Some simple steps to keep this winning streak alive

by Dex on May 6, 2009 9:24 AM PDT Comment 26 comments

I know this sounds bad, but after breaking the losing streak last night, I look at tonight's game with Peavy on the mound and I can't help but think that we're going to just start another losing streak. The offense still looks lackluster and while the pitching at the start of the rotation appears to be coming around, I'm not confident that Jake didn't do himself a fair bit of drinking last night to celebrate with the boys. Does that make him better or not so much better?

Jim Lefebvre says to put the blame on him:

"These players are busting their butts, doing everything we ask them to do. They just haven't had that luck, but we're close, real close.

Everything, Jim Lefebvre? Everything? Maybe somebody should try asking them to score a few runs now and then.

Here's something to think about. I'd mentioned David Sirlin before, and the seemingly obvious, but apparently ignored concept of "playing to win". Summarized briefly: When people compete at activities, they unecessarily play according to unwritten rules that limit their chances of winning.

Well, Sirlin points out a Malcolm Gladwell "playing to win" article. There's a terrific recount of a coach who had his girls basketball team apply the unconventional strategy of running a full court press every time the other team inbounds the ball. He knows his team isn't really talented at basketball. Since it's super tiriing to run full court press all the time and since he figures it would take longer to learn all fundamentals, he has them run more at practice as opposed to wasting time learning how to shoot. Everything is layups.

So that got me to thinking even more that a team should really capitalize on that sort of thing and get Eddie Gaedel like midgets on the team. I'm thinking dudes under five feet tall. If you get like 3 or 4 of them on a team, you can almost guarantee getting an extra run or two to top off a rally. Bases loaded? Let's guarantee a run by pinch hitting the little guy. Other manager trying to turn your batters around with a pitching change? Little guy time.

Somebody tell DePodesta! I think we're on to something!

1 recs | Comment 26 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Midgets

I am vote YES!

Going to the game tonight, hope Peavy is on and not off. Curious to see if we have a third straight night of low attendance.

Winfield goes back to the wall. He hits his head on the wall -- and it rolls off! It's rolling all the way back to second base! This is a terrible thing for the Padres. - Jerry Coleman

by Padres_Hobo on May 6, 2009 9:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

"Put the blame on me," he said. "Don't put the pressure on the players. Put it on me."

Uhhh, ok.

Jim, you’re fired.

We’re “real close” to what exactly? Bankruptcy? Securing our place in dead last of the NL West? Naming Adam Lambert as our 8th inning set-up guy?

Someone needs to have Mr. Levebvre piss in a cup today…I think he’s got a head start on the Governor’s new “legalize it” plan.

by Drama on May 6, 2009 10:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Short kids

They did this in little league. I always thought it was a cheap tactic, batting the short kids leadoff, but now that Eckstein is a Padre, play ball.

Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? ◔ヮ◔
Uncommon Sportsman :: Absurdity in play

by Axion on May 6, 2009 10:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Looks

like you were a scrub in Little League

by sixpakfrombelgium on May 6, 2009 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you look at the stats, he's by and large doing his job

We’re light years ahead of where we were at this point last year, not necessarily in wins but in terms of production.

Again I think alot of this is just a ton of bad breaks and bad luck, we’ve been damn close in almost every game. Like yesterday should’ve been a Geer win but wasn’t in part because of that BS double play call.

Not saying we are hitting with runners in scoring position, we aren’t in many ways, but things aren’t as bad as it was last year.

by TheAxManCometh on May 6, 2009 10:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't know about that.

We had those two tight losses against the Dodgers recently and I think that’s skewing the view of us being “damn close”. The truth is…out of the 15 losses – 10 have been by 3 runs or more. It’s not getting better…it’s getting worse. Out of those 10 losses by three runs or more – seven of them have come in the last 11 losses.

The bullpen is regressing. Moreno, Gregerson, Sanchez and Cla all had nice starts…now they’re getting hit. Aside from Heat, is there ONE guy you trust down there to get an out? Let alone three?

To start off 9-3…but then end up with the same number of wins we had on this date in 2008 is disappointing.

by Drama on May 6, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed!!!

by strummer on May 6, 2009 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was tried

and they changed the rules of the strike zone because of it.

http://www.allaboutstuff.com/Sports_Phrases/THE_THREE_FOOT_HIGH_HITTER.asp

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"

by Ron Mexico on May 6, 2009 10:19 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

wiki article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gaedel

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"

by Ron Mexico on May 6, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see a strike zone rule change

Just that the commissioner has to approve contracts. We’re still in it!

by Dex on May 6, 2009 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now batting for San Diego

David Eckstein

"2009 Padres.....Yeah, we're still here.

by Boilermaker19 on May 6, 2009 11:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I am anti everything Giles...

by icaughthundleys#4 on May 6, 2009 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like the way you're thinking Dex

Got to switch things up somehow to get out of this funk.

Don’t just go with the flow of status quo. DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. The statisticians aren’t always right.

by The Kipper on May 6, 2009 11:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Midgets are base cloggers

50 times slower than Adrian. you have to pinch run for them no question. there’s no way to have more than one on a roster.

There is a midget getting some experience right now- Dave Flood with the York Revolution, struck out in his first at-bat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C59ShT9OMU0

by bcampy on May 6, 2009 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

you could do 4 in a row with no one on

if you had 3 or 4 midgets, you could guarantee a run or two depending on the situation.

by Dex on May 6, 2009 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another Video

Midget during spring training

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWNKYNn7a04

by bcampy on May 6, 2009 11:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I hate to disrupt the midget talk but..

I read Gladwell’s article. It was interesting. He points out Rick Pittino as a higher level coach who used this same tactic to resurrect several college basketball programs and win a national championship (or two?). What he fails to mention is how misrable Pitino’s record was in the NBA. He single handledly ruined the Celtics franchise to a point where only a gift trade from Minnesota (McHale) got them back to respectability. I suspect this hustle and thinking outside the box thing gets harder when your opponent gets better trained, better coached, and the talent level aproaches the top 0.01% of the population. I think the equivalent thing to the basketball all game full court press is slap hitters or drag bunters with speed in baseball. While we all love what Eck brings to the table I think we know that a team full of Ecks might not be real successful, and it definately would get a little boring watching.

I wonder what kind of “thinking out of the box” might work in baseball. I think the moneyball philosophy was a successfull example of it, but it seems to stop working once more than a few franchises start following that philosophy.

by Stephen (shaynes41) on May 6, 2009 1:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Forget the little guys

The Dodgers are going big:

They figure this guy’s mass will create a gravitational pull on the ball. He’ll reach everytime on HBP. Not against CY, though, because Chris will calculate the necessary trajectory and velocity to use the gravitational pull to “slingshot” around the batter, not only throwing a strike, but having the ball return to him without the catcher touching it.