December 2009
2009 Padres review: My take
2009 Padres finished the season with 75-87 record after a terrible 99-loss season back in 2008. Lots and lots of moves have been made and most of them are reasonable that I approved. Here are some highlights of the season for each month:
January:
- The all-time saves leader, Trevor Hoffman left the house on January 8th and became a new closer for the Brewers. It wasn’t a wise decision by the Padres because I believe trading away a great closer who has over 550 career saves is very wrong. I was heartbroken and didn’t understand why the front office would do this to me. Heath Bell ended up being a new closer, replaced Trevor, and I was very impressed by what he did this season for this team. Trevor is still missed and I wish him the very best.
- January 15th was when Padres signed David Eckstein a one-year deal. I was so pleased to to hear that news because he has the words “grit” and “scrappy” all over his face. This was a very smart move because Eck is a fomer World Series MVP and works hard for entire 162 games. He ends up doing what needs to be done. This club is getting younger and younger and now, he is the oldest player in the roster for the Padres. It doesn’t really matter because he shows leadership and great example to the young group of players what needs to be done. I am very proud to have him on the Padres roster.
February:
- Former Diamondbacks CEO Jeff Moorad reached a deal to buy the team.
- Five Padres members-Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez, Scott Hairston, Jake Peavy and Heath Bell played in the World Classic Baseball. Adrian, Edgar and Scott played for Mexico while Jake and Heath played for USA. Scott’s brother Jerry Hairston also played for Mexico as well. It was so great to see five members of the Padres to be in a big stage.
March:
- Padres signed former Giants pitcher Kevin Correia and picked up rookie shortstop Everth Cabrera as Rule 5 Draft. Kevin signed a minor league deal and was the lone survior in the starting pitching rotation by mid-June. He proved to the fans that he has strong potential to be in the rotation and finished the season off with 12-11 record, with the most strikeouts and lowest ERA in the Padres pitching roster. Everth grew up in the Rockies organization and this was a great pickup by the Padres. He didn’t start off the season at shortstop and was sent to 60-day DL on April. He eventually came back on June and became an everyday shortstop for the Padres. Everth didn’t win rookie of the year but he is my winner.
- Jeff Moorad became the new CEO for the Padres and a minor owner of this team. He has been an excellent leader and keeping this guy is a must.
April:
- Padres acquired Luke Gregerson, one of the pitchers that the Padres got from the Cardinals, after sending fan-favorite shortstop Khalil Greene to St. Louis. This rookie became a solid relief pitcher and placed second on most thrown strikeouts. Although we got to see him late in spring training, he impressed many as well.
- On April 6th was the opening day. Padres played against the Dodgers at San Diego but suffered with a loss. Jake Peavy’s perfomance was above average but got the first loss of the season.
- When the Padres played against the Mets at New York as a very first game at Citi Field, Jody Gerut started off the game by hitting a solo shot. He is currently the only player to hit a homerun as a very first batter at a brand new field. His bat that he used on that game is now at Cooperstown and it was so great to see his homerun.
- Few days later, Padres beat the Phillies at Philadelphia after when they were down by six runs. Kevin Kouzmanoff made closer Brad Lidge blew a save. It was so great to see my boys rally to beat the 2008 World Series champions on that day.
May:
- After a great month of April, Padres began to slump but I didn’t lose faith. I said to myself, ”It’s only May. The Padres can bounce back soon.” Well, it worked! My boys had a ten-game winning streak including sweeping two teams who were the Giants and the Cubs.
- On May 21st, Padres sent one of my favorite outfielder Jody Gerut to Milwaukee to get Hall of Fame’s Tony Gwynn’s son, Tony Gwynn Jr. When Tony Jr. came up to bat as a new member of the Padres, it was a very great moment. To see him follow his dad’s footstep is just incredible.
- Chicago White Sox offered a deal to Jake Peavy but he refused it. I was very pleased to hear that news but on July, something very wrong happend, which I will get to later.
June:
- June was when injuries started to haunt players, especially vetrans. Young catcher Nick Hundley was even placed on DL because of a bad wrist. Nick is a great catcher and one of the bright spot for the Padres. It was so unfortunate to see him deal with a injury.
