SB Nation - Chris Young

Pirates Can't Learn Much From Phillies

Charlie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:05:52 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 28, 2009, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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John Mehno has the right idea in this Beaver County Times column about the differences between the Pirates and Phillies--it's not primarily about spending, it's about building by acquiring amateur talent. But while the technique of comparing some great Phillies draft picks (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and so on) to picks the Pirates botched at similar points in their drafts is effective for an article written with a word count for a general audience, it doesn't quite tell the whole story.

The Phillies' case is really weird. If you look at their drafts under previous GM Ed Wade (that's basically the time frame described in the Beaver County article), it's very surprising they've been so successful. Working backwards, the best player they got in 2005 was current Athletics reliever Josh Outman; they also got current Reds reliever Matt Maloney. That was it. In 2004 they got J.A. Happ in the third round, Jason Jaramillo in the second, and Lou Marson in the fourth, but they also took Greg Golson as a dubious tools pick in the first round and got nothing in the later rounds. In 2003 they had no first- or second-round pick; they got Michael Bourn and Kyle Kendrick, and that was it.

In 2002 the Phils took Cole Hamels in the first round, which was obviously a great pick, but they got absolutely nothing else. In 2001, it was Gavin Floyd in the first round and Howard in the fifth, and absolutely nothing else. In 2000, they got Utley, Taylor Buchholz and nothing else. In 1999, it was Brett Myers, Marlon Byrd and nothing else. (They also drafted Joe Saunders, but didn't sign him.)

Now, maybe this doesn't sound too noteworthy to some of you. Maybe you think that if you get one good player out of a draft, that's great, and to a certain extent that's true. In this case, the results speak for themselves. But what's odd to me about the Phillies' drafts under Wade is how incredibly thin they were. Wade seemed to get a star player and almost nothing else every year for several seasons in a row. That's strange.

To see what I mean, let's take a look at Wade's first draft for the Phillies in 1998. He took Pat Burrell with the first overall pick (a bit of a no-brainer), but he also got several moderately useful players later on, such as Jason Michaels, Geoff Geary and Nick Punto.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter that much if you fail to identify the next Nick Punto in your draft, but it does raise the question of why, if the Phillies are supposed to be a good example of intelligent drafting, they were able to identify so many star players but so few other future productive major leaguers.

Here's an example. In 2000 the Phillies got Utley, who single-handedly made the draft a very successful one for Philadelphia. The same year, the Pirates got Chris Young, Nate McLouth, Ian Snell, Jose Bautista and Sean Burnett. I'd say the Pirates actually did a much better job in that draft, even though it turned out worse--Dave Littlefield stupidly traded away Young a couple years later, and first-rounder Burnett's career was derailed with a ton of injuries. Drafting players who will stay healthy and helping them stay healthy involve skills, of course, and it certainly helps to not take a pitcher in the first round every year like the Pirates did. But there's luck involved too. For example, the Phillies were notably lucky that, for example, high school draftee Hamels basically made it to the majors with his elbow and shoulder intact, particularly after he missed huge chunks of his minor league career with injuries.

In 2001 the Phillies got Floyd, later sent to the White Sox in the Jim Thome trade, and Howard. That was all. Again, the Pirates had a much more robust draft, grabbing a number of moderately useful players in Zach Duke, Chris Shelton, Jeff Keppinger, Chris Duffy, Jonathan Albaladejo and Rajai Davis. (They also might have had some shot of signing 11th-rounder Stephen Drew if Littlefield, who was hired shortly after the draft, hadn't dropped the ball.) The Pirates royally messed up their first-round pick, John Van Benschoten, and that was their fault, but again, I'm not really convinced that Wade and the Phillies had a better idea of what they were doing.

Of course, Littlefield and his team started drafting in 2002, and after that all bets are off. There's no defending much of anything Littlefield did. My point, though, is that I'm not sure the Wade-era Phillies are a particularly good model here. In fact, it looks to me that they repeatedly got very lucky with about one pick each year and totally bombed the rest of their drafts under Wade, with the exceptions of 1998 and 2004. I don't mean to take anything away from the Phillies, who have generally been pretty well run since Wade left. But If there are things the Pirates can learn from this, they are the very basic points that, first, it's generally very important not to screw up first-round picks, and second, that it's important to build a core of homegrown stars. Beyond that, the Phillies' example doesn't tell us a whole lot.

Gaslamp Ball Chat Transcript

jbox — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:25:46 -0000

jbox: Who do you think is the most overrated Padre?

Dex: Tony Gwynn Jr.

jbox: I think I'd say Chris Young or Kouzmanoff, but I'll go with Chris Young. I think people only think he's good because he's tall. If he was a human instead of a clinical giant, he probably wouldn't always be injured and nobody would think he was a number one starter.

jbox: Which Padre do you look at and think "man I bet that guy smells"?

Dex: Heath Bell.

jbox: That's who I was going to say too.

Dex: If you had a box with a button in it and told each of the Padres that they could push the button and they would get a billion dollars, but somebody they didn't know would die, who would push the button first?

jbox: Chris Young. When that whole PED thing was happening he was the only one talking about how it affected his paycheck.

Dex: I think it'd be Adrian Gonzalez. We'd finally see his true colors and/or he'd consider that person a martyr as he donated the billion dollars to help needy children.

Dex: Same question, but the button added 3 inches to the persons manhood.

Dex: I think David Eckstein. His wife is too hot and famous for a little dude, anything to keep her around

jbox: I'd say Giles if we still consider him a Padre.

Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 7: Another day, another defeat

Jim McLennan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:44:03 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Look, Ma! No hands! Chris Young crosses home-plate through his own efforts for the fourth time in two days. The rest of the team... Not so much.

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Record: 61-78. Pace: 71-91. Change on last season: -10.

