Muhammad Ali: Courage & Character

Posted on June 4, 2016 by admin

Muhammad Ali died yesterday at age 74 of respiratory illness. He had been afflicted with severe Parkinson’s disease for the final three decades of his life.

Ali one proclaimed himself to be “the Greatest.” To many he still is. Facing Ali (2009) is a 5-star documentary of his career, in the words of those who most notably squared off in the ring with “The Greatest.”

It must also be noted that in many ways Muhammad Ali will be the greatest example of why boxing must be banned, if we are to be a civilized society.

If this is how it ends for ‘the Greatest,’ then how horrible must it be for all the others?

His autobiography My Own Story published in 1975 tells his it as no one else can, up through the George Foreman ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974.

As loved as Ali is at the time of his death, it is hard for some to believe that he was once vilified; exiled from boxing for 3 years during his prime, for refusing draft entry into the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.

White mainstream media had refused to recognize his name change from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, reflecting his conversion from Christianity to Islam.

Muhammad Ali’s religion & politics became the line between brash & charismatic versus uppity & dangerous in the late 1960’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OOaMfVsxIc

When Ali spoke his mind on the unfairness of being drafted into a war he didn’t believe in, he became a global icon for the oppressed fighting against U.S. imperialism.

Ali embraced his role (and sacrificed more than any superstar athlete ever sacrificed), for a cause nobler than himself.

This is why he was so loved, and today is so mourned.

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Rime of the Seattle Mariners & Padres Ownership

Posted on June 3, 2016 by admin

Posted @ Padres.com

Padres chairman Fowler expects better from team 6-1-16
Ownership 101: be quiet and speak with your checkbook. If there’s a problem with the front office or GM, then deal with it directly & decisively. Don’t vent through the media. Building a winning organization takes time, hard work, money & luck. Most owners are overgrown babies who are used to getting everything they want immediately.
The biggest historical detriment to the Padres winning, has been their ownership. Ron Fowler’s weakness seems to be his impatience & meddling. When an owner hires a new GM to a 5-year contract, that’s his guy. That means the owner must refrain from bitching and throwing regime personnel under the bus, just because he can’t stand losing. Since baseball is about losing, perhaps Ron Fowler is in the wrong business? It’s going to take a leader with vision (along with a generous & meddle-free owner) to ever get it done for the Padres and their fans.
James Shields’ ERA went from 3.06 to 4.28. One blow-up start can do that early. He’s been pretty solid mostly, but poorly supported. He’s a professional, and owned that he stunk the other day. Padres need OBP & SLG.

Padres homer four times to rout Mariners
Cano’s 16th homer isn’t enough in San Diego 6-1-16
Padres really caught a break with RHP Felix Hernandez going on the DL, as I was expecting to wake up to another Padres shutout loss. Right calf strain for King Felix, and fans hope he gets better soon. One of the best of this era– HOF no question.

Padres need support at the All-Star ballot box 6-1-16
Closer Fernando Rodney will be the Padres lone All-Star representative. I hope he closes out a win, getting the NL home-field advantage in the WS. Except for 2010-12 (and a tie in 2002), it’s been all AL in the mid-summer classic since 1997.

Padres watch 10-run lead disappear vs. M’s 6-2-16
When the Padres are bad, they’re really bad, as they keep finding unbelievable new ways to lose games. Frustrating & fascinating, all at the same time. Give the Mariners credit for not giving up. The best recent news for the Padres is that RHP Cesar Vargas won’t need Tommy John surgery. Press on, Padres!!

As a Padres fan, it hurts to come up short (yet) again, but what a run & great season guys. Amateur draft next week, Padres have 6 picks in the top 85. International draft begins July 2. That’s the organizational focus right now, and real Padres fans know it. Again, hats off to the Seattle Mariners on that comeback, but Padres fans have seen it before.