- Another change has been made to make this team into a young club. Besides picking high school student Donovan Tate, an outfielder, in the First-Year Player Draft, Padres got Kyle Blanks from Triple-A Portland, who is an outfielder as well. Kyle is also one of the great young guys the Padres have. He is a big guy who can run as well.
- Interleague series featured teams in AL West. My favorite AL team, the Angels swept the Padres in mid-June. But at Texas, we came back and took the series from the Rangers.
July:
- Petco had a delay due to swarm of bees on July 2nd. It was, well, very strange indeed.
- July 5th was when Padres sent outfielder Scott Hairston to the Oakland A’s to get three young pitchers. I was incredibly upset since he was the guy who has power and provide great walk-off win for the Padres. He eventually had his first homerun as an A against the Red Sox at Boston.
- Eck was placed on the DL the day after. Not only I was sad, his absence sunk the team towards last place on NL West. Padres would end up finishing July with a below average record.
- On July 18th, I went to a game with three bloggers which was against the Rockies. Padres won a great game and I was so happy to be at that game.
- The day after that day, rookie Mat Latos made his major league debut but suffered with a loss. Padres got to see Mat audition as a member of the starting pitching rotation. He has great stuff with him and I strongly believe he can be a part of that.
- Jake Peavy left the house on July 31st and became a new member of the White Sox. I cried for a long hour because I felt so upset and frustrated. That day, I remember throwing many of my stuff, including my lamp on the ground. It took a very long time to recover and I eventually survived. He is doing well at Chicago and I wish him the best as well.
August:
- Padres got to see what Clayton Richard, one of four picthers we got from Jake Peavy trade, can do. He is my favorite out of the four and he looks great on the starting rotation.
- Bud Black, a Padres manager got an extension. This was a wise move because Buddy is an excellent manger for this club. I rarely see him throwing stuff, spitting on the gound, etc.
- Two days later, Everth Cabrera his a walk-off grandslam at Petco against one of great closers, Francisco Rodriguez. That was a huge, huge at-bat by Everth and I am so proud of this guy.
- August 22nd would be the second game I went to at Petco. It was against the Cardinals and the Padres miserably lost to the Cardinals by the score of 7 to 0. Besides the terrible outcome of the game, I had fun thanks to the Ecksteins. On that day, David Eckstein got an one-year extension. This is another great move by the front office. Without him, this team would be lost for a long time. (To those of you who think keeping Eck is wrong, please slap yourselves in the faces and think again. Thank you.)
September:
- Padres made an audition for the young guys to see if they can handle the major league. I see a lot of promise for these guys and I am definitely looking forward for each and every one of them this upcoming season.
October:
- I went to Petco with my friend on October 2nd as my third and final game, watching at a ballpark. Padres lost to the Giants on that day even while Kevin Correia pitching. I would end up watching Kevin for three games straight. I see a lot of potential for this vetran and he should be locked in the starting rotation as either number two or three spot.
- Padres would fire general manager Kevin Towers the next day. It was an honor to have him as a leader while sharing ups and downs with the fans as well.
- On October 26th, Padre hired Jed Hoyer as a new general manager. Can you believe he is only one year older than David Eckstein? Hoyer is definitely a young leader for the young team. I believe in former assistant Red Sox GM’s words and actions and I hope he can bring positive things for the Padres.
- Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff made a huge headline by giving his glove to Cooperstown. It is a tremendous honor to have his name as a Padre at the Hall of Fame. He definitely deserved to win the National League Gold Glove. Maybe next year for Kouz.
November:
- First baseman Adrian Gonzalez picked up his second conscutive Gold Glove. He is a stunning star for not only the Padres but community as well. Without him, San Diego will be very, very different. Keeping Adrian is a must.
December:
- Padres are still in a quiet zone in the offseason. No big trades have been made but I want some huge Padres news thrown at my face some time.
- Padres hired Dick Enburg as part of play-by-play as the lead for Channel 4 San Diego Padres’ broadcast. I’m excited for what he’s going to bring to the fans since I can never enjoy Mark Neely doing his job. Neely is doing his best but I just can’t seem to approve him. I’m sorry.
