Sent this in last week:

   First I want to say how much I appreciate the efforts of the new ownership in trying to connect with the fans, especially the season ticket holders. From day one, it has been clear that Jeff Moorad and his front office team understand the importance of acknowledging the Padres most loyal fans and taking steps to insure their continued support. Reaching out to the Padres fan community has clearly been a priority, and I have been impressed with the steps taken in that direction.

   That being said, I received something in the mail yesterday from the Padres organization that, to put it mildly, set me off. It was a letter from Jeff to the season ticket holders, talking about the accomplishments of this past season, and it included a highlight DVD.

   I got this letter and DVD in the mail on the day the San Francisco Giants won the World Series.

   We now live in a world where the San Francisco Giants are World Series champions. This is not just infuriating, it is downright embarrassing, and the leadership of the organization I live and die for is telling me I should think a season in which we missed the playoffs was “magical”. At the risk of sounding over dramatic, this makes me sick.

   It is time to start thinking like a major league franchise. Success means championships, it does NOT mean not finishing last. I am fully aware of what the prognosticators had laid out for us before the season. And yes, we blew those predictions out of the water. But we cannot hang our hat on that. We need to look at who was making those predictions, and what they really knew about the makeup of our team. Anyone who knew the team, who watched us finish out the 2009 season the way we did, then only get stronger in the off season, knew we weren’t going to finish dead last, more than 20 games out like the experts predicted. That isn’t the standard we should measure our season by, because those people didn’t know what they were talking about in the first place. Those expectations were ludicrous to begin with, so exceeding them shouldn’t be the source of pride that it apparently is inside our organization.

   When it comes to the end of August, and our team is 27 games over .500 and has a 6.5 game lead in the division, we need to re-assess our notion of expectations. At this point we have played 5 months of championship caliber baseball, so the expectation should be to follow through on that with a postseason run. And based on that, this season was a failure.

   That is not to say there weren’t positives to be taken away from this season. Jeff is absolutely right in everything he says about the team in his letter; about their never say die mentality, their grit, their determination, their hustle, their heart, and their team first attitude. These are wonderful qualities that an organization should rightfully be proud of, but the yardstick for success cannot end with these. There must be follow through to ratify the respect and pride we take in our team for exhibiting these traits that mark not only not good baseball players, but great human beings. All of that heart and hustle we trumpet so loudly did not carry us through to the playoffs, so I take great exception to receiving a letter from management talking about “accomplishments”, “memories”, and “highlights” from a “magical” season, which culminated in another team who isn’t the Padres winning the World Series. I am not blind to the excitement this season provided, but we CAN do better. We MUST believe that.

   The Boston Red Sox failed to make the playoffs this year. In response, Red Sox ownership posted an open letter to fans on the team’s official website lamenting that fact and promising to do better. They acknowledged their obligation to hold the team accountable for a commitment to winning. The Padres miss the playoffs, and our owners send out a highlight DVD and call it a “magical” season. See the difference in mentality there? In what kind of world does missing the playoffs make for a magical season? And including a highlight DVD so I can relive the memories of yet another failed campaign is just salt in the wound. This is exactly the kind of thinking that has held us back for 40 years. We can’t be happy with just being competitive. We can’t be happy with just being the Little Engine That Could of major league baseball. We need to hold ourselves accountable to improve on 40+ years of ringless baseball. Championships start with a championship mentality, and when I get a letter from the owner of the Padres telling me how “magical” a failed season was, it sends the message that we lack that mentality.

   I was at the first playoff game played in San Diego in 1984. I drove hours from out of town to watch my team play in the 1998 playoffs. I shook Tony Gwynn’s hand at his last game, closed down Qualcomm Stadium, opened Petco Park, watched Trevor Hoffman make history, and have been to every playoff game played in our downtown stadium. All three of them. All losses. I have a brick in Palm Court Plaza. My name and my mother’s name will be in the foundation of Petco Park for as long as that structure remains standing, and I take pride in all of this. You will not find a more loyal and committed fan than me. I DESERVE BETTER. I deserve to have the ownership of my beloved franchise hold the team to the same standards I do. To the rest of the baseball world, we are an afterthought.  But we only legitimize that perception by celebrating failure. Simply being competitive and making national baseball pundits mention our name more often does not constitute real success. Championships do that, and we are now the only baseball team in California that has yet to bring a trophy home. This is unacceptable to me.

