SB Nation User Blog: Wonko

Tim Stauffer, RHP, Padres (Triple-A Portland) Monday's stats: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Is it fair...

Wonko — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:05:21 -0000

Tim Stauffer, RHP, Padres (Triple-A Portland)
Monday's stats: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Is it fair to call a guy who was once the fourth overall pick in the draft a sleeper? Stauffer's career has certainly been a journey. One of the best college pitchers in baseball six years ago, Stauffer originally agreed to a $2.6 million signing bonus out of the University of Richmond, but a pre-contract MRI revealed a physical weakness in his shoulder, which forced him to settle for less than one-third of that. He has really never been the same pitcher since, putting up solid but unspectacular numbers in the minors, getting whacked around for a 6.37 ERA in 18 big league games, and then seemingly going backwards before missing all of 2008 to surgically repair that shoulder than cost him so much in the first place. All but written off, Stauffer began the year in the Double-A San Antonio bullpen, where he had a 1.89 ERA in 12 appearances, and he has been just as solid in a starting role back at Triple-A Portland, including a season-best outing on Monday. He still doesn't have much stuff, sitting at 88-90 mph with his fastball while mixing in a solid slider and changeup, but six years of pitching without his best stuff has taught him a lot of lessons, and he knows how to throw strikes and keep hitters off balance. There's no more star projection for Stauffer, who turned 27 last month, but there's still hope, and it's impossible not to root for him

Baseball Prospectus: Minor League Update

Padres to Extend Bud Black

Wonko — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:45:18 -0000

Padres to Extend Bud Black

Say it ain't so Jeff Moorad, say it ain't so.

Buddy just doesn't strike me as extension material. Let's bring in another rookie manager that's cheaper and could do the job just as well.

Another study showing that LT is nearing the end

Wonko — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:37:54 -0000

Another study showing that LT is nearing the end

Or is he? At the end the article mentions that Hall Of Fame RBs last about "10 years" longer according to the adjusted age scale. Since you can't know if a player is a hall of famer until after the fact, they don't include that as part of the age calculation. So, at worst this shows that his career is coming to a grinding halt, at best it shows that he's just heading downward on a steady decline (the second sounds better).

High paid 17 year old makes his AZ Padres debut

Wonko — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:05:14 -0000

High paid 17 year old makes his AZ Padres debut

Remember Adys Portillo? Venezuelan pitcher signed by the Padres last year at the tender age of 16 for $2 million? Well he pitched his first competitive game for the Padres for their Rookie league team today. He went 3 IP with 2 BB, 3 H, 1 K and 1 ER. He had to come on in relief as the starter couldn't record an out in the first inning.

To start his career in Arizona League Rookie ball is impressive. He is the youngest player on the team by about 6 months. His fellow 2008 international signees like Alvaro Aristy and Luis Domoromo are both playing in the Dominican Summer League, which is a level below (he would have been the second youngest player on that team). So while the numbers don't blow you away (of course he came into the game in a situation where the starter allowed the first 6 hitters to reach base) just his presence in Peoria and his decent stat line are something to hang your hat on.

Our 2007 #1 Pick

Wonko — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:31:20 -0000

In the spirit of the MLB draft and also as a tribute to today's performance by Nick Schmidt (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 Ks and a W) in Fort Wayne, I thought I'd talk about the left handed 23 year old pitcher.

Nick has had a good run recently. This is his 4th straight start where he's held the other team scoreless. In all 4 of those starts he allowed 0 or 1 BBs and struck out 5 or more. The one caveat is that he's only gone 4, 5.1, 5 and 6 IP in those starts mostly I assume because they are protecting him from re-injuring his arm. Over the course of the season, which included some rough starts at the beginning (which I attribute to the rehab process), he has 40 Ks, 18 BB, and 3.89 ERA in 10 G and 34 2/3 IP.

For those who don't know, Nick Schmidt was the 1st pick made by the Padres in the 2007 draft and the 23rd overall selection. Shortly after signing with the Padres (he only appeared in 3 games for Fort Wayne) he had an elbow injury that needed Tommy John surgery. He missed all of the 2008 season and finally got back to pitching at the start of the 2009 season for the Fort Wayne Tin Caps the Padres' Low A affiliate.

As I said earlier, he is 23 years old and will turn 24 in October. This is, as prospect gurus say, a little old for his league, especially for a 1st round pick. Low A is typically filled with players drafted out of high school and in their 3rd year of professional baseball (and thus ~20 years old), international signees in their 4th-5th year of professional baseball (19-21 years old) and players drafted out of college the year before (22-23 years old). Why does it matter? Because, unless you skip some levels then you will have to go through High-A, AA, and AAA before reaching the majors and if you are already 23 then that means you aren't making your big league debut until you're 27 years old, which is a pretty old rookie. Fellow 2007 Padres draftee of college Cory Luebke is already in High A Lake Elsinore (and dominating, which is awesome) and 3 fellow 1st round picks from 2007 who also went to college are in AA (Aaron Poreda, Daniel Moskos and Joe Savery), 1 is in AAA (James Simmons), and 2 (Ross Detwiler and David Price) are in the majors. There's even 1 pitcher drafted in the first round in 2007 out of High School in the majors (Rick Porcello). Suffice it to say, Schmidt will need to skip some levels to make an impact on the Padres in the near future. The last 4 starts are starting to show that he is going to earn those promotions. Some guys skate by doing just enough to get promoted, but shutting out your opponents in 4 straight games is a good way to make the organization want to promote you quickly.