So there you have it. What a wild ride for the Padres in 2009. 2010 should be a much better season and I can’t wait when baseball sprouts again. Here are some countdowns for Padres fans:
1. Padres Fan Fest (February 13th AKA my birthday): 43 on first day of 2010.
2. Spring Training (March 4th): 61 on first day of 2010.
3. Opening day (April 5th, against the Diamondbacks at Arizona): 93 on first day of 2010.
I miss baseball and my boys so much. Well, I hope you guys will have safe and wonderful new year! Here’s for a great year for the Padres when we will go to the playoffs.
What I want for Christmas are…
1. A healthy team throughout the season and almost none of these:
Injuries are very scary, especially during games. Yes. Even spring training. It’s so painful and heartbreaking to watch when a beloved player or whoever in your favorite team gets injured. I even saw a live one at a ballpark once. That was when Edgar Gonzalez got hit with a baseball on his head back in July. There I was at Petco, standing to look at Edgar to see if he was ok and speechless for five minutes. Injuries can happen to any players and I’m ok with that. When they happen during an unexpected time, it’s a diffrenet story. They can also lead to a shaky team because there is a possibility that an ace can be placed on the DL as well. A healthy team however, will be a dominant group since most of the players will be in action to play solid baseball. Padres tend to have a problem with injuries and I hope this wouldn’t be a major issue next year.
2. Extend David Eckstein for couple of more years.
Currently, he is staying in San Diego for a year because of an extension he got during regular season. I was so pleased with that announcement especially since I heard that news when I was at a game. Like I said many times, he is a pleasure to have and a great role model. Great pickup as well. He believes in the young Padres and I defintiely approve of his words. Eck is my favorite player and I’m going to be heartbroken for a very long time when he departures. This guy has true definition of manners and grit as well. For example, when fans go to Petco, he will be always signing autographs, making eye contact to everyone around him and actually say something back at them. I love how he does that every single game at Petco, even when he is injured. Most players don’t do that which means that Eck is one of the rare players who knows how to take care of the fans. Heck, I was one of the fans at one point and I was so happy to see him do that for me. That turned out even better by him knowing who I am, which is truly amazing.
Eck is going to turn 35 on January 20th. I try not to think about his age so much but it keeps coming back to me for some reason. Anyway, this guys works hard for entire 162 games and I really appreciate for everything he does for this club and the fans. Whatever happens to him, he will remain as my favorite player whether he will stay for couple of more years, or go to another team.
3. Keep key players such as Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Heath Bell, etc.
There are several clubs who are keeping a sharp eye on Adrian, Kevin and even Heath. It will be devistating when even one of them leaves. Adrian, a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, is one of the key ingredient in order to make a sucessful team. Will Red Sox be a good fit for Adrian? No. Any other team? No. He is perfectly fine with San Diego and we need this guy so much. His contract will be over in 2011 but at some point, he may get traded. He’s talented and hard working player that everyone loves to watch.
Kevin Kouzmanoff is my gold glove winner. He didn’t win last time, but he definitely deserved that award. His glove is at the Hall of Fame and it’s an honor to have it as a Padre. Chase Headley can play thirdbase as well since it’s his natural position. Honestly, I am more comfortable watching Kouz do his job at third. His plays are spectacular and I rely on him more than Chase. Again, it will be depressing to watch when he gets traded. Plus, he has a lot of female fans. Most of them can turn to a different fan. He always tends to start of the season very slow but eventually bounce back somewhere in June. Usually, I don’t like slow starts but since Kouz is a hard working guy, I accept that from him.
If the Padres release Heath Bell, that would be an absurd thing to happen. First of all, he is a closer and closers have a huge role by end of games during save situations. As a first year closer, Heath did an excellent job by saving 42 games and earned his name as number one on the list among leaders of NL closer in most saves. He has ton of energy on and off the mound. This guy is down to Earth as well. His words and jokes crack me up and if he leaves, I’m gonna miss his bright personality so much.
There are other Padres who I don’t want them to get traded. For example, Mike Adams. He’s a great reliever to have and I can rely on him the most out of the bunch in the bullpen. Keeping Tony Gwynn and Oscar Salazar is a must as well.
