619 SPORTS

Look Who's Hanging Out With The Hottie!

2009-05-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

You know you've seen it a thousand times, yet it still doesn't make sense. Some average-looking guy -- maybe even a bit frumpy, unshaven and generally unkept -- is walking hand-in-hand with the most beautiful girl you've ever seen.
How in the world did that happen? (You say as you snort, pick some lint out of your ear and wonder why it can't happen to you.)
That's kinda the way I feel about the Padres just-completed 9-0 homestand.
You talk about a shot out of nowhere! The odds were better of snow last week in Pacific Beach.
Now that's it done, it's still hard to believe. Exactly how is it that a baseball team batted .209 over a nine-game stretch and won every game? (How can a team bat .209 over a nine-game stretch under any circumstances?)
But that's our lovable Friars. The ones with a face only a mother can love.
Look at the many blights on display:
Leading off, a guy with only one hit all season, Tony Gwynn Jr.
Batting second, hitting .226, David Eckstein.
Once those Ty Cobb's set the table, it's time for the .170-swinging Brian Giles, currently earning about $500,000 for every RBI.
The 5-6-7 guys -- the meat (?) of the order -- are all future stars (or so they tell us). Nick Hundley (.250), Chase Headley (.229) and Kevin Kouzmanoff (.236).
Ready to fill-in should any of these '27 Yankees falter are a who's-who of who's that's: Drew Macias, Chris Burke, Josh Wilson, Henry Blanco and any other guy with a glove who comes to the ballpark.
On the pitching staff are Jake Peavy (an ace to be sure, but right now seemingly just auditioning for his next team), Chris Young (a 4.76 ERA for the season with Petco as his home park?) and a bunch of castoffs who I think last pitched for the Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings.
The bullpen names are completely unrecognizable to even the most ardent baseball fan.
Yet, there they are, with a nine-game winning streak in the bag -- representing the longest winning streak by any team in the National League this season.
Of course, there are some concerns about these misfits once they hit the road, which they will do this week playing at Arizona and Colorado. The Padres have lost 11 straight away from the friendliest confines in all of baseball.
But that hardly matters. Because no matter what happens from here on out -- I mean, surely the beautiful girl will be moving on to some lawyer or doctor type once she realizes her mistake -- the Padres can say they (somehow) pulled off the unthinkable.
Nine. Wins. In a row.
I'm getting my skis and heading for Pacific Beach as we speak.

Not Yet

2009-05-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

FORT WORTH, Tex. -- For now at least, the championship dreams of the San Diego State baseball team have been put on hold.
That's because the Aztec bats were held down Friday night by two All-Conference pitchers from the University of Utah.
Right-hander Jordan Whatcott, pitching with just two days rest, allowed only three hits in six innings. Another righty, Brian Budrow, pitching with just one day of rest, allowed only two hits in three innings of relief.
Thus, despite a gutty seven-inning effort from Tyler Lavigne -- also pitching on two days rest --the Aztecs fell, 4-1, spoiling their first opportunity to claim the Mountain West Conference title at TCU's Lupton Stadium.
SDSU will get another chance today (11 a.m. PDT, coverage on goaztecs.com) when it meets the upstart Utes again -- this time in a winner-take-all championship final.
The Aztecs (40-20) will hand the ball to freshman right-hander Ryan O'Sullivan with All-American Stephen Strasburg -- who pitched 7 2/3 innings Wednesday afternoon against New Mexico -- looming as a possibility in relief.
Utah, which came into the tournament as the No. 6-seed after an 8-16 conference finish, will try to complete a remarkable run, which has already included two victories over top-seeded TCU and now one over SDSU. The Utes (25-29 overall) eliminated the three-time defending champion and tournament hosts, 6-4, Friday afternoon.
Whatcott finished off that victory, retiring the final two TCU hitters with the tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth inning. Then after a one-hour rest between games, Whatcott went back to the hill to start against the Aztecs and struck out five of the first nine batters he faced to set the tone.
The Utes provided him a 2-0 lead in the third when, after Lavigne hit back-to-back batters, left fielder Tyler Yagi grounded a ball up the middle for a two-run single. Lavigne, who had thrown 116 pitches on Tuesday night in a tournament-opening victory over UNLV, held his ground from there, pitching on guts and fumes into the 8th.
But the Aztecs, who had scored 72 runs in their previous eight games, were unable to get their offense untracked, scoring only in the 4th on an Eric Castro double, a wild pitch that sent him to third, and an RBI ground-out by Cory Vaughn.
SDSU had other chances to score, but left nine runners on base and went 0-for-7 batting with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, Utah put the game away with single runs in the eighth and ninth off reliever Andrew Leary.
That San Diego State and Utah are meeting for a Mountain West championship should surprise no one, despite the two teams' seedings. SDSU and Utah played in both the women's and men's basketball championship games in March.
Utah won both of those encounters. Now it's up to Tony Gwynn's baseball nine to reverse those fortunes -- and the fortunes of Friday night -- this afternoon.
Game notes: Whereas the Aztecs will have a fresh Ryan O'Sullivan -- who hasn't pitched in the tournament -- available to start today's finale, it's anybody's guess as to whom Utah will turn. All four of the Utes starting pitchers -- Andrew Wilding, Bryn Card, Whatcott and Budrow -- have pitched in the last 24 hours....Aztecs CF Pat Colwell had two hits Friday night to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Castro's double in the 4th extended his hit streak to nine games....Utah's Corey Shimada hit a solo homer in the ninth, the first allowed by SDSU pitching in the tournament. The Aztecs have yet to hit a homer.....If SDSU wins today, it will claim an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, clinching its first post-season appearance since 1991....Most feel the Aztecs would still be in line for an at-large berth should they lose, but they'd have to wait until Monday's bracket unveiling to be sure.

-- Ello

Chargers Spring Report -- Running Backs

2009-05-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp recently concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position heading into Summer. Chargers Training Camp gets underway for real in July.

May 1st:Cornerbacks
May 4th:Safeties
May 6th:Outside Linebackers
May 8th:Inside Linebackers
May 11th:Defensive Ends
May 13th:Defensive Tackles
Friday:Offensive Line
Monday: Tight Ends
Wednesday: Wide Receivers
Today: Running Backs

Monday: Quarterbacks

Starters

LaDainian Tomlinson, 9th yr., T.C.U.: Just happen to be in Fort Worth, Tex., where L.T. played his college ball and where he is still loved, unconditionally. Strangely, my notion is that all of San Diego no longer feels the same way.

Sure he's a Hall of Famer and probably the greatest player ever to wear the Lightning Bolt, but what have you done for us lately? Last year's yardage total (1,100 yards) was the lowest of his career. Yards per carry (3.8) the lowest since his rookie season. Ditto for TD's (11). And then there's that small matter of the injuries that caused Tomlinson to miss last year's playoffs and almost all of the '07 AFC Championship Game.

Not everybody was thrilled when No. 21 agreed to re-structure his contract during the off-season in order to stay with the Bolts.

What?

First, let's remind everybody that L.T. hasn't been close to 100-percent since that gloomy January day in New England when he was forced to be a spectator as the Pats denied San Diego a shot at the Super Bowl. Second, when he finally returned to full-strength, he once again showed his brilliance in the regular-season finale, burning Denver for 3 TD's and carrying the Bolts to the division championship.

Another off-season to rest his weary toes, ankles, knees, shoulders, groin and whatever else has caused him to look like a mere mortal the past 18 months should be just the tonic Tomlinson needs to get back to his rightful place as the spiritual leader of the Chargers. Plus, in '09 he has something to prove.

Sure, there may never be another record-breaking 31 TD season like he had in '06, but c'mon people! Is there really anybody else you'd rather have carrying the mail?

Mike Tolbert, 2nd yr., Coastal Carolina: OK. So Tolbert was no Lorenzo Neal. Few are. But it's not like his rookie season was an abject failure. Tolbert played well until a shoulder injury in late November against Indianapolis basically took him out for the season.

When he was in there, he was solid. But he lacked the experience to get completely in sync with the blocking patters of the offensive line and the running style of L.T. behind him. Now with a year under his belt, Tolbert can stop thinking so much out on the field and just concentrate on clearing paths for the running game.

Don't judge a career on one rookie season. Tolbert could take a big step forward in '09.

Reserves

Darren Sproles, 5th yr., Kansas State: Probably to most popular Charger of them all, the little guy with the wide smile and bigger heart was spectacular as a returner in '07 (making the Pro Bowl) then had a breakthrough season last year out of the backfield.

In a Week Two loss at Denver, he piled up 317 combined yards rushing, receiving and returning, the 7th-highest total in NFL history. And, of course, who could forget his remarkable performance in the playoff against Indianapolis when he ended the night with 328 total yards (3rd-most ever in a postseason game) and ended the game with a 22-yard TD run in overtime?

Sproles was tagged as the Chargers' franchise player and cashed in with a lucrative one-year contract extension. Nevertheless, the question remains whether or not the 5-foot-6 Sproles is durable enough for the long haul. Despite his electrifying play, he handled the ball only 90 times from scrimmage (61 rushes, 29 receptions) last season.

If L.T. is struck by the injury bug again, Sproles may get a chance to prove he can be an every down back. And if he does, everybody will be rooting for him. If he doesn't become a full-timer, he'll still bring the fans out of their seats on the downs he does play.

Jacob Hester, 2nd yr., L.S.U.: The overriding assumption is that Hester was a disappointment in his rookie season, more than anything else because the Chargers moved up the pecking order to select him in the 3rd-round of the '08 draft.

But once he got a chance to play, Hester was a solid contributor down the stretch. Not flashy, but solid. After Tolbert's injury in late November, Hester gained 92 yards on 17 carries (5.4 avg.) and caught 12 passes with 2 TD's over the team's final six games. More than that, he proved himself as a blocker in front of L.T. -- and then in the playoffs, Sproles.

Hester may never be an All-Pro type headliner, but as a guy who only wants to contribute in any way he can, his rookie season proved that he's well on his way to becoming a more-than-capable NFL player.

Michael Bennett, 9th yr., Wisconsin: Acquired as an insurance policy late in the season off waivers from Tampa Bay, Bennett came through with some key carries (4 for 24 yards) in the playoff win over the Colts.

But unless injuries crop again in '09, it's hard to see Bennett getting much playing time. If he does get in there, however, don't forget that this is a speedy runner who once gained 1,296 yards in a season with Minnesota (although that was back in '02 before injuries sidetracked his once-promising career).

Newcomers

Gartrell Johnson, Rookie, Colorado State: Many wanted the Chargers to take a running back with their first selection in the '09 draft. But with Tomlinson and Sproles already in the fold, that strategy made little sense. Instead, the Bolts smartly waited until the 4th-round to grab Johnson, a battering-Ram of a runner from CSU.

Johnson averaged 5.3 yards per carry in each of final two collegiate seasons, and finished off his career with an all-time Bowl game record 285 yards rushing against Fresno State in last season's New Mexico Bowl.

Skeptics say Johnson lacks the speed to be a great NFL runner, but some of those same skeptics said the same things about Tomlinson many years ago (not to mention Jerry Rice and many other superstars).

Will Johnson one day be a superstar? Of course, nobody knows. But with the tandem of accomplished runners ahead of him, he should get at least a season or two to find his way and get established.

Mountain West Conference Tournament Preview

2009-05-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

"Aztecs Are In It To Win It"

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

Fort Worth, Tex. -- For now, the focus for Tony Gwynn's San Diego State baseball team is the five rivals they must defeat here beginning today in the 2009 Mountain West Conference postseason baseball tournament.
But in the back (or, actually the front) of Gwynn's mind is only this: will his Aztecs
(37-19 overall, 15-9 MWC) be among those chosen next Monday when the NCAA Tournament field of 64 is announced?
If SDSU qualifies, it would mark the first postseason appearance for Aztec baseball in 18 years. And for Gwynn, it would validate the vow he made to return the Red and Black to prominence the day he took the job seven seasons ago.
The road back to respectability has been far more difficult to traverse than the Hall of Famer thought it was going to be. But the longer he has chased it, and the longer is has remained elusive just out of his reach, the more it has begun to mean to him.
The Aztecs can clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA's by winning this week's postseason party, played on the campus of regular-season MWC champion TCU. But in order to accomplish that, SDSU is going to have to play above its No. 4-seeding and most likely defeat solid clubs like BYU, New Mexico and 10th-ranked TCU along the way.
The double-elimination tournament begins today with No. 6 Utah meeting No. 3 BYU, followed by No. 5 UNLV vs. No. 4 SDSU (webcast on goaztecs.com, beginning at 5 p.m. Pacific Time).
No. 1 TCU and No. 2 New Mexico have first-round byes.
Should the Aztecs come up short at Lupton Stadium, where TCU has run off with the championship trophy in each of the last three years, they would have to rely on receiving an
at-large berth to the Big Dance.
Gwynn obviously would like to not have to sweat it out. But with his ballclub squarely on the bubble if it fails to earn the automatic bid, chances are he may have a few more gray hairs by the time the NCAA Tourney pairings are announced.
What are the chances SDSU wins the MWC Tournament and helps to ease the concerns of its coach? Here's a look at the six squads competing:

No. 1 T.C.U. (35-14, 15-5 MWC)
Aztecs record vs. Horned Frogs: 3-3
All-Conference Selections (7): RP Trent Appleby, RP Taylor Cragin, C Bryan Holaday, 1B Matt Vern, SS Taylor Featherston, 3B Matt Carpenter, OF Chris Ellington
The team to beat for several reasons, not the least of which is that the tournament is being played on their home field...The Horned Frogs have a veteran lineup, featuring four seniors -- something no other team in the conference can claim. And all of that experience has done nothing but experience winning...The key to the pitching staff is Appleby and Cragin, both of whom are long relievers who can come into a game and shut down the opposition if the starting pitching struggles (which it rarely does)...As good as TCU is, however, SDSU's Stephen Strasburg beat them twice this season, and Strasburg will be the first pitcher they face in the tournament -- if, as expected, the Aztecs and Horned Frogs meet Wednesday in the second round.

No. 2 New Mexico (37-18, 15-8 MWC)
Aztecs record vs. Lobos: 1-2
All-Conference Selections (6): SP John Hesketh, C Rafael Neda, 1B Kevin Atkinson, 2B Mike Brownstein, OF Brian Cavazos-Galvez, OF Max Willett.
Led by Brownstein, the conference's Player of the Year, New Mexico is the most dangerous offensive team in the conference. The Lobos, taking advantage of the smaller dimensions and altitude in their home ballpark at Albuquerque, scored in double-figures 26 times this season....However, after starting the season 22-3, New Mexico limped home 15-15 the rest of the way....Hesketh may be the second-best starting pitcher in the conference to Strasburg (SDSU beat UNM, 1-0, when the two dueled in April), but after him the staff is thin....If the Lobos can hit close to what they're capable in TCU's pitcher-friendly ballpark, they'll win the title...But they only scored eight runs in three games there during the regular season.

No. 3 BYU (28-22, 15-9 MWC)
Aztecs record vs. Cougars: 1-2
All-Conference Selections (5): SP Blake Torgerson, RP Jordan Muir, 3B Steve Parker, OF Stetson Banks, UTIL Kent Walton.
When BYU took two-out-of-three from the Aztecs the second weekend of the conference season, many were surprised because few expected the Cougars to be a serious contender for the conference title this season. But former major league infielder Vance Law's team proved to be built for the long-haul....Torgerson gave them an ace starter, and Muir was the key component out of the bullpen.....The hitting was consistent, and a difficult non-conference schedule that produced a 13-13 record toughened up the Cougs for MWC competition....BYU also was the only team all season to win a game in which Strasburg started, rallying for a 4-2 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium after the Aztec ace left the game.

No. 4 San Diego State (37-19, 15-9 MWC)
All-Conference Selections (6): SP Stephen Strasburg, SP Tyler Lavigne,
RP Addison Reed, 1B Brandon Meredith, OF Cory Vaughn, UTIL Eric Castro.
The Aztecs will open the tournament with Lavigne pitching against UNLV, and then if all goes well, have Strasburg ready to face TCU in round two....Wins in both games would seem essential because once its two all-conference starters are used up, SDSU no longer will have a pitching advantage....The old adage says that pitching and defense win championships, and the Aztecs led the conference in both categories....But the hitting was inconsistent all season long. The good news: SDSU bats exploded for 50 runs and 70 hits over the last five games of the regular season....That kind of output in Fort Worth will give Gwynn the NCAA berth he covets.

No. 5 U.N.L.V. (26-30, 9-15 MWC)
Aztecs record vs. Rebels: 5-1
All-Conference Selections (2): SS Anthony Morel, OF J.J. Sferra.
On paper, the Rebels hardly match up well against SDSU in today's first-round game. However, these two clubs met in a first-round game last year when the Aztecs were seeded No. 3 and UNLV was No. 6 -- and UNLV won, 6-2....Vegas finished second in the conference in batting behind New Mexico, and has at least one decent starter in right-hander Tanner Peters, who pitched well in two starts against the Aztecs during the regular season.....But the Rebels come into the tournament having lost seven of their last eight games.

No. 6 Utah (21-28, 8-16 MWC)
Aztecs record vs. Utes: 2-1
All-Conference Selections (3): SP Jordan Whatcott, SP Brian Budrow,
2B Corey Shimada.
Despite being the lowest seed in the tournament, Utah is hardly a pushover...The Utes beat TCU twice this season, and also had a non-conference victory over No. 1-ranked UC Irvine....Along with SDSU, Utah is the only team in the tournament with two all-conference starters in Whatcott and Budrow....They also have the conference's freshman of the year, catcher C.J. Cron -- who's at least dangerous enough to have been the only player all season to get three hits off Strasburg in one game....Defense and the bullpen are the Utah achilles heels and probably the main reasons why they can't win the tourney....But they're certainly capable of pulling off an upset or two.

