Just spreading some Padre love to our friends in Asia Minor with the help of a T-shirt.

Tonight I met up with Jbox and headed down to the game.  Some how I ended up driving.  I hate driving to the games, but we scored a pretty good parking spot on the street.

We took our seats along the third baseline.  We caught up with some old friends and made some new friends.  Before you know it, the game is half over and I'm starving.

I kept going back and forth whether or not I should get something to eat.  On the one hand it was so hot that I didn't feel like eating.  But on the other hand I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and that was about 8 hours ago.  Finally around the fifth inning I got me some garlic fries.

More after the jump...

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Last week I traveled from Nebraska to Wrigley with one spiritual stop in between.  A family event called for me to be in Northern Nebraska over Memorial Day weekend.  The Missus and I took this opportunity to drive to Chicago from Omaha with many stops along the way.  If our drive took us past something baseball related, I was stopping.

Jump ahead for lots of pics and my story…

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I just can’t handle the umpiring over the last two Padre games in Arizona.  Monday, Angel Hernandez blows yet another call, but thankfully the call doesn’t cost the Padres the game.  However, Tuesday night Joe West clearly misses Patterson tagging up and scoring.  His blown call shifts momentum in favor of the Dbacks and costs the Padres the game.  So this gets me thinking.

Is it me, or is this one of the worst season s for umpires so far?  I swear it seems the men in blue are missing more calls than ever.  Or maybe it’s just that there are 45 HD cameras at every game.  I really don’t know.  Regardless, I think it’s time for change.  Oh and let’s not forget Jim Joyce…

The easiest solution in my opinion is to adopt some sort of system similar to the NFL.  You give each manager two challenges a game.  If the challenging manager is correct and the call reversed on both accounts that team continues to get a challenge until the ruling on the field stands.  To keep a bit of tradition and level the playing field between the umpires and managers, the managers would be prevented to seeing a replay before challenging a call.  It’s not as if they show anything on the Jumbotron anyway.

MLB could really take it a step forward.  According to a recent study "Pitch-Track" is over 95% accurate. Far more accurate than any human. Umpires could have a sensor, say in their pocket, that indicates to them whether the pitch is a ball or a strike.  The home plate umpire than signals to everyone the correct call.  The umpires would still be relevant, calling runners safe or out, balls fair or foul, etc.  Using pitch track would eliminate the ever so changing strike zone between umpires.  It would also eliminate the need to argue balls and strikes all together.

I don’t recall the umpires making a big deal about replay being used for home runs as it has been for the last couple seasons.  Most likely this is because they really don’t have a legitimate argument against replay.  Get the call right and you won’t have to worry about it.

Fans would also love it.  Just imagine a questionable call is made.  The manager comes storming out of the dugout.  Standing toe to toe, screaming ensues.  Fans are chanting "Throw the flag! Throw the flag!" Finally, Buddy can’t take anymore and throws a red hankie to the ground.  I go nuts! You go nuts! Everybody in the stands goes nuts!!!

 You would think the biggest baseball and cat fans would be from right here in San Diego.  You'd be wrong.  I was watching Animal Planet's Must Love Cats the other day and came to find out how Tony LaRusaa is a huge fan of cats.  So much so he started up ARF, Tony's Animal Rescue Foundation back in 1991.

Anyway, another afternoon game, I love me some day baseball.  Clayton Richard takes the hill, matching up against Jake Westbrook for the Cardinals.  I don't think many were expecting the Pads to even win one game in St. Louis this weekend.  Today we start off with our first series win!

So game two of the season today and with a little love for your feline friends the GLB looks to be in mid season form...

Jbox and I headed down to the Park at the Park this afternoon for Opening Day.  If you didn't know, the Padres allow fans to watch all away games on the park's Jumbo Tron. 

We called Dex on our drive down to ask him where to park.  He was able to find out that we could park in D1/D2, the Parkade or the tailgate lot.  None of us were sure where D1/D2 were but we figured that the lot in front of the ballpark must be it.

Once inside there was a good group of fans, but it was really hot!  Three innings into the game we needed refreshments bad.  We went over Quizno's for a sandwich and tall soda.  Dex headed back to work and we headed back to the park.  We baked in the sun, and I ate a toasted sandwich... bad idea.

After our lunch we needed shade.  We took refuge by hitting up the Padre store.  On a day that saw temperatures reach the 90's, Jbox scored himself a Padres Gortex jacket ala George Costanza.  He was loving it.  So much so, that he had to share the news of this great find with everyone he saw, including Channel 4 Padres' own Jane Mitchell. I think she was the only one who really even cared that he scored such a great jacket for 50% off.  Noticing Jane's enthusiasm for the jacket, Jbox insisted she buy one so they could be twins.  She invited us to come shopping her.

