A Definition of Class
On the field, he puts his heart out and just plays for love of his game.
Off the field, he doesn’t lose the belief that every second of life is worth giving the best.
This time, he is going beyond. He is ready to change someone’s life by donating a kidney.
The Ecksteins have been fighting hard in a battle against kidney failures. Two family members and a close friend have already donated kidneys. Only couple of months ago, David’s brother Rick, the hitting coach for the Washington Nationals, donated a kidney to their oldest brother, Ken. The way this family stays positive even in serious situations is beyond amazing. I applaud the Ecksteins for the strength and unity within the family and close friends. They have tremendous love, affection and most importantly, respect for life.
On a personal note, I am a huge Eckstein supporter. Not just because we know each other personally, but he also has so much heart and hasn’t been all about money unlike many ball players. Eck has done so much both on and off the field by giving for charities, signing autographs before every single games, and dealing with crazy fans like me. He made it to the majors in the hard way and played the game the right way. His hard work paid off and he got to play in the majors for ten years now. This winner finds a way to win games. I always liked Mr. Scrappy and now I have more reasons to. His character shows what an amazing man he continues to be.
Tim Stauffer rises to the top
Can you believe Opening Day is just inches away?! We got a brand new season of baseball to look forward to. We don’t know how our team is going to end up, but why not buckle up and get on the ride?
With game number one in less than a week for the Padres, Tim Stauffer will be the Opening Day starter for the Friars on Thursday in St. Louis.
He was the fourth pick of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut as a Padre on 2005. Stauffer missed the entire 2008 season while recovering from shoulder surgery, started the season at Double-A San Antonio in 2009, didn’t join the starting rotation last year until September, and now he will be an Opening Day starter this year.
I’m really happy for him that he got the call to get the opening assignment. Even though he has only 14 career wins and 38 starts, I believe that he will show what he is capable of. A good example is his performance from last year. He was completely healthy, presented great numbers, and most importantly, settled in nicely as a starter when the Padres struggled in mid-August.
He still needs to prove that he can stay healthy and be an effective member of the starting rotation for a full year. If he can prove that he can do so by presenting last year’s performance again, there should be no major problem. I hope to see him grow even more throughout this upcoming season.
Updates and Such
So things are holding me back from writing here. But I have good “excuses”.
School is keeping me busy as usual but I made my school’s JV lacrosse team! I’m also a starting defense for my team. Lacrosse grabbed my attention in my freshman year and I adore this sport as much as baseball. The intensity and the adrenaline make lacrosse exhilarating. Even though I didn’t make varsity, it just means that I need to work harder and improve. Because I play a sport, I now know how teamwork should be done; I can relate this to the Padres as well. Listening to the coaches, focusing, working hard are just few examples that Padres and I need to get done. I’ll let you guys know how lacrosse season goes next time I update my blog.
I’m now also a member of G9 Sports. G9 Sports is the only online sports network run entirely by women. That’s right. Women only. You name a sport, there’s a writer for that sport. You name a team, there’s someone who covers for that team. I am amazed by the number of talented women writers for not only in G9 but also here in MLBlogs. It’s great to see that number of female sportswriters is continuing to grow. Please check out my website, Behind Home Plate.
The latest leaders list for February is out and I’m ranked #42. Thank you for visiting and commenting on my entries and congrats to those who made it on the list! Even though I’m not in the place where I want to be at, I’m glad that I’m consistently making on the list. Please spread the word about this blog and thanks for the continuous support.
As for baseball, opening day is less than three weeks away! Can you believe it? We will get our 162+ games of baseball. Spring training has been going pretty well for the Padres. What I love about ST is that everyone gets a chance to play. Not going to lie, there are names that I had never heard of until spring training. It’s a great thing spring training allows new faces and new talents to be shown on the field. I don’t want to hear from people that the Padres will be playing their “normal” baseball. Absolutely no. Spring training is not necessarily an indication of how a team will play during the regular season. Take a look at 2010 Padres. They blew away so many people especially the doubters. I’d love to see my team do the same this year. Opening day in 18 days for the Padres! I can hardly wait.
