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“The Letter P….P-for Padres…Pitching…Pathetic”

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San Diego Padres pitching. It starts with questions marks, and ends with even more question marks.

Depending on whom you listen to, there is either false hope in all the statements from GM-AJ Preller, a barrel full of bullcrap from Manager Andy Green, or amazing belief in pitching coach Darren Balsly.

Yes there is great hope for ‘tomorrow’, with the array of young arms in the Padres minor league system, but the large majority of those hurlers have to prove they can do well at AA-San Antonio, or even at AAA-El Paso before you can buy into the sale pitch they will succeed at Petco Park.

And the promise of ‘tomorrow’ will come after ‘162-todays’, the 2018 schedule, and we cannot set aside what we saw in 2017..

The scoreboard does not lie at Petco Park.

On paper, the pitching staff the Friars have taken to their Cactus League camp, is horrible. Granted games are played on the field, but the stat sheets of the 10-starting pitchers they think can fill out the rotation, paints a picture of more-failure than success.

The Padres had the worst run differential of any team in major league baseball last year, and the starting rotation they are looking at bringing back went a combined (45-62) with an amazingly high (4.83-ERA) from guys in the rotation.

Gone from last year’s starting group is Joules Chacin who went (13-10) with a best (3.89-ERA). He parlayed that into a (2Y-16M) contract to go to Milwaukee.

The Detroit Tigers, in the beginning phase of a painful tear down, had a (5.36-ERA) worst in baseball. The woeful Cincinnati Reds, playing in that bandbox Great American Ballpark, trotted out a staff that had a (5.17-ERA). The once promising Mets, ripped by surgeries and injuries to all but one starter, staggered home with a (5.01-ERA). The Baltimore Orioles, dragged down by bad arm issues, finished with a (4.97-ERA).

Yes the Padres will send out the kiddie corps duo of Donelson Lamet, who jumped from AA to the majors, and was competitive with a (4.57-ERA), and logged lots of good innings around an occasional bad one.

Luis Perdomo has been force fed two years in a row, but had just 8-wins last year and a still high (4.67-ERA).

Clayton Richard, hired to be an innings eater, will give you all he can, but even he cannot hide from an (8-15) record and a (4.79), despite lots of starts and innings.

After that, it’s anybody’s guess, but everyone of the other starters throwing bullpens this week in Arizona, had bad numbers.

Bryan Mitchell came from the Yankees, where for four years he has been trying to land a slot in the New York rotation. His career ERA (4.94) in the majors. He had a (4.16) earned run average thru 8-seasons in the minors. The Padres hope he can become a trustworthy starter, but they have no baseline of info he can, at least yet.

Tyson Ross returns hoping to recapture the magic. He went (26-35) in San Diego and got to pitch in an All Star game before a blood clot and surgery derailed him. He is just (35-56) in his big league career, has pitched in just 13-gamesin two years, and last year, coming off the surgery, he had a (7.71-ERA).

Chris Young went (33-25) with the Padres in his first stint, but has had a history of health issues and bad luck. Neck injuries, shoulder capsule surgery, labrum surgery, an oblique injury, hit in the head with a linedrive. Once upon a time, you’d respect his (3.95) career ERA, but last year he rocketed up to a (7.50) mark.

Speaking to the past, there was a time people in Houston and Colorado thought, hoped, Jordan Lyles would be something special in the rotation. The Astros and Rockies got rid of him with a (28-48) lifetime record and a (5.43) ledger. Last year, he was at (7.75).

Three other potential starters are all coming off major surgeries. No one knows what they will be like if healthy. We do know there were few flashes of success when they were healthy.

Matt Strahm came from Kansas City in the Ryan Buchter-Trevor Cahill-Brandon Mauer transaction. He had 67-stirkouts in 56-innings out of the Royals bullpen, before he went down with knee surgery.. But he also took a (5.45-ERA) with him on the disabled list.

Colin Rea had elbow surgery, which negated his trade to the Miami Marlins. Promise yes, but not fully realized, with his (4.69-ERA)

Robbie Erlin had elbow surgery, and in spurts looks like he belongs, with a (9-12) career mark, but again a 4.54-ERA.

