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“Padres-Contenders or Pretenders”

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It’s here, opening day of he baseball season.

There will be a crowd at Petco Park as the Friars open the season against the Milwaukee Brewers.

There is a different vibe in the Padres clubhouse right now. It’s not as if this franchise is a pennant race type team yet, but there is an optimism that the losing is behind the club.

Some of it has to do with the arrival of three veteran players to add to the mix of young players who were force fed in another non-playoff season last year, a 90-plus loss summer.

Some of it has to do with the pipeline of young players, standing in line in the farm system, like planes stacked up at the airport, waiting to take off on their careers.

Hope springs eternal coming out of spring training. But as always, in San Diego, injures are still an issue.

The Padres addressed one of the worst offenses in baseball last year, by adding Chase Headley, Eric Hosmer and Freddy Galves. All proven, productive bats.

If the three do what they have done in the past, maybe combine for (.270) averages and hit 70-home runs total, then the team should have success.

That trio makes everyone else in the lineup better, headed by Manny Margot, the quality leadoff bat. They protect Will Myers in the lineup, meaning he gets better and different pitches to look at. And ditto for whatever role, how many games Hunter Renfroe plays in the rotation of outfielders along with Jose Pirela, a seemingly professional hitter..

The bench looks strong too with proven veterans Corey Spangenberg, ,journeyman Matt Szczur and AJ Ellis. 1st callback from the minors will be Travis Jankowski.

The everyday lineup looks respectable.

Sadly you cannot say the same for the starting pitching staff, a problem going into camp, and definitely coming out of camp.

The loss of blazing second year man Dinelson Lamet is a huge setback. Elbow issues are tricky, and will have to be handled with kid gloves. A strained ligament is better than a torn one, but it means an extended rehab period to be safe, possibly a cutback on the pitches he throws, and a monitoring of all activities between starts.

Luis Perdomo has to take it to the next level after two years of starts, but he has yet to show that next jump up to being dominant.

Clayton Richard will give you what he has but is he really an aging number one starter, more like somebody’s number four.

Beyond that are questions lots of places. Bryan Mitchell started in the minors but has yet to taste success in the majors. Did they steal one from the Yankees, or get taken in the deal?

Tyson Ross could be here by next week, coming off a good spring, but coming off two years worth of physical issues.

Robbie Erlin will jump into the rotation after a year and a half of rehab from arm surgery, so who really knows.

The phone is going to riing sometime in the next month, and the elevator ride of the crop of kids drafted two summers ago will begin. Joey Luchessi and Eric Lauer will be the first in the mix of draft pick pitchers summoned. Promising but very unproven.

You wonder why aging Chris Young wouldn’t stick around for at least a month in El Paso, knowing he could be the first called up at the first sign of troubles. Ex-Royal Matt Strahm is not ready to pitch yet coming off surgery, and Colin Rea faces a road back in continued rehab from his arm woes. Jordan Lyles hasn’t done well in three years, so hoping he might be a big time contributor is a reach.

Scary is the word to describe if any of the starters goes down with injury problems, aside from what already has happened to Lamet. There is just nothing proven there, there being the minor leagues.

The bullpen brigade looks strong, led by Brad Hand, but if the starters cannot go deep, or keep their ERAs under 4.50, then no number of relievers will make a difference.

This team will hit, thanks to the new bats arriving, but it’s hard to see this team making a jump in the standings, unless a bunch of starters take that jump forward.

Predictions, the working media I deal with had thoughts, as we sat and talked:

..Lee Hamilton….(81-81) in the pitching upfront comes around.
..Dennis Linn-The Athletic…(76-86)
..Bernie Wilson-Associated Press…(75-87)
..Kevin Acee-Union Tribune..(72-90)
..Jeff Sanders-Union Tribune (74-88)
..AJ Cassavell…MLB.com (76-86)

Andy Green’s managerial take was simple. “We’re not longer in the developmental stage with the roster, we are taking the top 25-players into games. These are high character guys. Our expectation is to get into the playoffs. That’s our mindset”

They could with the hitting they have. They won’t because of the starting pitching they don’t have.

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“Padres on Radio-A Mess”

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Padres baseball on radio used to be something special, a tradition..

Dodgers baseball, was forever about Vin Scully, games on legendary KABC, and now more recently on 570-KLAC with Charley Steiner and Rick Monday. Still special.

Padres baseball was forever Jerry Coleman and Ted Leitner. Then a series of changes and uncertainty. Andy Masur, Bob Scanlan, Jesse Agler, Tony Gwynn Junior, all in and out of the booth.