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Memorial Day & ‘Free’ Elections

Posted on May 30, 2016 by admin

Donald Trump will be the Republican Party nominee in July, as his hardcore supporters of racists, xenophobes and other forms of haters never wavered. The conservative establishment threw its dream-team of candidates from Jeb Bush to Marco Rubio to Ted Cruz, and each foundered upon itself trying to take out the Trump campaign. There had been very little that was humanly sensible left in the Republican party, but today it can be said there is nothing left. The Republican party is now the official U.S. party of fascism.

Near-sighted fools in the liberal & conservative media never took any of this seriously, until it was too late. Donald Trump has been the recipient of the most free media coverage in election history. It is an indictment on the entire corporate media establishment from CNN & FOX to Yahoo, that this reactionary bigot has been elevated to such respectable status. Attempts to bias media coverage & manipulate social media against him are now useless, as fascism ignores any inhibiting rules while insisting they apply to others. Donald Trump is the truest essence of capitalism in all it’s ignorance, arrogance & ugliness. Simply look at him physically. That fact that so many people can support this filth, is an indictment of capitalist society– sick & rotten to the core. When toxic waste is allowed to dominate politics, then conventional politics is dead.

Now is the time for workers everywhere to organize their revolution, as it’s nearing fight time. This coming world war must be turned into a civil war, whose objective is to overthrow the capitalist state and replace it with socialism– globally. It must be a socialist revolution in permanence, from the working people, everywhere; otherwise the reaction from fascism will be merciless to humankind.

Fascists don’t value life, in any form; they are only obsessed with conquest & power. They never know when they’ve gone too far, because they’ve always strayed too far from rational ideas. Donald Trump’s ‘platform’ is nothing but ignorance, hate & ugliness.

Hillary Clinton has been anointed the Democratic party nominee for weeks now, despite losing the majority of the primaries & caucuses held in that time period. Her ‘superdelegate’ stranglehold from the Washington political machinery (Bill Clinton) ensured her the Democratic nomination from the start. Tens (and really hundreds) of millions of Americans don’t want this presented choice for ‘savior from Trump.’ Americans been down this road before with Barack Obama in 2008, and his Audacity of Hope. Any ‘feminists’ who insist on a woman for similar reasons, are just as delusional.

These will surely be the most reviled candidates in U.S. political history. Why bother with primaries, debates, or any meaningful political discussion when these are the only choices? Nothing good can come from either candidate, and most will be voting against the other, more than for their own.

No, this just won’t do anymore. There are too many important issues being ignored, while the issue of issues– social inequality, is ignored. The official narrative that the U.S. economy is recovering is a lie.

Please note that these are the freedoms for which our brave servicemen fought & died.

Perhaps they were fighting for the wrong causes? Does anyone know what the right causes are?

Is it okay to ask (or think) these thoughts on Memorial Day?

IF FREEDOM ISN’T VIGILANTLY GUARDED & REGULARLY EXERCISED, IT BECOMES A TOOL OF THE RULING CLASS FOR MANIPULATING THE WORKING PEOPLE.

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Update 6-2-16: Best current article on the Democratic party nomination [1].

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Padres, Snakes & Trade Rumors

Posted on May 30, 2016 by admin

Posted @ MLB Padres.com

Padres tap into Solarte power behind Friedrich 5-27-16
Andy Green finally got that 9-0 game where he could use Luis Perdomo like he wants to. Perdomo’s ERA remains under 10.00, so it’s good. It’s really nice for the Padres to have 3B Yangervais Solarte back, as they need his bat & glove.

If ARZ’s annual payroll is capped at $100M, then they had no business signing Zack Greinke to that deal. That falls on the GM and upper management. Those who say the Diamondbacks need to clean house are likely correct.

BJ Upton still rocks, a true team player for moving to LF for CF Jon Jay. One of my favorite new nicknames is the ‘Federalist,’ every time Jay does something good I’m looking up our founding fathers & constitutional history!

Friedrich making case to stick with Padres
Lefty cruises over 7 innings as offense thumps D-backs 5-27-16
Christian Friedrich has good stuff, and he’s left-handed so he stays in the rotation. Lots of swings & misses, check swings, etc…thank you, COL. The Rockies also gave up on LHP Drew Pomeranz & just gave away Rule 5 pick RHP Luis Perdomo (Cardinals). Evidentially there’s no concern for developing any kind of starting pitching in Denver.

