1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Friday “PADRES WIN TRADING DEADLINE DAY”

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“PADRES-WIN TRADING DEADLINE DAY”
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AJ Preller at the poker table has no-fear.
No hesitation either at the trade table.
You sense he lives for days like Thursday.

There were a record 70-trades made at the Trading Deadline.

The Padres stole the thunder, cleaning out their farm system for the 4th time in Preller’s 10-years, this time to fill out the holes on his Padres roster.

The new look Friars will have lots of new faces in the lineup returning to the field for Friday night’s game as they continue their pursuit of the 1st place Dodgers.

When he was done with cell phone calls, with texts, with zoom meetings, Preller had engineered 5-more trades.

He dealt away 11-prospects including 9-of his top 30-rated players.  Among those who exited were their #1 prospect, the 18-year old shortstop Leonardo DeVries and top rated Class A-pitcher Boston Bateman.

The shopping spree cost him some depth, with two of his finds, Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert, plus utilityman OF-Brandon Lockridge used as bargaining chips.  There were 4-for-2 and 6-for-2 deals.

When he finished at the deadline, the Padres GM had added another closer Mason Miller from the A’s, who could be a starter next year.  He added a back of the rotation starter JP Sears.

In need of a catcher, here comes ex-Royal Felix Fermin.

The holes in the batting order will be filled by power hitting Ryan O’Hearn and OF-Ramon Laureno, who hit for average and popped some homers in Baltimore.

And he added an insurance policy starter in former Yankees lefthander Nestor Cortes, once he comes off the DL.

He finished with a minor league prospect infielder Will Wagner via Toronto

The wheeling and dealing comes at a price, beyond trading away alot of the future.  The Padres take on another (4.7M) in salaries this year, meaning a higher luxury tax bill coming in October.

If Preller’s shocking day of trades were one thing, the fact he still has Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez on the roster is equally stunning.  Maybe he could not find the right buyer.  Maybe no one wanted to over pay for 2-months of rentals for the two pitchers before they hit free agency in November.

Maybe this team, now loaded top to bottom, will try and get a World Series ring for Peter Seidler’s memory.  Maybe they let Cease and Suarez leave, thereby clearing (24M) payroll space in the off season.  Maybe too, the game plan is Mason Miller goes back to being a starting pitcher to replace Cease in the rotation next year.

But first things first.  Enjoy what the hot-lava GM did.  Let’s see if they can make Dodger Blue really blue in the postseason.  Let’s see if there are World Series games at Petco Park.

Preller is different.  Preller is unorthodox.  Preller is relentless.  Let’s see if Preller can do what has never been done before.  He’s won the Trading Deadline before.  He’s won the Winter Baseball meetings.  Let’s see now if he can deliver a World Series ring to cap off what’s going on at the corner of Tony and Trevor-Petco Park.
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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Thursday “PADRES–BUYER BEWARE”

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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast…1:30pm
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“PADRES-BUYER BEWARE”
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PADRES…Hours away from the 3pm-Trading deadline and waiting to see what AJ Preller does to add to his suddenly hot baseball team in the chase for first place with the Dodgers.

If the Padres still believe in Dylan Cease, maybe you keep him for the final two months of the season, and try to sign him to a reasonable extension.  Yes he is a mystery when it comes to consistency, but you cannot discount his bulldog mentality, his fastball, his durability.

The 7-shutout innings from Yu Darvish was impressive and maybe a sign you move Cease now that Darvish looks like the Darvish of old.

You sit and wait to see what the first rehab outing for Michael King looks like and how his shoulder responds to a couple innings of max effort work in El Paso.

It has been an interesting summer of 5-inning starting pitching from Randy Vasquez, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek.  Some wins, some losses, some bad innings.  My only burning question, do you think you can trust those 3-newcomers once the calendar turns to October and you ask them to lineup in the postseason.  You won’t be pitching against the Marlins-Pirates-White Sox etc.

The bullpen has been brilliant, but if you trade Robert Suarez, are you trading him for the right player like Jarren Duran in leftfield?  Or are you trading what is left on his salary (3M) without having tried to sign him to at least a 1-year extension to keep these Four Horseman group together?  Do you risk busting up a special chemstry and the best bullpen in baseball?  Why do that?

The catchers are hitting better and have done a standup job behind the dish?  Is that any concern?

Leftfield may be a weak link and the bench could use an upgrade bat rental.

