In case you didn't know, I adore middle infield players. Just by watching shortstops and second basemen play always make me happy and I get very excited. Flipping double plays and diving to get the baseball drops my jaw and hanging them wide opened. This year's duo is shortstop Everth Cabrera and second baseman David Eckstein. I enjoyed watching them so much throughout the season and I even took notes. It was a mixture of the young and the experienced and they are the best ones I have seen so far.

When Everth was injured, I was incredibley disappointed to see him start the season off in the disabled list. He was and still is young and I wanted to see so much from him at shortstop. Utility man Luis Rodriguez did his job and he didn't disappoint me but didn't make me happy at the same time. Eventually, Everth came off the DL and didn't miss a single start ever since he came back. He obviously started off slow but proved to Padres fans and myself that he has a strong potential to play in the big leagues with confidence and skills. When "Khalil Greene days at shortstop" was over, I expected a younger, better player to replace him. The answer is simply a 22-year-old named Everth Cabrera. Everth may have very similar skills like Khalil but that doesn't mean he needs to play like Khalil. I enjoy watching this guy so much and I can see a bright light sprouting out from him in his days as a Padre.

As for second baseman, David Eckstein is the well-experienced, former World Series MVP, eight-year-vetran type of player. He obviously is the leader of this club and showed strong leadership skills to the young players. When he is not playing, the Padres seemed to fall apart and lost. That's how much we need this guy so much. He is not the type of guy who blasts 20 homeruns or gets 100 RBIs in a season but I can see his strong desire to play the very best every single game. That's what matters the most for me from a baseball player; a big potential and desire. This guy runs to first when he gets a walk. Being a baseball fan for little bit more than four years, he is the one and only player who sprints from getting a walk. Anyway, the Padres made a very smart move by signing him in January and extending him to 2010 in August. If they didn't make this move, the Padres are going to be lost for a very long time.  

Everth Cabrera+David Eckstein=all the Padres need at middle infield. It seems like a lofty equation but this move looks very appropriate. Eck is 34 and heading towards twilight of his career (I don't want to admit it that much) while Everth is 22 and still has many days to enjoy his time at the major leagues. David is a mentor to Everth and I love seeing this from a dynamic duo of middle infield. Next year should be more fun and exciting because they obviously proved that they can play solid basedball and work as a strong team. 

I've been lazy blogging lately. Off season=no baseball=boredom. There is not very much things to talk about the Padres and it's killing me.

Anyway, I am still doing photoshops and it helps me to get creative. Here's another one I made:

I'm feeling really nice and if you want something like the one pictured above with your favorite picture, feel free to send it at hyunyoung17@yahoo.com and I will make one for you as soon as possible.

(The only con however, is that this type of work will get annoying for your eyes if you stare into it. Sorry!)

More creative photoshops will come soon. Spread the words!

The nail-biting World Series is going on right now but not so much for the Padres. I've figured this is a good time to share some of my do's and don'ts.

Don't: Trade/release Kevin Kouzmanoff and Henry Blanco (offensive side)

Kevin Kouzmanoff is eligible for arbitration. Honestly, I have trouble getting how the whole process of arbitration works 100% when it comes to baseball. Anyway, if the Padres do trade him during the winter, middle of next season, or whatever, they will make one of the biggest mistake. During this regular season, he only made 3 errors out of over 300 chances. Now that my friends, is a jaw-dropping number. I've noticed that he always stuggle early in the season for three years now as a Padre. He has April and May blues (mostly May) but for some reason he always bounce back in mid-June and so on. Offensive side for Kouz is fine. Deffense? Let's just say that his glove is at the National Baseball of Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.

First of all, catcher Henry Blanco is a free agent. He spent some time at the disabled list and didn't surprise me as much as the others, but he did a consistent job this year. Padres currently have another cathcer named Nick Hundley. Nick is a young guy but getting the hang of the big leagues every single day. He's still learning but he's getting the learning process from vetran Henry Blanco. He's 38 and heading towards the twilight of his carrer. But he definitely has the experience to pass onto the young players. It will be great for Nick and the rest of players when Henry Blanco returns next year.

Do: Trade/release Brian Giles

Dear Padres, just please... get him out of my sight. Although he have ups with the Padres he definitely have downs as well.  This year, he was just flat out terrible. HIs performace was very inconsitent, had poor average, and was not healthy. He is a free agent and the Padres need to get rid of him in some way shape of form. Simple as that.