Mets acquire Loney from Padres
Veteran figures to be primary option at first until Duda returns 5-28-16
Padres GM AJ Preller acquired & stashed guys like 1B James Loney all off-season. Loney has hit at AAA El Paso and has an opt-out, so good luck except against the Padres. No real power here. How much is “cash considerations?”

Padres’ ninth-inning rally falls short vs. D-backs 5-28-16
GM AJ Preller needs a nice haul for James Shields, as reliable 200+ IP starters don’t grow on trees. Shields is proven AL-tough and his contract is fair, especially in light of what was handed out this past off-season (Ian Kennedy, Zack Greinke, etc…). Padres might eat a little salary, but not much as it’s mostly about what they get in return. Matt Kemp is another story. CWS are an interesting organization, owned by Jerry Reinsdorf who normally is cheap, but every once in awhile does something crazy. The White Sox are currently 1.5 GB in a wide-open AL Central, so we’ll see if anything comes of this.

IMO, GM Preller should hang onto RHP James Shields for now, as shortstop prospect Tim Anderson in exchange isn’t enough and the CWS have a notoriously thin farm system. They always have, it seems. Anderson was the 17th overall pick in the 2013 draft, he’s batting .314/.342/.408 in Triple-A Charlotte, which convinces no one he’s MLB-ready or has much of a ceiling. Preller got way better in the Craig Kimbrel deal, and Shields is more valuable. In SD he helps anchor a young & developing starting rotation, that needs an innings horse. He’s pitched really well and that’s worth a lot, even to a last place team such as this. It keeps the younger starters from being overstretched, and then injured. It also makes them nearly respectable, which is better than being a laughingstock. He’s a team leader whom everyone respects, so if he’s dealt it must be for a good haul.

From the Padres perspective, it’s Matt Kemp whom Preller is really trying to trade. Christian Bethancourt, Travis Jankowski, and a host of AAA-prospects are waiting for their shot at RF, and it won’t happen until Kemp is dealt to the AL where he can DH regularly. It’s in the Padres best interest not deal Shields (or any other major contract) until Matt Kemp is traded. For full effect, dominoes need to fall in their proper order and right now the Padres bottleneck is in RF.

Padres place Vargas on 15-day disabled list 5-29-16
Just another reason not to trade James Shields. Get a MRI.

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San Diego Padres: Gay Pride Night, Smokeless Tobacco & Losing

Posted on May 26, 2016 by admin

Padres apologize following Pride Night mix-up 5-23-16
Great back & forth discussion!!

MLB satisfied with Padres’ response to chorus mix-up 5-26-16
Unfortunate, but well-handled, Padres. Bring the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus back to sing the national anthem on a military Sunday. Now that would be interesting! ‘COMMENT PENDING’

Pomeranz’s gem wasted as Giants walk off 5-23-16
That’s about as tough a loss as it gets for the Padres; two bloops beat them, and the final one should have been caught by RF Matt Kemp. Only two hits and no walks (again) from the SD lineup. Very little Andy Green can do about it, which is what makes all it so frustrating to fans.

Green says Padres need to ‘raise the bar’
A closed-door meeting was a good call by manager Andy Green. It proves he knows when to act, and it holds the players accountable– they’re the ones not getting on base or scoring any runs.

Gwynn family addresses media following suit
Wife, children allege that tobacco company contributed to Padres Hall of Famer’s death 5-24-16
I have mixed feelings on this. I’m a dentist by profession, and always counsel patients to quit, but most are too addicted to stop. Tony Gywnn started in 1977, when smokeless tobacco was still advertised on television. Jocks like Carlton Fisk & Earl Campbell did commercials for it. Big tobacco definitely lied about its health effects and deserve to be held accountable, but at some point people have to take responsibility for their actions. Everybody knows dipping is bad for you. Most lawsuits are about $$. RIP #19

Padres can’t hold off Giants’ rally, drop series 5-24-16
A win for the Padres today would be a pleasant surprise for their fans.