Chargers Spring Report -- Wide Receivers

2009-05-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- WIDE RECEIVERS

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
May 6th:Cornerbacks
May 7th:Safeties
May 8th:Outside Linebackers
Monday:Inside Linebackers
Tuesday:Defensive Ends
Wednesday: Defensive Tackles
Thursday: Offensive Line
Friday: Tight Ends
Today: Wide Receivers
Tomorrow: Running Backs

Starters

Vincent Jackson, 5th yr., Northern Colorado: So let's just state it up front: I'm not the world's biggest Vincent Jackson fan. I've interviewed him several times and have enjoyed our conversations. But as a player, not my kind of guy.
Apparently, though, he is the Chargers kind of guy -- although I'm a bit surprised he's still around after his second brush with a DUI charge back in January. The off-field stuff speaks to Jackson's immaturity...and -- at least to me -- his immaturity also shows on the field.
Statistically, of course, Jackson had his finest season in '08, with a career-best 1,098 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns. But there were also dropped passes and stretches where he disappeared.
One such stretch lasted three games, a mid-season run against Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Atlanta (all losses) where Jackson caught a total of only four passes (none against the Falcons).
Jackson sometimes acts as if he wants to be the next T.O. or Chad Johnson -- a lot of wild celebration, look-at-me kind of stuff. But he's not consistent enough yet to be put in that category.
If he can grow up some -- and show up each Sunday -- maybe one day I'll like him better.

Chris Chambers, 9th yr., Wisconsin: Now, here's a guy I do like. Solid. Fast. Big-play guy. Goes up in a crowd and makes a play for you. Quiet. Just does his job without needing any extra attention. A former Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins.
But where in the world did he go last season?
Chambers caught five touchdowns in the first five games of the year...then missed a couple of games with an ankle injury...then returned for the final nine games of the year...only he really wasn't there.
Chambers stats over the last nine games in '08: only 22 catches (including bagels in games against Kansas City and Oakland) and not a single TD. He caught 8 for 129 yards in the two postseason games combined, but really wasn't the force he's capable of being.
Maybe it was the injury. But whatever it was, the Bolts need the real Chambers to re-emerge this season. Otherwise that trade of a second-round pick to Miami for him a season-and-a-half ago no longer looks like the steal it once did.

Reserves

Malcolm Floyd, 4th yr., Wyoming: With Chambers hobbled, Floyd finally got his big chance last season. And although he didn't necessarily put up startling numbers, he did prove to be a dependable man on the outside, with 27 receptions for 465 yards and 4 TD's.
More importantly he showed a great desire to go up along with defenders and come down with the ball (a trait I'm pretty sure the Chargers would like to see more of in Jackson).
His heart was never more on display than in the Week 15 save-the-season win at Kansas City, when he caught five passes late in the fourth quarter and scored a touchdown that eventually helped lead to a 22-21 victory.
Unfortunately, Floyd suffered a collapsed lung in the game and missed the rest of the season. The heart, however, is still there -- and Floyd, if given the opportunity, could be a breakout player in '09.

Legedu Naanee, 3rd yr. Boise State: Be honest. You love to say his name. Legedu Naanee. Legedu Naanee. Lay-geh-due. Nah-nay. See? Fun, isn't it?
Some would like to see the Chargers call his name more often. Naanee caught only 8 passes last season, the same number he grabbed in his rookie season of '07. Of course, with all of the offensive talent on the field around him -- when he does get in there -- it has been hard for Naanee to really shine.
But one gets the sense that if he ever made it as a full-timer -- or at least as a third receiver in the slot -- he would be capable of doing some damage. Perhaps, even though it's great to have as much depth as possible, there are other teams who see the same possibilities in Naanee as we do.
Not that I'd like to see him go, but is it possible Naanee could be dangled as part of a trade package to help acquire another player at a position where the Bolts could use more help?
Just asking.

Buster Davis, 3rd yr., L.S.U.: Under the category of "nobody's perfect," you can put General Manager A.J. Smith's selection of Davis near the end of the 1st-round of the '07 draft.
At least for now. We'll all find out this season if Buster turns out to just be a longer form of the word "Bust."
After a decent rookie campaign (20 catches, 1TD), the injury bug that bothered Davis throughout his college career at LSU struck him down after Week 5 last season, and a groin problem landed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.
Davis will probably get one last chance to prove he belongs in '09. Few think he'll ever be an important contributor, based on his lack of production when he's been healthy.
But you never know. Every now and again, a forgotten high draft choice finally finds his stride and solidifies the faith the was originally showed in him.

Newcomers

Demetrius Byrd, Rookie, L.S.U.: It's not often you can get the 13th-rated wide receiver in the draft with a 7th-round pick. But after suffering severe head injuries in an automobile crash just days before the '09 selections, Byrd was lucky to be drafted at all -- if not just lucky to be alive.
Byrd, who had a fine senior season at LSU (513 yards receiving and 4 TD's), and helped lead the Tigers to the National Championship as a junior, crashed on April 19th when he lost control of his car and smashed into a utility pole after a tire blew out.
His agent, David Dunn, said Byrd would make a full recovery and that his injuries would not affect his future in football. Nevertheless, teams stayed away from him and he fell from being a probable second- or third-round pick all the way to the Bolts at the 224th selection.
It's possible the Chargers' gamble will pay off, and Smith will have himself another late-round gem. More than anything else, though, those in the organization simply hope Byrd will regain full health and perhaps help the team down the road.

High-Flying To Fort Worth

2009-05-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Chris Ello, the radio play-by-play voice of San Diego State baseball, is with the Aztecs as they prepare for the start of the 2009 Mountain West Conference Tournament on Tuesday in Fort Worth, Tex...Today: a look at how SDSU finished up the regular season...Tomorrow: a preview of the MWC Postseason Tournament.

"He just hit a (bleepin') three-run bomb!" screamed Willie Judd, San Diego State's Academic Advisor, into the walkie-talkie cell phone.
"He just hit a (bleepin') three-run bomb!"
On the receiving end of the thrilling communique was Aztecs head baseball Coach Tony Gwynn, excited too, but also concerned about the group that had crowded around him.
"Hey, Willie, that great!" Gwynn said. "But watch what you're saying because I'm in the hotel lobby...and there's a bunch of other people here with me."
What Gwynn was doing in a hotel lobby as Aztec shortstop Ryan O'Sullivan's two-out, ninth-inning home run sailed deep over the left field fence to tie the score, 7-7, in Saturday's regular season finale against Utah...we'll get to in a moment.
But suffice to say -- as SDSU now gets set to begin play in the 2009 Mountain West Conference Tournament in Fort Worth, Tex. -- it has been a season worth yelling about for the Aztecs. With a 37-19 record (the best in Gwynn's seven seasons), SDSU figures to receive an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in 18 seasons when the 64-team field is announced next Monday.
The Aztecs can claim an automatic NCAA berth by winning the conference tournament, but host TCU (ranked 14th in the nation), along with solid clubs at New Mexico and BYU, may have something to say about that.
No team, however, is heading into the tournament on a bigger high than the Aztecs, who following O'Sullivan's dramatic blast, would go on to win, 10-9, in a marathon game that took 12 innings and 5 hours, 3 minutes to complete.
(O'Sullivan, who saved the game in the ninth with his home run -- his second of the game -- also came in to pitch with the bases-loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 12th, retiring the final hitter to pick up, well, the official save...Calling it the most exciting game he has ever played in, you can hear all of his postgame comments below).
Gwynn, meanwhile, had been ejected from the game in the bottom of 7th-inning for arguing a call made by the home plate umpire that he (correctly) felt had cost his team three runs. Utah's Austin Jones, batting with the bases loaded, hit a ground ball down the third-base line (foul by four or five feet it appeared) which was shockingly ruled fair. After all three runners scored to increase Utah's lead to 7-3, Gwynn came out of the dugout.
He pleaded his case for several minutes, went back to the dugout, asked pitching coach Rusty Filter to change pitchers, stewed some more, and then when he felt the umpire was trying to bait Filter into an argument, yelled a little bit more -- and was given the heave-ho (for only the second time in his career, by the way).
Jones, the batter, told Aztec infielders during the pitching change that he was so sure the ball was foul that he stopped running -- and only started up again when he surprisingly heard the "fair" call. Filter called it one of the "five worst" calls he had ever seen.
Gwynn, whose easy-going demeanor has always endeared him to San Diego fans, said he never argues calls that are questionable. "But this one was so obviously wrong," he said.
But now what to do? With no clubhouse available to retreat to, Gwynn had to find someplace to go after he was ejected. (Baseball rules don't allow an ejected coach to simply go and sit in the stands -- or press box).
So he began a rather frustrating walk across the street to the Aztecs' team hotel (lucky, in this case, because the Aztecs normally stay much further from the ballpark when they're on the road).
Only, being that he's Tony Gwynn, he couldn't even get that far.
"Some lady came racing up behind me as I was crossing the street, and wanted me to sign a Wheaties box for her," the Hall of Famer said. "I told her that this was a hell of a time for her to be asking me. She said she knew it wasn't a good time, but that she had run all the way over. So I signed it for her."
(See Mr. Ump? You kicked one of the greatest guys ever out of that game).
Gwynn finally reached his destination, ran upstairs to his room for a quick shower, then back down to the lobby to call Mike Sweet, the Aztecs Director of Baseball Operations, to find out what was going on in the game -- a game he was certain his team had lost.
Sweet, sitting in the stands behind home plate with Judd, charting pitches and using a radar gun to time the speed of SDSU's hurlers, informed his coach that the game wasn't quite yet over, but that things were looking rather grim.
Busy with his other duties, Sweet handed the walkie-talkie phone over the Judd, along on the trip to help oversee Aztec players who had Final Test Exams to deal with while away from campus.
Judd, a big lovable guy, and ex-football player at Weber State and Iowa State, grabbed the (microphone?) and started doing his best play-by-play impressions for the coach, who had settled into a lobby chair across the street.
Moments later, the big guy erupted as O'Sullivan's homer improbably tied the game.
"Sorry about the language, coach," Judd said. "It's just that I tend to get a little excited."
He wasn't the only one.
As the epic struggle continued for another hour-and-a-half, Judd passed along pitch-by-pitch updates to Gwynn ("Not always the easiest to figure out what he was saying," said the coach)...and Gwynn did his best to help his team (Filter and bench coach Mark Martinez had taken over the actual coaching duties after Gwynn had been dismissed).
When the Aztecs put two runners on in the top of the 12th -- with the game still tied and slugger Eric Castro coming up -- Gwynn told Judd to yell out to Castro to take a deep breath before he stepped into the batters box. Judd yelled out to Castro, who took a deep breath...and then came through with a tie-breaking single.
Later, after it was finally over, Coach and Academic Advisor-turned-radio guy shared a laugh or two back at the hotel. Then they shared the laughter with everybody else. And deep into the night it went.
On Sunday, with the team traveling from Utah to the MWC Tourney in Fort Worth, Judd stood up on the team bus and reminded all the players to check in with him so he could make sure their exam work was up-to-date.
He didn't need a walkie-talkie cell phone to make the announcement....but nobody would have been surprised if he had.

Bad Day All The Way Around

2009-05-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

Two good seasons. One bad day.
Now the question: what's next for San Diego State's baseball and softball teams?
On the baseball diamond, in Ogden, Utah, SDSU -- which has been carried all season by pitching and defense -- neither pitched nor played defense in a 15-5 loss to Utah. The Aztecs allowed 27 baserunners and (a rather embarrassing) 8 unearned runs to cost themselves any chance of a second-place finish in the Mountain West Conference regular season standings.
Second-place not only might have clinched an NCAA Tournament berth for SDSU, but it also would have earned them a bye in the first-round of next week's MWC Tournament. Now, with fourth-place likely SDSU (36-19 overall, 14-9 MWC) will have to take the long road to the tournament championship.
As for softball, a 5-0 loss to defending national champion Arizona State in the first game of the NCAA Tournament at Tempe, Ariz., wasn't necessarily unexpected. However, Kathy Van Wyk's team (33-19) practically gave this game away, stranding all kinds of baserunners and handing ASU three runs on a bases-loaded walk, a bases-loaded hit by pitch, and a passed ball.
The Aztec women left seven runners on base -- five in the first three innings -- and did not come up with a single hit in 14 tries with runners on base.
Adding to their misery was a blown call by the umpires that probably cost them two runs in the top of the 2nd-inning and what should have been a 2-1 lead. Shortstop Jen Wisneski laid down a bunt with two runners on, and a wild throw down the first-base line allowed both runners to score. However, umpires rules (incorrectly) that Wisneski's bunt landed foul rather than fair -- negating the two runs.
There was no such controversy in the baseball game, where the Aztecs committed five errors behind a quartet of pitchers, none of whom got the job done in the season's most important game to date.
Utah's Austin Jones was a one-man wrecking crew with a home run, two doubles, a single and 7 RBI's. Eric Castro homered for the fourth-straight game for SDSU, but his solo shot in the eighth was far too little, too late.
Neither loss Friday was a death knell for the Aztecs' boys and girls of spring, but now the margin for error has nearly closed shut.
The softball team will need to win twice on Saturday to keep their double-elimination first-round regional hopes alive. Then they'll have to win twice on Sunday in order to advance. A tall order, indeed.
The baseball team will finish regular season play Saturday against Utah, then head to Fort Worth, Texas, where they'll need to win at least four games in six days in order to assure themselves of Coach Tony Gwynn's first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Tyler Lavigne will start the MWC tourney opener on Tuesday, likely against UNLV, and then All-American Stephen Strasburg will take the hill Wednesday, probably against top-seed TCU. Wins in both games will be all but mandatory for the Aztecs to have a shot at the title.
Neither team will be gong anywhere, however, if they suffer any more days like Friday.

Strasburg Not Dominant, But Plenty Good Enough

2009-05-15T00:50:00.000-07:00

OGDEN, Utah -- Here's how good SDSU All-American pitcher Stephen Strasburg is:
His outing Thursday night here against the Utah Utes (7.0 innings-6 hits-2 runs-1 walk-10 strikeouts) would have to be considered rather pedestrian up against some of the dominating performances he has turned in throughout this season.
Coming off his first-career no-hitter last Friday night against Air Force -- when he struck out 17 in his final home start-- Strasburg allowed two runs in the first inning to fall behind for only the second time all season. But he didn't allow anything more after that, and the Aztecs rolled to an
11-2 victory.
SDSU (36-18 overall, 14-8 in the Mountain West Conference) kept alive its hopes of a second-place finish in the conference, pounding out 14 hits for the third consecutive game. If the Aztecs win two more here against the Utes (20-27, 7-15), they'll earn a bye in the first round of the MWC Tournament, which starts next week in Fort Worth, Tex.
Meanwhile, Strasburg improved his record to 12-0, despite the fact he had to pitch out of jams in the 4th and 6th innings -- and in allowing two runs, saw his ERA rise from 1.24 to (oh, no!)
1.33.
"The thing I liked is that Stephen had to pitch through some trouble tonight," said SDSU Coach Tony Gwynn (see full postgame interview below). "He didn't just cruise through this game. But when he got into trouble, he pitched his way out of it."
The Aztec offense created plenty of trouble early in the game, but failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded chance in the first and went hitless in its first six at-bats with runners in scoring position.
In the fifth, catcher Eric Castro snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer, his 10th of the season, and SDSU was finally on its way. The Aztecs added two runs in the 7th and five more in the 8th to reach double-figures in runs scored for third-consecutive game.
Freshman designated hitter Jomel Torres had three hits and two RBI's, while right-fielder Cory Vaughn added three hits and three RBI's for SDSU.

Chargers Spring Report -- Tight Ends

2009-05-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- TIGHT ENDS

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Friday: Cornerbacks
Saturday: Safeties
Sunday: Outside Linebackers
Monday: Inside Linebackers
Tuesday: Defensive Ends
Wednesday: Defensive Tackles
Yesterday: Offensive Line
Today: Tight Ends
Tomorrow: Wide Receivers

Starters

Antonio Gates, 7th yr., Kent State: For most tight ends, a season with 60 receptions for 704 yards and 8 TD's would be called a career year. But for Antonio Gates, such a season in '08 had some skeptics wondering, "what's going on with his career?"
What's going on is that Gates is still probably the best tight end in the game.
But -- in part due to a toe injury suffered during the '07 playoffs -- Gates' numbers last season fell far below his totals from '03 to '07 when he made five consecutive Pro Bowls.
His 60 receptions were 11 fewer than any year since his rookie season. His 704 yards were 220 fewer than his low-water mark of 924 yards in '04 (again, excluding his rookie season).
The drop-off should motivate Gates to return to the off-the-chart numbers he posted prior to getting his big toe stuck in the Qualcomm Stadium turf during the '07 first-round playoff against Tennessee.
Those who don't think he can do it should be reminded that Gates has 5,066 receiving yards in his career and has scored 51 TD's. He reached the 5,000-yard mark the second-fastest in NFL history (only former Charger Kellen Winslow was faster), and he reached the 50-TD mark faster than any tight end who has ever played the game.
The big toe should finally be fully healed for '09, and as a result, Gates should reclaim his rightful place atop the tight end heap.

Reserves

Brandon Manumaleuna, 9th yr., Arizona: Along with the fact that it's hard to spell or pronounce his last name, and along with the fact that he's a solid force blocking for the Chargers' running game, Manumaleuna provided some key catches for the Bolts in '09, his third season with the team.
Among his 15 receptions, six were good enough for first downs and two went for touchdowns. In his three Chargers seasons, he has scored a total of six times. Not bad for a guy who plays second-fiddle to Gates and is usually an afterthought in the passing game when he is on the field.
Mostly, though, when he's in there, the Chargers are going to run -- and Manumaleuna (6-2, 288 pounds) is considered one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the game.
Bottom line: when it comes to backup tight ends, few teams in the NFL can boast a talent as dependable as -- well, maybe it's just easier to call him Brandon.