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Future Star of Today: Casey Kelly
To read previous “Future Star of Today” entries, click here, here, here, and here.
We made it! The long wait is over and baseball has finally arrived. Spring baseball means full of best guesses which makes spring training entertaining; we’ll never know how it will turn out. The reason why I love spring training is that there are storylines, competition, and prediction. There are always few or more surprises from the players which make the build up to the regular season.
I started following prospects during last year’s spring training. They are just so exciting to watch and interesting to follow. Sometimes it’s the ones that we least expect to make a huge impact. The one who caught my attention is Casey Kelly, 21-year-old right handed pitcher.
He was a first round draft choice in 2008 by the Boston Red Sox not only as a pitcher, but as a shortstop as well. Kelly also played football in high school but turned down a full scholarship to play quarterback for the University of Tennessee in order to pursue a baseball career. The top minor league prospect in the Red Sox organization was acquired by the Padres after the 2010 season along with two other prospects in exchange for the three-time all-star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Although Kelly was an exceptional defensive shortstop with a strong and accurate arm, his struggles at the plate showed that pitching would be his best path to major league. He has shown an advanced feel for pitching as such a young player with terrific mound presence and great mechanics.
“It’s been a great experience so far … being out here and being around the guys. You’re trying to learn as much as possible and soak in as much as you can. You’re trying to pick up as many things as you can for the season.”
I love the fact that he takes time to be with the coaches and experienced players for advice. It shows me that he has great potential and he wants to learn to develop as a pitcher. I tip my cap to Kelly. I love his attitude and his grit.
It is likely that he will start the 2011 season in AA to develop even more. If he is able to improve his command and control, there is actually a chance we will see him at the major league level before the end of this season. However, we really need to take things slowly with him. I’m hesitant with not only Kelly but minor league players in general because I think the transition from the minors to the majors is the biggest for them, and it’s so tough mentally as well.
Casey Kelly has it all. The talent, the knowledge, and the maturity. I’m sure he is going to blow everyone away in double-A but the key is to take things slow and efficiently. Kelly as a middle guy of the rotation is something to look forward to in 2012 or 2013.
Help! I’m suffering from David Eckstein withdrawal.
I tried not to talk about this particular subject too much because I don’t want to bang my head on the wall 50 times a day. Whom am I referring to? David Eckstein. Ever since he became a free agent, I desperately wanted him to come back as a Padre somehow. Spring training is on its way and unfortunately, Eck is still not signed.
I just miss him so much right now. I would love to see him back in action. It’s heartbreaking that he will not return as a Padre this year. I feel like losing Eck is like losing a best friend.
Help! I’m suffering from David Eckstein withdrawal.
(To be continued..)
Home Sweet Home: 2011 Padres Fan Fest
Where do I start? Saturday’s Padres fan fest was incredibly fun. The atmosphere, the smell, and the sight caught my attention immediately. When the schedule for the fan fest came out on the Padres website, first thing that came to my mind was getting Mat Latos’ autograph. I was with my friend for the entire day and our first priority of the day was to get in the line to get Mat’s autograph.
Yes, it’s supposed to be M-A-T Latos.
After we got our ”passes” for the 12:30 to 1:30 session, we decided to walk around Petco Park for a bit because we had plenty of time. I knew Friarhood and RJ’s Fro had their booths at section 122 so we decided to drop by and say hello.
By the way, if you haven’t checked out Friarhood or RJ’s Fro, please do!
It was great seeing familiar faces again! I haven’t seen them since last year so I was stoked to see my favorite Padres bloggers. We talked Padres baseball and chatted for a good amount of time. I also got to be ”The” Fro.
And I was the very first one!