Do: Keep Kevin Correia, Mike Adams and Heath Bell (pitching side)

 Heath Bell plus

Kevin Correia plus

 Mike Adams equals...

dynamic trio for the Padres. Without just one, the Padres pitching staff would be in major trouble. I've mentioned Kevin Correia a ton of times but he is a solid starter. He was the only one that survived when the starters were sent to the disabled list. Even though he struggled, he does look like a confident ace.

Mike Adams is personally, the best reliever out of the bunch. His ERA is almost microscopic. Although he missed most of the season, he proved to the Padres and the fans that he can be a great reliever. If I were Bud Black, I would put him as an eight inning guy in the game and hold onto Padres' lead so the closer Heath Bell can shut the door for the opponents.

Speaking of Heath Bell, an All-Star for 2009, is a very storng closer for the Padres. Ever since the departure of Trevor Hoffman, Heath impressed everyone so much. As a first year as a closer, he recorded 42 saves and ranked number one among the National League with most saves.

All three pitchers are eligible for arbitration. Even when one of them leaves, the equation is going to fall apart and the Padres will be screwed.

That will do for today. Bad news though: Trade talks are starting to heat up.

This man pictured above could have a chance to be with the Red Sox. First of all, Adrian Gonzalez is our hero. Secondly, he would not look good in red. He is extremely talented and there are ton of little baseball fans in San Diego who is looking up to Adrian, hoping to play with the Padres like him. It will be devistating for those kids, myself and the rest of the fans when Adrian departures. Besides, Red Sox have very talented players and I don't think Adrian will not have a lot of playing time like he does in San Diego. For example, look what happened to Adam LaRoche. He only played six games with the Red Sox and later got released.

I will be extremely disappointed when Adrian leaves. Fortunately, there is a chance that this trade will not happen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a big, fat "NO" sign for Adrian Gonzalez trade. It is up to the front office to either make the fans smile or cry.     

Unfortunately, the Angels now must pack their belongings in New York and depart from the 2009 playoffs. Although the Halos got eliminated against the Yankees in game 6, I would like to applaud them for giving their very best throughout the postseason.

We all know the Angels got off to a very, very rough start due to a terrible loss of a young player named Nick Adenhart. This didn't stop the Angels however. They fought back and always had the heart to play solid baseball anytime, anywhere. Every single game they won in the regular and post season, it was for Nick. When the Angels clinched AL West back in last month, blood, sweat and tears finally paid off for them. They definitely deserved every single moment of remembering, honoring, and being together as a true team. Sweeping the Red Sox in ALDS was a great way to start the post season ride. Facing the Yankees in the ALCS was a very tall task to handle. When the Angels fell behind by two games, I never lost hope for this team. Why? Because they already proved to me that they are a team who never lose faith, espcially since the fallen Angel was looking down to see help his teammates since regular season. Yankees claimed a golden ticket to reach to the World Series and their final task for 2009 is to play at the ultimate stage against the Phillies.

The Angels did fight off in few games. Like when Jeff Mathis got a game-winning hit or Vladimir Guerro hit a huge two-run shot to tie the game. My head was going around like a big roller coaster ride and I'm very sure the Angels were definitely feeling the same way as well. Their emotions and hearts on the field proved to me that they are a strong team who have the big desire to play their very best every single game. Angels finished close but I wished they could have finished stronger. We will have to wait and see if the Angels will accomplish a big goal next season.

As for the Yankees, thanks for the wild and fun series. You guys are a strong team as well and may the best win at the World Series.    

1) ALCS Game 4: Yankees 10 Angels 1

How did the Angels lose by nine runs? Let's see. CC Sabathia was dominat on the mound as usual, Angels' offense just could not get almost anything going, and to top it all off, they did not put any big effort during the game. I felt so bad for the Angels and even myself for a pathetic outing. I can't and won't talk garbage about the Yankees 'cause that's just not right. However, I will say that they better watch out for John Lackey (tomorrow's starter) and the rest of the Angels if the Yankees don't want to lose. Angels are trailing by two games but they have big hearts to play their very best. Just like what my dear David Eckstein wrote on his book. It's all about having heart and every second of life is worth giving the best effort.

