The Official San Diego Padres Thread

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Alliball

I love how you keep on ripping Towers. Considering the budget he's given, he puts a competitive team on the field. Put the blame where in belongs, on the owner. I think it would have been far better for Padres baseball if they traded Peavy in order to bring in a few slightly above average hitters or prospects that will never pan out. Afterall, guys like Peavy are a dime a dozen. And I so wish Josh Barfield was in San Diego. Heck I bet he wishes he was in San Diego rather than riding busses like he was just three short years ago.

Competetive. Huh. They got a few division titles when the division was atrocious, weren't close to be competitive in the post-season, what did they win 1 playoff game total in the postseason. Now the the rest of the division is out of the duldrums. The only thing this team is going to compete for is 3rd place in the West.

Same problems plague the team year after year, and KT and Alderson and whomever their flavor of the month is upstairs is, refuse to do anything about it.

This was not what was promised when they were campaigning for people to vote yes for Petco Park.

[Alliball]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

Competitive. Huh. They got a few division titles when the division was atrocious, weren't close to be competitive in the post-season, what did they win 1 playoff game total in the postseason. Now the the rest of the division is out of the doldrums. The only thing this team is going to compete for is 3rd place in the West. Same problems plague the team year after year, and KT and Alderson and whomever their flavor of the month is upstairs is, refuse to do anything about it. This was not what was promised when they were campaigning for people to vote yes for Petco Park.

Why do you continue to bash Towers?

It's like blaming the chef because he can't make a T-bone and shrimp taste like filet and lobster.

I'll hazard a guess and say you probably think Brian Cashman is a better GM than Towers, even though Cashman has has a budget bigger than most nation's GNP.

Heck I'll attributed some of Arizona's turn around to Towers. They bring the guy in for an interview, he practically lays out the blueprint on how to turn the team around and they decide not to hire him, then proceeded to use many of the ideas he came up with.

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Alliball

Why do you continue to bash Towers? It's like blaming the chef because he can't make a T-bone and shrimp taste like filet and lobster. I'll hazard a guess and say you probably think Brian Cashman is a better GM than Towers, even though Cashman has has a budget bigger than most nation's GNP. Heck I'll attributed some of Arizona's turn around to Towers. They bring the guy in for an interview, he practically lays out the blueprint on how to turn the team around and they decide not to hire him, then proceeded to use many of the ideas he came up with.

No, I think Cashman is a bumbling GM, who despite unlimited resources can't get his team over the top.

So wait a minute, now KT is the reason for the DBacks turnaround? I have officially heard everything. Do you just blindly defend all things related to the home team or what?

KT, is the guy in charge for the most part. The blame for the continued brand mediocre has to fall on him. Sandy Alderson as well. Lack of hitting with RISP, no speed, mediocre defense in the outfield, and lack of depth on the bench. That's on KT. And it's not like those are new problems.

Pads are getting worse, Arizona and Colorado are getting better. That falls on KT.

[Alliball]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

No, I think Cashman is a bumbling GM, who despite unlimited resources can't get his team over the top. So wait a minute, now KT is the reason for the DBacks turnaround? I have officially heard everything. Do you just blindly defend all things related to the home team or what? KT, is the guy in charge for the most part. The blame for the continued brand mediocre has to fall on him. Sandy Alderson as well. Lack of hitting with RISP, no speed, mediocre defense in the outfield, and lack of depth on the bench. That's on KT. And it's not like those are new problems. Pads are getting worse, Arizona and Colorado are getting better. That falls on KT.

The problem falls on an owner that is unwilling to open up his checkbook. How do you go and get the speed, hitting with RISP and a bench with the budget constraints that he has?

Let's see what happens when the likes of Colorado and Arizona have to start paying their young talent. Remember, both of those teams are pretty much built from within. If their owners pony up the cash, does that suddenly make their GM's brilliant? Is the GM in Florida and idiot? Was the GM of the 90's Expos and idiot?

