Results tagged ‘ first place ’
Enough is Enough
Dear my first place Padres,
When this season began, there were countless amount of doubters who thought this team will end up being in the same place as last year. But you guys proved them wrong by playing solid baseball and stunning everyone. Baseball writers, analysts, and even other teams and players. Over the past four (almost five) months, the San Diego Padres had nothing but great moments and earning the title of “First Place Padres”. Although there were down sides, this team and even the fans learned to not back down.
However, August 26th was when the losing streak began. Here we stand today on September 6th with zero wins over the past little bit more than a week. Over the course of ten games you played, I began to scratch my head and wonder, “Where did my Padres go?”. I’m 100% sure ten game losing streak is extremely disheartening. When I see you guys play on the field, I see game faces, great effort to not give up, and a true definition of a first place team. Don’t get me wrong. I know this team still has these things I mentioned, but to me, I don’t see it with my own eyes as of now.
This team has a combination of young talent and veterans stepping up their games to help out the young guys. You guys do the little things to achieve big things. I love watching you guys moving a base runner or stealing a base to score at least once or twice. This team plays scrappy and solid baseball, which is why San Diego is still in first place despite the long losing streak.
Now, I’m not going to point fingers and blame people for this streak. I don’t blame this team for losing ten in a row. Of course not! I don’t blame Jon Morosi for writing that Padres are going collapse someday. I don’t blame anyone. Every thirty teams in Major League Baseball go through slumps. Big or small, teams go through slumps. If a team doesn’t go through slumps, there’s something wrong. In this case, our slump is bigger than normal. There is a way to cure this and I’m sure you guys can find it and fix this “disease”.
Win or lose, I love this team so much. I love going out to Petco and cheering on you guys! Unfortunately, I can’t make lots of trips to the ballpark because I am a student. But you guys are always in my mind and I support 100% even if you guys don’t see it. I’m proud to say that I’m a part of Friar Faithful. Whining or panicking is not an option for me. That’s not the way I roll. Us Friar Faithful show positive energy, not negative energy. Ten game losing streak is extreme, not gonna lie. But can we snap this streak? We certainly can.
I love you guys so, so much.
GO PADRES!!! Losing streak ends today!!!
So give me something to believe
Cause I am living just to breathe
And I need something more
To keep on breathing for
So give me something to believe
Sincerely,
a die-hard Padres fan.
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.
June Evaluation
Can you believe we are almost at the midpoint of the season? It seems like yesterday that we celebrated Opening Day of 2010. June has (almost) come to an end which means it is time for another evaluation of the San Diego Padres. This team is continuing to amaze myself, the rest of the Padres fans, and even other fans of different teams. Without further ado, I present to you the top 5 greatest moments for the month of June.
5. Taking the series at Tampa against the Rays.
It may not sound special to others but it is for the San Diego Padres. We all know the Rays have been on top this season. Taking the series from the Rays was very important for the Padres because we needed to get ourselves on top of the NL West and especially since the Rays are an American League team. Game 1 was all about Mat Latos and his gem. He is continuing to mature as a pitcher and doing a very impressive job on the mound. Could he be the next Jake Peavy? Padres fans are not sure but who knows for now? I am extremely proud of my boys for their effort they showed in Tropicana Field.
4. Trailing from 8-0 and coming back to 10-6.
Padres lost on Monday of June 28th but this game really meant something. The opposing pitcher was Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies, which means the Padres had to face a tall task. Starting pitcher for San Diego was Kevin Correia and he was all over the place, to be honest. His commend was off and he had a terrible night on the mound. Kevin had a solid April but started to fall apart in middle of May. Simply, he has not been very impressive. Ubaldo Jimenez was going for a no-hitter but it was broken by David Eckstein. I knew Eck can handle these types of situations. After Eck broke the no-hitter, Padres offense started to pick up and we scored 6 runs in the end. At one point during the game, the score was 8-6. Unfortunately, Padres lost with the score of 10-6 but this game proved to everyone that this team does not stop. I absolutely love the energy and effort this team brought to the ballpark and I really enjoyed it. What this team has that many others don’t is that we never give up. I believe that the chemistry of effort and not giving up really makes a difference throughout the season. If a team does show this chemistry, then that team will most likely have a great season.
Coming back from 8-0 to 8-6 really blew the Padres fans and even the Rockies fans away. I hope to see something like this from the Padres throughout the season. We simply do not give up.
3. The Pen-itentiary
Who is the pen-itentiary? Simple. The San Diego Padres’ outstanding bullpen. Our bullpen has been on top this season and even baseball fans know that we are one strong bullpen. Out of all, the three guys who stand out the most are Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, and Heath Bell. Luke has been solid throughout the season so far as the 7th inning guy. Same thing goes out to Mike Adams, who is the 8th inning guy. Closer Heath Bell has been very consistent, as usual. Heath does scare the fans and shows a nail-biter games at times but that’s what makes the bullpen so interesting. These gentlemen show surprises. Pleasant surprises rather. I am digging the shirt that Mike Adams is holding in the picture shown above. If the Padres start selling this shirt, you bet I will purchase it.
