Results tagged ‘ Jon Garland ’
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!
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.
Ability vs. Appearance
(Warning: Excessive “chick comments” will be made from now. Everything here in this entry is based on my opinions and your thoughts are definitely welcome. I want to know what you guys think but at the same time, I am strongly standing up for what I believe in.)
Is it wrong to like a player just by his looks? The answer is certainly yes. Baseball should not be about cute players. Rather, it should be about the ability to play solid baseball. However to be honest, I started saying things like “Jon Garland is one fine looking dude.” sometime in March during spring training. Ever since that day I started going crazy about him on my Twitter. Then I realized not too long ago that I should not like Jon Garland or other good looking players just by their appearance.
This topic has been going around my head for couple of months now; liking a player based on looks. I always wanted to write entries like this because I am a female baseball fan like many others across this country. We can adore players in many ways and yes, say things like “Oh he is so cute.” You may not see it but I am a girly baseball fan. I am a baseball fan who takes an hour getting ready for a game and enjoys making comments about gorgeous looking players. When Jon Garland signed with the Padres during the off season this year, I actually did some research about him. However at that time, I didn’t really pay too much attention to him. All I cared was what he will show for the Padres during the regular season.
Because Jon Garland is with the Padres and a fine looking player at the same time, I will use him as an example for this entry. As baseball fans, we know Jon Garland by the pace of his game and his ability to crunch down innings. Here, I will give you two different point of views of the two things about him. I am bouncing between the two point of views all the time when Jon Garland is on the mound.
A. Pace of Jon Garland’s game:
Point of view #1: If he pitches longer, that means I can stare at his fine looks longer.
Honestly, I do say things like that whenever Jon Garland pitches. We all know that his pace of the game is not as fast as many pitchers around Major League. For female fans who like him, I think it’s an advantage to stare at his looks because well, he is good looking. I try my best to stay away from this point of view because it’s going to show me as a just a girl who knows nothing about baseball. But really, I can’t resist his looks.
Point of view #2: If he pitches longer, that means he’s playing smart.
Because he takes his time, he is thinking what to do to accomplish his goals in every single pitch he throws. He is so durable and dependable that Padres fans can rely on him. The outside may present him as a quiet pitcher but on the inside, he is battling with himself. I noticed that he gets ahead in the count constantly so he doesn’t give up many walks. Conclusion? His pace of the game is absolutely fine. He is doing what he can to be a successful pitcher.
B. Innings eater:
Point of view #1: He is so good because he eats up innings.
We all want an innings eater pitcher in the team. This is what really helps out the pitching rotation and even the entire team. I absolutely love pitching and in this entry, I mentioned that pitching is like an egg for making an omelet. We know when Jon Garland crunches down innings to seven and even eight, he is on fire. So I really think he is very impressive to have on the pitching rotation for the Padres.
Point of view #2: He does eat up innings so…
…it does not mean he is automatically a good player. Even when he eats up innings, he tends to surrender too many hits. He also doesn’t overpower anyone, to be quite honest. He has great things but also flaws. He is not the perfect pitcher in the Major Leagues so I have to point out his weakness. I love when pitchers crunch down innings. It means that they are helping out their teammates’ offense to pick things up for a win. I would love to continue watching Jon Garland get all the innings he can throughout the season.
Sorry if this entry went all over the place but what I’m really trying to point out is that it’s all right if you like a player based on looks. Welcome to the club. I am one of the female fans who enjoys watching cute players play. But personally, you should like that cute player plus his ability to play great baseball at the same time. What matters the most in baseball industry is ability, not appearance. I feel like raging comments will appear in my comment section but that’s ok because I did all of my job explaining in this entry. Like I mentioned earlier, feel free to write what you think about this topic. Yes, Jon Garland is good looking. Yes, Jon Garland has the ability to pitch well. Yes, I like Jon Garland.
(P.S. Jon Garland IS really hot.)
(Photo by me at 2010 Padres Fan Fest)
(Photo capture of video interveiw by XX1090)
(Photo capture of video interview by 619sports.net)
So ladies, isn’t he gorgeous?
Padres Progress
I can’t believe second week of regular season is over already. Throughout the two weeks, I definitiely saw players rising towards the top and players who were struggling in the bottom. It was a great oppertunity to see my boys progress.