4. A trip to the playoffs and even a World Series Title in the Padres’ hands.
I’m not joking. Clinching NL West would be great, but World Series will be even more better. I will burst into tears of joys for long hours. Padres are rebuilding but I truely believe in this club. With a mixture of ton of young guys and well-experienced vetrans, this team will definitely turn things around. Just watch. We will have our World Series Ring someday.
I sometimes get this from my friends: “Who are the Padres?” I just brush it off tell them to watch their mouths but I get frustrated from their words when I’m not with them. They are not serious about it and I know it’s a joke. When it comes to Padres, I tend to get serious so we have an issue with that. When my boys can win it for me and the rest of the fans, I want to prove to those who think Padres are a bad club that this group of boys are winners. They are so underrated and it’s time for that to stop.
5. More consistent Padres bloggers that I can interact with.
Having more Padres bloggers is going to be so much fun. I’m very opened to reading their opinions about this team. For example, the guys at Gaslamp Ball are hilarious and I enjoy reading their posts. They are not members of MLBlogosphere but I try my best to read their blog because they make me laugh. The best part is that they link my entries on “Around the Mission: Padres Links”. I always get excited when my blog is on those posts. If you guys are reading this, thank you very much for the shoutouts. I really appreciate it.
Those are the five main things I want for Christmas. If all of them can happen, I will be a very lucky girl. Have a safe and wonderful Christmas and happy holidays to all!
Happy birthday, my dear blog!
Happy birthday, Perpetual Padres Saga!
Exactly a year ago, December 12th 2008, I started a blog and wrote my very first entry with literally two sentences. My blog’s name began with Made in San Diego and later I eventually changed it to more descriptive and creative way. It was a shaky beginning and it was so hard to even touch the keyboard to write in my blog. Thankfully as time progressed, my entries got longer and improved as well. I do strongly believe in my opinion. Referring back to my old posts, they helped me to just keep write, write, and write. Naturally, my writing skills improved which is amazing.
Looking back through the year, my life definitely changed with a start of new school year as a high school freshman in late July, growing up mentally and emotionally, and believe it or not, blogging changed my life in some way shape of form as well. I did get upset several times when my blog didn’t make it on top 50 every month. Then I realize that numbers are not the main thing of blogging here. It’s about how much passion and pride you show about your favorite team to others, sharing thoughts and news, and just be friends with your bloggers. My dream is to be a baseball reporter and blogging is my first step to express myself and show that I have a very strong desire to have this job someday. Without huge support from my family, friends, and my dear readers, this blog could have been pointless and shut down.
My goodness, I made so many great friends here in blogosphere! Seriously, I cannot thank you guys enough. It has been very fun reading and commenting on your great blogs throughout this year. All of you rock and I admire your blogging skills. I did have to take several weeks off blogging because of school, but other than that, things went smoothly. The work I have done with many of you came to a result with a record of 134 entires with 824 comments so far; This being number 135. I hope to double or even triple up those numbers by the time I celebrate my 2nd year blog birthday. My job and goal is to write that will be eye-popping that will have to express your thoughts even further. I will continue to blog consistently as possible to make you guys come visit here.
2009 baseball season has been a much better one from the previous years as a fan. With my blog, I was able to enjoy understand this game even more. This year, I was able to go to not one but three games out of 162. It doesn’t sound a lot but I enjoyed going to Petco to watch all three games. I finished the season by watching one winning game and two losing games. When baseball starts all over again in April, I hope to improve my record.
Top 5 Entries of the Year
From over 100 entries, I now present to you the top 5 entries of 2008-2009.
# 5: Baseball and Heels
This is one of my old entries. In fact, it was published all the way back in March! In case you didn’t know or happen to forget, I love heels. Heck, I even wear them to school sometimes when I really feel like it. Not stilettos or those crazy high ones, but I love cute shoes like black oxford 3-inch ankle boots for example. In this entry, I shared my feelings about loving baseball while incorporating my girliness, such as wearing shoes that are not-so-appropriate-for-baseball-or-other-sports-games. It turned out to be a sucessful one and I always put a smile in my face while reading the entry and the comments I recieved.