If you'd told me before the game started that Mandy would get ejected from the game in the third inning, I'd probably have taken that as a good omen for today's contest. However, a little more thought would have had me realize that it probably wasn't a good thing, as the only way this could happen is if the Dodgers had previously sent 12 men to the plate - if that's happening in the third inning... Not so good. And this was indeed the case: the Dodgers were already 3-0 up at that point, and the Diamondbacks never got closer than two runs behind the rest of the way, though the score was padded against the B-bullpen.

Still, seeing Her Dreadlocked Highness get her ass handed to her by the home-plate umpire was fun - It seems to happen almost on a monthly cycle. Hmm... We should perhaps check and see if there's a delivery to the Dodgers' hotel tonight of a quart of Ben and Jerry's and a copy of Made of Honor. Pre-menstrual details after the jump.

Five defeats in a row for Arizona, outscored 33-14 in that time, and having gone 3-for-34 with runners in scoring position in those five games. We're not pitching, we're not hitting, and we're not even capable of running the bases without the Benny Hill theme starting up. Witness today's amusing little disaster, summed up in the box-score as, "J Upton grounded into a fielder's choice double play, shortstop to third to second to first, S Drew out at third, J Upton out at second." Yes: we manage to ground into a double-play, even without a runner on first, thanks to Stephen Drew going on contact and Upton getting caught rounding first too far. Yuk.

When you start off with the above, which ended the first inning, you might as well reach for the alcoholic beverage of your choice, because it's clearly going to be a long day. Those of us at work... Well, let's just say, it's amazin what you can hide in a 32oz. Thirstbuster or travel coffee-mug. Just remember not to exhale anywhere near your boss. Certainly, some kind of analgesic was necessary to numb the pain of this one. And it skidded further downhill immediately, as Ramirez and Loney went yard back-to-back to open the visitors' second - another run was added before the frame was over.

Further suckage ensued in our half of the second, with Mark Reynolds being thrown out trying to steal second-base - that makes him 0-2 in September, and he's going to have to do a lot better if he wants to reach thirty. The gloom lifted slightly in the third, with Mandy taking exception to a pitch against him being called a strike by home-plate umpire Doug Eddings, saying "I told him I thought it was a ball. Then I threw my helmet, and he threw me out. It's OK. He's human. He's not a machine." How very kind of you, Mr. Ramirez. I'm sure Doug will sleep better for knowing that.

Yet another homer followed for the Dodgers in the fourth, and the Chase Field crowd started a chant aimed at Max: "Are you Petit in disguise?" Well, actually, they didn't, but could hardly be blamed if they did so. Furcal managed to bunt for a clean double, leading off the LA fifth, sending it over the head of the onrushing Reynolds, but was held there thanks in part to Max Scherzer's butt, which blocked a liner back up the middle. Things then got about as good as they were going to get in the fourth, as Chris Young unleashed another home-run, a two-run shot, the day after becoming the first man ever to hit three in a game while batting below .200 [with 300+ PAs].

Scherzer ended up going seven innings, a feat which seemed pretty unlikely early on in the game. Obviously not a quality start, with four runs allowed, but his first-pitch strike rate was up at 66%, and he only walked one while scattering seven hits. He only struck out three, his lowest number since June and third-lowest of the season - on the other hand, it is the first time in his career that he has gone seven or more innings in consecutive games. I think he may be eased off down the stretch, with word of him being skipped for his last start entirely. Certainly, no point overtaxing anyone, be it Scherzer, Dan Haren or anyone else.

It all got a bit tense in the fourth inning. Scherzer hit Russell Martin with a pitch on the left shoulder: some discussion ensued as to whether this might have been retaliation for showboating on an earlier Dodger homer, or for pitches up and in to Reynolds. Both benches were officially warned, and Martin and Scherzer exchanged words as the former was escorted to first by the home-plate umpire. They exchanged words after the end of the inning too, but in post-game comments, both seemed conciliatory, Martin saying, "Looking at his body language, I don't think he tried to hit me. But it still hurt." Fair enough.

Seemed a bit of a curious decision to make Zavada the first man out of the bullpen and send him in for the eighth, since he pitched two innings as recently as Saturday - admittedly, we burned more arms in yesterday's Coors incinerator than a mortuary technician probably gets through in a month. A single, two stolen bases and a walk followed; Bryan Augenstein returned, slotting easily into the role expected by a Diamondbacks reliever, allowing both inherited runners to score. Juan Gutierrez allowed a run in the ninth with the help of another LA stolen-base.

Two hits for Drew, a pair for Gerardo Parra. Young's home-run was somewhat undone by his other three at-bats, so he is still just below .200. He is, however, now ahead of Brandon Allen, who has had three hits in his last 30 at-bats - although all of them are for extra-bases, and two of them have left the park. Allen's season, and indeed, career average is down to .196. I know the Reno effect inflates numbers there a good deal, but at this point, after Josh Whitesell, Trent Oeltjen and now, apparently, Allen, we may simply have to start halving the batting averages there, to get a major-league equivalent.

[Click to enlarge, at fangraphs.com]
Master of his domain: Stephen Drew, +10.0%
God-emperor of suck: Justin Upton, -17.3%
Dishonorable mentions: Allen, -11.5; Scherzer, -10.8%

I'm tempted to declare a mis-trial for this afternoon's Gameday Thread, given the amount of utterly shameless post-count padding that went on. Really. You people. Still, especially today, labor deserves to be recognized, and on that basis, all hail dimah1109, who pipped Wailord 385-357. Yes, you read that right: over 740 comments between the two of them alone. 'Skins was (a very long way) back in third. Also present, and deserving credit for showing up in the teeth of the tidal wave, were sayheyupton, RockiesMagicNumber, pygalgia, hotclaws, victor frankenstein, ZonaBacks10, txzona, Diamondhacks, snakecharmer, kishi, IHateSouthBend, NASCARbernet, jazzbo13, katers, 4 Corners Fan, Giannaros, Tripon, edbigghead, befizzle and pierzynskirules. Combined, they were responsible for less than either of the top two.

