Hey Padres fans, Go See The Storm instead

The Padres are bad. I cannot say the worst, because well, there is one team that is still currently worse than them, thank goodness. But yes, it is fair to say the wins won't come in bunches this year from what the fans are currently seeing.

This makes me think of other options. As much fun as it is to go to Padres games, it loses a little of the luster of attending when you are going to see their "best" pitchers get raked for 5+ runs a start and their "starters" (*coughVolquezcough*) continuously strike out with the bases loaded.

These are your "#1" and "#2"

So, I thought, and I came to the conclusion: Why not go see Lake Elsinore play? I mean, it still is professional baseball, right? Why not give the minor leagues more of a chance. The more I thought, the more it made sense.

Talent
First, the Storm have brought several players up to the Padres organization over the years. Checking out their notable alumni, they actually have seen several Padres  come up, such as Chase Headley, Kyle Blanks, Nick Hundley and the great Jake Peavy. Some of the players you will see will make it to the big leagues, and with the Padres playing the way they are, it might be sooner than later. And hey, the other teams who actually develop their minor league players play as well. Could see Mike Trout before he is MIKE TROUT.

Cost
Also thinking about my wallet, it would be cheaper to go see a Storm game instead. Looking at the Storm ticketing system, the most expensive ticket you will buy is $15, and that will land you right behind home plate. Coming from someone who is a die hard baseball fan in general, sitting in awesome seats at a professional game for cheap is right up my alley. Seeing how Padres tickets behind home plate can run you $80 or more just to sit close to another strike out, do you really want to put that much money into a losing product?  Also, to go along this, for our military members, you can get 4 reserved tickets or free on Monday with valid military ID. Who says only the big club supports our men in uniform?

Promotions
When it comes to the perks of seeing a baseball game, the Storm have promotions that kick the big league clubs booties all over the park. Every week, they have weekly promotions that go on the entire season:

Margarita Mondays: $2 margaritas and military get 4 free reserved tickets with military ID
2-riffic Tuesdays: 2 for 1 tickets and $2 specials around the stadium
Wacky Weenie Wednesday/Wine Down Wednesday: My personal favorite of unlimited FREE hot dogs around the stadium and also wine tasting specials until the 7th. Who needs all you can eat seats at Petco when you have this option?
Thirsty Thursday: $1 Beer and Soda all game long. Basically, get drunk cheap.
Fireworks Friday: Fireworks at game. I mean, fireworks are fun wherever you see them, right?
Social Media Saturday: Follow them on FB/Twitter and get deals and oh yeah, FREE HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH DRESSING
Sunday Funday: Kids announce the game, help with grounds crew and run the bases. If you have kids, this could be a great opportunity to make their almost-big-league-dreams come true.

Besides the weekly stuff, throw in  Star Wars night on May 11th,  Fleece Blanket giveaway May 25th, SUPERHERO NIGHT June 29th and Chase Headley Jersey Giveaway July 27th and you hav have a better lineup than the Padres do already.

Star Wars Night: We are all winners/

Promotions. Good stuff.

Location
Well, I will admit it is not the most ideal for all of those South County folks, but for all of the North County livin's, Lake Elsinore isn't too far up the 15 to say that you can't go. A quick 45 minute drive for $1 beer, if I do my math correctly, would be 8 beers for every 1 at Petco. You are actually saving money this way.

Same Result
Ok, so the Storm are currently 5-13 as I right that, and thats perfectly fine with me. If you follow the Storm, it will just prepare you for what to expect when you watch the Padres. Basically, this minor league team prepares you for the show as a fan the same way as it does for the players. And at the end of the day, who cares who wins or loses at this park, we are just here to see baseball at this point.

Charlie Brown recently was named to the Padres starting rotation

So, I urge you all to try out some Lake Elsinore Storm games this 2013 year. I know I will.

Let's play the "What If" game: Padres Edition.

As fans, you probably talk about a lot of "what if" scenarios with your friends, most likely a few unrealistic feats that are fun to joke around with while playing video games and eating leftover pizza.

But with the Padres, the entire season can be said to be based off of a "what if" scenario" and I just wanted to point out a few big ones that Padres are going to be facing in the next few months.