# 4: Night at Petco Park with three friends (bloggers)
I was able to go to Padres vs. Rockies game at Petco with Kaybee, Kylie, and Jen on July 18th. I had a blast hanging out with them, taking pictures, etc. Kylie totally cracked me up and I hope to see her again someday whether it’s going to be at Petco again, Coors Field or other ballparks. It will be so much fun. Same thing with Jen! This game turned out to be great since I got my very first autograph from my hero at a game, and the Padres won by the score of 3-1. Going to a baseball game is always like a Christmas to me, especially when you go with awesome MLBloggers.
# 3: Honoring Nick and the Angels
I wrote this entry the day after the Angels clinced AL West Division in September 29th. When the Angels yelled “Adenhart! Adenhart!”, ran toward to the picture of Nick Adenhart and touched it, said their words and prayers, they inspired me to write an entry about them. Losing Nick really hit me hard. I was crying nonstop, especially since he left in such a tragic way. He was a young guy who had so much bright path ahead of him. I wish I was at Angel Stadium on April 8th to see him pitch. Nick is, will be, a forever angel and nobody will forget him. No one. Los Angeles of Anaheim showed baseball fans across America a true meaning of high class. Also, 18 people recommeded this point and I am very greatful. Thank you my readers.
# 2: Goodbye Jake
I was very upset a long, hour when I heard that Padres ace, now a member of the White Sox, Jake Peavy got traded on July 31st. Jacob Edward Peavy pitched for us for eight years and it was just so hard to watch him leave San Diego. Jake winning 2007 NL Cy Young Award was very memorable to watch as a Padres fan myself. He had ups and downs, dealing with painful injuries, but he always fought back. Everytime he goes up the mound to pitch, the cute boy from Alabama with adorable southern accent will turn into a player who barks and yells at himself when something doesn’t go right. He is a fierce competitor, that’s for sure. I love the energy he brought to us and I will cherish those moments for a very long time. This entry consists of photo tributes and a long, personal letter I wrote to Jake. I hope he reads this someday!
# 1: A loss to the Padres, but a chat with David Eckstein? Priceless
Wow what a mouthful! On August 21st and 22nd, I couldn’t stop screaming. 21st was a Friday, and that was the day I got a very valuable e-mail from Ashley Eckstein. It’s not like everyday I recieve a mail from a famous person so this day was very special to me. My face felt so sore from smiling too much! The next day was even better. The Padres vs. Cardinals game that I went for free since I got the tickets from the Ecksteins also consited of getting autographs from Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley. I also had an opportunity to talk with David Eckstein infront of crowds (Technically, I was in the middle but let’s move on.), who looked quite jealous of me, which I felt bad a little. I believe I mentioned about this story about 2304987213 times but it is so cool to have this rare chance and enjoy it. Padres ultimately lost 7 to 0 on that day, but the score didn’t matter. I had a blast rooting for my boys and watching them play baseball. Will I talk with David Eckstein everytime I go to Petco? You bet I will!
There are more to choose from but those are strong and meaningful entries I have written thus far. I am so proud of my top 5! I read each of these entries more than once and it feels so good to read words that you are completely satisfied with.
Thank You!!!
First of all, thanks to Kaybee as my first commenter and Padres buddy. We are like sisters who are obessed with our boys! I hope to work with her someday. When she covers for the Padres and I become a Padres reporter, it will be extremely legit. She wrote the very first comment and it was so cool to know that people do read my blog. I had fun meeting her twice including watching a great game together yelling “Kooooooz!” and “Go Padres!!” so loudly. I can tell that she enjoys my blog and I really appreciate that. We already made plans to have our David Eckstein fun at Padres Fan Fest on February 13th which will be the day made up of Win with a capital “W”.
Also thanks to Mark, Julia, Jen, Emily, Kylie, Tom, Jeff, Ted, Matthew, Elizabeth, Virginia, Cat, diamondgirl55, xcicix, John and anyone else I forgot who deserves a big “Thank You!”. You guys definitely helped me out as well and kudos to everyone!
