Estes falls and when he lands it's on the DL

Estes headed to the DL

Sure why not.....it builds character right ? Peavy, CY, Bard now Estes all essentially within 2 weeks time.

WOW !

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Padres starting rotation took another hit on Saturday, when the team placed veteran left-hander Shawn Estes on the 15-day disabled list after he fractured the tip of his left thumb.

Estes suffered the fracture Friday after falling down the stairs that lead from the visiting clubhouse to the dugout at AT&T Park during the Padres' 7-3 victory in 13 innings over the Giants.

"I just fell ... I stepped wrong," Estes said. "I put my hand down to catch myself and my body weight came down on my thumb. I don't know how it happened."

Estes becomes the third member of the Padres rotation to land on the disabled list. Jake Peavy (sprained right elbow) and Chris Young (nasal fracture) have also landed on the DL this month.

The Padres have reinstated right-handed pitcher Carlos Guevara from the disabled list to take Estes' spot on the 25-man roster. Guevara, acquired in the Rule 5 Draft in December, was with Triple-A Portland, where he threw six scoreless innings.

Estes, who was 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in five games (four starts), missed the entire 2007 season after having Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in 2006.

Estes made his season debut for the Padres on May 8 in Atlanta and had given the team a lift after replacing right-hander Justin Germano in the rotation.

"It's borderline depressing," Estes said before the start of Saturday's game against the Giants. "I'm going to stay away from the Golden Gate Bridge for the next couple days."

Estes' thumb was in a splint Saturday. He's scheduled to see a hand specialist when the Padres return to San Diego on Monday. Estes is hopeful there is no ligament or tendon damage to the thumb.

San Diego manager Bud Black hasn't announced who will start on Monday, when the Padres face the Cubs at PETCO Park. That would have been Estes' turn to start.

The most logical candidate would be Cha Seung Baek, who was acquired last week from the Seattle Mariners. Baek made his Padres debut on Friday and struck out the side in his lone inning of work.

Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Stay Tuned everyone......I'll be in touch soon

Play Ball !!

Padres take 2 of 3 from the Nats, and are out of the cellar

Padres win 5-2

Credit where it's due during the rubber match goes to Will Ledezma for starters. He's taken over Peavy's spot in the rotation, and those are large shoes to fill. Some might suggest that he's been on the short end of the stick during a couple of his starts getting no run support or poor defense behind him in essence wasting a solid outing. Well it looked like that was going to be the case once again on Thursday under the sun at Petco.
Ledezma went 5 strong innings giving up only 2 hits, 3 walks, and K'd 7, and got the ND when the bullpen allowed the Nats to tie the game in the 7th. That's when it looked like the Padres were going to waste another great start and role over for the loss.

In the 8th inning, with the game tied at two, Jody Gerut was brought in to pinch hit with two runners on, and promptly sent a ball about 18 rows deep in the RF stands. It was Gerut's 2nd HR of the season, and he's really making a case for himself as the everyday starting CFer for this team. I think the only question left is do they sign him now to a multi-year deal, or wait 'til the end of the season when he might cost even more. His HR put the Friars up by 3, and instantly Hoffman was on his feet, and warming up. The bells tolled, the batters fell, and Hoffy notched Save 11/535 in typical dominating fashion.

This win takes the Padres out of last place in the NLWest and into 4th place. Amazingly enough Friar fans, it's conceivable for the Padres to be in 3rd place by the end of the weekend, but they Giants also are playing pretty good ball right now, so lets hope they take their hot bats on the road, where they typically hit even better than they do in Petco.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Washington	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0		2	4	0
San Diego	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	X		5	9	0

Play Ball !!

Padres take game 1 from the Nats

Padres win 4-2

It's the recipe we've been hoping to see all season long, and it's finally starting to happen. Starting pitching is strong, our young studs show up, we play strong defense, and the bullpen slams the door shut. Seems pretty easy doesn't it ? Why has this been so elusive !

Randy Wolf had another strong outing going 6 strong innings, scattering 7 hits, giving up 2 runs and K-ing 5.

In the 7th inning the Padres saw their big boys go deep. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff combined for back to back jacks, and gave the Padres a 2 run buffer.