Yes the Padres have a deep bullpen, headed by the gem that is Brad Hand, but you fear overwork there. There is more quality there than there is in this group of ten rotation.

And not to be left out, reliever Carter Capps is coming off blood clot surgery, and Miguel Diaz had a forearm procedure very early last season.

In a division led by Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Madison Bumgarner (Giants), Zack Grienke (Arizona) and a Rockies team that just spent 100-M to sign three free agent relievers, the Padres don’t matchup at all.

So you can be excited by what might be in the pipeline, the top 5-arms in the farm system, but you have to be realistic that the Calvin Quantrill-Joey Luchessi-Eric Lauer era could be 12-to-18 months away.

You have to have a dose of reality in your clubhouse coffee, that the 10-names I just mentioned , come opening day, will have a collective (5.62-ERA) from last season.

That’s right (5.62) which is worse than the four worst pitching staffs we saw last summer.

AJ Preller’s optimism seems off base. Andy Green’s ideas all these pitchers have to seize the moment, seems far fetched. And unless Darren Balsley has easy access to Holy Water from Lourdes, I just don’t see any way this team’s arms, will be able to compliment the Padres bats.

I know better days are coming, but based on this starting rotation, I think you are signing up for another 90-loss season.

Maybe the only solution is to start a new marketing campaign. Buy a season ticket, get the chance to make a start in the Padres rotation. It cannot be any worse than what this team appears ready to run out there this year.

“P”…Padres-Pitching-Pathetic.

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“Sports Stories-Life’s Shocking Story”

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It would normally be a day to talk about all the storylines in sports, but everything has been overshadowed by what happened in Florida. Every time I wanted to start writing about the hot stories of the day, I was overwhelmed by the depths of the tragedy.

….Shohei Ohtani comes to the Angels camp.

At least 17-dead in the terrible shooting at that Florida high school. No rhyme, no reason, just another sordid tragedy at a different location in America.

..Lakes give up 139-points in a loss to New Orleans.

The shock of the shootings deepened when you hear stories that the gunman had written on Facebook multiple times about his private wish to shoot people, shoot police officers.

..Raiders release Sebastian Janikowski

In a social media society you wonder how people, who read things written by the shooter, could do nothing, not confront him, not go to police officials, not take action to try and prevent this.

..Team USA loses to Slovenia in hockey

Parkland, Florida is the dateline for this tragedy, but it’s like all the rest. Columbine… Charleston, South Carolina…..Orlando…….Las Vegas……Connecticut…..Virginia Tech….it’s everywhere.

..Tito Francona passes

Washington, DC, should be the next deadline….Congress needs to act, step across the aisle, and find away to deal with the 300M guns that are out there in America, legally and more so illegally.

..Tim Lincecum holds private workout for teams.

The rhetoric needs to end across America. We worry about ISIS, religious terrorists, North Korea, the Trump administration, natural disasters, diseases and more. But guns and murder, all these tragedies, are as bad as anything else our country is trying to live thru. It will never end till all sides come together to solve who can and cannot get access to guns.

..Guns + Mental Illness = Tragedy.

That story is more important than any of the sports stories out there at this hour. So sad what our country must deal with, again.

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“Padres-Good Move or Bad?”

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Baseball camps are opening everywhere in Arizona and Florida, the Padres included.

Also opening is the Unsigned Free Agent camp in Bradenton, Florida, for some of the 110-still unsigned free agents.

Some big bats and big name veteran pitchers are still unsigned including the one marquee name the Padres are still very interested in.

Eric Hosmer is the 28-year old power hitting first baseman and the emotional leader of the Kansas City Royals. He’s still unsigned, and surprisingly, only the small budget Padres and his Royals have made bids.

The going rate seems to be 7-years and 140M from KC, and something close to that from the Friars. But he has not accepted either deal.

Of course agent Scott Boras has the history of dragging negotiations for his clients on and on, trying to create bidding wars. This year, however everyone of his big guys, seeking big contracts, are still out there.

