This is it people. Penultimate road trip. Penultimate homestand. The homestretch of this ridiculous season.
Jbox dragged me out to the game last night to watch the Padres beat the Rockies and move over .500 again. With the Giants losing again, we push our magic number down to 17 with 23 games to go. A 90 win season is still possible, but we can only lose three games over the next three weeks. Considering the fact that all but three of our games are against the NL West, I say the probability is actually pretty decent that we still end up with 90 wins.
Here's a good Canepa article. I like reading Canepa's articles even though I think he contributes a little to the fairweather mentality around here, but the fact of the matter is, people have decided to not show up any more. If anybody asks, here's the thing I think is keeping people away:
- Boring baseball
I guess I should say that it's boring baseball combined with the fact that it's a little embarrassing being in first place with a record that hovers around .500 against a weak division. But the baseball is boring and that's a fact.
As an example, what happens when the other team gets a base hit with a runner on second base? They score. Without fail they score. And why is that? Because our outfielders have weak, inaccurate arms. They field their positions well enough, but exciting baseball means a play at the plate. It means having
some chance of catching the runner at home.
On the flip side, what happens when the Padres have a runner on second and there's a base hit? The runner advances to third, but only sometimes. And that's it. They never score from second anymore. Again, boring baseball.
The most exciting player on the field defensively is Khalil, and no offense to my man Khalil, but he's a robot vulcan. The personality just isn't there. Loretta isn't exactly Mr. Good Times either. Dave Roberts? Friendly enough, I guess. Brian Giles is interesting, but a little insane.
Our most interesting players - the ones we want to get to know better - are guys like Fick, Olivo, Ben Johnson, Sweeney, Aki... Red Alert Squad. But ultimately, they're bench players. Having an exciting bench doesn't make for an exciting team.
I hate to say it, but by trading away Phil Nevin, the Padres got rid of the one spark of fire that they had off the field. On the field it's cold and now off the field it's cold.
I want to see a team that makes me go, "OH DANG!" and "DID YOU
SEE THAT?!" As it is, jbox and I wandered around the park last night, bored.
I keep hoping for one of the NL West teams to make a run at us. At least make it interesting, but it looks more and more like it's not going to happen. The Padres go through the motions, and they just keep increasing their lead.
Somebody wake me when we're in the playoffs.
I'd take you more seriously
if you didn't use words like "penultimate".Seriously, I thought last night's game was pretty exciting, myself. And the fact that Trevor will probably end up with another 40 saves on a .500 team has to add him to your list of players that bring some excitement, I'd think.
The return of Ramon was pretty cool, 3-3 and leading our pitching to a good game.
I dunno, I could point out things that are somewhat exciting, I would think, but the playoffs will be here soon enough.
Emcee Emmerson - September 9, 2005
You make a point
And to be honest, jbox for whatever reason made me get up while I was watching the game so we could wander around. First he brings me out to the game and then he doesn't let me watch it.I think really the feeling is that there is no urgency. It's not like last night was a must win game. We've basically locked this thing up. It's just that when you're cruising into the playoffs, it feels like beating the last place team in your division should be effortless and last night took quite a bit of effort.
Dex - September 9, 2005
Also
I like to flex my vocab every now and then. Make people think I'm a little more verbose than your average blogger.Dex - September 9, 2005
Penultimate
Just in case anyone from my site comes over and reads this: penultimate.mike42 - September 9, 2005
the excitement
used to be there early in the season. Mostly in May. Remember when the "Rally Shillelagh" worked and wasn't corporate? The camera would focus on Grant and he'd be gently waving it, as if he didn't know he was on camera. I'd be at home going "oh dang dude! Grant just called for a rally!" Then the Padres would battle back.Remember when Sweeney would mechanically grab that helmet and show the pelo? Again I'd be like "Dang Dudes, Sweeney's so cool".
They say the triple is the most exciting hit in baseball, but it's mostly disappointing for the pads because they can never bring that run in.
jbox - September 9, 2005
Let me know
When this:appears on a t-shirt, I'm totally buying one.
mike42 - September 9, 2005
i think
this team can be exciting...i find close, low-scoring games interesting. but when you basically KNOW they're not going to pull through...geesh it gets painful.last night really fired me up. it's been a long time since we had a walk-off like that, and saw the team hopping around like morons.
garth - September 9, 2005
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