Choices, Part 2

By Joe Quadres

To make a long story short, I am in a moral quandary. I would like to be a baseball fan, seeing that it is my favorite sport. Naturally, I would like to root for a team. Unfortunately, it matters greatly to me what other people think. I could not stand to be called a traitor or a frontrunner. Well, ok, I could stand it, but I need ammo to defend myself. In some ways, the choice I make defines me as a sports fan. In others, it defines me as a human being.

Here, as I see it, are all of my options:

1. REMAIN A DODGER FAN.
2. BE A FAN OF WHATEVER TEAM IS CLOSEST TO THE CITY I LIVE IN.
3. PICK A TEAM AT RANDOM
4. PICK A TEAM BASED ON WHATEVER CRITERIA I WANT TO.
5. STAY NEUTRAL.

Each of these choices has positives and negatives. I hope by examining each of these options, I will be able to not only make a choice, but shed some light on what it means to be a fan.

1. REMAIN A DODGER FAN.

This is maybe the easiest choice. It means I don’t have to question my identity; I am a Dodger fan and that is that. It allows me to have civic pride. I would be able to say that I rooted for the same team my whole life. All of my baseball memories live in Chavez Ravine. (I was at the game that Chris Gwynn won with an extra inning homer—that’s the kind of thing I mean). I can maintain the bond I have with my father, who rooted for the Dodgers most of his life too. I don’t have to throw anything away or buy new hats.

But hats are the problem. I don’t live in Los Angeles. Other than the fact that most of my friends live there, I don’t miss it all that much. Why should the geography of my birth—hardly a matter of choice—dictate who I root for? Other than geography, the Dodgers have no meaning for me. First of all, the owner has no LA ties. None of the coaches or players do either. Unlike the Padres, who will always have their Tony Gwynn, not one of my Dodger heroes growing up finished with the team. Literally, not one. Every single famous Dodger in my lifetime finished up somewhere else. Valenzuela, Hershiser, Sciocsia (who finished with LA as a player, but is currently managing the Angels which counts to me), Sax, Piazza, Karros. All of these longtime Dodgers finished elsewhere.

So, basically, I am rooting for a hat. It doesn’t matter who’s under that hat, where they came from, how long they’ve been here, etc. If the hat says LA, I’m supposed to root for them. But in light of all of the despicable things this team has done to show me they don’t care about me, is a blue hat really supposed to keep me true? To a city I haven’t lived in for five years and probably will never live in again? This is the hardest part. There is certainly a part of me that feels like not being a Dodger fan is WRONG. As long as they don’t kill puppies during the 7th inning stretch, I’m supposed to stick with them. But the rest of me feels like I don’t owe these current Dodgers a damn thing. Does this make me a traitor, or does it make me a man of principle? A complainer or a real fan of the game? Or neither? Or both?

2. BE A FAN OF WHATEVER TEAM IS CLOSEST.

I have to admit there is some appeal here. I lived in Northwest Indiana and Chicago for four years. While I was not a Cubs or Sox “fan,” I did watch the local news and read the local papers and listen to the local radio so these were the teams I knew best. I bought a Cubs hat. I went to Wrigley Field three or four times and while there, I did cheer for the Cubs.

But this can’t be right, can it? I have no idea where I’ll end up, but right now I’m in Dallas. Am I supposed to be a Rangers’ fan? I don’t think I can do that for a myriad of reasons, most of which are obvious. And even if I do live here the rest of my life, there is something so empty about just rooting for the hometown team and throwing away everything I stood for my whole life.

3. PICK A TEAM AT RANDOM

Again, this would seem ridiculous, but isn’t it the most fair? If I’m not a Dodger fan, it may make sense to just pick a team out of a hat. That way, no one could accuse me of frontrunning or bandwagoning. But what if I picked the Rangers? Or the Marlins? Or the Orioles? There’s no way I can do this. And if I pick a team at random, then throw the team back, the whole exercise is lost.