"What if Edison Volquez doesn't turn his season around"
This is a highly likely scenario. Volquez has been serving up batting practice so far. So far, he has started off 0-3 with a 11.68 ERA (ouch). It is not like this is a new thing neither. Last year he went 11-11 with a 4.14 ERA and career 4.64 ERA lifetime. Seeing this, it is not like he about to hit his prime and start dominating. A guy with a mediocre fastball, terrible mechanics, and can hit his spots as well as Matt Kemp's hitting this early part of the year.

Is that Edison Volquez career I see?

Solution? Drop him out of the rotation. You have two arms in Andrew Cashner and Anthony Bass who are licking their chops to get back in the starting rotation. Bass so far has had some success in his 10.2 innings showing a 3.38 ERA and striking out 10, almost a strike out an inning. He has had struggles as a starter, just look at last year, but I have more faith in him than our so-called Opening Day starter.  Cashner as well could be a viable option. Once he gets back in the rhythm of things, I think he could be an effective starter. We saw great flashes of him last year as a starter, picking up some wins. It would be nice to give him a chance and maybe make the argument that the Anthony Rizzo trade was not a complete failure on Padres management. 100 MPH fastball is something worth using often.

"What if Chase Headley doesn't perform as well as last year"
Well, even though as I fan, I would like him to do so, I do not think he will put up similar numbers, but I still think he will be good. When looking up his fly ball tracks from last year, almost 25% of fly balls he hit left the yard, an extremely high number for any MLB player. Also, he may take a few weeks to get himself back fully from injury, so basically, the first month is a wash.

Although, the batters in front of him have been playing well. Chris Denorfia is turning himself into a every day starter and one of the few Padres who can hit .300, mix that in with a Everth Cabrera who has been swinging well and a Will Venable who has been able to get on base, Headley may have a lot of runners to drive in in front of him, so the RBI totals will be there. If he can get some power out of Yonder Alonso, Kyle Blanks and  Yasmani Grandal when he returns, maybe he will have some protection in the lineup.

Anyways, if he doesn't perform, he will most likely stay a Padre because his trade stock will plummet, and if he does, well, lets just hope management keeps their promise.

"What if Cameron Maybin never gets good again"
Unfortunately, this could be a sad reality for the Padres. The Padres "Player of the Year" in 2011 to batting just over .200 in 2012, to not even sniffing .100 batting average while obtaining an early wrist injury. It makes me cringe every time I remind myself we signed him 5yr/$25, a really premature move considering he only had one good year to go off of. I know the guy is 26 years old and still can hit his prime, but I only see him as a defensive factor and someone who swings for the fences but comes up short. If only he could play like his doppelganger, Dexter Fowler, who is becoming a force in Colorado.

What is Maybin doing in a Rockies uniform?

Maybin also is going to have a hard time finding any time on the field if Kyle Blanks really does come back for good the the bigs. With the power Blanks provides, the consistency of Denorfia and the inability to sit Quentin, Maybin might as well see himself as the 5th option in the outfield for the Padres.

"What if Denorfia plays like this all year?"
Answer: He will. The guy is a career .284 hitter and has become an instant spark plug and reliable bat in the lineup. As one of my favorite players since he has come to the Padres, I am really pushing for him to continue his early success as a full time player instead of someone who splits time with Venable in right. It would be nice to find a surprise bat in the lineup.

Just think of the lineup if players play up to potential:
Cabrera
Denorfia
Headley
Alonso
Quentin
Blanks/Venable
Hundley
Gyorko

That is a lot of power potential to hit balls into shorter Petco fences and make pitchers actually think twice about the Padres lineup even without Grandal. I am seeing a few guys who have 20+ home run potential.

"What if the Padres turn it around?"
They can. I really, truly believe that they can. They just need to get more out of their pitching staff. All of these early exits by starting pitching has really taken a toll on the bullpen and logging a lot of extra innings on them. I feel bad for a guy like Thad Weber who's sole purpose was to come up and eat innings for the big league club, only to be sent back down. If we can get pitching like we did in LA and string a full quality starts together, maybe, just maybe, the Padres can push for a .500 record. I am sold that the Padres have a good lineup who can score runs, just ask Papa John's, who has been dishing out 40% coupons all year because of it. If you can combine the pitching with the hitting, the Padres can be an underrated force against overrated teams.

