Results tagged ‘ postseason ’
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.
What I want for Christmas are…
1. A healthy team throughout the season and almost none of these:
Injuries are very scary, especially during games. Yes. Even spring training. It’s so painful and heartbreaking to watch when a beloved player or whoever in your favorite team gets injured. I even saw a live one at a ballpark once. That was when Edgar Gonzalez got hit with a baseball on his head back in July. There I was at Petco, standing to look at Edgar to see if he was ok and speechless for five minutes. Injuries can happen to any players and I’m ok with that. When they happen during an unexpected time, it’s a diffrenet story. They can also lead to a shaky team because there is a possibility that an ace can be placed on the DL as well. A healthy team however, will be a dominant group since most of the players will be in action to play solid baseball. Padres tend to have a problem with injuries and I hope this wouldn’t be a major issue next year.
2. Extend David Eckstein for couple of more years.
Currently, he is staying in San Diego for a year because of an extension he got during regular season. I was so pleased with that announcement especially since I heard that news when I was at a game. Like I said many times, he is a pleasure to have and a great role model. Great pickup as well. He believes in the young Padres and I defintiely approve of his words. Eck is my favorite player and I’m going to be heartbroken for a very long time when he departures. This guy has true definition of manners and grit as well. For example, when fans go to Petco, he will be always signing autographs, making eye contact to everyone around him and actually say something back at them. I love how he does that every single game at Petco, even when he is injured. Most players don’t do that which means that Eck is one of the rare players who knows how to take care of the fans. Heck, I was one of the fans at one point and I was so happy to see him do that for me. That turned out even better by him knowing who I am, which is truly amazing.
Eck is going to turn 35 on January 20th. I try not to think about his age so much but it keeps coming back to me for some reason. Anyway, this guys works hard for entire 162 games and I really appreciate for everything he does for this club and the fans. Whatever happens to him, he will remain as my favorite player whether he will stay for couple of more years, or go to another team.
3. Keep key players such as Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Heath Bell, etc.
There are several clubs who are keeping a sharp eye on Adrian, Kevin and even Heath. It will be devistating when even one of them leaves. Adrian, a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, is one of the key ingredient in order to make a sucessful team. Will Red Sox be a good fit for Adrian? No. Any other team? No. He is perfectly fine with San Diego and we need this guy so much. His contract will be over in 2011 but at some point, he may get traded. He’s talented and hard working player that everyone loves to watch.
Kevin Kouzmanoff is my gold glove winner. He didn’t win last time, but he definitely deserved that award. His glove is at the Hall of Fame and it’s an honor to have it as a Padre. Chase Headley can play thirdbase as well since it’s his natural position. Honestly, I am more comfortable watching Kouz do his job at third. His plays are spectacular and I rely on him more than Chase. Again, it will be depressing to watch when he gets traded. Plus, he has a lot of female fans. Most of them can turn to a different fan. He always tends to start of the season very slow but eventually bounce back somewhere in June. Usually, I don’t like slow starts but since Kouz is a hard working guy, I accept that from him.
If the Padres release Heath Bell, that would be an absurd thing to happen. First of all, he is a closer and closers have a huge role by end of games during save situations. As a first year closer, Heath did an excellent job by saving 42 games and earned his name as number one on the list among leaders of NL closer in most saves. He has ton of energy on and off the mound. This guy is down to Earth as well. His words and jokes crack me up and if he leaves, I’m gonna miss his bright personality so much.
There are other Padres who I don’t want them to get traded. For example, Mike Adams. He’s a great reliever to have and I can rely on him the most out of the bunch in the bullpen. Keeping Tony Gwynn and Oscar Salazar is a must as well.
4. A trip to the playoffs and even a World Series Title in the Padres’ hands.
I’m not joking. Clinching NL West would be great, but World Series will be even more better. I will burst into tears of joys for long hours. Padres are rebuilding but I truely believe in this club. With a mixture of ton of young guys and well-experienced vetrans, this team will definitely turn things around. Just watch. We will have our World Series Ring someday.