Something that might have been lost in the thread, but worth mentioning. With their defeat today, the Pittsburgh Pirates have now guaranteed themselves a seventeenth consecutive losing season. And it hasn't even been close of late - the last time they had more than 75 wins was a decade ago. Think about that one the next time you bemoan the fate of our team this season...

NL West Report: Home of MLB's best pitching

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:53:20 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

Clayton Kershaw is one of many pitchers who have emerged this season to make the NL West a force once again.

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Pitching wins championships.

At least that's what they say. If that's the case, pitching wins games too. It should be no surprise then that the rise of the NL Worst to the NL Best has centered around strong pitching. We'll just take a simple look at Wins Over Replacement, taking a look at the top 8 in MLB. Choosing the top 8 is partially a novelty for the number of playoff teams and partially a good cleavage point for the argument.

Here's the deal: The NL West has 4 of the top 5 pitching staffs in the National League in WAR, as well as 4 of the top 8 in MLB.

Team	Pitching WAR
Red Sox	19.6
Rockies	19.0
Braves	18.6
White Sox	18.6
Giants	18.2
Blue Jays	15.8
Diamondbacks	14.9
Dodgers	14.7

Of the other five divisions, the NL Central has zero, the NL East has one, the AL West has zero, the AL Central has one and the AL East has two. Only Arizona and Toronto are out of contention for the playoffs.

NL West Report

Arizona (55-70, 4th, W1, 19 GB)

Last Week: 1-6. 0-1 @ Braves. 0-3 @ Phillies. 1-2 @ Astros. Yesterday's win in Houston broke a season-long 7 game losing streak.

Pace: 71-91.

Divisional Change: Lost 3.0 games.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Giants, 3 game home series vs. Astros.

News: The biggest question this offseason for Arizona will be whether Brandon Webb's extension will be picked up. Via Steve Gilbert's twitter, Josh Byrnes says:

"If [his recovery is] close, he'll probably get the benefit of the doubt."

Other than Arizona's season-long losing streak, the storyline of the week was whether Jerry Dipoto would be fleeced from their front office to be the Nationals' new GM. Yahoo! Sports and CBSSports.com both reported that DiPoto got the job, but their reports proved premature. Washington turned down the opportunity to hand over their front office reins to the former Rockies closer, instead naming interim GM Mike Rizzo the full-time general manager.

P Jon Garland cleared waivers. He's not a good value, but he might be the most effective starting pitcher available through waiver trade.

Jon Garland

#52 / Pitcher / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-6

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 27, 1979

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jon Garland	7-11	4.48	1.46	78	51

Jon Heyman at SI.com wrote that Doug Davis remains in Arizona because Milwaukee offered nothing more than salary relief after claiming him on waivers.

Transactions: RHP Daniel Cabrera assigned to AAA Reno. Called up 1B Brandon Allen from AAA. Allen was the prospect Arizona received in the trade for Tony Pena. Optioned 1B Josh Whitesell to AAA.

Injuries: Conor Jackson saw a disease specialist Aug 19. He might miss the rest of the season. Justin Upton will start a rehab stint in Single-A tonight in an attempt to return in a couple weeks.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Stephen Drew	other-excused	08/24/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Eric Byrnes	hand	06/26/2009
Scott Schoeneweis	other-excused	08/10/2009
Justin Upton	oblique	08/06/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

News on the other three divisional teams after the jump.

Los Angeles (74-51, 1st, L1)

Last Week: 4-3. 1-2 vs Cardinals. 3-1 vs Cubs.

Pace: 96-66.

Divisional Change: Lost 1.5 game lead to COL.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Rockies, 3 game road series @ Reds.

News: As we all know by know, the slim division margin doesn't faze LA. If the Rockies can manage a sweep in the series, they will be tied in the loss column with the Dodgers. Losing a series to Colorado at Dodger Stadium would make it impossible for Los Angeles to maintain their confident mantra.

Also, as we all know, Joe Torre finally got that starting pitcher addition. The Dodgers signed Vicente Padilla, who will start Thursday against the Rockies. True Blue LA reaction.

Vicente Padilla

#0 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 27, 1977

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Vicente Padilla	8-6	18	18	0	0	0	0	108.0	120	61	59	12	42	59	4.92	1.50

CBSSports' Scott Miller notes that Padilla is a "proven starter but also a combustible clubhouse presence."

Drew Silva at MLBTradeRumors poses the question: "What is the future for Orlando Hudson?" One place he suggests is Washington, where there has been a revolving door of second sackers all season. True Blue LA weighs in again.

In another TJ Simers piece for the LA Times, apparently Manny Ramirez shouted in the clubhouse "Hey, I'm going to be here next year!" Ramirez has struggled notably since he returned from his suspension.

Eric Stephen's Week in Review (True Blue LA)

Transactions: Placed Hiroki Kuroda on 15-day DL on Aug 19 retroactive to Aug 16. Called up Vicente Padilla Saturday. Recalled IF Tony Abreu.

Injuries: Jamey Loney is day-to-day with the flu, but may be available to start the series against the Rox tomorrow. Hiroki Kuroda threw 60 pitches from 60 feet with no issues Aug 20 in an attempt to come back in early September from that concussion.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
James Loney	flu	08/24/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	08/06/2009
Hiroki Kuroda	concussion	08/16/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Doug Mientkiewicz	shoulder	04/17/2009
Xavier Paul	ankle	05/21/2009
Eric Milton	lower-back	06/28/2009

San Diego (52-74, 5th, L2, 22.5 GB)

Last Week: 2-4. 2-1 vs Cubs, 1-3 vs Cardinals. That's a perfect inversion of how LA fared against the two NL Central foes.

Pace: 67-95.

Divisonal change: Lost 1.0 game.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Braves, 3 game road series @ Marlins. It's time to be a fan of the Padres.