4. PICK A TEAM BASED ON WHATEVER I WANT.

Definitely some appeal here. There are lots of teams that I kind of like. There are teams with great GMs like the A’s or Red Sox. They appeal to my intellectual side. I like the Indians and the Brewers because they built themselves up from nothing to contention with their farm system. They will succeed or fail in the right way, the way teams used to do it. Part of me wants to be an Angel fan because they are who the Dodgers used to be. Their entire coaching staff is made up of ex-Dodgers they are owned by a guy who is in it to win, not to turn a profit. Most of their team is homegrown and the free agents they do get are (mostly) guys that they want to keep for the long term.

Of course, the problem here is that, in general, these things are cyclical. I don’t mean that teams go from up-years to down-years and I’m not willing to follow; if I can see future potential, then 100 loss seasons are fine. I mean that teams eventually start trading off all of the guys you like. Take the A’s for example. Every year until they have new ownership, the A’s will trade or release every single player they have who will command a big salary. You can never become attached to an Athletic—as soon as they are free agents, they’re gone. So in order to be an A’s fan, you either have to live or have grown up in Oakland and be willing to root for whoever is wearing the green and gold, or you have to be rooting for Mad Genius Billy Beane. While there is something appealing about that, rooting for a GM is hardly romantic or fulfilling. I mean, am I supposed to chant Billy’s name every time he makes a trade? Should I hold up signs saying, “I love you, Billy” every time a no-namer with and high OBP comes up? So the problem with this approach is that, chances are, I’ll never be able to pick a team to stick with. Every five years or so I’ll constantly be shifting teams. Also, if that team does win the Series, they’ll inevitably break-up and in order to try and stay on top, the desperate GMs will hire crap free agents instead of accepting that their run is over. At that point, they will become the teams I dislike and I’m out shopping again.

5. STAY NEUTRAL

This is where I am now. There are some positives. I don’t get depressed when my team loses. I can root for the guys on my Fantasy team no matter who they’re playing. I see the game objectively. It’s almost like watching Lost; I don’t necessarily root for any of the characters to live or die, I just want the show to be entertaining.

But it’s empty here. I want to be depressed when a team loses because it means I can be high when they win. I want to have a passion. I want to be a fan, not an analyst.

Sports is highly ethical. It is the only part of our lives that we expect to be fair. I need your help, Dear Readers. Which of these decisions is the right one? Which can I be proud of? Which one allows me to look in the mirror and say, “I am a ___________ fan for all the right reasons.” The Dodgers will always be the team of my youth and they will always surround the softest parts of me. But as an adult, I have rights, damnit!!! I just need you to tell me what they are.

Complete me. Please.

Thanks for the Memories

by Josh Elwell

Did you miss the games this week? Here's a quick recap: Loss. Loss. Loss. Loss. In fact, we've done that 10 out of the past 12 games - right after winning 8 of 10. The Padres sure know how to play the role of the tease. Right when you think it's going somewhere, Trevor Hoffman comes in and ruins everything.

On Tuesday night, the Twins found out just how over-the-hill Hoffman is. This happened when Brendan Harris & Brian Buscher hit their 3rd and 1st home runs of the season - back to back against Trevor Hoffman! Go back and think about that: Two guys who never hit home runs, hit them in one of the toughest ballparks to hit one in, off of baseball's career saves leader to win the game. What's the icing on the cake you ask? Oh, it's that King Trevor has now tied his amount of home runs given up at Petco in 3 months than his entire first four seasons at the park. Way to go out in a blaze of glory, Trev. If you keep it up, you'll end the season with a 2-10 record and your current ERA of 4.85. Just padding the ol' Hall of Fame resume.

Righteously so, Trevor (and the Padres current state as a whole) received a thunder of boos after the second home run. What do you think about that, Bud Black?

"I didn't like it. This city should be very proud of a player like that for everything he's done on the field and in the community. I don't like it. I don't think it's fair."