I sometimes get this from my friends: “Who are the Padres?” I just brush it off tell them to watch their mouths but I get frustrated from their words when I’m not with them. They are not serious about it and I know it’s a joke. When it comes to Padres, I tend to get serious so we have an issue with that. When my boys can win it for me and the rest of the fans, I want to prove to those who think Padres are a bad club that this group of boys are winners. They are so underrated and it’s time for that to stop.
5. More consistent Padres bloggers that I can interact with.
Having more Padres bloggers is going to be so much fun. I’m very opened to reading their opinions about this team. For example, the guys at Gaslamp Ball are hilarious and I enjoy reading their posts. They are not members of MLBlogosphere but I try my best to read their blog because they make me laugh. The best part is that they link my entries on “Around the Mission: Padres Links”. I always get excited when my blog is on those posts. If you guys are reading this, thank you very much for the shoutouts. I really appreciate it.
Those are the five main things I want for Christmas. If all of them can happen, I will be a very lucky girl. Have a safe and wonderful Christmas and happy holidays to all!
The journey ends for the Angels
Unfortunately, the Angels now must pack their belongings in New York and depart from the 2009 playoffs. Although the Halos got eliminated against the Yankees in game 6, I would like to applaud them for giving their very best throughout the postseason.
We all know the Angels got off to a very, very rough start due to a terrible loss of a young player named Nick Adenhart. This didn’t stop the Angels however. They fought back and always had the heart to play solid baseball anytime, anywhere. Every single game they won in the regular and post season, it was for Nick. When the Angels clinched AL West back in last month, blood, sweat and tears finally paid off for them. They definitely deserved every single moment of remembering, honoring, and being together as a true team. Sweeping the Red Sox in ALDS was a great way to start the post season ride. Facing the Yankees in the ALCS was a very tall task to handle. When the Angels fell behind by two games, I never lost hope for this team. Why? Because they already proved to me that they are a team who never lose faith, espcially since the fallen Angel was looking down to see help his teammates since regular season. Yankees claimed a golden ticket to reach to the World Series and their final task for 2009 is to play at the ultimate stage against the Phillies.
The Angels did fight off in few games. Like when Jeff Mathis got a game-winning hit or Vladimir Guerro hit a huge two-run shot to tie the game. My head was going around like a big roller coaster ride and I’m very sure the Angels were definitely feeling the same way as well. Their emotions and hearts on the field proved to me that they are a strong team who have the big desire to play their very best every single game. Angels finished close but I wished they could have finished stronger. We will have to wait and see if the Angels will accomplish a big goal next season.
As for the Yankees, thanks for the wild and fun series. You guys are a strong team as well and may the best win at the World Series.
Keep on rolling
The Angels played a great game against the Red Sox last night by winning with a score of 4 to 1. There were no long balls in this game but it sure was exciting since the Angels got the important win. Even though I missed a lot of fun, the Angels are looking strong so far. I like this team a lot but I’m not a die-hard fan of the Angels. Ever since my brother started following this team, I’ve been following them as well. Well, we love baseball. Not as much as him but you get the idea. Few reasons why the Angels are keep on rolling and need to continue like this: 1. They have a solid everyday lineup. 2. They have a consistent pitching staff. 3. They have a strong offense. No wonder they won the AL West Division and definitely deserved to be a champion.
Angels are off today but I can’t wait for more games at Fenway starting tomorrow. Let’s go Angels! Let’s take the series and move on to ALCS.
As for the Cardinals, they are back in St. Louis and need to step up their games in order to get the win(s). It should be another exciting day for baseball which I am looking forward to.
Balanced out
This is going to be short and sweet entry since I don’t have a lot of time to write. Lots of exciting things already happened during postseason. I can’t watch most of the games so I’m missing out all the fun. I’m rooting for the Angels for AL and the Cardinals for NL. Personally, I want St. Louis to win the ultimate prize again. To accomplish that big goal, Cardinals need to step up their games especially since they lost two in a row against the Dodgers. First game wasn’t good and second game turned out to be just flat out terrible.
Mark Loretta for the Dodgers got a game winning hit in the second game at Los Angeles and the Cardinals lost in a miserable fashion. That’s not enough. Matt Holliday made a costly error in the ninth inning and he felt just as terrible as Cardinals’ closer Ryan Franklin, who blew the save. That’s not good at all, guys. Please do the best you can when this series continues at St. Louis. I want the Dodgers to be done.