After we dropped by their booths and said hello, we walked around Petco Park. It was great to be home again, especially since the weather was absolutely perfect. I was able to wear shorts AND sunscreen in middle of February.
We saw our Twitter friend Daniel later. The three of us also saw Denise. It was great seeing Daniel and Denise again! Last time I saw them was at the Padres game/Twitter meetup from last year, which was full of fun.
Denise had to go with her family and friends so we parted our ways. Daniel, my friend, and I toured the Padres clubhouse together later.
I’m posting two pictures of doors because I did an interview with Ashley Eckstein last year inside the first door or the second door. They brought back great memories.
First, there was the weight room.
I also spotted Yoda!
Couple of minutes of walking, we finally saw a glimpse of the clubhouse. So I present to you the clubhouse of the San Diego Padres!
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to take a ton of pictures of the clubhouse because the tour was a pretty quick process. But all of the pictures are my favorites and I especially love Heath Bell’s locker. We headed out to the dugout after the tour.
The three of us saw Chris, another Twitter friend of ours. He couldn’t see us for the first time but we eventually met at the Padres blogs section later. Before we met Chris, we sat on the outfield and took couple of pictures.
The turf was so nice that I was able to take a nap.
After couple of minutes of relaxing, I got in touch with Robert, and yup, he’s another follower of mine. He gave me some cool Padres stuff like Kyle Blanks and Everth Cabrera bobbleheads. I also got in touch with Kaybee, my Padres buddy! We met up and we were able to pass out cupcakes, cake pops and our blog cards to our friends. Even though our goodies were pretty much melted, they were homemade and made with love. Of course I saw Scott as well. He’s the one who gave me cool nick names like “Jedi Ninja”. Plus his birthday is today as well (we’re like twins) so wish him a happy birthday! It was almost 12:30 so we headed up to the seats to get autographs from Mat Latos and Tim Stauffer.
I was impressed with how nice and cool they are. Both of them asked me how I was doing and they were very friendly. I finally got my hands on Mat’s autograph! There was Mat’s fiancee behind him and she gave me a big hello when she saw me. It was great seeing her again. We asked each other how we were doing and chatted for couple of minutes. She’s absolutely stunning and cool at the same time. I hope to see her again in the future!
We finally met Chris and his friend after the autograph session. At the Padres blogs booth, we saw Matt from Twitter. He carried the one and only Yoda backpack and it was full of win. He looked pretty busy but it was sweet of him to stop by and give me a big hug, a high five and a fist bump. He’s a great guy and not to mention he’s hilarious too. The five of us went our way to the Channel 4 San Diego’s booth. There we saw channel 4′s crew John Weisbarth, Jane Mitchell, and Jenny Cavnar. It was a pleasant surprise that Jenny Cavnar remembered me from last year. We talked about things like school and lacrosse. She also asked me who’s going to be my favorite Padre this year since there will be no Scrappy this year. :( I told her that I’m still deciding but I might go along with Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett or Cory Luebke. But I still love David Eckstein and no one can stop me from that. It was great seeing her again!
Jane also remembered me from last year’s fan fest. I am honored that two broadcasters remembered me, the ordinary teenager who is an aspiring baseball reporter. Both Jane and Jenny also asked me if I am still blogging. Yup. They know that I still blog.
Daniel was having trouble taking a picture with my camera. John made some entertaining comments and I was clearly cracking up. It was so much fun!
Then we headed to the Padres garage sale. We also bumped into Ashley, a fellow Tweeter. It my first time seeing her in person and I’m glad I was able to!
Padres had few Q&A sessions with the players and the fans. Daniel, my friend, and I attended the session that featured the infielders Jason Bartlett, Chase Headley, and Brad Hawpe.
I was able to see the trio up close. I’m definitely looking forward to see them play during the regular season. I love their positive thinking and determination for the upcoming season. Chick alert: I may have found a new Padre crush and his name is Jason Bartlett.