That was all that Bryan Corey and Heath Bell needed to set up the Trevor. The bells tolled and Trevor sat them down in order in dominating fashion to record Save # 10/534.

Now that's they way we scripted it people.......lets see about doing more of this and less of the other for the remainder of the season !

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Washington	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	7	0
San Diego	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	X		4	8	1

Play Ball !!!

Where is the Brain Trust heading ?

Trying to figure out where the FO is heading

Ok.... so I don't usually do this on my site simply because its not something the Padres usually have to deal with, but the current situation and future of this roster is so uncertain that I think there is a time and place to speculate. To me that's now. Keep in mind these are all "if's" not facts, and with that let me tell you where I think this is heading. Also I don't like the term "fire sale" unless it truly applies, and I don't think it has any place here......yet!

We have some holes to fill, and we have some trading chips that are being looked at, so rumors suggest. So could this be what's in the future for our beloved Padres.

Kouzmanoff is gaining interest from a few teams so rumors suggest. Could this be why Headley hasn't been brought up, and also a reason he's seeing some time at 3rd in Portland ? If Kouz is delt we could see a top power hitting RFer in return, allowing Headley to slide back to 3rd, which is his best and natural position? The loss of Kouz would only be a hit if Headley doesn't pan out (unlikely), and the OFer they trade Kouz for isn't legit. The question here becomes who is this future HOF RFer we're trading Kouzmanoff for ?

Maddux rumors are swirling about his return to Atlanta. Maddux has a full no trade clause (FNT) making moving him tricky. He'd have to agree to waive his clause in order for this to happen. Now a move back to Atlanta makes sense for many reasons. First they are in contention and could use his arm in the rotation greatly. Second it's the team he spent the majority of his career with and will go into the HOF wearing. Third it reunites the trio of Maddux, Smoltz & Glavine all of whom are in their twilight, and what a better way to go than one final run at a World Championship ? A Maddux trade could return to the Padres a couple good prospects like Jordan Schafer, a 22 year old CFer currently in AA, who has tremendous upside, and maybe another prospect.

When Headley is brought up regardless of where he plays, Chad Huffman a LFer in AA who is just a wrecking machine, and who many think is a better player than Headley, will take over LF in AAA. He could be ready to start the year in San Diego next year in LF, and has a real shot at being special in the OF all the way around. I think the Padres like him more in LF than the idea of moving him to RF to accommodate someone else playing LF like Headley, which is what gives me reason to think Kouz is the odd man out here.

Am I making sense ? Is anyone following me ?

Justin Huber apparently has options left, they should be used and he should be sent to AAA asap.

PMac has shown his worth, and that is with the bat only. He's a liability in the field, however appears that he might actually have a future as the 5th OFer and pinch hit specialist. His #'s with runners on, RISP, and runner on with 2 outs are pretty lofty, and its that kind of production that will land you a job somewhere.

Hairston very well might be your LFer for the remainder of the season, unless Kouz isn't delt, in which case he will yield the starting role to Headley within 3 weeks. Hairston is a 4th OFer at best, and quite frankly not a bad 4th OFer to have IMO. So unless he's apart of a package trade, I'd fully expect to see him on this team for the foreseeable future.

Josh Bard is in an interesting predicament. His injury opened the door for Luke Carlin to come up. Carlin has done nothing but impress behind the dish, but has not hit very well. He projects as a back up catcher, and defense is the biggest deal where that role is concerned. He's got a + arm, and calls a great game. It appears pitchers are comfortable with him back there, and base runners are actually aware of his presence when he's on the field. Bard very well could find himself out of a job now that Barrett is back and healthy. Barrett is a starter, who only found himself splitting time with Bard, while Bard was hitting well. This year Bard has done anything but hit, and his defense leaves much to be desired from an arm strength standpoint. So could we see a Barrett/Carlin combo soon, and could Bard find himself involved in a trade somewhere ?

Randy Wolf is another name that comes up in trade talks, but I'm not sure the Padres will be dealing both Maddux and Wolf. That would leave their rotation very thin with both Peavy and CY on the DL for who knows how long. So lets come back to that another day.