Well that’s enough of bad news. On the much brighter and better side, the Angels won against the Reds Sox in game 1 in Anaheim. This game was a pitchers’ duel between John Lackey and John Lester. Things were going so tense until Lester for Boston gave up a huge three-run bomb to Torii Hunter.
The Angels were on top by three runs but Kendry Morales provided run support for more comfortable lead. Angels ended up winning 5 to 0 and shut down the Red Sox in a great fashion.
I can see a big sign that says “DANGER AHEAD” for the Cardinals. If they lose another game on Saturday, they are out of the competition and will have to start preparing for 2010. I do not want that to happen so early. Pressure is on and I know the Cardinals can overcome that. As for the Angels, they need to continue to play like this and I would love to see them in ALCS and even World Series.
Gentlemen, drop your bats and gloves
2009 season for the Padres officially came to an end. This year wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad at all. Padres have a lot of young guys who are climbing towards the top to have the capability to become a solid baseball player. Part of achieving that is of course, getting big help from experienced players like David Eckstein and Henry Blanco.
This club bounced back from last season which was a disaster. Padres started off hot in 2009 by remaining first place for few weeks but cooled down in the middle due to ton of injuries. Last two months however, they turned things around and finished the rest of the season strong. What I’m looking for a team is a strong finish and the Padres did that. Even though they lost game 162, I’m just proud with all of them.
As I was mentioning earlier, group of young kids stepped up and proved to the fans they have the stong desire to play like an experienced player. When vetran outfielder Brian Giles hit the disabled list and never came back, two young outfielders stepped up their games and they did very nice jobs filling in the missing hole. They are: Kyle Blanks and Will Venable. Kyle can play firstbase as well, but he looks stonger in the outfield. I saw few actions from Will last year and he turned things around throughout 2009. When Brian Giles returns next year, I will be a little bit disappointed because he didn’t do much of a thing that helped the club. I would personally see Kyle Blanks and Will Venable getting more playing time. With Gwynn Jr. in the middle of course.
For the infield, it’s looking very strong and solid. We have: Adrian Gonzalez at firstbase, David Eckstein at second, Everth Cabrera at shortstop, and Kevin Kouzmanoff at the hot corner. I pay attention to middle infield very carefully and examine it while taking notes. With the mixture of youth and experience (Everth and David), this combo is going to remain next year and will amaze the fans by eye-popping plays. Kevin is straight-up gold glove candidate. If you don’t know much about him, please look at his numbers. He only made three errors in over three hundred chances. That is so amazing. Kouz is going to stay hot and I know it. As for Adrian, 2008 gold glove winner, impressed me as well and Padres’ firstbase is continuing to be strong.
Starting pitchers and bullpen has been the most shaky position this season. Kevin Correia was the only survivor from opening day’s pitching rotation. He started off slow but got better as the season progressed. I’m looking at him as a number two starter next year. He impressed me so much. For some reason, I had high expectations from him when he signed a minor league deal in spring training 2009. I will be thrilled if he comes back next year. When the Padres traded away 2007 NL Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy and talented outfielder Scott Hairston, they recieved total of seven, young pitchers. Not all of them are strong obviously, but pitchers such as Clayton Richard and Adam Russell is going to look great. Lefty Clayton made me so proud that I completely forgot about Jake Peavy few times. (Sorry Jake. I still miss you!)
The offseason began for San Diego but we already made a big move before the season’s end. Padres finally released general manager Kevin Towers. He was the GM for the Padres since 1996 and it was time for him to move on. I say this is the right move because I disagreed with him most of the time. We just could not agree with each other most of the time. Padres are defintiely going to have a brand-new GM by end of October. I hope the new general manager will bring mostly positive move to the club.
Padres season may be over but there are still plenty of major league baseball action in October. Twins became AL Central Champions and I applaud them for a win against the Tigers in dramatic walk-off style. However, I’m rooting for the Cardinals and I really hope they will be World Series winners again. Last time they won the World Series was back in 2006 and my dear David Eckstein was the MVP. 2009 postseason will definitely have twists and turns with nail-biting moments and eight remaining teams will fight to win the ultimate prize.
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