Managerial Mayham

With sharks circling Bud Black's locker with ever-increasing anticipation that they may get a meal, FF continues to feel the burden of this unacceptable season lift. We think Black should go. After being reasonably happy with him as Bruce Bochy's successor in 2007, we lost patience very early this season. Let's be clear - Bud Black was just a rebound relationship for Friar fans. After common law marriage with Bochy, we were all happy to embrace a new model that wears a normal hat size. Now that we've had our post-Boch fling, it's time to find a managerial relationship we can stand by. Below is FF's suggested list of items for the front office's personal ad, hopefully it will help lead this next foray to the alter:

• Black has recently lamented not having his starting catcher this season. He has nobody to blame but himself for that one. He rides catchers into ground. The next Friar manager has to recognize the demands of baseball's toughest position and give these guys the rest they need to span the season. Bochy was better.


• Black, in the previsouly linked U-T article, isn't happy with pitching, in general nor the bullpen:

  “We kept trying to find the right guys in the bullpen and we never got the right combination from the start of the season. That is something we need to address.”

  Were there more than two or three relievers in the bullpen? I guess FF was confused, because it seemed like Black just trots the same guys out over and over until he's worn them down as well. Bochy was better.


• Black's team never stole bases. In fairness, they played American League style ball - station-to-station, waiting for the "big hit". Great strategy on these teams. In fact, there seems to be a pattern forming here - AL ball doesn't work in the NL West. Bochy over-managed, Black has under-managed. Let's avoid the characteristics of managerial predecessors on this one.


• Three hitting coaches in two years isn't Black's fault. This is actually the primary problem in Padre-ville. The front office has created defacto dysfunction with whomever it cozies up to in the form of an outlandish home. It's time to fix Petco. Good pitching is good pitching - we don't need a brutally unfair park to "make" pitchers good. It should neither play like Death Valley nor a bandbox. A balanced park will give the team a chance when pitching and defense isn't perfect.

FF hopes the front office catches us a hottie.

Where There's Black Smoke...

After Padres hitting coach, Wally Joyner, resigned prior to his likely dismissal at seasons end, the stability of the entire coaching staff is in question. The Padres extended manager Bud Black's contract through the 2009 season this spring, however the Sandy Alderson's and Kevin Tower's in the organization are refusing comment and not publicly supporting their skipper.

FF has regretfully slowed the frequency of posts due to the most disappointing season in recent memory. It takes a lot of poor play and lack of franchise direction to turn two lifelong Friar fanatics into those who can't stand to watch the on field product.

Whether it is right or wrong there are scapegoats when a season falls this shy of expectations. The head that usually rolls is that of the manager, and in this case FF completely supports the idea of going a different direction. Let the domino's start to fall, rip this thing apart and rebuild quickly (possibly starting with the 1st pick in the draft).

2009 Schedule Released

The light at the end of the long 2008 season tunnel has started to shine, as the schedule for the 2009 season has been released by Major League Baseball. The season will open with the Friars at home taking on the likely NL West champion LA Dodgers. The Padres will also be the first to visit the Mets in their new stadium over the first road trip of the season.

Clouded with Sweet LA Smog

Recently, a lovely piece was written in the world renown LA Times about the difference between San Diego and Los Angeles. Since LA is "where all the winners reside", FF thought it was worth a little investigation as to why that might be.

The "Dodgers, Angels, Lakers and Trojans" are clearly far superior to the Padres, Chargers, and Aztecs; there is obviously some advantage to playing sports in LA. FF research has clearly linked this advantage to LA's most abundant natural resource. Prior to the Beijing Olympics, we could not pinpoint the precise advantage our omnipotent neighbors to the North had over our "dinky town down south". It's clear as an LA day that smog has given a competitive advantage to teams hailing from LA as well as all those athletes that broke World and Olympic records in Beijing. If only Usain Bolt had competed in the '84 games - he probably would have run an 8.55.

This argument is additionally supported by Matt Leinart's decline in the desert. How could such a precipitous drop in the former USC star's game be explained? We're also confident that if the Bengals moved from lowly Ohio to great LA, Carson Palmer would also regain his Heisman form. Ditto for San Diegan Reggie Bush. Smog makes gods, no doubt.

Given that we have now definitively established that LA's abundant number one natural resource is gives it an advantage, how can us San Dieagans find a way to compete? After copious amounts of research at San Diego university libraries, we didn't find too much. With the great weather and subdued attitude of San Diegans, we weren't real motivated to find an answer. But that's when it hit us - the problem is that SDSU, UCSD, and USD are located in areas that are too cushy. Perhaps if these colleges were located somewhere that occasionally riots, we'd be motivated to do great things to get the hell out too. This line of argument holds well for why Yale produces so many Presidents and why the University of Pennsylvania dominates Wall Street.

In the end, us San Diegans just have to accept that LA is sooooo much better. Even the Border Patrol admits this. San Diego is left unprotected while the Border Patrol carefully sets up checkpoints just north of San Diego to ensure that LA's abundant resource is not sopped up by those illegal aliens. We recommend that LA puts up their own fence to keep us losers out. We promise that you won't be doing us a favor in the process.

Young Nearly Perfect

FF finally saw something worthwhile today (certainly we aren't discussing the Chargers), in Chris Young's near perfect game. In a season with few bright spots, we are pleased to see someone that has had a rough go at the season get a little redemption. Cheers to CY!

Padres Adding By Subtracting

The San Diego Padres will announce on Monday that the have released veterans Tadihito Iguchi, and Brett Tomko. Iguchi signed a one year deal with the Padres and had an extremely disappointing season. Tomko was with the Friars for the 20th time, and FF expects KT to sign him yet again next season after being released. The Friars are set to expand their 25 man roster to at least 30 on Monday, including touted prospects Matt Antonelli and Wade LeBlanc. The Padres will continue to use the remaining games to gage their young talent, seeing the young players, such as Will Venable over the Padres 5-1 homestand gives FF a glimmer of hope that the Padres struggles will be short lived...a small glimmer.

Pads Points:

Lefty Wil Ledezma was claimed off waivers earlier this week by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Padres great, Trevor Hoffman, blew a save Sunday that would have given Jake Peavy his 10th victory of the season. Peavy hasn't been as dominant as he was last year (tough to repeat as the triple crown, and Cy Young winner), but has deserved far better than the 9-9 record.