Well I hope I gave you food for thought.....again this isn't factual, it's pure speculation and just me talking out loud......but I"m all for hearing your ideas and thoughts whether you agree or not.....Keep checking back and we'll see how close or far off we were.

Play Ball !!

A few quick Injury Updates

Cesar Carrillo :
-is doing great
-his velocity is up
-his motion has quieted down since his injury, which should only help him in the long run.
-should be pitching for a team in the system by early June, mid June at the latest....and he'll be there until he's brought up to AAA




Matt Bush :
-On schedule
-Throwing long toss
-Has had some minor stiffness, and aches, all typical, nothing troubling, and nothing to slow his progress


Nick Schmidt :
-On schedule, and ahead of Bush
-throwing from 120'
-feels good with no issues to date




Keep your fingers crossed Friar fans........these guys could all contribute, and two possibly sooner than later.



Play Ball !!

Padres take game 1 from the Reds

Padres win 8-2 in an offensive explosion

Randy Wolf was dominant going 7 strong innings, striking out 9, walking only 1, and giving up 2 runs on his way to his 3 win of the season. Randy brought his A game, and was lights out on the mound scattering 4 hits over his 7 innings pitched. In a time when the Padres needed someone to step up in the rotation, Randy Wolf did just that. He allowed the bullpen to get another night off, and picked up the holes left by Peavy and Young who are now both on the DL.


But the story wasn't the pitching last night even though that was outstanding. The real story was that the Padre bats showed up for maybe the first time in over a year. The Padres offense roared to life.......yes Friar fans 'offense'. The Padres banged out 8 runs on 14 hits, and hit 4 home runs, and 3 doubles in the game.

They played like the team we all expected to see out of the gate. With our power guys hitting the long ball, and our pitchers mowing down the opposition.

I'm worried it's way too late for any hopes of salvaging the season, but that doesn't mean we can't turn the ship around and start winning.........and that alone would be a huge feat for us this year. So lets hope this was a sign of good things to come.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Cincinnati	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	5	1
San Diego	0	0	0	0	3	2	3	0	X		8	14	0

Play Ball !!!

Who pissed off Jobu ?

Broken nose for CY

My question to the masses is this........Who drank the rum ? Who dared to mess with the voodoo whammy curse only Jobu could muster ? Hats for bat......to keep bats warm ? Either someone drank the rum, or someone ran off with the entire bottle because even sacrificing a live chicken or a bucket of Colonel Sanders probably couldn't have stopped the nightmare that was about to happen. Just read the following all of which happened in the span of 3 batters in the same inning.

• Young injured click here for story and video link

SAN DIEGO -- Padres pitcher Chris Young left Wednesday's game in the third inning after being hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols.

Young was taken to Scripps Green Hospital in nearby Torrey Pines with a nasal fracture and a laceration on his nose.

Young sat on the ground for several minutes while being attended to by the team training staff and was able to walk off the field on his own, though he was accompanied by teammate Tony Clark and trainer Todd Hutcheson.

Young opened the inning by retiring Brendan Ryan before allowing consecutive singles to Skip Schumaker and Aaron Miles. Pujols then lined an 0-2 slider up the middle as the ball hit Young flush.

At the time of the injury at PETCO Park, the Padres were leading the Cardinals 2-0 after a two-run home run by Adrian Gonzalez in the first inning.

Catcher Josh Bard also left the game in that same inning after suffering a sprained left ankle on a collision at the plate with Pujols.

Barrett is rehabbing in Portland right now, and isn't yet available. Luke Carlin in the meantime will fill in as the starting backstop with Justin Huber as his back up until Morton arrives.

Wow........guess that puts the nail in the proverbial coffin for 2008.

Moves made today :
Germano DFA'd
Thatcher opt'd to AAA Portland
C - Colt Morton giving 2nd stint with Padres this year
RHP Jared Wells(1-1, 5.85 ERA)
RHP Mike Adams(3-1, 5.52 ERA)
RHP Josh Banks(1-1, 6.66 ERA) promoted from AAA

No word on when or if Chase Headley will be up.........this has me puzzled to the core.


Play Ball !!!