   On a day when a HATED division rival won the World Series, I got a letter from Padres ownership talking about a magical season. I beg to differ. Watching that celebration, that trophy presentation, THAT IS HOW A MAGICAL SEASON ENDS. Please make that happen in San Diego. I have faith in you. I deserve to have my faith rewarded.

Padres fan since ‘72

Padres fan for life



I've been sitting on this for a while, clinging to the faint hope that something would get worked out and Trevor would be back. Obviously, that is not going to happen. I made this back when I posted my over-wrought "Goodbye Trevor" FanPost. Of course, this had to happen. Nothing lasts forever. I can't argue with anyone that cites his declining skills and stats. But I will miss the man. He was the last link to Tony, the last link to 1998. It would have been nice to say goodbye. That's what gets me the most, I would like to have said goodbye. I would like to have known that the last time I heard Hell's Bells would be the last time I heard Hell's Bells. But I'm not going to take shots at anyone this time. Not Alderson, not the Trevor-haters. That's all done. This is about paying tribute to a singular athlete and a special human being. I'm glad someone wanted him and I'm glad Trevor cleaned up in his last major league contract. I hope GLB will be well respresented at Petco on Friday, July 31st when the Brewers come into town.

The pictures are mainly from various sources on the internet, with a few of my own sprinkled in. There are also a couple from another Gaslamp Baller whose name I don't remember (sorry!). Music by R.E.M.

Enjoy.

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So the Padres said goodbye to one of their icons, and I guess they believe they are a better team for it. Credit to them for thinking with their brains and not their hearts. I'm glad they have a better understanding of dollars and cents and WHIP and ERA than I do, because my overly sentimental take on the situation is that our franchise was lessened yesterday. Not just because Trevor is leaving. It was bound to happen, one way or another. Legends move on. They have their numbers retired, become statues, get enshrined. But apparently Trevor's service to this organization, his records, his hard work, his consistency, his contributions to city of San Diego, didn't add up to a sit down with ownership to tell him he wasn't going to be a part of this road to nowhere that the San Diego Padres have become. THAT is was hurt our franchise. The Two Stooges couldn't even look him in the eye. They leave it to KT to face the wolves. (I don't believe for a second that KT's input was even considered in this decision. Trev signed his last deal, turning down more money and more years, partly out of loyalty to Towers. No way he wanted Trevor's exit handled like this.) Trevor has always spoken his mind, much to a lot of people's chagrin. The Stooges knew that if they sat down with him and tried to give him the same BS song and dance they are trying to sell us, he would destroy them. So better to whisk him out the door. After all, it's a business. Got to think with your brain, not your heart. 

TO HELL WITH THAT!!!

This is a time to think with your heart. What happens if you bring Trevor back with the kind of deal he was looking for? You give fans a reason to come out and watch your otherwise sorry ball club. You give a franchise legend the chance to pursue an unprecedented milestone in the uniform he became a Hall of Famer in. You pay back the loyalty he has shown you time and again. You give your young players access to his mind and exposure to his professionalism. And what does it cost you? A little more than you wanted to pay. SO WHAT? Where are you putting that money instead? Does giving Trevor what he wanted prevent you from signing that big free agent that's going to turn your team into a contender? Don't make me laugh. Does it impede the rebuilding process? Not hardly. This wasn't a Randy Myers-like, hold the team back for years type of deal. Baseball is a business, right? The quest for 600 would have moved jerseys, shirts, bobbleheads, not to mention tickets and all the specialty commemorative garbage they would have slapped together to take advantage of it. And, oh yeah, it would have given our young players the chance to quietly develop and improve, with Trevor there to take some of the focus away from the won-loss record. Tony Gwynn was a broken old man in 2001, and something was worked out. His last season was a pinch-hitting farewell tour, which contributed little to the team, on paper. But dammit, he was Tony Gwynn. He improved your team just by sitting on your bench, and he was an institution. YOU WORK SOMETHING OUT. But I guess I'm forgetting that Sandy Alderson wasn't part of the organization back then. Do we even want to think about how that would have been handled if he had been? The sun is setting on Trevor, but he still contributed more to the Padres in his last year than Mr. Padre did in his. He will contribute on the field to whoever picks him up for this season and maybe the next. 

