The Hall of Could Have Been (The Soul of Baseball)

I’ll let Joe Posnanski explain:

Matt Stairs

Might be in the Hall of Fame if: I’ll let Bill explain.

“Look at it. Somebody decided he was a second baseman, he tears through the minor leagues, gets to Montreal, the Expos take one look at him and say, ‘He’s no second baseman, get real.’ He bounces around, goes to Japan, doesn’t really get to play until he’s almost 30, then hits 38 homers, slips into a part-time role and hits 15-20 homers every year for 10 years in about 250 at-bats a season. … You put him in the right park, right position early in his career … he’s going to hit a LOT of bombs.”

What can you say? It’s all there. Stairs did not get 500 at-bats until he was 30 — he had a .370 OBP that year, hit 26 homers, drove in 106. The next year, he had the 38-homer season. His average dropped the next season, and he never got 500 at-bats in a season after that.

A Big Hit (Sports Illustrated)

Former winter league teammate Kevin Millar shares a wonderful anecdote:

Stairs came. The opening game of Los Mayos’ 1995 season was in Mazatlan. Kevin Millar, a 26-year-old infield prospect for the Florida Marlins who has been Stairs’s teammate in Navojoa for three seasons, remembers the day well. “I’d never met Matt,” says Millar. “He was supposed to hit fourth that day, but it was 20 minutes before the game and he hadn’t shown up. It got to be 10 minutes before game time, then five, and still no Matt. Finally, when the umpires were meeting at home plate, this guy walked into the dugout wearing jeans and boots and smoking a cigarette. He just pulled on his uniform, went up there and yanked a home run. I was like, Who the f—is this guy?”

Matt Stairs solidifies place as greatest journeyman slugger (Sports Illustrated)

Posnanski again, this time in his own words:

On Sept. 28 Stairs faced Washington rookie pitcher Marco Estrada, who became an unwitting partner in history. Sort of. Estrada threw the slider that did not slide, and Stairs unleashed the hangover swing he picked up one too-bright and too-early morning in Tucson. He yanked the ball into the right field seats. He stomped around the bases. That was the 254th home run of Matt Stairs career.

And with that, Stairs became the greatest journeyman slugger in history.

Phillies Have an Unlikely Mr. October (New York Times)

Stairs was profiled in the NY Times following his 08 heroics in the NLCS, revealing his valuable veteran leadership, as well as a great nickname:

The toast of Philadelphia is a balding hockey player with a squat body who was once nicknamed the Wonder Hamster. He swings from his heels and used to drink beer with his boss, but he takes his job seriously and has no desire to ever take off his uniform. He learned patience, he said, from having daughters ages 17, 15 and 11.
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Stairs was an ideal leader for the young Royals, Baird said, never lecturing his teammates but knowing how to get points across. Baird said he knew then that Stairs could be an ideal manager someday.

“His approach coming to the ballpark every day just doesn’t change,” Baird said. “The people that are respected in this game are consistent in their character, and that’s the way he is. He’s all about substance; he’s not about style. He just gives you an honest day’s work, every single day.”

Phillies Receive a Boost From an Unlikely Source (New York Times)

Apparently, people call him a professional hitter.

“They don’t call him a professional hitter for no reason,” said the Phillies’ Shane Victorino, who lashed a two-run, game-tying homer before Stairs’s blast. “To do what he does at the age of 40, I’m smiling two times bigger because I feel so good for him.”

Players by birthplace : Canada Baseball Stats and Info (Baseball-Reference)

Here are Stairs’ rankings for Canadian baseball players (he’s Canadian, by the way):

• Games: 2nd (1761)
• Home runs: 2nd (259)
• Strike outs: 2nd (1067)
• Base on balls: 3rd (697)
• Slugging %: 7th (.481)
• OPS: 7th (.481)

And Stairs accomplished all of this without receiving serious playing time till age 29.

Padres add Stairs for veteran presence (ESPN)

According to Jerry Crasnick, the Padres have signed Matt Stairs to a minor league deal with an invite to the big league camp.