Melting Points and Scary Things

Towers seeing red after loss

If changes come, they'll be big ones, angry GM says

By Tom Krasovic
STAFF WRITER

May 20, 2008

Brian Giles is one of a handful of Padres not off to a disappointing start, so leave it to Giles to find a positive yesterday before the last-place club returned to the field.

Giles, speaking before another defeat and a postgame shot across the bow from Kevin Towers, found comfort in the schedule, which, for a change, placed the Padres in San Diego. Last night the Padres were to open the first of two 10-game homestands in a span of 23 games. San Diego's baseball team had played 16 of the previous 19 games on the road, where it wilted.

“It's a very important month for us,” Giles said. “We need to start winning some games at home, get some confidence, see how good we can be. We need to get five or six guys swinging the bat well at the same time. We haven't done that all season.”

Unfortunately for the Padres, a change of venue didn't change their level of talent. Superstar Albert Pujols and the Cardinals, paying their first visit here of 2008, frolicked as happily as all of those Arizona refugees who swarm San Diego's beaches.

Pujols swatted two home runs, one of them reaching the top balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building. In all, St. Louis hit four homers and amassed 16 hits en route to an 8-2 victory.

General Manager Kevin Towers was seeing red afterward – and not just all that Cardinals red romping inside Petco Park. Towers strongly hinted that losing is becoming too comfortable for this team and that a major housecleaning could be in order if the team continues apace.

“It's the way you play the game,” said Towers, visibly angry. “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the intensity and how you carry yourself.

“We've got some hungry players down below looking for an opportunity. There's not one player in the system who is going to turn it around. If we make changes, it will be wholesale.”

He also said, “We've been bad, no question about it. There's been no signs to tell us or our fans we're going to turn this around. I'm not going to watch this for another four months.

“Morale shouldn't be good. If it's good, we have other issues. If morale is good, they have no expectations of being better. Morale should be horrible.”

“It's a reflection of all of us. It's got to be tough for all of our fans. This isn't pointing fingers at all of the players. It's all of us. I hope we all have the same feeling it hurts.”

The ballpark vibe recalled Mission Valley, 2003, when San Diego crowds oohed and aahed over the exploits of visiting players and the home team gave little cause to cheer.

In 2003, the Padres would lose 98 games, more than any team in the majors. These Padres (16-30) are on pace to lose 106 games. That would be the franchise's second-highest total, eclipsed only by the first-year Padres, who lost 110 games in 1969.

One difference between this club and Padres teams in 2003 and 1969 is that the front office projected nearly 90 victories and a first-place finish from this squad.

Until it recently lost ace Jake Peavy to an elbow injury – which will put Peavy on the disabled list today – this Padres club was the healthiest member of the National League West over the season's first quarter.

But the offense has been sickly for the better part of six weeks. Last night marked the 21st time the Padres scored two runs or fewer. That's 46 percent of the team's outings.

The Cardinals built a 4-1 lead against Peavy's replacement, Wil Ledezma. The left-hander experienced a shoulder twinge that brought manager Bud Black to the mound in the first inning but remained in the game. Two pitches later, Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run home run, the ball deflecting off left fielder Scott Hairston's glove. Hairston said he might have caught the ball, but a fan reached down with his glove and banged Hairston's glove.

Peavy Headed to the DL

Peavy to go on DL with ailing elbow; no timetable for return

By Tom Krasovic

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

11:11 p.m. May 19, 2008

His ulnar collateral ligament is undamaged, according to the Padres, but ace Jake Peavy will go on the disabled list Tuesday because of an elbow ailment that Peavy said has stubbornly resisted powerful anti-inflammatory medicine.

Manager Bud Black said the club has no timetable for Peavy's return.

"Hopefully," Peavy said Monday night, "this will be a short stint. Best-case scenario, maybe I miss a few starts."

A hiatus of at least six weeks could be more like it, based on Peavy's other stay on the DL, a six-week term in 2004 because of a tendon strain near his elbow. Peavy said this ailment is closer to the ligament than the 2004 ailment was. "That is a concern," he said.

Peavy, who has said his elbow has been ailing him since late April, Monday underwent an MRI exam that Black said revealed a "structurally sound" ligament.

"The ligament looks fine, so that's good," Black said.

