Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Padres 40 game report card



Why do I feel disappointed? They won 7 and lost 3 in the last 10 games. The overall record is 22 wins and 18 losses. If they just win 6 out of every 10 for the rest of the season, they will have 95 wins, which should be good enough for the playoffs. Of course, I'm disappointed because they won 14 of 15 before they lost the last two games, and 2 of the 3 losses were in the 10th inning.

The 40 game report card:

Pitching: B They are 3rd in the league in ERA, the starters produce consistent quality starts, and the relief pitching is decent. We just lost Woody Williams for 2 or more months, and Shawn Estes is still out.

Speed: B Offensive speed is decent, even the backup catchers can run. Stolen bases are up, bunts are up, etc. The only slow guys are Piazza and Castilla.

Defense: A- They have the fewest errors in the league, and show good range and consistency everywhere. There are very few bad plays.

Hitting: C- The team is last in batting average, last in homers, near the bottom in runs scored. Kahlil Greene is the only inconsistent power guy with 8 homers. Piazza, Castilla and Cameron have not produced power or average. The backup catchers have outhit Piazza.

Overall: B- The team is together, the effort is good, they have some injuries, but they have a chance at the playoffs.

My dad, a near-famous Little League coach and lifelong RedSox fan, always told me that Pitching, Speed, Defense and Power win games, in that order. The Padres are proving him right again.

Hope still springs eternal with me...they do need to keep the pace up through the year. They can't afford any more injuries. If Estes and Woody Williams return, the rotation will be pretty good.

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