This-N-That”

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PADRES…How star studded is this San Diego batting order now.  Who you going to pitch around from Tatis-to-Machado-to-Soto-to Bogaerts right in the heart of the order.

PADRES…They started with 9-potential starters fighting for rotation spots, but now the Joe Musgrove injury means guys have to move up a slot.  The Friars have to be cautious  with trying to get Musgrove to build his arm strength once he gets back on the moun.  any injury that impacts your delivery, your stride off the rubber, can impact mechanics which impact other boy parts.

PADRES…They have as many as 9-relievers vying for spots, but the real story is whether Drew Pomeranz can contribute after three years of forearm and elbow issues.  If he can be what he was coming out of the pen, think about the list of setup guys before you give the ball to Josh Hader.  Pomeranz-to-Garcia-to Hill-to Suarez-to Hader.  And that does not include the cross section of long relievers they can use to get to the setup men.

PADRES..They play 24-games in the first 25-days of the season.  Going to need everyone of those 14 pitchers on the opening day roster with that kind of workload.  The schedule also has a different twist, a balanced schedule now, where you see every team in the league yearly.  No more 19-games against the Dodgers-Giants-Rockies-Arizona within the division, but rather 13-games each against those rivals.

PADRES..Just wondering how the WBC camps-games will impact teams.  The Classic is fun times, but the real season is what is important.  Wish this Classic was not in spring training.  But where do you place it?  All Star Week?  Right after the World Series?  Tough call.  Don’t want to see any injuries.

CHARGERS..They have tough decisions to make, being 20M over the salary cap.  They say they are not getting rid of Keenan Allen, and I wouldn’t it, but is he a 21M receiver?  Between he and Mike Williams, that’s now 37M in cap space.

CHARGERS..Of course they pick up the 5th year option for QB-Justin Herbert and the price tag will continue to go up, especially when you see what is happening around the NFL to other young stars.  How do you pay up and coming LB-Drue Tranquil, who played so well.  Do you ask Khalil Mack or Joey Bosa to take pay cuts.  Quite a quandry.

CHARGERS…How smart is Justin Herbert?  Think about this.  He went thru 4-Off Coordinators in 5-years at Oregon and excelled.  He will be on his 4th coordinator this year in his 4th season when Kellen Moore gives him a new playbook.  He is amazing, but then again that’s what you get from a QB who had a (4.05-GPA) at Oregon.

AZTECS…Spring football, Ryan Lindley in as new coordinator.  How different can the SDSU offense be if they don’t protect the quarterback and if you don’t recruit difference makers at wide receiver?  Big issues and they have to have answers in spring ball.  Losing OT-Josh Simmons, who bailed out to go to the Transfer portal is a setback.

PAC 12…It’s a mess.  I have met very few Bruins-Trojans alumns who think the move to the Big 10 was right.  Driven by finances, turning your back on a legacy that dates to 1922, this leaves a bad taste in the mouth of lots of people.  Chasing the almighty dollar to play  all those other schools not named Michigan-Ohio State.  I don’t like any of this.

PAC 12…What happens to the league if Oregon-Washington elect to jump to the Big 10 and if Arizona-Arizona State defect into the Big 12.  Does the Pac dissolve?   Would Colorado-Utah try to go to the Big 12 too.

MOUNTAIN WEST…What if Cal-Stanford-Oregon State-Washington State are left behind?  Do they join the Mountain West and what kind of conference does that become?  A good league, but not a big boy league, but surely not a Group of 5-fringe conference either..

AZTECS..Jekyll-Hyde basketball.  I cannot figure out the inconsistencies.  Hard to criticize a (23-6) team but they have had to struggle to win a bunch of games, it really feels like a 10-loss team.

USD…The scouting reports caught up to USD despite all the transfers Steve Lavin imported into the Toreros basketball program.  They’re not close to being Gonzaga or St Mary’s…yet.

GULLS…What a miserable season for hockey fans.  The parent Anaheim Ducks are having a last place season too in a major rebuild.  The AHL concept of developing young players eems a good plan but what happens when the parent NHL team takes all the draft picks and takes them up and you are left with nothing.

SOCKERS…What a really good franchise the Sockers have, but they are viewed almost as playing in a semi pro league, and that is sad.  The league is not in big city markets nationwide.  Wish there was a real established league to play in.  Wish ownership would market the team better.  There is such legacy lost because it’s not what it used to be.

DEL MAR..Crown jewel of places to be.  It’s summer season of parties, the Pacific Classic, and the return of the Breeders Cup.  What a special historical place to showcase the Sports of Kings.

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