It makes you want to scream, it makes you want to curse, it makes you feel bad.
It felt so weird to be in the Padres clubhouse this weekend before games.
Music played. Players brought their kids in. Even dogs were in the clubhouse. And in the afternoon, Padres players threw frisbees in the outfield. Strange considering where they are in the standings.
And then to validate my thinking, what we saw on the field.
Indeed a full range of emotions by the time we got to the end of this lost weekend with the Dodgers.
The excitement of the huge come from behind slugfest win on Thursday, was eradicated by the Dodger home run hitters on Friday, the defense on Saturday, and the garbage-can play late in the game on Sunday.
It was more than just Nick Vicent’s choke throw on a routine ground ball that should have ended a bases loaded threat, but instead led to 3-runs.
It was poor play from Justin Upton in left; loafing by the infielders It was lost concentration by the relievers. It included foolish replay requests by the manager.
It was bad body language, horrific relief pitching, and a general malaise that has set in. Losing 3-of-4 as they did to LA, compounded by terrible losses to lowly Milwaukee and Philadelphia on prior homestands earlier, have extinguished the enthusiasm about this team.
Then the Dodgers broadcast team, led by Rick Monday, piled on Sunday, ripping the team for taking plays and days off. Critiquing the leadership of manager Pat Murphy. Hammering the front office for the firing of the popular Bud Black. Evaluating fundamentals and dedication137-games into the schedule.
If you read body language on Sunday, as the game degenerated, it was almost as if the Padres quit against LA this weekend.
For every gritty pitching outing from Andrew Cashner, or the strong string of starts by Ian Kennedy, to the strength of Tyson Ross, it’s all been offset by other things that happen. .
James Shields has just 3-wins since June 23rd, and is more a 6-inning pitcher than a starter.
A whole series of relievers in that bullpen are pitching their way out of this organization.
And performances like we saw this weekend make you wonder whether some on this roster are just playing out the string.
You get angry thinking about how many disappointing nights we have at Petco this summer.
You wonder if Murphy has the brass to rip into this team, which has lost 10-of-14, or whether he was just glad to be in the show for a time, travel and stay in first class hotels, and be in a major league dugout. Is leadership lacking?,
You ache when you learn pitcher Josh Johnson is going to meet with Dr. James Shields, wondering if he will attempt to salvage his career by having a 3rd elbow operation, or whether he should just walk away.
It’s just a strange feeling in that Padres clubhouse right now. 1-more road trip, 1-more homestand, then it’s over.
Hopefully the stench of this weekend’s garbage, what we saw on the field, will go away, put out on the curb before the Rockies arrive in town..
Somebody in that front office should be worried about what Padres baseball, and the roster has turned into.

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