So we spent the next hour sorting through the discount racks at the Padres Store.  Jane loves a good deal. She was going back and forth about getting the jacket, mostly because Jbox kept pressuring her to buy it.  Finally she said "I'm going to get it!"  Jbox then deflated her enthusiasm by saying to her "I'm not sure you can pull it off."

We headed back out into the heat.  Just in time to find the Padres were going to extra innings.  But it was just too damn hot, especially with this jacket.  We headed out catching the rest of the game on TV.

To cap off a perfect day, we find Jbox's car with a $40 parking ticket under the wiper.  He threw a fit,

Just got an emergency call from Dex!  "Jonny Dub!  I won't be home in time and your the only one who can save us!  You are the Padres only hope."

Ironic... So here I am saving our team from continuing down the worst skid of the season.  I'm here to get this season back on track!

This afternoon I had a chance to interview Dave Winfield, the first Padre inducted into the Hall of Fame.  He was driving on country roads towards the Little League World Series, battling the elements and everything Mother Nature could throw at him.  You see Dave is on a mission to promote Breast Cancer awareness.  To complete this mission he has partnered up with Ask.com's Answers for the Cure.  To promote the program he agreed to field some questions from us.

I'll admit I was a bit nervous talking to Winfield as you'll soon hear.  We were given eight minutes for the interview. Eight minutes???  How was I going to keep up a conversation for eight minutes?!  Luckily Dave was a pro and did all the heavy lifting.

Last night jbox and I got together and went over a game plan.  He would write a question then I'd tell him I'd be way too nervous to ask it.  This went on for well over an hour.  He was getting really frustrated with me.  But when all was said and done, we had a bunch of questions, a logical order and follow up questions based on Dave's answers.

Once the interview got started that all went out the window.  I just went with my gut and some terrible notes I could hardly read.  Nonetheless it went really well.  You may have to turn up your volume because the interview itself is a little bit quiet. but without further ado, I give you the greatest Gaslamp Ball interview ever:

Today I took in my first visit to Training Camp. I tell you what, this city is fired up and fans are flocking to camp. I’ve never had to park so far away. I walked for 17 minutes. And coincidentally for the most part I was just a few feet behind Obviousman. Not until he walked in the front door of the Charger Facilities did I realize it was him. I continued around through the gate with the rest of the little people.

I think the thing I love the most about training camp is the hitting.  It's awesome to be down there so close to the action, to hear those pads

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Just got an emergency call from Dex asking me to post the Open Thread.  I'm trying to get my ass out the door to meet up with Jbox and get down to the game.  I don't know anything about tonight's game except that Ubaldo Jimenez ain't pitching, so there is no reason we don't win this.  GO PADS!

Jonny Dub here exercising emergency powers.  Jbox and Dex have been captured, so I'm here to save the day!

Padres send Wade to the hill to take care of the Mets and continue the winning ways.

Well, I hope everybody here isn't superstitious.  But let's face it, if you are a baseball fan than you've got to be superstitious.  That sure doesn't fair well for Gaslamp Ball's very own cats.  The infamous cat makes it's 2010 debut and what happens?  I don't know where to start?

Mat Latos showed more Growing Pains than Nick at Night.  Latos allowed 7 runs in 2 2/3's innings.

Josh Johnson hit as well as the entire Padres team, both with three hits.

Oh yeah, Johnson can also pitch; going the distance and completely shutting down the Padres hot bats (One meaningless run at the end of the game doesn't count).

Is this a reality check for our Padres?  Or just bad feline luck?

Roll Call: Sam (sdsuaztec4), matthewverygood, Jordan_Ming, jodes0405, The Kipper, Drama, TheThinGwynn, justdave, eastbaysd, Axion, ABY, I8EtoDunbar, Dex, theodore donald kerabatsos, kev, Winfield's Ghost, MrDanielX, Zen Blade, dontkickthebaby, Padres_Hobo, Dude52089, AYEq, tonoxtono, Demoira, Jonny Dub, disasterprone, Art Vanndelay, icaughthundleys#4, Conor858, blackzag05, pasadenapadre, Ron Mexico, texpadre, SeeAnFrockOh, podpeople, Duke Street Kings, Ketchup, Hormel, Section 135, creanium, SD Steve, mrbarneydangles, Zach (maestro876)
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Dex and Jbox had their run.  I for one was a bit disappointed at yesterday's loss.  The Pads blew a lead, and the rain didn't show up early enough.  For whatever reason I kept thinking there is no way these guys can keep winning.  I kept praying for a rain out.

Oh well, the streak is over.  It's time to start dreaming of a new, longer streak.  And I intend to get things started tonight...