The unanimous winner of the National League's Cy Young Award in 2007, Peavy got off to a fast start this season, winning his first three decisions. But he began to labor after the elbow started to pain him, the first significant elbow pain he has experienced, he said Monday night, since 2004.

The pitcher, who is 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA, said trainers worked on him between innings to alleviate discomfort in the elbow.

Pitching coach Darren Balsley said Peavy's delivery is "sound" and "good" but that the wear and tear from pitching is virtually unavoidable. "It's tough to throw 200 innings year after year and not come up sore," Balsley said.

Balsley said Peavy "has the quickest arm I've seen in awhile" but is able to coordinate his efforts. "When his left foot hits, he's in a good position to throw the baseball," he said.

Reliever Joe Thatcher will replace Peavy on the 25-man roster, Black said.

Trade considerations

Pitcher Greg Maddux's consent would be needed if the Padres tried to trade him, per the $10 million, one-year contract the club and Maddux agreed to last offseason.

If the Padres traded right fielder Brian Giles, he would get an assignment bonus of $2 million separate from his $9 million salary. Giles also is guaranteed an additional $4 million in November if his $9 million option for 2009 isn't picked up.

When considering a player's trade value, the Padres also take into account the player's ability to bring them a draft pick or two by retaining him through the season and then losing him to free agency. Compensatory picks are attractive to CEO Sandy Alderson, who, in attempting to strengthen a farm system that ranked among the majors' worst when he arrived in 2005, acquired 11 compensatory draft picks from 2006 through '08.

Current players eligible for free agency in November include Giles, Maddux, pitchers Randy Wolf and Shawn Estes, catcher Michael Barrett and pinch-hitter Tony Clark. Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi also can be a free agent, but according to the Padres, they wouldn't get a compensatory pick for him.

Notes

Black said Barrett will not come off the DL before next week.

Cardinals Triple-A third baseman David Freese, the minor leaguer who the Padres traded for Jim Edmonds, is batting .261 with four home runs and 38 strikeouts in 134 at-bats.

More later .......Keep the faith
Play Ball !!

Trouble .....

Well Friar Faithful, I do my best to homer-up or get over emotional, etc........but this season is seriously on the verge of flat lining. This team can't hit, and the bullpen continues to give up leads late in games. Now you can blame the offense all you'd like, but if they get your a lead going into the 7th or 8th, and you can't hold it.......well time to point the finger where it belongs.......squarely on the bullpen !! This weekend the Padres lost 2 of 3 in Seattle, and blew leads in the two losses, one in the 7th when Cla Meredith gave up the game winning HR, and the other in the 8th when Heath Bell couldn't shut the door.

Now comes news that Jake Peavy was sent to San Diego for an MRI on his elbow that is causing him discomfort. THAT'S all this team needs is for it's staff ace, and face guy to have problems. But again lets not get over emotional until we know for sure what's going on.

So stay tuned and I'll also be bringing farm updates and letting you know when our next Elsinore trip is going to be.

Play Ball !!

Padres take game 2 of 4 vs the Cubs

Padres win 4-3

Shawn Estes made his comeback complete with his first start since April 2007 when he went down with an arm strain in the middle of a very solid outting. Asking if he's still a question mark is a massive understatement, but he did well to force many to hold that question a little longer. Estes went 5 1/3 innings, scattering 7 hits, and allowing 2 ER vs. a very very powerful Cubs lineup. As if that wasn't enough Estes got it done at the plate going 1-2 with a solid single to the OF.
To top it all off, this was Shawn Estes 100th career victory........CONGRATS go out this night.

After the Cubs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, Khalil Greene tied the game by notching his 3rd HR of the year. He had 2 hits on the day and was seriously flashing the leather in the field.

If you've watched the Padres play over the last few years, then you know there are days when it feels like Khalil Greene takes over and carries the team on both sides of the ball.......well today felt like one of those days. I don't know about the rest of you Friar Faithful, but I could use quite a few more of those days....

Meredith came in to relieve Estes, and went 1 2/3 slamming the door shut in his 2 innings of work.