I do not feel sorry for Trevor Hoffman. He is a millionaire playing a child's game. He will be fine. I feel sorry for myself and for us. I have seen my last Trevor Time. AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS MY LAST ONE AT THE TIME. I didn't get to say goodbye, and that is unforgivable. And to top it off, his exit was handled so badly, it has jeopardized his future with the organization after his playing days are over. He wanted to tie himself to the Padres for the foreseeable future, but Sandy just couldn't have that. Now we are looking at an Ozzie Smith situation, where Trevor may not want to come back for any kind of Trevor Hoffman Day or jersey retirement, or anything as long as the current administration is still in charge. I mean, we hope Trevor is bigger than that, but I won't blame him for being bitter if he holds a grudge. Tony Gwynn's last game was an emotional experience and one of my personal highlights as a Padre fan. I shook his hand. I said thank you and goodbye. And he looked me in the eye and thanked me back. DAMN YOU ALDERSON, I WANTED TO SAY GOODBYE!!

But we don't get any of that, because, you see, that's just too sentimental. Baseball is a hard business, and I can't see past my emotion to what is truly best for the team. Kicking an icon to the curb, while at the same time saying "We'll we made an offer." That's what's best for the team. The San Diego Padres got a lot better yesterday, apparently. The front office really improved the ball club. I must just be too emotional to see it.

Baseball has always been about feel for me. I don't get wrapped up in all the excruciating minutia of geek ass stats and I hate the money aspect of the game. I love going to the ball park to hear the pop of the glove and the crack of the bat. I love going to the ball park to see the occasional player that captures my heart and my imagination. We've lost one of those players, and I feel terrible about it. My heart is hurting and my brain tells me that my team has gone from being bad to being forgettable. And I feel that that's a whole lot worse.

My personal top Trevor moments (witnessed in person):

Trevor closes down Qualcomm: The team lost, but seeing Trevor back after a season long rehab was a great way to say goodbye to the Q.

Trevor returns as closer to open Petco: Yeah, he blew the save, but after his career was in jeopardy, it was great to see him with the ball in the ninth to open the new park.

Trevor saves Game 3 of 1998 NLDS: This was by far the craziest, loudest Trevor Time I ever witnessed. Trevor struck out the side.

Trevor closes out the 1998 NLDS: It wasn't a save situation, but Trevor was on the mound to clinch the Padres first playoff series win since 1984.

Trevor saves Game 3 of 1998 NLCS: At this point I knew we were going to the World Series. Trevor struck out the side.

Trevor ties Lee Smith: 478 came against the Pirates in a packed Petco down the stretch of a pennant race, when we needed every game.

500: It was only fitting that it came against the Dodgers. The first ever to 500.

#1 - Trevor passes Lee Smith: It came to preserve a 2-1 win in a game the Padres had to have down the stretch of the 2006 divisional race. And it proved statistically what we already knew to be true: Trevor Hoffman is the greatest closer of all time.

Goodbye, Trevor. Thanks for the memories.

Hi guys, I just wanted to share something with the Gaslamp Ball community. I went to the game last night, and I wish I hadn't, not just because of the end result. The following is the letter I sent to the Padres this morning. Thanks for reading.

Continue reading this post »

Finally, some good Pads-related news. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.  A winning streak perhaps?? Compotent baseball perhaps??  He can even bobble a little! Behold:

I am very sad. I was changing out my computer at work and one of the four T. Gwynn bobbleheads I have in my office was knocked behind my desk. It suffered a compound fracture of the neck along with cuts and scrapes. The head can be re-attached with superglue, but I'm afraid his bobbling days are over. This is just the latest sad chapter in what has been a rough season so far. Just thought I'd share my pain with my fellow GLBers. Hopefully the team and my psyche can recover.

Most of these were taken by me, but some were taken by my friend Andy, who is a professional photographer. Unfortunately, he labeled most of his shots so I couldn't pass them off as my own, damn him. It was a fun, though cold, night at the park.  Baseball is back!!

Enjoy:

Continue reading this post »

Went to FriarFest today and had a fun time. We went on the clubhouse tour and saw some neat stuff, then got to run the bases. This was my first time on the field with the bases installed, and it was very cool. I always envied the kids for getting to run the bases during the season, so it was fun finally getting to do it. Although we didn't meet up with jbox at third base, we ran into him and Jon at a later point.