Be aware of the San Diego Padres’ bullpen everyone. They actually do bite.
2. Sweeping the Marlins.
From the 25th though the 27th, Padres hit the road to Miami to play against the Florida Marlins. I have to admit that the Marlins are pretty impressive but it was the San Diego Padres who took the spotlight in Miami. We faced Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson on game 2 while we had Jon Garland on the mound. Jon Garland drove in the game winning run as a sacrifice fly. This series meant so much for us because we were ahead of the San Francisco Giants by 4.5 games, probably the biggest lead in NL West so far.
1. Still first place in NL West
That’s right. The San Diego Padres are still in first place in NL West. Beginning of the season, there were so many doubters who though the Padres are going to finish the season in last place. Guess what? June is almost over and the Padres are first place. This team does not stop but rather move forward. We take each game seriously and continue to stride. I don’t understand why there are still doubters who thinks some other team is going to finish first in NL West. I am not pointing fingers at them but do they not see this team in the spotlight? Yes, this season is pretty young. However, All-Star break is coming up and after the break, it is time for some serious business throughout the season.
So there you have it. The top 5 greatest moments for the month of June. I think the Padres are doing great but we still have so much to prove that we are the best in NL West.
May Evaluation
First and foremost, I am so sorry for lack of entries. The reason I neglected my blog was due to school. I also had to stress with final exams and major projects. My last day of school year was today and my freshman year is officially over. May was a crazy month in high school and I had to stop blogging for quite a long time. School is always my first priority. Speaking of May, it is now time for me to evaluate the month of May for the Padres. If you want to check out the evaluation for the month of April, feel free to click here to read all about it. I know this post will be kind of pointless because May came to an end couple of days ago. However without further ado, here are the top 5 greatest moments for the month of May for the San Diego Padres.
5. Comeback from interleague slump.
From the 21st through the 23rd of May, Padres battled the Seattle Mariners for a quick interleague series. First game out of the three in Seattle was very, very forgettable. Starting pitcher was Wade LeBlanc on that day and he looked lost on the mound. He is still young but there is no excuse for me to let him slide off. Padres ultimately lost with an abysmal score of 15-8. The offense did their best to come back but it was not enough for them to pick up a win.
Things settled down very well for the next two games. Youngsters Clayton Richard and Mat Latos were on a roll on the mound. Along with great pitching, the offensive side was alive as well. So in the end, Padres took the series from the Mariners. We all know the Padres struggle in the interleague games. They showed great team effort which rewarded them with two wins that they deserved. I hope to see the same Padres from the two days in the future when they play against other American League teams.
4. Kevin Correia’s comeback.
Padres fans were shocked when starting pitcher Kevin Correia’s brother passed away. It was very emotional not only for the Correias but for us, as the fans of the Padres. Deepest and sincerest condolences were definitely sent out to Kevin and his family along with thoughts and prayers. When Kevin made his first start coming back from the bereavement list, I was so proud of him. I could not imagine what he had to go through because he lost a beloved person in his life. He was strong and definitely deserved the standing ovation from the fans. He fought the internal struggles very well on that day and made my eyes get teary a bit.
3. A wild 18-6 win against the New York Mets.
What a way to celebrate Memorial Day in San Diego! No, the 18 is not a typo. Yes, the Padres scored 18 runs in one game. Padres’ offense was unstoppable and everyone contributed for the team in some way shape of form. The multiple amount of the sound ”Crack!” made the fans stand up on their feet and cheer wildly for the San Diego Padres. On that day, Petco was not the pitchers’ ballpark but rather, the batters’ ballpark. This game was so much fun to watch and the Padres proved the doubters wrong by exploding incredible amount of runs.
2. Mat Latos’ complete domination and gem
On the 13th, Mat Latos blew away the Padres and Giants fans at San Francisco. His complete game one-hit shutout made both fans drop their jaws hanging wide open. Unfortunately, there was no run support from the Padres offense due to Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez pitched very well on that day as well but it was San Diego’s own Mat Latos who took the spotlight. Mat even helped out his team by getting the only run of the game with a smooth RBI single. His performance on that day was so incredible. I am glad to be a part of #TeamLatos. Mat is really making an excellent impression which is a pleasure. He is growing everyday and getting better and better. This is great for the team that is growing together in order to be at the place they want to be, which is first place. Mat’s progress is an ”A” so far.
1. Still on top of the NL West, 16-12 record for the month of May, 31-20 overall (not including June)
Padres are still first place in NL West. I know there are still doubters who think Padres are going to slip and fall at one point. Those doubters need to think again and need to think about how the Padres are doing currently. Padres are making a huge comeback and they still are. Our club is still the one of the youngest out of 30 but one thing that stands among the crowd is that this ball club does not back down from anyone. I repeat, anyone. These boys are making a great impression to people around the baseball industry. The playoffs and World Series are still in question because this season is young so far. No, I am not saying the Padres have a guarantee spot for the playoffs this season. What is true is that I have high hopes for them to reach the playoffs and maybe even win the World Series. Padres are taking the spotlight and it is definitely something to be proud of for San Diego.