Padres lose 4-3 in 10 innings, Giants sweep series 5-25-16
The Padres are showing their fanbase every way a team can lose a game this season, getting swept by the Giants who are now 9-0 against the Padres this year. Much of the losing in this series falls on the shoulders of RF Matt Kemp. In the opening game of this set with the Giants, Kemp’s lack of range cost the Padres a 1-0 loss on a routine pop-up that should have sent the game into extra innings. In game two, Kemp was 2-4, getting thrown out trying to stretch both hits an extra base, a case of him trying to do too much, but still making outs which are bad. Game three just ended with a 4-3 loss in 10 innings, where he went 0-5. He batted third and therefore was given multiple opportunities to deliver a win, and again he didn’t. In 2016, Kemp has 197 PA’s, with 4 walks. Matt Kemp (.228/.240/.446) needs to be moved down in the lineup, or sat down on the bench. Or better yet, moved on to the AL. This is easily GM A.J. Preller’s biggest mistake, and he needs to eat whatever it takes to get this done. This situation is hurting player development, and disheartening fans who’ve seen losing all-too-often in San Diego. This is also where Padres owner Ron Fowler becomes accountable, as this can’t affect the Padres ability to spend money in the upcoming amateur & international drafts, or negate any future helpful free-agent acquisitions. That’s the price an owner must pay to own a winning team.

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Hector Sanchez greeted warmly by Giants fans
Padres catcher plays at AT&T Park for first time as a visitor 5-25-16
I like the way Giants fans appreciate former role players who helped them win, as it’s not all about the stars.
AJ Preller decided to add some depth to the Padres catching mix, as top prospect Austin Hedges went down with a fractured hamate bone. Derek Norris has hit poorly, and waiver pick-up Christian Bethancourt is raw. Padres stink, so why not?

Jug Stomping Music (1926-34)

Posted on May 23, 2016 by admin

Jug music got its name from the bass sound created by blowing into a whiskey jug. It started as a bunch of poor southern blacks who could really play, getting liquored up on moonshine and letting it rip. This was long before modern (post-WWII) amplification.

American blacks of this time were (of course) segregated and their best performers were generally not allowed a white audience.

Very little survives, as there were few recording sessions, no biographers, and only rare photos to record actual events. This happened during the Great Depression, and most performers didn’t consider a long career in jug music. It was simply good-time music of the moment.

What came out of all this influenced jazz, pop, western swing & country, rhythm & blues, and finally spawned rock & roll.

The Memphis Jug Band was the ‘rockin-est’ jug band of their era, and “Memphis Shakedown” is the genre’s quintessential song. Recorded in 1934, a listener can still sense the fumes kicking in about halfway through, when it gets really crazy. Play it boy… blow dat jug… what’s the matter with you over dere? If you click on only one of the linked videos, make it this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VpSRXX7NDc

Gus Cannon, AKA ‘Banjo Joe’ is the best known jug music artist [1].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxR8myBIDds

This link seems to be all anyone knows about Jed Davenport & his Beale Street Jug Band [2].

Jug music still lives & breathes, everywhere.

Find it

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Arch-Rivals: Dodgers @ Petco

Posted on May 23, 2016 by admin

Posted (mostly) on MLB.com

Melvin’s walk-off homer drops Dodgers 5-20-16
Padres needed this, thanks again BJ! Good to see Andy Green getting creative with his lineup, as there needs to be a shake-up. Another good challenge from Green got a HBP for Alexi Amarista, notice he’s won a bunch of them so far. Eight walks (4 by Brett Wallace & 3 from Adam Rosales) helps the Padres lineup work the opposing pitchers. More please!

Padres step on LA with walk-off walk in 11th 5-21-16
Padres lineup strikes out 19 times, and they still mange to win. I love this team! Notice, those walks do help. Get some OBP in the lineup and good things start to happen with their solid defense & stellar pitching.