I also scored a Padres banner at the Padres Foundation Garage Sale. They could have washed them, but it was only ten bucks, so I'm not complaining.

This was my first FriarFest and I had a really good time. My only complaint is the fact that the ticket machines at the main gate couldn't scan the print-at-home tickets. What's up with that? You'd think they had plenty of time to get it straight, but I guess not.

See my pictures at the following link. alohabing will be posting hers later, look for a shot of me sliding into second. By the way, pay special attention to the last shot of my set. You'll see a certain group of rabid fans on the jumbotron.

Enjoy.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bao1rk0.bc7f0j0o&x=0&y=-lk5ima

Last Saturday I joined some of my fellow season ticket holders for batting practice at Petco Park. It was a blast hitting balls on a big league field. They pitched kind of slow; I felt like I was coming out of my shoes, kind of like Khalil trying to hit Livan Hernandez. But I'm not going to complain about the opportunity to do something like this. I have to add that I ripped one back up the box, and if the guy hadn't ducked behind the pitching machine, he would have been gargling his molars. Teach him to pitch slow.

They also let us play the field while other people were batting, so I got to step on the infield dirt for the first time. It was really cool fielding ground balls, even though I booted one at second base. But in my defense, second base is not my natural position. We all know from the Compadre Field Day pictures that I'm a pitcher/outfielder.

After I was done, we went down to the visitor's dugout and discovered that the doors to the tunnel were open, offering us complete access to what lies beneath. We got some nice pictures, but eventually a redshirt came around and bounced us out.

My friend and fellow GLBer alohabing and her husband, Mr. Bing, took these pictures, so thanks to them. This was a lot of fun. Enjoy the pics.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bao1rk0.92ki21co&x=0&y=-yn6wd7

It's all been said, but I'm going to put my two cents in anyway.

Not the ending we wanted. I'm feeling what you're all feeling; I can't believe it's over, just like that. We got screwed. The umpires hate us. All that. I feel you. But the bottom line is, we didn't execute when we had a chance to win. The Rockies did. They move on. We don't. But let's think about what we saw this season:

Jake Peavy: The best pitcher in baseball. Does he choke in big game situations? Absolutely not. He has the opposite problem. Chokers don't want the ball, they don't want any responsibility or accountability. Jake wants it too much. He gets too pumped, too amped. His attitude and personality are a big part of why we love him, along with that magic right arm. But when he learns to pace himself, to dial it down when the situation calls for it, we will see a great pitcher evolve into a great big game pitcher. It will be wonderful to watch.

Adrian Gonzalez: Can we say "superstar"? 30 -100 while playing most of his games in the best pitchers park in baseball. A great (though erratic at times) glove. There is not a first baseman in the game, Fat Albert and Ry Ho included, who I would take over our home-grown kid. Here's to many years of AGone's sweet swing lighting up the National League.

Kouz: What does it say about a kid who is struggling to hit .100 at one point in the season and finishes at .275? And he will only hit for more power. Any fears about the second coming of Sean Burroughs have been laid to rest. Kouz will be a solid major leaguer at third base for a long time to come.

"Dammit" Khalil: Almost a 30-100 season with next to no plate discipline isn't an easy thing to do. And he can do things with the glove that other shortstops can only duplicate on the video game system of their choice. He may be a K-Bot, but he's OUR K-Bot.

Uncle Milty: Re-sign him? Hell yes. He brings something we sorely need to clubhouse: passion. Will he go off every now and then? Of course. Will his bat go off a lot more frequently? No doubt. He's an exciting, talented player. We need him on our field.

Mike Cameron: Re-sign him? Unless Torii Hunter is willing to take a San Diego discount, we pretty much have to. And I'm fine with that. He can cover an outfield like few others, and he plays with absolutely no fear. Sure, he'll throw in the more than occasional K, but he can also go deep at any moment. I'll take Mike Cameron on my team.

Bud Black: A few rookie mistakes aside, I thought he did a decent job. Stop playing all the scrubs on the same day, know your personnel a little better, and learn the proper way to restrain a player who's going off, and maybe you can hang around as a big league manager. He's going to be our manager for the next few years at least, so we're going to have to learn to live with him. Let's hope he learns from his mistakes.