I like this deal, but I like having a left-handed power-bat on the bench. This seemed to be the offseason to get one, with a couple of veterans finding themselves disregarded, but following Jason Giambi’s return to the Rockies and the AL Central’s interest in Jim Thome, the pickings still seemed slim. Truth be told, Stairs was not very good last year, or the year before, his monster bomb off of Broxton in the NLCS not withstanding, but he has dropped 30 pounds. If Stairs comes into Spring Training as serious as his weight-loss suggests, he would be a great addition to our already impressive bench.

Headley at hot corner a heated decision (Union-Tribune)

Tim Sullivan fills us in on some behind the scenes gossip behind Chase Headley’s move to third.

“Buddy (Black) and I were on the same page,” Towers said recently, describing the Padres’ philosophical divide before his dismissal as general manager. “I’d keep Kouz and trade Headley. But DePo (Paul DePodesta) has always been a huge Headley fan. Huge. As was Sandy (Alderson). Headley was kind of our poster child.”

To which Black responded with a diplomatic “That serves no purpose.” Because of course he did.

I hope that someone gives Towers a studio job, just so we can watch him react to Padres updates as they happen.

Padres to wear retro unis for home Thursday games (USA Today)

At this week’s Season Ticket Holder event, Tom Garfinkle announced to the crowd that every home Thursday will now be Throwback Thursday. For those six day games this season, the team will be wearing the 1978 throwback jerseys (as can be seen here), to which we say “Fantastic.”

You may recall, Melvin and I took a shot at fixing the Padres uniform problems, and we’re hoping that these throwbacks are the first step towards the team re-embracing its true identity. We’re holding our breath, Garf.

Padres name new scouting director (Padres.com)

Hoyer’s front office continues to take shape, as Jaron Madison becomes the team’s new director of scouting. He joins Jason McLeod, the new assistant GM, and Chris Gwynn, the new director of player personal, in the front office and like those two, he’s no stranger to San Diego, having served as a scout for the Padres in 2002. More importantly, Madison is a product of Long Beach State, and that is a clear sign of greatness.

Bradley is a reckless risk for Seattle (Yahoo! Sports)

In case you haven’t heard, Milton Bradley was tragically traded to our natural rivals, the Seattle Mariners, and not to us. For the low price of Carlos Silva and his ridiculous contract, the Mariners were able to acquire the best left-fielder we’ve seen in ten years, an assessment Steve Henson might disagree with.

Henson is no fan of Seattle’s recent acquisition, saying that the Mariners will come to rue the day they traded for Bradley, just as the Dodgers did, and the A’s did, and the San Diego Padres did. Certainly I don’t assume to speak for us all, but do you regret the day we acquired Bradley? If so, do you also regret the 11 home runs he hit in 42 games as a Padre? Do you regret his .414 OBP? His .590 SLG? His 168 OPS+ in Petco? Do you regret him stepping on Mike Cameron’s hand and knocking him out for the year? Well, you should regret that last one, but that was an accident.

When Henson speaks of Padres regret, he means Bradley’s blow up following what then-first base coach Bobby Meacham referred to as “the most disconcerting conversation I have ever heard from an umpire to a player.” If you agree with Henson, aren’t you getting mad at Milton Bradley for taking Milton Bradley out of the lineup, and doesn’t that suggest that you do want Milton Bradley in the lineup, and that you don’t really regret having him here? Or am I wrong? Let us know in the comments section.

It’s been a busy couple of days in Padresland.

Enberg on board as Padres TV voice (MLB.com)

(Dick) Enberg, who for the last 26 years has made his home just north of San Diego in La Jolla, will bring his trademark “Oh my” call to the Padres and will be back inside a broadcast booth calling baseball full-time for the first time since the 1970s, when he called Angels games.

“I still think I have my fastball. I might not locate it as well as I used to,” Enberg said, laughing. “I think the experiences I’ve had as a broadcaster will more than compensate for that. While there’s been a lot of change … 6-4-3 [double play] hasn’t. And I still remember that.”