The Padres forever were on KFMB-760 radio for a longtime. Then as owners changed, the games bounced around the radio dial. Onto to 600-KOGO for a run. Then onto all sports station XX-1090.

Two years ago, the Padres elected to leave the Mighty 1090, to take a rights fee check from Entercom, and put their games on an FM station.

Padres baseball has always been about getting a radio station to give them a big rights fee payment. Times have changed, and stations no longer are interested in losing tons of money for a decade full of last place teams.

KOGO Radio,a successful News-Talk station, was willing to lose 500,000 a year as a way to expose their newly built format to the market place.,and Padres fans. It worked as the station went to the top 5-in ratings in that format. When the Padres continued to lose, Clear Channel Radio walked away from the deal.

The Mighty 1090 needed Padres baseball to launch its all sports format, but they paid an enormous rights fee payment, upwards of 3M a year. It helped establish the station, but the station bled money, bad losses.

They tried to restructure down the deal a couple of times, but the team kept losing, and the radio economy in the market fell apart. It’s estimated in a 13-year period, BCA, the owners, lost 20M due to bad baseball, high rights fees and a changing advertising economy.

It takes us to where we are now.

The Padres left a 50,000-watt all sports station to go to a smaller FM station you cannot hear in all parts of the county.

The team got a rights fee check, but have lost a chunk of their audience. The signal, last year on 94-9 FM, this year on 97-3 FM, does not go north of San Diego. The Padres can no longer be heard in the Inland empire, where there is fan base that travels the I-15 from Fallbrook-Temecula-Bonsall and Riverside County.

And because the inland empire is viewed as LA TV territory, they don’t get to see Fox Sports San Diego’s telecasts either, only Dodgers-Angels games.

Relations between flagship stations and teams can always be uneasy, especially if the team is a loser, and the Padres have been for a decade. Check the last winning season, check the last time in the playoffs.

Add in the format situations. The Padres put their games on a music station last year, a station that did not want baseball on their signal. End result, no baseball conversation on 94-9, and virtually no pre-post game shows.

The two sports-talk stations in town, 1090, jilted by the Padres defection, and XTRA 1360, spent the bulk of the last season talking about the Chargers defection, the stadium mess, and seldom about the only big league team left in town.

In essence, Padres baseball was a non factor in the radio market, except when the games were being played. Baseball talk disappeared off the radio dial.

This year Entercom decided to move baseball to a newly re-formatted FM station, ‘The Machine’…slated to become a guy-talk station. 2-weeks into the launch of the format, what local shows they have are talking about guns, drugs, girls, condoms, marijuana pipes and assorted guy talk subjects. Not Padres baseball.

You wouldn’t know the Padres were part of that station, except when they ran an occasional exhibition game

And now this week, the newly hired morning show shock jock, decides to mock people jumping off the Coronado Bridge, the same week that owner Ron Fowler is awarding scholarship monies to high school students who have gone thru depression and bad family situations.

Cheap stunt by a radio station that is going to struggle to find its place in a crowded market-dial.

This comes after their mid-day host spent tons of time smearing people on his twitter account, leading to the Padres announcing that Dan Sileo would not be part of Padres baseball broadcast in any form or fashion.

The Padres are enraged by the antics of their radio partners.

The relationships between stations and formats can be dicey at times. Sports-talk radio has to spend time talking about the team in town, but for San Diego, it’s been more negative than positive, and rightfully so.

Until the Padres win, the storylines will always be about the history of bad drafts, firesales, unstable ownership.

But the Padres should be mad at more people than just their radio station. Team President Mike Dee and VP of marketing Wayne Partello were the decision makers, when the franchise kept changing stations, and the team’s demands for high fees for bad baseball. .

Dee, since fired by the Padres, now oversees the Entercom sports-talk stations, and this guy-talk format is his. The hirings of Kevin Klien, fired in San Francisco, and Dan Sileo, fired 3-times in Florida, are his choices.

1-can say the Padres have made some stupid decisions, demanding excessive rights fees that drove broadcast partners away.

But you can also say Dee, who demanded loyalty from stations, when he ran the Padres, is making a stupid decision allowing this gutter talk content on his station leading into Padres baseball.

In baseball history, the fans know the heritage stations have always carried big league baseball, the Yankees on WABC, the Mets on WFAN, the Red Sox on WEEI, the Indians on WTAM, the Reds on WLW, the Pirates on KDKA, the Cardinals on KMOX, the Mariners on KIRO. 50,000-watt stations. Legendary stations carrying the teams.

