Peavy has another great outing and is let down by the offense - Again!

Denis Potroy/AP

Wednesday May 6, 2009


Jake Peavy let down by Padres Offense again.

Jake Peavy had his 2nd straight great game tonight, turning in a performance in which he went 7.0 IP while giving up just 4 hits, 2 runs and 3 BB and struck out 12 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Once again Peavy was let down by an anemic San Diego Padres offense.

Do the Padres players just expect Peavy to throw shutouts every time he pitches? Is that why they so consistently score 3 or fewer runs when he is on the mound?

It is time for Giles, Ecsktein, Kouzmanoff, and Gerut to step up. Adrian Gonzalez is doing his job, now these other important cogs on this team need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and start hitting the ball.

We are in May now and its far past time to be getting shut out for 7 innings by the likes of Jon Garland. And to only get 3 hits in 8 innings against the middle of the Diamondbacks pitching rotation is more than just disappointing, it is embarrassing.

I am calling for the Padres to jettison Duaner Sanchez NOW!

I admit that I liked the signing prior tot he season, but the experiment is a failure. He just absolutely refuses to throw his fastball for strikes and when he does he is behind in the count and it gets crushed.

At this point I am pretty sure the guy will fly through waivers with no problem, so DFA him tomorrow.

Bring up Burke or DeHoyos who are tearing up AAA if you have to keep 13 men on the pitching staff.

Or bring up catcher Eliezer Alfonzo who is hitting the cover off the ball.

Just get rid of Duaner Sanchez.

I have had my say. Now What do you think?

Will Stephen Strasburg Get $50+ Million?

Wednesday May 6, 2009

Will Stephen Strasburg Get $50+ million?

Strasburg is already being hailed as the greatest amateur pitcher of all time.
(I guess they are forgetting a 17 year old who pitched for 17 seasons in the majors a few decades back named "Bullet" Bob Feller. Yes the one in the HOF)

Many are saying Strasburg would be the ace of the Natinals staff today and will move straight into the starting rotation once he is signed.

So the question is, what kind of money will it take to get Stephen Strasburg signed?

Strasburg is "advised" by uber-agent Scott Boras.

Prior to the season we heard talk of a record signing bonus in the $12 to $15 million range for Strasburg.

The previous records for contracts was set by Mark Prior at 5 years and $10.5 million when he was drafted by the Cubs in 2001, Mark Teixeira at 4 years $9.5 million and David Price at 6 years and $11.25 million when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007.

Prior got a $4 million signing bonus and all $10.5 million was guaranteed.
Teixeira got a $4.5 million signing bonus and all $9.5 million was guaranteed.
Price got a $5.6 million signing bonus and is guaranteed $8.5 million.

The largest signing bonuses to date are Justin Upton's $6.1 million in 2005, Matt Wieters $6 million and Price's $5.6 million in 2007.

The "slot" figures that MLB gives the GM's for a #1 overall draft pick is an overall $10 million contract.

Peter Gammons of ESPN has said that Boras will initially ask for Daisuke Matsuzaka type of money at 6 years and $52 million dollars.

Gammons also said that Boras will probably settle for the money Mark Teixeira earned over his 1st 6 seasons as a professional. That would be $39.5 million.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated and noted Boras mouthpiece has also said that Strasburg will ask for upwards of $50 million.

Heyman also quoted an unidentified Natinals staffer as saying, "We'll pay the $10 million, and we'll get him signed."

The disgraced former Natinals General Manager Jim Bowden has tried to say that the Natinals will sign Strasburg for $12 million, but considering he thought a player was 4 years younger than his actual age and tried to say in a recent article that the Natinals had decided to definitely sign Strasburg before the 2008-2009 College baseball season had even started, we will dismiss his claims totally out of hand.

After stupid comments like those it removes all doubt as to why the Natinals are perennial losers.

Keith Law of Stats, Inc. recently said on ESPN that Strasburg will probably sign for between $18 and 20 million for a 4 years.

I am guessing that Boras will advise Strasburg not to sign before the August 15th dealine and that Strasburg will command more than double the "slot" figures over a 4 year deal.

So something in the $20 - $24 million range over 4 years with a signing bonus of $10 million plus.

So what WILL it take to sign Stephen Strasburg?

What is with all the TWO games series this season?

Wednesday May 6, 2009

I am wondering what is up with all the TWO game series we are seeing in 2009?

In years past I was used to seeing only 3 and 4 games series, but already this year this is the 3rd TWO games series the Padres will play.

And there are 3 MORE to come!

Why?

Can anyone answer that question for me?

Can't the same idiots that scheduled so many games in the north and east in April figure it out so teams are playing 3 and 4 games series all season?

For my almost my entire life the games were scheduled in warm weather climates or domes to start the season and teams played 3 and 4 games series.

Now in 2008 and 2009 we are starting the season in open air ballparks in places where it normally snows and rains in early April and teams play a half dozen 2 game series each season and fly coast to coast without an off day at least once in the month of April alone.

Can someone please help me out here. I'm confused!!!