>>>>>————————————–>

Padres fans consider the Dodgers to be their arch-rivals, due to LA’s proximity and winning tradition. Dodgers fans mostly don’t consider Padres fans, as their franchise has never won it. That’s just how it is. SF Giants fans (the Padres ‘other arch-rivals’) are always listening in on the Dodgers broadcasts & forums, which is no problem with most Padres supporters as long as they are respectful and have something useful to add.

Umpire exits after being hit by foul tip 5-22-16
The next time these two ‘arch-rivals’ meet (which is just before the All-Star break), the Padres may no longer have RF Matt Kemp who is on the trading block. Dodgers fans remember what a great player he was, before injuries diminished him. Padres fans are grateful for his efforts, which have helped them win a few (but not enough) games. Matt Kemp hit for his first cycle last year, which was also the first in Padres franchise history. I’ve read may fans comments in this forum along the lines of, “that alone makes whatever he costs worth it.” It’s hard to argue against that.

What absolutely needs to be understood is that Matt Kemp must DH (at least occasionally), or else he will wear down and quickly breakdown. There are probably 8-10 AL teams faking it at DH. When Matt Kemp is rested occasionally, he can be a productive bat in a championship-level AL lineup. This upcoming deal will be about how much the Padres eat on his remaining contract, which runs through 2019. Padres owe Matt Kemp $18.25M/season, with the Dodgers paying $3M/season. Also remember that the Padres only paid $3.5M for Kemp in 2016, so GM A.J. Preller knows he’s eating something on the back end. It’s a question of how much, and what’s the return? Recall that Preller gave up C Yasmani Grandal to get him. I don’t know who won this trade yet, and no one will until long after Matt Kemp is traded from the Padres to the AL.

Note: this excessive annual ‘punting’ on DH in the AL is the best argument against expanding it to the NL. The NL is the senior circuit, so they don’t adopt the junior league’s gimmicky rule.

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NASCAR’s All-Star ‘Shoot-Out’ & ‘Fan Vote’

Posted on May 21, 2016 by admin

Charlotte is now considered the NASCAR capital/headquarters, so their annual All-Star race is held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, built in 1959. Most drivers are positive about this 1.5 mile quad-oval track, although NASCAR’s new ‘low downforce’ package has turned each track into a new experience this season, so questions always remain.

It’s been raining on & off all weekend and the track is slick, so “if you’re tight, you’re gonna be tighter and if you’re loose, you’re gonna be looser.”

Fifteen past champions and top-winning drivers are automatically entered into the All-Star race, which fields only 20 cars– half the normal field. Here are their practice results for starting position:

This All-Star race has no ‘Cup points’ attached, but rewards $1,000,000 to the winner. NASCAR gets back to its ‘Chase for the Cup’ next weekend with the Coca-Cola 600, which runs at Charlotte Motor Speedway every Memorial Day weekend. This week is supposed to be the ‘relaxed’ weekend, although it’s filled with plenty of NASCAR promotional work for its top drivers.

The rest of the regular NASCAR field must qualify for the 5 remaining spots in a ‘shoot-out’ race, which this year is formatted as a 3-segmented race. Each segment winner earns a spot in the All-Star race. Also, the top two ‘fan vote’ winners get in. Danica Patrick’s clout assures her a spot, as the top vote-getter. Still, the fan vote winners aren’t announced by NASCAR until after the shoot-out qualifier, so Patrick must participate, even though everyone knows she’s easily an All-Star.

Chase Elliott narrowly loses the final shoot-out segment to Kyle Larsen. Then it is announced he (along with Patrick) have received a ‘fan vote’ spot. In fact, NASCAR announces that Chase Elliott was the ‘fan vote’ winner, with Danica Patrick (evidentially deducted several million votes) as the runner-up. Note that no actual vote totals are released. [1]

Above were the shoot-out results, with Trevor Bayne & Greg Biffle (listed at the bottom) winning the first two segments, rounding out the 20-car field. I’m in favor of reducing the grid size, so I wish NASCAR would use this exact same format every week, as it would keep much of the trash off the track.

