XX Sports Radio: Kevin Towers Interview (MP3) with Darren Smith
- Towers flew with the Blue Angles yesterday. "It was an incredible experience." He didn't barf.
- The Padres are finding ways to win each and every night. The young players are no longer in survival mode, they believe they can play in the big leagues. "This has been one of the better bunches I've been around in a while."
- Kevin Towers considers '98 to be his best work, but that was a veteran club. This is the youngest club Towers has had in his 14 years. "We finally have a team that fits Petco Park." The 2009 team is a lot like the '96 and '98 clubs because they may not be favored to win, but they expect to win. Bud Black had his best year as a manager. The coaching and scouting staff has done a good job too.
- "I'm contractually obligated to the club until the 2010 season." He's glad he didn't leave the organization in 2005. Towers wants to be part of the club. Ownership will make the decisions about baseball operations after the season. "My relationship with Jeff [Moorad]and Tom [Garfinkel] has been good. The working relationship is great. I'm smart enough to know that when new people come in they want new people to run things."
- Towers doesn't know when decisions will be made. The month of October is usually a busy month for Baseball Operations. He doesn't know if a decision has been made yet about bringing him back.
- "There have been no assurance beyond this year." He's going to give them everything he has as long as he's here.
- "I haven't lost a lot of sleep, I keep my head down and my boots on, until they tell me to take those boots off, I'm going to keep wearing them."
- "I'm not surprised by anything Darren. I'm certainly -- this is kind of where I want to be, but if something were to happen, I have a lot of confidence in my ability that I'm going to be sitting in a GM chair somewhere if it's not in San Diego."
- "In the 2008 season we rolled over in May and never came out of it." Towers is really happy with the way the 2009 team has finished strong. "There is definitely a big light on at the end of the tunnel." He's hoping that the Padres will be popping champagne in a couple years.