McLeod tapped as Padres executive (MLB.com)

In Boston, (Jason) McLeod was hired the Red Sox director of scouting administration in 2003. His first draft with the Red Sox was in 2004, a draft that produced future Rookie of the Year and American League MVP Dustin Pedroia.

Under McLeod’s watch, Baseball America has ranked the Red Sox Draft among the top five Drafts in three of his first four years as director of amateur scouting.

Padres’ Tate injured in ATV crash (SignOnSanDiego)

Donavan Tate, the high school center fielder selected third overall in the June draft, suffered facial lacerations and a broken jaw that required surgery last weekend in an ATV accident near his Georgia home.

Tate, 18, who got a $3.5 million bonus from the Padres when he signed on Aug. 17, had been rehabbing following surgery on Oct. 7 to repair a sports hernia.

San Diego Padres Top 10 Prospects (Baseball America)

Led by third baseman Edinson Rincon, righthander Adys Portillo and outfielder Rymer Liriano, the Padres had a number of international prospects step up in 2009, balancing two less positive developments. In June, San Diego learned that Dominican third baseman Yefri Pena, who signed for $300,000, had falsified his age and identity (he’s really Ramon Mercedes) and would be suspended for a year. Dominican shortstop Alvaro Aristy, who signed for $1 million in 2008, received a 50-game suspension a month later for failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs.

Gonzalez, Bell claim Padres team awards (Padres.com)

The offseason award hardware continues to pile up for San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who on Wednesday was named the Most Valuable Player for the team during the Padres’ annual awards celebration.
…
Last month, Gonzalez won his second successive Gold Glove. Other award winners on Wednesday included closer Heath Bell (Clyde McCullough Pitcher of the Year), second baseman David Eckstein (Madres Favorite New Padre), Chairman’s Award (Black) and the Fireman’s Award (Bell).

Good night, and good luck.

As you just read right here, Kevin Towers’ attempts to trade Adrian Gonzalez may have clashed with new boss Jeff Moorad’s wishes, and now Towers is gone. But if you’ve also been reading the more mainstream sports media, you’ve gotten the impression that Adrian is still definitely going to Boston. Or not. It’s confusing, but that’s why we’re here: for you!

Gonzalez might put Padres in a bind (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Bill Center surmises that Adrian is both the new face of the franchise and a player whose combination of ability and personality will lead him to a big payday. Which means that the team will likely trade him, and soon, making him the new Peavy. He knows this, in part, because Adrian is not featured anywhere on a brochure sent to season ticket holders, because brand new general manager Jed Hoyer has yet to contact Adrian’s agent, and because Moorad has said that he doesn’t want to move the fences back.

But that’s San Diego’s take. What does Boston think?

Why the Sox should be going, going . . . going after Gonzalez (Boston Globe)

Boston thinks that Adrian wants to be where the action is: Boston. Doug Mirabelli gets it. Because the Yankees just won the World Series, thanks in part to one-time-almost-Red Sox Mark Teixeira, Boston doesn’t have the luxury of losing in the Division Series anymore, and Adrian would give them the big bat to wear out the Green Monster they need. Support for Boston’s argument includes the Adrian-less brochure, again, and the good time he had while playing in Portland in the minors.

But that’s Boston’s take. What does the national media think?

Padres only open to dealing stars for right price (Ken Rosenthal)

That the Padres are only open to dealing Adrian Gonzalez for the right place. Rosenthal points out that Adrian will still be extremely affordable over the next two years, and not simply relatively. He also points out that, since Boston made a big trade with Cleveland for Victor Martinez, the well may be too dry to pull anything off.

But that’s Ken Rosenthal’s take. What’s a fourth opinion I should listen to?

Why Adrian Gonzalez May Remain Off Limits to Sox (WEEI)

Because Jed Hoyer knows Theo Epstein’s tricks, and vice versa. To support this, the author points out that Epstein has worked out nothing but extremely minor deals with his other former protege, Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes. He also points out, as did Rosenthal, that the Padres can afford Adrian if they believe winning is possible in the next two seasons, and that an extension that eats up his option could appeal to Adrian as it appealed to David Ortiz in 2007.