The Padres sales pitch is about more than just his stats, coming off a solid 2017, and more than just his great glove, but also about his clubhouse chemistry and leadership ability.

The big debate as I see it, with the Padres likely headed to a 60M payroll, does it make sense to give one third of your budget to one player?

Homer’s stats are solid. A lifetime (.284) hitter, with 68-homers in the last three years as he blossomed into stardom. Solid, as is a career defensive stat, a (.995) fielding percentage with just 49-errors in 7-seasons.

Last year Hosmer raked (.318) with 25-hojers 94-RBIs, 51-doubles and 66-walks.

There are some common sense questions that need to be asked about a deal like this.

If you go 7-years, what will you be getting production wise, the final 4-years of that deal, when Hosmer is 33-years going forward.?

Boras wanted 8-years, but no one is going in that direction.

Now as talks stalled comes a unique tidbit….give Hosmer an opt out clause after 3-years that might allow him to to re-enter free agency again, at age 32. That type of clause might lure him out of Kansas City, where a major rebuild is about to begin.

The Padres are halfway home in their rebuild project, with seven kids having arrived last year, and more likely to come this season. The Royals are a longer way off.

Maybe, the Padres should also be able to put an opt-out clause that could allow them to exit over the final couple of years if his stats tail off. Of course Boras would never buy into that deal.

Homer has lots of positives, and would surely make the Padres lineup more complete, surrounding him with Will Myers, Chase Headley, Manny Margot and Hunter Renfroe.

You always wonder if Hosmer can reproduce those stats in San Diego. He was surrounded by 38-home run hitter Mike Moustakas, big bat Lorenzo Cain, slugging catcher Sal Perez, and slap hitters Alex Gordon and Melky Cabrera.

You don’t really see that type of talent in the current San Diego lineup.

So the debate rages now. Give him one-third of your payroll?. Hope he is productive the next three to five years as all the young draft picks and internationals arrive?

Better days are going to San Diego, but one wonders if Hosmer fast forwards the success of the franchise, or just bides his time, till better pitching arrives. If he thought he had to play behind weak pitching last year in KC, wait till he investigates what is on the major league roster this year.

Decision time is coming. Overpay now hoping you can ride a Hosmer waves, or wait another year, till more free agents come available and you have a better roster around him?

Not my money, but I’d sign the check and expect the best.

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“Super Show-South Korea”

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It’s bitter cold outside, but the competition is red hot.

The only way to describe all the action at the Phoenix Snow Bowl in Pyeongchang.

We got a sneak preview of the fireworks on day one, when American Jamie Anderson, the sensation, survived brutal conditions to get her gold medal in snowboarding.

America got a wild run in the men’s luge when Chris Mazdzer decided he would go for the medal or crash, in getting the first ever US medal in the very strange sport.

The weekend brought us the gold run by 17-year old Red Girard, the snowboarder no one knew, nor expected to do much.

But Monday night brought brilliance, from one of the youngest, and the oldest, in the electric half-pipe competition.

The ‘X’ game era brought us Shaun White, and has delivered Chloe Kim, and what we saw was beyond brilliant.

White, the Carlsbad phenom, going for his 3rd gold medal. At age 31, coming off crashes and injuries, he did not disappoint with strong runs to move on to the finals.

Dazzling was the only way to describe Kim, who scored (93.75) in her first run, then in the final run, went a near perfect (98.25), all this at age 17.

And then White, who created a whole new set of moves in Vancouver and Sochi, came out airborne. When he started with a doubled corkscrew out of the gate , you knew he was making a statement.

The ‘Flying Tomato’ went with a triple flip, a double twist, and then the on the edge 1260-degree rotation.

When he was done, he was in first place with a (93.25) score, not the perfect 100 he had in the last Olympiad, but it was close.

It’s not in the American language, terms like 1080s….720s, 900’s. frontside-backsides…..corkscrews. switchbacks.

But Kim made us all aware of what she could do with a 4-spin move….a gigantic flip….and a triple spin in her final 1080-degree leap.

Then White took over, and dominated.

How impressive was it all? The NBC broadcast team used terms like ‘nailed it’….’killed it’…..’aced it’.