Kudos to Nick Schmidt for battling back. In this day and age, coming back to full strength after Tommy John seems like a near certainty, but its not. I think Cesar Carillo's (Padres' 2006 #1 pick) struggles in San Antonio can show you that some comebacks are tougher than others. I hope he keeps pitching well and gets promoted quickly. The Padres' #1 picks have been the butt of jokes for a few years, but if Nick can be successful going forward he and the Padres FO will have the last laugh.

Unofficial Draft Day 2 Open Thread

Wonko — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:48:27 -0000

This will probably get no where near the number of posts as Day 1, but at least it allows some GLBers to chat on a Wednesday. We're now ~~in the~~ ~~7th~~ ~~8th round~~ s~~omewhere in~~ done with the second day of drafting. The following picks were made by the Padres today (Note: players names are linked to mlb.com video where available and the DePo at the end links to Paul DePodesta's comments on his blog):

114. Keyvius Sampson, Ocala Forest (HS) R/R RHP 6'00 - 185lbs DePo

144. Jason Hagerty, U Miami (JR) S/R C 6'03 - 220 lbs DePo

174. James Needy, Santana HS (HS) R/R RHP 6'06 - 205 lbs DePo

204. Miles Mikolas, Nova Southeastern U (JR) R/R RHP 6'05 - 220 lbs DePo

234. Nathan Freiman, Duke U (SR) R/R 1B 6'08 - 220 lbs DePo

264. Christopher Fetter, U Michigan (5S) R/R RHP 6'07 - Unlisted weight (DePo says 6'08 - 230 lbs)

294. Ryan Hinson, Clemson U (SR) L/L LHP 6'03 - 225 lbs DePo

324. Andrew Madrigal, Mt San Jacinto JC (J2) R/R RHP 6'02 - 200 lbs DePo

354. Brayden Drake, Missouri St U (SR) R/R 3B 5'11 - 195 lbs DePo

384. Matt Vern, Texas Christian U (SR), R/R 1B 6'03 - 215 lbs DePo

414. Nicholas Greenwood, U Rhode Island (JR) R/L LHP 6'01 - 177 lbs DePo

444. Matthew Lollis, Riverside CC (J1) R/R RHP 6'07 - 230 lbs DePo

474. Griffin Benedict, Georgia Southern U (SR) L/R C 6'01 - 195 lbs DePo

504. Jorge Reyes, Oregon St U (JR) S/R RHP 6’03 – 195 lbs DePo

534. Shuhei Fujiya, U Northern Iowa (SR) R/R RHP 6'03 - 180 lbs DePo

564. Christopher Trembley, Kent St U (SR) R/R SS 5'10 - Unlisted weight DePo

594. John Wooten, Easter Wayne HS (HS) R/R 3B 6'04 - 190 lbs DePo

624. Kendall Korbal, Blinn Col (J2) R/R RHP 6'06 - 205 lbs DePo

654. Cody Decker, UCLA (SR) R/R 1B 5'10 - 205 lbs DePo

684. Jeff Ibarra, Lee U (SR) L/L LHP 6'06 - 185 lbs DePo

714. Benjamin Davis, U Southern Mississippi (5S) R/R CF 6'00 - 185lbs DePo

744. Michael Wright, Georgia Southern U (SR) R/R CF 6'01 - 235 lbs DePo

774. Kevin Winn, Louisiana Tech U (SR) L/R 2B 5'11 - 185 lbs DePo

804. Cameron Monger, U New Mexico (JR) R/R CF 6'02 - 210 lbs DePo

834. Vince Belnome, West Virginia U (JR) L/R 2B 5'11 - 205 lbs DePo

864. Robert Poutier, U Virginia (SR) R/R RHP 6'04 - 190 lbs DePo

894. Wande Olabisi, Stanford U (JR) R/R LF 6'00 - 212 lbs DePo

We've definitely started to stock up on pitchers. James Needy is from Santee. I also found a ESPN College Football recruiting page for him. He's the 140th ranked QB according to them.

The Padres are the first true wild card with the third overall pick, and to understand the range of...

