Results tagged ‘ David Eckstein ’
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.
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..)
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!
New Faces, New Middle Infield?
Padres welcomed new face to the team: second baseman Orlando Hudson and shortstop Jason Bartlett. I think both of them will be a great impact for not only the middle infield but also for the young team.
During the 2010 regular season, Padres relied on David Eckstein at second base while Everth Cabrera took over at shortstop in the beginning of the season. Jerry Hairston Jr. alternated between second base and shortstop. Both second base and shortstop were pretty decent but there were things still lacking. Eck and Jerry are veteran players who provided leadership for the young players. Eck ended up mostly playing at second base but an injury caused him to miss out almost a month. Overall, he did a pretty solid job and fun to watch. Jerry has a similar story with Eck. Jerry too, is a type of player who is versatile which was a plus for the team. He was also great to watch at second base and shortstop. However, he was out for the season when he was injured sometime in September.
Everth started off pretty good in the beginning but in the end, he had the season which turned out to be not-so-great. He definitely struggled so he had to spend some time in triple-A. Veteran shortstop Miguel Tejada filled in the hole nicely when he arrived in San Diego in July. General manager Jed Hoyer would like to see Everth start in AAA. To be honest, I think Jed is right. Since Everth is still young, he’s not going to hurt himself by starting the season in triple-A. I hope to see the Everth from last year– when he had a dramatic and fun 2009 season— in 2011.
With the new addition of Orlando Hudson and Jason Bartlett, I think middle infield should not be a problem for the Padres. When I think of Orlando, the first thing that comes to my mind is his defense. He is a four-time Gold Glove winner and I can sense that he is going to continue to play solid defense for his new team. Not only he is great with the glove, he should provide offense as well. Despite the spectacular 2010 season, Padres needed more offense. I don’t like “my stats, my role” kind of thing when one player provides runs. I want everyone to contribute. Orlando will certainly help, not take over a job of driving in runs. Besides being a four-time Gold Glove winner, he was an All-Star in 2007 and 2009. Transitioning from American League to National League is not an issue for him because he spent time with the D-backs and Dodgers. I’m really looking forward to see Orlando in a Padres uniform next year. He has full of positive energy, which the Padres need. He wants to “come in and have fun” and I certainly think he will do that in 2011 and 2012.
Jason Bartlett is familiar with the Padres because he was drafted by the this team in the 13th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. He played for the 2008 Rays who reached to the World Series and was an All-Star in 2009. I’m excited to see Jason play as a everyday player at shortstop. With struggles of Everth Cabrera and the departure of Miguel Tejada, I think Jason will be an important part of the middle infield. He never played with a National League team before so he has a task to transition from American League to National League. I think he will do a fine job for the young Padres. One of the biggest needs of the offseason was a starting shortstop and Jason Bartlett should be the right answer for the Padres.
With the return of David Eckstein and Jerry Hairston Jr. still in question, it is unclear that both of them will be in Padres uniforms next year since they are free agents. Eck still didn’t get an offer from the Padres and there is a little chance that Jerry will return. I will be extremely disappointed if both of them leave but at the same time, I will be looking forward to see Orlando and Jason play. I guess when you lose one (two), you gain one or two.
Welcome to the Padres, Orlando and Jason! San Diego will be definitely looking forward to see you guys play in Padres uniforms next year. I can’t wait to see both of you in action at Petco Park!
Final Adventure at Petco Park of the 2010 Regular Season
I want to first start off by apologizing for the lack of entries yet again. School is keeping me busy and I have been neglecting my blog due to my first priority. Because I am on break right now, I had an opportunity to go to Petco Park to watch a great Padres game on a Wednesday night. It’s extremely rare for me to go to Padres games on weekdays so this meant greatly for me. Padres hosted the Chicago Cubs.
I arrived at Petco about 45 minutes before the first pitch and the atmosphere was just incredible. There was a great mixture of Padres and Cubs fan at Petco Park. This game was also the final night game of the 2010 regular season. I caught up with my Twitter followers Denise and Danny first. We headed down to the field level to wait for David Eckstein. I was told by Ashley, David’s wife, that he would be looking out for me and my friends. Around 6:30, he greeted me with a big smile. I introduced Denise and Danny to David and we took a picture together.
