Interview: Steve Poltz, Part 4
Thu, Dec 6, 2007
by Geoff Young
In Part 3 of our chat with singer/songwriter/Padre fan Steve Poltz (poltz.com), Steve discussed the connections between music and baseball, Jewel, and the Ramones.
In the latest installment, Steve talks about the Roseanne Barr incident, running up Bruce Bochy’s minibar tab at a hotel, and pelting his parents’ walls with marbles as part of a childhood baseball game he’d invented…
***
Ducksnorts: Getting back to baseball, what are some of your favorite memories from watching the Padres play — or really any baseball memories?
Steve Poltz: I’ll always remember being at the game watching Roseanne Barr sing the national anthem and laughing so hard, thinking it was awesome because she was so funny — not even thinking it was a big deal — and then hearing boos. I remember saying, “Well, what did you guys expect? You asked Roseanne Barr to sing the national anthem; she’s a comedian.” When she grabbed her crotch, she was imitating a baseball player — I knew it. [I was thinking] how punk rock she was. To this day I will defend her… What did you expect? You guys asked her to sing the f***in’ national anthem.
I remember the Crime Dog [Fred McGriff] getting in a fight. That was one of the best baseball brawls I’ve ever seen — his jersey got pulled off — that was a great brawl; I think it was versus Atlanta.
Another thing I remember is singing the national anthem when the Padres beat the Braves to go to the World Series [in 1998]. I sang the anthem at Qualcomm, and it felt like it took only 10 seconds. I remember shaking for the first three innings after I sang it. My hands would not quit shaking. I had to wear earplugs [while singing] and I did it live… all those people going nuts.
Another memory is singing the national anthem at the ballgame, and when they announced I was born in Canada, some Canadian haters booing me.
DS: C’mon, who hates Canada?
SP: It was at a time when some trade thing was going on or something like that. Another memory was being at games and Tim Flannery giving me the signs so I’d know when the hit-and-run was on. Then [I'd bet] friends, like, right away without them knowing: “Hit-and-run’s coming right now: Five bucks. Answer now; yes or no?”
Some season when the Padres were in last place — there were probably 7000 people at Qualcomm, and Flannery was coaching third — they were losing, like, 15-1 or something in the ninth inning. We started going, “Come on, we still have a chance!” and Flannery is looking at me from down there — he actually said [cups hands to mouth], “Go home!”
I remember going up to [Bruce] Bochy’s [hotel] room with my guitar on the road when I first started getting to know Flannery. I happened to be in Florida when they were playing the Marlins, so I called — somehow got his number from his wife — and I said, “Hey, my name is Steve Poltz,” and he goes, “I know who you are; I’ll leave you two tickets.” So he left me two tickets, and afterwards I remember drinking beers with him, smoking Cuban cigars — the Padres had won — and then, they were going to Milwaukee… me getting on a plane and just flying to Milwaukee because I had so much fun, and me [leaving him a message], saying, “Hey, I just happen to be in town.”
I remember a couple years later going up to Bochy’s room with my guitar and singing, and him going to do something and me breaking open his minibar. He had, like, a $582 minibar bill. The Padres traveling secretary would not allow me to stay in the same hotel as the Padres after that.
I have a memory in ‘84, standing at The Pennant [bar in Mission Beach] — everybody just throwing their glasses up in the air, like off the roof — I think it was when Steve Garvey hit that home run [against Cubs' closer Lee Smith]. I remember mass mayhem all down Mission Blvd.
What was the year when they came back to beat the Dodgers? ‘96? My dad wouldn’t even talk to me; it took him three days to calm down to where — I mean, that is just tantamount to being the biggest traitor in the world, what I did, rooting for the Padres.
The game when the Dodgers hit all the home runs against us last year… I was at Jose’s in La Jolla. I called a friend of mine in Pasadena and I said, when it was going to the ninth inning and we had the lead, “I don’t normally like to say things before a game ends, but I’ve just got to trash talk right now and say it feels so good to watch you people lose, and I have no qualms about saying it.” I hung up my phone and then proceeded to eat crow. I couldn’t believe it, and I really blamed myself for that, for upsetting the baseball gods — I’m very superstitious.
DS: You were not alone; it was a group effort.
SP: What I love about [baseball] is, it’s like this soap opera — every day you have these Shakespearean actors; we know who they are and [that] they’re going to be in the show, but we don’t know what’s going to happen. You follow the drama all year long — people who say the baseball season is too long can kiss my a**… so can the DH’ers. You know what? Pitchers are supposed to hit. That’s why I love Jake Peavy. He’s such a gamer. I think he and [Josh] Beckett should be teammates. They would be good together; they’re both cocky.