And the Mammoth Mountain superstar did it-claiming gold, in her first Olympics. And the kid from Carlsbad put himself in position to claim gold again.

These are not sports we pay much attention too, except every fourth winter.

The scenery for the winter games is breathtaking, and the moves by these superstars takes your breath away. Twists, turns, flips, leaping 20-feet into the air, tumbling, and landing.

Lots more events to follow the next week plus there in South Korea. What a way to star the Super Show in South Korea.

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“Names in News-Scattering Shots Everywhere”

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BRIAN DUTCHER….Disappointing San Diego State basketball season..Have to go back lots of years to remember when SDSU was (5-8) in conference….Defensive personna gone away….Coach not pushing right buttons….Team not listening….Malik Pope underachiever….Cameron Rooks-big guy-big stiff….Trey Kell-tough year with injuries….Good teams are those that improve as the season goes on….Good Coaches get their teams to improve….The Aztecs win over Gonzaga early season was a highlite but that was a long time ago on the schedule…what have you seen since? Trouble on Montezuma Mesa with hoops program?

LARRY EUSTACHY…Can’t change the spots on a Dalmatian can you?…About to be fired for continued abuse of players and staff, this after nearly getting fired in 2014 because of similar anger management issues…Violated ‘Zero Tolerance’ clause in contract at Colorado State…Read the fine print.

BOB DAVIE…Bad story at New Mexico…exit interviews with 35-Lobo players about football coach racial insensitivity…confrontations with players…possible interference in probe of sexual assault…all this from a guy who turned program around and use to coach at Notre Dame.

ISAIAH THOMAS….Some fall from grace…from all star with Celtics…to injured hip issues…to trade to Cavaliers…to benching and beefing about rolls…to trade to Lakers…to mouthing off he’s nota come off bench guy..to lack of defense…to impending free agency-already told he won’t be reupped.

MAGIC JOHNSON…Some smile-some mouth…Another 50,000-fine for talking about players on other teams headed to free agency…to bad joke about Lu’el Deng-his own in house player-who is riding bench with weighted down contract they cannot move nor buyout-yet Johnson smears the player who has been a good soldier and never complained about role in LA rebuild.

YU DARVISH…No free agent freeze for him-signs (6Y-126M) deal with the Cubs…that’s (21M) per year…Dodgers wanted him but would have to dump 4-other contracts to make the deal fit beneath the luxury tax.

WALLY MOON…Remember him-ex Cardinals and Dodgers OF…he’s the one who patented home runs to left field over the 257′ fence at the LA Coliseum in the early years of Dodgers baseball…You do remember “Moon Shots?”

LARRY NASSAR…Imprisoned USA Gymnastics doctor-turned-pervert transferred to High Security prison in Tucson, Arizona to begin 165-years sentence….Wonder if jail mates will take advantage of him as he took advantage of all those innocent girls he molested for decades.

CARLOS CORDEIRO…Named new President of US Soccer Federation in vote runoff beating Eric Wynalda and others…Big challenge ahead..hire new coach for USA World Cup program..take part in US World Cup bid as host country…settle 5-lawsuits against USSF…solve ‘equal pay’ and ‘pay to play’ issues for women and youth soccer.

ALEX BOWMAN…Who?…Guy replacing Dale Earnhardt Junior as the driver in the #88-car…all he did first day was take pole for next weekend’s Daytona 500 at sizzling (195.6mph)

DANICA PATRICK…Gets sponsorship and will run in Daytona 500-final NASCAR event of her career…Never won a race in 130-career starts.

SERENA WILLIAMS…Will return to Tennis Tour in Indian Wells event, after scary childbirth Caeserian episode having baby daughter…Hard to believe great star is now (36)

PHIL MICKELSON…Old lefty is stil all right….Strong weekend at Torrey Pines…even stronger at Pebble Beach with 2nd place finish…Still has bullets left in gun…Still as popular as ever despite no wins since 2014.

TIGER WOODS…PGA heads to Riviera and Tiger will be there after solid four days of golf at Torrey Pines…will his game take a jump?

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