Bell came in to close down the 8th by striking out 2

Hoffman came in.....the bells sounded........2 guys K'd.......and Trevor notched Save #7/531

Other notables from this game:

Edgar Gonzalez continues to impress during his first ML callup. Today he got his first ML start at 3rd base, and had 2 more hits.

Luke Carlin is also having a great first ML callup. He also had another hit, and looks extremely confident and capable behind the dish. He's a career MiLB back up catcher, so he knows his role. Could it be that he's found a home as the Padres future back up catcher ? Time will tell ....

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
San Diego	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0		4	10	1
Chi Cubs	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		3	7	0

San Diego	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Gerut, CF	5	0	1	1	0	2	2	.200
Iguchi, 2B	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	.255
Giles, RF	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.266
Gonzalez, A, 1B	4	1	1	0	0	0	1	.296
Hairston, LF	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	.230
Greene, SS	4	1	2	3	0	1	0	.218
Gonzalez, Ed, 3B	4	0	2	0	0	0	1	.500
Carlin, C	3	0	1	0	1	0	1	.222
Estes, P	2	1	1	0	0	0	2	.333
Meredith, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Bell, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a-Clark, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.214
Hoffman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	36	4	10	4	1	4	8

Play Ball !!

Padres blownout in game 1 with Cubs

Padres drop opener 12-3

Padres are starting a road trip with a 4 game series in Chicago. As luck would have it a rainout a couple days ago pushed back the Zambrano start to today. Lucky us we didn't miss him...whooo hoooo.......

The Cubs took the lead early, but the Padres tied it in the 3rd, and then took the lead of a Jody Gerut HR in the 5th and things looked great for our boys. This feeling was short lived as the woes continued on the mound, and the Cubs dropped a 6 spot on them in the bottom of the 5th.....

.....and the flood gates shall open.......

In the 6th it didn't get any better as the bullpen & defense rolled over and gave up 5 more runs.
In the 7th the Padres got 1 back on Edgar Gonzalez's first ML hit and rbi, and that along with the Jody Gerut Tape Measure shot will end up the only two things to take away from this game. Those two were recent call ups from Portland to fill huge holes in this roster, and already they are producing dividends.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
San Diego	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0		3	10	1
Chi Cubs	1	0	0	0	6	5	0	0	X		12	13	0

San Diego	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Gerut, CF	3	1	2	1	2	0	0	.200
Iguchi, 2B	5	0	1	1	0	1	5	.264
Giles, RF	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.266
McAnulty, RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.217
Gonzalez, A, 1B	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.297
Kouzmanoff, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	.273
Germano, P	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.375
Greene, SS	4	0	1	0	0	2	2	.210
Hairston, LF	4	1	2	0	0	1	2	.229
Bard, C	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.205
Wolf, P	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	.111
Henn, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Gonzalez, Ed, 3B	2	0	1	1	0	1	2	.500
Totals	36	3	10	3	2	6	17

Lets hope the boys have something to say about the way they were treated today.....

Play Ball !!

Padres take 2 of 3 from the Rockies

Padres Changes

On Friday the Padres officially made some moves in an attempt to stimulate the offense, and regain some defense in specific positions. Jody Gerut was called up from Portland to take over CF duties for Jim Edmonds who was dumped after not performing anywhere near expected. Jody Gerut was the runner up to ROY in the AL a few years ago, and has been battling knee injuries since. He torched the Mexican winter leagues, was blowing up AAA and can play all 3 OF spots.

Shawn Estes was brought up to take over either a bullpen role or the #5 starting role. This was first given to Will Ledezma, however sources are suggesting that Estes is going to see a start this week when that #5 spot in the rotation comes around. Estes is 35, coming off surgery, nobody including him knows how much he's got left in the tank, but prior to his injury last year he was having a great start. Yes 1 start last year before he got hurt.......so don't go too insane that we have a veteran lefty in the #5 spot quite yet. He's hoping to find that groove once again so that he knows he still belongs.

Utility IF/OFer Callix Crabbe was released, after showing a lack of leather while playing in the field. He was showing signs of being able to hit, but bad luck was his copilot and everything he hit hard seemed to be hit right at someone. He was a rule 5 p/u from Milwaukee and was sent down to AAA, and Edgar Gonzalez (Adrian's older brother) was given his dream shot. Edgar was lighting up AAA and is pretty versatile on the IF, as well as being able to run quite well. The Padres are trying to work out a trade with Mil. right now in order to keep Crabbe in Portland.

