How Do You Know It Is Time To Give Up?

It is the first game of the "second half," following the All Star break, and your team is playing the first of an 11 game road trip. Your ace is on the hill and you score one in the first and one in the third. Things are looking up.

Next thing you know it is the top of the ninth and they are down 4-2. Fortunately the other team's biggest weakness is their bullpen, so there is still a shot. Your second year third baseman rips a double to lead off the inning, and up comes the pride of the farm system. The rookie crushes a ball opposite field off of the wall, jogging into second to represent the tying run.

Then your sometimes power hitting shortstop gets pulled for a pinch hitter by the name of Brandon Myrow...there is your first sign things are not looking good for this team. He strikes out, swinging at a 3-2 pitch that bounces before the plate. Next up...Nick Hundley. Not Todd Hundley(who doesn't exactly give the last name power), but Nick Hundley. At least he advances the runner with his slow roller to second.

Now the tying run is just 90 feet away, and the closer is a little shaken, but there are two outs. We are obviously getting to the bottom of the lineup, so we should probably throw in our pinch hitter here. The problem is we just traded him for...I don't know what, the end of paying his salary?

So your pinch hitter in the ninth inning, with two outs and the tying run on first? Luis Rodriguez!!

Thank you Bud, Sandy, and Kevin, you made it much easier for me to give up. Now lets move on. We can look forward to the future with lots of Dominican players filling in around a great core...Kooz, Adrian, Edgar (I never thought I would say that about him), Chase (freaking beast), Jake, CY (if he ever recovers), and Heath. There are 7 really solid, young guys that give us something to build on. Let's sell the rest and move on.

Sorry Khalil.

Is This The End of The Line for Jim Edmonds?

After what Jim Edmonds called the "worst April" of his career, we may be seeing the last of him in a Padres uniform...or any for that matter. He worked hard in the offseason to come back healthy and energized for another run, but couldn't even make it through Spring Training. That setback could end up costing him the season.

No one can say what would have happened had he been healthy all Spring Training, but you have to think he would have a higher average then .153 at this point and more than 3 extra base hits and 6 RBI.

On the Scott and BR show this morning, Kevin Towers told us that the Padres are going to be making some "moves" within the next few days, but that they would probably wait until after the Atlanta trip. He said that this is something they would rather do in person because this is a difficult situation and "could involve veteran
players." Sounds a lot like Jimmy.

He also said in reference to Edmonds that he has clearly "lost a step in the outfield," and I think we can assume that his hitting isn't pulling the wait.
KT was asked about Headley and he said he wasn't sure when he would come up, but when he did he would be playing every day. It sounds like things have been going well in the outfield even if his bat started out a little slow, but he said that "we know he will hit the ball, he is down there to play every day in the outfield."

Should we expect to see more of this
and less of the top photo?

I would say this move won't come yet, but probably won't be too far away.

Then we switched to Jody Gerut who Towers called "the hottest hitter we have right now," which seems like the obvious replacement for Edmonds, who I am sure would rather be cut then go to AAA. 14 year veterans don't get sent down to the minors.

As of yesterday, Gerut was hitting .326 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 21 runs, 16 RBI and 3 stolen bases. Sound like something we could use?

Towers also mentioned that Estes threw 7 solid innings and his fastball is up to speed. So we should expect to have him in the rotation within the next few weeks. I would guess that Germano will make his way to the bullpen and Ledezma may get a shot if Estes isn't quite ready.

There is still the possibility that Edmonds will stay with the team and Justin Huber or Paul McAnulty will go down, but it seems from KT's point of view like Edmonds is at the end of the line.

Headley Will Start The Year in AAA

In a somewhat surprising move, the Padres designated Chase Headley to AAA. The newly converted Left Fielder has been swinging one of the hottest bats in the Cactus League, and impressed me personally more than anyone on the team for the short weekend I got to be a part of Spring Training.

In the three games I was able to see, Chase hit 2 home runs and had two sac flys to the warning track. He is a beast, and he will be back to the majors in no time. The move is interesting based on his Spring success (.349, 3 doubles, 4 homers, 1 triple and 14 RBI) but it makes sense. The big debate of not only Spring Training but the entire off season has been who will start in left. The truth of the matter is that both guys deserve to be there, which usually means they will split time.

Headley has spent his entire minor league career at third, so splitting time at a new position doesn't make a whole lot of sense. He will start the year in AAA so that he can play every day in Left and get more games under his belt. Once he has proven he can be trusted out there, he will be back up crushing the ball out of Petco Park.

This team is based around its pitching staff, so you don't want to compromise that with poor fielding. It appears that he has adjusted to the position well, but a month of playing every day will go a long way in making the entire club feel better.

Here's one guy that can't wait for him to come back, because that kid can hit!

Headley Making Things Interesting in Left

It will be hard to give the starting left field position to anyone but Scott Hairston, the pinch hit hero of last season, but Chase Headley is going to do his best to create that tough decision. Headley has started Spring Training the way every young ballplayer dreams of, going 6 for 9 with 2 doubles and a home run.

Saturday he did it from both sides of the plate in an 11-0 win over the Mariners. Batting right handed, he hit a 2 RBI double to the 410ft center field wall, and then blasted a 440 ft home run over the batters eye in center field.

Headley was the Texas League Player of the Year last year and the Padres organization named him the club's minor leaguer of the year. He has spent his minor league time at third base, but is trying to win the spot in left field, as Kevin Kouzmanoff has supplanted himself at third.

Of course we have yet to finish one week of Spring Training and there is a lot of baseball left to be played. Scott Hairston is 2 for 4 thus far with 2 doubles and is not about to roll over and give up.