Anyway, if the Angels get eliminated, I will not yell at them (well, on television) or cover my face in shame. I mean, why would I? They are a great looking group and they can play solid baseball. It's just that they didn't show any of that during game 4. Yes. Time is ticking for the Angels and the thin ice they are stepping right now are getting worse. But hey, who know's what's going to happen later? We won't figure it out until the end of the series. The Angels still have a chance to bounce back and maybe, hopefully take the series. Both Yankees and Angels are the two best AL teams for 2009 so they definitely deserve to be playing in the ALCS. The game is about best vs. best and I love it. My fingers are crossed for an Angels' win tomorrow for game number 5.

2) #59 on the latest leaders for 2009 regular season

That would be me. I was super excited to see myself on the top 60. Thank you guys so much for stopping by and taking time to read my blog that still needs a lot of work. I haven't done a dedication since a long time ago so I would love to dedicate my number to a young player in the Padres. His name is Luis Perdomo and wears number 59 on the field.

2009 was the 25-year-old's first season in the major league and he did an average job as an reliever. He had ups and downs during his outing but those results he got are only going to make him better for next year. Luis even got his first big league win this season. He is likely to come back as a Padre in 2010 and I know he will do a solid job when he goes up on the mound when it's his turn.

3) New general manager?

Padres are getting close to hiring a new general manager. Last weekend, Dodgers' assistant GM Kim Ng had an interview with Padres' CEO Jeff Moorad. However, Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer remains as Padres' favorite to replace former general manager Kevin Towers. Jeff Moorad said that he would like to hire a general manager by the start of the World Series. Padres need a general manager who has the strong potential to do his or her job. I, personally want Kim Ng to be the new GM for the Padres. She did a great job with the Yankees and the Dodgers as an assistant. If she gets picked to replace Kevin Towers, things for the Padres should go smoothly.

4) Happy birthday Khalil!

Today is Khalil Thabit Greene's 30th birthday. Man, it felt like yesterday when he was so good. He may not be the same Khalil when he was with the Padres, but I really hope he can bounce back from a toughest year of his career so far whether he is coming back as a Cardinal or not. I'm not crazy about him being gone as much as the day he got traded. So happy birthday Khalil and I can't wait to see him next year healthy and without any anxiety disorder 'cause they hurt. I really doubt you're coming back but I wish him for the best and please carry that with you everywhere you go.

First of all, I don't want to get too much into the Angels-Yankees game of the game 2 of the ALCS. It was just to miserable to watch, especially in the 13th inning. Oh, and I blame everything to A-Rod in the eleventh for hitting the homerun. Even though the Angels lost, I would like to applaud them for doing their very best and able to fight off. Unfortunately, they didn't quite accomplish the goal. Angels have not been playing so well and they definitely need to step up their games. It's not too late and I know they can win this. When the series resume on Monday at Anaheim, hopfully the Angels can do the same by snatching two games away from the Yankes. I want the Halos to advance to the World Series and win it all. Simple as that.

Alright, it's time for a Padres update. Ever since Kevin Towers got fired, Padres were missing a General Manager who has strong potential and leadership. So Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng interviewed for the job as a Padres GM with the club.

(Note: I just lost 3/4 of my entry which turned out to be great and came really close to throw my laptop on the ground. I will write what's fresh in my mind, however. Kim Ng is a great candidate and I hope she will get the job by being the first female and Asian general manager. She has a ton of experience in the baseball industry and I know she can handle everything when it comes to this sport. If she teams up with CEO Jeff Moorad, they will be life savers and make the fans and myself incredibly happy. Kim will prove to those hater who think she should not be the general manager just because she is a woman.)

(Continued (Still fresh in my mind): I grew up just as a baseball fan because this is the sport I learned to love all by myself. Last year however, I started to grow interest in football with the team named the San Diego Chargers. Watching football with my brother made me like the Chargers even more. Monday Night Football this week will be featuring Chargers and Broncos in San Diego. Too bad I can't watch the game because of school work. When the Chargers snap the Broncos' five-game winning streak, I will run around the house and scream like an eight-year-old.)

I don't have the heart to lengthen my entry anymore. Sorry readers.  

I feel like I need to do some rants since there are many things that I need to cover. For both Padres and baseball in general, things are looking so far so good.

1. Good, acceptable roster changes

Padres made some roster moves by sending outfielder Drew Macias, catcher Eliezer Alfonzo and infielder Luis Rodriguez to Triple-A Portland. This is a great job done by the Padres because three of them did not do so well and barely contributed for this team.

1. Drew Macias

(I couldn't find a great picture of him in a Padre uniform.)

