Whiplash

10-game losing streak... Sweep of the Dodgers... Losing 3 of 4 to the Giants... One game away from sweeping what was baseball's hottest team.

This is all getting really confusing. 18 games left and the Padres are 1.5 bad games away from staying home in October. But they're also 1.5 games strong for a playoff berth. Which one is it!?

At least The Cunster's looking good at the top of the lineup. Leave him in leadoff, Bud. We've finally got to a place in the season where we have a semi-consistent lineup from 2-6 (Eckstein, Ludwick, Gonzalez, Tejada, Headley), why not squeeze a consistent leadoff hitter in there? If the playoffs started today, I'd want that lineup with Durango in CF, Venable and Denorfia on the bench, our dreamy Catcher duo, and Jerry Hairston Jr. and Matt Stairs as the other two on the bench. I'll save my thoughts on the pitchers I want in October if we actually get there.

The offense is finally showing life (on Colorado's Little League field) and has me excited for the next two and a half weeks. Luebke and Stauffer are making fine replacements for Correia and LeBlanc. Young may be on the roster any day now. And Hairston Jr. and Gwynn are finally healthy(ish).

The win some-lose some-win some-lose some approach may be a little frustrating, but if we can keep winning the games we have to win, then I suppose I'll excuse those ugly losses to SF over the weekend.

PS. I just checked and The Cunster's back on top of the lineup for the second straight game! Unheard of! Sweep 'em away Friars. And then go to Busch Stadium this weekend with your heads held high knowing that if you do make the playoffs, you won't have to worry about losing to that crap team in the first round. But beat them, don't get distracted, definitely beat them too. 'Cause they suck right now. So beat them.

Eric Show

If you missed this article on Eric Show over at ESPN take a look. Not a happy story.

The Kept Faith Podcast Episode 11

New Episode: Surviving the losing streak, Why Cox SUCKS & Steve Garvey joins us (kinda) The Kept Faith Podcast - http://bit.ly/a5uT2P

There's Nothing Quite Like...

There's nothing quite like sweeping the Dodgers to break out of a ten game losing streak.

Cliff Floyd knows.

Happy Labor Day... now go to a game.

September 6th, 2010.

Like it or not (I don't, for the record), but this Labor Day could also commemorate the day the Padres lose sole possession of first place in the NL West. The collective eyes of San Diego are on Mat Latos - the guy with the tattoo of a baseball stitching around his wrist. He's the guy Friar nation needs on the mound tonight and he'll be there. He tried to stop the bleeding last Friday, but the rest of the team got together and said "Nah, we don't need this one, we'll win tomorrow." Well they didn't win "tomorrow," or the next day, or the nine previous games before "the next day." Okay, the point is they're losing a lot and today, Labor Day of all glorious days, starts a week straight of home games against the Dodgers and Giants. This is the biggest week of the season, so if you're reading this and you have some semblance of a passion for the San Diego Padres, go to Petco and show your support. God knows there'll be plenty of Dodgers fans pretending their season still matters and Giants fans knowing their season still matters showing up.

And let's hope Luebke picks up where he left off tomorrow with those last nine hitters he put down. By this time next week, thoughts of a playoff run may be a distant memory. But they're not yet, so let's get to the park and cheer this team on.

Latos.

Laatos.

Laaatos.

Laaaatos.

Laaaatos FTW!

If it's Yellow let it Mellow

Dallas has already told you about our trip to San Francisco a couple weeks ago to watch the Padres play in enemy territory. I’ve never visited an enemy stadium when anything to care about was on the line and it felt fantastic. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about.

In the post-win afterglow of our victory over the hated Giants I decided it would be a good idea to get a picture of our posse of Padres fans who had made the trip. Looking at that picture the next day it struck me that every single one of us except one is wearing a throwback version of the brown and yellow Padres colors. The lone exception is Dallas and he’s wearing an orange SD beanie (because he thinks he’s different). I also noticed that of the few Padres fans that were also at AT&T park that day, most were wearing yellow and brown. This got me wondering about why the Padres management is running from this logo.

Over the last decade the Chargers have worn their baby blues two or three times a year. And the same thing was happening. More fans were wearing the beautiful throwback uniform than were wearing the modern ones. Finally the Chargers stood up and made a compromise. They took some of the design elements from the baby blue uniforms (white piping on the shoulder, white helmets) and incorporated those into the every day uniform of the Chargers. It worked. The new uniforms look great and they’ve been embraced by the Chargers fans who now wear those AND the baby blues.

So my question for the Padres is why not find a compromise between the brown and yellow of the 1970’s and now? Even looking at the simple hat from 78, the panel with a different color on the front is a unique design that’s fallen almost completely out of use in Major League Baseball for apparently no reason at all. The Blue Jays have a throwback hat that incorporates it and it is also one of the best looking caps in MLB (but they insist on wearing that crazy “robot” T hat).

It helps any team’s brand to have a popular look. Some teams are able to make their look popular through winning and championships but, this year excluded, the Padres are never really going to brand themselves as perpetual winners, so why not run towards the logo that has actually created interest on it’s own merits. Rappers have embraced both San Diego franchises “throwback” looks. Every Padres fan younger than 35 I know would rather wear the brown and yellow than the “sand and blue.” So why won’t ownership embrace that idea? Instead we’re subjected to camouflage every Sunday and “sand and sand” on the road. It seems like a no brainer to try to modernize what’s great about the old school brown and yellow uniforms. Hopefully new ownership will see the value of reevaluating their dismissal of the brown and yellow. After all, it is a color scheme that despite not seeing the field (except on special occasions) remains immensely popular amongst fans. And let’s be honest, new uniforms would help distract us from this godawful losing streak. So here’s to the new look Padres of 2011 (may they be wearing the new uniforms in defense of a world championship).

The Kept Faith Podcast Ep.10! With special guest - John Reis!

Holy Chris Gwynn Padres fans! What in the name of Jack McKeon is happening? 7-game losing streak and children's tears everywhere!

WELL you're in luck! Because on this episode we are joined by legendary musician (and SD native/lifelong Padres fan) JOHN REIS!

(Lead Singer/Guitarist from Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes and Night Marchers and Swami from FM94/9)

John joins us to calm us down and let us know there is hope on the horizon we just gotta keep the faith! We also talk September call ups, Ted Leitner and Dick Enberg!

Download the new episode by clicking this!

While you're at iTunes subscribe to the podcast and leave some comments!

Keep the Faith! We'll get through this together!

Love,

TKF.