"I got you, Padres fans"

The Padres aren't as bad as their record shows. They are just struck with the injury bug and playing to what they are expected to play at. Remember the second half last year? All the same pieces are here, I know they can play like that. Lets hope they can know that for themselves.

Go Padres!

Spring Training 2013: February 25th (Game 4)

The Padres face the Brewers with the rights to sudsy beverages as the victor's prize. Would the evil conglomerate empire or the valiant microbreweries prevail in this beer fight?

Your kung-fu is week, Fuzzles.

Not bear fight, beer fight! Oh thank Xenu, the jump is here.

Padres Spring Training Update: Fun For Everyone

Today is Tuesday, and if my calculations are correct, we are just...1,2...3. 3 days away from the first Spring Training game down in Arizona.

So, to sum that last sentence up, baseball games start Friday and I cry tears of joy.

Sometimes, there is crying in baseball.

It has been fun so far from the fan point of view to follow the flow of information regarding this new, upcoming season. Yes, starting the season off with more talk of the whole "Grandal did steroids" talk wasn't too enriching but he did say he was sorry. In the words of Hannah Montana, Nobody's Perfect (for a good laugh and my exact feelings, watch this). Obviously, the effects of the steroids are still lingering, as he won the Catcher's Olympics yesterday at Padres camp.


In my defense, I feel I get to poke him for 50 games. Fair trade.

Other news, six Padres begin gearing up to head to the World Baseball Classic in a few weeks with potential news of a seventh. Apparently, there is talks of Chase Headley joining the team as well. I don't this that is fair, considering they are playing in Arizona in their first fews games (USA! USA!)

Last news isn't much to wet my pants over, but Bud Black has announced opening day starter will be Sean O'Sullivan...for Friday's first Spring Training Game. Tyson Ross will start on Saturday.

It isn't much so far, but it is news and something you can tell your friends about. 

Then you get moments like these.

Trevor Hoffman pitches to camp invitee, Austin Hedges. I have a hunch he is giving a healthy dose of change-ups. 

Only two secure pitching spots? Let the Hunger Games begin!

And may the odds be ever in your favor.

The Padres opened up spring training yesterday with an astonishing 36 pitchers, all fighting for spots on the roster. Right now, according to Corey Brock, Padres beat writer, only Eddy Volquez and Clayton Richard have secure spots in the starting rotation for this upcoming year.

For a team that had 15 different pitchers start a game in 2012, this means that 13 of those starters from last year are now going to be fighting for 3 slots in the 2013 rotation. Who will they be?

Lets examine, first off, the 13 candidates:

RK	Player	Team	W	L	ERA	G	GS▼	SV	SVO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG	WHIP
1	Richard, C	SD	14	14	3.99	33	33	0	0	218.2	228	110	97	31	42	107	.267	1.23
2	Volquez, E	SD	11	11	4.14	32	32	0	0	182.2	160	88	84	14	105	174	.236	1.45
3	Bass, A	SD	2	8	4.73	24	15	1	1	97.0	89	59	51	10	39	80	.243	1.32
3	Marquis, J	SD	6	7	4.04	15	15	0	0	93.2	94	53	42	14	28	79	.258	1.30
5	Stults, E	SD	8	3	2.92	18	14	0	0	92.1	86	36	30	7	23	51	.249	1.18
6	Ohlendorf, R	SD	4	4	7.77	13	9	0	0	48.2	62	44	42	7	24	39	.304	1.77
7	Werner, A	SD	2	3	5.58	8	8	0	0	40.1	45	26	25	5	14	35	.285	1.46
8	Wells, K	SD	2	4	4.58	7	7	0	0	37.1	41	23	19	6	20	19	.283	1.63
9	Kelly, C	SD	2	3	6.21	6	6	0	0	29.0	39	23	20	5	10	26	.322	1.69
9	Suppan, J	SD	2	3	5.28	6	6	0	0	30.2	34	19	18	4	13	7	.281	1.53
11	Cashner, A	SD	3	4	4.27	33	5	0	4	46.1	42	23	22	5	19	52	.244	1.32
11	Luebke, C	SD	3	1	2.61	5	5	0	0	31.0	28	10	9	1	8	23	.233	1.16
11	Wieland, J	SD	0	4	4.55	5	5	0	0	27.2	26	16	14	5	9	24	.245	1.27
14	Moseley, D	SD	0	0	9.00	1	1	0	0	5.0	5	5	5	1	2	4	.263	1.40
14	Stauffer, T	SD	0	0	5.40	1	1	0	0	5.0	7	4	3	1	3	5	.333	2.00