He's a gorgeous guy but his average was way too low and lacked in almost all categories that involve a bat and a glove. Although he has the strong potential to play in the big leagues, he's not ready yet. During the regular season, he was back and forth in the minors and major because of certain players being injured and he was the one who usually got called up. Drew needs more time in triple-A and hopefully he can get called up again during middle of regular season next year. When he proves that he is prepared, I would love to see him play at the outfield along with Will Venable, Kyle Blanks and Anthony Gwynn Jr.

2. Luis Rodriguez

Luis Rodriguez in the other hand, is an experienced baseball player. In fact, he played in the majors for five years now. He was the starting shortstop in 2009 opening day and was an everyday player when Everth Cabrera was sent to the disabled list. However, something did not seem right when I observed him playing this year. He can play every position in the infield and has a little bit of speed. His average was average but I expected more from him. Hopefully this move will help him and like Drew, I would love to see Luis bounce back and improve from this season. 

3. Eliezer Alfonso 

Even though he has a cool first name, I can't forgive him for what he did for the Padres this season. He was just flat out terrible. Let's see. He left ton of runners on base especially when it came to bases loaded situation. That's enough, to the point, and straight forward. I'm so glad he got sent down to triple-A. Hopefully, I will not see him playing as a Padre next year. When he proves that he has the strong ability to play in the big leagues again, my mind will definitely change. But I'll never know until Padres baseball grows again in next spring.

2. At last! Kevin Kouzmanoff's glove arrives at Cooperstown.

This may seem like a regular, shiny, leather Rawlings glove but it means much more than that. This glove owned by Kevin Kouzmanoff is going to the one and only the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Can you believe that Jeff Idelson, the Hall's president, visited the Padres clubhouse to pick up Kouz's glove?   

Kouz's glove deserves to go to the Hall of Fame because of his fantastic, jaw-dropping defensive work by that glove and his talent. This season, he only made 3 errors in 311 chances with .990 fielding percentage. See, he was the guy who made 22 errors in his first full major league season with the Padres. And look how much he progressed. I give him a round of applause for the great accomplishment. Great job man! Can't wait to see more of your flashing, brand new glove next year.

3.Angels are NOT done.

After sweeping the Red Sox, the Angels are looking forward for seven game series against the Yankees. Sorry for the sweep Red Sox fans but that's the way it went and never change that result again. When the Cardinals, (my number two team) got swept from the Dodgers, I was extremely disappointed because I had high hopes for the Cards. Unfortunately, they made themselves, the fans, and myself feel like crap. To make me feel much better, the Angels (my number three team) cheered and boosted my energy up by playing solid baseball. I'm ready for ALCS. Here's to hope that the Angels will crush the Yankees and move onto the World Series.

(EDITED: I've been thinking about the Angels a lot lately. This club impressed me so much by having the strong desire to play solid baseball everyday. All of them have one thing in common: they are letting their hearts out and playing for the fallen angel, Nick Adenhart.)    

The Angels played a great game against the Red Sox last night by winning with a score of 4 to 1. There were no long balls in this game but it sure was exciting since the Angels got the important win. Even though I missed a lot of fun, the Angels are looking strong so far. I like this team a lot but I'm not a die-hard fan of the Angels. Ever since my brother started following this team, I've been following them as well. Well, we love baseball. Not as much as him but you get the idea. Few reasons why the Angels are keep on rolling and need to continue like this: 1. They have a solid everyday lineup. 2. They have a consistent pitching staff. 3. They have a strong offense. No wonder they won the AL West Division and definitely deserved to be a champion.

Angels are off today but I can't wait for more games at Fenway starting tomorrow. Let's go Angels! Let's take the series and move on to ALCS.

As for the Cardinals, they are back in St. Louis and need to step up their games in order to get the win(s). It should be another exciting day for baseball which I am looking forward to.

My entry is getting shorter but I honestly have little amount of time to write.

This is going to be short and sweet entry since I don't have a lot of time to write. Lots of exciting things already happened during postseason. I can't watch most of the games so I'm missing out all the fun. I'm rooting for the Angels for AL and the Cardinals for NL. Personally, I want St. Louis to win the ultimate prize again. To accomplish that big goal, Cardinals need to step up their games especially since they lost two in a row against the Dodgers. First game wasn't good and second game turned out to be just flat out terrible.