DS: I would not mind seeing Beckett play here.
SP: I love going on the road to see [the Padres]. I’m a really good fan when I’m on the road; I am not a jerk. I know how to act in someone else’s house. I might wear my hat and I might clap, but I do not get in anybody’s face.
DS: I hate it when people do that here. It’s lame.
SP: Me, too. I really believe in respecting the place you go to, and I believe in respecting the game. I love the game. It’s weird how it’s changed over the years, with specialists, which we didn’t have before, and pitch counts and everything.
I still love the game. I really believe, get rid of the DH. And I wish Montreal could have had fans come out to support their team.
I was a Dodger fan back when Kirk Gibson hit that home run [against the A's in the World Series]. What year was that?
DS: That was ‘88.
SP: My love affair with baseball began around the time I picked up the classical guitar, when I was six. We didn’t have video games back then — this was 1966; my earliest memory is of John Kennedy’s funeral on TV… Then the thing that really scared me was the Juan Marichal incident [with Dodgers catcher John Roseboro]. I remember literally grabbing my dad and crying.
[Co-owner Tim Mays stops by; Steve compliments Tim on the pork chop. We talk about mutual acquaintances, trying to figure out whatever happened to the guys from Inch.]
SP: I was so into baseball, and my dad would sit there and explain it to me. I love my dad, by the way; I talk to him every day. It gets me choked up to talk about what baseball has done for my relationship with my father. I’m so close to him, and we talk baseball — during the season I call my dad every day and we talk — he loves the Padres now; he’ll follow them because he knows what a fan I am. We talk about everything that went on.
When I was a kid, all I knew was Vin Scully. To this day, he’s my hero. I’d invented this game in my room. I would take a pencil and a marble — it was almost like I was playing over-the-line without knowing it. The game only had two bases. If I hit it on the wall at a certain height, it’d be a single, double, or home run. I’d throw the marble up and hit it with a pencil.
I was so obsessed with this game. I didn’t want to play with other kids. I would be in my room and I’d be the voice of Vin Scully. I knew all the Dodger players — Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes…
DS: Dusty Baker.
SP: Remember Willie Davis in center field before that? I’d sit there and I’d play this game, but I’d always make the Dodgers win, and it’d always come down to the Dodgers and the Reds. I’d always make the Dodgers beat the Reds, and then play the Yankees.
Unbeknownst to me, when I was playing the game, the marble hitting the wall made hundreds and hundreds of dents on the wall. My first memory of telling a lie was — one day I came home from school and my parents said, “Steven, we’d like to talk to you.” When they said “Steven,” I knew I was in trouble, and they were, like, “Why are there 2000 dents in the wall?” I remember looking them right in the eye and saying, “I have no idea,” and them going, “okay.”
One of my favorite days ever was [when] I went to see the Padres play in Milwaukee. They let me go on the field and shag fly balls while Tony Gwynn was taking BP. I suck at baseball — I think I caught one ball. Afterwards, they gave me a press pass and I got to sit by Bob Uecker.
So many times [Gwynn] came up to bat, and I’d think, how can he do this again, with his knee hurting? He’d slowly limp up, and he would do it again. I remember saying to people, “Enjoy this while you have it because this won’t always be here,” which is exactly what I say about Hoffy [Trevor Hoffman]. I get goose bumps when I think about what these people mean to the community; I’m forever indebted to them.
DS: They represent the ballclub and the city with class. When I saw Gwynn inducted into the Hall of Fame, it was really hot and humid, and just packed with people, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
SP: I’m jealous.
DS: Everyone was there to see Cal Ripken because it’s a five-hour drive from Baltimore to Cooperstown. There was orange-and-black everywhere, but people saw me wearing Padres stuff and they asked me about Tony Gwynn, so I told them. Then they saw him up there talking, and they said, “Wow, that guy’s really something,” and I’m, like, “Yeah, we know; we’ve been saying that for 25 years.”
[We get into a convoluted discussion of Tom Werner's Fire Sale, the '94 strike, and the Padres resurrection under John Moores.]
SP: The weird thing about baseball is that people become like family to you. When Trevor Hoffman blew a save in the All-Star game, and then what happened with the Rockies [in the 163rd game] — I wasn’t mad. I felt like I was watching someone in my family have something bad happen to them. After everything he’s done, I couldn’t be mad at the guy.
I know him; he is the nicest, most genuine guy. I remember asking [Flannery] about him because he’s good friends with Hoffy, and he said, “He made me feel better.”