We know Preller’s track record of trading away the farm system.  Is there much value to move Luis Campusano in a package?  Do you part with the injured prospect C-Ethan Salas, considering you just drafted, signed, and paid over slot to two catchers in the draft?
Do you move some of the very good AA-minor league pitching to go get the right player you want?

And who is the right player to add and what is the price to pay, if it is the Red Sox-Duran, Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, or the Orioles Ced Mullins?  How much is too much?

You can move salary in Cease-Suarez to take on salary in a different deal, but then you are giving up additional players to take on  salary from a key player on a different team?  Is that a good model?

His Padres team is playing the best it has since the (14-3) start against bad teams.  They are in the pennant race now, so do we wave a ‘caution flag’  in the direction of the ‘no fear General Manager’ before we get to the 3pm deadline.

The Padres are hot; have a real chemistry; are playing on the edge’; and a manager pushing all the right buttons.  Do you dare disrupt any of that with two months left in a summer of baseball?  You’d hate, in trying to put it over the top, you derail what we are watching right now

1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Wednesday. “SPORTS-DARK DAY”

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“SPORTS DARK DAY”
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You cover this long enough, you think you see virtually everything you can see, feel every emotion you can, and cope with all on the sports horizon.

Not the case on Monday, from start to finish, an awful day of stories.

COLORADO..The emotional outpouring press conference from Coach Prime, as Deion Sanders details his 14-surgery fight against Bladder Cancer, the chemo treatment, making out his last will and testament, and then learning at this point he is cancer free.  Admitting his life is forever changed.  And of course now we watch to see if he will be able to handle the hours and rigors and pressures of being CU’s head coach going forward.

TEXAS..A judge sentences a 55-year old man to 2 and a half years in prison for sending threatening and sexually explicit texts to WNBA star Caitlin Clark.  The stalker travelled to Indianapolis and was in the hotel lobby where Clark was staying when apprehended.  Beyond scary.

CLEVELAND..A stunning story of the FBI gambling probe of Guardians relief ace Emmanuel Clase and his removal from the Cleveland roster for at least 60-days if not longer, for large bets placed on certain innings of games he pitched in.  Devastating to the Guardians and his career.

CHICAGO..The heartbreak across baseball as Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, the so popular Cubs-Phillies star, lost his battle to Cancer at age 65, just 6-months after it was announced he was cancer free-only to have it return.

PHILADELPHIA..An ugly clubhouse argument, face to face, Bryce Harper vs Commissioner  Rob Manfred over baseball economics, and MLB’s public statements about wanting a salary cap in the next CBA talks.  Cooler heads prevailed but Harper ordered Manfred out of the clubhouse, and the Commissioner stood there refusing to budge.

DALLAS..Your worst fears realized in one day on an NFL practice field, losing your LT-LG and then a CB with serious knee or neck injuries on the Cowboys practice field.

NEW YORK..NFL headquarters under siege, with a mentally ill Las Vegas casino employee trying to storm the NFL league office at 945-Park Avenue.  A shooting spree where he killed 4-people, including a police officer, rode an elevator to the wrong floor, got off and started shooting again, then shot himself in the chest.  The suicide victim left a 3-page letter in his wallet, blaming the NFL for head injuries, his own mental health problems, and not taking care of the players over the years.  The man never played in the NFL.  But think about the horrors, after he wounded an NFL employee-shooting him in the back, what could have happened-would have happened it the man had gotten off at the 5th floor and walked into the NFL League office with that AR-15 long rifle, rather than getting off at the wrong floor on level 33.

It all started at 10am-covering the Colorado Coach Prime Story.  By 6pm we were tracking information about the near tragedy in the NFL.

You never expect days like this. So different from expecting to cover the trade deadline, ballgames and NFL training camp notes.  Sadly, what our society has become.
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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Tuesday “AZTECS-IN NEED OF WINS”

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“AZTECS–IN NEED OF WINS”
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San Diego State football..in a place we never expected them to be.
Without wins, without fans, about to be without the Mountain West Conference

Coach Sean Lewis enters his second season surrounded by chaos.  Roster turnover.  Roster defections.  49-and-55 new players the past two years.  Virtually no continuity.

A team with a (7-19) record over the last two plus year, after having seen Brady Hoke-Rocky Long guide the program to a combined (106-48) record over a decade plus, complemented by bowl games

Even worse, attendance has plunged at Snapdragon Stadium.  From 15,973-season tickets in year one, to just over 5,900 currently.  More bothersome, the final two home games of last year’s (3-9) collapse, just over 10,000-fans showed up in person to see SDSU lose again.

