Brief descriptions of the Padres starters
by jbox on Jan 22, 2010 1:01 PM PST
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PrintDex and I were asked to give the starting 8 and a brief description for Beyond the Boxscore. They'll be featured later in their Padres DiamondView segment. Here's a sneak preview so you can get all angry with us and say stuff like "You guys don't know anything about this team! You stopped watching the games last June!"
| Position | Name | Description |
| C | Nick Hundley | Hundley is rebounding from a forearm injury in 2009. He was a bit better with the bat after the injury but it still doesn't seem like the Padres have much confidence in him. Nick's bat leaves something to be desired, but he's been able to help with holding runners. He has a bad habit of letting balls get by that are thrown directly at him |
| 1st | Adrian Gonzalez | Gonzalez is coming off a career year. Nobody in baseball is as talented and as boring. He's a gold glover with a good arm and he's not afraid to use it. He's so slow, he'd probably get to first faster if he actively tried to move in the opposite direction |
| 2nd | David Eckstein | Eckstein is the team leader and his personality is a plus. He rates well in any category that you can't actually quantify or provide concrete examples of success. That being said he looks like the only person on the team that is really trying. Usually really talented players make difficult feats look easy. Eckstein makes everything look difficult. 120% effort = 83% results. Man I'm so proud of myself for not using the word "scrappy". Darn. |
| 3rd | Chase Headley | Headley is finally being moved back to his natural position at third base with the trade of Kouzmanoff. Offensively he hasn't really been living up to expectations, but maybe that will change this year when he isn't stressing about being out of position and can spend more time in the batting cage. |
| SS | Everth Cabrera | Everth runs like the wind and seems like he may be an exciting player this year. He has a good glove and a good arm. All the people that swore we were going to miss Khalil Greene's defense quickly forgot about him when Everth arrived. Last year he and Gwynn traded off the leadoff position. |
| LF | Kyle Blanks | While Blanks is still playing out of position he's being blocked by Adrian Gonzalez at first. Owner Jeff Moorad said he will likely move to Left Field this season. We've only heard good things about Blanks at the plate, but due to a foot injury he missed the latter half of the 2009 season. Blanks hits well but not for as much power as you'd expect from someone who is literally 1/8th ogre. |
| CF | Tony Gwynn Jr. | Tony Gwynn Jr's batting average is proof that males can only pass along approximately 80% of their genetics to their children. His mother must be terrible with a bat. There is nothing to not like about Gwynn except for the fact that he's not an 8 time batting champion. |
| RF | Will Venable | Venable looks like he should be a good baseball player, maybe he will be with more consistent playing time. Ex-GM Kevin Towers called him the bright spot in the 2009 season, but I don't remember him ever doing anything to warrant that. |
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i'm sensing an underlying negative theme here...
despite the negativity, it was enjoyable to read your take on these guys…
Not really sure how you can say Blanks doesn’t hit for as much power as you’d expect since he hit 10 home runs in only 148 AB last year. That translates to 37 HR in 550 AB. Plus that was only his rookie season. Is it fair to expect that much power this season? Absolutely not…but I think 25+ is definitely attainable.
with those expectations
He’s likely to choke Nate Kaeding Style. He’ll hit 40 bombs per month….but they’ll all be just foul.
I got a good laugh out of it
“Nobody in baseball is as talented and as boring.”
“His mother must be terrible with a bat.”
Both got a good laugh out of me.
This is a terrible thing for the Padres. - Jerry Coleman
Ha! Man...
Long time reader first time commenter. Now that I have somewhat recuperated from the Chargers I am paying attention to baseball again.
Between you guys being sarcastically negative, and Geoff at Ducksnorts being the ultimate in depressed Debbie downer. (“Will the Padres reach the playoffs this year? Anything is possible, but I doubt it.”) It’s a wonder Padres fans ever have hope.
Hundley needs a full season healthy, he showed some anecdotal signs of promise last year. If he gets injured, trade him like he is, Khalil “finger injury” Greene.
Adrian is boring, if you hate home runs, line drive doubles, balls scooped out of the dirt, and unselfish hitting.
You cannot “literally” be 1/8th ogre. You can “sometimes seem 1/8th ogre”. Sorry the misuse of “literally” is annoying.
Venable had the second best SLG on the team of players with at least 200 AB.
Overall bloggers hold the power of magnifying the voice of the fan base. As a born and raised San Diego sports fan, we have to set higher expectations of our teams. Being downers and expecting 78-82 records, begets 78-82 records. Having hopes that we can win and should win, is a fundamental mentality of winners. Lets look for the positive and magnify that. Its said that when you build a fine reputation for a person, they try harder to live up to it even if it is not, in reality, fully true.
I fully hope and expect these Padres to play like they did in August and September 2009. Is it realistic? Who knows, but if we set that standard… maybe they will try harder live up to it.
(steps off high horse)
by MrDanielX on Jan 22, 2010 1:53 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Welcome
You can actually be “literally 1/8 ogre” if your great-grandparent is an ogre or if you have a scattering of ogre blood in your family.
1/8th ogre?
What does that make Scott Hairston?
So we're just looking the other way again?
Steroids: bad, genetic modification: good?
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? ◔ヮ◔
Uncommon Sportsman :: Absurdity in play
If we go 78-82...
what do think we’ll do in the last two games of the season? Or are those too far in the future to predict?
by theodore donald kerabatsos on Jan 24, 2010 12:55 PM PST up reply actions
You cannot "literally" be 1/8th ogre.
I dare you to say it to Kyle’s face!
I just wanna see
if this person’s got the balls to call a 6’6 260 titan an “ogre” to his face. We’ve seen how far Blanks can hit a ball, I wonder how far he can uppercut a person
by TheAxManCometh on Jan 23, 2010 8:54 AM PST up reply actions
Too negative about Vennable
From what I recall it the respectable 2nd half had a lot to do with Vennable’s power spike.
Although I guess I am getting tired of all of our players only doing well during half of the season. :(
well that won't last long
He is not exactly a people person …
didn’t his teammates nickname him mr sunshine ?
552
I thought they named him
DIRTY
"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
People people?
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? ◔ヮ◔
Uncommon Sportsman :: Absurdity in play
'Put or Shut Up' situation for some of our starters
Hundley, Headley, Gwynn & Venable could all be looking for jobs elsewhere if they have sub par seasons. Thats half our starting lineup.
If I pick it, I flick it
by Duke Street Kings on Jan 23, 2010 8:09 AM PST reply actions
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