Trevor Hoffman: Let's start this by saying this man has done more for baseball in San Diego than anyone, save one guy they made a statue of. His dedication to this team and this community is beyond question and his performance on the field has been a rare combination of greatness and consistency for more than a decade. If there is a gold standard for Hall of Fame closers, Trevor Hoffman is that standard. That being said, the writing is on the wall. Nothing lasts forever. The days of Trevor as big time closer are over. And there is no shame in that. Everyone ages. Even Rivera has shown the effects this season. For Trevor to still be as effective as he is, with another 40 save season, is a testament to his greatness. But the intimidation factor is gone. The "Oh shit" factor is gone. Hell's Bell's don't ring as loudly as they once did. There is no shame in recognizing that.

Trevor is still a highly effective pitcher. As someone said in the thread, average hitters (i.e. most of the hitters in baseball) will still be handcuffed by Trevor Hoffman. But the big time hitters, the great ones....man, it's a tough thing to say, but do we really want Trevor facing any of them with a 1 run lead? He doesn't need to retire. He can obviously still help us, and he's earned the right to go out on a better note. I'm thinking he should split time with Bell at closer next year. If it's a three run lead, it's Trevor Time. Maybe even a two run lead against a weak hitting team. But if it's a 1 run lead against a good time, it's time for the Cookie Monster. They can share the closer role, and it would work out for everyone. You can't just demote Trevor. First off all, you can't do that to the guy. Secondly, 42 saves isn't an accident. Clearly he still has something left in the tank. We just need to be more judicious with the way we use it now. There is no shame in that.

I still love Trevor Hoffman. I will cry when we retire his number and when his statue takes its place next to Tony's. I will cry during his Hall of Fame speech. The sun is setting on a great career.

Lastly, a HUGE thank you to all the members of GLB. I found this place midway through the season and now I can't imagine Padres baseball without it. Everyone brings their own unique perspective and personality to the mix, but we are united in our passion for our team. Regardless of age, gender, or geography, we all found a place we can come together, and I just think that is the coolest thing. Thank you Dex and jbox for all your hard work and dedication in supplying us with this outlet.

I will be checking in over the off season. There will be pictures from another Compadres event in November (sdgaucho taking his cuts in the cage baby! Look out Western Metal Building, I'm coming for you!) And maybe a Spring Training road trip.

Take care everyone. The best to all of you.

Wow, the last couple of days have really sucked. But you know what didn't suck? Compadre Field Day!

It rained on us a little, but that didn't dampen anyone's spirits as we frolicked on the field at Petco Park. This year, I had the photography services of my friend and fellow Gaslamp Baller alohabing. She has a really nice camera and took some good action shots of me. This is pure self-indulgence on my part. There are no pictures of Padre players in here, just me having a blast on the field. The Friar was there, if that adds any legitimacy. But if you want to see a fellow GLBer robbing a homerun, throwing off the mound, and chilling in the dugout, enjoy. This really was a cool experience. And you'll notice from the number of shots that I REALLY liked pitching from the mound. That was good times.

Again, nothing Earth-shattering here, just wanted to share.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bao1rk0.5yz27v40&x=0&y=ecmg2e

This seems to be the day to share pictures, so I wanted to join in the fun. Most of these were taken last season, but since I didn't know about GLB last season, I'm sharing them now. Some of them turned out pretty well.

The first link is a combination of shots from last year's Compadre Field Day and the games when Trevor tied and broke the saves record.

The second group is from last year's postseason. It didn't turn out great for us, but I got some good shots. A note about the game 2 pics; if it looks like I was practically sitting on the field when I took the pictures, I just about was. A friend of mine scored some crazy seats through his work, and I was about 4 rows back from the third base line. It was mainly Cardinals family and executives around me, but still great seats.

The final link is one I posted a while back in one of the threads, but if you missed it then, here's your chance. It's from Tony Gwynn night when they unveiled the statue, and also pics from the giant jersey dedication. For those who haven't yet seen the statue up close, I took approximately one million shots of it from every conceivable angle.

I love taking pictures of Padre stuff, so there are a ton of shots here. I figure we have nothing better to do on an off day. Enjoy.

PS - Anyone going to this year's Field Day?

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bao1rk0.amfcjra8&x=0&y=i1h2mj

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bao1rk0.bnoxxlp8&x=0&y=-4f63d7

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bao1rk0.35jejlgg&x=0&y=-9mur12