Newcomers

Kory Sperry, Rookie, Colorado State: Signed as an undrafted free agent, Sperry has the size (6-foot-5, 238 pounds) and skill to provide a little more depth at the tight end position.
Some may remember Sperry dominating San Diego State in a game last season at Qualcomm Stadium when he caught 5 passes for 61 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his career at CSU, Sperry grabbed 141 passes for over 1,700 yards and scored 20 TD's.
Despite his eye-popping stats -- and size -- Sperry went undrafted because many NFL scouts aren't sure whether or not he'll be a capable run-blocker out of the three-point stance (well, that's what they said anyway).
However, Sperry could fill a role at the H-back position, if Norv Turner and company can figure out a way to incorporate him.

Chargers Spring Report -- Offensive Line

2009-05-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- OFFENSIVE LINE

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Friday: Cornerbacks
Saturday: Safeties
Sunday: Outside Linebackers
Monday: Inside Linebackers
Tuesday: Defensive Ends
Yesterday: Defensive Tackles
Today: Offensive Line
Tomorrow: Tight Ends

STARTERS

Marcus McNeill, 4th yr., Auburn: I remember asking Marcus McNeill once what he was planning to have on his dinner table for Thanksgiving. The turkey, he said, was going to be deep-fried, Southern style. Well, of course it would.
Anything else? "Well, there is one favorite of mine that I just can't do without," the big fella said. "I gotta have my deep-fried cranberry sauce, too."
Deep-fried cranberry sauce? Yeah, I'd never heard of it, either. But it was at that moment I realized that this 6-foot, 7-inch 336-pound mountain of a man was going to be a solid fixture at left tackle for the Chargers for years to come.
Sure he missed out on the Pro Bowl last season for the first time in his career, but that had more to do with a slow start (he missed the first two games with a neck injury) and an 8-8 season more than anything else.
All the Chargers need to do in '09 is throw a little deep-fried (well, anything) in his direction during training camp, and Big Mac should once again be ready to roll.

Kris Dielman, 7th yr., Indiana: Maybe the biggest compliment given to Kris Dielman last season was when he was thrown out of a game in Kansas City for throwing a phantom punch. Dielman never did punch anyone, and the call by the officials was truly horrible, but the ejection spoke to the nasty reputation Dielman has cultivated over the past few seasons (including a Pro Bowl season in '07).
The thinking by the refs was: if Dielman was involved in a skirmish (even an imagined one), he must have done something illegal.
I don't know about you, but that's what I people thinking about my starting left guard. The pits is no place for pansies. And Dielman's mean streak is one of the reasons why the Chargers have had one of the best offensive lines in football for the past half-decade.
Last year, of course, the offensive line was sometimes maligned because L.T. had trouble finding his usual running room. Let's just hope that Dielman felt maligned as well.
Because it's an angry and nasty Dielman that will serve the Bolts best in '09.

Nick Hardwick, 6th yr., Purdue: In a lot ways, it's totally unfair to look at a team's offensive line player-by-player. Because, more than any other area of a football team, the O-Line is really a group effort.
The Chargers' group began last season without its leader, as Hardwick missed the season's first three games while recovering from off-season ankle surgery. And though Hardwick returned to play the final 13 games, it seemed as if the big boys up front never really got it completely together.
And that was understandable. The work of the O-Line is a carefully choreographed routine that requires precise movements and an unshakable understanding of the actions of those lined up next to you. Without their maestro -- at least at the beginning -- it was if the Chargers' orchestra was slightly out of tune.
Hardwick may have never been 100-percent healthy last season (although he'd never say so), but he should be a full-strength for '09. If so, the center who has made two Pro Bowl squads in five seasons should have the Bolts humming along again.

Kynan Forney, 9th yr., Hawaii: A solid contributor for several years (and a Pro Bowl alternate in '05) on an Atlanta Falcons offensive line that paved the way for one of the NFL's top running attacks, the Chargers hope that Forney perhaps has a couple of seasons left in the tank.
Let go by Atlanta just prior to last season, the Bolts immediately signed him then never used him in '08.
Now with Mike Goff gone, Forney figures to be a key guy in '09. On paper, he would seem to be a perfect fit. Normally, guys with eight years of NFL experience who join a veteran line are able to blend in nicely.
Unless somebody younger steps up, the Chargers better hope so.

Jeromey Clary, 3rd yr., Kansas State: Yeah, yeah, we heard you. Everything that was wrong with the Chargers' offense last year was Jeromey Clary's fault. He allowed too much pressure on Phillip Rivers. He didn't get enough push on running plays and the Bolts couldn't run to the right side.
Only...that notion is absolutely ridiculous. As mentioned earlier, no offensive line either succeeds or doesn't based on the play of one player. Furthermore, to throw Clary under the bus when he was just a second-year player and first-year starter is just plain unfair.
In most cases, the young players on an O-Line need help from the veterans to find their way. Unfortunately, the Chargers' veterans had injuries (and other problems) to deal with. As a result, Clary may have been asked to play too large a role.
This season, he ought to able to settle in and show the improvement most third-year players tend to show.

Reserves

L.J. Shelton, Brandyn Dombrowski, Scott Mruczkowski, Corey Clark: Shelton, in his 11th year out of Eastern Michigan, is a good guy to have around and started twice last season.... Dombrowski, from San Diego State, has good size (6-5, 323) and now a year under his belt...Mruczkowkski has been a solid backup at either guard or center ever since he was picked in the 7th-round of the '05 draft....Clark was a stud at Texas A&M and got some experience with the squad last year, but was never active for a game.

Newcomers

Louis Vasquez, Tyronne Green: Vasquez -- a 6-4, 330-pound guard -- was drafted in the 3rd-round of this year's draft out of Texas Tech where he helped protect and serve for the nation's highest-flying pass offense. Since the Red Raiders mostly threw, skeptics wonder whether or not Vasquez has enough experience to run block effectively....Green -- also a guard (6-1, 309 from Auburn) -- went to the Bolts in the 4th-round...Both players will have an opportunity to compete for key playing time, especially at the right guard spot which was vacated when Goff departed.

Padres Hitters Need Only One Thing: Steroids!

2009-05-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

Watching the Padres bats continue to flail away over the weekend in Houston (I mean, one run against Brian Moehler in that ballpark??), I think I came up with the solution to their ongoing hitting woes.
Steroids.
That's right. Steroids. There. I said it. Now all the Padres have to do is start using them.
Look...it must be obvious to everyone by now that every player in Major League Baseball is still cheating in one way or another (today it's Manny, tomorrow it'll be someone else), so why not the Padres?
Well, you may answer, steroids are against the rules. And using performance-enhancing drugs sets a bad example for our nation's youth. But if baseball doesn't care about its ever-dwindling public image, why should I? Why should the Padres?
The disclosure late last week that the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez (formerly the greatest right-handed hitter of his generation) tested positive for whatever the hell he tested positive for is just further proof of something I have believed all along.
And that is that no matter how much MLB says it's clamping down the performance-enhancing issue, no matter how much the players association says it's trying to clean things up, no matter how many players look you in the eye and say "I'd never do it," the fact remains that there's just too much at stake for these guys not to try and cheat.
I mean, why wouldn't they? Do you really think that Ramirez is the only player in the big leagues currently cutting corners? Of course, you don't (and, of course, I don't either).
What that means is that almost all of the players who are currently cheating are...well, they're getting away with it.
It's kind of like speeding on the freeway. Most everybody does it, but only a very small percentage of us ever get caught. You do it even though you know it's "wrong" because you know if you take the necessary precautions (a glance or two in the review mirror normally covers it) chances are pretty good you'll get away with it.
Baseball players see the very same landscape. They see everyone else doing it, they take precautions to lessen the chances they'll get caught (all of the masking agents), and then they pull a card from a deck that is stacked clearly in their favor.
So Ramirez got caught. Cost him 50 games and over $7-million in salary. Big deal. He's still going to get to play in 100 games, and he's still going to pocket nearly $17-million by season's end.
Would you risk $7-million if you knew that even if you were caught, you'd still make $17-million? Do I have to answer that for you?
One of these days, instead of putting all the blame on the McGwire's and Sosa's and Bonds's and Clemens's of the baseball world for ruining the integrity of our national pastime, we'll all realize that it was the man who looked the other way for so many years that is at the heart of this national tragedy.
Bud Selig (and his baseball cronies -- along with owners and front-office execs) have cashed in handsomely the past two decades while the steroid craze -- and all of the home runs that came along with it -- put baseball squarely back into the spotlight.
Of course, they did nothing about until Congress stepped in and (at least tried) to force them to do something. Over the past five or so years, baseball has done the minimum to try and present the illusion that it has cleaned up its act.
But we all know different.
How can we even begin to believe that the sport cares when every time one our heroes accomplishes something mind-boggling, it turns out that he was just messing with our minds?
From Palmiero to A-Rod and now to Manny (and all of the others in-between), it must be clear to all of us by now that the cheaters will continue to prosper.
Sure their legacies will take a hit, but that's nothing compared to all of the hits (and money) they get while they're still playing.
The only ones, it seems, not getting the hits are the Padres.
So until baseball really does something to wipe out steroids for good (a lifelong suspension for a first-offense would do it), then the Padres need to be using steroids just like everybody else.

Another Magical Strasburg Moment

2009-05-09T00:28:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 7, 2001, over 60,000 fans packed into Qualcomm Stadium for an otherwise meaningless baseball game between the Padres and Colorado Rockies.
The fans were there to see only one thing: to see if Tony Gwynn -- Mr. Padre -- could deliver just one more hit.
He had already delivered 3,141 of them in his glorious career, and Padre fans had enjoyed every single one. But on this, the final day of Gwynn's final season, they had come out for one final tribute.
The stage was set in the bottom of the 9th-inning as Gwynn strode to the plate for his final
at-bat against Rockies closer Jose Jimenez. Forgotten at that moment was the score
(14-5 Rockies), the situation (the final game of the season between 4th-place San Diego and
last-place Colorado), and even the fact that history had already been made earlier that afternoon (when Rickey Henderson recorded his 3,000th-career hit).
The 60,000-plus rose to their feet to cheer the legendary outfielder one last time. And then they roared as Gwynn...grounded out to short.
Oh, well. That's the way it usually goes in baseball. You can set up the moment all you want, but most of the time it doesn't exactly play out the way it does in the movies.
Unless you're Stephen Strasburg.
On Friday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium (that last ground-out didn't exactly ruin the legend) on the campus of San Diego State...a standing-room-only, record crowd of 3,337 turned out to see the Aztecs' pitching phenom in one last appearance before he likely becomes the first pick in next month's Major League baseball draft.
They came out to see if the greatest pitcher in college baseball history (according to many scouts) could deliver one last memorable moment on his way to the big leagues.
Of course, with all the hype and all of the anticipation, Strasburg couldn't possibly....well, chances are, you know by now he exceeded even the wildest of dreams.
A no-hitter. And 17 strikeouts. A 5-0 victory over Air Force. In his final home game. An almost unbelievable finish to what has been an unbelievable career.
Call Hollywood.
"He's been pitching like that all year," said his head coach, the very same heroic outfielder who bounced out that gray October day against Jimenez. "It's almost like I'm not really surprised. But it is fitting."
Fitting?
How about remarkable? Amazing? Monumental?
Not the no-hitter, necessarily. Because those do happen from time-to-time. But they're not supposed to happen under these circumstances. Endings just aren't supposed to be this happy.
Michael Jordan made his final shot for the Chicago Bulls, and with it, won his 6th NBA championship. But he ruined the perfect ending by playing another couple of years for the Washington Wizards.
Brett Favre finished his Hall of Fame career for the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. Then ruined that by coming back as a New York Jet (and now maybe again as a Minnesota Viking).
Ted Williams homered in his final game for the Boston Red Sox, and Cal Ripken homered in his final All-Star game.
But a no-hitter the last time you ever take the field in front of the (lucky) fans who have watched you develop into a college sensation? That's off-the-charts.
Unless you're Strasburg.
Among all of the amazing things he has accomplished this season -- an 11-0 record and 1.24 ERA for starters -- the most amazing thing about Strasburg is that he has been expected to do something special every time he has taken the mound.
And special is exactly what he has delivered without fail. Strasburg has started 12 games this season and struck out at least 10 batters in 11 of them. The only game he didn't win this season, he pitched 7 innings, allowed just 2 hits and struck out 15. The only reason he didn't win that game was because the bullpen allowed a 2-0 lead to slip away after he left.
He leads all of college baseball in strikeouts (164), has walked only 17, and has averaged better than 17 strikeouts per every nine innings pitched.
And now this. Against Air Force, Strasburg retired the first nine batters -- and struck out seven of them (including six in a row). He allowed a leadoff walk in the fourth and the sixth and that was it. He retired the final 12 batters of the game, and just to go a bit beyond Tinsletown, he struck out the side to finish off his no-hitter in the 9th.
Eric Castro caught the final pitch and then -- in a moment of exuberance -- tossed the ball haphazardly into the air. It landed to the right side of the mound as Strasburg danced off the left side flinging his glove to the grass in celebration.
The crowd, as they did the day Gwynn returned to the dugout after his final swing, screamed and leaped and roared the remarkable achievement they had just witnessed.
In Gwynn's case, they had cheered a Hall of Fame career.
For Strasburg, they cheered another magical moment. The ultimate case of an athlete rising to the occasion -- and then rising above even that into the stratosphere.

Chargers Spring Report -- Defensive Tackles

2009-05-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- DEFENSIVE TACKLES

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Saturday: Cornerbacks
Sunday: Safeties
Monday: Outside Linebackers
Tuesday: Inside Linebackers
Yesterday: Defensive Ends
Today: Defensive Tackles
Tomorrow: Offensive Line

Starters

Jamal Williams, 12th yr., Oklahoma State: If you're looking for reasons why the Charger players voted Williams as the team's Defensive Player of the Year in '08...well, there's about 348 of them. That would be one for each pound that lines up over center each week and becomes an immovable object for enemy offenses.
Valuable, indeed.
And while a season was threatening to come apart around him, Williams stood his ground and had another stellar season (though he fell short of a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nod).
The nice thing about being huge is that age isn't as much of a factor as it is for, say, players who need to keep their speed. Sure Williams just turned 33 a couple of weeks ago, but it's not like he has gotten any smaller.
Of course, stamina is an issue with the big fella, so it will be important for the Chargers to find somebody to step in from time-to-time. But when he's in there, expect that opposing teams will have trouble finding any running room up the middle.

Reserves

Ian Scott, 7th yr., Florida: At a mere 302 pounds, Scott is a veteran still looking to find his niche. Drafted by Chicago in the 4th-round of the '03 draft, he had three relatively solid seasons with the Bears from '04 through '06, playing in 43 games and making 96 tackles.
Since then, he has bounced around through the Philadelphia and Carolina organizations before finally landing last season in San Diego, where he played in four games.
If the younger players drafted to take his place don't come through, Scott could wind up sharing some time with Ryon Bingham (see: defensive ends), backing up Williams.

Newcomers

Vaughn Martin, Rookie, Western Ontario: For those wondering why the Bolts would take a flyer on a 23-year-old player with no experience in American Football (and just two years of college ball in Canada) with their 4th-round pick last month, here's the answer: because not even the great Vince Lombardi could teach size.
And this youngster has plenty of it; he's 6-foot, 4-inches tall and weighs in the neighborhood of 330 pounds.
Not only that, but most who have seen Martin play say that it is his athleticism that surprises them the most. In other words, this isn't just a big guy who can't move.
He is, however, a big guy who's going to have a lot to learn if he's going to contribute much this season. There's simply no other way, being as Martin played just one year of high school ball before attending Western Ontario.
Will he be able to learn defense with 11 players on the field rather than the 12 that play in Canada? Will he be able to deal with NFL offensive linemen when all he's ever seen is Canadian collegians?
The answers will come once training camp and the exhibition season get underway. One thing's for sure, though: watching Martin try to make the big jump to the NFL from the Great White North will be interesting to follow.

Chargers Spring Report -- Defensive Ends

2009-05-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- DEFENSIVE ENDS

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Saturday: Cornerbacks
Sunday: Safeties
Monday: Outside Linebackers
Yesterday: Inside Linebackers
Today: Defensive Ends
Tomorrow: Defensive Tackles

Starters

Luis Castillo, 5th yr., Northwestern: It's seems almost too simple to say that Castillo performed like a "fat-cat" last season. Sure we've seen the drill before -- young player proves himself, gets huge contract, gets too comfortable, and his play tails off. Nevertheless it's hard for me to believe that this really happened with a guy like Castillo.
The day he signed his big ($14-million) extension prior to last season, I interviewed Castillo and asked him if he might be able to start taking things easy. "There's no way (Maria) would let me do that," he said.
Maria is his mother. And his number one inspiration.
My guess is that it was just one of those seasons for Castillo. A season where his numbers were down across the board and his impact was felt far less than usual.
The good news is the Castillo has something to prove this season. Gotta find a way to quiet the "fat-cat" critics. And keep Maria in his good graces.

Jacques Cesaire, 7th yr., Southern Connecticut State: With Igor Olshansky gone, Cesaire is the logical choice to step up and replace him (easy joke here: it shouldn't be too hard for anyone to replace Olshansky).
The Haitian-born veteran should be up to the task. Originally signed as an undrafted free-agent by the Bolts in '03, and then re-signed by San Diego in '05, this is a guy who has had to work his up from the bottom. These kinds of guys usually sparkle when their full-time opportunity finally comes.
Cesaire started two games last year and got plenty of playing time while Olshansky played his way out of town. Cesaire will play a lot more this year if he can take advantage of his big chance.
If he can't, look for No. 1-draft pick Larry English to spend a lot more time at defensive end than he does at rush linebacker.