DS: I don’t know Hoffman, but I’ve seen him speak in person a couple of times, and he’s impressive. He did his spiel, and then afterwards — this is a guy who could do anything with his time — he sat there and talked to all the kids who came up to him for an autograph or to ask him a question. He just stayed there for, like, an hour.
There’s one other guy that I’ve ever seen do that. In 1993, I went out to Arizona for spring training. It was Robin Yount’s last year. He played his four or five innings and then, after he ran his laps in the outfield, instead of coming back to the dugout, he stayed down in the left-field corner. It seemed like the whole stadium just gravitated toward him, and he sat there and signed every last autograph. I thought, now there’s a guy who is representing himself, his community, and the sport of baseball in the proper manner. I was blown away. This was a no-doubt Hall of Famer; he didn’t have to do that, but there he was.
SP: That’s what Willie Nelson does, too. After every concert, people line up by his tour bus, and he will sign everything. [It's the] same with B.B. King.
***
In the finale, Steve talks about the ‘98 Padres, what he would do if he were GM for a day, and his favorite baseball movies…
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
December 6, 2007 at 7:26 am
Maybe I’m misreading SP’s comments and misrembering my personal history, but he didn’t sing the National Anthem at the game where we beat the Braves to go to the WS. That game was played in Atlanta. I only saw one game against the Braves, the Game 5 heartbreaker, and I don’t recall him singing then.
I have a seriously strong memory of watching him sing the anthem before we beat the Astros to get to the NLCS that year. And from my seats next to the Jumbotron, you could tell he was giddy.
December 6, 2007 at 7:54 am
Card’s took Barton in the Rule V draft
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
December 6, 2007 at 7:58 am
I don’t remember where I saw it now, but I read that the Pad’s made an offer to Tadahito Iguchi
December 6, 2007 at 8:02 am
This should make some folks happy (not) The Pad’s never even put in a bid Jones
http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....jones.html
December 6, 2007 at 8:06 am
GY, why aren’t you pimpin’ your piece over at THT?
December 6, 2007 at 8:09 am
I would have been OK with the Jones deal. I’m hoping the Pads perhaps pay a little more than desired for Fukudome. I’d rather spend the $ then reluctantly trade Headley for someone perhaps less desirable than Fukudome. It’s not like the Royals, for instance, need another 3B.
December 6, 2007 at 8:28 am
BA’s top ten padres prospects is out (as TW pointed out in yesterdays threard):
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....65307.html
In thier 2011 lineup they have cumberland in CF, I didn’t even know that pads had plans to move him there.
December 6, 2007 at 8:36 am
7: I don’t believe the Padres have any but the most contingent of plans to move Cumberland off short. Like if he fails to play a quality SS for 2+ full seasons.
December 6, 2007 at 8:41 am
I would guess he will be our starting SS in 2011 because I doubt they will lock up Greenie for 4 more years. Do you guys think cumberland start the year at ft wayne or LE?
December 6, 2007 at 8:47 am
#5: I didn’t want to take focus away from the interview. I’ll include it in tomorrow’s link roundup, but here’s the article for those interested:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....relievers/
#7: Interesting list. I’m pretty sure that two, maybe three, of those guys won’t make my top 10, which will run next Tuesday or Wednesday.
December 6, 2007 at 9:01 am
7 … this tidbit at the end is news to me …
The Padres also were active in Latin America, handing out six-figure bonuses to a pair of Dominicans, shortstop Jonathan Spraut ($750,000) and outfielder Rymer Liriano ($300,000).
… names to watch? JC, you seen these guys yet?
December 6, 2007 at 9:06 am
9: Cumberland’s out of HS, I expect he’s at Ft. Wayne unless something happens to make the Padres keep him at extended spring training.
11: Does the MadFriar’s budget stretch for airfare to the DR? Or maybe those guys were sent to instructs, but I thought that was one of the purposes of the academy, to keep Latin signees in a comfortable environment?
December 6, 2007 at 9:10 am
We also gave cash to Florida for their Rule 5 pick Carlos Guevara, the screwballing RH relief pitcher originally drafted by Cincy. He’s a much more interesting player than Gardner. Lots of scouts have written him off as a trick-pitcher, but that’s a solid career line:
http://www.thebaseballcube.com.....vara.shtml
December 6, 2007 at 9:12 am
Just caught this blurb on the MLB.com winter meetings blog.
“The Padres and free agent Milton Bradley are close to finalizing a one-year deal to bring the outfielder back to San Diego for another season.”