Luke Carlin was also promoted from Portland, and will see his first big league time during the Maddux start. His promotion was to replace the demotion of Colt Morton who was struggling both on offense and behind the plate. Luke brings a very well rounded solid game as a back up type catcher. It's entirely possible that he'll find his calling in just that capacity, as a career back up player on this team.

As a result, or not, of this roster changes the Padres took 2 of 3 from division rival Colorado in Petco this weekend. After dropping game 1, and blowing another great Jake Peavy start, the team got behind Greg Maddux and delivered win #350 in convincing fashion.

Game 1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Colorado	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0		4	11	0
San Diego	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1		2	4	1

Game 2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Colorado	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0		2	5	0
San Diego	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	X		3	5	1

Game 3	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Colorado	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	5	0
San Diego	0	0	0	0	1	3	1	1	X		6	11	0

Play Ball !!!

Edmonds experiment ends

The Jim Edmonds ERA has ended for the Padres. The multiple Gold Glove award winner and WS champion simply did not hold up to his end of the bargain. While the Padres will be eating roughly $4.5m in payroll with the dumping, it's money better spent on letting him go at this point. JE had shown that he could no longer hit a + fastball, and had lost more than one step in the OF, which was becoming more and more evident with every passing week.

KT waited until the team had arrived home, so he could give the former allstar the respect of telling him in person, as opposed to a phone call while the team is on the road, and just having the replacement show up.
Below are his stats, and you can see how he just fell to pieces in 2008, and essentially wasn't worth a roster spot anymore.

Padres 2008 stats - .265 OBP / .133 SLG / .168 BA - 2 Dbls, 1 HR, 6 RBI in 90 AB's

We at Planet Padres wish the best for Edmonds, and know that if he still has that passion for the game that burns hot enough, he'll find a team in need of his services. As for the Padres, they will the person he's replacing found.

Play Ball !!!

Padres dump opener in Atlanta

Padres fall short 5-3 vs. Braves

The Padres finally extra base hits, move runners, score some runs, get a lead and it's the starting pitching that flounders......This team needs a break and it's not getting one. Chris Young had a rare bad outting, and got touched up by Chipper Jones who is on fire right now, and despite a 9th inning rally the Padres couldn't overcome a very tough Braves team during game 1 of the series.

Brian Giles went 4-5 with a double raising his season avg. up to .286, and Tad Iguchi had two hits, including a triple, and also is starting to finally hit the way we all know he can.....question remains is it too late to salvage the season ?

Friday the Padres are expected to make some roster changes that could impact things in a big way. Whether its for better or worse remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, a complete shakedown is on the horizon, and veteran players are appear to be in the cross hairs.

I'll be back with those updates and or the rumors surrounding the possible moves soon, so keep checking back. I will also be giving up farm updates hopefully this week on our prospects, some of whom are receiving national recognition.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
San Diego	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0		3	11	0
Atlanta	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	0	X		5	9	0

Play Ball !!

5-6-08 KT radio report from Portland

This morning some of the things KT covered while on the radio and in typical KT fashion where he said, but didn't say......

1. -Edmonds is about to be released, since he has clearly lost steps on D, and can't hit a + fastball
2. -Gerut will get his shot in CF
3. -Germano is moving to the bullpen
4. -Ledezma or Estes or both will get a chance to start
5. -Headley looks good, hit bat is going, and he looks great in LF, and he'll be up soon
6. -He's waiting for the team to get back from ATL to let the people know in person that they are going or moving, or being demoted etc...
7. -Clay Hensley had a setback w/ his shoulder and is being shutdown for 5-6 days. He was flown back to SD but they didn't find anything wrong...knock on wood cause his velocity was back up to 90-91 and he was pounding the zone with his sinker....

So keep your shirts on Friar fans it appears that change is on the way and it's going to start in
CF as many of us had hoped for. Jody Gerut brings a ton of skill to the position, and is just wrecking the ball right now in Portland, so this makes great sense....

Keep checking back for updates....

Play Ball !!!