The “Fear the Scrappy” sign is for David. I made this for him because I really felt like I needed to give something back to him. I really respect that he takes his time to talk to me whenever I go to Padres games, starting from last year. This is an incredible honor because this special connection I have is with a baseball player. It saddens me that seeing him yesterday means that I saw him for the last time during the 2010 regular season. I am definitely looking forward to see him next season. Thank you David!
After a nice chat with David, the three of us quickly headed down to the VIP/Player Will Call area by the homeplate gate where Ashley was waiting for an interview. Yes, you read the word “interview” right. Thanks to Ashley’s generosity, she allowed me to interview her. As some of you know, I am an aspiring baseball reporter so having this interview means everything to me for my future career. Because the lighting was not so good outside, the interview had to take place inside a room as a better location.
This allowed access to the building which connects to the Padres clubhouse. The long hallway included bunch of rooms and the four of us found a quiet room to do the interview.
Quest for the Postseason
Here baseball fans stand today on September, anxiously waiting to determine which teams will reach to the 2010 playoffs. The thirty teams have about twenty games left to play during the regular season and it’s do or die for the six best teams in October baseball. Currently, the San Diego Padres are on top of the National League West, proving that impossible is possible for this team.
This season is filled with faith, perseverance and determination by both the players and the fans. The one word that I frequently use to describe this year is as simple as ”believe”. I believe this team can go all the way to the top. Many Padres fans and even the players relate to the word “believe” as well. The way this Padres baseball is played continues to amaze for those who have faith in this team.
Despite the non-believers and doubters, Padres are holding their heads up high by playing baseball by their style. They do every little things possible and turn them into enormous results. For example, Padres move the base runners as far as they can in order to score and keep the momentum going. That momentum can continue to the point when the opposing pitchers struggle to escape the trap. David Eckstein is not only a veteran but the king of moving the base runners for the Padres. Even though the offense is not very powerful, they have days when the bats become explosive and unstoppable. Adrian Gonzalez continues to work with his strong bat and showing a definition of a professional hitter. Other players such as Miguel Tejada, Yorvit Torrealba, Chase Headley are on top of their games to provide the offense for the team.
As for pitching, the Padres are on top. Both the starters and the bullpen possess jaw-dropping numbers. The young pitchers are stepping up their games to help out not only the pitching staff but for the entire team. Recently, Cory Luebke and Tim Stauffer earned their important roles as starters. Cory Luebke was a September call up and he is making a great impression so far by earning his first Major League win against the Dodgers. Tim Stauffer replaced starter Kevin Correia and is currently on the starting rotation. Kevin Correia has been struggling which allowed to land himself with the bullpen. This was a good choice because he needs time to cool off and take time to fix his pitching. Tim Stauffer filled in the hole right on with no problems. He, like Cory Luebke, is making a great impression and I want to see both young pitchers grow thorughout their baseball careers.
The veteran pitcher Jon Garland does have his ups and downs but he knows his role perfectly. When he has an atrocious outing, the look of his face tells everything. The frustration and anger really defines himself as a pitcher who wants to win badly. I really respect him for the effort he put in every time he gets the call to pitch. He is stepping up and setting a great role as a quality veteran pitcher.
The pitcher that stands out is Mat Latos. His pitching is like the presence of CY Young award winner. He’s only 22 but fear him. The youngster is not only a great pitcher but matured himself by listening to the veteran pitchers and following directions. Every time he gets a start, I see a luminous glow on the mound. He truly shines and the light never seems to fade away. This year, he can be a NL CY Young award candidate because he is that impressive. Having Mat Latos is an incredible honor.
The question is, will the Padres win the division with pitching? My answer is no. Padres cannot afford to win multiple amount of 1-0 games. I personally don’t see that happening. Sure, 1-0 games are nail biting and exciting at times, but winning too many of them makes me want to scratch my head and wonder, “Can the offense step up?” I’m a pitchers’ duel girl because I absolutely love pitchers. The problem with winning not only 1-0 games but low scoring games is that pitchers have to step up their even more without any cushion and comfort. Physically, pitchers can’t win every single game because they can get easily worn out. It will be great if the Padres offense can step up and help out the pitchers.