I still think Jon Garland is absolutely adorable too. It’s unfortunate that he signed with the Dodgers but I’m hoping to see him when the Dodgers come down to San Diego. I do have a feminine side and drool when I see cute players. It was a pleasure seeing Jason Bartlett up close. I really think he’s cute. What do you think, ladies?
After the Q&A, we decided to go down the field and take pictures at home plate. While we were waiting in the line, we saw Cameron Maybin signing autographs for the fans.
Couple of minutes later, it was our turn to take pictures.
So that is all we did at the 2011 Padres fan fest. It was great seeing familiar faces and finally meeting “new” people. For example, I was finally able to see Chris in person. They are awesome people and great fans. I didn’t get a chance to see more awesome people like Scott, Ken, and Cecily. During the regular season, I’m definitely looking forward to meet them. I love attending fan fest not just for autographs, but also for interacting with fellow Padres fans. It’s great to hear what they have to say and I’m glad we’re part of the Friar Faithful. Going to Petco Park is like Christmas.
Being able to attend fan fest and having fun was my early birthday present. I’m telling you it’s so much better than going to a concert or a movie theater.
Baseball, meet fashion. Fashion, meet baseball.
You go to a ballpark and see fans sporting their home team’s jerseys and shirts. Guys simply wear their favorite team’s shirt and everything is fine. Then you turn around and see pink. Pink. Last time I checked, Padres colors were blue and white. I’m positive that pink has never been a part of any 30 teams’ colors.
Baseball is my life. I constantly talk about baseball and it generally bores my girl friends out, and sometimes even the guys. Yet, I still preserve my femininity. I have to take at least an hour to decide what to wear and don’t leave the house without wearing my favorite necklace and make sure that my nail polish is not chipped. Although there are times when I simply wear sweatpants, tie my hair and chill with no make up on, I like to look cute almost every single day.
I really respect Alyssa Milano for giving back to the female baseball fans. We all know her famous clothing line Touch. She launched this because she felt women should be able to wear stylish clothes (with little to no pink) while cheering on their favorite team. Alyssa is the voice for the female baseball fans. Although I can’t afford Touch, I highly recommend it to who can or if you’re a guy looking for a gift for your significant other who is a huge baseball fan.
Last year, Victoria’s Secret Pink partnered with Major League Baseball and launched a large collection. I was estatic when I heard this news. It was great to see a major clothing brand for young females partnered with baseball to make chic clothes for the teams. I wanted to purchase things like “I only kiss Padres fans” shirt and just a simple, but cute shirt. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on those. What I would love to see from Pink is to sell this collection at stores again when regular season starts. It will be a great opportunity for me and rest of the female baseball fans who didn’t get a chance to purchase baseball clothes from Pink.
I love the fact that I’m seeing less and less pink at the ballpark. Just because you’re a girl and you love baseball doesn’t mean pink is the only option. For me, fashion is knowing who I am, what I want to say, and not giving a damn. I love to experiment with my clothes and create my own segment anytime, anywhere. What girl doesn’t like looking stylish and chic? I was inspired by Stephanie to create the following look.
I would wear this outfit to school. I would most certainly wear this to Padres games. Please let me know what you think about this outfit! I would love to hear from you.
“I guarantee if a fan had the option between wearing a boxy pink T-shirt or something that is flattering, made well with a quality fabric, and in her team’s colors, she would choose the latter.”-Alyssa Milano
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Short and Sweet
Thank you Trevor Hoffman.
Trevor Hoffman announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Whenever the Padres led the game by one or two runs in the ninth inning, I remember getting goose bumps whenever Trevor ran to the mound to secure Padres’ wins. Watching him on the stands is always memorable. All the great times Trevor shared with the city of San Diego will be secured in my mind for a perpetual amount of time.