The Good:
Kevin Correia had a hard time controlling his pitches when he made his first start in 2010. He did get his first loss of the season against the D-Backs. However on Opening Day and yesterday, I saw a whole different side of Kevin. I personally think he looked more confident on the mound. He even got two RBIs Petco’s Opening Day which made my mouth hanging wide open. Yesterday, I really enjoyed watching him pitch. He was on fire and whenever he stepped on the mound to pitch, I immediately thought, “Yes!”. This guy is continuing to impress me and I have no problems with that at all. As the time rolls on, he is going to get better and better.
The Bad:
It’s not so hard to mention Jon Garland in “The Bad” category. He is not impressing me so far and I am a bit disappointed. When I think of Jon, the words “innings eater” comes to my mind. He did not eat up innings over the past three starts he made. Basically, he is looking bad on the mound. We also know that he is known for his pace of the game. I don’t mind how slow he goes. He is thinking what to do for every single pitch. I like that game plan from him. He only made three starts so far, which means I don’t need to grab my hair and start groaning and moaning. However, Jon needs to step up his game or this Padres fan will not be happy throughout the season.
The Ugly:
Chris Young is on the DL… again. This is getting old and I am sick of this process repeating over and over again. I really wanted Chris to have a full, healthy season. His first start of the 2010 season was great and I assumed he is back and rock out on the mound anytime he goes up there. At this point I honestly don’t know what else to say about him. A healthy Chris Young is a big, big must for the Padres but he let the team and the fans down. When he is off the DL, I expect him to return 100% fresh.
Stay hot Chase!
He has been on fire lately. I always get excited when he comes up to bat because he pumps me up even though I am not at Petco Park. Chase gets things done by getting key hits to help his team score and win. He even got his first career walk-off hit against the Diamonbacks on Friday. The only problem with him is that I am not very comfortable watching him at thirdbase. He made couple of errors already this season and when he does that, he makes me want to miss Kevin Kouzmanoff, now with the A’s. Besides that, I really like this guy. It’s always show time when he has the bat in his hands. So stay hot Chase!
Introducing… the 2010 San Diego Padres (Part 2)
(Continuation of section 3 of part 1)
Matt Stairs
He will be definitely added on the Padres’ 25-man roster on Sunday. Matt Stairs signed a minor league deal during the off season and I thought this move was great. He won a World Series ring with the Phillies in 2008 and I always love when the Padres acquire players who claimed the ultimate prize. He is obviously one of the vetrans of this club and I am looking forward to see him to play. Especially in pinch hit situations because Padres did not have a strong pinch hitter throughout the seasons. Matt Stairs can change that ’cause the first thing that comes up to my mind when I think of him is pinch hit situations. I will be definitely looking fowrard to that situation throughout the season.
Now for part 2.
5. Young and experienced players: pitchers
I would like to add more things from this entry because really, I mentioned about the five pitchers.
Padres pitching rotation looks like the following below:
1. Jon Garland
2. Chris Young
3. Kevin Correia
4. Clayton Richard
5. Mat Latos
Looks like a big name is missing. What is it? That’s right. It’s Jake Peavy. We don’t have Jake as the number one starter anymore. So what? Loss of an ace should not be an impact towards a disastorous team when we have players that are solid and stepping up their games. Now, don’t get me wrong. I still like Jake and miss him. Trading him away was heartbreaking but it was part of buisness in the baseball industry. Personally, this move was acceptable because now the young guys can push themselves even more to be the starter.
For example, Clayton Richard.
He was one of the pitchers we got from the White Sox. He pitched the day after Jake Peavy left and wow, Clayton blew me away. He made a great first impression to the Padres fans. To me, first impression is very, very important. Clayton accomplished it well and that is the reason why he is one of my favorites. Ever since that day, he looked strong on the mound and I am still having fun watching him pitch. He is one of the youngsters but he can pitch extremely well at times. I am looking foward to see him everytime he goes on the mound.
Padres have another young starting pitcher who is totally going to blew the fans away.
When Mat Latos made his major league debut last July, he also made a great impression. Even though he got the loss on that day, he continued to pitch well whenever he got the ball. He is a big deal so the hitters need to watch out. He has a great fastball and can domintate the opposing players by throwing consistenet amound of strikeouts. Congrats to Mat for making on the fop five. By the way, this guy can throw some serious gas.
The top three pitchers Jon Garland, Chris Young and Kevin Correia is going to continue to pitch well and help out the young pitchers. Jon Garland is known as an inning eater and having him as the number one starter was an excellent move. He continues to pitch well and he will be an impact for this team. Not to mention he is pretty dang hot.
