Sunday, July 05, 2009

Hairston Traded to the A's

Sunday July 5, 2009

I get home from what was an exciting game for the last 4 of the 13 innings to find out Scott Hairston was traded to the Oakland A's for 2 minor league pitchers and a PTBNL.

The Padres came back from a 6/1 deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning against All Star closer Broxton to send the game into extra innings. The Padres lost the game on a Ethier home run in the 13th.

In exchange for the only Padres who is really hitting well for two maybe's and a we don't know. Hairston and his $1.25 million salary were very marketable, but even so the Padres only got two nobodies and a ptbnl for him. I mean neither of these guys are top 30 prospects in the A's sytem and Hairston is an everyday starter in the majors.

Ryan Webb
is a 6'6" 23 year old reliever in AAA who gives up more hits than innings and half as many SO than innings. His .313 BAA at Sacramento isn't exactly encouraging. And he is the better of the two prospects.

The other, Craig Italiano, has a great fastball that hits 95-96, but no secondary pitches or control. He may eventually be a decent reliever, but at 22 years old, the 6'4" 219 lb starter has fallen on his face performance wise at 22 in High A ball.

A Win, a Loss and other Padres News

Sunday July 5, 2009

Let me start out by saying I hope you and yours had a happy and a safe 4th. I enjoyed by watching some good Padres baseball and some bad Dodgers baseball and baking in the sun.

It has been an interesting weekend at the Padres Dodgers games so far. I am still debating keeping my aching and well baked bones at home for the Sunday game.

The Padres won today at Petco 7-4 over the hated Dodgers despite Wo-manny Ramirez's solo shot in the 1st inning.

That was what one Padres heckler was calling Ramirez. He explained to us and to the rest of the fans and to Ramirez himself in a very loud voice that Ramirez took female hormones so he was going to call him Girly. But that because he was so f'ing old that he was going to call him Old Wo-manny.

We heard alot more cat calls and saw lots of signs in this series. Some funny, some not so funny. All directed at Ramirez.

"At least you don't have to worry about paternity tests anymore Ramirez. You are shooting blanks."

"Wood-less Manny." (A Sign)

"Hey Tranny! Isn't that what they call men with shriveled huevos, a tranny?"

"Hey Manny. Your Doctor Called. He said you are supposed to stop the steroids, when your huevos are the size of BB's"

"Its funny, you don't look pregnant Manny"

" Hey Manny I will buy you a ticket to the Hall of Fame. Its the only way you are getting in now.

Josh Geer threw his 4th consective Quality Start today, giving up just 2 earned runs on 7 hits and no walks in 6 1/3 inings while striking out just 1 but did not get the win. Greg Burke pitched 2/3 of an inning in the 7th to take the win. Heath Bell pitched 1 2/3 for his National League leading 23rd save.

Former Padre Randy Wolf went 6 innings for the Dodgers giving up just 1 earned run on 4 hits, striking out 8. The Dodgers defense and their bullpen came unglued and gave up 3 runs in the 7th AND the 8th innings. Ronald Belisario took the loss for the Dodgers.

Yesterday it was the Padres defense taking a siesta along with the bats until late in a 6-3 loss to the Dodgers at Petco.

The wheels fell off early with the Cabrera and Gaudin each committing an errors on single play with 2 outs in the first inning. To set it up for you, Rafael Furcal singled to start the game. O Dog grounded out, but moved Furcal over to 2nd. The Padres promplty walked Ramirez. Ethier then grounded into a tailor made double play ball to first base. Manny was out at 2B and Furcal moved over to third, but it all went wrong at that point. Cabrera airmailed the throw to first and what should have been out #3. Then as Furcal moved towards home plate, Gaudin airmailed the ball home. Run scores and ethier makes it to 2B. A walk to Blake, 3 singles later and the top of the 1st is over with the score 5-0 before the Padres get to take a swing.

The Dodgers scored 1 run on that play and an additional 4 in the inning and the Padres never recovered.

I must say they did fight back and score 3 runs, but it was not enough.

Gaudin took the loss and Kuroda got the win for the Dodgers.


In Other Padres News:
Take heart Padres fans, Silva will only have to make a few more starts.

Cha Seung Baek is coming back soon. His simulated game went well Friday and Black expects him to start a rehab assignment at Portland on Wednesday and make 4 rehab starts.

That puts his return at August 1st or before.

Gregerson may be back this week and Young should be back right after the All Star break.