Wonko — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:23:43 -0000

The Padres are the first true wild card with the third overall pick, and to understand the range of rumors surrounding their selection, the two stories with the most buzz involve players who could not be on more opposite ends of the spectrum. The splashiest suggestion has the team selecting Donavan Tate, who offers as much upside as any player in the draft, but he also comes with questions about both his bat and his effort level. Making things more muddled, there is a rumored $6 million price tag that would require the blessing of those above management. On the other end is Vanderbilt lefty Mike Minor; on a pure talent level, he belongs at the end of the first round at best, but teams will look to avoid a tough decision and simply take a player who could arrive quickly and provide some certainty, so Minor could get popped early.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8996

There's nothing especially earth shattering here for those that follow the draft, only the tiny little insight into Mike Minor in that he's not a top talent. For those that following the Padres draft picks (Stauffer, Schmidt, Carrillo, LeBlanc) this isn't earth shattering either.

Brandon Marshall Sucks

Wonko — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:18:00 -0000

Brandon Marshall Sucks

I've got no stats, no play-by-play analysis, no anecdotal evidence to prove this. All I've got is this video. I even watched his rebuttal to this video and he sounds like a liar that is in denial.

Houston Trip Day Two

Wonko — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:09:47 -0000

Day two resulted in a loss for the Padres, which was sad. Before the game we had a big hotel breakfast at the Courtyard by Marriott so we decided to work it off by heading over to Sam Houston park. Nothing much there, a couple of historic buildings and a pond with some ugly ducks. I didn't take any pictures, but my brother did, maybe he'll be nice enough to put some up here. That park turned into Buffalo Bayou park, which follows a sort of river/creek muddy water thing. We walked on that for a long time. I kept thinking it would head back to the city streets, but it went into this canyon and we realized that we going to have to retrace our steps to get back to some sidewalks and make it to the game. We tried to save some time by using their underground tunnel system to bypass crosswalks, but we got lost when it turned into a parking garage wth some very bad signage. I got a blister on foot from having to double-time it to the ballpark, but it was good excerise. We missed the first half of the inning, but saw the Astros rally in the bottom of the 1st, including a Tejada homerun. On to the pictures.

Mother's Day, so Junction Jack had his mother with him

Eckstein gets hit right after I decided I need to take some photos

Gratuitous butt smack.

Headley's Home Run. I can't tell if I just missed the ball or if that's it streaking by near the center of the shot. Judging by the marks on the ground in my other shots, I think it's the ball. Which is freaking awesome!

Hairston's double. Ball in shot again. But, a much smaller streak this time.

I've got some other shot's like this with Kouz struggling and Hundley fouling some stuff off, but I'm going to move on to the dance squad. I didn't catch what they were called, but they came out during the seventh inning stretch and waved their hands in the air while that was playing. After that, they play a song and do a choreographed simple dance to "Deep in the Heart of Texas" (or at least that's what gets repeated in the chrous).

Pretty amusing. That's all I've got. Like I said, maybe my brother will add some from our stroll through the parks. He's also got a shot of the outside of the park too. That reminds me, I wanted to share my thoughts on the park. Like I've said, I've been to about 2/3 of all the active parks (plus 4 parks that are no longer used) and one of the things I liked about the Houston park is that it's a good place to see a baseball game. It's cozy and it seems to me like there are a lot of good seats. As you might be able to tell by my pictures, we were sitting in the top section, but it felt like you were right on top of the action. The only other stadiums I've been to where I've felt that way are Petco and Dodger Stadium. Everything else about the stadium is so-so. The food is so-so. There is no place to take your kids if they are getting squirmy (I felt sorry for some of the moms there on Mother's Day trying to manage their toddlers). The site lines of downtown are minimal. The restaraunt -- named the 5-7 Grille after the retired numbers of Bagwell and Biggio -- looked okay, but the line was too long to give it a try and the loft there had a pool table, a wii and some Houston fans that were into taunting Padre fans. It was good, not great, unless all you want to is watch a baseball game (which counts for a lot in my book)., then it's very good.

Houston Trip

Wonko — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:34:15 -0000

For those that pay too much attention to every FanPost that comes along, you might remember that my brother and I made a baseball trip last summer that stretched across much of the Midwest and included a handful of Padres games. This year we weren't so ambitious. Our one trip this year was a quick weekend trip to Houston. This was my 20th ballpark bagged and it marked my completion of the NL Central. So, even though I had to endure 2 Padre losses at my own expense at least I reached some ballpark bagging milestones. Okay, the intro's done, let's see what pictures I took.

Here's that train with Oranges that was apparently broke down.

Here's a scoreboard shot, with Correia apparently needing to inspect the grass for gophers. Oh, and Blummer!

Here's more Correia, with his arm in a weird position and then a big team meeting on the mound.

We go to see fireworks after the game, so I tried to get some shots of the dome opening from the same angle.

I was told to "set down" after that because the Houstonians behind me wanted to watch Jeff Keppinger's kid run the bases, so I gave up on my dome opening experiment.

That seems like a lot of pictures for one post. Well, since this is all day one, I'll put up a second post for day two. But first, here's an image of the bobblehead I was given for this game.