Of those, as said earlier, the first two are your #1 and #2 guys on the roster, and you have a few that made spot starts out of the bullpen, so we can eliminate them. Now that leaves us with with about 5 other real potential candidates.

According to Padres.com, this is the depth chart. I think #3 is most likely correct as Stults put up a solid 8-3 record with a sub 3 ERA and should be a lock in the rotation, but after that, I feel these pitchers are literally battling for the Hunger Games trophy.

Time to make your case. Lets start with Tyson Ross.

Ross came to the Padres this offseason in a trade with the A's where the Friar got him and infielder A.J. Kirby for Padres utility man Andy Parrino and lefty Andrew Werner (if you had him in your Padres 2013 starting rotation pool at work, scratch his name off the list).

In Ross' three big league seasons with the A's, he has put up, well lets say, less than stellar numbers. He boasts a 6-18 record with a 5.33 ERA and 1.60 WHIP (including last years 2-11/6.50/1.80). How the Padres project him in the starting rotation? It is beyond me. So far, he hasn't posted anything significant besides a 6.18 K/9IP that would give me any indication he is ready for an instant slot into the rotation. I know I am not Buddy Black, but I would ship him down to the bottom of my list as of now.

Next, Anthony Bass.

This guy is one of my favorites. It may be because I tweet with him on occasion or the fact my girlfriend and him share an alma mater (GO WAYNE STATE WARRIORS!), but he didn't come off such a hot season last year neither. Posting a 2-8 record with a 4.73 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Not exactly eye popping numbers either, but Bass does have an upside. He is only 25 and last year was his first real big league experience. He had 80Ks in 92IP giving him a 7.42K/9IP. Bass walked 39 runners last year, so if he can get his control down, and focus in around the strike zone, in theory, his Ks will go up and his walks will go down. Based on potential, Bass has my nod at the #4 spot in the rotation.

#5 spot, now who to put in? A rookie or a veteran. That is the argument for this slot as Casey Kelly battles Jason Marquis. To keep inline with the Hunger Games theme a career tribute vs. Sector 12 (I am sorry if you don't read the books, go get some SparkNotes to fully understand this post).

Marquis came over midway through last season and started 15 games for the Padres going 6-7 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Once again, not eye popping, but solid numbers for a number 5. He has been consistent his whole career and the Padres did just throw him a $3 million/1-year deal, showing they have confidence in the 34-year old and have invested in him to be a starter.

Casey Kelly is a question mark. In 6 starts, Kelly went 2-3 with an above 6 ERA. Whatever. He is a rookie and a highly touted one at that. But, that being said, is he ready to make a roster spot? The Padres have him tagged as #6 and what I feel should should be opening day starter for the Tucson Padres. He has potential to do great things, as any 1st Rd draft pick does, but I don't think he is ready to do them quite yet.

So as far as opening day goes, my pitching rotation as head coach of the Padres (well if I was....) would be: Richard, Volquez, Stults, Bass, Marquis.

Still, it is to remain a mystery until everyone is through with rehab. Right now, the 23-year old Joe Wieland, former promotional jersey giveaway Cory Luebke and the fireballin', deer huntin', potential game closin'? Andrew Cashner are all out, but all 3 have started games for the Padres. Could one of them land in the rotation? Definitely. Let us fans hope that every pitcher pitches amazingly in hopes of not losing there spot, because right now, we have about 10 guys for 5 spots.

Again, let the odds be ever in your favor.

I know Jennifer Lawrence isn't in our rotation, but would that be awesome?

Go Padres.