Postseason baseball is so close that I can smell it. I truly believe that the San Diego Padres will be one of the six teams to play October baseball. Possibly, this team can go all the way to the World Series. In order to do so, the Padres have to continue play baseball with their style. They cannot back down and collapse. The boys have to fight for the ultimate prize and play in the hard way. I’m always supporting the Padres every time, everywhere. I really believe in this club.
July Evaluation
Once again, I’m sorry for lack of updates and entries. If you are thinking “Where did Hyun Young go?”, I’m back in school. Yes, you read the word “school” right. I’m in school as a sophomore now. Summer break was extremely short and I miss my long, relaxing summer break which was about two and a half months long. More summer means more baseball.
As for the Padres, their performance for the month of July was pretty sloppy, to be honest. Veteran David Eckstein was placed on the DL about a week ago and the Padres are currently playing without his leadership. Players like Jerry Hairston and Mat Latos are playing their “A” games but unfortunately, there are players who are not getting their jobs done. Everth Cabrera has been in a slump lately when it comes to bats. The two problems for him right now are that he is way too aggressive at the plate and he wants to hit almost every pitch he sees. Also, when he has two strikes, he has a tendency to get out quickly, especially in a scoring situation. I understand being at the plate with two strikes is nerve wrecking but he needs to relax and overcome that situation. This category falls into some of the young players like Will Venable. I want to see improvement from the first place team in the NL West for the remainder of the season.
On the good side however, the Padres finished July over .500 and with the record of 14-10. July is over which means it is time for another evaluation. Here are the top 5 greatest moments for the month of July.
5. Sweeping the D-Backs and the Pirates
The D-Backs came to San Diego for a three-game series. On the 16th, it was the very first game of the second half season. Padres ultimately won with the dramatic score of 12-1. I was able to go to the following game and saw a great win by the Padres with my friends. That game included four homeruns and one of them was an inside the park homerun by Tony Gwynn. The final score that day was 8-5. The third and final game of the series included drama. Arizona’s Mark Reynolds got in a brawl with San Diego’s Everth Cabrera. You can check out the video here. Petco Park was heated and temper was all over the place. Unfortunately, Everth Cabrera got ejected and Mark Reynolds did not. On the good side, the Padres ultimately swept the D-Backs.
Padres hit the road to play against the Pirates. Before the Pirates series, Padres had to face the Braves in Atlanta and that series was not good at all. Lack of offense and pitching costed the Padres to lose the series against the Braves. In order to recover, Padres played their “A” games. Padres bounced back smoothly and rewarded themselves with a sweet sweep in Pittsburg.
4. Acquiring Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick
Acquiring Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick were smart moves made by the general manager Jed Hoyer. Miguel Tejada is a six-time All-Star, 2005 All-Star Game MVP, and 2002 AL MVP. Although he is not the same player as couple of years ago, his ability to play solid baseball is very acceptable. I hope he can contribute for this first place team, who has a potential to reach the playoffs this year.
Ryan Ludwick was acquired right on the trade deadline. His performance on the field is very enjoyable and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite Padre. He made his debut as a Padre today and earned his very first Padre hit at his very first at-bat. With the acquisition of Ryan Ludwick, Padres outfield is going to be a bit tricky. Currently, we have Ryan Ludwick, Tony Gwynn, Chris Denorfia, Will Venable and Scott Hairston. It’s going to be interesting how the Padres are going to figure out this puzzle.
3. Going to the incredible game on the 17th.
This doesn’t apply to the fans but I think this story needs to be mentioned numerous amount of times. I had a blast on the 17th, getting a tour of the press box, watching a great Padres win and meeting the Ecksteins. This game was the best one I went to in my life. So far. To make a long story short, check out this entry for details.