But these are only a handful of the voices out there, voicing their opinions on trading Adrian Gonzalez. As the offseason goes on, and more, hopefully differing, opinions are given, The Sac Bunt will be here to fill you in.

Melvin and I have finally joined the 21st century, and now The Sacrifice Bunt is on Twitter. Expect frequent updates from us, as we’ll be discussing Padres news as it happens, as well as some nuggets that might not make it here on the blog.

Follow us at twitter.com/thesacbunt.

I’ll post reports on the Padres pile of pitching prospects they received in return for Jake Peavy. I tried to work Aaron Poreda in that sentence too, but that would be just silly. I’ll update this page as I find more.

Avenging Jack Murphy posted some great info, stolen fair and square from Baseball America.

Aaron Poreda

Midewest Sports Fans (March, 2009)

So for his brief minor league career thus far, Aaron Poreda is 12-9 with a 2.69 ERA in 207.1 innings, with a K/9 rate of 7.2 and a WHIP of 1.10. All very good numbers, and certainly predictors of future success.

MILB.com Draft Reports (2007)

Strengths: Plus, plus fastball with above-average movement and the ability to throw strikes consistently.
Weaknesses:His secondary stuff. The slider and changeup will have to come a long way. Even though he’s a lefty, he’s not good at getting left-handed hitters out.

Minor League Ball (December, 2008)

Grade B+: Power lefty was a bit more polished than anticipated. Does he start or relieve?

MLB.com (November, 2008, h/t SDPads1)

Don’t be surprised to see him in the big leagues at some point in 2009 — with his outstanding fastball and improving secondary pitches, he is the system’s top pitching prospect. “Organizational player of the year.”

Baseball America (November, 2008, h/t SDPads1)

Named best fastball in the organization, #2 prospect

Clayton Richard

Minor League Ball (December, 2008)

Grade C+: Throws strikes, nice sinker, not a big margin for error.

MLB.com (November, 2008)

The control freak walked only 20 in 127 2/3 Minor League innings while fanning 86. Richard was an eighth-round pick in 2005. “Organizational player of the year”

Baseball America (November, 2008, h/t SDPads1)

Named #3 Prospect in organization

Dexter Carter

Baseball America (July, 2009)

Carter’s changeup was coming in at a firm 83-85 mph earlier in the season, but Owens said they’ve lowered that figure to 78-80 now. Carter has the added advantage of standing 6-foot-6, enabling him to generate a good downhill plane for all his pitches, though issues with staying on a straight line to the plate still creep in from time to time.

Given the assets he already has, it’s not hard to imagine Carter having success at higher levels if his changeup progresses.

Minor League Ball (December, 2008)

Grade C: Excellent pro debut following horrible college season. Which is the real Carter?

Adam Russell

MLB.com (November, 2008)

A 6-foot-8 reliever who posted a 4-0 record and 5.19 ERA after his big league callup, Russell struck out 22 over 26 innings and earned a spot on the White Sox postseason roster. “Kept their footing.”

It’s times like these we look at our Padres’ 1.5% chance of making the playoffs, and decide to sit in and enjoy our cesspool of self loathing. Or we can stick our head out of the ground, look at what bright rays of light appear on the horizon, and enjoy a beautiful summer in San Diego.

Wait, The Padres’ ace, and potential trade bait for players the team can build a foundation upon is out for a month, possibly the rest of the year? What was the first option again?

Kevin Goldstein on the Padres’ Draft

Starting with the extra young’ns, the boys at Mad Friars posted a free interview with Kevin Goldstein, prospect guru of Baseball Prospectus. I think most Padre faithful are by now familiar with Donovan Tate.

Is he perfect? No, but in terms of star potential there was no position player like him in the draft. Obviously, he has risk, but no one comes close to his ceiling.

What you might not know is the Padres got great deals on players further down in their draft. One of whom, Everett Williams, scouts expected to go in the first round, while the Padres nabbed him with the 52nd pick overall in the second. And it isn’t just Goldstein who said this, though he does say that Keyvius Sampson, The Padres’ third round pick, could also have been selected in the first, but fell due to signability concerns. As a fan, I love that. We’ll take him.

