========Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus PODCAST
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“PADRES FANS-JUST ASKING”
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Padres baseball has been fun, but things are going to get alot tougher beginning now for lots of reasons. Take a look:
THE RECORD..Sounds nice they are (27-18) and battling for first place in the NL-West, but dig deeper will you. After a (14-3) start, the Friars are just (13-15). More alarming is the fact they have really played the bottom tier teams for the most part to start the season.
THE SCHEDULE..Head into Toronto and the Pittsburgh, but then they move into the teeth of the schedule. Do you know they have 14-games in a 17-game span against the Dodgers-Giants-Diamondbacks as they roll into June? They have enjoyed all these Mondays and Thursdays off days. They are about to embark where they play 27-games in 28-days.
PITCHING..Are you holding your breath on Dylan Cease? They have readjusted his delivery and he has put together two pretty good starts, but you have to be worried about wear and tear, and high pitch counts. As good as Michael King is, he throws lots of pitches per start. So far-so good for Nick Pivetta, but he is a max effort guy too. I worry that all this catches up to these guys, and it’s only Memorial Day weekend.
BULLPEN…I hate to use the word ‘burnout’ but that is what we are looking at right now. Hopefully a Sean Reynolds and an odd-arm or two from El Paso might provide help to the Morejon-Estrada-Adam-Suarez group. Tough when the bullpen phone has to start ringing in the 5th inning.
INJURIES…Waiting for the re-emergence of Yu Darvish, but they will need to be cautious and patient with him. Remember he has had 3-seasons in a row with elbow and arm issues that have flared. Still waiting for the re-emergence of Matt Waldron, coming back from the oblique spring training issue. Trust Randy Vasquez in your rotation, guess you have to for the time being. Bryan Hoeing seems way off as a contributor.
LEFT FIELD..This cannot go on forever, this black hole in left field, where everyone-anyone has combined for a (.177) batting average so far. Jason Heyward provides so much leadership and desire, but he is not the hitter he used to be. Time to give Gavin Sheets a chance to see if he can hold up and hit more than (.177) out there.
HERE TODAY-GONE TOMORROW…Remember Connor Joe, Oscar Gonzalez and the assorted bunch of off season street free agents they brought in. They are either gone or toiling in AAA-El Paso without much hope any will make a difference at Petco Park
TRADE BAIT…Aside from Luis Campusano, a 4A-player now, and Tirso Ornelas, there is not much AJ Preller can use as trade bait to try and rent a left-fielder. And the bigger question, if we know what Campusano can-and-cannot do, you would think scouts would see that too, so what is his real value? And the other question, do the Padres need a left-fielder or another starting pitcher as an insurance policy.
WE ARE NOT THEM…The Padres stay on the Dodgers heels in the NL-West race, and surely don’t have the pitching crisis LA has (16-pitchers on the DL), but the Friars have to be very concerned if anything were to happen to the Big 3 (Cease-Pivetta-King) in that rotation.
ALFRED E NUEMAN…Remember Mad Magazine’s favorite quote ‘What Me Worry’? I would if I were the Padres, and it’s not June 1st year and hot weather and a pennant race awaits.
Your reactions invited..Email me thru my website www.leehacksawhamilton.com
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