Prior a Priority?

After recovering from multiple surgeries all of last season, Bonita's Mark Prior wants to sign with the Padres. If he does return, he'll probably have to sign a minor league deal.

Filipinos in the Majors... Two on the Giants?

Ever find something interesting while looking for something else?

While poking around the tons of baseball information on the internet, I came across a few things that were really interesting... to me anyway.

I had read about Filipino-American Bobby Balcena who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. There was also former New York Mets outfielder, Benny Agbayani and current Florida Marlin, Chris Aguila. While poking around for some biographical info about either Jason Bartlett or Shane Victorino, I found an interesting article in the San Jose Mercury News. I had heard that San Francisco Giants pitcher, Geno Espineli, was a full-blooded Filipino-American (raised in Houston, Texas).

In an article titled, Giants Notes: Veterans want to stay.

Published 07/31/2008 by Andrew Baggarly.

"A television station from the Philippines arranged interviews with reliever Geno Espineli, who is believed to be the first full-blooded Filipino in the major leagues, and Tim Lincecum, whose mother is Filipino."

What? Tim Lincecum? The baby-faced assassin is Filipino-American? I couldn't believe it, so I searched a little more.

I found that Lincecum was also quoted in the Sacramento Bee, revealing that his maternal grandfather (who had just passed away) was Filipino.

Wow... 

World Series

Despite my hometown Padres finishing with 99 losses, I'm excited about the World Series. 

Former San Diego Padres farmhand (and Filipino-American) Jason Bartlett, is the starting shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays. A native of Mountain View, California, Bartlett was drafted in 2001 by San Diego (in the 13th round) out of the University of Oklahoma. In 2002, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins (for Brian Buchanan). He's always been a very solid player who always seems to play the right way.

I'm also a big fan of Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder, Shane Victorino. A former Padre outfielder (Rule 5 Draftee - 2002), The Flying Hawaiian was born and raised in Maui - and with a name like Victorino, I wonder if there's any Filipino heritage. Even if he isn't Filipino, I was already a big fan after learning there was a brown-skinned Padre from Hawaii.

So... unless I can get a hold of the players or their respective agents to confirm their backgrounds... I can watch the fall classic and tell myself that there are a couple of Filipino-Americans playing against each other in the World Series. Might not be a big deal to anyone else out there.. but its a big deal to this Fil-Am who grew up playing baseball.

San Diego Chargers - 2008 Draft

Round 1 - #27

Antoine Cason, DB, 6'0" - 191 lbs (Arizona - Sr) 4.49sec - 40yd. 15 career INTs - 4yrs. Instinctive player with great awareness and very good ball skills. Good size and decent speed. Showed excellent technique and footwork. Excellent hands for a defensive back. Good tackler, but lacks the strength to shed blockers with consistency. Had five INTs his senior year, two were returned for TDs.

Round 3 - #69 (from NE - for 2008 5th round - #160 & 2009 2nd round)

Jacob Hester, RB, 5'10" - 226 lbs (LSU - Sr) 4.62sec - 40yd. Banged out 1,103 rushing yards in  2007 against the SEC. Instinctive inside runner. Quick, not fast. Scouts labeled him a tweener - too slow for RB, not strong enough for FB. Shows leadership and intangibles.

Round 5 - #166 (Compensatory Pick - Donnie Edwards, KC)

Marcus Thomas, RB, 6'0" - 213 lbs (UTEP - Sr) 4.60sec - 40yd. Good hands. Good size and runs strong. tough to bring down. Lacks burst or breakaway speed. Only ran for a thousand yards once, his senior season - 1,166 yds - 5.1 per carry (1,449 yds in 342 attempts in first three years at UTEP). Former Parade HS All-American from Phoenix, AZ.

Round 6 - #192

DeJuan Tribble, DB, 5'9" - 189 lbs (Boston College - Sr) 4.58 sec - 40 yd. Great athlete with burst, very quick. Very confident and aggressive, plays physical in run support. Decent hands and good ball skills. Over-aggressive nature can put him out of position. May have trouble covering bigger or faster receivers.

Round 7 - #234

Corey Clark, OT, 6'5" - 310 lbs (Texas A&M - Sr) 5.13 sec - 40 yd. Good size and frame, decent athlete. May lack the foot speed & quickness wanted in an NFL tackle. Must also improve his strength. Very durable with a strong work ethic.

the day before the draft...

Claimed from waivers - Casey Bramlet, QB, 6'4" - 230lbs (Wyonming, 2004)

Padres Alone in the Cellar!

Chris Young pitched seven strong innings, allowing only two hits, three walks and one earned run with ten strikeouts. However, the Padres were shutout and Young gets saddled with the loss.

The loss to the Giants drops San Diego to 9-14 and last place in the National League West.

The Padres have lost four in a row and seven of their last eight since their 22 inning loss to Colorado.

Padres Stay Out Late

Wow... 22 innings. That's a lot of baseball.