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Danica Patrick (stunned, thankful & amazed that she was selected again [!] by the fans), has a video thanking everybody up on her Facebook page within an hour.

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Update 5-22-16: The All-Star Race was rain-delayed, and had a crazy new format which no one really understood, so I skipped it. It turns out I was quite correct, as “dumbest format ever” and “no one knew what was going on” were the most-common post-race complaints from drivers. While it is an All-Star showcase, certain drivers still have to be more careful than others, otherwise they risk being heavily fined by NASCAR elite. Note the nifty driving by #10 Danica Patrick who came through clean when leading vote-getter (according to NASCAR) #24 Chase Elliott ‘checked-up’ suddenly, causing a crash. It’s all discussed & shown in this link [2].

There were 19 NASCAR All-Stars, and one rock-star on the track in Charlotte last night.

She’ll be on display again @ CMS next weekend for the gruelling 400-lap (600 mile!) contest. How about a ‘hats off’ to a true American hero for Memorial Day weekend?

Padres y Gigantes

Posted on May 20, 2016 by admin

Previously posted @ MLB.com

Morrow, Spangenberg suffer setbacks 5-17-16
“I don’t want to say he pulled it again, but it just didn’t feel good,” [Padres manager Andy] Green said. “Something happened where they had to pull him back. There’s kind of swelling in there.”
That means 2B prospect Cory Spangenberg pulled it again.

Kemp’s homer lone damage vs. MadBum 6-18-16
Of course Madison Bumgarner is a great pitcher, and 29 other teams would love to have him. He just needs to control himself better. He doesn’t need that horsebleep [staring down Wil Myers after striking him out], just head back to the dugout like a professional.
What the Padres really need is some OBP in their lineup– zero walks again last night.
Padres have played the Mets, Cubs & Giants, and SF is the best team in the NL to this fan.

Giants fans: Padres are rebuilding under a smart new GM, and will be very competitive in a few years. If you’re too apathetic or belligerent to see that, then save the insults as you’re just embarrassing yourself. In the meantime, Padres fans need to deal with losing like real men & women. Baseball (like life) is about dealing with losing, and it’s how you respond that really counts.

Benches empty after MadBum fans Myers 5-18-16
Padres don’t need to throw at anybody, they just need to play better and score more runs.

Padres send Blash to Minors after deal with Mariners 5-18-16
James Loney has an opt-out, not sure if it’s June 1. Padres have the right of first refusal.
I’m glad to see the news about Jabari Blash. Padres are the only organization that’s giving him a shot, and he needs to play everyday– in the minors.

Pence, Cueto push Giants to 7th straight win 5-19-16
RHP Johnny Cueto was the best primetime free-agent starting pitcher signing of the past off-season, in terms of value & contract length. As long as he stays healthy, he’s a second true ace for the Giants. David Price & Zack Grienke are fantastic too, but cost more, for longer. Note: Cueto has an opt-out after 2017, and SF holds a $5M buyout for 2022 if he stays. To me, this was the move that put them over the top in the NL.

Shields outdueled as Friars fall to Giants 5-20-16
At this point, the Padres are no match for the Giants, who are a championship-calibre team. Padres got swept: losing 5-1, 2-1, 3-1; with no walks again in the finale. It’s time for GM A.J. Preller to deal his remaining tradable assets– starting with RF/DH Matt Kemp. As predicable as this scenario was, it’s still tough for Friar fans to follow, but it’s the reality this organization must face.

Dodger fans: Padres play LA next and few of you lurk in here, so I’ll speak now because it is difficult for Pads fans to correspond with you– due to the sheer numbers in your forum. Padres have 20-30 regular fans, who often listen and sometimes thoughtfully add to a discussion when compelled. Their average post total reaches 30-50 on a decent thread. For the Dodgers it is hundreds, sometimes thousands after a big game; and honestly most of it is noise.