My fourth year as a baseball fan is the best season so far. Hopefully next year, more wonderful things will happen to me and I will definitely keep up my blogging to bring you guys back here whenever I post latest entries. Once again, thanks to each and everyone of you who read my blog consistently or just read one entry, wrote comments, and other great things you do here, in MLBlogosphere.
Missing puzzle pieces
Winter meeting is approaching quickly and the Padres need to make very smart choices in order to have a successful 2010 season. Last year’s meeting got me almost sick. Yes. I admit we have not-so-good payroll which allowed to release ton of guys who were my favorites in the Padres. Not good.
Anyway, Padres already made a move by sending veteran catcher to New York as a new member for the Mets. My part of request for the Padres didn’t work. Oh well. It was a pleasure to have Henry Blanco as a catcher for this team. Even though he was with us only one year and also spent some time in the disabled list, I enjoyed watching him play and teaching and giving advice to the young guys. Overall, I loved watching this guy during 2009 regular season as a leader.
Speaking of Henry Blanco, now that he’s gone, Padres need a back up for this guy.
Adding a backup catcher for Nick Hundley is a must. I’ve seen Eliezer Alfonso and Jose Lobaton when both Henry and Nick were injured. Well, Alfonso and Lobaton failed to impress me and I did not enjoy watching them. Nick in the other hand, is still a young guy but I can see his strong desire and ability to be an everyday catcher. He progressed so much and is still growing in the majors, which is something I love seeing from him. Looking back a year ago and today, I believe he truely knows what’s he is doing and can definitely handle his job very well.
Finding a missing piece for catching is first. Next missing piece is the infield. We have a strong group of infield whose names are: Adrian Gonzalez, David Eckstein, Everth Cabrera and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Padres are looking for someone to back up the middle infield and I’m can accept that. What I do not want to happen is trading away Kevin Kouzmanoff. Why on Earth we should release him? Did he do anything wrong? No. Is he a terrible defensive player? Heck no. They are talking about a guy who’s glove is at the Hall of Fame and made only 3 errors out of over 300 chances. Here’s the dillema: We have an outfielder who’s natural position is thirdbase. His name is Chase Headley and he managed to fit in the outfield very well when he was told by the Padres to move his position. I don’t understand why some fans are thinking Chase is a better third baseman then Kevin. I can rely on Kouz much more than Chase. Fans have to wait and see it this risky move will happen or not. Adrian can be traded as well but I do not want that to happen. Like I mentioned in this entry, Adrian will not look good in any uniform besides the Padres. He is a hometown hero and little kids in Chula Vista who want to play in the majors are looking up to him. It will be devestating for them, myself and the fans when the two-time Gold Glove winner and All-Star departures.
The third missing piece is the starting pitching staff. The starting rotation looks already full but something doesn’t seem right. Chris Young, Kevin Correia, Clayton Richard, Mat Latos, and Wade LeBlanc are the top 5, not in order. Chirs Young spent almost the whole season (again) in the disabled list and yet he’s still getting paid the most. 2007 All-Star remains a mystery for me. He can still pitch well but if he doesn’t stay healthy for a long time, I wouldn’t be surprised when he gets traded. Kevin Correia looked solid for a guy who signed a minor league deal. Clayton, Mat and Wade are my three young starting pitchers who I can be comfortable to watch. They still have time to progress and I can’t wait to see what they can do in spring training and regular season.
The bullpen in the other hand looks pretty strong. Heath Bell as a closer is obviously the ninth inning guy. Mike Adams is a very solid relief pitcher and I rely on him the most when it comes to using guys at bullpen during games. I do believe Mike Adams can set up mostly in the eight inning. Rookie Luke Gregerson impressed me as well and looks strong as a seventh inning pitcher, if necessary.
I hope things will go smoothly for the Padres when the long offseasn continues. Hopefully it won’t make me sick again. In the other hand, I have a great news thanks to the guys at Gaslamp Ball: 2010 Fan Fest date is announced and it is going to be on my birthday, February 13th. Yay! Man, this is going to be a great, great birthday present. I can’t wait to see Kaybee again! I miss Petco Park so much and I need to hang out with her at the fan day and have a blast. I must say hello to my dear David Eckstein again and introduce her to Eck.
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