It broke my heart to hear that he was done after 18 seasons and 601 saves. He’s an incredible player and an incredible person. His days with San Diego are unforgettable. The days he saved 1, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 saves are unforgettable. The day he became the all-time saves leader is unforgettable. But most importantly, Trevor being the greatest closer of all time will never go away.
I love him, I thank him, I congratulate him. He’s not a Padre nor a baseball player anymore, but he will forever be a Padre.
Thank you Trevor for all the amazing saves. Thank you for all the breath-taking strike outs. Thank you for all the smiles you put on fans not just in San Diego, but all over the country. Thank you for being a historical baseball icon.
Countdowns and such.
Padres Fan Fest will be held on February 12th. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this event. I haven’t been to Petco Park for couple of months so I desperately want to go to my “house” again. Last year’s Fan Fest was full of fun. I can’t wait to do this again in 28 days. I made a list of things to do for last year’s Fan Fest. I can hardly wait to get autographs of the Padres, tour the clubhouse, walk around the bases, take bunch of pictures with my new camera, interact with my Padres fans and so on and so on. I’ll have a complete list of things to do about a week before the Fan Fest so stay tuned!
Pitchers and catchers report will be on February 13th, right after the Fan Fest. This is great not only because baseball is getting closer but because I will blow out candles on the 13th. The report is a sign that players will be in action on baseball fields. I can hardly wait.
Now, is it spring training yet? Well, not quite. Mandatory spring training will be in 40 days. I can finally get a glimpse of what the Padres will look like during the regular season. I’m starting to get really excited about this season. I can’t wait to see what the Padres are able to do.
2011 regular season will arrive in 76 days. Padres will be in St. Louis for their first three games. Then the Friars will head home and face the rival San Francisco Giants on April 5th. Baseball is slowly but surely on its way. I can almost smell it now.
Hello, Goodbye
Before I begin, I want to thank you guys for making this blog on the top 100 for 2010! My blog stood at number 42 and I couldn’t have been in that place without you guys. Thanks for the support all year and for the spread of word or two about my blog. You guys know that I desperately want more readers and to get a higher rank. That’s why I created a Facebook page for Perpetual Saga. Please show your love and “like” my official page!
Now onto the entry. Over the course of the offseason that’s still hanging around right now, Padres made ton of moves and lost and gained players in order to balance out the team. Padres released Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Tejada, and Yorvit Torrealba, Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Tony Gwynn Jr., Ryan Webb, and Edward Mujica. Free agents Jerry Hairston Jr. and David Eckstein are still not signed but for some reason I doubt the two middle infielders will return in Padres uniforms this year. In order to make up for the losses, Padres welcomed Aaron Harang, Jason Bartlett, Orlando Hudson, Brad Hawpe, Rob Johnson, Cameron Maybin, Dustin Moseley, and three minor leaguers in the Adrian Gonzalez deal.
But man, Adrian Gonzalez. He’s gone. It’s still hard to believe that Adrian in a Red Sox uniform is a reality. Here’s my take on the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Rival San Francisco Giants were able to sign Miguel Tejada, the veteran shortstop. It was disheartening to see him sign with the Giants not only because he signed with the team that I highly dislike, but also because Padres lost one more veteran player. You guys know that I highly respect veteran players and losing Miguel hit me. Same thing with Yorvit Torrealba and Jon Garland. Yorvit signed with the Texas Rangers while Jon signed with the Dodgers again. Kevin Correia moved from SoCal to the Steel City and he will play with the team that is not in National League west for the first time in his career. Tony Gwynn Jr. went with the Los Angeles Dodgers and I tend to get irritated when Padres players sign with a team that is in the National League west. Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica signed with the Marlins in a Cameron Maybin trade (Which I will mention later.). Although it’s extremely discouraging to see all the great players leave San Diego, the moves were made for the best. Because the Padres acquired new players, I expect this team to change and even improve in a good way.