I feel fortunate that Peavy was willing to take what he did. If he wanted what he was worth, do you think that ownership would have given it to him? Uh, I say no, without a question or hesitation. With that being said, would that have been Towers fault?

I think it's always easy to see his deficiencies as a GM considering some of the moves he's made in the past few years. For all the Bay, Nady, Perez moves he's made, you have to deal with him trading for guys like Bell, Young, Gonzales, Meredith, and Kouzmanoff.

You can only ripoff other GM's so many times before the rest of baseball takes notice. You start to wonder what you may have in a young player when guys like Towers and Beane are on your extension asking about them.

But back to the blame game. Put it where it belongs, on the guy that signs the checks.

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Alliball

Remember, both of those teams are pretty much built from within. .

Does it not fall on KT that the Padres have not been able to do just that?

[Alliball]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

Does it not fall on KT that the Padres have not been able to do just that?

Is any draft in any sport a sure thing?

That aside, take the Matt Bush pick. That pick was made because of signability. He was not considered the best player in draft that year and I remember reading things on more than one occasion what a head scratcher of a pick that was. It boiled down to the fact that ownership didn't want to shell out a whole ton of money on a draft pick. Other clubs may not even think twice about such an issue, but San Diego does.

But if you want to rag on Towers about his ability to find young talent, just look at what he's traded away. I would love to see an outfield of Bay, Matthews and Nady, but I have to settle for watching 2/3 of them playing in Pittsburgh and the other guy is just up the road. I think that's why you won't see him deal a guy like Headley unless he knows he's getting a sure fire major league talent in return. With the world of hindsight that all fans live in, can you blame him?

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Alliball

Is any draft in any sport a sure thing? That aside, take the Matt Bush pick. That pick was made because of signability. He was not considered the best player in draft that year and I remember reading things on more than one occasion what a head scratcher of a pick that was. It boiled down to the fact that ownership didn't want to shell out a whole ton of money on a draft pick. Other clubs may not even think twice about such an issue, but San Diego does. But if you want to rag on Towers about his ability to find young talent, just look at what he's traded away. I would love to see an outfield of Bay, Matthews and Nady, but I have to settle for watching 2/3 of them playing in Pittsburgh and the other guy is just up the road. I think that's why you won't see him deal a guy like Headley unless he knows he's getting a sure fire major league talent in return. With the world of hindsight that all fans live in, can you blame him?

Question remains, who's at fault for the Padres lack of ability to cultivate homegrown talent? Why is it the GM's of teams like Arizona and Colorado can do it, but the Padres can't. Does trading away guys like Nady and Bay, not fall under his watch?

He's the primary reason this team is mired in mediocrity, and appears like they will be for some time.

[BatsareBugs]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

Question remains, who's at fault for the Padres lack of ability to cultivate homegrown talent? Why is it the GM's of teams like Arizona and Colorado can do it, but the Padres can't. Does trading away guys like Nady and Bay, not fall under his watch? He's the primary reason this team is mired in mediocrity, and appears like they will be for some time.

Kevin Towers, John Moores, Bruce Bochy, and the scouts.

Kevin Towers and the scouts are to blame for the lack of returns from the drafts 2004 and before that. When you only produce three major leaguers, dozens of busts, and only one player that has potential, then you're not doing your ballclub any good. Then again, for as much as our farm system stunk in terms of providing depth between 2004-2007, Kevin Towers also deserves the credit on pulling off trades that kept this team from being a joke.

John Moores gets the blame for Matt Bush. We were primed to get either Stephen Drew, Justin Verlander, or Jeremy Sowers, but Moores pegged KT with financial restrictions on the draft and pretty much told him "make something out of nothing." He's finally getting his head straight with the Domincan facilities, although we won't see anyone of note for a couple of years.

Bruce Bochy, for ****ing over Xavier Nady by playing Miguel Ojeda in the OF instead of Nady and benching Nady for a week when he would go 0-4.