Reserves

Ryon Bingham, 5th yr., Nebraska: There isn't a team in the league that doesn't need a player like Bingham, who fills in nicely for the Chargers at both defensive end and defensive tackle. The guess is, this year, he'll play more end while the Bolts try to develop 4th-round pick Vaughn Martin to play behind Jamal Williams.
At either spot, Bingham isn't going to grab many headlines...but he's never going to hurt you either. Don't forget that Bingham had a big year in '07 when given the chance -- a career-high 58 tackles which earned him a pair of starts.
Don't forget, also, that Bingham qualifies as another gem discovered by A.J. Smith -- picked in the 7th-round of the '04 draft....and still contributing five years later.

Keith Grennan, 2nd yr., Eastern Washington...Andre Coleman, Rookie, Albany State...Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Rookie, Michigan State: Three young guys who have one game of NFL experience among them (Grennan played in the regular-season game last year against Indianapolis).
Also three guys to keep an eye on. Both Grennan and Coleman opened some eyes during the '08 preseason and could get a longer look this year. Nwagbuo is a 6-foot 4-inch 290-pounder who played in the Big 10. He's also a local favorite, having played his high school football at Mount Miguel in Spring Valley.
At a position that is rather thin, don't be surprised if one (or more) of the three sticks.

Chargers Spring Report -- Inside Linebackers

2009-05-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- INSIDE LINEBACKERS

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Saturday: Cornerbacks
Sunday: S afeties
Yesterday: Outside Linebackers
Today: Inside Linebackers
Tomorrow: Defensive Ends

Starters

Stephen Cooper, 7th yr., Maine: With everybody's attention on the season-ending injury suffered by Shawne Merriman, many forgot that the Chargers had to play their first four games last season without Cooper. After his breakout year in '07 when he led the Bolts in tackles, Cooper was suspended at the start of last season because he violated the NFL's policy on steroids and related substances.
Sure the Bolts managed a 2-2 start without him, but once he returned they promptly lost six of eight. Blame Cooper? Absolutely. Even though he spent much of '08 as a tackling machine, it had to be difficult for the defense to come together while its man in the middle was on the sidelines for a month.
Hopefully, for Cooper, lesson learned. He worked hard to make it into the NFL after being undrafted in '03. He worked even harder to become a starter after the Chargers re-signed him in '05. Another mistake like last year, and he could throw it all away.
Assuming that doesn't happen, the Chargers should be able to feel confident in at least one of their inside linebackers in '09.

Matt Wilhelm, 7th yr., Ohio State: Listed as a starter here, but one can imagine that there are few Charger fans who hope he stays as a starter. Regardless of what goes wrong with the Bolts on defense, Wilhelm always seems to get the blame. In a lot of ways, Wilhelm has taken over the "most-hated" mantle from CB Quentin Jammer.
The weird thing is that this veteran is a very smart player who has all of the tools to be a success in the NFL. Unfortunately, most in the organization say that Wilhelm simply thinks too much -- rather than just reacting.
Assuming Wilhelm is sharp enough to realize that his job in squarely on the line in '09, maybe he can clear his head and just go out onto the field and start knocking heads.
If he doesn't, a scenario in which Wilhelm doesn't even make the opening-day roster isn't out of the question.

Reserves

Tim Dobbins, 4th yr., Iowa State: Many may have forgotten by now, but it was Dobbins who perhaps made the biggest play of the '08 season for the Chargers, sacking Peyton Manning with the Bolts out of timeouts and forcing the punt that set up Nate Kaeding's game-tying field goal in the playoff victory over the Colts.
For a fifth-round draft choice, this is a guy who has performed rather capably for the Chargers the past three years. He has done solid work on special teams, and with Wilhelm struggling last season, Dobbins filled in admirably.
The question is whether or not he did enough last season to make anybody believe he can be a regular starter in the NFL. Put another way: was Dobbins starting last season because he deserved to start, or was he starting simply because Wilhelm was playing so poorly?
Year number four of a young player's career is usually about the time we all start finding out.

Brandon Siler, 3rd yr., Florida: So maybe A.J. Smith doesn't hit a home run with all of his draft selections, but the Bolts' GM could have done a whole lot worse with his 7th-round selection in '07. All Siler did his rookie season was earn All-Rookie honors for his special teams play from both Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers.
With that to build on, Siler was excellent on special teams again last season, and even contributed a couple of key goal-line stops when given the rare opportunity to line up on defense. Unfortunately, a foot injury kept him out of the regular-season finale against Denver and the playoff win over Indy.
Certainly, Siler figures as an afterthought at the linebacker position heading into this season. But remember, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Bolts. A guy like Siler takes a couple of big steps forward and he could wind up becoming a key contributor.

Newcomers

Kevin Burnett, 5th yr., Tennessee: Prior to last season, the Chargers inked veteran Derek Smith to bolster their inside linebacker corp. Unfortunately, Smith's tank proved to be on empty and he was released by midseason.
This time around, the Chargers have gone quite a bit younger, signing the former Dallas Cowboy Burnett as a free agent. Twice an All-SEC selection at Tennessee, and a 2nd-round pick in the '05 draft, Burnett never really gained his footing in Big D.
Though he played in all but three games his first four seasons, Burnett spent most of his time shuffling in and out of the lineup, averaging about 2 1/2 tackles per game.
The Chargers, of course, are hoping that Burnett's career will take off now that he is being provided with a change of scenery in San Diego.
Sometimes, players do flourish with a new team. And other times, a new team discovers why players didn't flourish the first time around. One thing's for sure: Burnett's college pedigree and high draft status indicate that he has the talent to make a big splash.

Chargers Spring Report -- Outside Linebackers

2009-05-04T01:19:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp just concluded, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Saturday: Cornerbacks
Yesterday: Safeties
Today: Outside Linebackers
Tomorrow: Inside Linebackers

Starters

Shawne Merriman, 4th yr., Maryland: What do you get when you combine one the NFL's most disruptive defensive forces with anger? The Chargers hope they get a 20-sack, Pro Bowl season from Merriman -- before they show him the door.
Actually, there's no guarantee that this will be Merriman's last season in San Diego, but the writing does appear to be on the wall -- and not in erasable ink. While others with less talent have been signed to long-term deals, "Lights Out" has been left out in the dark. Add to that the drafting of pass-rushing linebacker Larry English (see below), and it seems that this may be the last go-around for Number 56.
To his credit, Merriman says he welcomes English and looks forward to another dominating season. Of course, in order to do it, he'll have to prove that he's fully recovered from the knee surgery that cost him all but one game last season.
He'll also have to overcome whatever doubts he must have about his future in America's Finest City. Message to Chargers fans: Enjoy him while you can.

Shaun Phillips, 6th yr., Purdue: Most feel that Phillips can only flourish with Merriman lined up on the other side. But that's not exactly a bad thing. Scottie Pippen made it onto the list of the NBA's 50-greatest players riding the coat-tails of Michael Jordan.
Without Merriman, Phillips was limited to 7 1/2 sacks a year ago (which led the team), but few realize he had only one sack more than that the year before with "Lights Out" in the lineup. Regardless of who plays the other rush end, the Chargers would like to see a repeat of '07 when Phillips had 11 1/2 sacks and was named a second-alternate for the Pro Bowl.
Interestingly, most see English as the future replacement for Merriman, but don't be surprised if the rookie becomes the current replacement for Phillips -- who's still a valuable player, but has dropped a notch or two the past couple of seasons.
Phillips, of course, can quell the replacement talk by returning to his disruptive form of three seasons ago.

Reserves

Jyles Tucker, 3rd yr., Wake Forest: So who would you rather have locked up to a long-term, big-money deal? Merriman or Tucker? Well, of course, it's Tucker who figures to be here for the long haul.
As a result, it's time for Tucker to step up and become a force. Filling in for Merriman last season, Tucker was steady but nowhere near spectacular. He missed three games due to injury and had two or fewer tackles (with no sacks) in six other games.
The good news is that he had one of his finer games in the playoff win over Indianapolis with a season-high six tackles.
Not every NFL player bursts onto the scene during his first couple of years. But the Chargers are obviously banking on the fact that Tucker is about to become a star. If they're wrong, they're going to wind up spending too much money on an ordinary player.

Antwan Applewhite, 2nd yr., San Diego St.: Under the category of local kid done good, you can place Applewhite, who worked his way up from the practice squad to contribute steadily during what turned out to be his rookie season.
Applewhite is the kind of player -- at least at this point -- who doesn't make many waves out on the field, but doesn't hurt you out there either.
With Merriman returning, and the drafting of English, there may not be as many opportunities for Applewhite this season, but don't be surprised to see him contributing some on the defensive line -- which is where he made his mark at SDSU.

Newcomers

Larry English, Rookie, No. Illinois: It wasn't like every draft-nik had English being drafted in the first round, but since when did draft-nik's know more than A.J. Smith? This is a kid who became the only defensive player in MAC history to twice be named the conference's player of the year...Not only that, but No. Illinois has been good to the Chargers in the past (see Michael Turner).
As good as English is rushing the passer, his greatest contribution to the Bolts may be in his ability to stuff the run (not exactly a strength of Merriman or Phillips).
Of course, in order to make his mark, he's going to have to find his way onto the field, something that defensive coordinator Ron Rivera swears will happen.
If Rivera makes good on his promise (as a coach), and English makes good on his promise (as a player), this will be a No.-1 draft choice worth shouting for. If English can't find a spot...well, then, everybody will just be shouting.

Chargers Spring Report -- Safeties

2009-05-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING REPORT -- SAFETIES

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp underway, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Yesterday: Cornerbacks
Today: Safeties
Tomorrow: Linebackers

Starters

Clinton Hart, 7th yr., Central Florida CC: Without question, Hart is one of the great stories in the entire NFL...passing on college football scholarship opportunities to stay home and take care of his family after his father was jailed, Hart took the longest road possible to reach his NFL dream.
From the Arena 2 league, to Arena Football, to a free-agent tryout with Philadelphia, to NFL Europe, to joining the Chargers on special teams in 2004...and now to becoming a solid starter. Amazing. Not many guys could have done it.
The former 32nd-round pick of baseball's Anaheim Angels, Hart hasn't necessarily hit a home run with the Chargers, but he has without question been a solid contributor. Unless somebody comes along and shows a big-play, game-changing ability (something the Bolts lack at this position), Hart continues in his starting role.

Eric Weddle, 3rd yr., Utah: It's not that Weddle has been a failure in any way...but he simply hasn't yet lived up to the hype surrounding an All-American who was selected in the 2007 draft only after A.J. Smith gave up four draft picks to get him (2nd, 3rd picks in '07...3rd, 5th picks in '08).
Too often last season Weddle was the guy in the Monday morning sports page photo standing next to the opposing receiver who had just caught the game-winning pass.
Nevertheless, it may be a bit too soon to give up on this two-time Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year. Weddle still has the big-play ability this team needs, and his smarts figure to serve him better in his second year as a starter.
Just a guess...but if the Chargers are to make a serious Super Bowl run, this is one player who will have to help lead the charge.

Reserves

Steve Gregory, 4th yr., Syracuse: Don't know about you, but Gregory was one of my favorite players on the '08 defense...you can summon whatever statistics you want, but this is a guy who always seemed to be around the ball.
Whether in the dime package as a 6th defensive back, or filling in as an occasional starter, Gregory delivered some hard hits and some key plays. He should be used more this season, and perhaps push Hart for more playing time.
Gregory, like Hart, is a player you can root for...undrafted out of Syracuse in '06, he was signed to the Chargers practice squad and has worked his way from there into the regular defensive rotation.
Safety is all about instincts and intimidation...and this street kid from Brooklyn has a burning desire to get the job done.

Paul Oliver, 3rd yr., Georgia: Not necessarily in a bad way, but Oliver is almost the exact opposite of Gregory...A much-ballyhooed prep star who was rated as a No.-1 college recruit coming out of high school, Oliver had all of the combine numbers that make scouts drool: 4.32 in the 40, a 37-inch vertical leap, etc.
However, when he made an interception in the playoff win over Indianapolis, I was surprised -- because I wasn't sure he was even still on the team. That's how little impact he has had so far.
Chosen by the Bolts in the '07 supplemental draft (costing them a 4th-round pick), Oliver is the kind of talent who should be about ready to blossom.
It will serve him well if he heads into this season realizing that this might be his final chance to make his mark.

Newcomers

Kevin Ellison, Rookie, USC: To me, never a bad idea in the 6th-round of the draft to take a chance on a talented player who fell on the board because of injury...And Ellison certainly has had his share: including three knee surgeries during his college career with the Trojans.
When he was on the field, however, Ellison played well, earning All-Pac 10 honors in each of the last two seasons (he made it last year despite missing five games).
Ellison is viewed as a good run-stuffer who goes for the hard hit in the secondary (not to necessarily compare the two, but the Bolts haven't had an intimidating safety since Rodney Harrison left).
His bloodlines are solid as well...his brother Keith played one year at San Diego State and eventually was drafted by Buffalo as a linebacker out of Oregon State. Keith was drafted in the 6th-round and has played three years for the Bills. Hmmm....6th round, you say?

Chargers Spring (Training) Report -- Cornerbacks

2009-05-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

CHARGERS SPRING (TRAINING) REPORT -- CORNERBACKS

With the Chargers 2009 mini-camp underway, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position during football's version of Spring Training.
Tomorrow: Safeties

Starters

Quentin Jammer, 8th yr., Texas: In my mind, he was the Bolts' defensive MVP last season (although the players voted for Jamal Williams)...Perhaps the team's most vilified player by fans during his first four seasons, Jammer has blossomed into the shutdown corner the Chargers envisioned when they selected him with the 5th pick in the 2002 draft (don't believe me? Ask Randy Moss in the Sunday night game against New England last season).
More impressive than his pass coverage, though, was Jammer's ability in '08 to come up from the corner and make jarring tackles on running plays. He finished with 75 solo tackles, some of which knocked loose a few teeth (hey Jeff Garcia, remember?).
Signed through 2012, Jammer should be among the least of the team's concerns for the next several seasons.

Antonio Cromartie, 4th yr. Florida St.: At the head of the list of the team's concerns for '09 and beyond should be the enigmatic Cromartie, who suffered through a miserable season in '08...After electrifying the league with 10 interceptions in '07, Cromartie managed just two picks (both against the Jets in Week 3) last season. After the Jets game, he rarely even laid a hand on a pass, was beaten up-and-down the field constantly, and tackled as if he were Deion Sanders.
Cromartie blamed his poor performance on the fact that he played the entire season with a broken hip, suffered in Week 2 at Denver when the Broncos' Brandon Marshall embarrassed him with 18 receptions. Hopefully, for Chargers fans, that was the case.
Even if healthy, Cromartie needs to grow up. By anointing himself as the next Sanders and predicting an NFL-record 15 interceptions prior to the season, he put a target on his back and was riddled repeatedly.
“I'm feeling real good, a whole lot better," said Cromartie on the opening day of mini-camp. "I just want to shut up the critics. I'm getting healthy. I feel a lot more explosive than I have in the past two years.”
Hopefully, he'll say no more. And just start getting the job done again.

Reserves

Antoine Cason, 2nd yr., Arizona: For last year's No. 1-pick (27th overall), a grade of "incomplete" in his rookie season...Incomplete because nobody is yet sure whether the former Jim Thorpe Award winner will become a star in the NFL or not.
Overall, though, Cason did a steady enough job last season -- and if nothing else, he at least picked off as many passes as Cromartie did. He didn't yet look ready for full-time duty in
man coverage, and several teams picked on him when he came into games as a nickel-package cover guy.
One must remember, though, that rookies struggling some at the cornerback position is not exactly a surprise. Many make a big jump between years one and two, and the Chargers can feel at least somewhat confident that Cason will do the same.
He'll have to make a big jump if Cromartie doesn't return to his '07 form.

Cletis Gordon, 4th yr., Jackson State: Gordon had a few chances to shine in '08, but frankly he never really took advantage of the opportunities...New Orleans picked on him pretty good in the game at London, and by season's end -- despite playing in 14 of 16 games -- he was credited with just one pass deflection.
Not to give up on a guy's career too early, but I imagine the Bolts will be looking to see some big improvements during training camp. Gordon may be playing to save his job (and Chargers career) during the exhibition season.

Newcomers

Brandon Hughes, Rookie, Oregon State: Selected by A.J. Smith with the team's 5th-round pick a couple of weeks ago, Hughes it would seem could make the opening day roster with a strong camp and preseason. He was twice named All-Pac 10, and he made 40 career starts with former Chargers coach Mike Riley's Beavers.
Some may be concerned with his size (5-foot-10, 182 pounds), but there are many great cornerbacks over the years smaller than Hughes who have gotten the job done. Not only that, but Hughes brings a reputation for playing tough against the run (maybe he can help Cromartie) and bothering receivers with solid bump-and-run coverage.
On paper, the feeling is that Hughes at least challenges Gordon for the fourth-cornerback spot.

Aztec softball post, Sat. May 2nd

2009-05-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

HEADLINE: "FOR AZTECS SOFTBALL...ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO"

To some, the San Diego State softball team's season was over even before it started. That's because the Aztecs -- in trying to win their fifth Mountain West Conference title in the past eight years -- would have to do it without their ace, All-American pitcher Christina Ross, who graduated after leading SDSU into the NCAA Tournament last season.

Nobody told coach Kathy Van Wyk's team the news, however.

Behind emerging pitching stars, sophomore Samantha Beasley (Steele Canyon HS) and freshman Bailey Micetich, the Aztecs overcame a slow start (5-8) to put together winning streaks of seven and nine games and put themselves in position for yet another conference crown.

Certainly, though, the dream was going to die for good Friday night against conference-leading BYU. Needing to beat the first-place Cougars in all three games this weekend at the SDSU Softball Stadium to have a chance at repeating, SDSU was down to its final out in the series opener, trailing, 4-0.