News: San Diego extended David Eckstein through 2010 with a $1million deal.

Backup catcher Henry Blanco wants to return also.

San Diego is certainly showing earmarks of a rebuilding team. Instead of taking the originally reported PTBNL for Chad Gaudin, the Padres took $100k. They also traded AAA reliever Scott Patterson to Oakland for cash. What to do with the cash? Apparently, the Padres have invested $10million in amateur talent this season.

Rebuilding teams also build through the Rule 5 Draft. RJ Anderson at FanGraphs highlights the Padres Rule 5 Success, notably former Rockie farmhand Everth Cabrera.

Everth Cabrera

#1 / Short Stop / San Diego Padres

Height: 5-9

Weight: 170

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Nov 17, 1986

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Everth Cabrera	67	232	37	63	12	7	2	23	29	51	18	3	.272	.360	.409

Jayson Stark notes that Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell were withdrawn off waivers after several teams tried to claim them.

Top pick Donavan Tate made a very good impression when visited PetCo Park.

San Diego honored long-time announcer Ted Leitner.

Transactions: None.

Injuries: P Sean Gallagher threw a bullpen session Thursday and could return in early September. Kyle Blanks injured his heel Saturday and is day-to-day. Chris Young underwent successful surgery last Monday, and Edgar Gonzalez had a couple of hits in a Class A rehab start Saturday. He is attempting to return from the concussion Jason Hammel gave him.

San Diego Padres Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kyle Blanks	heel	08/24/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Edgar Gonzalez	concussion	07/19/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009
Cliff Floyd	shoulder	06/18/2009

San Francisco (67-57, 3rd, L2, 6.5 GB)

Last Week: 4-3. 1-0 @ Mets. 2-1 @ Reds. 1-2 @ Rockies.

Pace: 88-74.

Divisional Change: No change in NL West. Lost 1.5 games in Wild Card for the second straight week.

This Week: Final game of a four game set @ Rockies. 3 game home series vs Diamondbacks. 3 game home series vs. Rockies.

News: The Giants signed 1st-rounder Zach Wheeler for $3.3 Million last Monday

Bengie Molina wants to return to the Giants with a 2-year deal. This is in spite of him threatening to be one of the worst cleanup hitters in the last half century with prized prospect Buster Posey ripping up AAA.

Buster Posey

#28 / Catcher / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 27, 1987

*AAA Stats	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Buster Posey	.294	.373	.500

Despite having a very successful season since being promoted to AAA, Posey won't be called up this season. He will instead be a possibility for next year's Opening Day roster. Molina believes there is enough room for them both on the MLB roster next year if he can be retained to mentor Posey.

Tom Verducci goes into Tim Lincecum's potentially unprecedented contract.

The Giants claimed Gary Shieffield off waivers, but the Mets pulled him back.

Transactions: None.

Injuries: Freddy Sanchez is still listed as day-yo-day after missing six straight starts.

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Freddy Sanchez	shoulder	08/24/2009

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rich Aurilia	ankle	08/12/2009
Andres Torres	hamstring	07/31/2009

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Johnson	trapezius	07/06/2009
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Kelvin Pichardo	shoulder	06/28/2009
Henry Sosa	shoulder	08/05/2009

San Francisco Giants Injuries

Doubtful

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Freddy Sanchez shoulder 08/24/2009

15-Day

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Rich Aurilia ankle 08/12/2009

Andres Torres hamstring 07/31/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Randy Johnson trapezius 07/06/2009

Noah Lowry ribs 03/27/2009

Kelvin Pichardo shoulder 06/28/2009

Henry Sosa shoulder 08/05/2009

Poll

Do you buy that the Rockies have the second best pitching staff in MLB?

Yes. You just gave me proof by WAR. They have great traditional numbers as a team, and then there's the park effects.

57 votes

Not really. I think we've been good, but I don't trust WAR if it says we're THAT good.

76 votes

Not at all. WAR and SABR stats are bull. There's no way the Rockies one of the top pitching staffs in MLB.

12 votes

HAHA. Coors Field is a Little League park. It inflates numbers. You can't believe any stats. The pitching staff gets the benefit of Coors Field.

6 votes

I usually don't buy into mystical stats like WAR, but I'm going to tell all my friends we have the 2nd best pitching staff anyway.

27 votes

178 votes | Poll has closed

Signing deadline looms for NL West teams

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Anyone this good joining the division this year via the draft? Hopefully, but hopefully not for that white and black team.

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In case, you've missed it, the signing deadline for players selected in June's draft is 10pm MDT tonight. The Rockies remain the least likely in the division to sign their top pick, but as it stands now, only three divisional first rounders have been inked. This is how we're looking this morning:

Arizona

The Diamondbacks made quick work of signing 17th overall pick AJ Pollack, agreeing to terms nearly two months ago. Arizona also had the 16th overall pick. They selected and have now signed HS infielder Bobby Borchering. Jim McLennan includes an audio interview with Borchering in that last link. The deal means Arizona has successfully reached agreement with their first 11 picks and 28 of their top 29. That's getting down to business.

Los Angeles

The Dodgers didn't have a first round pick once they signed Orlando Hudson, but they did recently strike a deal with second-round pick Garrett Gould. Los Angeles also has inked sandwich pick Aaron Miller and have deals with their first 11 picks and 18 of 19.

San Diego

Donovan Tate, a HS outfielder and 3rd overall pick, has yet to sign with San Diego. Corey Brock reported that Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus believes he will sign for about a $6.5million bonus by tonight's deadline. Tate had been given a dorm room at Chapel Hill (sound familiar?), where he planned on played baseball and football. Despite that, the Padres remain confident they'll sign pick Tate.

The Padres also have yet to sign 2nd-rounder Everett Williams or 4th-rounder Keyvius Sampson. Corey Brock says "Williams could be tricky to sign since he was perceived as a first round pick that slid into the second round." Here's the draft database for the Padres.