Not the Padres, now on their 5th station since 2000. They’ve made it a money grab nothing more, and it seems to have blown up in their face.

The team is eventually going to win, but you wonder if all the losing and the bad business deals with so-called broadcast partners has done irreparable damage.

Padres on radio, it’s a mess. It used to be a tradition.

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“Names in the News”

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TIGER WOODS….We are headed towards the Masters, and all the attention is on Tiger and his comeback. He has been rock solid consistent his last three tourneys. Not the power hitter he was prior to the back surgeries, but he has hit more fairways and greens the last three tourneys than he had in years. All these rounds of sub-70 have shown how far his comeback has come. It’s too early to talk about winning another major, but it might not be too early to talk about him winning sometime this spring or summer. So far, so good health-wise too. And the TV ratings are bumping up, and he’s the reason.

PHIL MICKELSON….A win, finally, under his belt, ending his long drought, and he’s had more good rounds than bad rounds.

JASON DAY….His game is not what it was. Two years ago, as hot a golfer as there was, ranked number 1-in the world, but health issues, and a back issue have knocked his game down a notch.

RORY MC ILROY….A win two weeks ago was a sign his health is back, though his game might not be back on a week to week basis.

COREY LIUGET…The four game suspension for a PED positive test hurts him, his reputation, and his checking account. It will cost him 2M in salary. More importantly, look for the Chargers to use that as an excuse to ask him to take a payout from the other 6M still owed on his deal. Much like the suspension of Antonio Gates two years ago, I doubt it was cheating, but rather taking something in the off season they did not know contained an illegal substance..

TRE BOSTON…The Chargers mouthy safety had a decent year, and hoped to use that as a jumping off point for a big money payday in free agency. Not one offer yet. So much for the idea he could get 5-to-7M a season. Even his own team hast offered that. They do need to re-sign him, but at their price.

SDCCU STADIUM…It’s vacant and dark a lot, but what about this idea. The Raiders are thinking of leaving Oakland a year early, because that city is going to sue the NFL. What about playing their final year in San Diego at the old ‘Q’. Raiders fans would flock here to see the team. Ex-Chargers fans would show up, maybe to spite Dean Spanos.

SPRING FOOTBALL…Bill Polian takes over as President of the Alliance of American Football, that will start up in 2020. A spring league, with 8-teams, playing in good weather cities. Can you say San Diego Lightning, San Diego Sun, San Diego Bolts? Would displaced Chargers fans come see a spring league? Might be worth trying, and another tenant at the old ‘Q’.

DINELSON LAMET….A real scare, and a lucky MRI exam on his injured right elbow. He has a strained ligament, not a tear. But he is dry-docked at least 4-weeks. Bigger question, did the stress of learning a new hard slider create the elbow injury, and does the coaching staff need to put that pitch on the back burner.

HUNTER RENFROE…Enough with all this talk of sending him to El Paso to start the season, after his 7th home run of the spring. Spot him, let him play a couple of times a week in rotation with Will Myers and Jose Pirela at the corner outfield spots.

JALEN MC DANIELS….Headed towards an evaluation by NBA people, they will see his athleticism, and view his pencil thin frame, and say he needs to go back to San Diego State for at least another year, if not two. He’s a long ways away from being a Kawhi Leonard, or even a Malik Pope, whom I never felt reached his true potential despite four years wearing Red & Black.

BILL MC GILLIS…Waiting for the AD at USD to make this decision on a new head coach. Recruiting awaits for this WCC school, and though they return all the key firepower guys, and two redshirts, the Toreros need the right coach to replace the departed Lamont Smith.

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE….Are they going to get it done, I hope so. This potential expansion move to lure Gonzaga and BYU as conference members in basketball. It would be huge for the league, devastating for the West Coast Conference.

MARCH MADNESS…The edge sure has come off the NCAA tourney, and it’s more than just the Aztecs getting knocked out, then West Coast basketball getting run off. The loss of top seed Virginia has lots to do with it. The dismissal of Duke and the best big man in the country, Marvin Bagley has something to do with it too.This run by Cinderella Loyola of Chicago has been fun to watch, but there are no sexy teams left to say, ‘I gotta watch that game’.,

GULLS..THE AHL hockey entry is a raging success in San Diego, despite all the callus and the injuries the team has had to fight thru. Unsung heroes in the success of the franchise are Bob Murray and David McNabb, the GM and the VP of scouting, for not just the drafts, but the quality of college free agents they seem to be signing each March and April. Two really unsung front office execs in the NHL.