Once again, the gutty-little Aztecs failed to get the message. Improbably rallying for four
two-out runs in the 7th-inning to tie the game, SDSU stayed alive on Jessica Camello's
game-winning single in the 8th-inning, beating BYU, 5-4, and snapping the Cougars' 16-game win streak in the process.

The two teams meet again today (Saturday) in a 1 p.m. double-header. BYU (35-18, 8-1 in conference) still has the inside track to the title. But two more wins today by the Aztecs
(32-16, 9-3) would pull them even in the loss column and give them the leg-up on another championship.

None of it would even be possible were it not for a rather impossible rally Friday night.

Held to just two hits through 6 2/3 innings by BYU's Christie Zinanti, SDSU had the bases empty with two outs in the seventh. One more out, and the MWC title would change hands.

But freshman pinch-hitter Ashley Rose singled. Shortstop Jen Wisneski followed with a single, and center fielder Brittany Knudsen was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Another pinch-hitter, Chrstine Kulick, walked to force in a run and make it 4-1.

Catcher Erin Floros, an All-American for SDSU two seasons ago as a sophomore, drilled a
two-run single...and when BYU center fielder Angeline Quiocho bobbled the ball, pinch-runner Felicia Reifschneider (Morse HS) came around all the way from first and tied the game, 4-4.

After Micetich retired BYU in the top of the eighth, left fielder Tonye McCorkle reached on an error to start the bottom of the eighth. McCorkle stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored the winning run on Camello's (Temecula HS) one-out single.

The comeback complete, the Aztecs live to fight another day. A day in which they must win two more. Don't anybody tell them they can't do it.

What Sayith Merriman??

2009-04-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well....actually we all know what Shawne Merriman said. It went something like this: "I am thrilled that we drafted Larry English! The more the Merrier, man!"

The better question is: what is Merriman thinking these days? After all, the Chargers just used their first-round draft choice on his (presumed) replacement.

How would you feel if the boss introduced you to the guy who was going to come in and take your job? "Hey Bob...we know you're the best VP of Sales we've ever had...but this is Tony...and very soon we expect him to be the best VP of Sales we've ever had...have a nice day!"

Chances are you'd be pissed. Chances are you'd have every right to be.

I've got to believe that somewhere in the back (or more likely the front) of his mind, Merriman isn't exactly thrilled about the Bolts' draft-day developments. When you're the most disruptive defensive player in the entire NFL, and you've worked your tail off to come back from a
season-ending injury, you don't expect the team you play for to start planning for your demise.

But that's exactly what the Chargers have done. Though they've said repeatedly that the drafting of English is all about making what should be a scary pass rush even more dangerous...it's pretty obvious to me (and should be to you as well) that the writing is on the wall.

And the wall reads: Shawne Merriman is no longer part of the Chargers future after this season.

Maybe that's OK. After all, it's no guarantee that Merriman will return from his knee surgery as the dominant player he once was...and having English behind him will provide a nice insurance policy. Furthermore, we know that Merriman will be a free agent after the '09 season and chances are he will command millions of dollars (and them some) to re-sign in San Diego. With English in the fold, the Chargers won't be forced into over-paying to keep him.

However, in my mind, this is faulty logic. And here's why: stated or unstated, Merriman is basically now in the position to have to play for himself this season. Knowing that his days in San Diego are all but over, it will be imperative for him to put up big sack numbers (regardless of how many games the Bolts win, or how many tackles he makes, Merriman's free-agent bounty will directly be linked to his sack total and nothing else).

Is this the kind of player you want leading your defense?? Perhaps, the Chargers feel that a
20-sack season from Merriman will help them get where they want to go. But in my mind, it's a guy who's focused on the success of the entire defensive unit -- and not his stats alone -- that would be far more valuable.

Either way, let's give credit to Merriman for his initial public comments. He said the PC thing by welcoming English into the fold. Imagine if Merriman had the frail self-confidence of former Denver QB Jay Cutler. The draft selection of an additional pass-rushing linebacker would have created a Broncos-sized circus.

The way it is now, Merriman will have to share the center ring with an up-and-coming talent nipping at his heels. And he'll have to deal with a ring-leader (A.J. Smith) who seems anxious to drive home the message that his star (and future Hall of Fame?) linebacker will not be welcome in these here parts much longer.

And while it's true that there aren't many guys out there as tough as Shawne Merriman, I think he'll have a tough time handling it.

I No Comprende' English...Ello, Apr. 28th

2009-04-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday for the past several Autumns, I have gone to church.

No, not the church that frowns upon gays and lesbians...or pre-marital sex and adultery (when it's convenient)...and not the church where whatever sins you do feel like committing will be forgiven with a kneel and an excuse.

I've never gone to that church and never will.

I've gone to the church where failures simply are not tolerated and sins can never be forgiven. The church of the bottom line -- wins and losses.

The Church of A.J. Smith.

I haven't really gone to pray...or to ask forgiveness because I missed a game while out shopping with the wife...or even to complain. Mostly I've just attended with reverence for the General Manager of the San Diego Chargers -- the master of the draft, the all-knowing definer of football talent, the Messiah of trades and free agent pickups.

Gotta say, though, after what transpired this past weekend, I'm starting to lose faith.

Do you understand why the Chargers would use their first-round draft choice to select a player who plays a position that the team is already loaded at? Because I sure don't.

Before the draft ever began I said that no team in the NFL would improve during this off-season as much as the Chargers would...regardless of who was drafted, traded or signed. That's because the Bolts will be adding the most disruptive defensive player on the planet to their roster for 2009.

Supposedly fully recovered from the knee injury that cost him just about all of last season, Shawne Merriman's presence immediately turns the Chargers into Super Bowl contenders. Lined up with bookend pass rusher Shawn Phillips on the other side of the line, San Diego will be able to bring more heat that a mid-April afternoon in Jamul (see last week's weather report for confirmation).

With the pass rush back in order, the last thing San Diego needed was another pass rusher. But in drafting outside linebacker Larry English out of Northern Illinois, that's exactly what the Chargers got.

Of course, the the world's wimpiest media -- located here in America's Finest City if you weren't sure -- could not contain itself after the first-round selection, practically doing cart-wheels and firing off bottle rockets to salute the Chargers (formerly brilliant) front office.

To me, the selection makes absolutely no sense. In fact, it looks a whole lot like what the (confused) Padres did with their first selection in last summer's Major League Baseball draft. Despite the fact that their best player (Adrian Gonzalez) is a first baseman, and their top prospect (Kyle Blanks) is a first baseman, the Padres drafted -- a first baseman.

What the hell??? I was banging my head into a wall after that pick, and now I've bloodied my forehead again after the Chargers unexplainable decision.

Not that they haven't tried to explain it. Said Director of Player Personnel Jimmy Raye (who?): "You can never have enough good football players, especially trying to put heat on the quarterback."

Oh yeah? Well I guess you could have 11 great players putting pressure on the quarterback if you wanted to...but it's not going to do you much good if there's nobody back there behind them to cover receivers. And frankly -- even with only three guys rushing -- we already know that the Chargers can't cover receivers.

Said Head Coach Norv Turner: "We felt a real urgency to create situations where we can put more pressure on the quarterback and obviously getting Shawne Merriman back will help us greatly there, but adding a rusher we thought would certainly help us."

Genius!! You mean the Chargers felt that getting Merriman back would greatly help them? But that adding (another) rusher would certainly help them?

Who was doing this draft? Matt Millen? "Yes...we felt that if we could stockpile top wide receivers in the draft for about a decade, our passing game would be unstoppable....Offensive linemen? Quarterbacks? Well, yes, but we do have a bunch of great receivers."

Look, perhaps Larry English will turn out to be a great player. I hope he does. But even if he does, this first-round pick still makes no sense.

Of course, some would say that English will make for a great insurance policy if Merriman is not healthy...or if Merriman is let go after his contract runs out next season.

Maybe so. But I say that Merriman will be back, and with him back, Phillips will regain his mojo on the other side. And if that happens, how exactly is English going to contribute this season?

Other teams may feel like they have the luxury to let a first-round pick rot on the bench for a season and learn. But when you're the Chargers, and your window to the Super Bowl is quickly closing, you need to add a player who can help you now.

And I don't think there's much argument that the Chargers have plenty of holes that need repair -- inside linebacker, defensive end, safety, offensive line just to name a few.

Pass-rushing outside linebacker, to me, did not seem to be that desperate of a need. Of course, the Chargers (who think they know everything) think differently.

I guess I just don't understand English.

The Spotlight's On A.J. Again....Ello, Apr. 24th

2009-04-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

So A.J. Smith has turned into the Kathy Ireland of swimsuit modeling. Once beautiful, but now not quite as easy on the eyes.

For several years, the centerfold spread in the NFL Draft's Monthly. But now no longer a candidate for the cover story.

Washed up and worn out. You can try a little botox here, a nip-and-tuck there...but there's simply no way to cover up the bumps and bruises. Not enough cosmetics to make choices like Buster Davis, Eric Weddle, Antonio Cromartie, Paul Oliver, Anthony Waters and Jacob Hester disappear.

This weekend, the lights will shine brightly on Smith again as the NFL convenes for its annual rite of passage in New York's Radio City Music Hall. It's a place where the Chargers General Manager used to bring down the house year after year. The curtain calls were endless and the stage was showered with bouquets at the great man's feet -- and feats.

This time around, however, he'll be lucky to still have a spot dancing in the chorus line.

Chargers fans disappointed by the lack of impact players selected by Smith over the past couple of seasons have every right to be concerned about what the Chargers will come up with this weekend.

However, to be honest, your spotlight is directed in the wrong place. Rather than focusing on Smith, it's the players themselves that should be more carefully scrutinized.

There's an old saying in the NFL that the quarterback gets too much credit when a team wins and too much blame when a team loses. Not only is this a popular saying, but it happens to be the truth.

Here's another truth: General Managers get far too much credit for good draft, and far too much blame for bad ones.

Sure Bill Belichek and Scott Pioli in New England have starred in recent years, but there's no way either of them can honestly take credit for the discovery of Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 draft -- after 199 players had been taken ahead of him. If either Belichek or Pioli really knew how great Brady was going to be then why did they themselves pass on him at least five times?

On the other hand, you can blame the 49ers all you want for wasting the No. 1 overall pick in 2005 on quarterback Alex Smith...but the problem with that logic is that everybody has Smith pegged as the No. 1 QB on the board that year. In essence, the 49ers practically had to take Smith.

The bottom line is -- at least in my way of thinking -- is that the failures of A.J. Smith's recent picks lies more with the picks themselves than it does with the man who picked them.

Players like Davis, Weddle, Cromartie -- and the others -- are all remarkably gifted athletes who simply have not performed to the level of their capabilities. It's not like the Chargers were the only teams in the NFL who thought these would all be great players.

Brady, of course, is the most magical example of the following axoim -- but there are dozens of others. And the axoim is that no matter where a player is picked on draft day, it is what he does after he's drafted that matters most.

You could say that it's up to Smith -- and all of the other General Managers -- to know what these youngsters are going to do once they're brought into the fold. But if that were the case, there wouldn't be a single Hall of Famer in Canton, Ohio, who was drafted after the first or second round.

And we know that this simply is not the case.

Smith, of course, could work himself back into the local fans' good graces if things work out this weekend -- but obviously none of us will really know whether or not he has been successful until a couple of seasons go by.

One thing I do know, however. Smith will work as hard as anybody to make sure everything turns out right.

The question is whether or not the players he selects will work as hard as he does.

At Least Pads Still Have Miss USA Runner-Up...Ello, Apr. 21st

2009-04-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Let's take a quick break from the early-season party that is the Padres' 9-4 start and remember why, these days at least, we can't stand this franchise in the first place.

Correct me if I'm wrong...but it all comes down to money and the Friars inability to: A.) pay to develop good players... B.) pay to acquire good players... C.) pay to keep the few good players that they do have.

All of this belt-tightening has us feeling rather lousy about the Local 9 -- despite the hot start.

But losing the likes of Trevor Hoffman, Shane Victorino, Jason Bay, Gary Matthews Jr., Derrek Lee, Milton Bradley, Ramon Hernandez, Geoff Blum, Mike Cameron, Khalil Greene, Mark Loretta, Randy Wolf and (soon, we imagine) Jake Peavy will look like nothing if the Padres let their biggest ticket item get away.

Along with now being the most famous Miss USA runner-up in history, and America's hottest lightning rod for controversy, Carrie Prejean has -- for the last couple of years -- been a member of the San Diego Padres.

Well, to be exact, she has been a member of the Pad Squad...and chances are she has fired a
T-Shirt or two in your direction between innings at Petco Park.

Now that you're aware of this...what's more important to you? Finding a way to keep Peavy or Prejean?

Well...let's put it this way. If this season turns out the way most expect it eventually will and the Padres are an also-ran by August...I'd rather watch Carrie chuck T-Shirts in a half-empty ballpark than watch Peavy chuck and duck.

With the money the Padres can save by dealing Peavy, they can hook up the hottest item in America to a long-term deal. I mean, really, who cares about wins and losses anyway?

Of course, by keeping Prejean, the Friars' gay and lesbian following may take a hit...but who would you rather have as the face of the franchise? A young lady strong enough to believe in her convictions under intense pressure or an outfielder who -- when the going gets tough -- beats up young ladies.

Agree with her or not, it took a lot of guts for Prejean to answer as she did the other night during the Miss USA pageant when she was asked about gay marriage by (celebrity?) judge Perez Hilton...Personally, I don't agree with her, but it's refreshing to see someone who's not afraid to be politically incorrect...Meanwhile, it took no guts at all for Brian Giles to hit and shove his girlfriend to the ground.

For now our attention is (and should be) on the Padres' play on the field. It has been a fun start to the season.

But when the dog-days of summer arrive, let's hope we at least still have Carrie. With her schedule now busier than ever the former Vista High student will not be able to tend to hjer Pad Squad duties as often as she has in the past.

The Padres have to make sure they don't let her get away for good.

First Month Full of April Fools...Ello, Apr. 20th

2009-04-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

So you and everybody else loves October baseball...yeah, yeah...big deal...long season, then long playoff series'...then the calendar turns to November...it starts snowing or raining for three days somewhere...and then the World Series.

Don't know about you...but all I remember about last year's Fall Classic is that the final game took longer to play than a cricket match...should have called it the Winter Classic.

Anyway...as for me...my favorite time of the baseball season is April...right now...Why? Because this is the month that makes all the experts look like idiots. (Being as I'm clearly no expert, I get a certain amount of joy out of stuff like this).

Examples: Well, of course, the Padres are one....Which expert was it exactly who pegged the Padres for maybe nine wins before the All-Star break?? Same guy -- or gal -- I assume who had the Friars taking 2-of-3 from the unbeatable Mets and then 2-of-3 from the defending World Champion Phillies. On the road, no less.

Marlins opening the season 11-1?? Can't tell you how tired I got reading about that over and over during Spring training.

Last-place finishers in the American League?? Pretty sure I saw where the
Rays-Indians-Angels trifecta was a better bet than Lindsay Lohan staying sober.

Just when is it, by the way, that Peter Gammons is going to finally come clean and tell us that truth be told, he's really just as dumb as the rest of us?? Probably the same day he admits knowing that the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang would be dazzling the American League with a
34.50 earned run average...or that the greatest Red Sox hurler of them all, Daisuke Matsuzaka, would be on the shelf with a 12.79.

I must have missed it, but I'm certain Tim Kurkjian called Brandon Webb on the DL with a 13.50 and also had the Cy Young-World Series MVP Daily Double pegged by coupling Cole Hamels and his 11.17 ERA right along with him. Hamels couldn't even hold a 7-1 lead against the Padres.

Here are some more: Jason Stark's blog predicting that April's batting leader would be the Nationals' Christian Guzman at a robust .515...And ESPN's Buster Olney breathlessly telling us that young stars like Alex Gordon (KC, 2-for-21 .095), Gervany Soto (Cubs, 2-for-19 .105) and Alexei Ramirez (Chisox, 5-for-40 .125) would all come crashing down to earth.

It really is amazing how much time we all waste listening to these guys...and even worse, how we're duped into believing everything they say.

You know...I hope April never ends. Think I can get the Padres to join me in that?

Early candidate for stupidest free-agent signing...goes to the Cubs who piled the dough up for outfielder Milton Bradley...Bradley already has more times out of the lineup (two -- one for a pulled muscle, I think, and another for a suspension) than he has hits (one).

My choice for April's MLB Player of the Month...already belongs to Padres closer Heath Bell. Sure the seven saves and perfect ERA are nice, but they're far from the reason he gets my vote.

Bell loudly (and correctly) called out ESPN (and all of their geniuses) for totally ignoring the 27 teams not named the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets. Bell said there's no reason for him to tune into the Worldwide leader any longer because he likes to see what's going on in baseball, not just what's going on in New York and Boston.

It's about time somebody (other than me) had the guts to call out ESPN's one-coasted coverage of what (I thought) is called the National Pastime. When history's keepers of the grand-ol' game change it to the Anything-North-of-Baltimore-and-East-of-Pittsburgh Pastime...well, then I'll start tuning in again.

Either that, or when one of the geniuses in Bristol can correctly predict what's going to happen in baseball during the month of April.

Stuff that doesn't matter, some that does...Ello, Apr. 18

2009-04-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

"The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!"...The lines are from the
(not-quite-a) classic Steve Martin comedy, "The Jerk"...(caught some of it STARZ last night, by the way).

The idea of the scene is that what matters little to most -- or all -- or us, means the world to "The Jerk," his name actually being in print finally validating his existence.

Same goes with the release of the NFL schedule...only in this case, you're all "The Jerks," and I'm the one who understands (correctly) that is means little...."The NFL Schedule is here! The NFL Schedule is here!"