San Francisco

Sixth overall pick Zack Wheeler remains unsigned, but the Giants are moving forward with talks. Brain Sabean said he "thinks we'll get it done" and those in the know seem to expect Wheeler to sign by the deadline. The Giants also signed their second round pick, high school catch Tommy Joseph, to the most lucrative 2nd round bonus so far this year: $712. San Francisco gave Buster Posey a $6.2mil bonus last year. Picks 2-17 have been signed.

Jim Callis at Baseball America put together a chart of unsigned picks and what their contract demands are. The details are quite vague, but it's still handy.

And now for your weekly divisional report, but first, my apologies for all the red links. I'm writing on a new computer and it seems to be having formatting issues...

NL West Report

Arizona (54-64, 4th, L1, 16 GB)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 vs. Mets. 2-1 vs. Dodgers. D-Backs fans brought brooms to the final game of each series, but Arizona failed to allow them to wave each time.

Pace: 74-88.

Divisional Change: Gained 1.0 game.

This Week: 1 make-up game @ Atlanta, 3 game road series @ Phillies, 3 game road series @ Astros.

News: For the second straight year, the Diamondbacks have a veteran lefty with underwhelming stuff attempting to battle unthinkable battles off the field. After Doug Davis went through treatments for cancer last year, Scott Schoeneweis has had to cope with the surprise of his wife being found dead. None of us want to even imagine the horror ourselves, yet Schoeneweis took two weeks off to cope and be with his four children.

Scott Schoeneweis

#60 / Pitcher / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height:6-0

Weight:190

Bats:L

Throws:L

Born:Oct 02, 1973

That apparently was not enough time, as the lefty was scored on in six of his past seven outings, allowing 11 runs in 5 innings in that span, including a .462 opponent batting average. He was placed on the DL with depression last week. Sad sad story.

Brandon Webb plans to pitch "somewhere" next spring after rehabilitating his surgically repaired shoulder. Arizona is still unsure whether to pick up his $8.5 million option for next season. Webb prefers to stay in Arizona.

Nick Piecoro looks into the payroll going forward to 2010.

Doug Davis was claimed on waivers by the Brewers, but Arizona retracted him and he remains in the desert. We went on to beat the Dodgers Saturday.

Davis wants to be signed to a 3-year extension, but the Diamondbacks are non-committal at this point.

After having a terrible start to the season, Jon Rauch has turned his season around in a big way. Jim McLennan explores in his story: The Raucherrection of Jon.

Transactions: Called up IF Rusty Ryal from AAA and optioned OF Chris Young to AAA. Released RHP Tom Gordon and recalled LHP Daniel Schlereth.

Injuries: Placed LHP Scott Schoeneweis on the 15-day DL Tuesday with depression. Eric Byrnes has started a rehab assignment in AAA in an effort to return this month from his broken hand. Justin Upton hit off a tee yesterday and is in line to return in September. Top prospect Jarrod Parker might need surgery, but Arizona won't pull the trigger on that yet. He will be re-evaluated next month.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS INJURIES

15-DAY

PLAYER	INJURY TYPE	INJURY DATE
Eric Byrnes	hand	06/26/2009
Scott Schoeneweis	other-excused	08/10/2009
Justin Upton	oblique	08/06/2009

60 DAY DL / OUT FOR THE SEASON

PLAYER	INJURY TYPE	INJURY DATE
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

News on the other three divisional teams after the jump.

Los Angeles (70-48, 1st, W1)

Last Week: 3-3. 2-1 @ Giants. 1-2 @ Diamondbacks.

Pace: 96-66.

Divisional Change: Lost 0.5 game lead to COL.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Cardinals, 4 game road series vs Cubs. The Dodgers' week before their visit to Coors is filled with games against the top two teams in the NL Central.

News: Hiroki Kuroda said he is "lucky to be alive" after being struck in the head by a line drive by Arizona rookie infielder Rusty Ryal. It was the second time a pitcher was felled by a line drive to the head at Chase Field (the first being in 1998), and Ryal was credited with a double after the ball ricocheted into the stands.

Hiroki Kuroda

#18 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 10, 1975

Kuroda is quoted as saying that his wife thought he was dead when he was carted off. He is apparently okay now, will miss Thursday's start as a precaution but will remain in the rotation.

Randy Wolf had a heck of a game yesterday, taking a one-hit shutout into the eighth, striking out a season high 10 while falling a triple shy of the cycle at the plate. He was the sixth Dodger pitch ever to hit a home run during a three-hit night in franchise history. I blame Yumeiro Petit for everything.

Snoop Dogg takes Ticket Truck for spin | dodgers.com: News
On Tuesday, the Dodgers announced the launch of the club's first mobile ticketing unit with local rap icon Snoop Dogg taking the truck on its inaugural voyage.

Rookie knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was called up and will start tonight.

Joe Torre is confident Los Angeles will add an arm if they need it. Two options are John Smoltz and Vicente Padilla.

Transactions: Optioned LHP Eric Stults to AAA and called up RHP Charlie Haeger.

Injuries: Chad Billingsley threw 85 pitches in a bullpen session and reported no pain. He's set to tomorrow. Hiroki Kuroda is reportedly "feeling good" but will likely miss his Thursday start vs. Chicago. No replacement has been announced.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS INJURIES

PROBABLE

PLAYER INJURY TYPE INJURY DATE

Chad Billingsley hamstring 08/16/2009

15-DAY

PLAYER INJURY TYPE INJURY DATE

Will Ohman shoulder 05/28/2009

Jason Schmidt shoulder 08/06/2009

60 DAY DL / OUT FOR THE SEASON

PLAYER INJURY TYPE INJURY DATE

Doug Mientkiewicz shoulder 04/17/2009

Xavier Paul ankle 05/21/2009

PLAYER	INJURY TYPE	INJURY DATE
Chad Billingsley	hamstring	08/16/2009

San Diego (49-70, 5th, L4, 21.5 GB)

Last Week: 2-4. 2-1 @ Brewers, 0-3 @ Cardinals.