Fair? You're talking about fairness? Your team is on pace to lose 97 games. That's not fair. But what say you, Jake Peavy?

"I could not believe that. That is as disheartening as it gets. I don't understand it. When you look at all of his achievements, what he has meant, it's ridiculous."

Nice use of past tense when referring to Trevor's career - I totally agree! Wanna hang out some time? Oh, hey, Shawn Estes, got anything to enlighten us with?

"How soon they forget."

Really? That's all. I'd say we have an excellent memory when it comes to Trevor Hoffman. Go fall down another flight of stairs. Okay, can I get a word out of you, Heath Bell?

"If the fans were booing him, shame on them."

I only said one word. But thanks anyway. Thanks to all of our deep-thinking Padres.

In the words of Astros GM, Ed Wade - "Go look in the [bleeping] mirror." It's just a shame Shawn Chacon wasn't around to choke Trevor Hoffman after the game. Then again, Chacon is looking for a job and I wouldn't mind having two

choke artists on the same team. It can't get any worse.

Darren Daulton

By Nick McCann


While dealing with last night's lost to the Twins this morning, I was in my bathroom, and I started to think about Darren Daulton, and a story I remembered hearing a few years ago on the Dan Patrick Show. I love that man!




John Kruk needs to write a book.

Choices, Part One

By Joe Quadres

When first approached to write a blog for this site, I was instructed to wear the black hate of a lifelong Dodger fan slinging arrows at the Padre faithful. I found that hat enticing and immediately began to think of barbs to throw at you. Here is a sampling of some of the good ones.

1. Even naming your team after a religious leader hasn’t helped you win.

2. I have three World Series “rings” in my lifetime—you have none.

3. Los Angeles is like San Diego but with a point.

4. You know your franchise is pathetic when you can’t even get a team to be your rival. The closest thing the Padres have to a rival is the Mariners, who are in a different league and over 1000 miles away.

5. You have the least relevant team in a state which also has the Angels. That’s pathetic. Congrats.

6. Ken Caminiti was once your franchise’s proudest player. Congrats.

7. Jake Peavy has more acne than my back in 1994. No slider can make up for that. He is possibly the ugliest millionaire I’ve ever seen, including that Apple guy who’s dating Kathy Griffin.

8. Your stadium is named after a chew toy.

9. Your GM’s biggest free agent signing in the last 5 years is Ryan Klesko. Congrats.

10. Real teams don’t have throwback uniforms. You’ve changed uniforms more often than Lindsey Lohan has forgotten to change her panties.

These are the highlights of shittalking which I intended to throw your way. However, the more I thought about being the “Dodger Fan,” the more I had to consider the reason I couldn’t be. The reason why is simple: I am no longer a Dodger fan and haven’t been for years.

My relationship with the Dodgers ended like so many others do. It happened gradually and, at the same time, instantly. I can, however, pinpoint the exact day that I gave up the Blue for dead.

I stayed with the Dodgers through a whole lot of bullshit that I didn’t like. When Peter O’Malley sold the team to Fox, I stayed. When the Dodgers traded Mike Piazza—my favorite player—I stayed. I remained faithful through the Kevin Malone era—and era which brought us Carlos Perez among others. I stayed when Fox sold the team to a Boston parking lot attendant with no money. I stayed even though it meant rooting for Jeff Kent. But my back was finally broken on October 30th, 2005 when the Dodgers fired Paul DePodesta.

Most of my faith in the Dodgers was already gone. But the hiring of DePodesta was the life raft I needed to keep me on board. Here, for the first time in a decade, was a hope for long-term success. Imagining what Billy Beane had done in Oakland with no payroll sent me soaring. Seeing what Theo Epstein was doing with more had me dreaming. I believe and will until my dying day that if Paul DePodesta had been given five years, the Dodgers would have joined the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cardinals as the flagship franchises in Major League Baseball: the teams that had a chance to win it all EVERY SINGLE FUCKING YEAR.