Yeah...so what?

Now we know the Chargers will open their 2009 quest in Oakland, against the Raiders...Then they're home for Baltimore and Miami...Then there's a whole bunch of more games before the regular season ends January 3rd at home against Washington. (By the way, if they keep ending the season later and later, the Super Bowl one day will be played on the 4th of July).

And now we have all of the "experts" in the NFL world breaking down every team's schedule and determining what it all means. "The Chargers have to play Dallas, the New York Giants and Pittsburgh!".....Oooooooohh! "And they play at Philadelphia, and play at Cleveland in December where it will be cold!"....Oh, oh!

My goodness, what are they going to do??...Well, my best guess, is that they'll show up every Sunday or Monday wherever the schedule tells them to, and they'll try to win the games.

End of story. Or is it?

Breathlessly, the experts have figured out which team has the hardest schedule (Miami) and which has the easiest (N.Y. Giants)...and that means, well, what exactly?

Not much. If it did then why bother figuring out who supposedly had the toughest schedule in the NFL last year? Answer: the Super Bowl champion Steelers.

Speaking of things that don't matter, the NFL draft is now just a week away, and all of the
draft-niks are warming up their projection sheets....Who will go No. 1 to the Lions? Who'll be picked 19th? Or 27th?

When somebody can tell me who'll get the next Tom Brady in the 6th round, or tell me which team will by savvy enough to sign (defensive player of the year) James Harrison as a free agent because he's not drafted at all...then maybe I'll start paying attention.

Until then, the whole affair is like trying to pick numbers in a lottery. Teams could do just as well closing their eyes and pointing to names in Steve Martin's phone book.

I do have one draft prediction, however: the team that will improve most from last season to next season will be the Chargers...Not because of anybody they draft next weekend, but because they will welcome back a supposedly healthy Shawne Merriman for '09.

No team will find anybody with that much impact in the draft, no matter how hard they look or how much attention they pay to Mel Kiper.

You can go ahead and continue to love Lance Armstrong if you want to, but one of these days you will get your heart broken. (Just like Sheryl Crow).

Armstrong says he may be barred from this summer's Tour de France because -- his explanation -- the people over in Europe can't stand him. (If true, by the way, kudos to the people over in Europe).

But here's the real reason why Armstrong may not be allowed to compete: Tour officials showed up unannounced at Armstrong's residence and asked him to take a drug test (completely legal, under the rules that govern the sport).

Armstrong said "sure," then disappeared for over 20 minutes, spending most of that time in the shower. Did he just want to look squeaky-clean for the authorities? Or was he increasing his chances of testing squeaky-clean?

You go ahead and decide. Me? I already decided a long time ago on Armstrong. In a sport where every single decent Tour competitor has flunked drug tests over the past decade, I simply can not believe that Armstrong was the only top-flight cyclist who was riding clean.

He has never tested positive for anything (and he reminds of this fact constantly)...but neither has Barry Bonds.

As is always the case, the NBA will get exactly what it wants for this year's NBA Finals -- Kobe and the Lakers versus LeBron and the Cavs. Can it possibly turn out any other way?

Of course, it can't.

And just in case Kevin Garnett does try to make a comeback at some point during the
post-season, believe me when I tell you that David Stern has Jeff Gillooly's phone number on speed dial. One good whack on the knee from Tonya Harding's former husband, and the Celtics will be finished.

We know you don't care much about hockey, but at least the Stanley Cup Playoffs aren't rigged. Sure some teams are better than others, but there's really no way of knowing which two teams will meet in the finals.

My guess is Detroit versus New Jersey...Two teams that have goaltenders that have been there many times before....(By the way, it's too bad you're not watching the playoffs -- or don't know where to find them -- because the Chicago-Calgary game on Thursday night was a blast).

Just how long will the Padres be able to keep this magical early-season run going? My best bet is mid-May or so...the good news is that just as the Friars are falling, the NCAA college baseball tournament will be getting underway.

Don't look now, but both San Diego State (No. 15) and USD (No. 24) are ranked and have a good shot at post-season play. My wish would be for both to win their opening-round regionals and then face-off head-to-head in a 2-out-of-3 Super Regional...with the winner going to the College World Series.

For guys like me who care about the minor sports in San Diego -- and enjoy following them -- an SDSU-USD showdown with everything at stake would be fantastic.

Strasburg Clutch As Aztecs Blank Lobos 1-0

2009-04-17T23:29:00.000-07:00

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO--Nothing could stop Stephen Strasburg on Friday night at Isotopes Stadium. Not the University of New Mexico Lobos. Not the frigid weather. Not even the pack of student cheerleaders who formed a picket line in front of the dugout in the middle of the 7th inning, preventing Strasburg from taking the mound for a few minutes. (OK, they were performing a routine, but it sure looked like a picket line). And by the end, the Lobos and their fans were howling in dismay as the top-hitting team in the NCAA was blanked on their home field by college baseball's best pitcher.

In a tense, nail-biting game that started with 42 degree temps and randomly mixed mist and freezing rain, Strasburg pitched his first complete game shutout of the season as the 15th ranked Aztecs (26-13, 9-4) edged the Lobos (28-11, 8-5) 1-0. Brandon Meredith launched a solo homerun deep into the left-field picnic section to lead off the top of the 4th, and that lone run held up to win thanks to Strasburg's brilliance, grit, and determination. Throwing 129 pitches, Strasburg allowed 7 hits, walked one and struck out 14. In doing so, he passed Mike Erb (SDSU '85-'87) for 2nd place on the all-time SDSU strikeout list (301 career K's), and trails Bruce Billings by just three for the all-time school record (304).

But Strasburg's dominance was tested multiple times on Friday, and the Aztecs' ace responded each time with his biggest and best pitches. In the 5th, miscommunication on a foul popup between Meredith and Erik Castro (1 for 3, 8 game hitting streak) allowed a catchable ball to drop off the bat of Lobos' left fielder Adam Courcha. The next pitch was ripped well over 400 feet to left-center field for a leadoff triple. Strasburg knuckled down and retired Daniel Gonzalez on a weak grounder to third before striking out Mike Brownstein (leading Divison I in hits) and Max Willett to end the inning. Counting those two punchouts, Strasburg struck out 7 of 8 batters to cruise into the 8th.

Meanwhile, Lobos' senior left-hander John Hesketh mixed and matched a sinker and slider to keep the Aztecs' bats as cold as the weather. Hesketh allowed just Meredith's homer in 7 innings, striking out six while giving up 5 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings. 2nd year New Mexico head coach Ray Birmingham then ran out his four top relievers to get the next six outs, offering Strasburg no margin for error.

In the bottom of the 8th, Strasburg was tested once again, as Gonzalez lined a fastball to the opposite field for a leadoff single. After a sacrifice and a groundout, DH Ryan Honeycutt, who entered the night batting .464 on the season, lined a two-strike fastball to left field for a base hit. Even though the ball got right to Brandon Decker in left field, Gonzalez was waved home by third-base coach Ken Jacome, and Decker's two-hop throw beat Gonzalez by several feet to home, where Erik Castro blocked home plate and completed the 7-2 putout to end the inning.

The last gasp for the Lobos came in the 9th when cleanup man Rafael Neda delivered a clean single to left field to put the leadoff man and tying run on base. After pinch-running, Lobos' coach Birmingham decided to give up a precious out by sacrifice once again, moving the runner Monger into scoring position. Monger then stole third, once again putting the tying run 90 feet away with less than two outs. But with his pitch count rising, Strasburg dug deep for a finishing kick. He whiffed all-MWC outfielder Brian Cavazos-Galvez on a slider in the dirt, and then got first baseman Justin Howard to come around on another slider to end the game.

The game ended with celebrating Aztecs and chirping Lobos. Several New Mexico players came out of the Lobos' dugout to bark at the SDSU players as they were exchanging handshakes and high fives in the center of the diamond. Coaches and players from the Aztecs responded and while there was no confrontation to speak of, the intensity is likely to be cranked up even a notch higher for Saturday's 5pm (PDT) game. Jon Berger will throw for San Diego State, and I'll have the radio play-by-play at www.goaztecs.com.

NOTES: the Aztecs dodged a jam and an injury scare in the bottom of the 2nd inning. With two outs and runners at 1st and 2nd, Courcha hit a flyball into foul territory down the right field line. Cory Vaughn came in and gloved the ball, but failed to call off 2nd baseman Mitch Blackburn, who wound up colliding with Vaughn and knocking the ball loose. Blackburn then catapulted over the 3-foot fence in right and fell into the empty first row of the stands, landing hard on concrete. Blackburn was shaken up for a few moments but continued in the game without further incident. The folks at Isotope Stadium might consider putting up a guardrail for the players to avoid catastrophe...New Mexico entered the game with a .376(!!) team average, leading the NCAA in average, hits, doubles, and triples...they had never scored fewer than 2 runs in a game this season before getting shut out by Strasburg...Pat Colwell ended an 0-13 skid with a double in the 7th...the 15th ranked Aztecs improved to 11-2 on the road this season.

Podcasting Issues

2009-04-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

For those who might have wondered why there haven't been fresh podcasts since Monday, understand that actually there have been TWO fresh sets of podcasts, but somehow Chris and I managed to screw them up with our lack of technical know-how and render both sets unlistenable. Danny Simmons' value to us is re-inforced every time we knuckleheads try to take matters into our own hands. So, this is a message of patience, we still have ghosts in the machine, but really hope to have things running more smoothly when I get back from 'Querque.

Travel/Preparation

2009-04-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

ALBURQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO---Gray skies, mini snow flurries, and howling winds greeted the Aztecs as they arrived here for a critical three-game conference showdown with New Mexico. The team (and it's announcer) flew in yesterday afternoon on Southwest, with a turbulent bumpy landing that led pitching coach Rusty Filter to rename our flight choice "Knuckleball Airlines", and led head coach Tony Gwynn to consider the merits of making the 11-hour drive instead of the 90-minute flight.

The team immediately went from the airport to the University of New Mexico to stage a practice, using the team's half-astroturf, half-grass field. Coach Gwynn placed a screen inside the batting cage, behind the plate, and then sat on a chair behind that screen, instructing his hitters not to hit the ball out of the park (not an easy feat, given the icy but blasting wind, mile-high conditions, and inviting fences). Instead, the hitters were told just to work on their swings, the plane of the bat traveling through the strike zone, and hitting the ball the other way. Trying not to do too much at the plate is a constant refrain from the coaching staff, pounding the message home to try and counter the natural, youthful tendency to pull and hook the ball in search of a homerun. It was a good practice to help acclimatize the young kids into the thin air while also getting the blood flowing after a day of travel.

What's there to do in Albuquerque? Well, I'm sure there's something, but it doesn't exist around the team hotel. The Drury is actually very nice, with a hot, free breakfast buffet and complimentary wings and drinks for Happy Hour. It just happens to be in the middle of an industrial complex. I asked the clerk at the front desk where the nearest sundry store was. He told me it was "a block" down the street at a Chevron station. 1 mile+ later, I found it, after walking past dozens of empty office buildings. Oh, and there's a Clear Channel radio multiplex across the street. Yay, dark reminders!

This morning provided a fascinating glimpse into Coach Gwynn's teaching style. The team bused to the Albuquerque Baseball Academy after breakfast, an indoor hitting facility. After 7 or 8 rounds of BP, Gwynn huddled the team around a video monitor, where the Academy had frame-by-frame recordings of the swings of various MLB players.

"Head behind the ball, head behind the ball," said Gwynn, "doesn't matter who you put up there (on the screen), you'll see their head is behind the ball."

Up popped Joe Mauer, A-Rod, Giambi, Soriano, Carlos Lee, and others. Sure enough, at the point of contact, the head was always behind the ball, the arms were extended in the hitting V, the eyes were watching the ball into the hitting zone.

"Look at the bat plane through the zone now," as the next frames clicked into place. "Flat. Flat. Flat. Look at the knob of the bat. The knob of the bat goes to the ball, the barrel follows. Watch."

The video of A-Rod would back up two frames, and there it was. The knob, then the bat barrel.

Next, Gwynn asked the video tech to put up some different players. Derrek Lee, bad bat plane, rolling over on a fastball and hitting a grounder to third.

"See? That's the bad, low bat plane I get on you guys about, and look at the result."

Then, the video tech had to smile at the next group of hitters Gwynn asked to see on the screen. The tech said, "nobody's asked us to look at the David Eckstein video before!"

But there was little Eck, with the Cards, taking (as Gwynn put it) "97-mile-an-hour cheddar" to right field.

"Here's a Punch and Judy guy, but look again. Head behind the ball, he's choking up on the bat, but the bat plane is flat, and he takes that pitch (a Bartolo Colon fastball) on a line into right field."

I've always heard about Gwynn's exploits as "Captain Video", but to watch it in person as a lesson imparted to his hitters was fascinating for a seam-head like me.

The last message delivered to the team was one of focus, heightened awareness, staying on the little things that lead to success, and trusting your ability. I don't know what SDSU's results will be this weekend in New Mexico. I do know that they are ready to play. Catch all the action on goaztecs.com, I'll have the call at 5pm (Pacific Time) tonight and tomorrow, and 11am on Sunday.

Flat Bats Shut Down By Bruins

2009-04-15T09:04:00.001-07:00

NOTE: this is cross-posted from the all-new www.619sports.net...check out the "dot net" later this afternoon for all-new fresh podcasts!

A cold and windy night at Tony Gwynn Stadium saw the Aztecs hit two solo homers but not much more in a come-from-ahead 7-3 loss to UCLA. The 15th ranked Aztecs gave up five runs in the 8th inning, a frame keyed by an error and two big hits, two-run doubles from UCLA's Eddie Murray and Blair Dunlap. But while a casual observer might pin the loss on some shaky relief, or Ryan O'Sullivan's late error, head coach Tony Gwynn pinned responsibility on a lineup which has struggled to string together hits for three consecutive games.

"I kind of thought we were flat tonight," said Gwynn after the game, "and when you're playing a team like UCLA, you've got to put runs on the board, it's that simple. We let them hang around, hang around, hang around, and the error set up the big inning, but you've got to give them credit."

UCLA junior right-hander Garrett Claypool was touched up for a wind-aided solo homerun by Mitch Blackburn in the 1st inning. Cory Vaughn's blast to deep center field in the 2nd, his 7th longball of the season, gave the Aztecs a 2-1 lead. But from there Claypool was outstanding, allowing just three hits over the next four-plus innings, while striking out a career-high eight. Claypool allowed 5 hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking none.

The Bruins tied the game at 2 in the 4th on Tyler Rahmatulla's RBI single off reliever Andrew Leary. Nate Solow started the game for SDSU but went only three innings, a precautionary move set up by the shoulder troubles of senior starter Jon Berger. With Berger questionable for his Saturday start in New Mexico this weekend, Gwynn decided to hedge his bet by limiting Solow's work on Tuesday night, leaving him potentially available for another start against New Mexico this weekend.

In the 6th, the Aztecs broke through to take a 3-2 lead. Brandon Meredith ended a 1-for-12 mini-slump with a double to right, chasing Claypool from the game. Lefty reliever Matt Grace was greeted by an RBI single off the bat of Erik Castro, putting SDSU in front. But a Cory Vaughn double-play ball ended the inning, and put a cap on the Aztecs' offense for the remainder of the night. Grace wouldn't allow a hit over the next two innings.

Senior reliever James McLaughlin stranded three runners in two innings of relief, but tired in the 8th, when the Bruins mounted their fateful rally. Chris Amezquita led off with a clean single to left, and with one out, Rahmatulla hit a chopper to the to the hole at shortstop. Ryan O'Sullivan, who dazzled with a pair of outstanding plays early in the game, fielded the ball, but as he spun to throw to 2nd the ball popped out of his glove for an error. Justin Uribe followed with a bounding ball gloved by a diving Mitch Blackburn at 2nd base for an infield hit, loading the bases.

Eddie Murray then timed a McLaughlin slider and lined it over Josh Chasse's head in left field for a two-run double, putting the Bruins on top 4-3. Kegan Sharp relieved McLaughlin and got Niko Gallego (son of long-time A's infielder Mike Gallego) to ground into a fielder's choice, with Uribe run down between 3rd and home. But the chance to end the inning down only one evaporated when Dunlap took an outside fastball to right-field for another two-run double, chasing home Murray and Gallego to make it 6-3. A surprise two-out bunt single by Gino Aielli capped the five-run uprising for UCLA.

From there, Grace and former Rancho Buena Vista left-hander Gavin Brooks sent the Aztecs home empty-handed, and left Tony Gwynn with an empty feeling when thinking about his team's offensive output.

"The truth of the matter is, offensively we have to take responsiblity for that game. You have to generate more than three runs, or the possibility of what happened tonight can happen."

Gwynn was concerned coming into the night about the Aztecs feeling fat and sassy about their top-15 ranking in the country, but his pregame and practice warnings to the team about keeping their edge apparently went unheeded.

"All of a sudden you're ranked, all of a sudden you win a couple of games in a row, all of a sudden offensively it's not that difficult to put runs on the board, you start to get comfortable, and then bang! You get it shoved down your throat. If you ask any one of those guys, we talked yesterday about getting a little complacent, a little happy with what you've accomplished already, instead of putting the pedal to the medal and grinding. This was a game as a staff where we felt we didn't grind enough, so hopefully it's a lesson learned. Now we go into the weekend in New Mexico, an offensive park, where we'll have to put runs on the board, so hopefully this is a lesson learned."

The Aztecs are now 25-13 on the season, heading to Alberquerque this weekend for a three-game series that will determine first place in the Mountain West Conference. The Lobos and Aztecs are tied atop the MWC at 8-4, with TCU a game behind. I will have the play-by-play on www.goaztecs.com, starting Friday at 5pm with Stephen Strasburg on the mound.

hat tip to goaztecs.com for the Tony Gwynn quotes, you can see his entirepostgame interview here.