2. Taking the series from the Dodgers
Padres hosted the Dodgers for “The Battle of the NL West”. First game was extremely close because Jon Garland’s performance for the Padres was lights out. However, he made a mistake which costed him two runs and that ended up being the final score. On the offensive side, Padres blew so many chances to score, especially in a bases loaded situation. Padres got what they deserved on that day; a loss. Not being able to use those chances can cost them a devastating loss. The next day, the boys turned things around by beating the Dodgers with the score of 6-1. The final game consisted of a sweet walk-off victory. Oscar Salazar drove in the game winning run for the Padres and the team grabbed the series from the Dodgers.
1. Finishing the month of July in first place
Baseball is already underway of the second half of the season, which means the teams who have the potential to reach the playoffs must get serious. Padres are one of the teams and I am not bragging. This team does not get a lot of attention on television but that does not mean we are backing down. We are doing our best to get stronger and better than other teams. For the month of July, Padres’ record was 14-10, with an overall record of 60-42. Not including today’s game. This team is not just “Baby Padres” or “Young Team”. We are much more than that. I would like to see more eye-popping names for the Padres. Padres consist of not one player, but everyone contributing to make this club into a first place team. Be afraid of the Padres.
VIP entrance, press box tour, conversation with the Ecksteins and Padres’ win in one day? Oh my!
First of all, I apologize that the title of this entry is incredibly long. However, this lengthy title does not describe everything I did at Petco Park on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.
I was able to go to this game with Kaybee, John and my friend because the Ecksteins were so generous to offer tickets for me. If you read this entry, the same thing happened to me last year except that I went to the game with my brother. This year, I wanted to bring my friends but I received many, many requests that they want to tag along with me to go to the game. To be fair for everyone who entered my “contest”, I wrote all of their names and randomly picked three. So this is the reason why I invited Kaybee, John, and my friend. They were the lucky winners out of the bunch.
All of us gathered around at VIP entrance/media entrance/player will call before the game to pick up the tickets. I was astonished that all I had to do was simply tell the worker that a player left tickets for me and show my photo identification. My name was on the system so I had to be in charge of getting the tickets for us. Things went smoothly and two different workers at the VIP entrance really liked my David Eckstein poster, the poster which I will mention towards the end of this entry. So already, two people complimented my poster and it was a great way to start off the day at Petco Park.
The four of us went down to the field level to see what was going on for the Padres and their opponent of the day, the Diamondbacks. The first Padres player in action the four of us saw was Chris Young.
Kaybee was able to get Chris Young’s autograph. I already got his autograph from last year’s Padres Fan Day. All four of us were very impressed because he was so nice to everyone who wanted his autograph. Currently, he is on the DL and did not pitch since April this year. The return of new, healthy Chris Young is a must for the sometime in second half of the season.
Adrian Gonzalez was also signing autographs but again, I already got his autograph last year so no need to worry for me. Kaybee got his autograph but John was extremely close to getting his. My friend? Well, he doesn’t like waiting in a huge crowd trying to get autographs.
Later, we met Angela, the head of the photography crew of Petco Park. Angela contacted me through Facebook and asked me if I want to get a tour around the press box. You read it right. Press box. I responded back “Definitely!”. So Angela camed down to the field level to introduce ourselves and the journey began.
Personally, walking pass by securities felt pretty nervous but I love the fact that Angela was very calm and easy going that we made it to the press box smoothly. Since my friends and I did not want to look like bunch of super fans, I chose not to bring my camera. Plus we had to put our belongings in a room and my camera was in my bag. The reason why the pictures do not look great is because I took them with my phone. Also, people in the room looked busy preparing for the game and gave us a weird look. But I present to you, the press box of the San Diego Padres!
The second picture shown is where analyst Jerry Coleman does his job. It would have been fantastic if Jerry was present in his room but he was in New York, according to Angela. She was kind enough to take a picture of us in his room.
From this perspective, I really felt like Jerry Coleman. We had a very good look at his room and everything was just incredible. After looking around several more rooms, it was time for us to go back to our seats. We thanked Angela for a great tour and I hope to see her again in the future at Petco. She gave us t-shirts for each of us as well.
Also, we saw play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg and Padres radio announcer Andy Masur. We could not say anything to both of them because they passed by us in less than three seconds. It would have been amazing if they stopped by us and say hello. I even had several questions to ask for them. My goal was to have a quick interview with any broadcasters for the Padres but it didn’t work out. Someday I hope to accomplish my goal.