This can be partially explained by the fact that Time Warner Cable owns the rights to the Dodgers’ games on SportsNet LA for $8.35 billion over 25 years. Over 70% of the LA cable/satellite TV market can’t watch a Dodger game on television, so it’s 1) Vin Scully [last time around] on the radio; 2) MLB Gameday; and 3) online posting in team forums during the game. This is pushed to the extreme for the Dodgers, as most of their fans can’t see them play, save going to Chavez Ravine. The LAD lead the world in baseball attendance every year, so there is no reason for them not to be on television. MLB blackout restrictions further add to a fan’s frustration. Theirs the most ridiculous situation in MLB, and deserves to be seriously addressed from a fan (public) interest perspective.

Last thoughts on fighting in MLB: the other day TEX 2B Rougned Odor (age 22 career .263/.306/.442) nailed TOR RF Jose Bautista with a solid overhand right to his maxilla, after a hard slide into second base. Bautista slid well past the bag, so it had to be considered a bit dirty. When Joey Bats got up to protest indignation he got nailed by Odor because he wasn’t ready to fight, going in with his hands down & leading with his head. Rangers ended up winning the game, and both sides have now gotten in their shots, so it’s over– pretty much. When the dust settles, it’s about wins & losses as well as dignity; so players should cut out the horsebleep (as most of them don’t know how to fight anyways) and just play ball.

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Friars & Brewers

Posted on May 15, 2016 by admin

Posted @ MLB.com

Perdomo makes first start, kicking off bullpen game 5-14-16

Luis Perdomo has worked hard to get his ERA below 10.00, so he gets a chance to start. Besides, who else do the Padres have at this point? Carlos Villanueva, Brad Hand & Brandon Mauer are all relievers. The Brewers aren’t a great team, so it’s a decent opportunity for the kid. I have no problem with this move, but I’ll admit I’m more intrepid than most. It will be interesting, for sure.

A quick review of the overall numbers that matter: in Defensive Efficiency Rating (converting balls-in-play into outs) Padres are 19th, with much of that due to injuries– having to play poor defenders such as Brett Wallace, Adam Rosales, etc… Padres fans seem to agree they are better defensively. In composite ERA they are currently 13th, a major improvement over last season. In AVG/OBP/SLG the Padres rank 27th/28th/29th, which is the real problem.

Friars fortify ‘pen with Campos, option Dickerson 5-14-16

1B Wil Myers, RF Matt Kemp, LF B.J. Upton, SS Alexei Ramirez (and the rest AAA players) started for the Padres tonight. Rule 5 pick (from STL) RHP Luis Perdomo made his first MLB start. Before this season, he’d never pitched above A-ball. Perdomo went 2+ innings: giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 4. He threw 60 pitches, only 31 for strikes. This kid has stuff– he just needs to learn control, command & economy. Sounds simple, but it’s not.

Lefty reliever Brad Hand entered in the 3rd to clean up Perdomo’s mess– keeping the youngster’s ERA under 10.00. The Padres have had a rash of injuries so far, so the only remaining Padres 2015 Rule 5 pick may be starting again sometime soon. This form of ‘stacking’ guys who really aren’t legitimate starters, is innovative. It lets GM A.J. Preller rotate pitchers (with players who have remaining options to the minors), getting them MLB experience without over-stretching their arms or abilities. Perdomo can’t be optioned (because he’s Rule 5), so if 2 innings are all he can give the Padres then this becomes Andy Green’s bullpen game-plan. RHP’s Tyson Ross & Andrew Cashner are out, so Green & Preller have to get creative. It’s forward & bold, so I like it.

Brad Hand went 4 shutout innings, ending the 6th by coaxing a come-backer from 2B Scooter Gennett, to leave the bases loaded preserving a 6-2 lead. Myers & Kemp provided, and others contributed, if not with a hit– then a walk or nice defensive play.