It was a great game, six hours worth of pitching and defense. Maybe the last sixteen minutes were a little too much - since the Padres committed their only two errors of the game in the top of the 22nd.  With two out, Padres lefty, Glendon Rusch got Colorado's Willy Taveras to hit a slow chopper to short. The speedy Taveras forced Khalil Greene to rush the throw. Greene sailed the throw which  got the 6'7" Tony Clark up into the air and off the bag (E-6). Stealing second, Taveras drew a throw from catcher Josh Bard, who had been behind the plate for all 22 innings. Bard short hopped second baseman Tadahito Iguchi on the cover and sent the ball into centerfield (E-2). Taveras made it to third and then scored on Troy Tulowitzki's two-out RBI double.

The Padres offense couldn't get the big hit, as they only scored one run on 11 hits (in 81 total plate appearances).

Maybe that 21st inning stretch was bad luck for the bullpen, who only gave up two runs (one earned) over 14 innings.

Historic game for both teams. Tough loss for the Padres.

Lights Out on Defense?

Under Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips, the Chargers defense was an attacking 3-4, using a violent pash rush to dictate what the other team's offense would do. In 2006, Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips attacked opposing quarterbacks, combining for 28 sacks & 127 total tackles (61 sacks as a team). This year, under new coordinator Ted Cotrell, the defense is passive and prefers to drop into various zone coverages. The Chargers have picked have already picked off 17 passes this season ( 14 INT in 2006) but only have 19 sacks with only 6 games left.

Did the losses of veteran middle linebackers Donnie Edwards & Randall Godfrey hurt the Chargers more than A.J. Smith will let on? In 2006, the duo only compiled a combined 6.5 sacks & 3 INTs. However, Edwards led the team with 142 total tackles (Godfrey 58 total tackles). So far this season, their replacements Stephen Cooper & Matt Wilhelm have accounted for 138 total tackles, 1 sack & 2 INTs. More distressing, Merriman & Phillips have combined for only 11 sacks (87 total tackles) in 2007.

The most important loss, is Wade Phillips (who is currently in Dallas). He is coaching the 10-1 Cowboys, whose aggressive 3-4 defense has become one of the best in the NFL. Meanwhile, Cotrell is in San Diego, coaching the underachieving defense for a 5-5 team desperately clinging to a share of first place in the AFC West.

Mike Cameron Suspended

San Diego Padres centerfielder Mike Cameron was suspended 25 games after testing positive for a banned stimulant. It was the second time he has tested positive for a banned stimulant. Cameron, who was expected to file for free agency next month, stressed that the banned substance was not a steroid. He believes the banned stimulant came from a tainted nutritional supplement that he had already finished out. This inability for Cameron to identify (or produce for testing) any tainted supplements, and the fact that this was his second positive, make it difficult to believe that this was accidental.

It is currently MLB's policy to withhold which specific substances a player has tested positive for. In Cameron's case, it is clear that the 25 game suspension is attributed to a substance that is not a steroid. As steroids carry a minimum 50 game suspension, it is likely Cameron was using a banned stimulant like amphetamine or ephedra.

According to former players like the late Ken Caminiti, and the currently suspended Jason Grimsley, amphetamine use was widespread prior to its ban. Green tablets containing the amphetamine Dexedrine (better known as greenies) were used to help players amp themselves up, providing engergy and mental clarity. However, chemical similarities to methamphetamines (crystal, speed) also made the amphetamines highly addictive.

As far as Cameron's role with the Padres, it was widely believed that he would sign with his hometown Atlanta Braves. In turn, Andruw Jones, who struggled horribly last year with the Braves, seemed to be on his way to San Diego. The suspension to start at the beginning of next season may scare other teams away, opening for a discounted contract to return to San Diego. If Cameron leaves, the talk is that Jones (or maybe Aaron Rowand or Torii Hunter) may find a new home at Petco Park.

Fires Force Everyone to Flee, Even Icons and Teams

Sports icons Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman and LaDainian Tomlinson were among the San Diegans forced from their homes by the wildfires. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Gwynn's and Tomlinson's homes in Poway and Hoffman's home in Rancho Santa Fe were directly in the path of the Witch Creek fire that had started in East San Diego County near Ramona.

On Chargers.com, Prow Bowl center Nick Hardwick estimated that about 75 percent of the team (including LT and quarterback Philip Rivers) were affected by the wildfires and evacuations. Though many of the players and their families were forced to evacuate. A few of those who were unaffected took the time to help.  A few Chargers and some staff members, including Safety Clinton Hart, were among the volunteers at Qualcomm. Also assisting at the evacuation site were Padres players and staff, including first baseman Adrian Gonzales and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Reported on Padres.com, current Padres Brett Tomko (Poway) and manager Bud Black(Rancho Santa Fe) were forced out by the Witch Creek evacuation. As printed in the U-T, former Padres Phil Nevin (Poway) and Brian Lawrence and former coaches Bruce Bochy (Poway) and Dave Stewart (Poway) were also evacuated. It was also reported that former Major-Leaguer David Justice's home was among those that burned in Poway. In 2003, former Padre and Cy Young award winner Randy Jones lost his North County home.