December 6, 2007 at 9:16 am
11. Not yet to the Dominican - but with a few more subscribers we will work on it. Hell we have trouble enough visiting all the affiliates.
I agree on Cumberland, but there are some rumblings they may want to keep him in extended spring training and start him at Eugene. I would put him in FW if he can handle struggling the first few months. It could be a very young and exciting team in Fort Wayne with Latos, Carvajal and Cumberland this year.
BA’s Top 10 list for the Padres - (subscriber only) - sorry can’t reprint the list because of copyright violations
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....65309.html
December 6, 2007 at 9:20 am
Re: 15 its not subscriber only, I can access it without a problem.
December 6, 2007 at 9:21 am
Re: 13 the Pads are really loading up on relivers when they already have a great young bullpen, I smell a K-Cam/Hampson trade.
December 6, 2007 at 9:23 am
16. Good, I didn’t think you could read the descriptions of the top 10
December 6, 2007 at 9:23 am
15, 16: You can read the list without subscribing, but not the scouting reports.
December 6, 2007 at 9:25 am
Re: 18 yeah you cant read the scouting reports.
December 6, 2007 at 9:42 am
It’s bizarre to me how different I presume Steve Poltz and I are … but then he talks baseball and about his Dad and at the end mentions Willie Nelson and BB King and I feel like he’s my brother …
December 6, 2007 at 9:56 am
Real happy about Milton Bradley being back.. if he plays a full season I bet he puts up equivilant (or hopefully better) numbers than Andruw Jones for 1/5 of the price.
The deal was said to be one year 3.5- 4 million.
December 6, 2007 at 9:59 am
Isenberg — an interesting pick in the AAA phase I thought. On my blog, I called him a Heath Bell special in a 95% joking manner. Anyway, size and scouting reports aside, his BABiP’s have all been extremely high … in the .370 (ish) range of late. There’s debate that BABiP is a skill and in the minors kids who don’t have it are weeded out, but I think it’s an interesting pick, anyway. First inning: http://firstinning.com/players/Kurt-Isenberg-a/
December 6, 2007 at 10:01 am
Man… Why couldn’t I have been born Steve Poltz? Mr. Poltz you are my new idol. Growing up I was in a couple of crappy punk bands that never did anything and the only thing that I wanted to do more than become a touring musician was be a baseball player or be part of a baseball team. I love the fact that you have are not just some idiot with a Padres hat, you know the game and the history. You actually got to spend time with the team and know some of the guys.
Thanks for the interview GY. This was awesome!
December 6, 2007 at 10:02 am
RF: Giles
CF: Bradley
1B: Gonzalez
3B: Kouz
SS: Greene
C: Bard
LF: Headley/Hairston
2B: Robles/Stansberry/Gonzalez/Rodriguez/Crabbe/Antonelli
December 6, 2007 at 10:02 am
13:
I cannot recall his name, but the featured relief pitcher in Moneyball, was written off as “A trick pitcher”, by the scouts.
December 6, 2007 at 10:03 am
Bradley does make the lineup look better but is that lineup really going to get the job done?
December 6, 2007 at 10:04 am
The Padres, adding to their pool of second-base prospects, selected a speedy utility man from Milwaukee’s organization in the Rule V draft Thursday morning.
Callix Crabbe batted .287 with nine home home runs and 23 doubles for Milwaukee’s Triple-A club last year.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....seman.html
December 6, 2007 at 10:07 am
I understand that the Pads want to have a backup plan for Antonelli but really how many AAAA 2B’s do the pads need?
December 6, 2007 at 10:10 am
Here’s the Bradley link:
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com.....mp;c_id=sd
So far we’ve signed Maddux, Peavy, and Bradley to very reasonable deals. Me like.
#24: Glad you enjoyed it. As I’ve said before, this was the most fun I’ve ever had interviewing someone.
#25: Is anyone confident that Bradley can hold up in center? He’s got to be our left fielder, no?
#29: The more, the merrier. Nice to have choices.
December 6, 2007 at 10:13 am
26: Chad Bradford, who got one of those big middle-reliever contracts a year ago, I believe. Baltimore?
December 6, 2007 at 10:14 am
Re: 30 Its nice to have choices of MLB level players not a bunch of guys who we have no clue how they will do with 500+ AB’s.
December 6, 2007 at 10:16 am
Re: 32 that being said I do like the E-Gon signing.
December 6, 2007 at 10:18 am
Re: 30 barring a Mike Cameron signing I thinkn Bradley will be the 08 Center Fielder.
December 6, 2007 at 10:20 am
#32: Sure, but that’s much harder to do.