DePodesta took the helm in mid-February 2004. It was too late to overhaul this albatross—teams aren’t dealing in spring training. Little by little, De Podesta put his stamp on the ’04 team, always looking not to the present but to the long-term future. In his 19 months, DePodesta added and subtracted a number of players. Not ONE of his personnel decisions was a bad one. NOT ONE!!!! Don’t believe me? Here are the guys DePodesta got:

Milton Bradley: not exactly a cornerstone, but acquired for an outfielder who is only now playing his first big league season in Cleveland. Bradley was the second best Dodger position player for two years, had a manageable contract, and was jettisoned as soon as better options came up. Good move.

Jose Lima: Here’s a timeline: 1. Lima brought to spring training along with a dozen other retreads. 2. Lima pitches well enough to make the team at the league minimum salary. 3. Lima has a good year--again, at the league minimum. 4. Lima wants more money, so DePodesta releases him, knowing that he can invite a dozen more retreads to Spring Training in ’05 and replace Lima at the league minimum. 5. Lima proves DePodesta right by sucking balls the rest of his short career. Good move.

Brad Penny: Pitched in two All-Star games, including one start.

Hee Seop Choi: Sure a bust, but who cares at the league minimum salary?

Jeff Kent: Yes, I hate him, but signing a former MVP and Hall of Famer to a two year contract? Good move.

JD Drew: The only questionable guy on the list, mostly because of the length and size of his contract. But Drew is a solid player when healthy, and the Red Sox—by far the best run organization in the bigs--are happy to have him. Decent move.

Derek Lowe: A highly criticized move, but a GREAT one, that’s right, I said it, GREAT. Lowe was signed to a four year, $36 million deal. For that, from 2004 to 2007, Lowe missed ONE start. Just one. He has had an ERA under 4.00 each of those years. Baseballprospectus.com values his performance over those three years as being worth $44.8 million. GREAT move.

Here are the major players DePodesta parted with. Not ONE of them has been a cost/benefit success. Not ONE. Don’t believe me? Here they are:

Adrian Beltre: Sure he’s a good player, but at $13 million a year? No thanks.

Paul LoDuca: peaked in 2003. Now he makes a ton of money, was named in the Mitchell report, and plays for the Nationals. No thanks.

Guillermo Mota: See Jose Lima.

In 2004, DePodesta’s nominal first year, a horrible thing happened. The Dodgers got lucky and won the West. This was the worst thing that could have happened. First of all, the ’04 Dodgers had no chance to get to the Series. They were lucky just to be there. More importantly, DePodesta was in the middle of blowing up this team. If the ’04 team had sucked, DePodesta would have gotten his time. But the ’04 win made the last place ’05 team look even worse than they were. Of course, the ’05 team was ravaged by injuries, having to dip into the Mexican league twice just to field a roster. But none of that mattered. Bill Plaschke and the rest of the sub-moronic newspapermen (Plaschke is still a Tommy Lasorda fan—I think there’s enough said there) were too stupid to understand what DePodesta was doing and threw him to the wolves. Owner Frank McCourt is legendarily stupid and fired him after 19 months on the job, the first six of which should not even count because of his late hiring. He went out and hired a guy named Ned from the Giants, a protégé of Brian Sabean, who will soon rival names like Malone, Jim Bowden, and Andy MacPhail in the annals of the worst GMs of all time. Seriously, could we hire Isaiah Thomas? In the interest of fairness, here are Ned’s moves in his two years:

Grady Little: Need I say more?

Rafael Furcal: an ok signing, but was shortstop really our biggest need, with Izturis perfectly capable of keeping the seat warm for Lu?

Nomar: It’s not 1998. Enough said. Then resigned to block Adam Laroche.

Brett Tomko: oooooh, shiny. Jesus.

Kenny Lofton: It’s not 1995.

Danys Baez and Lance Carter for Edwin Jackson: Jackson is contributing to a second place team, Baez and Carter are contributing to unemployment statistics. AND they cost ten times as much money as Jackson is making.