NOTES: The Aztecs received a mixed bag of injury news prior to Tuesday night's game. Right-fielder Cory Vaughn returned to the field, after being held to DH duties for the past three weeks with a sore right elbow. Freshman first baseman Jomel Torres also returned to the lineup and went 0-2 at DH, after missing two weeks with a foot injury. However, Jon Berger's shoulder continues to leave a question mark hovering over the weekend rotation. Berger will be re-evaluated today after throwing on the side yesterday. Either he will make his regularly sheduled Saturday start, or Tyler Lavigne will be moved up into the Saturday slot, with Nate Solow coming back on Sunday. Also, DH Blake Silguero was hoping to mark his return to the lineup on Tuesday after missing a month with a broken hamate bone in his left hand. However, Silguero aggravated the injury during batting practice and was unable to play...Pat Colwell had reached in 33 of the first 35 games for SDSU, but has gone 0 for his last 10...Erik Castro extended his hitting streak to 6 games with a 2-for-4 evening...O'Sullivan continued some dazzling defensive work with a pair of highlight plays at shortstop, making a running over-the-shoulder catch of a Dunlap popup in the 3rd, and robbing Gallego of an infield hit with a charging grab and sidearm throw in the 5th.

Enjoy the Hot Start, People...Ello, Apr. 14

2009-04-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Look...we all know what you're thinking. But stop thinking it.
Sure, sure...the Padres are 6-and-2, have won five in a row, and are sitting atop the National League West. But it's all just a mirage, right?
A dream from which we will all soon awaken.
So why bother? We know this movie is eventually going to suck. The reviews were terrible across the board.
But you know what? Here we are...and the opening credits actually seem quite enjoyable. Maybe it won't turn out so bad after all?
Maybe it will. Probably it will. But -- at least for time being -- why not grab a box of popcorn, kick your feet up, and have a little fun?
Jody Gerut becomes the first player in major league history to christen a brand new ballpark with a home run. Put a little extra butter on that nugget and chomp away.
Nick Hundley smacks out four hits to wrap up a three-game sweep of the Giants and sprays hits all over Petco Park against the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. How'd you like another shake of salt with that, Mr. Lincecum?
Chase Headley has already homered twice and brings with him great promise for the future. Grab another handful, and don't even bother with the napkins.
See? Feels a little better doesn't it?
Go ahead and save all the piss and vinegar for later on this season. For now, we've got a burgeoning box-office smash on our hands.

One thing everybody forgot when they painted the Padres into the basement prior to the start of this season: nobody -- and I mean nobody -- can find no-name pitchers in the bushes better than Padres GM Kevin Towers can.
Frankie De La Cruz? Edwin Moreno? Luke Gregerson? Edward Mujica? I thought they were all clowns from the Tijuana rodeo. Turns out nobody in the National League is laughing now.
After four one-hit innings last night at (the new) Shea, the San Diego bullpen now has a 1.19 ERA for the season. Among the entire bullpen crew -- which also includes Duaner Sanchez, Clay Meredith and Heath Bell -- only Mujica has allowed a run.
Say what you want about this trade and that trade...whine endlessly about the payroll...wonder where all the young hitters are...but never question Towers when it comes to finding arms.

It's early, but I doubt any day the rest of the season will be sadder for baseball than Monday...first we lose one the game's most iconic voices, Phillies play-by-play legend Harry Kalas...then we lose one of the game's most entertaining players, Tigers pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych...
For those who don't remember, every team in the big leagues used to be identified by the famous voice behind it -- Jack Buck (Cardinals), Ernie Harwell (Tigers), Mel Allen (Yankees), Red Barber (Brooklyn), Bob Prince (Pirates), Chuck Thompson (Orioles), Curt Gowdy (Red Sox), Harry Caray (Cardinals...then Cubs)...and let's not forget Jerry Coleman (Padres).
None call games anymore, and most are gone.
Kalas will never be forgotten in Philadelphia. But his passing reflects another piece of the majesty of the National Pastime slowly being torn away from our memories forever.
As for Fidrych, perhaps you had to grow up when I did to fully appreciate his magical hold over the game during his one brilliant season, in 1976. I was a high school freshman when "The Bird" started talking to the baseball and house-cleaning around the mound.
No player since has looked like he enjoyed playing the game the way Fidrych did.
A film of Fidrych in action should be shown to every single "corporate" ball-player who steps into a clubhouse from here on out.
Kalas should narrate.

The Future of 619 Sports...

2009-04-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

...has arrived.

Introducing, www.619sports.net!

The website is still going through some kinks and will continue to be developed, but Chris, Danny and I are very excited about what we will be bringing you in the coming days, weeks and months.

RIGHT NOW, you can go check out our first-ever series of 619 Sports Topically Targeted Podcasts. Surf around the site, hit the different tabs...you'll find Chris and I talking Padres, Aztecs, the Masters, and more! None of the podcasts are overly long, as our goal is to entertain you without taking all day to do so.

What about this blogspot? For a while, we will cross-post here with our blog content, but the podcasts will all be at "the net". Eventually, this site will point to that site, and the transition will be complete.

My personal thanks to Danny Simmons for hours of hard work behind the scenes to help create and maintain the new site. Danny is our hidden MVP! Also a major tip of the hat to Scott Horvath at SDSU for all his continued help and advice.

We're really excited about this, a chance to re-connect with our audience and bring you our daily thoughts via both the spoken and written word. We hope you enjoy www.619sports.net, and please tell all your SD sports loving friends!

TravelBlog: 5 Days On The Road

2009-04-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

It was a productive week for SDSU Baseball, and an interesting week for yours truly. Five days spent traveling to Long Beach and Las Vegas with the team saw the Aztecs produce a 3-1 record, improving to 25-12, 8-4 MWC. What did I see? Let's review...

TUESDAY

Back in my hometown. We arrived early enough at Blair Field for me to take a "soul stroll", wandering Recreation Park and visiting some places I knew as a child. A playground where I used to play. An outdoor pavilion that was part of my preschool. The old "Bruins Den", where my dad's MG club used to meet every Thursday. It was a positive and enriching experience. I felt reconnected to some old walks from my youth. The weather was beautiful that day and the feeling of peace and comfort being in a place of familiarity was great. It only took 30 minutes or so but honestly those were 30 of the better minutes I spent this week.

I already wrote up the thrilling game that followed, with the Aztecs winning 4-3. It was Tony Gwynn's first win at Blair Field as SDSU coach, he was 0-7 previously. Prior to the game, Tony activated the positive karma by sitting down with a group of Little Leaguers, the Long Beach Aztecs. Tony sat and talked to the kids for around 20 minutes, 2 hours prior to game time. He signed autographs and took pictures.

My favorite moment was right when he sat down with the kids at a picnic table behind the Aztecs' bullpen. He asked the kids to tell him about their team. They all shouted out in near unison:

"We're undefeated!!"

Tony asked, "so you know what that means, right?"

One kid answered right away: "we're gonna lose soon?"

So funny.

Bob Keisser of the Long Beach Press-Telegram mentioned this meet and greet in a weekend column. All I can say is it is yet another example of the enduring class and grace of Tony Gwynn, a treasure for both his hometown of Long Beach and his adopted town of San Diego.

After the game, the energetic ride home included a stop at In N' Out for a double-double, protein style, add mustard and onions.

WEDNESDAY

"30 minutes!!"

That's what Coach Gwynn announced as the bus door swung open in Barstow. Lenwood Road is the long-accepted waystation between SoCal and Las Vegas, replete with every fast food eatery known to man. Most of the players and coaches chose In N' Out, but no matter how much I love my lettuce-wrapped meat treats, I just couldn't in good concious bring myself to eat there twice in three meals. So I walked across the windswept parking lot to what I now know to be The Worst Subway In The United States.

Three pimply white kids were manning the counter. The first was just tearing the bread and throwing down the meat, but he seemed to have a very hard time understanding the simple orders of the multiple people in front of me. The second was doing produce and the register, but he kept wandering away, even with a big line. The third was just making lunch for himself. Right as I arrived a customer was returning his sandwich because there was some mistake with the order. This threw a new monkey wrench in the line schematic. Then, I stood there with my footlong turkey on wheat waiting in limbo, sans produce, the Three Amigos of the Subway all stood behind the counter, with their backs turned to the line, talking. About what, I don't know. A few minutes later, Mr. I Made My Lunch Instead Of Yours turned around and grabbed some gloves.

"Ready for me now?", I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "I suppose".

22 minutes after walking into the store, I was hustling across the parking lot with my sandwich, hoping I wasn't the last one on the bus.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

After we checked in at Hyatt Place I hustled over to Caesar's Palace to play in a poker tournament, the one and only chance I would have to play in a tournament during my Vegas stay (the baseball games would inconvience my tournament dreams the rest of the trip). I wound up playing about 6 hours and finishing in 6th place, which was worth a small prize. Afterward, I was hungry and looking for something to eat. You think of Las Vegas as a place where you can get whatever you want whenever you want, but that was pre-recession. On this late Wednesday/early Thursday, I walked through Caesar's and the Bellagio and found, well...nothing. The former 24-hour eateries were closed. Row after row after row of gaming tables were empty, except for the dealers, who were essentially being paid to stand in place and then shift three steps to the right every 30 minutes. You could have literally fired a bazooka down the middle of these two casinos without loss of life. It was a depressing scene. A town built on indulgence, without the indulgent, is teaching Vegas casino owners the meaning of easy come, easy go.

The good news, personally, was that the excellent pizza joint across the street from our hotel was still open when I got back, after 1:45am. Two slices to go, thank you very much! Joe's Pizza By The Slice is Vegas' answer to Bronx Pizza in Hillcrest. VERY good.

THURSDAY

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is right across the street from Hyatt Place, where the Aztecs stayed in Vegas. I was surprised at how small the place was, but enjoyed the vibe nonetheless. Very VERY casual, lots of good tunes. The poker room was practically empty, though, another sign of boom and bust. In this case, the poker boom led every casino to add their own poker room. Then, the recession ended the poker boom. Now, Hard Rock's very cool 25-table poker room had one short-handed game going, and three dealers who would throw cards for 30 minutes, then stand around for an hour. Just another sign of a city's economy in huge trouble.

I already wrote up Thursday night's game in my Vegas post below. Let me add the pictures to verify what I described in terms of wind effects. It was a testament to the SDSU pitching staff that on both days when the wind was howling, the games still didn't get out of hand.

Thursday night I wandered the Strip for awhile and found more emptiness, and maybe part of the problem for Las Vegas in terms of a business model. The hotels and casinos have dropped their rates to try and attract customers. So, there is the promise of a $45 hotel room, a reduced plane flight into Sin City, etc. But now, try to find a decent meal under $20 on the Strip. Good luck. Everything is overpriced. Even the Subway at one of the cheaper casinos mocked their customers with their $10 footlongs. $5 for you at every other Subway in America, but here it's $10. Combined with table after empty table with $25 price point blackjack and $15 craps, it sure felt like Vegas was asking people to show up on the cheap but then pay through the nose. And the people weren't buying it, hauling up plastic grocery bags to their discount rooms with stuff bought at the CVS or Wal-Mart. The casinos need to start rethinking their price points if they are going to drop their room rates.

FRIDAY

The one guy who seems to be doing things right in Vegas, a cabbie was quick to remind me, is Steve Wynn. He was profiled tonight on 60 Minutes, and even though he said that if he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn't have built the ultra-luxury Encore, Wynn is one of the few moguls who isn't leveraged up to his eyes in debt. I have to say, I really appreciate the atmosphere Wynn creates in his hotels. Much like The Mirage, when you walk into the Wynn there is a wonderful floral smell and a beautiful veranda to wander. The casino itself speaks of quiet class, with everyone in suits and ties and no blaring music. Kind of the Anti-Hard Rock. I very much enjoyed their poker room. You can sit down and order basically anything you want. I asked the server for a menu and was handed a tiny flip card with burgers, sandwiches and salads. The locals at the table told me to ignore it completely and order anything I wanted. One woman asked for a grilled cheese sandwich, cheddar on whole wheat, pickles added, with a side of barley soup. The guy next to me told me that they made a great red clam chowder, so that's what I ordered. And it was brought to me promptly for $5 (best priced meal of the weekend short of Joe's Pizza) and was indeed really, really good. The game wasn't too kind to me but the people and the hotel/casino certainly were.

The baseball game that night was a study in resiliency for the Aztecs. Pregame forecasts of rain did not materialize. Instead, the wind was again howling straight out on another dry and cold night. SDSU jumped ahead 5-1 thanks to some miserable UNLV defense, but the offense was mostly shut down by freshman right-hander Tanner Peters. This 6'0", 140(!) pound pitcher was aggressive in the strike zone all night with a fastball, slider and offspeed pitch. I was very impressed by his tenacity and stuff. He will be a thorn in the Aztecs' side for years to come. Thanks to Peters' inspired pitching, the Rebels stayed in the game, then broke through to take a 6-5 lead in part thanks to a bad hop single that almost hit shortstop Ryan O'Sullivan in the shoulder after he thought he was going to catch the ball. Ryan otherwise played a brilliant defensive game, making a number of outstanding plays.

Thankfully, UNLV's horrible bullpen rescued defeat from the jaws of victory, as SDSU used one hit, two walks and three wild pitches to score three runs in the 8th, and they held on for an 8-6 win behind Addison Reed, who picked up his NCAA-leading 12th save in as many tries. The game ended on a bad call, as UNLV outfielder Rance Roundy was called out at first on the tail end of a double play, when he beat the throw to the bag by a full step. The first-base umpire, Asa Howard, made the call and then just turned and walked off the field. Howard didn't make many friends in Vegas during the three-game series.

SATURDAY

Cabbies can tell you exactly what's wrong with Vegas. As I was driven through an empty parcel of half-developed land behind the Strip, a cabbie told me how Harrah's is on the verge of bankruptcy, because they grew too fast, bought too much, and got too deeply leveraged in debt. Now, half-built casinos are sitting there, waiting for a revenue stream that's unlikely to return for a while. Right in the middle of this wasteland, the one tiny local casino/bar that refused to sell to the big guys, the Stage Door. The picture I found on the Net is 2 years old. The new sign says "21 Years Left On Our Lease!", a big F-you to the casinos trying to buy them out. I can report that the 1/4 pound hot dog and Miller Lite is still $2.5o, just like it was in the pic two years ago. Good for you guys, may you last all 21 years before getting swallowed by the big fish.

Vegas makes you sick. I'm convinced of that. It's a confluence of factors: the dry air, the casino "smoky but smoke-free" air, and the constant, deliberate disruption of biorhythms. What time is it in Vegas? If you weren't looking at your own timepiece, you'd never know...and that's by design. I woke up Saturday morning dried out, my nose stuffed, my throat scratchy. Then I went to the hotel's mini-workout center and put in 25 minutes on an elliptical machine. The sweat loosened everything up and by the end I felt great once again. So that's my mini-tip for Vegas: mix in a couple of workouts, you'll feel much better.

Mother Nature made it tough for SDSU to complete their three-game sweep of UNLV. The howling wind and dry conditions were replaced on Saturday by a very San Diego-esque combination of clouds and intermittent sprinkles. The gray, moist day also saw the wind do a 180-degree turn, blowing in for the afternoon finale. As such, three or four balls the Aztecs hit that would have gone for homeruns the day before got cut down for outs on this day. The infield, though, was still rock hard and fast, much to the chagrin of Aztecs' sinkerballer Tyler Lavigne. The Vegas native and JC transfer saw a handful of grounders shoot through that uber-fast infield for singles as part of a 4-run UNLV first inning. Lavigne settled down from there, and the Aztecs started on the comeback trail, eventually tying the game at 6 on Chris Wilson's solo homerun to open the 8th. But the Rebels mounted a three-run rally against tiring reliever Craig Rasmussen in the bottom of the inning, and UNLV wound up escaping with a 9-6 win, spoiling the Aztecs' dreams of a perfect 6-0 record against the Rebels this year.

After the game, the team showered up and boarded the bus for the long drive home. Before leaving Vegas, we stopped at a shopping center for dinner. I grabbed a salad from Vons and walked it over to the Del Taco where most of the team was eating. There, I saw another example of what it must be like to be Tony Gwynn. The Aztecs' coach was sitting there, munching on chicken soft tacos with the coaching staff, dissecting the loss, when local after local came by gawking.

"Hey aren't you Tony Gwynn?" "What are you doing here?" "Did you make the Hall Of Fame?" No matter how pissed he was about the loss he had just suffered, Tony put on a smile and answered, shook hands, and left the random taco eaters with a positive image and memory. It's gotta be tough to be a person who has experienced the ultimate highs in MLB, and yet still wants to be an average guy, sitting with his coaching staff in a Del Taco dining room. You just can't do it. You can't escape your past. Tony has found a balance where he can accept that attention while still remaining as grounded as any other person you might meet. He just has no airs about him whatsoever. As if there was any room left in my Tony Gwynn Respect Bin, I added a new respect for the way he simply handles who he is and what he has decided to pursue. There's very little that is glamorous about the life of a college baseball coach, even a Hall Of Fame college coach.

On the Road with SDSU Baseball

2009-04-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

I join you from my hotel room in Las Vegas, feeling just about the way most people feel the 3rd day they wake up in this town: worn out and dehydrated. There is something about Sin City, between the dry, desert air, and that bizarre smoky-yet-not inner casino air, that just sucks the moisture right out of you. But enough about me. As Tony Gwynn said on the bus last night, this is a business trip, and the Aztecs have taken care of business so far, winning last night's opener against UNLV by a 15-4 count at windswept Earl Wilson Stadium.

