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.