December 6, 2007 at 10:21 am
32: You don’t know what major leaguers are going to do either, really. Look at Marcus Giles … (certainly, in general, they are easier to project).
The Crabbe pick seems like a nice move to me. He can stick around as a utility guy if he doesn’t work out at 2b. Personally, I think Antonelli will start at 2b. I think Crabbe may be able to make some people forget Blum pretty quickly, although of course I’ve never seen him play.
Low risk/medium reward type move. I can’t complain about it.
December 6, 2007 at 10:22 am
A trick pitcher can do just fine in relief. Ask Mariano Rivera, Dan Quisenberry, Bruce Sutter, Chad Bradford, etc. You can get by for an inning with just one pitch, if it’s good enough.
The Bradley deal is good news. I still like the guy even after that horrible incident and if he really lost weight I think that shows he’s committed to improving. We still need a Fukudome, something to put us over the top, but as of right now I think we’re competitive in the division.
December 6, 2007 at 10:23 am
Re: 35 Loretta was willing to sign a 1 year deal here.
December 6, 2007 at 10:28 am
Isn’t Crabbe like 5′6″ or so? He may not be physically capable of SS or 3B so he won’t be useful in a utility role. I think he’s just here in case Antonelli goes into a Kouzmanoff-esque funk to start the year.
With Barton going to the Cards does that signal a trade for Jim Edmonds?
December 6, 2007 at 10:28 am
Re: 36 true but atleast you know that they have been able to hit major leauge pitching in the past.
December 6, 2007 at 10:29 am
#38: Not exciting…
M Giles ‘06: 28 yo, 87 OPS+
Loretta ‘07: 35 yo, 89 OPS+
December 6, 2007 at 10:30 am
Im not sure what Padre players the Cards have intrest in but what about a Barnton Reyes trade?
December 6, 2007 at 10:32 am
Re: 41 might not be exciting but better than Robles, Stansberry and Rodriguez.
December 6, 2007 at 10:32 am
The Bradley signing scares me more than a little. I like the idea as long as he is not our only aquisition or we put ourself in a position to count on him. If he is the plan for Center then that leaves our 2 most important outfielders coming back off of pretty major knee surgery. I also wonder how Bradley will do without a guy like Mike Cameron back in the lineup (Veteran Leadership type). This will be a great compliment type of signing with a low risk high reward type of contract but if we are counting on him to be “The Guy” in 2008 I think it’s a huge risk.
December 6, 2007 at 10:35 am
Re: 44 I think Kouz will be a larger force in the lineup in 08 than they were 07. Also you get vetrain leadership from Giles, I’ve never heard of Cameron being a clubhouse leader.
December 6, 2007 at 10:35 am
I’m very disappointed that the Padres didn’t offer Andruw Jones the same contract that he got from the Dodgers. You can rarely go wrong with a two year deal and I think it’s likely that Jones bouncing back from his terrible year last season. He would be a valuable player even if he doesn’t because of his defense.
I don’t want to say the Padres are cheap (they just gave out a contract where they are going to pay Peavy $22m his last season) but I hate the way they seem to put down a budget figure and not deviate from it. A $75m budget (or whatever it is) would be fine if the Dodgers didn’t sign Jones. Since they got better you have to up your budget if you want to make the playoffs (which I assume is the goal, not to maximize the team’s profit).
December 6, 2007 at 10:36 am
I really hope they give Scott Hairston a shot at 2B, because if he can do the job, that would really put the Padres in the best position to score runs, I think.
December 6, 2007 at 10:37 am
37: With the signing of Bradley, our corners are filled… Where does Fukudome play? (Unless Giles is finally replaced and rides the pine)
December 6, 2007 at 10:40 am
If they sign Fukudome I would imagine he would play RF, Giles would be in LF and Bradley will be in CF. The Bradley signing makes me feel like they are not getting Fukudome though.
December 6, 2007 at 10:40 am
I would think it would be Bradley/Hairston LF, Fukodome or Cameron CF, Giles/Headley RF, with Headley spotting Kouz at 3B from time to time.
December 6, 2007 at 10:41 am
45.
I never heard of Cammy as a clubhouse leader either that was just an assumption on my part. Giles seems like the joking type not the leader type to me. It would be hard for me to take a guy seriously when he is taking batting practice in his birthday suit. Then again there really isn’t anyone more professional on the field once the game starts then OG. Every time I ever heard Cammy speak he just sounded like a guy who fit the clubhouse leader mold. I could be way off but that’s always the way I viewed him. It’s not a really major concern for me just something to think about.