Chris Young is 100% back and this is a big, big must for the Padres pitching rotation. He was unhealthy for the last two seasons and it was devestating. His absence made the rotation shaky and the Padres needed him so much when he was placed on the disabled list. This is 2010 and a brand new, clean season for Chris. I can’t wait to see him again on the mound and hopefully he can deliever great things like he did during 2007, his All-Star season.
Kevin Correia is one of my favorite because he totally stepped up his game last season and made a really good impression. Also, it was his best season of the career. I like this guy a lot and he is fun to watch. I hope he can improve the performance from last season and continue to impress me.
6. Bullpen and closer
Bullpen is a pleasant surprise with mixture of young and experienced pitchers.
One of the youngsters is Luke Gregerson.
He joined the Padres late Spring Training of 2009 and he is very consistent on the mound. Last year was his first full season in the majors but I liked this guy from the start. He looks strong and impressed me as well. I hope to see him healthy and solid this upcoming regular season. He is a key ingredient towards a strong bullpen.
Another bullpen pitcher that is capturing my attention is Mike Adams.
He is an amazing pitcher with very good numbers. He must stay healthy or the bullpen can become disastorous. Mike is a solid pitcher but one of the problems he have is injury. I hate when guys especially like him gets injured and impacts the team in a horrible way. He was once again injured last season and I really want him to not go near the disabled list. His stuff is nasty and will blew the batters away.
And of course, how can I forget Heath Bell?
Last year, Heath took a giant step by taking Trevor Hoffman’s spot. As a first year as a closer, he made an excellent impression for not only Padres fans but fans across America. He lead the National League in saves and this was great way to represent San Diego. I am really proud of this guy and hopefully he can deliever the same pitching like he did last year for this season. He even made into the All-Star roster for National League and it was a lot of fun watching him. Heath is not only a great pitcher but a freaking hilarious guy. His bright personality can definitely bring the club up, not down.
Wrap Up
I am so pumped for 2010 season to kick off on Monday. Get ready Padres fans. This is going to be a fun, exciting winning season for San Diego. I guarantee it. With mixture of youth and veteran players, this one heck of a team will surprise so many people and prove the haters wrong by consistency, power and most importantly, energy.
Quest for the Start
At this point, it’s not too early to start thinking about pitching rotation for the Padres. I think pitching is like an egg for making an omlet. In this case, having great pitchers will make the team environment much brighter and better. Without solid pitchers, any team is going to lose ton of games, especially if the offense can’t step up. Also, pitchers are the ones who can prevent the opponent team’s offense from scoring runs. So therefore, pitching always comes first in my book. I see a lot of promise from the young pitchers and mentorship towards those young pitchers from the more experienced players. I have been doing some thinking about the pitchers we have and came across with top five pitchers who are going to be a great impact for this team. They are: Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Chris Young, Mat Latos and Clayton Richard.
Jon Garland:
Acquiring Jon Garland was a smart move made by the Padres. The 30-year-old is obviously well-experienced on the mound and what he has to show looks great. His numbers are not eye-popping yet they are still decent. His ERA per season is usually around 4 but like I mentioned so many times, number does not matter the most.
I did not hear much about him up until when I found out that he signed with the Padres. He spent majority of his career with the White Sox and had ups and downs. At the Fan Fest two weeks ago, I heard him talk about his pitching and also impressed me by saying to the fans that this team can surprise others and this is a better team than people think. That’s when I started researching about him and thought whether looks good or not. So from that day, I have been eager to see what he can offer.
Jon Garland is competing for a number one spot for the pitching rotation and he may have a chance to become the one. Padres fans and the team will have to keep an eye on him.
Kevin Correia:
Kevin Correia struggled early last year but turned things around when four out of five starting pitchers were placed on the disabled list. He stepped up his game and became a new leader of the pitching staff. His numbers impressed me and also looked solid on the mound. So does that mean that he is going to be a number one starter? No. I can tell is that he may repeat the numbers he made from last year but he may need to step up his game even more if he wants to be number one.
When he was with the Giants for six years, he struggled and played as mostly the back of the end guy. Last year was his personal best and I am really proud of this guy for having that kind of year with us. I am looking foward to see him throughout the spring training and the new and better side of him during the regular season wheter he is going to be the number one starter or not.
Chris Young:
Dear Chris Young, please don’t get injured again during the season again.
Overall he is a great pitcher but he needs to stop getting hurt. We already established that. He spent majority of his season on the disabled list last year and the year before that, which was not good at all. He does look healthy after his shoulder sugery he had and I am extremely glad he looks confident enough to pitch very well.