So already, it was about 4:20, which means we had time to relax and watch batting practice from our seats. About five minutes or so later, I saw pitcher Mat Latos’ girlfriend and her friend. Because I interact with them, I had to drop by and say hello. In order to do so, I had to ditch my friends. Sorry guys! I caught up with the ladies and it was so awesome finally meeting them in person. They were extremely nice and we had fun talking some Padres baseball.
After we parted our ways, I went back to my seats where my friends were waiting. About five minutes before 5, we decided to go back down to the field level to wait. Why and for who? David Eckstein signs every single day at Petco Park. For Saturday games, he signs around at 5. He came out from the dugout and started signing. I caught his attention by showing him the poster I made for him. He gave me his big, cute, “Hey!” and gave me a hug. I gave him a big thank you because he and his wife were the ones who provided the tickets for my friends and I. He was kind enough to sign the poster and take a picture with me. He loved my poster too!
This is my third picture I took with him but trust me, there will be more if I go to Padres games in the future. Of course I had to introduce Kaybee, John and my friend to Eck. He was so nice to everyone and made great eye contact. I appreciate him for everything he does to make Petco into a friendly place for the fans. The way he signs autographs everyday and doing his very best are only two reasons out of the bunch why he is my favorite player.
It was almost game time and I was reminded by Ashley, his wife, that she will be coming to our seats and say hello to us. When she came down to us, I was extremely stoked because I finally met her in person for the very first time. Trust me, I was about to scream.
First things first, she is so sweet and down to earth. The five of us had an incredible amount of fun talking with each other. I learned so much about the Ecksteins thanks to Ashley. It is impossible to remember every single thing we talked about but here are some of the great and funny ones that I remember:
1. David drives Ashley’s green Honda Civic, which I think it is adorable and funny. According to Ashley, David does not like anything flashy (If I remember correctly.) but instead, he likes simple things. People make fun of him driving Ashley’s car but I love the fact that he just laughs it off. What a great guy.
2. David watches WWE. That is all.
3. Ashley is the one who reads things off from the Internet. David does not want to read these because people can make up things that are not true. Especially rumors about players getting traded. So Ashley tells him directly about the things she reads. Therefore, David Eckstein does not read this blog.
4. Ashley has her clothing line for Star Wars. She has her website called, Her Universe. Please check it out! She works so hard to make her products for the female Star Wars lovers. She created her clothing line so the female Star Wars fanatics do not have to worry about purchasing Star Wars shirts that are made for guys. Everything Ashley created is gorgeous and chic and feel free to click here to see her creations.
5. Ashley calls David ”The grandpa of the Padres” because he gets along with his teammates but does not have a “best friend”. I think this is very cute.
At first, I was nervous because Ashley was right behind us. Meaning a row. It is not like everyday that a famous person sits right behind you so that was a really unforgettable moment. But because of her friendliness, she helped us to interact with each other smoothly and I thank her for the help.
Also, Ashley was supposed to sit in a different section but she was so nice to stop by us first before the game even began. Our conversation got longer and longer and I did not want this to end. She went to her seat in the middle of the game and she gave us a big hug. In the end, we talked to each other for about an hour, three innings in terms of a game. I did not pay attention to the game very well because I had a blast talking with Ashley.
I honestly don’t know how to explain this game very well so I’ll leave here some of the pictures I took.
On the left is Scott Hairston’s wife and on the right is Jerry Hairston’s wife. Stalker much? I think so too. But they were literally three rows in front of us.
So I am 3-0 this season. Meaning all of the games I went to this season so far, the Padres won all three games. Saturday July 17, 2010 marks the day as the best Padres game I went to in my life so far. When I go to more Padres games in the future this year, I hope to improve my record and stay undefeated. Meeting people and doing something new every time at Petco is always fun. What’s better than touring the press box, having a full conversation with the Ecksteins plus being 3-0 this season? Nothing.