The ticket prices remain high.  The exit of the MWC to be part of the new look at Pac 12-has been met with virtually no emotional charge, considering the Pac 12 is no longer USC-UCLA-Oregon-Washington, but more and more this looks like MWC-2.0.

Coach Sean Lewis preseason workout press conference comments:
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Excited to do some football this year

Different feel this year..better comfort in building with what we are doing
Still reviewing scholarship limits from 85 grants to 20-walkons

Need continuity-retention of our roster is taking place
Had only 1-staff member exit
Not doom-gloom in college football
We will build momentum

Autopsy-we learned alot..painful learning was necessary
Lack of development-lack of depth-we have addressed that
We must learn how to win..3-losses by 9-total points
We have 24-days now to get better and polish in the bubble
We want players consistently good who can be great
Retaining our leaders was critical..they wanted to stay
Motivated-inspired whole lockeroom

Time for us to win…we did not win enough..3 wins is painful
We talk alot about money with NIL..having a GM helps us alot
Excitement is players have money in their pocket..better environment
In the past-we spent time helping players with their family problems

Coach’s Book Club…handed out Jay Bilas book on ‘Toughness’
Keeps referring to Mt Everest..higher you go-air gets thinner-it gets tougher
That is what we want to do-climb Mt Everest

We have 26-players recruited already..our players are our calling card
Highest ranked class in MWC already
Our leaders met with those recruits-sold them on believing

3-9 never acceptable..I was poor…need to understand detail of the plan
Developing this team is not like making (:90) rice..this takes time
We are in base camp-ready to scale mountain-done work-let’s go do this

QB-Jaden Denegal..growth-learning offense without use of GPS
He has learned language-gained confidence

Bert Emanuel..Super power to run-explosive playmaker-find his role
Want to use all of our players to add to what we can do
Emanuel..high character player-we will develop his role

Tre White-gets lots attention-pressure is a privilege-became a star
His results came as he bought into the process
Identify the talent-build it thru our environment
1-of best players in college football..make everyone dangerous
Has added more techniques to improve his game

Ross Maseuli moves to OC-played guard out of critical need
Tall trees in offensive line..big people beat up little people
We think protecting QB is utmost to offense

Luxury Marquez Cooper-to have 5,000-yard player-looking for next one
Lucky Sutton..Byron Cardwell..Christian Washington knocking at door
Lucky Sutton’s time
Caldwell started at Oregon-pads come figure out what we have

Jordan Napier-learned and became a star
We have explosive guys in that WR room
We have speed with genetic traits
Let them compete-see who steps up

Big question..how physical are we..how tough are we.
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Practices open to season ticket holders the next two weeks
Fan Fest-Thursday night-August 14th-scrimmage Snapdragon Stadium
Pulled curtain back-take the helmet off-introduce our players to fans
August 21st…Team dinner on the USS Midway
Entire team has 3.0-GPA from last year
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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Monday “HALL OF FAME-CHEERS & TEARS”

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus PODCAST…1:30pm
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“A CAREER IN A WEEKEND”
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What a great day it was in Cooperstown at the Baseball Hall of Fame, as the 5-enshrinees spoke about their careers.

Cheers-Tears..stories..smiles.

ICHIURO SUZUKI…Amazing he spoke English all the time and no one in Seattle even knew that, and here he was giving a 20-minute speech about his values, his career and his thanks.  His statement about ‘responsibility to himself, his team, the game and the fans, drove home the dedication that drove him.  Amazing player and a more amazing person.

CC SABATHIA…A dominant pitcher, who pitched for good teams, bad teams and a championship team.  A story of growth, maturity, respect for the game, and more importantly a family.  All from somebody who started in the majors at age 20, and survived a stay in alcohol rehab at such a young age.  And now in his post career, has grown into a leader of man, after being a leader on the mound.  You see his influence, now he is involved with the Commissioner’s office

BILLY WAGNER…He brought it, just like he pitched it, high and hard.  His speech was flowered with praise for all the great Astros-Mets players he crossed paths with.

DAVE PARKER..In death the stories of his impact everywhere across baseball, players he touched, influenced, played with and against.  So many saying so many good things about the Cobras and legendary Pirates star from the We Are Family days.

DICK ALLEN…A career and a lifetime of doing it his way and doing it well.  All powerful bat, all powerful personality.  Not everyone’s cup of tea, but he lived a life of courage, change, history.  Pride and power.
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