Padres President Garfinkel not optimistic about TWC picking up games by Opening Day

Tom Garfinkel interview with Scott & BR (MP3)

• The Padres met with Time Warner Cable in their RSN offices in Los Angeles. TWC has spent billions on the Lakers and the Dodgers. Garfinkel thinks TWC characterized the meeting well in their quotes in the newspaper, they haven't moved off their position from last year.
  "Our offer of last year to Fox for carriage of the Padres stands." -Time Warner spokesman Dennis Johnson
  TWC gave no indication that they would pick up Fox Sports SD. They suggested it's not likely unless there is a critical mass of customers that leave to their competitors. "I'm not terribly optimistic that they're going to pick up the games before opening day."
• TWC doesn't like the price of Fox Sports SD, but their other 4 competitors in San Diego accepted the same price.
• "I'm disappointed just like our fans are."
• Garfinkel sees a sense of purpose with this year's team.
• On Jedd Gyorko playing second base: "He looks fine out there to me." Jedd can hit. "He's done just about everything he can do in the minor leagues."

Tom Garfinkel Interview with Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton (MP3)

• The word of the season is "Team". Garfinkel really sees the players and coaches coming together as a team.
• There was a lot of activity in the off-season it just didn't lead to a lot of acquisitions. The Padres expected the market to explode. "At the end we felt it just didn't make sense for us." The price tag in free-agency has gone up quite a bit. The national TV money that's coming in a year or two is being spent early by some teams.
  
• The Padres like the guys they have. They've worked hard to keep the core group together by signing Carlos Quentin, Huston Street and keeping Chase Headley.
• Why didn't they sign Headley to a three year deal midway through last season? In hindsight that would have made a lot of sense. The Padres didn't expect the offensive explosion to occur but they're glad it did. "Chase got a big raise and he earned it."
• The decision to move the fences was made for baseball reasons. The Padres think the field will play more fair now. There are going to be tables in the new seating area created by the fence move. There will be group and individual seating. Moving the bullpen off the field was done for safety issues. "It was tough to come from behind at Petco."