Pace: 67-95.

Divisonal change: Lost 1.0 game.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Cubs, 4 game home series vs Cardinals.

News: Heath Bell actually blew a save last night, just his second of the season. That quietly puts Huston Street in the NL lead in save percentage, trailing only Mariano Rivera for the MLB lead. Bell and Adrian Gonzalez were placed on waivers over the weekend. The Angels are interested in Bell, but the Jake Peavy trade lessens the need for San Diego to unload their talent.

Heath Bell

#21 / Pitcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-3

Weight: 240

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 29, 1977

Randy Read replaced Jim Lefebvre as hitting coach July 31, and the move has paid off so far. San Diego has hit over .300 under Read and are scoring over five runs a game.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is injured for Texas. A potential replacement is Padre backup Henry Blanco.

Last year, an NL West shortstop injured his own hand. Actually, two of them did. One of them is now an elite player at his position, hitting cleanup for the NL Wild Card leaders. The other got traded and has spent most of the season on the disabled list due to anxiety. Am I ever glad we are proud owners of the former player. The Padres filed a grievance against Khalil Greene, attempting to recoup $1.7million in salary after Greene fractured his hand after "swiping a storage chest." San Diego privately resolved the case with Greene before they had to go to a hearing.

Transactions: Optioned C Eliezer Alfonzo to AAA. Signed RHP Matthew Lollis and assigned his to the AZL Padres. Optioned RHP Mike Ekstrom to AAA Portland and recalled RHP Cesar Carillo.

Injuries: Activated C Nick Hundley (forearm) from the 15-day DL.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Edgar Gonzalez	concussion	07/19/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009

San Francisco (63-54, 3rd, L1, 6.5 GB)

Last Week: 2-4. 1-2 vs. Dodgers, 1-2 @ Mets.

Pace: 87-75.

Divisional Change: Lost 1.0 games in NL West. Lost 1.5 games in Wild Card.

This Week: Final game of a four game set @ Mets. 3 game road series @ Reds. First 3 games of 4 game road series @ Rockies.

News: Now that Alex Rios and his fat contract has headed south to Chicago, Andrew Baggarly at the San Jose Mercury News reminds (or informs) us that there was once talk of a Tim Lincecum for Alex Rios swap less than two years ago. The best trades are indeed the ones you don't make. Unless you're Toronto. Imagine that 1-2 punch.

Tim Lincecum

#55 / Pitcher / Toronto Blue Jays

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Jun 15, 1984

Would you let Barry Zito go on a waiver claim? Henry Schulman at SFGate evaluates from all angles.

Ken Rosenthal has a Q and A with Giants GM Brian Sabean. Among the topics: how Sabean wanted to draft Lincecum so badly he refused to watch him in person, Barry Bonds, and the futures of the catching position, the Kung Fu Panda and Sabean himself.

Transactions: None.

Injuries: Activated Nate Schierholtz (hip) from the 15-Day DL and placed Rich Aurilia (ankle) on the 15-day DL.

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rich Aurilia	ankle	08/12/2009
Andres Torres	hamstring	07/31/2009

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Johnson	trapezius	07/06/2009
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Kelvin Pichardo	shoulder	06/28/2009
Henry Sosa	shoulder	08/05/2009

San Francisco Giants Injuries

15-Day

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Rich Aurilia ankle 08/12/2009

Andres Torres hamstring 07/31/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player Injury Type Injury Date

Randy Johnson trapezius 07/06/2009

Noah Lowry ribs 03/27/2009

Kelvin Pichardo shoulder 06/28/2009

Henry Sosa shoulder 08/05/2009

GM Towers hopes that Buddy Black will manage the Padres longer than Bruce Bochy

jbox — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:34:36 -0000

XX Sports Radio: Kevin Towers Interview (MP3) with Darren Smith

Towers has been with the AA club for the last 6 days. September call ups would likely be from the AA club, they've pretty much exhausted the AAA club.
Towers hopes that Randy Ready will be the batting coach going forward. He's a good communicator and he's closer in age to the players. Towers calls Ready "Spike". "Breath of fresh air for the players." Towers and Buddy pulled a few core players in to see what the feel of the club house was towards Lefebvre to help them make a decision.
Made a lot of progress with Donovan Tate, it's not done yet. Hopefully something will get done before the end of the weekend. "My sense we'll get quite a lot done in the next 4 or 5 days." The Padres anticipated Tate going to camp at UNC. He'll have to pass a significant physical because of the large signing bonus that he'll likely get.
Asked if the commissioners office gets upset if clubs give to much money to first round picks. The majority of MLB clubs stay in close contact so as not to over pay. It's helped in arbitration and in the amateur draft.
Gwynn has more experience so when he's playing he'll usually hit leadoff. Cabrera gives speed at the bottom of the order.
More than likely Chris Young will be shut down the rest of the year. He might be scoped to see what's going on in his shoulder.
Giles is probably a week or two from a rehab assignment.
Edgar Gonzalez gets slight vertigo when laying on his back. He's probably a ways away.
A year extension for Buddy Black was a comfortable length for Towers and Moorad. They didn't want to give him a multi-year contract. Towers is absolutely convinced that Buddy Black can bring this team back in contention. "Buddy is here for the long haul, that's my hope." They want him to be here as long as Bruce Bochy was. Black is certainly not on the hot seat by any means.
Towers thinks Strasburg will sign with the Nationals in a record deal. Towers guesses under $29 million deal.

Poll

Do you hope that Buddy Black will manage the Padres longer than Bruce Bochy?

No sir, that is the exact opposite of my hope

52 votes

Yes, I've placed a picture of Buddy on my hope chest

55 votes

107 votes | Poll has closed

Padres Pitcher Chris Young is done for the season

jbox — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:15:12 -0000

Tom Krasovic reported last night that Chris Young is not expected to return this season. Towers and the Padres don't want to rush him back.

