Gaslamp Ball

XX Sports Radio: Sandy Alderson Interview (MP3)

• We have to wait until Monday to hear if Bud Black will remain as Manager.  Sandy is as charming as ever when answering this question.  "What part of Monday don't you understand?"  Next Wednesday for sure.  Wait didn't we just all agree on Monday?
  
• Wally's resignation didn't surprise Sandy, he had gotten wind of it.  He was surprised by the timing, he thought it would be after the season.  From Wally's stand point and the Padres stand point Wally made the right decision.
• They weren't on a different page entirely from Wally's stand point they were on a different part of the page.  These metaphors are great, they explain so much.
• Sandy pontificates while he reviews the history of hitting coaches in San Diego.  I think he's just stalling now.
• When they hired Wally they needed a short term bump and that's what they got.  Merv Rettenmund wasn't a scapegoat.
• The future of the Padres is the farm system.
• The farm system teaches and rewards a high OBP. 

  "To have one approach to get to the cusp of the Major Leagues and now they are attempting to make the most difficult transition in their careers --  to be subjected an entirely different approach -- from an organizational approach it is totally unacceptable and can't happen"

• They have an organizational consistency from beginning to end.
• The philosophy we have here is different from other places in that the Padres are committed to executing the philosophy.
• It was best that the Padres and Wally parted ways.  Everyone has to buy in to the philosophy.
  
• Wally was not a temporary fix as a hitting coach.  Wally is not fully a disciple of the Padres approach.  They gave him an opportunity to evolve.
• Alderson doesn't think Kouzmanoff has flourished because he has a .309 OBP.
• The top three run producing teams in baseball have the highest OBP.  The Padres have the lowest or the next lowest.  The Padres need to get better and nobody is blaming Wally because the talent needs to be there.  Wally wasn't making a smooth transition for players from the Minors to the Majors.
• Kouzmanoff swings at more pitches than anybody in the National League.  He wants to see Kouz make modest changes.  Kouz still swings at the inside fastball off the plate, which is the problem.  If he stopped swinging at that his OBP would rise.
  

• "Resigning six days in advance and taking a few shots in the meantime -- going into the clubhouse and doing what?  Teaching a philosophy that we don't accept or subscribe to?  He put us in a very difficult decision."

• The reason why he wasn't allowed to finish out the season was because he went public.
• Sandy worries that communication between the Minor league and Major league system is nonexistent.
• If there is anything positive to come out of this season, is that they have the opportunity to have Minor league players to play in the Majors.  The young players get to experience the communication and philosophy.
• If we are all on the same page there is consistency in message and there is also access between the majors and minors.
• If Grady Fuson believes that someone else in the organization doesn't believe in the organizational approach there can be friction.  Obviously that's what developed.
• The friction was between Grady Fuson and Wally Joyner, but it's broader than that.
• If you don't buy into the system you probably shouldn't be here.
• Alderson thinks it would be a good idea to interview each of the coaches to see if they buy into the system.
• Perhaps there will be more coaching changes.