December 6, 2007 at 10:43 am
Re: 50 Headley is not a starter he will be in AAA, the Pads wont let him get only 1 AB a night for any extended period of time.
December 6, 2007 at 10:44 am
50: I dont think anyone still sees Fukudome as a CF. At this point I hope Cameron comes back, I dont see the Padres winning Fukudome if the Cubs are still serious.
December 6, 2007 at 10:45 am
Well if the plan is to resign Cameron and then bring in someone like Josh Towers for the #5 spot…..hello 3rd place!
KT/Alderson do realize that they actually need to improve somewhere right?
I like Randy Wolf, he’s probably going to end up league average, but if the Dodgers are really able to move Kemp for Bedard the division is pretty much done.
December 6, 2007 at 10:46 am
51: I gotta agree with you. i think having Cam around was good for Bradley. Cam being black has something to do with it as well. We cant ignore race and its hard to believe Bradley and Cam didnt have a bond because of it.
December 6, 2007 at 10:48 am
Re: 54 who’s in 4th then?
December 6, 2007 at 10:49 am
54: I agree, but is our rotation really that bad to where Josh Towers in the #5 would be bad? No. I really hope they pick up Prior, but Towers would be fine.
December 6, 2007 at 10:50 am
From Peter Gammons(who usually is 100% wrong with Padres news, but I’ll post it anyway)
The Padres believe they can re-sign Milton Bradley, and they also are pursuing Kosuke Fukudome for an outfield spot. Bradley, who suffered a knee injury at the end of last season after tangling with manager Bud Black, is making progress in his rehabiliation.
December 6, 2007 at 10:51 am
Also(from Gammons) TB wants Barrett to play C for them….working out a trade with SD.
Not sure what type of guy they could extract from TB
December 6, 2007 at 10:52 am
re 46: The problem is that there is no evidence that they are trying to maximize profit. The available evidence is that they are spending as much if not more money than they are taking in. You can argue with where they choose to allocate that money, but if you follow the argument of “the team has to raise its payroll budget to compete with other teams” to its logical extension, the Padres would have gone bankrupt a long time ago.
Under the current system, they simply cannot compete payroll wise with the Dodgers and Giants, unless you unreasonably expect the ownership to go into separate private funds to make up the different. This is unreasonable because NO ownership behaves that way, nor is it rational to expect them to do so.
They have been finding different ways to compete, pretty successfully in recent vintage; they will continue to have to be creative, smart and efficient to the extent possible.
December 6, 2007 at 10:53 am
I have heard Nick Swisher may be out there. What do you think it would take to get him? Headley/Kouz and an arm? Being that my wife is from the East Bay I have become a silent A’s fan and have grown to really love Swisher (It helps that we ran into him at a bar up there like 2 years ago and he couldn’t have been cooler). Would anyone without a biased view like mine be interested in him here?
December 6, 2007 at 10:54 am
Swisher is kind of redundant on this team. He can’t play CF in Petco and the price to get him(basically the guy’s BB’s son) is going to be prohibitive.
Very nice player to have, but I don’t see it as a fit.
December 6, 2007 at 10:55 am
Re Cammy being a clubhouse leader, I do remember talk about how much leadership he provided in the clubhouse. One comment I remember in particular is where he went up to Bradley after Bradley had really gotten the opposing fans worked up on a road trip and Cammy telling him he had to calm down. Cammy may need to be there to temper Bradley.
December 6, 2007 at 10:56 am
Looks like the Giants may get Matsui from the Yankees
December 6, 2007 at 11:04 am
Re: 59 If the Pads throw in Hampson with Barrett do you think they could get Baldelli?
December 6, 2007 at 11:07 am
Thanks for the interview, Geoff. Good stuff.
I sense a bit of panic around here. Relax, people. It’s only the rule V draft.
How many of those turn into Johan Santana? Very rare.
I’m okay with losing Barton. I’d hate to count on a Rule V draftee to be the starting CF.
December 6, 2007 at 11:08 am
65.
We would probably have to go with something more like Barrett an Meredith or Cameron but Hampson might get that done too. I wonder if Baldelli is still out there after moving Young and Dukes.
December 6, 2007 at 11:09 am
Not sure they would want Baldelli because of his contract situation, but I’m also not sure TB would be interested in dealing another OF after sending D Young away.
Baldelli makes:
2.25 in 2008(very good)
6M Option for 2009 (4M buyout) You’re stuck paying that, but looks good. The problem then becomes:
2 years as 1 option:
2010-8M
2011-9M
Pretty much after this 2008 he’s getting paid like a guy you build around. If he’s healthy then he’s easily worth that contract, but he hasn’t had 2 healthy seasons in a row….let alone 4.