First Half Recap of 2010
First half of the 2010 season reached its finish line but this San Diego team made a magnificent impression to the fans, analysts, and many others in the baseball sphere. Before and during the beginning of the season, there were so many doubters who thought the Padres will not have a spectacular season, play baseball under .500, and received more negative criticisms than positive criticisms. Sure, there were those who thought the Padres will turn up a notch or two but in general, these people were not so sure about the Padres. However, this team proved the doubters wrong even during spring training.
Spring Training:
Technically, spring training is not the first half of the 2010 season but it should be included in the first half because it is bonus baseball for the fans. March baseball can determine an outcome for the team and even how they will play throughout the regular season.
The Padres reunited on February 18th from the long off season and it was time to get back to business for everyone. Throughout the course of spring training, Padres and the fans discovered talent from the veterans and the youngsters. The start of spring training was shaky but this team never quit and bounced back to finish the training with a solid record of 18-10-2. The chemistry of youth and experience became successful and the Padres were prepared for a major test; bouncing back from an abysmal 2008 season and some what blooming 2009 season.
April: 15-8
Game 1 and opening day of 2010 took place in Arizona and unfortunately, Padres could not capture a win against the D-Backs and lost with a score of 6 to 3. Three days later, Padres hit the road again. This time, the duel took place in Colorado against the Rockies. Rockies celebrated their home opener on that day by beating the Padres 7 to 0. The six road games were shaky for the Padres. However, the Padres shined when they returned home for their home opener against the Atlanta Braves. Padres worked together as a team and beat the Braves with the score of 17 to 2. It was a great way to start off the season at home, especially with a jaw dropping score like 17.
As April rolled on, the Padres even had a huge eight game winning streak to stand alone on top of the NL West. On the 19th, David Eckstein, scrappy player who is not a home run hitter type of guy, sent everyone home with his walk-off home run of the season. That was when unrealistic became realistic.
You can check out my entry “April Evaluation” for top 5 greatest moments for the month of April.
May: 16-12, 31-20 overall
May was filled with ups and downs for the Padres. Kevin Correia’s huge loss made an impact for his game time and started to struggle ever since the day he came back from the bereavement list. He needs to check the time and realize that he is taking too long to come back. However, nothing but the best and luck go out to him whenever he is on the mound doing his job. Kevin Correia in April will be in the near future.
Mat Latos shined on May 13th when he tossed a complete game, one-hit shutout against the Giants in San Francisco. He was absolutely stunning on the mound and took the spotlight. Beginning of the season, there were fans who thought Mat should be sent to the bullpen and even be sent down to the minors because he is very young. Mat proved the doubters and haters wrong by showing his great performance and he is still proving, which is excellent. He is continuing to mature as a great pitcher and his future seems very familiar to a former ace, Jake Peavy. Is Mat Latos the next Jake Peavy? Could be.
Padres continued to work hard as a team and reached to the place they wanted to be at, which is first place. The doubts started to vanish little by little and surprises appeared from the fans. “May Evaluation” is also available.
June: 15-12, 46-32 overall
June was filled with interleague games and surprisingly, the Padres did a good job not getting dominated by the American League teams. We are not the best when interleague approaches. This year, the American League teams that played against the Padres consisted of the Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jay, and the Rays. Padres finished the interleague series with 7-5 record. It was very pleasant to see these boys turn things around during mid-June baseball from the previous ones, when they had difficult time playing against American League. One of the reasons why this year’s interleague was much different from the previous years was that the Padres took the series from the Tampa Bay Rays, a great looking team in the east. Overall, this series deserved two thumbs up.
You guessed it. You can check out “June Evaluation” to learn more about the month of June that the fantastic Padres had.
Current record of July: 5-5, first half record: 51-37
The last few games has been a downside for the San Diego Padres. In the beginning of July, Padres took three games out of four against the Houston Astros in the homestand. However, the Padres started to struggle, especially with pitching. Besides Mat Latos, the starting and relief pitchers did a below average job. Mat Latos was dominant and even awarded himself with his first career home run against the Nationals in game 3. He is young, but his pitching and performance is veteran quality.