Tom Krasovic's Blog:

"When there is no pain, I'll pitch," Young said. "I have been hopeful it would be at some point this year. I didn't expect this to linger like it has. But I can't control that. It's been more frustrating than last year. Last year, there was a set timetable. This is so indefinite and ambiguous. It's been frustrating."

Honestly I started to forget he was even on the team. He's been on the DL since June 15th and been diagnosed with every shoulder ailment possible.

On 8/4 Bud Black said that surgery would be unlikely even though it sounds like it might help.

"Structurally, the rotator cuff looks good, the labrum looks good," Black said. "All of the things that you look for in the shoulder that you look for from a medical standpoint are in place."

"He's got some impingement, he's got some bursitis. I think if you go in there surgically, you can do some things to alleviate that."

Now the Padres have to continue to struggle to put a young team together without the key ingredient... YOUNG!

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Chris Young	4-6	5.21	1.45	50	40

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Hundley	forearm	06/18/2009
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Edgar Gonzalez	concussion	07/19/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009
Cliff Floyd	shoulder	06/18/2009

You can bid on a Light Saber Baseball Bat Signed by Padres and Star Wars Cast Members

jbox — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:24:00 -0000

The Padres are auctioning a signed David Eckstein model bat that is painted green like a light saber.

David Eckstein's wife voices the Star Wars:Clone Wars character: Ahsoka Tano (aka Snips). Is that reason enough to create such an item? Maybe yes.

Who do you think this appeals to? Jocks inherently don't get along with Nerds (and vice-versa), but maybe this piece of memorabilia can bring them together. Or maybe it appeals to the very rare self loathing "Jock-Nerd hybrid" demographic, I'm not sure.

I'd like to see someone take this onto Antiques Roadshow in 50 years. The appraiser would tell you that if it was just signed by Star Wars cast members it would be worth something but since it was signed by the 2009 San Diego Padres, who went on to lose 50 straight games to end their season, that it's worthless.

Bidding starts at $500

via akamai.edeal.com

Item Description
San Diego Padres and Star Wars: The Clone Wars Bringing the Force to home plate, this Louisville Slugger David Eckstein signature bat has been painted and designed to look just like the lightsaber that Ahsoka Tano uses to battle droids and bounty hunters alongside Anakin Skywalker in Cartoon Network's hit animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The bat boasts signatures from six members of the 2009 San Diego Padres and former All-Stars including: Heath Bell, David Eckstein, Brian Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, Jake Peavy and Chris Young. The bat will be signed by several cast members of Star Wars: The Clone Wars including Ashley Eckstein. All proceeds from the sale of this MLB-authenticated, jedi-influenced bat will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

2009 Trade Deadline Preview: San Diego Padres

Brendan Scolari — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:18:40 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

Browse more photos »

Buyers or sellers?

The Padres are in the cellar of the NL West, 24 games behind the first place Dodgers. At 37-58, they are obviously sellers. The problem for the Padres is that some of their most tradeable players are hurt, making them difficult if not impossible to deal. But the Padres are trying to add prospects in the hopes that they can build a contender some time in the next few years.

Short-term need

Hmm, where to start... The Padres have needs all over the diamond. With the trade of Scott Hairston and collapse of Brian Giles, Adrian Gonzalez is the only player who needs to stay on the field. Tony Gwynn Jr. has done a fine job too but whether he can keep that up remains to be seen. The same goes for the pitching staff, where only Jake Peavy and Heath Bell are good contributers. Peavy has about a 50-50 chance of not pitching again this year so he won't be included in any trades. Chris Young hasn't been able to stay healthy either of the last two years, and wasn't any good this year even when he was. Basically, the Padres just need more good players anywhere they can get them.

Long-term need

For the long term the Padres are in nearly the same position as they are in the short term. They've got a young bat in Kyle Blanks testing the water in the big leagues, but they still need better players at nearly every position other than first base. The Padres have quite a few young outfielders and they should eventually be able to piece together a decent outfield. But the infield leaves something to be desired and the Padres still don't have any pitching depth at all. When Kevin Correia is your third best starter you know you're in trouble. Adding more upside arms should eventually help the Padres pitching-wise and the offense will eventually get better provided some of the young players develop.

Big leaguers on the market?

Injuries to Peavy and Young should keep them in San Diego for at least the rest of the year. The team has already traded away Cla Meridith and Scott Hairston in seperate deals, so they don't have a lot of role players left ot trade. Moving Hairston at least got the Padres some nice young players from the A's. There have been rumors about an Adrian Gonzalez trade, but don't expect that to happen unless the Padres are absolutely blown away by an offer. Gonzalez is under contract through 2011 for very cheap and is the face of the franchise so the Padres have little reason to trade him. The only other player who would bring back a hefty return is Heath Bell, but the Padres have sounded reluctant to trade him as well.

Minor league strength

The minor league system has been rather thin for years now, and that (coupled with the payroll) has really been the downfall of the organization. The outfielders has quite a few prospects (especially if Blanks has to move there); guys like Jaff Decker, Cedric Hunter, and Kellen Kulbacki could be starters there in a few years. Coupled with Tony Gwynn Jr. and Chase Headley, they have lots of depth there.

They also have some pitching depth in the minors, but the problem is that most of them aren't going to be impact arms. Guys like Will Inman and Wade Leblanc are supposed to fill out the back of a major league rotation, not be some of your best pitching prospects. One player who could make a difference is Mat Latos, who was dominating in the minor leagues this season, going 8-1 with a 1.37 ERA in 72.1 innings across two levels.

The good news for Padres fans is that the team has begun committing more to drafting and signing high-quality amateur players. They drafted Donovan Tate with their first pick in 2009, considered by many to be the best high-schooler in the country. They also showed that they have become more committed to spending money on more expensive talent in the last year. Previously they were very frugal in this department, so this new committment could be a ray of hope that the organization is finally focusing on developing it's own players. Given the team's payroll, there may not be any other way.

