On the Padres pregame show tonight, the announcers made mention of the draft and a few of the options the Padres had going into next week.  Davidson appears to be in the mix at the No. 3 overall spot, given the pregame show has everything approved by the front office.  One of the crew went up to Yucaipa, CA to interview Davidson inaction and get some one-on-one time.  Fairly unexciting stuff, but maybe something to chew on. 

There has been an awful lot of run on the "playful" side of rookie hazing in the last few days and a lot of it has centered on the Padres.  Living in San Diego, this hasn't been the first time the topic has come up in relation to the team this season.  Former players like Phil Nevin almost gloat about the nature of hazing and recall tales of a certain HOF-worthy reliever setting a rookies clothes on fire in a trash can for turning the radio to a different station.  Given I'm not a very politically correct person, but when I was a senior in high school there was an incident on-campus that involved a freshman baseball player, some sophomores, a baseball bat and some lubricant.  Suffice to say, all these years later I'd expect the tone and nature of hazing to be addressed by Major League Baseball in some way since it is my belief there is a huge trickle down effect of, "Hey isn't that cool...how can we top that?" in a lot of locker rooms throughout the nation, with the intention of malicious intent on younger players.

Every hazing story reminds me that there is a difference between humility and humiliation.  If I have one pet peeve, it's that we support this type of behavior and ask how the next henous hazing incident happens at a school or in a recreational league.  If we clap our hands for one, are we not enabling another?  I don't want to come across as holier than thou, but I guess I have a hang-up concerning this topic.

Yesterday afternoon I was out and about as the Padres' pregame show hit the airwaves.  Usually I don't care for the fluff-fest, but they had a real news update so I kept it on for a few minutes longer to edumacate myself to the events of the day. 

As the stock market recap is given, the closing market bell ringing goes off.  I thought nothing of it; it should be like the closing bell ringing I've always heard on every newscast before.  Not today though.  Right after the closing bell's ringing stopped, the pregame announcer proclaimed that the news man had "rung the Padres' victory bell".  After I heard that, some part of me laughed and then died inside. 

I just don't know if it's me or why the Padres seem to drag a lot of real life issues onto the field with them now, things that might seem to push an agenda more past being profitable (i.e. the camouflage jerseys).  In a time when the economy is in the crapper, using the Dow's closing bell as a "victory bell" kind of smacks like a John McCain joke.

Catcher Jesus Navarro and recent draftee C.J. Ziegler are currently the top offensive stars for the Rookie League Giants in Arizona.  Given that Wendell Fairley is off to a solid start (read his stat line beyond the batting average), I'll take it as a positive sign that this team, which is essentially cobbled together from the college ranks, organizational filler and the latest imports, that a young catcher and a over-aged corner infielder are leading the offensive output at current without some of the real talent signed and on the way in.

LHP's Aaron King and Scott Barnes along with 1B Robert Flanigan were added to the "signed" update to the Giants draft database over on Baseball America.  This ended a cold streak of signings after many of the seniors in the class agreed to deals relatively quickly.  Now lets start seeing some names like O'Sullivan, Crawford and Kieschnick get signed in the next few days.

If anyone has any info or rumored activity on what is going on in the Dominican, feel free to add any info to this thread.

I'm not one that thinks there is an overall terrible pick to be made, unless this team pulls a player from the second round out of it's draft hat for the #5 overall pick.  There seems to be a surplus of good prospects to pick from that the aforementioned strategy shouldn't come into play, unless this team is copying the Bill Bidwell financial model.  So since we're so close to the event in question, here are some of my thoughts about what could happen:

We take Hosmer at the #5 spot.  Yeah, it goes against what is out there for what we're supposed to do...and that's the point.  If this guy's power stroke and ability to play 1B or RF is all it's cracked up to be, we can't pass on him.  This is the type of prospect who gives the franchise flexibility and that left-handed bomber that would have his own Countdown to McCovey Cove clickers.  Alvarez, Smoak, either Beckham, Matusz, Skipworth, Alonso, Crow, Wallace, etc. would all be fine picks as well and I'd love to have them.  Just something says "we f'n need this guy" when I keep reading about Hosmer.

Wouldn't be surprised if the first three players were all position players and if the ratio of hitters to pitchers for the first ten picks would be 6:4. 

What does everyone else think?  We got about 36 hours and some change until we're up on the dog and pony show Bungles calls the first round now.

On my way back from doing a favor for my roommate tonight, the homeristic Ted Leitner made my ears do a triple-take with a quote for the ages.  Here's how Teddy Homer put it,

"With all the talent the Mets have, I'll take the Padres clubhouse in a second anytime."

I'm not taking him out of context.  He didn't give the slightest hint that he was kidding.  Teddy Homer proved just how under the heel he is when it comes to his employer.  He'd rather not have a team with talent even if it underachieves, but have a team that has had the bottom fall out from under it, but has the "aw shucks" attitude.  Ted lives in Denialsville...that the Padres will find a way out of being terrible and this won't last.  It would be like any of us saying "Yeah, I want that Gamers spirit in SF rather than a load of talent, like in Tampa."  To put it simply, Ted would rather have his kid's finger painting than have a Picasso if given the choice.  Jon Miller is Aphrodite to Ted Leitner's hackneyed Banshee.  For once, I do feel sorry for the Padres fans with the ownership that's copying the Bidwell model oh so well from the Arizona Cardinals.