Due to the injuries he had, there is a big question mark on my book if he should be the number one starter or not. The realiability did go down a bit but he is still one of my favorite pitchers. 2007 was his best career year so far. He was even a starter for National League at the All-Star Game and his ERA was microscopic. That year, he totally blew me away with his pitching. I foucused on him so much. If injuries can stay away from him, he can bounce back healthy and can really turn things around from the meltdown from 2008 and 2009. Here’s to a much brighther season for him.
Mat Latos:
Mat Latos caught my attention from the start because of what I heard about him when he was with the minors. Although he got a loss when he made his major league debut, he grew and grew as time progressed and I see a lot of promise from this young pitcher.
He does not look solid enough to be the number one starter but at least he can do is make it to the top five. I know he can achieve that because of what he has to show is amazing. I am starting to really like this guy and he even seems like a great person with an awesome personality.
This year will be his second year for Mat Latos and I hope to see no sophomore slump from him. He has so much talent along with potential and I hope he can prove to the fans that he has the ability to use the what he has on the mound.
Clayton Richard:
Finally, Clayton Richard is the one who looks good enough to lock himself in the starting rotation. When Jake Peavy got traded to the White Sox, Clayton Richard was the one that I looked forward the most among the four pitchers we got from Chicago. First impression was great, which was great to see because it was a day after when Jake got traded. Like Mat Latos, Clayton Richard experienced in the majors for such a little time. He did, however, made his major league debut in 2008 with the White Sox.
“Going into spring training not knowing exactly where everybody fits is a good problem.” said Clayton at the Fan Fest. This is a great quote from him and I agree 100%. Clayton can be one of the starters or not. We will have to wait and see. But I doubt he is not going to be a starter. Second half of the season last year was when I saw an audition full of young players including Clayton to compete for a spot. He impressed me for the remainder of the 2009 season and he deserves to be a starter. I see a lot of promise from him as well and he is continuing to grow. When the season rolls on, he should look consistent and ready to rock an roll when he starts.
Hyun Young’s rotation
The five pitchers I mentioned are my favorite and they should be locked in for the pitching rotation for now. Yes, there are still question marks left and spring training did not even start yet. However, the top pitchers are the ones who look very strong. Even the youngsters Mat Latos and Clayton Richard.
So my rotation?
Young, Correia, Garland, Latos, Richard.
This is not the final answer and it will change sometime. For now, this is what the rotation looks like. When my boys start playing during Spring Training, my answer will be as a final. I am definitely looking forward to the five pitchers the most out of the bunch.
2010 Padres Fan Fest: Epic Day
First of all, 2010 Fan Fest was incredible. Even though I couldn’t do most of the things on my previous entry, I still had so much fun!
For season ticket holders, the gate opened early an hour early which was at nine. On the other hand, the gate opened at ten for non-season ticket holders. I saw Kaybee and her family members few minutes I arrived at Petco. The line was HUGE. Fortunately, we got to the front gate pretty smoothly. I hung out with Kaybee and her sister.
When we were waiting in the line, I figured out the batting and hitting clinics from Heath Bell and Tony Gwynn Jr. were for kids 13 and younger. That’s ok though.
We first went to the weight room, and clubhouse.
That’s me standing infront of David Eckstein’s locker. Speaking of David Eckstein, he was NOT at the Fan Fest so I was disappointed. I’ve been waiting and waiting to go to Petco Park to see him but it didn’t work out.
I have never been to the weight room or the clubhouse until today so it was amazing to see them. After we looked through, we came outside and hung around at the dugout.
Then we walked around the bases. I didn’t run but still accomplished number 3 on my to do list.
(Secondbase)
(Thirdbase)
After we walked the bases, we bumped into RJ’s Fro, which was awesome. Kaybee and I won their first contest by saying “I love BBQ” and also being the first ones to see them. We took a picture with them and won a cool prize.
Thanks guys!
Also, we saw guys at Gaslamp Ball. I don’t know why but I was so nervous to talk to them. But hey, those guys are famous. It was so cool to meet the pros! We also met @jodes0405, a BIG fan of Everth Cabrera and the Padres.
We headed to the Padres Garage Sale. Couple of minutes of wandering around the store, we bumped into John, a fellow Padres blogger here in MLBlogs. It was awesome to see him finally in person.
You might be thinking, “Did you get any autographs?”