Mark Hendrickson and Toby Hall for Dioner Navarro and Jae Seo: Is going to the Rays for big league help really our best option?

Greg Maddux: nice rental, didn’t help.

Juan Pierre to a HUGE five year contract: there’s nothing better than a below average centerfielder with no arm, no bat, and a crooked hat. I am SHOCKED that Kenny Lofton didn’t fill our needs. Besides, we really need a leadoff man whose OBP is .310…oh wait, we already have one in Furcal. But luckily, we have Pierre to block Kemp, Ethier, et al at 50 times the price. Just brilliant.

Jason Schmidt to a big 3 year contract: It’s not 2001.

Luis Gonzalez: It’s not 2003.

Joe Torre: okay, a fine move, but isn’t this sort of a no-brainer? Should a GM really get credit for this? When the alternative is Grady Little? Really???

Andruw Jones: To be fair, this was a good signing. No it hasn’t worked out and probably won’t, but at two years was worth the risk.

All of the best Dodger players make less than $1 million dollars and were called up because of injury. So basically, found by accident. And every one of them is currently blocked by an albatross veteran whose best days are a minimum of three years behind him. You cannot build a franchise by pretending you’re playing MLB 2004 on PS2. Instead of joining the Red Sox, Indians, Brewers and Diamondbacks—teams that thought long term and succeed primarily with either homegrown talent or stars acquired with homegrown talent-- the Dodgers have joined the Orioles, Giants, and Mariners as teams that are sinking beneath the weight of their terrible contracts.

Enough prelude. The point is I’m not a Dodger fan any more. But am I doing the right thing? Am I Benedict Arnold? Is it my right as a fan to be a Free Agent?

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO.

40 Words

By Nick McCann

Closer Trevor Hoffman gave up back-to-back homers in the ninth inning as San Diego lost to Minnesota at PETCO Park. Adrian Gonzalez scored the only run for the Padres and Jake Peavy went six strong innings, but got a no-decision- last night’s game summary from MLB.com.

The Padres’ best hitter scored, their best pitcher threw the best game possible for his current health situation, their over the hill icon of a closer showed his age, and they ended up losing to the Twins, a franchise with more talent and less resources.

Last night when the game was tied at 1-1 in the eighth, I decided to watch Matt Damon hate the Jews in the solid early 90s almost classic, School Ties instead. I figured that I knew Matt Damon was good in the movie and he wouldn’t let me down. I knew he would make me hate him for assuming that the Jews were evil even though he didn’t know any. I did this because, unlike Damon's character's feelings toward the Jews, I know who the Padres are. I figured I would wake up, check MLB.com for the wrap up, and not be surprised by another blown opportunity to get closer to the top of the NL West Standings.

The 2008 Season can be summed up in 40 words, and the message of School Ties can be summed up in 10: don’t make assumptions about things you don’t know anything about.

I know too much about the Padres.

Twins

By Nick McCann

I'm really excited about the upcoming series against the Minnesota Twins. This is probably because I have been affected way too much by the impact of The Brandon Walsh idea. I loved Kirby Puckett and so did he. I loved Jennie Garth and so did he (eventually). I love The Replacements, and even though he never really expressed it, I know he did too.

Also, the series gives me an excuse to think about this:

ALOT!

Does it make anybody else sad that the movie Twins has slowly been faded out as a movie that cable networks play on forgettable Sunday afternoons before and after the football season? It used to always just be there like Jeane Tripplehorn and Rescue 911, but now it is not. Con Air is better than okay, and shouldn't get slammed as much as it does, but Devito and Arnold had a chemistry that can't be ignored (watch Junior when you are hungover and tell me it isn't kinda funny). And let's be real, watching Kelly Preston in her prime is like seeing an old picture of a Kirby Puckett smile.

George Carlin Dead at 71

by Joe Chandler

More in my on-going Padres photo series. This picture is tentatively titled:

"They Took The Wrong One"

For more on George Carlin please scroll down and read Josh's tribute.