To me, Aaron Harang “replaced” Jon Garland (Can’t think of a better way to say it.). Jon Garland was a number one starter last season and did a great job by eating up as many innings as possible. Watching him on the mound was not a problem. Now that Garland signed with the Dodgers, it’s time for Aaron Harang to shine. Harang may not crunch down many innings like Garland but I believe that Harang can settle in fine at Petco Park. After all, Petco Park is a pitcher-friendly ballpark. I can’t wait to see Harang will bring to the Padres with his new uniform during spring.
I mentioned about the acquisition of Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson in this entry. Both of them are defensive upgrades, and they have a chance to improve on the hitting from the middle infielders last year. Because the Padres signed Bartlett and Hudson, the likely chance of resigning the second baseman and the shortstop from reduced. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see David Eckstein and Jerry Hairston Jr. back in Padres uniforms. I believe there is still a chance that these two will return but most likely, I don’t see that happening. Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson sound like fun and exciting players. I can tell that fans and I will enjoy watching them play. Will they make a huge difference at the middle infield? Possibly.
Padres signed Brad Hawpe and I think this is a great move. He is a first baseman and an outfielder and I believe that he will impact this team somehow. His natural position is first base but he is not “replacing Adrian Gonzalez”. Rather, he said that he is going to do what he needs to in order to help out the team. Hawpe played first base in the Rockies minor league system; however, he moved to right field when he got to the major leagues because Todd Helton was already at first base. Hawpe was also a 2009 National League All-Star. He parted ways with the Rockies last year in August and spent some time with the Tampa Bay Rays. Now that he is back in National League again, I think playing at Petco Park should not be a problem for him.
Rob Johnson was claimed by the Padres on December. He had ups and downs with the Mariners for almost four years. Now that Nick Hundley’s training wheels are off, he will most likely be the starting catcher this year. Nick benefited from being a backup catcher of Henry Blanco in 2009 and Yorvit Torrealba from last year. It’s pretty exciting for me that Nick will finally have a chance to be a starter. As for Rob Johnson, I really hope that he will improve much more this year than the previous year. I would love to see him develop behind home plate. He’s getting a fresh new chance and he needs to do his best in order to earn his job.
I can’t wait to see what Cameron Maybin is going to bring to San Diego. He’s only 23 but he looks like a very promising player. And even though he hasn’t produced at the Major League level like he has in the Minor Leagues, I can sense his potential. In order to acquire Cameron Maybin from the Marlins, Padres had to give up Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica. Both Ryan and Edward were in the group called “The Penitentiary” last year. They were a part of the outstanding Padres bullpen and I was kind of disappointed to see them go. But there’s an old saying called “it’s all part of business”. Even though Cameron is young, there is a likely chance that he will join the outfield as an everyday player with Ryan Ludwick at right field and Will Venable at left field.
Dustin Moseley was acquired to fill in the missing spot in the pitching rotation. He had few injury problems and was non-tendered by the Yankees.Because of the departure of Jon Garland and Kevin Correia, Dustin Moseley is currently an option as part of the starting pitching rotation. As of now, I see Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer, Aaron Harang and Dustin Moseley. Not necessarily in that order. Wade LeBlanc and Cory Luebke will also be competing for the spot. It’s going to be interesting to see who gets the job and who does not.
The players the Padres got from the Adrian Gonzalez trade are right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and center fielder Reymond Fuentes. I personally think Kelly, Rizzo and Fuentes are great prospects and they will impact the Padres in a positive way. All of them are very young and it will take time to see them in Padres uniforms. I don’t guarantee that those three players will be in action wearing Padres uniforms this year but they have plenty of time.
Offseason is a reality check for the fans; this is what it’s all about. Good or bad, it’s all true. Losing players doesn’t mean I need to panic about it. Looking on the bright side, the moves that were made can make a huge difference for the team. I can’t wait to see how the Padres will turn out to be during the regular season. Baseball is starting to get on it’s way. Hang on!
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