The answer is yes. The thing that was different from last year is that the fans had to get like a ticket to get an autograph of your favorite player at a certain time. Kaybee and I decided to get Everth’s at 1:00 P.M. We decided to take pictures of the Padres before we could get our autographs.
(Sean Gallagher)
(Mat Latos)
Their name plates were switched, by the way.
(Jon Garland. I love the glasses and he looks very cute in this picture!)
Kaybee and I also hung out at a section called “Digital and Media Zone” I had a chance to talk to Mark Neely, the play-by-play voice for Padres baseball.
It was about thirty minutes before one so we decided to wait for Everth. Fans and I gave him a round of applause when he climed up the stairs to sit at his seat to sign. Finally, it was our turn to get his autograph.
I said hi to him and he said hi back to me. He looked shy! That’s adorable. Remember the Spanish on my previous entry? It didn’t work out because I got so nervous! So all I said to him was thank you when he signed my baseball. There was another player who signed. His name is Carlos Hernandez and I have never heard of him.
(The top one is from Everth. The bottom one? I’ll get to that later.)
(Carlos Hernadez)
After we got what we wanted, we decided to take more picture of the Padres.
(Will Venable)
(Luke Gregerson)
(Tony Gwynn Jr.)
During the Fan Fest, Padres held Q&A for the fans. Basically, Padres players, broadcasters and front office members answered questions from the fans. Those who participated are: Dick Enburg, Mark Grant and Mark Neely as broadcasters, Chirs Young, Jon Garland and Clayton Richard as pitchers, Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel as front office members, Scott and Jerry Hairston, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Will Venable. Before the fourth Q&A forum, which was the Hairston bros turn, Kaybee, her sister and I bumped into Steve Adler from Friarhood, which was again, awesome. We talked about our day and our awesome blogs. He complimented Kaybee’s new and improved jersey because she literally put a picture of Kouz. Her jersey is full of win, by the way.
Unfortunately, Kaybee and her family had to leave before the Hairstons came out. But I have pictures for her.
(Jerry Hairston)
(Scott Hairston)
I adore Jerry Hairston now. He was funny, made the fans laugh, and it’s an honor to have him as a Padre. He recently played with the New York Yankees who won the World Series last year. I can tell he plays his game hard everytime he does and it’s going to be even better when he plays with his younger brother, Scott.
After the Q&A was over, I met Steve again. We decided to hang out for the rest of the day. We saw Tom Garkinkel, Padres president and Chief Operating Officer, with a hotdog on his hand. We dropped by and said hello.
Later, we walked over to pitchers Kevin Correia and Joe Thatcher.
Both of them were really nice to me. They made eye contact with me, asked me like “How are you doing?”, and smiled at me. I even took a picture with Kevin Correia.
I expected Kevin to be shy but he proved me wrong. First of all, he put his hat backwards and I started laughing. Second of all, he was extremely nice and chill.
Steve and I caught up with Jane Mitchell. She was extremely nice and I just had to laugh when Steve and Jane were talking about their Facebook “issue”. We even took a picture together!
Later, Jenny Cavnar joined the party. Jenny is a reporter for the Padres so I was extremely thrilled to see her. I want her job someday but I didn’t say that to her. It was so amazing to have a talk with a reporter. Especially since I never done anything like that before. I really admire her and she is my idol. It was an incredible honor asking her questions and she was kind enough answer them. Another reason why she is my idol is that she played lacrosse when she was in college. I asked her for few lacrosse tips and they are really going to help me. As for broadcasting, I asked her how she does interview, pre-games and postgames. She said things are memorized, or directly said whaever is organized in her mind. I got incredible tips from her and I would like to thank her so very much.
(Funny story here: When I first introduced myself, she thought I was in college! That’s alright though. I told her that I’m in high school and she seemed surprised that I blog at a young age.)
Another cool story: My follower @goldfyngor totally recocgnized me! Guess my David Eckstein jersey worked. It was so awesome to have that type of meetup. I’ve never done anything like that so it totally made my day.
After all the fun, Steve and I saw the last Q&A, which featured outfielders Tony Gwynn Jr. and Will Venable. We only saw last few minutes. I had to leave and said goodbye to Steve. We need to go to a game during regular season someday!
2010 Fan Fest was absolutely incredible and this was the greatest birthday gift so far. By the way, thanks to Kaybee for giving me this awesome present.
Thanks girl!
As for the Padres and baseball, this really set the mood for me and rest of the Friar Faithful. I really think 2010 will be our year. Petco, I will see you again someday and go Padres!
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