XX Sports Radio:  Sandy Alderson Report (MP3)

• Sandy has watched a few of the playoff games.  He especially enjoyed the Red Sox / Angels games.
• Alderson doesn't like the Dodgers or the Phillies.  He doesn't think either team has dominating starting pitching.  Both teams are playing well.  Hamels or Billingsley are capable of getting hot.
• Sandy hasn't been a big supporter of expanding the first round of playoffs from 5 to 7 games.  Many times the first series is not as compelling on a national scale.  Sandy has a problem with the gaps between the series.  He doesn't think a longer series would be able to sustain interest.
• An anonymous source tells Alderson that he thinks that the umps got the Varitek (tag play where he dropped the ball after the tag) call wrong.  Alderson hasn't reviewed the rule book.
• Darren asks Alderon why baseball doesn't let the best team play the wild card if they are in the same division.  Alderson thinks that there is something to the idea that baseball didn't want the Yankees and Red Sox playing until the ALCS.
• Alderson doesn't think there will be any fall out in baseball due to the Khalil grievance.  He thinks they have a contractural right and they don't want to see that sort of behavior in the future.  Some self inflicted injuries are not emotional and do not happen in the heat of the moment. It seems that he wants to guard against premeditated self inflicted injuries.
  
• Milton Bradley did not intentionally injure his knee that's why they didn't go after him.
• He won't say if he thinks Khalil intentionally hurt himself.
• Alderson doesn't think the Khalil grievance will go to aritration but he doesn't know.
• Kevin Towers is going to explore all options that will lead to the Padres getting better.  Peavy made comments about exploring other opportunities so he won't say for sure if he'll stay or go.
  
• There are no untouchables on the team.
• Brian Giles option doesn't have to be picked up until the middle of November.  Once they do pick up the option the risk of injury falls on the Padres.  Sandy would hate to see Brian Giles get hurt body surfing in Hawaii if they pick up the $9 million option.
• Sandy thinks they've stated that they want Trevor Hoffman to come back.  He doesn' t know how close they are at this point.