December 6, 2007 at 11:11 am
64: what’s the cost? I was hoping the rumored Lincecum/Cain for Alex Rios was true.
December 6, 2007 at 11:13 am
65: No. Has Baldelli’s stock dropped that much? I know he has that long-term contract, which would’ve been club-friendly had he been on the field and producing.
December 6, 2007 at 11:13 am
I think the Giants want both, but those Lincecum for Rios rumors are true…at least according to both local papers.
December 6, 2007 at 11:18 am
#65: First off, that’s not near enough for Baldelli. Second, I’ve talked to someone who is close to the Rays situation (not “insider” close but he follows them seriously) and he seems to think that with Young and Dukes out of the picture, Baldelli and Crawford are off the table.
#66: Thanks for the sanity. I hate to see folks give up on the season in December. The Padres have made some nice little moves so far, and I doubt they’re done.
December 6, 2007 at 11:25 am
re 72: Geoff I think some of the frustration comes from the fact that the organization seems to eliminate some possibilities before even looking at them.
Wouldn’t signing Jones have made sense since they could have used Headley/Hairston in LF, or even signed Jenkins. As it stands now they are going to be stuck resigning Cameron(and going without for 25 games) or losing some significant D with Fukudome in CF, which incidentally makes all 3 outfielders coming off significant surgery.
December 6, 2007 at 11:25 am
Re 60: I think you misssed my point. I’m not saying that the Padres have to compete in payroll with the Giants or the Dodgers. I’m saying that they shouldn’t set a budget number and stick to it no matter what. If the Dodgers didn’t make any changes, I could see the Padres keeping their payroll the same or even lowering it. But since the Dodgers got better, the Padres need to increase their payroll if they want to stay ahead of them for next season. The main problem is that Padres need to win now — their farm system is terrible compared to their main competition so they can’t really rely on being good in the future. Therefore, passing on someone like Andruw Jones who signed a short contract (which is really the Padres current window of opportunity) and settling for a cheaper option doesn’t make much sense to me. The revenues that you add by making the playoffs seem to be much higher then the difference between Cameron (or whoever they sign to play CF) and Andruw Jones.
December 6, 2007 at 11:25 am
In the spirit of the BA Top 10 I thought I’d post mine as well.
1. Chase Headley - Major league bat that is ready to produce, solid defder at 3B
2. Matt Antonelli - Good on base skills, speed and power for a 2B but raw defensively
3. Kyle Blanks - Freak of nature with developing power and deceptive speed
4. Cesar Carrillo - Should contribute at some point in ‘08
5. Mat Latos - Biggest power arm in the system
6. Will Inman - Advanced for his age - 20 yr old in AA
7. Cedric Hunter - 19 yr old CF with good on base skills
8. Drew Cumberland - Solid defender at SS with plus speed
9. Kellen Kulbacki - Great on base skills with some pop
10. Wade LeBlanc - Strike thrower who should contribute in ‘08
Honorable Mention (#11-15) - Yefri Carvajal, Chad Huffman, Nick Hundley, Drew Miller, Danny Payne
December 6, 2007 at 11:29 am
Where do you guys see Eric Sogard ranked in our system? For some reason he really intriges me. His college numbers make me think of Brian Roberts. Obviously it’s college but does he have a legitamate shot at being a decent option in a couple of years?
December 6, 2007 at 11:35 am
#75: Nice. Now that I’ve seen several lists, I can safely say that I’m going way out on a limb with my #10 guy.
On another note, it looks like I’m going to cover about 60-65 minor leaguers in the book. (I’m at 59 right now and I haven’t looked at relievers yet.)
December 6, 2007 at 11:35 am
Re: 76 I would say mid to late 20’s
December 6, 2007 at 11:40 am
Pretty amazing how far the system has really come since Fuson was hired. A couple of years ago Freddy Guzman would have been on our top 10 prospects and now guys like Carillo, Cumberland and Kulbacki aren’t even in the top 10 from BA.
December 6, 2007 at 11:40 am
from MLBTR
Pads will Prob non-tender Ensberg.
Brewers will prob non-tender Mench (Why do I see KT making a move).
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....st-ba.html
December 6, 2007 at 11:44 am
66: I’m not panicking because of the Rule 5. We didn’t lose anybody worth thinking about. I’m more questioning their allocation of resources. They just spent 150,000 (maybe more than that, if they had to pay Florida a little premium to get to get Guevara). They missed out on a couple of draft picks this year for less than that. If we decide not to keep them and their old teams want them back, we’re out 75K. Again, money that could have signed Toledo.