Take on short-term money to win?

The Padres have the second lowest payroll in the majors (ahead of only the Marlins), they laugh at the idea of taking on payroll. They will be looking to shed expensive contracts wherever possible.

For more coverage of the Padres, check out Gaslamp Ball.

NL West Roundtable, Part II: Second Half Outlook

Eric Stephen — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

I foresee lots of celebrating at home plate for the Dodgers in the second half.

Browse more photos »

Here is the second part of our NL West Roundtable, as skillfully moderated by Sky Kalkman of Beyond The Boxscore. Once again, the participants are:

Jim McLennan - AZ Snake Pit
Russ Oates - Purple Row
Dex Bustarde - Gaslamp Ball
Grant Brisbee - McCovey Chronicles
Me

Here is part one of our roundtable, regarding the trade deadline...

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): What surprising story lines from the first half of the season have shaped the standings the most?

Eric Stephen (True Blue LA): The Dodgers playing so well without Manny Ramirez for 50 games was shocking enough. Juan Pierre played out of his mind for three weeks, but has since come back down to Earth. Casey Blake having his best season at age 35 has also been quite a surprise. The Dodger starting pitching was a question mark entering the season, but has been at or near the top of the league nearly all season, and have contributed greatly to them having the league's best record.

Grant Brisbee (McCovey Chronicles: Pablo Sandoval isn't a work in progress -- he's a fully formed hitting machine. McCovey Chronicles readers started calling him "Fat Ichiro", but another reader suggested "Skinny Gwynn." Either works. A 22-year-old with bat control and hand/eye coordination this good is a rare thing. Matt Cain isn't really pitching better than he has in the past, but he's getting the run support he deserves.

Jim McLennan (AZ SnakePit). Grant, I'll see your 22-year old and raise you an even better 21-year old in Justin Upton. Otherwise, however, the hitting struggles of the Diamondbacks doomed the team early on. The struggles of Chris Young, Stephen Drew and the loss of Conor Jackson, probably for the season, to a fungal lung infection (!), all expected to be major contributors, derailed an offense expected to be among the most productive in the division. And, of course, losing perennial Cy Young contender Brandon Webb didn't help - especially when his replacements have two wins in 15 starts and an ERA of 7.94.

Dex Bustarde (Gaslamp Ball): The biggest surprise for Padres fans may be the fact that everything that we figured would go wrong actually went wrong. You'd think something could go right, but even Adrian Gonzalez's MVP type season and the fact that Tony Gwynn Jr. has worked as an everyday player haven't stopped the slide. I think the biggest surprise overall is that the Dodgers have actually managed to turn talent into function as opposed to dysfunction.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): For the teams probably out of the running, what acquisitions and decisions based on the 2010 and future seasons would you consider a "win"?

Dex Bustarde (Gaslamp Ball): If our minor league talent moves along at a decent pace, it's a win. If the new ownership group decides to start spending money on the team, it's a win.

Jim McLennan (AZ SnakePit): If we could convince someone to taken on board Eric Byrnes' salary for 2010, dancing in the streets would be scheduled. I do like the acquisition of Brandon Allen from the Sox for Tony Peña - basically, any time you convert a middle reliever into a position prospect, you shoud probably do it. He may not quite be ready for 2010, but we have Josh Whitesell to tide us over until then.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): What story lines will we see in the second half of the season that most people aren't expecting?

Russ Oates (Purple Row): The Rockies continue to receive outstanding pitching. I mean, when has anyone ever associated good pitching with the Rockies?

Eric Stephen (True Blue LA): Despite 487 different media members making the "Joe Torre destroys bullpen arms" point without actually researching the topic, the Dodgers' bullpen will continue to excel. That, and I think the Rockies will overtake the Giants in the Wild Card race.

Grant Brisbee (McCovey Chronicles): I think Joe Torre will destroy the Dodger bullpen arms. That, and I think that Eric Stephen will get a bunch of nasty crank calls in the coming months. Seriously, though, I think that either Nate Schierholtz or John Bowker has a huge second half, which will partially make up for the luck (the Giants have scored more runs than expected) going away.

Jim McLennan (AZ SnakePit): You mean apart from Joe Torre destroying the Dodger bullpen arms? [two down, 485 to go...] I'm afraid I just can't see the Giants or Rockies holding up in the wild-card race. Still thinking that'll come out of the Central. Mind you, I'm also expecting Kershaw and Wolf to implode in the Dodgers' rotation. You heard it here first...

Eric Stephen (True Blue LA): Well played, gentlemen.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): How about ending with one bold prediction we won't hold you accountable for if you're wrong, but we'll worship at your feet for if it comes true?

Russ Oates (Purple Row): The NL West champion comes down the last three games of the season, which happens to pit the Rockies against the Dodgers in LA. The Rockies need to sweep the series to win the West, and they do. First NL West crown!

Dex Bustarde (Gaslamp Ball): Padres pull off a 12 game win streak before the end of the season just to taunt fans.

Eric Stephen (True Blue LA): Manny Ramirez will give birth to a 7 lb, 9 oz. baby boy sometime in September, but will still end up leading the club in home runs on the season.

Grant Brisbee (McCovey Chronicles): Giants fans will complain, loudly, no matter what happens. Also, every member of the rotation pitches a no-hitter, though Zito's doesn't count because he walks 14 and is pulled by the fourth.

Jim McLennan (AZ SnakePit): Manny Ramirez is benched for three days each month, spending the time in the clubhouse, weeping uncontrollably and eating Ben and Jerry's while watching 'Beaches'. The Diamondbacks sweep the Cubs at Wrigley in the last series of the season, knocking them out of the wild-card spot. Ted Lilly's glove is never the same again.