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“This-That-Some of Other”

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Lots of breaking stories, lots of opinions too.

PADRES PROBLEM….Reason to be concerned, for sure. Maybe the brightest of the young Padres pitchers on the roster, will be examined today to see what kind of damage occurred when he was pulled after facing just 6-batters in his final Cactus League tuneup. Denison Lamet, who roared thru the Padres farm system, and had developed dynamic stuff in just one year in San Diego, He never has had arm problems, but his elbow pained him throwing a newly developed slider yesterday against the Brewers. You hope it’s a twinge, a cramp, and not a tear of a ligament. The Friars have insurance policy arms, but Chris Young, Robbie Erlin, Jordan Lyles and even rookie Joey Luchessi are not equals to Lamet.

HALOS HARD DECISION…The Angels won the international bidding derby to sign Shohei Ohtani from Japan, and now a tough decision awaits. Obtain has been overwhelmed at bat as a DH, (328). On the mound he thrown 13-innings, given up 17-runs, 20-hits, 8-walks. And yet, as of this morning, he is still slated to make his pitching debut on Saturday against the A’s. They could leave him in extended spring training, could send him to Salt Lake City, or leave him to start the season. But if they do that, it means starting the year with a 24-man roster, and a project player.

DODGERS BLUES…Justin Turner means so much to the LA roster, clubhouse, chemistry. He’s gone at least 5-weeks, maybe as long as 3-months with this fractured wrist after a beaning. LA has issues too with once promising starter Hyun Jin-Ryu, who has yet to return to the form that made him a bellwether starter on the staff prior to a year and a half of shoulder woes, that finally resulted in surgery. Of course LA wot have rookie pitching sensation Julio Urias, on a slow track back from his own shoulder capsule surgery mid-summer.

Here comes opening day on Thursday, and suddenly all three teams out here have issues.

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“Padres-Roster Traffic Jam”

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We’re a week away from starting the baseball season.

It’s snowing in Cincinnati, 5″ on the field at Great American Ballpark.

There are still unsigned free agents out there, led by power hitting veteran Jason Werth and others.

The Angels have a tough decision to make on Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese free agent, who is (3-24) as a DH, with a 27.00-ERA on the mound.

The Dodgers are bravely trying to tell everyone they can survive two months without power hitting 3rd baseman Justin Turner, as he recovers from a fractured wrist.

So there’s lots going on in different places, and the Padres camp is one of those places.

Interesting decisions coming with the 25-man roster cut.

It appears they want both Jose Pirela in the lineup at the same time as Will Myers, so that means Hunter Renfroe is an extra piece. Upcoming decision, keep him as the 4th outfielder, or let him go back to El Paso and polish his game. Somebody plays left, somebody right, and somebody sits or goes elsewhere..

Renfroe can hit home runs, but his batting average and strikeouts still seem to be an issue. I would not trade him yet.

There’s also a roster overload with utility outfielders, and what they might do with Travis Jankowski or Franchy Cordero, who has hit everywhere but in the majors yet.

The Padres are on the hook for 13M in the final year of Chase Headley’s contract from the Yankees, and his trade value is limited unless somebody loses a key 3rd sacker somewhere else.

Christian Villanueva can hit, can play 3rd, and is out of options. If they put him on waivers, he likely gets claimed by someone else. Headley could also play some first if necessary, but star Eric Hosmer wants to play all 162-games. Villanueva has been tested as a possible backup shortstop, but who knows about his defense.

Move to the starting rotation, and it appears that Tyson Ross has pitched his way into a slot behind Luis Perdomo, Clayton Richard and Donelson Lamet. Ross claims the 4th spot.

Who knows about the 5th slot. Chris Young is (39)-would he go to El Paso to start the season? Robbie Erlin has had limited good outings, coming off elbow surgery? Jordan Lyles has not had a good spring starting? Matt Strahm does not appear physically ready coming of knee surgery.

And then to the kids. Joey Luchessi has been superb, in his spring starts, coming off 2-strong years in the minors. Eric Lauer could be a half season away from being part of the rotation.

Do they gamble with a kid pitcher, or hope a journeyman veteran can give them enough ‘bridge starts’ till the kids are really

So as they shovel snow in Boston-Cleveland and Cincinnati, here in San Diego we await the decisions they have to make.

The Padres have a traffic jam on the roster. Not that any decision will take them from 75-wins to 90-wins this year, but the right decision will allow them to maybe be a .500-team and maybe get into the wildcard playoff race.

Interesting to see who gets the green light to start the season here, and who gets red-lighted to start in the Pacific Coast League.

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