Relief pitcher Luke Gregerson’s incredible slider did not slide very well against the Nationals and even against the Rockies. Luke is one of the best relief pitchers for the Padres bullpen and it was frustrating seeing him struggle. Two things that stood out were 1. Luke was used in so many games during the first half of the season. And 2. Luke is worn out and needs a break. Padres should not rely on Luke Gregerson all the time. He is a human and he needs to rest every once in a while. This All-Star break approached at the perfect moment and Luke will get his much needed break.
Another reason why the series against the Nationals and Rockies were so difficult is that not only the Padres lost two games out of three against Washington and Colorado, but also the four games they lost were in an extremely close fashion. All four games were either down by one or two runs. These games show that one or even two mistakes can cost the game and suffer the consequence with a loss. In order to avoid these devastating losses, mistakes should be avoided at all times.
So that will do for the first half of the 2010 Padres. Padres really proved so many that they do not back down and do not give up at all times. This team is unstoppable but they stlill have homework they need to do over the All-Star break. After the break, things are going to get more serious. The San Diego Padres, team with a great mixture of youth and veteran players, will remain in first place for a long period of time.
Game 2 of 2010
Yesterday I went to Petco Park with my friend Woo Jin for the 4th of July weekend. We were hoping for another great win and you bet we were stoked throughout the day. This area is where we sat.
We saw pitcher Mat Latos near this area. Mat is becoming my favorite pitcher. I mean, he’s only 22 but his pitching is nasty. He’s just incredible and I really love watching him continuing to grow as a pitcher. Evertime he goes up to the mound, I see a bright light from him.
We were walking around the park and saw my Twitter follower Danny again. It was fun talking Padres baseball together. It was around 4:30 so the three of us decided to wait for David Eckstein because Eck signs autographs at 5 every single day at Petco. I mentioned this so many times but I really respect him for doing this for the fans. Petco Park environment and Padres fanhood would not be the same without him.
For some odd reason I was extremely nervous waiting for Eck. While we were waiting, I kept saying “Where is he?” or ”Be 5 already.” Eck finally came out to sign and I had to say hello to him. Unfortunately, pictures of Eck are not available this time because he was busy signing. However, I’m so glad that he stopped for a minute and talked to me. I introduced my friend and Danny to Eck and trust me, they were stoked. Thanks Eck!
According to Eck, his wife Ashley was in the stands too! I was ecstatic because I really wanted to see her in person. Eck also told me that she reads this blog and I was extremely shocked and happy. It was time for my friends and I to get to our seats and it was hard saying bye to Eck. We went on a little scavenger hunt to find Ashley but we had no luck.
It was almost game time and I saw Friarhood founder Steve and a fellow Padres fan, Scott, who called me a David Eckstein stalker. And please, I did not stalk Eck! Scott was playing around with me. The three of us took a quick picture together before the game.
I met Steve at the Padres Fan Fest this February and he is so down to earth. He is the one who runs Friarhood and please check it out. The gentleman on my left actually had seats next to each other.
It was game time and starting pitcher for the Padres was Kevin Correia.
He has been struggling lately but he turned things around yesterday. He threw seven solid scoreless innings and I was very impressed. Unfortunately, runs didn’t come until the eighth inning.
I started laughing when I saw this.
That’s Nick Hundley and Heath Bell rocking on the guitar and Chase Headley on the drums. Yes, they were playing Rock Band. I love the enthusiasm these three brought.
Sometime during the game, I saw my another Twitter follower, Charisma. Yes, her name really is Charisma. We waved at each other and said hello. She is a Padres fan, of course.
Because both teams didn’t score until the eighth, I was pretty bored in the stands, to be honest. But I stood up couple of times and cheered on my boys. Aaron Cunningham started the show by getting a double.
Tony Gwynn Jr. drove in Aaron Cunningham and the Astros made a throwing error as well.
We finally saw Heath Bell for the first time this season! His entrance song “Blow Me Away” by Breaking Benjamin really suits him very well and I was screaming like crazy.
Heath ended up getting the save and Padres beat the Astros with the score of 1-0!
Overall, I had a great day at Petco Park again and I am 2-0 this season so far! I love meetups with Padres fans. The interaction is so much fun and very easy to talk Padres baseball. I hope to do this more throughout the season.
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