So that will do for the month of May evaluation. Hopefully this month will be better and brighter. Lots of tests will be waiting such as interleague series. By the way, I am number 41 for the month of May on the Latest Leaders’ list. I only wrote one entry for the whole entire month of May and my blog is on the top 50. Thank you to my readers for keep coming back and I will do my best all the time to bring you guys back to read my blog. Thanks for reading!
April Evaluation
First month of the regular season has come to an end which means it is time for evaluation. For this season, I’m going to post top 5 greatest moments for each month. Without further ado, here are the top 5 for the month of April:
5. Epic Win on Padres Home Opener
Padres had a very tough first week of the regular season. They returned home for the second week to play against the Braves in the Padres Home Opener. After the introduction of two teams, Colbie Caillat’s National Anthem in the rain, and San Diego Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers’ first pitch, it was time for the Padres to shine. They made the fans stand up on their feet so many times by scoring 10 runs in one inning and ultimately winning the game with a score of 17-2.
During this game, not one but almost every players in the lineup took roles for contributing the team. Even pitcher Kevin Correia helped out his teammates by driving in two runners. The Padres were hitting and hitting, scoring and scoring. The sound of “crack!” from the bat was definitely a main event for the Home Opener of 2010. The Padres showed a true example of winning and most importantly, teamwork. I hope to see this San Diego Padres throughout the season.
4. Wade LeBlanc’s rise to the majors.
Wade LeBlanc, a young lefty pitcher, is looking really good on the mound recently. He is consistent and knows how to blow away the fans. I am very impressed to see his actions so far this season. He started the season off with Triple-A Portland but due to the injury of starting pitcher Chris Young, Wade was called up filled in the missing spot. I see a lot of promise from the 25-year-old. He may be even competing for a spot in the Padres’ pitching rotation. Wade can be a number five or four starter someday.
He is continuing to grow, which is a pleasure. I’ve been following him closely ever since he made his major league debut in 2008. When he gets sent down to Triple-A, I will be definitely upset. He is a hidden gem for the Padres and hopefully the gem will become bright for many fans to see.
3. Two walk-off dingers from Chase Headley and David Eckstein.
Chase Headley and David Eckstein hit two hair-raising walk-off home runs. Chase hit his home run on the 16th while Eck his his on the 19th, both coming from the home stand. The best part is that Chase and David hit those two long balls against the two NL West teams, Diamondbacks and Giants. I love when my Padres ultimately beat rival teams in a dramatic fashion.
Chase Headley’s home run gave me goosebumps and screams while David Eckstein’s almost gave me breathing problems. It is very rare to see Eck hitting a home run. Plus, he is my favorite player which means that shot is very special to me. Either way, both long balls were thrilling to watch. I’m a walk-off home run girl so these two were definitely amazing. I have to give credits to Chase and Eck for making the fans scream on top of their lungs for winning in a very exciting way. I hope to see more walk-off hits from my boys throughout the season.
2. Eight-game winning streak.
From April 16th to the 24th, the Padres were rolling and rolling. They were unstoppable. The comebacks were amazing and once again, this team worked together throughout those games of winning. This eight-game winning streak is the most in the majors so far this season. What bothered me so much is this did not make a huge headline, which I didn’t approve at all. The Padres totally deserved to get recognized for the baseball fans. Their incredible winning streak was hidden inside.
Other than not getting a lot of recognition, the eight games were so much fun to watch. This even lead to my anti-baseball friends to not talk smack about the Padres. I was a bit disappointed when they couldn’t win nine games in a row but I still love my boys. What more I can say? This winning streak was incredible and led to become number one in NL West.
1. First place in NL West with 15-8 record.
San Diego Padres are number one in the National League West. Not the Dodgers, Rockies, Giants or Diamondbacks, but the Padres. This team does not back down from anyone. I repeat. Anyone. So the other teams need to watch out if they do not want to suffer with a game loss or two. I am tired of the Padres being called as a struggling young team. We are young but that is not an excuse. We know how to play good baseball, the way it should be played. The Padres have the ability to rally, play spectacular defense and most importantly, win games with teamwork.
I do not want this team to be known as an underestimated team. We deserved to be called with a much better name. I want this team to be called as a winning team. This season is still young and there are plenty of baseball actions left for 2010. Padres can continue to rise towards the top or can sink and struggle towards the bottom. Who knows for now?
Expectations in May
Of course I want to see these Padres for the month of May. But what I really expect from this team are:
- 100% healthy Chris Young back in action.
- More teamwork win.
- Not being called as an underestimated team.
- Making huge headlines on television.
This San Diego Padres is an amazing team. I am so proud of each and every boys in Padres uniforms. Overall grade for the month of April is an A. I hope to see this grade stay in the same place for second month of the regular season.
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