Coming off a bye week, the wildfires have created disruption in the Chargers' season. It is unknown how the players will be affected by wildfires and the subsequent evacuations. The entire team was evacuated to Tempe (AZ), and some players opted to bring their families along with them. According to former Charger Billy Ray Smith (who was also evacuated from his home) who appeared on ESPN news, Defensive Lineman Igor Olshansky's wife is currently pregnant. After being evacuated, Olshansky's wife flew to San Francisco in order to get away from all of the smoke and ash polluting the local air. It seems that like most people, the players might have their focus directed on their families and on the events in San Diego.

As many of the players remain unaware of what has happened to their homes and neighborhoods. The team will attempt to resume practices in Arizona, preparing for its upcoming game against the Houston Texans. It is unknown where this "home" game will be played since Qualcomm Stadium is currently an evacuation center and host to many of those displaced by the fires. During the 2003 wildfires, the Chargers played their Monday Night Football "home" game against the Dolphins in Tempe, Arizona. Tempe, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston are among the possible sites for this Sunday's game if Qualcomm Stadium remains unavailable.

Speechless

San Diego is my hometown. I was born at Balboa Naval Hospital and have been a lifelong San Diegan. As soon as I understood what sports were, I've rooted for the Padres and the Chargers. I grew up idolizing Tony Gwynn, Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow. I have great memories of Air Coryell and of Caminiti's Snickers fueled heroics. Ask anyone who knows me, I always have something to say about sports, especially sports in San Diego. That is... until the last month has left me all but speechless.

This was supposed to be a great year to be a San Diego fan. there was just too much to be excited about. The Chargers had just completed a 14-2 season, won the AFC West and had most their talent returning for 2007. The Padres had just come off back to back National League West titles and looked to have the best pitching staff in the majors. The way things have turned in the past month have crushed me mentally and physically. The 1-3 start for the Chargers and the Padres getting left out of the post-season have created a debilitating combination of headaches, nausea and vertigo. My illness has forced me to block access to all of the ESPN and FOX Sports channels. For the first time in my life, I hated sports.

The Padres had a great season and looked to be a lock for the 2007 playoffs. Until the Colorado Rockies decided to win 13 out of their last 14 games. That 13 inning heartbreaker in Denver was the indigestible anomaly that redefined the Padres' season. Every Padre fan had to like the team's chances with Jake Peavy and Trevor Hoffman both pitching in that one game playoff. It almost felt like the post-season was all but a formality. Unfortunately, neither Peavy nor Hoffman performed in game 163 the way that had carried the team in the first 162.

The Padres went 89-74 and lost an exciting one game playoff. Great season, no playoffs. At least we have Ladainian, right? Yet, to further drive me towards a prolonged addiction to anti-depressants, the Chargers had stumbled out to a horrible 1-3 start. In each of the first four weeks the execution was horrible. Each game was sloppy and painful to watch. My four-month-old son cried anytime the Chargers game was on the TV.

It took a 41-3 drubbing of the Denver Broncos for me and my infant son to stop crying. The defense and special teams took the ball away, as they had done most of last year. After four weeks of insanity, someone finally decided to give the ball to LT. Seemed like a good idea last year, it could work again this year. It isn't much, the team is still 2-3. At least the convincing win keeps me from committing some kind of regrettable act... for at least another week.

Goodbye Boomer!

The good news is that Padres All-Star pitcher, Chris Young is back from a strained left-oblique muscle. The bad news is that veteran left-hander David "Boomer" Wells was designated for assignment in order to make room on the roster for the 6'10" starter.

The San Diego native and former Point Loma High School graduate (1982) had struggled in his last four starts with the Padres. Wells went 0-3, allowing 26 earned runs over 16.2 innings (14.44 ERA, 7 home runs allowed). In his 22 starts this season, Wells went 5-8 with a 5.54 ERA (73 ER/118.2 IP), 33 walks and 63 strikeouts.

In his latest start against St. Louis, Well had cruised through the first four innings until he allowed seven straight hits (en route to an MLB record tying, ten straight hits for the Cardinals). Unable to record an out that inning, Wells allowed seven runs in what looks to have been his last as a Padre.

Earlier this year, Wells had been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes during Spring Training. It is unknown if fatigue, decreased energy or changes in lfestyle may have contributed to Boomer's problems in the last two months.

Over parts of 21 Major League seasons, Wells has compiled a 235-156 record and a 4.12 ERA (1556 ER/3400.1 IP) with 2,182 strikeouts (versus only 402 walks) in 653 games (482 starts) with eight Major League teams (the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and his hometown Padres).

It is unknown if Wells will try to resume his career with another team or if he will retire after his release. It seems as if every division features some tight competition. Well's veteran savvy could be enticing to a number of teams pushing toward a pennant or a wild-card.