Padres 2009 - A Tale of Two Seasons

Monday November 30, 2009

The Padres played two distinct seasons in 2009.

One defined by injuries, the other by the young players.

The Padres started the 2009 by playing .500 ball for the first two month despite injuries to Cha Seung Baek, Shawn Hill, Jae Kuk Ryu, Mark Worrell, Mike Adams, Cliff Floyd, Walter Silva. Everth Cabrera (60 day on 4/20), and Luis Rodriguez.

So during the last weeks of spring training and the 1st two months of the season the Padres lost 3 starting pitchers for the season, 3 relievers, both shortstops for extended periods, and the big bat off the bench for what turned out to be the season.

Yet they still played .500 ball.

In June injuries continued to mount as Scott Hairston, Jake Peavy, Luis Perdomo, Luke Gregerson all spent time on the DL and season ending injuries to Chris Young, Brian Giles and Cliff Floyd crippled the team.

July saw injuries to Edgar Gonzalez, Henry Blanco and David Eckstein and the 7/5 trade of Scott Hairston. It also saw the trade of Jake Peavy at the end of the month.

All this led to an influx of young players.

Tony Gwynn Jr. coming in a trade for Jody Gerut in late May.
Blanks and Venable being called up to stay in June.
Everth Cabrera taking over the starting position when he returned from his injury in June.
Mat Latos and Tim Stauffer coming up in July.
Wade LeBlanc returning and pitching effectively in late August.

Here are some of the stats that illustrate the two seasons:

Runs Scored
1st Half - 88 games 334 runs - 3.795 runs/gm  614.8 pace

2nd Half - 74 games 304 runs - 4.108 runs/gm  665.5 pace

.313 runs/gm more in second half


Runs Allowed
1st Half - 88 games 444 runs - 5.045 runs/gm  817.3 pace

2nd Half - 74 games 325 runs - 4.392 runs/gm  711.5 pace

.653 runs/gm less in 2nd half


By Season Half
Split        W    L    RS    RA    WP
First Half    36    52    334    444    .409
Second Half    39    35    304    325    .527


Home/Road
Split    W    L    RS    RA    WP
Home    42    39    278    321    .519
Road    33    48    360    448    .407


Second Half Record
    W    L    WP
Home    19    19     .500
Road     20    16    .555

Now the question becomes which of those seasons will the Padres follow up with in 2010.

Record injuries or .500+ ball?

Angels vote Adenhart a full playoff share

Monday November 30, 2009

How much is the memory of Nick Adenhart worth to Arte Moreno and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim?

$138,039

That is what a full playoff share comes to for the Angels and the amount they gave Adenhart's estate.

Moreno and the Angels players just keep endearing themselves to baseball fans everywhere by the class with which they have carried themselves in regard to Adenhart and his untimely death this season and this may have been the classiest thing they have done.

Actions like this renew my faith in the basic goodness of people, even baseball team owners.