You know it’s not only the high picks, but they took some players in later rounds that will also cost some money and didn’t flinch. If you are a Padres fan, you have to hope this is the new direction they will go in the future.

Jim Callis of Baseball America, same questions, *finger point to him*

Good info all around, what sticks out for me are Callis’ concerns about Tate. Callis does rave about what an athlete he is, but we already knew that. Lets look at Jim’s response to some possible roadblocks John Conniff might see in Tate’s bat.

I’ve seen [Tate] at a few showcases and while yes I can see some of the concern, it’s not at the same level of Anthony Hewitt, who the Phillies took last year in the first round. But its also going to take some time, I don’t see him as someone who is going to shoot through the system either.

I agree with Ray, who has said it before, and Jim, who is saying it now. The team should give Tate all the time he needs. Repeat after me, “I don’t see him as someone who is going to shoot through the sysetm.” Now say it again.

Jaff Decker is a monster

Padres low A outfielder Jaff Decker is the second most successful 2008 draft pick, according to Baseball America. He is Baseball Prospectus’ peak translated Equivalent Average runner up, meaning he has the second highest EqA for someone of his age in his league, based on the advanced all-around offensive metric. More traditionally, his line of .283/.455/.543 for a high school draftee in his first full year looks really really really really awesome.

…it’s even more startling once one realizes he’s a supplemental first-round pick out of high school from the ‘08 draft. Decker leads the MWL in on-base percentage and ranks fourth in slugging, as he’s had no trouble converting his plus raw power to game power (that’s eight home runs in 39 games)

Lake Elsinore third baseman and all-star Logan Forsythe gets a nod from Baseball America as well, second in the league in peak adjusted Equivalent Average and Equivalent Runs, plus a .327/.475/.540 line for second in good old OBP as well.

I don’t know what this guy did with Tim Sullivan, but I’m liking it. What a fair review of Sandy Alderson’s tenure.

Before their recent retrenchment, the Padres maintained a $73 million payroll that ranked 19th among the 30 major league clubs in 2008. Without greater payroll flexibility or more impact prospects, the Padres were probably destined for a dramatic fall. As Moores grew more detached from the club’s operations, many fans focused on Alderson as a convenient scapegoat and as the symbol of a failed strategy.

Much of that criticism was misguided. The strategy Alderson has sought to implement with the Padres, one founded on statistical analysis, is much the same approach that has brought two world championships over the past five seasons to Fenway Park. The major difference between the Padres and the Boston Red Sox is fiscal rather than philosophical, and that difference is profound.

In November of 2006, the Red Sox spent more than $51 million for exclusive negotiating rights with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, a sum greater than the Padres will spend on their entire 2009 major league payroll.

Although I don’t like the idea of lumping all of the philosphy under “statistical analysis”. That really isn’t what it is, and never has been. The philosophy is finding undervalued assets.

Often, this involves advanced metrics other teams don’t believe in or havn’t caught up with yet (See Heath Bell and his BABIP). But it isn’t always that. More recently, we saw the Padres grab a string of shorter players in the amateur draft, whom teams may have passed on more due to bias than evidence. This is what the philosophy is about.

I have to admit, even as an avid Padres fan, there’s a lot to keep up with. For instance: I never seem to keep the long guys in the Padres bullpen straight, especially over the last year or so with the merry-go-round of trades and waiver claims the team has been through. The craziness was somehow kicked into overdrive this spring, as DePo notes that only 4 of the 13 pitchers likely to make the roster pitched for the big league club last year.

An idea I had to help myself, and whoever else is smart enough to read this blog, was to put together a little run down of who all these people are and why they’re playing for the Padres. Luckily, Jason Martinez is on the job, so I can stick to what I do best: making fun of the UT.

Martinez, of PadresRevolution fame, is the man behind MLBDepthCharts. Besides just the rosters, he also includes helpful blurbs about where the player came from.

I had a chance to meet and hang out with Jason at the first ever Padres Blogger Summit last year, he’s a cool dude. Hat tip to Tom Tango for the link.