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Through three series, the Padres are off to a rough start. The team has had two- and four-game losing streaks, and has yet to win back-to-back games. They’ve scored more than two runs twice, and more than three runs only once.
True to how the team typically starts the season, they are pairing terrible injury luck with underwhelming performances and making a lot of season ticketholders nervous in the process. But there’s certainly reason to be optimistic, according to Geoff Young from Padres Public.
Small sample sizes aside, FiveThirtyEight has figured out a pretty neat formula that spells doom for the future for the friars this year. Take what you want from that post, but one thing is assured: The team isn’t going to the postseason this year unless they can find a way to get Carlos Quentin healthy and arrest whoever is masquerading as Chase Headley.
You’re reading the Sports Report, our weekly compilation of news and information for the San Diego sports fan.
Trevor Hoffman Gets a Dubious Honor
Winning an award for being the best relief pitcher in baseball used to be a bit of a joke: The award was called the Rolaids Relief Man Award. Rolaids, which relieves intestinal discomfort, got that sponsorship early and signed on for a long time. There was also another, similar award in the last few seasons for the DHL Delivery Man of the Year.
This season, MLB is starting a new tradition with a little less sponsorship: separate awards for the NL and AL, named after legendary closers Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Winners will be chosen by a group of legendary MLB relief pitchers who are now retired, instead of by a statistical formula. Rick Romero, who loves the Padres more than most people love sunlight and oxygen, is surprisingly against the award being named for Hoffman.
I mostly agree. This seems a little too early. That said, I’m happy that MLB has decided to do it now because it keeps another ridiculous sponsor from jumping in and slapping its name on it, and that keeps the award from continuing to be a joke.
Padres Top Prospects
The annual list of the Padres Top 25 prospects is out and it’s a doozy.
The reason this list is so much fun every year is optimism. It’s easy to imagine a starting lineup for San Diego next season that includes young studs like Jedd Gyorko, Austin Hedges and Rymer Liriano, and think that the team would be able to compete for a playoff spot.
That’s not typically true, but the Padres have had a strong farm system for the past few seasons, with prospects working their way up through the ranks and nearing the majors. The team could be reaping the benefits of some of those strong drafts by former GM Jed Hoyer sooner rather than later.
Stories You May Have Missed
• I couldn’t completely ignore the Chargers. There wasn’t much activity for them this week, but they did re-sign backup guard Rich Ohrnberger to a one-year deal.
• Steven Godfrey’s telling of college athletics’ “bag man” is the most interesting thing you’ll read this week. Remember while you’re cheering on your favorite college team that there’s a very good chance they have a bag man of their own.
• In another step forward, UMass guard Derrick Gordon came out following the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament and was loudly applauded for it.
• Dunna nunna nunna nunna BAT KID! He’s back to once again clean up the streets of San Francisco, and throw out the first pitch at a Giants game.
• Tweet of the Week:
Class move by @Storm_Baseball to honor Jerry Coleman on their RF wall. pic.twitter.com/EHhfz6qiDc
— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) April 11, 2014
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