This Saturday at Friar Fest we had the pleasure of chatting with Tom as we stood in line for catching pop-fly's.  We stood there in the blistering heat along the warning track in front of the "sand box" in right center.  I threw him the idea of pushing the fences back as far as you could and getting rid of those terrible "bleachers", making it more like Peoria.  He thought I was crazy.  But it could have just been the sun.

Now, I know we've discussed the fences a thousand times here... bring them in, push them out, raise them, lower them, paint them purple, whatever... I'm going to do it one more time. (For Tom's sake)

This ownership is obviously pinching pennies on the payroll.  Well it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know speedy guys like Cabrera are a dime a dozen compared to the Pujols, etc.  If you are not going to invest in power, and most likely dump any players that have power, you might as well help out your fast guys and pitchers.  Imagine all the inside-the-park home runs that are possible.  Imagine Manny staring down the pitcher and jogging around the bases as his long fly ball to right-center doesn't even make the track.

The "bleachers" out there are the worst seats in the stadium, you can't see crap.  The fence is in the way and tickets are even marked "obstructed".  I've sat there once during a sold out game.  I didn't make it two innings.  I walked up and sat on the grass so I could see better, even though I was farther away.  Originally, when the Downtown ballpark was being pitched to the public we were promised a bigger "Park at the Park" and it would look similar to Peoria.  The other thing about those "bleachers" is just that... they're called bleachers.  It's as if the bleachers are forced upon us.  This is not Wrigley or Old Yankee Stadium, we don't need "bleachers".  Not to mention that "sand box" is a gimmick, and a hazard to kids.  Move it to the north side of the Park.

Here's a couple before and possible after shots, along with one from Peoria.  First, get rid of the fence in front of the batters-eye.  Home runs would have to travel to that little walkway.  Keep the right center fence in line with the batters-eye.  Build that fence exactly the same as it is in Peoria, where it's about 3 feet high on the park side and 8 feet high on the field side. I know I'm probably in the minority here with this idea (Jbox hates it), but I stand by it.

After three attempts Alinghi and BMW Oracle finally raced two days ago.  The American's crushed the Swiss by the third largest time difference in Cup history.  So I'm thinking it's a pretty safe bet that the America's Cup is headed back to the United States after the second race in a best of three series.  The Cup hasn't been on American soil since Dennis Conner lost to the Kiwis off San Diego in 1995.

BMW Oracle did the majority of training and water testing off San Diego dating back to 2008.  Even though the USA team is racing for the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco, there has been plenty of speculation from even Ellison himself that San Diego would again play a big part in the next America's Cup regatta.  So there's no better time for a US team to win.

Watch History in the making tonight/Sunday early morning at 3am Pacific on ESPN360.com

Author's Note:  Because the first race was delayed for a second time on Wednesday, Race 1 will begin Tonight/Early Morning Friday 3am Pacific (This is yet another postponement of 2 hours from the 1am start time).  The best coverage state side is espn360.com

Today the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be hoisted by the greatest professional football team in the world.  But the Lombardi Trophy is nothing compared to the oldest sporting trophy in the history of mankind.

History has shown what those will go through and sacrifice to capture the cup.   Yachtsmen have failed and even died in attempts to win.  It defies logic to dedicate so much time, money and livelihood to just a sport.  The Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, British royalty are the type of characters who chase this holy grail.  The 2010 America’s cup is undboubtably the most maddening edition of a yacht race that spans three centuries.

In one corner you have a team that hails from Switzerland… Team Alinghi.  Alinghi is backed by gizllionaire drug lord Ernesto Bertarelli.  Team BMW Oracle, now known as USA-17 is headed by yet another gizllionaire Larry Ellison.

In short only these two teams, rather than the more than ten we are used to, are foolish enough and egotistical enough to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a single event that could be realistically decided in the first 10 minutes.  The technology being applied to these two boats is ridiculous.  These boats move more than three times the speed of the wind… defying all traditional science.  USA-17 doesn’t even have a mainsail, it uses a wing!  A wing so massive it dwarfs that of a Boeing 747

 We’ve never seen, nor will we ever see again in our lifetimes such infuriated amounts of research, time and money being thrown at a sailing race.  The next edition of the America’s cup will most likely turn back the clock to traditional monohauls and sails.  So this is it!  If you don’t follow the America’s Cup there is no better time to start.  And if you do, this is the race you tell your grandchildren about.  The resources dedicated, along with the ludicrous soap opera between these two team makes this perhaps the most single important sporting event of all time.  And the 33rd America’s Cup Starts Tonight!

LT XX 1090

LT reflects on this season, including that final game last week.  He talks of his future with or without the Bolts, and how disappointed he is in his role with the Chargers over the past two years.  He still wants that championship, and I think he knows he'll never get it.

He sounds soooo sad.

 
From today's Union-Trib...