“1st Week of Baseball-Full go Issues”

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We’re a week into the baseball season, and some strange things we’ve seen.

PADRES-HOLES IN BATS….A tough start for the Padres young kids. Manny Margot and Hunter Renfroe and vet Chase Headley. All have stumbled out of the blocks. Margot, a strong leadoff last year, is staggering right now, with a (.108) average, swinging at anything and everything. You can read the frustration on Headley’s face, with an (0-9) start and now sitting on the bench. Renfroe, not a starter right now, is hitting (125), a week into the season.

PADRES GOT GLOVES….What a tremendous improvement on defense. Eric Hosmer has been flashing his gold glove everywhere. Freddy Galves gets to lots of balls. Hunter Renfroe’s arm and glove have improved. Over 162-games, this will mean a lot to the pitching staff.

PADRES INTRODUCTION…That was some coming out party for 3B-Christian Villanueva, three tape measure shot home runs to different parts of Petco Park, and 5-RBIs, plus a standing ovation and a dugout curtain call.

PADRES HURTING….A week in and Will Myers has a tricep injury after a back issue. Austin Hedges has a back ailment. The club is not talking about Dinelson Lamet’s MRI on his injured elbow. Not good news, especially for the mound corps.

PADRES ARMS…A superb first outing for Tyson Ross, coming off all that rehab from the blood clot-compressed nerve issue in his right shoulder, he gave them 6-gritty innings. Robbie Erlin gave the Padres three strong innings in his first relief outing coming off 16-months of rehab from Tommy John Surgery.

PADRES AS ADVERTISED….Nice start for Eric Hosmer becoming the face and heart of this team. Spraying hits around Petco, making all types of smart plays in the field, and being media friendly. A far cry from a couple of years ago with the attitude and deportment of people like Matt Kemp and Justin Upton.

PADRES-WHO IS THAT…How about Christian Villanueva, hitting two monster home runs on Tuesday night, a 3rd deck blast into the Western Metals building, followed by a second shot to left-center. He has come fast thru the system, and we’ll see how teams pitch him going forward. Still to be determined, can his glove hold up.

PADRES OUT OF TOWN…Here comes the opening of the minor league season at the end of the week, and this will be fun watching all the prospects in the farm system. Enter MacKenzie Gore, dazzling in the Arizona Summer League, who starts the season at Ft. Wayne. Cuban prospects Adrian Morejon and Jorge Ona begin at Lake Elsinore. Fernando Tatis, on the fast track, will debut in San Antonio, along with pitcher Calvin Quantrill. And pitcher Eric Lauer will launch his season at El Paso.

PADRES ON RADIO…Still unresolved, the unhappiness with ownership at the content of the talkshows on Flagship Staton 97.3. Hard to believe the Padres would leave the station, and find a new flagship, a month into the season. Hard to believe too, that owner Enterom would tone down the rhetoric of its hosts, as they try to create a niche in the market for “Guy Talk”

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