Mark Loretta for the Dodgers got a game winning hit in the second game at Los Angeles and the Cardinals lost in a miserable fashion. That's not enough. Matt Holliday made a costly error in the ninth inning and he felt just as terrible as Cardinals' closer Ryan Franklin, who blew the save. That's not good at all, guys. Please do the best you can when this series continues at St. Louis. I want the Dodgers to be done.

Well that's enough of bad news. On the much brighter and better side, the Angels won against the Reds Sox in game 1 in Anaheim. This game was a pitchers' duel between John Lackey and John Lester. Things were going so tense until Lester for Boston gave up a huge three-run bomb to Torii Hunter.

The Angels were on top by three runs but Kendry Morales provided run support for more comfortable lead. Angels ended up winning 5 to 0 and shut down the Red Sox in a great fashion.

I can see a big sign that says "DANGER AHEAD" for the Cardinals. If they lose another game on Saturday, they are out of the competition and will have to start preparing for 2010. I do not want that to happen so early. Pressure is on and I know the Cardinals can overcome that. As for the Angels, they need to continue to play like this and I would love to see them in ALCS and even World Series.

2009 season for the Padres officially came to an end. This year wasn't great but it wasn't bad at all. Padres have a lot of young guys who are climbing towards the top to have the capability to become a solid baseball player. Part of achieving that is of course, getting big help from experienced players like David Eckstein and Henry Blanco.

This club bounced back from last season which was a disaster. Padres started off hot in 2009 by remaining first place for few weeks but cooled down in the middle due to ton of injuries. Last two months however, they turned things around and finished the rest of the season strong. What I'm looking for a team is a strong finish and the Padres did that. Even though they lost game 162, I'm just proud with all of them.

As I was mentioning earlier, group of young kids stepped up and proved to the fans they have the stong desire to play like an experienced player. When vetran outfielder Brian Giles hit the disabled list and never came back, two young outfielders stepped up their games and they did very nice jobs filling in the missing hole. They are: Kyle Blanks and Will Venable. Kyle can play firstbase as well, but he looks stonger in the outfield. I saw few actions from Will last year and he turned things around throughout 2009. When Brian Giles returns next year, I will be a little bit disappointed because he didn't do much of a thing that helped the club. I would personally see Kyle Blanks and Will Venable getting more playing time. With Gwynn Jr. in the middle of course.

For the infield, it's looking very strong and solid. We have: Adrian Gonzalez at firstbase, David Eckstein at second, Everth Cabrera at shortstop, and Kevin Kouzmanoff at the hot corner. I pay attention to middle infield very carefully and examine it while taking notes. With the mixture of youth and experience (Everth and David), this combo is going to remain next year and will amaze the fans by eye-popping plays. Kevin is straight-up gold glove candidate. If you don't know much about him, please look at his numbers. He only made three errors in over three hundred chances. That is so amazing. Kouz is going to stay hot and I know it. As for Adrian, 2008 gold glove winner, impressed me as well and Padres' firstbase is continuing to be strong. 

Starting pitchers and bullpen has been the most shaky position this season. Kevin Correia was the only survivor from opening day's pitching rotation. He started off slow but got better as the season progressed. I'm looking at him as a number two starter next year. He impressed me so much. For some reason, I had high expectations from him when he signed a minor league deal in spring training 2009. I will be thrilled if he comes back next year. When the Padres traded away 2007 NL Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy and talented outfielder Scott Hairston, they recieved total of seven, young pitchers. Not all of them are strong obviously, but pitchers such as Clayton Richard and Adam Russell is going to look great. Lefty Clayton made me so proud that I completely forgot about Jake Peavy few times. (Sorry Jake. I still miss you!)  

The offseason began for San Diego but we already made a big move before the season's end. Padres finally released general manager Kevin Towers. He was the GM for the Padres since 1996 and it was time for him to move on. I say this is the right move because I disagreed with him most of the time. We just could not agree with each other most of the time. Padres are defintiely going to have a brand-new GM by end of October. I hope the new general manager will bring mostly positive move to the club.

Padres season may be over but there are still plenty of major league baseball action in October. Twins became AL Central Champions and I applaud them for a win against the Tigers in dramatic walk-off style. However, I'm rooting for the Cardinals and I really hope they will be World Series winners again. Last time they won the World Series was back in 2006 and my dear David Eckstein was the MVP. 2009 postseason will definitely have twists and turns with nail-biting moments and eight remaining teams will fight to win the ultimate prize.