. At the 2007 World Championships, the USA beat Australia in the final for the gold medal.
Van Norman was a member of the USA team last year when it won the World Championships in March and the Pan American Games in July.
"She's been with us full time for two years, and each year she gets better," U.S. women's coach Guy Baker said. "It's a demanding position, and we're counting on her. She's physical and has good instincts."
Van Norman, 24, said she first began dreaming of being an Olympic athlete 10 years ago. She was still a swimmer then before she recognized her future was in water polo.
"I'm very excited, but we've still got some things to work on," she said. "I don't think it will hit me (that she made the Olympic team) until later, because we practiced about six hours the day the Olympic team was named."
Van Norman's only regret is she won't be able to play her first Olympics alongside San Diegan Ericka Lorenz, a Patrick Henry High alumnus. Lorenz didn't recover from shoulder surgery that she underwent after last year's World Championships.
Lorenz's career includes two Olympic medals (2000 silver, 2004 bronze) and three World Championships medals (2003 gold, 2005 silver and 2007 gold).
"It's extremely hard," van Norman said. "She's one of the best water polo players to come out of San Diego. I've always looked up to her as a great athlete and person. She is the face of women's water polo in San Diego."
-- TOM SHANAHANTuesday, August 12 -- 8:52 pm The Padres are 11-15 in one-run games this year in what’s becoming a last-place season. Imagine if they had re-signed Milton Bradley, who is leading the American League with a .323 average for the Texas Rangers.
Yeah, good thing they didn’t sign him, I say. You want a franchise to be indebted to a border-line lunatic like Bradley?
Bradley’s bat in the middle of the lineup could have been responsible for turning around that 11-15 record in one-run games to 15-11.
That would boost the Padres, who are last in the NL West at 32-51 entering a series that begins Monday at Colorado, to 36-47. Instead of being last and 9 1/2 games out of first place, as they are now, the Padres would be just 5 1/2 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks (41-41).
Bradley’s bat no doubt would make other bats around him better, and that might be just enough to fool the Padres into thinking they can continue to win with the nucleus of their lineup.
It’s bad enough some San Diego fans booed Trevor Hoffman the other day. You want to follow a franchise that cheers Milton Bradley?
Remember that scene last year when he tried to throw first base coach Bobby Meacham out of his way to get at an umpire before manger Bud Black charged out of the dugout to throw Bradley to the turf?
Good thing his ability to hit a baseball keeps that hair-trigger temper off the streets.
Being grateful to a player like Bradley for winning a division title would be as pathetic as San Francisco fans cheering Barry Bonds for all the great memories. Of what value is success when you’ve lost your soul?
The Padres’ season has been a major disappointment for many reasons. The starting pitching and bullpen haven’t matched last season. If shortstop Khalil Greene, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and outfielder Scott Hairst | |
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