That got Andy Green to the 7th, where he managed his thin bench and shaky bullpen well enough. It was Kevin Quackenbush, then Ryan Buchter who blew it, with help from the second CI of the night from newly-acquired Hector Sanchez (with 2 out, on a 1-2 pitch in the 8th), giving the Brewers what they needed to tie it at 6-6. Low-cost bullpen has its downside, but the money saved will buy the bats needed to win. Reliever options are better if not perfect for the new Padres skipper, as he has lefties and decent righties to closer Fernando Rodney–> but they need to throw strikes. To be fair, it looked like they were all getting squeezed by HP umpire Manny Gonzalez on Gameday. BTW: Fernando Rodney in the 9th, a walk and throwing error (on a pickoff attempt), ends with a strikeout-throwout double play– Sanchez to 3B Adam Rosales. Vintage Rodney 😉

By the bottom of the 10th, Green is out of bench players, with plenty of bullpen arms available. Green chooses righty Leonel Campos who delivers 2 shutout innings.
Derek Norris (who replaced injured Wil Myers at 1B) & Bossman Jr. hit 2-out solo homers in the 12th. RHP Carlos Villaneuva gives one up to Lucroy, but closes it out for the save. It’s a big win for the Padres, a team trying to find the right track. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but this shows good reason for optimism.

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This series in Milwaukee brings back memories. I grew a Reds fan in Wisconsin, before interleague play; Brewers were AL back then, so it was acceptable to also root for the Brewers– since they never played each other. #4 3B/DH Paul Molitor was my favorite. I’ve always thought Phil Garner was their best manager– he had very little with which to work, but he maximized what he had. Not his fault they stunk. I remember Rory Markas & Del Crandall as my favorite television broadcast team. Of course, I listened to Bob Uecker on the radio many times.

The Stadium bus to the ballpark & back was always affordable & convenient, as were ‘general admission’ (good) seats. Mostly we tailgated with beer & brats hours before the game, like most Brew crew fans. Outsiders need to realize that Wisconsin’s loyalty is primarily to the Green Bay Packers. The Milwaukee Brewers are proudly supported, but not loved like the Packers. Winning & tradition have a lot to do with this. The Brewers have never won the World Series, coming into MLB the same year as the San Diego Padres– 1969. Brewers heartbreak year was 1982, when they were the best team in baseball, until injuries (Rollie Fingers & Pete Vuckovich) and STL rookie CF Willie ‘bleeping’ McGee beat them in 7 games. Brewers have never been anywhere close since.

I went to many games at County Stadium when I was in college, and it was always a blast. Miller Park is convenient in that it has a retractable roof, as the weather can get nasty in Milwaukee. Miller Park was (and still is) reviled by many. Three construction workers were killed on July 14, 1999 when a 567-foot crane lifting a 400-ton section of retractable roof, bent in half and collapsed. Brewers owner Bud Selig had been pushing to get Miller Park opened on time, and this ‘rush to complete’ was cited as a primary cause of the accident. The dead were Jerome Starr, 52, Jeff Wischer, 40, and William DeGrave, 39, who were in a cage that was being hoisted by another crane when the disaster occurred.

If anyone wants to see how beautiful County Stadium was, Major League (1989) filmed its regular season game scenes there, as Municipal Stadium in Cleveland was considered a dump. County Stadium was a great ballpark which first brought the Braves (Boston), then the Pilots from Seattle. New stadiums are mostly about ownership greed, and Miller Park is no exception.

The Brewers franchise was ruined by decades of Bud Selig ownership, in so many ways it still taints the organization. Paul Molitor managing the Minnesota Twins is one example. Brewers GM David Stearns primary task is to build a program that develops quality & reliable starting pitching, which this organizational has always lacked. MIL just wasted an offensive peak (created by superior scouting & player development) consisting of 1B Prince Fielder, RF Ryan Braun, LF Corey Hart, SS J.J. Hardy, 2B Rickie Weeks, C Jonathan Lucroy… because too many starters had ERAs north of 5.00, with no ace. RHP’s Ben Sheets & Yovani Gallardo, championship #2 starters at their best, were it; and that’s not nearly enough.

Until next time, hey dere Brewers fans!! Over & out

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Ric Size

Songwriter, Musician, Artist