Padres Finally Unload a Contract, Trade Khalil for...You Guessed it, Prospects

It's getting dusty in my house

The Padres made their usual trade of a major league player for minor league prospects. Now Khlali couldn't hit sand if he fell off a camel last year, but I for one loved watching him play. He is the kind of guy you need to watch every day to truly understand how good of a shortstop he is. Shortstops aren't typically strong in the hitters box, because the defensive part of their game is more important, and Khalil had trouble hitting for average. He struck out a lot and he hit for very good power for a middle infielder.

I won't miss seeing him whiff on a curveball that is nowhere near the strike zone, but I will miss him as Padre. It really is too bad that John Moores is going through a rough divorce, and it is too bad that it has to effect the Padres. He has no money to spend because everything is locked up for the divorce and the Padres club and the fans in San Diego have to pay for his failed marriage.

Should MLB have something written up to protect against this thing? Maybe, but that could be a lot to ask. All I know is that after the worst season in a while, this couldn't be at a worse time. The Pads had a good nucleus of players young and old to build on. This is a club that was picked to win 90 games last year. Things didn't go well, but you would think that a team that close just needs a few moves to push them back on the winnings side. Instead, John and Becky are going to make us miserable right with themselves.

My next post will be to talk about the Jake Peavy trade for more minor league prospects, so you have that to look forward to.

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 Brian 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.

Maddux Model of Consistency in Giants Home Opener

Greg Maddux had a rough start to the Padres first road game of the year, giving up a run on two walks and two hits before heading back to his seat in the dugout. The difference between Maddux and many other Major League pitchers is that he didn't get angry and in turn get worse.

Fortunately the one run was still less than Matt Cain allowed in his first and Maddux came back out in the second with his one run lead and cruised for the rest of the game. He retired 19 of the last 20 batters he faced, and finished with a 3 hits, 2 walks, 5 Ks in 7 innings.

Of course today, he got a little help from the bats as well. The Pads scored 8 runs on 13 hits for their highest output of the year. After scoring only 7 total runs in the three game series vs the Dodgers, they got much needed support from the plate.

Adrian Gonzales led the Friars going 4 for 5 with 2 RBI and 4 runs scored, making him a part of 6 of the 8 runs, including the two run homer that put the Pads ahead from the start in the first. Khalil Greene also joined the fun, getting two hits in his three at bats, one of which was a triple to deep right field in the 7th. Khalil also knocked in 3 runs between the triple and two sac flys.

Tonight Randy Wolf makes his second start as a Padre against second year starter Tom Lincecum. Wolf had a great first start at Petco going 6 with 1 run and a no decision. Lincecum got a win in hist first start and also gave up only one run, but let a lot of runners on base that failed to score. He only went 4 innings and gave up 4 hits and 4 walks before leaving in the Giants one and only victory of the year.

Hopefully the Padres won't let the same bug catch them and they can get those base runners home. They should be working the same mentality as yesterday described by Adrian Gonzalez. "We wanted to work the count deep so we could get him out of the game early," so that they can get to that Giants bullpen.