Guevara, okay. His stats are off the charts good in a relief role. That 50K is totally understandable. It’s still a risk in that Black all but buried Cameron last year, and if he’s still not sold on him and treats Guevara the same way we’ll have 2 relief pitchers doing next to nothing except consuming roster spots.
Gardner, no. Why not one of our own AAA arms with similar stats and less injury history, who could be sent back to Portland without repercussion?
Crabbe, why? Just how many guys like that do we need? He’s played 8 whole games at shortstop in his minor league career. Not exactly a utility guy.
December 6, 2007 at 11:48 am
2:15 p.m., from Enrique Rojas
• Jaime Torres, the agent for Cuban slugger Alexei Ramirez, left Nashville after meeting with five teams interested in the player. Torres said that he expects to meet with two other clubs in the next couple of days. Ramirez, the home run leader in the Cuban national tournament in 2006, can play second base or the outfield. He left Cuba and settled in Dominican Republic two months ago.
What about this guy? A slugger who can play outfield and 2B? Isn’t this exactly what the Padres need? It would be nice to see some Latin-American players on the team.
December 6, 2007 at 11:50 am
Re: 82 depends on the other teams that they have to bid against.
December 6, 2007 at 11:52 am
82: I like his profile, I though there was some question whether his residency will be settled in time for the season.
December 6, 2007 at 12:01 pm
81: I understand your point about fund allocation in this case.
I’m okay with Guevara in that Kevin Cameron is not assured a roster spot unless he’s improved a lot from late last season. Crabbe, from i’ve read, is never going to start but might be a useful utility guy like Blum and also not assured a roster spot yet. I don’t understand Gardner’s pick.
I don’t know if Toledo could have been signed with the $75 k additional fund, so I don’t worry about it. The cost of developing Toledo probably would exceed that and he won’t be able to contribute to next season right away.
I see Rule V as a short term gamble like the lottery that cost at least $25k. Yes, the roster spot is worth more than that but I don’t see the Padres to keep any of these guys if they aren’t good. The days of keeping Cory DeHaan for the season (shudder) are, hopefully, over.
December 6, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Makes you wish El Salvador had the same citizenship requirements that it had 10+ years ago…..pay the “application” fee and you’re in within 24 hours.
December 6, 2007 at 12:08 pm
85: I think that if they were not too impressed with Cameron they’d have cut him last year. Maybe a trade, but he’s not going to be very valuable.
If they’re going to keep Crabbe and somebody who really can play shortstop, then it’s another misuse of resources. We seem enamored of using 40 man roster spots on utility players and we at times had 13 relievers last year. Crabbe as a utility player with the true backup SS at Portland would be different.
Toledo wouldn’t help before 3 years, if ever. But they’d have had him for 10 years, probably. 4 in the minors, promote, 6 before he’s a free agent. The stories from people at BA were that he wasn’t asking for that much over slot.
I don’t understand the point of “The cost of developing Toledo probably would exceed that.” Once he’s in the system, he costs about the same as anybody other warm body. They’re going to spend that development money on somebody.
December 6, 2007 at 12:22 pm
88: Way to go, Padres flagship station, for not reading the Milton Bradley story on the team Web page.
December 6, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Great, another self-referential post.
December 6, 2007 at 12:27 pm
82: Since he’s from Cuba and lives in the DR, he’s just Latin and probably quite proud of that. I personally couldn’t care less about the nationality of the players on the team, unless we had enough Pacific-Islanders that they did the Haka before games
December 6, 2007 at 12:29 pm
87: You got my point. If Toledo is in the system, the cost is going to exceed the money spent gambling on the rule V draftee who must be with the ML team. The draftees are not costing development money.
That’s why I don’t get worked up over rule V draftees. The teams are all hoping to hit the jackpot while leaving the development cost to other organizations. Most don’t work out but it cost little.
And because we all need to laugh, click here:
http://catfishstew.baseballtoa.....78005.html
and here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
December 6, 2007 at 12:32 pm
re 74: The Padres bring in only so much revenue; they have only so much money to allocate to payroll. We don’t know what their payroll budget is, but it is foolish under the circumstances for them NOT to stick to it, unless you think it is wise to take money from other operations to boost the payroll budget. If so, what areas would you cut?
Want Moores to float the difference? Not gonna happen on a regular basis any more. He got tired of doing that pre-Petco, just like Arte is getting tired of it now. It is a terrible way of doing business, and like it or not, the Padres are a business.
The Padres would be foolish to adjust their