As the bus pulled up to the stadium yesterday, the flags atop the press box almost served as a taunt as well as a warning: Abandon Hope, All Ye Pitchers Who Enter Here. The three flags were starched in the 35+ MPH breeze, all three pointing directly out from home plate to center field. The tiny flags circling the outfield fence all seemed to be pointing directly out, no matter which field you looked at. Any contact that got up in the air was going to be trouble. The Aztecs' counter-offer was a pitcher who doesn't allow much contact, Stephen Strasburg.

Strassy wasn't bad by any means last night, but he wasn't in supreme command either. The Rebels touched him up for 7 hits in 6 innings, but Strasburg still struck out 13, walked only one, and held UNLV to one run. His fastball was getting hit a little bit, so Stephen relied on the slider to help him through. It also looked like his mechanics were a bit off, as Strasburg was getting out in front and yanking some pitches way off the plate. But in the end UNLV was still no match for college baseball's best.

It was on offense where the Aztecs made the most headway on Thursday, with the bottom of their order erupting to score seven runs. Easton Gust and Ryan O'Sullivan not only had three hit nights, but both used the whole field and played their best offensive games of the season. O'Sullivan is the kid this SDSU coaching staff would love to get going with the bat, and he looked sharp last night, hitting an outside fastball to right-center for a double before pulling a single in his next plate appearance.

Erik Castro continues to maul opposing pitchers. He got a fat pitch in the middle innings and absolutely lost it in the night, blasting a three-run homer that simply disappeared. I can't tell you if it was wind-aided or not. The ball might have just vaporized. Pat Colwell and Brandon Decker also continued their fine table-setting, with both extending their hitting streaks, to 11 and 13 games respectively.

Today the Aztecs went right back to UNLV for batting practice, and they will play game two of the weekend series tonight at 7pm on www.goaztecs.com. Jon Berger, the changeup specialist, gets the ball against UNLV freshman Tanner Peters. Berger struck out 10 over 8 innings, allowing just one run in his first matchup with the Rebels this year. He will be tested by the conditions today without question. Last year SDSU and UNLV played an 18-16 game here...but as long as the Aztecs keep putting up the big run totals, their pitching staff should have enough to at least limit the windswept damage against an overmatched Rebels squad.

A Great Night for SDSU Baseball

2009-04-08T09:20:00.001-07:00

Certain games in baseball give you the feeling that something special is happening with a team. Such a game took place last night at Blair Field, as the Aztecs walked a tightrope from Long Beach to Seal Beach and back again, somehow emerging with a 4-3 win over Long Beach State to improve to 23-11 on the season. The Aztecs dialed up one clutch pitch and defensive play after another, overcoming their own miscues and some tough relievers in the Beach bullpen. They showed remarkable resiliency after giving up the lead in the 8th inning. And freshman Brandon Meredith took another big step forward, not just with his bat but with his glove as well.

Blair Field is a hallowed ground for youth and college baseball in Long Beach, and it's also quite a pitcher's park. 348 down each foul line, with lots of foul territory, heading out to 400 feet straight away, with a 10-foot concrete fence. You don't expect to see many homers there, which is what made Brandon Meredith's two-run shot to open the game even more impressive. He worked a 3-1 count, got a fastball grooved to him, and launched it to straightaway center, the ball bouncing on the top of the fence right at the 400 sign before heading into Recreation Park beyond the fence. 2-0 Aztecs.

Goldy Simmons started for SDSU and struggled badly with his command. Simmons turns his back slightly to the hitter as he reaches the top of his windup, and combined with a 6'5" frame, those mechanics seem to lead to some erratic pitches. When Goldy was on target, his fastball crackled and popped the corners, but when he missed it was usually by feet, not inches. Somehow, Simmons danced through 3+ innings, stranding two runners at third base and six overall. James McLaughlin pitched long relief from there, allowing the tying run (which was credited to Simmons) in the 4th but nothing more over 3 1/3 IP.

The Aztecs, meanwhile, were robbed of one or more runs in the 5th when freshman outfielder Brennan Metzger made a leaping, lurching grab in the gap to deny Erik Castro an RBI double. There was no denying Cory Vaughn in the 6th though...he took a fastball and blasted it well out of Blair Field, bouncing onto Deukmejian Way beyond the park boundaries. 3-2 SDSU after six innings.

From there, it was one Houdini act after another for the Aztec pitching staff. In the 6th, a leadoff single followed by a sac, but the runner left at second base. In the 7th, very speedy outfielder Jordan Cassas hit a leadoff double and was moved to third with one away. Chase Thomas came in, and the left-hander got cleanup man T.J. Mittlesdaedt to pop out to catcher, before Andrew Leary entered the fray. LBSU first baseman Steve Tinoco looked to tie things up with a hard single to right field, but Meredith dove to his right and grabbed the ball on a shorthop right before it got past, then scrambled up and beat Tinoco to the bag to end the inning. Great Play!

Things got even dicier in the bottom of the 8th, as Leary allowed a leadoff single, and Beach then executed a perfect butcher boy play, with reserve catcher John Hill singling to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Taylor Krick followed with a flyball deep enough to left field to score the run, but Brandon Decker dropped the ball, tying the game at 3 and giving LBSU runners at first and second with nobody out. Leary, in a clutch moment, dialed up three straight outs to preserve the tie.

In the top of the 9th, the Aztecs once again leaned on their igniter, as leadoff man Pat Colwell drew a walk. Then, with Decker at the plate, LBSU's catcher tried to throw behind Colwell and pick him off, but his throw sailed down the right field line. Colwell got up and went to 2nd base, and then a wild pitch from Beach closer Charlie Ruiz put him at third with one away. With the infield in, Brandon Meredith delivered again, lining a fastball cleanly over shortstop and into left-center field for the go-ahead RBI single. 4-3 Aztecs, with Addison Reed coming on in search of his 11th save in as many tries.

But on this night, nothing would come easy. Reed was squeezed by the home plate umpire in both of the first two at-bats of the 9th. Ahead 0-2, he could not get the call and wound up walking leadoff man Devin Lohman, who then stole 2nd base. Mittlesdaedt's grounder to deep short was then thrown away by Ryan O'Sullivan, the error putting the tying run at 3rd and winning run at 2nd base with nobody out. But Reed did not falter. He got Tinoco on a comebacker to the mound, freezing the runners, then struck out Metzger on a slider in the dirt. With two away, Hoime's fading foul ball down the first-base line was tracked down by a stumbling Meredith, who fell but managed to grab the ball on his way down to the earth. Aztecs win it 4-3!! LBSU stranded 13 runners on the night, including 4 at third base, and they had another runner thrown out between 3rd and home.

SDSU will board a bus in a couple of hours to head to UNLV. They will do so with a 23-11 record and all the confidence in the world after pulling out another big road victory, improving their road record to 8-1.

Aztecs take 3 of 4 from UC Davis

2009-04-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

While you never feel great about losing to a 4-21 team, taking three out of four in a weekend series is never a bad thing. The Aztecs showed great promise at the plate in the first two games, but struggled in the final two, overswinging at times and reverting to some old habits. Erik Castro continued his amazing hitting tear, and other than a poor start from Nate Solow on Sunday, the pitching staff was outstanding as usual.

The biggest bugaboo for the '09 Aztecs has been the ability to shrug off a poor defensive play. SDSU is 2nd in the conference in fielding percentage, but it seems that they let their defensive miscues turn into big innings more often than not. That was the case yesterday, as one pitch after Pat Colwell broke the wrong way on a flyball and turned it into a two-out bloop single, Solow grooved a fastball for a three-run homer.

At 22-11, the Aztecs now face four games on the road this week, tomorrow at Long Beach State and Thu-Sat at UNLV.

UPDATE: Baseball America moved the Aztecs UP in the rankings to #18 this week.

Highlights, courtesy of Scott Horvath and Goaztecs.com:

Game 1: 14-0 SDSU at Petco Park

Game 2: 9-5 SDSU at TGS

Game 3: 5-3 SDSU

Game 4: 6-5 UCD

The Bleakest of Seasons?

2009-04-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Recently Chris Ello wrote that he could not remember a year in which less was expected of the hometown nine, our San Diego Padres. Between the payroll slash, the departure of Trevor Hoffman, trade of Khalil Greene, and the assemblage of rag arms cobbled together from the waiver wire, there's a lot to get unexcited about with the 2009 Pads. But is it really the bleakest of years? I wanted to go back to the year I remembered as one in which, on Opening Day, I knew the team had NO CHANCE of winning. The final year at Qualcomm Stadium, 2003. Let's compare, shall we?

Look back at the 2003 Padres roster, by following this link through to Baseball Reference. The first thing you may notice is the pure quantity of names on the roster. The Padres used 27 different pitchers that season, with the back end of their pitching staff in a near-constant state of flux. Sound familiar? With Trevor Hoffman sidelined by surgery, Brandon Villafuerte and Jaret Wright got the first cracks at the closer job, and both failed miserably. The bottom two slots in the rotation amounted to an open tryout, with Kevin Jarvis spending most of the year on the DL, and castoffs like Brian Tollberg, Mike Bynum, Clay Condrey and Roger Deago alternately trying and failing to stick in the big leagues.

On offense, for the 2nd straight year, Phil Nevin got injured in spring training, this time falling while trying to learn the outfield (man, that's funny thinking back, how the Pads actually were going to put Nev in the outfield and try to get away with it). Nevin had been moved to make way for uber-prospect Sean Burroughs at third base. Burroughs and Xavier Nady were the exciting young hitters in the lineup, and veterans Rondell White and Mark Loretta were there for support. Ryan Klesko was the star batter for San Diego.

Now, let's look at 2009 for the Padres. There are a number of similarities, certainly on the pitching staff. While the 2009 team has two established starters in Peavy and Young, the 2003 team had more young, exciting arms in Peavy, Oliver Perez, and Adam Eaton. They were going to take their lumps in 2003 but offered promise for the future. There is little promise for the 2009 group, however, because we know Peavy is as likely to be traded as anything else this year. Beyond Chris Young, you can take Shawn Hill, Kevin Correia and Walter Silva and put them in the same bag as Carlton Loewer, Kevin Jarvis and Clay Condrey. Shake 'em up, pour 'em out, none of them are going to deliver positive results on the mound.

Offensively the '09 Padres have a rock to lean on in Adrian Gonzalez, who is better than any Padre hitter in 2003. Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff still have the possibility of improving to the point where they become solid performers, so you can put them in the Burroughs/Nady mold. I would rate the '09 prospects ahead of the '03 guys on offense, just because we know in retrospect that Burroughs was a bust. Then, you're into a group of marginal talent. Jody Gerut in '09 vs. Mark Kotsay in '03. David Eckstein vs. Mark Loretta. Gary Bennett vs. Henry Blanco. Not much to choose from or to distinguish one group from the other.

And here's one more similarity between the two years: in 2003, the Padres were working toward something, namely the closing of Qualcomm and the opening of Petco Park. There was the promise that something better was on the horizon, and that fans would just have to suffer through a lousy year in the meantime. In 2009, it's a little more hazy of a target, but the Padres are working toward a time when Jeff Moorad takes full control as owner, and the team can start to rebuild its place in the NL West. In the interim, it's 5-for-$5 food deals and value pricing, in the middle of an economy that's WAY worse off now than it was 6 years ago.

In 2003, the Padres made it to June as the WORST team in baseball. They quite famously lost two out of three to the Tigers in early June to fall to 18-43, the worst record in baseball. Remember, that was the year the Tigers finished 43-119, one loss away from the all-time MLB record. Then, Rod Beck came out from a trailer outside the Cubs' AAA Iowa ballpark and resurrected his career for the final time, sweating his way to a 20-for-20 saves performance down the stretch. "Shooter" helped rescue the Pads from 100 losses, as they finished 64-98.

What will 2009 offer? Just about the same, I'd expect. There won't be any Rod Beck sightings, and there is no new ballpark to get excited about. The Padres' offense will depend on the development of Headley and Kouzmanoff, but their pitching staff is a lost cause beyond the few holdovers from better times. So to answer Chris's open question, I'll say that while this may not be the least anticipated year in Padres' history, it's on the list.

619 Sports will be at Petco Park today for Opening Day coverage, so look for my reports from the ballpark later today.

Long Day, Good Day

2009-04-04T21:41:00.001-07:00

I'm gonna crash early tonight after announcing a doubleheader at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Aztecs beat UC Davis twice today, 9-4 and 5-3.

Game one was a convincing victory for SDSU. I was very impressed with the team's offensive approach, particularly the big three of Meredith/Castro/Vaughn. They did a great GREAT job working the count, taking pitcher's pitches, and making the starter give in and come to them in the strike zone. Jon Berger really helped out the staff with his first career complete game. He twirled a "nifty" 11-hitter, but once again walked none. Five straight starts for Berger without a walk, and a 2/40 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Well done.

Game two seemed to be played in cruise control. The Aztecs just didn't have the same energy after their earlier win and in particular I felt their focus at the plate was lacking. UCD threw a little soft-tosser named Chew who should have been racked around but instead managed a quality start. Luckily for SDSU, the Aggies are REALLY bad on offense, so even though Tyler Lavigne was missing badly with location and struggling, he still danced through six shutout innings. Middle relief struggled, but Addison Reed came on for a four-out save, his NCAA-leading 10th of the year in 10 tries. It was one of those games that wasn't that great, but it's a win in the standings and can be quickly forgotten about.

Tomorrow the Aztecs will seek to complete the four-game sweep of Davis, the game will be on AM-1360 at 1pm. Chris and I will call all the action once again.

I'm going to be spending a LOT of time with this team the next few weeks, so be prepared for a lot of material about the Aztecs. Road trips to Long Beach, Vegas, and New Mexico in the next two weeks.

Of course I missed the entire NCAA Final Four, were the games any good?

Aztec Highlights from Petco Park stomping of UC Davis

2009-04-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

A great time was had by all as the Aztecs romped over UC Davis today 14-0 at Petco Park. Strasburg had a very pedestrian 6 SHO IP, striking out only six while walking two. He got squeezed early by the home plate umpire, and the Aggies were swinging early and getting some groundouts in the 2nd and 3rd innings. His heater was clocked as high as 99 on the stadium radar. Overall though a yawner game for Strasburg.

It was the offense that had a big day today: Castro 2 HR, 6RBI, Vaughn 4-4, O'Sullivan HR. Check out all the highlights courtesy of goaztecs.com, including the play-by-play from Chris and I! All you have to do is click here. Enjoy!

Connect/Disconnect

2009-04-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today's SDSU/Padres doubleheader at Petco can be seen with a ticket ranging from $16-$36. If you're going to stay for both games, I guess $16 isn't bad. But I've never felt that baseball was a game you could charge a high price to attend. It's just way too random.

I remember vividly the last time I overpaid for tickets. It was also my one and only ticket bought from a scalper. Mitzi and I went to Dodger Stadium on July 13th, 1996 to see Hideo Nomo during Nomo-mania. The Dodgers were facing the Giants, and a rookie left-hander was on the mound for SF. This was as near of a sure-thing as you had in baseball. We paid $20 for $8 bleacher seats, and proceeded to watch Nomo and the Dodgers get shut out by Shawn Estes and the Giants 7-0. The team played horribly. Looking back at that boxscore (click through the link above), MAN what a nondescript Dodgers team that was! Chad Fonville, Greg Gagne, Tom Prince and friends couldn't handle Estes, who whiffed 11 in one of the best starts (as it turned out) of his career. The highlight of the night was the Popeye's Chicken that we brought with us, and the hilarious sight of Antonio Osuna trying (and failing miserably) to work on throwing a changeup in the LA bullpen. He couldn't get the grip right and every once in a while he would just throw it off the bullpen gate. At Dodger Stadium that's a big metal gate, so while people were just snoozing in left field or bouncing the beach ball, every once in a while there would be a loud BANG! and sure enough it was Osuna trying to throw the change again.

What is the point of this little eddy of baseball fun? You NEVER can predict a great baseball game. Sometimes the game just stinks. Sometimes the home team gets shut out on four hits by somebody you've never heard of, somebody who doesn't turn into a Hall-of-Famer, just a journeyman. Sometimes they kick the ball around and get picked off first. Even the very best teams have these games.

So that's why baseball HAS to be the most affordable major league sport, by far. You've just got to be able to go to a game on the cheap, walk up and buy a bleacher seat for $8, sit in the stands and laugh at the names of the players. This town has had enough bad baseball to know this. It's finally taken the economic depression, combined with the local malaise, for that connection to be made.

The Padres will have more of those clunker-type games, many more, than some other clubs this year. At least they have recognized this. When you see their promotional commercials now, it's VALUE VALUE VALUE! Smiling Octomom look-alike woman holding up all her calorie babies: popcorn, pretzel and cookie YAY! $5 for 5! Value weekends!

Value parking? Yeah, good luck with that one.

But if the team is going to be a non-contender with little to root for, at least you can give people pretzels and cookies and a nice night at the ballpark. That's connecting with a fanbase that has little money and little interest.

When I see the new Yankee Stadium and the Mets' new ballpark, and the AVERAGE price for a seat to see a Yankees game is now over $70...that's a complete disconnect. From the Washington Post:

Opening now, with ticket prices up to $2,625 for the Yankees and $695 for the Mets _ yes, that's a single game _ they may seem out of step with a suddenly and sharply more restrained era. But coming near the end of a ballpark boom that began with Baltimore's Camden Yards in 1992, they mark a defining moment for a sport ever caught between trying to keep modern while reverentially retooling its past.

Wow. That must have made a lot of sense 3 years ago, right after all the folks in the boardrooms laughed about how they were dragging in money hand-over-fist with Credit Default Swaps and chanted together: there is no housing bubble! Now, how does $2,695 for a seat sound? For a 9-inning baseball game? At this point just make every seat $500 and have chocolate run out of the water fountains. Gild the plastic silverware with gold.

Who's going to fill that $2,000+ per game inner ring at Yankee Stadium? I thought that was supposed to be all the Wall Street fatcats...are we going to be seeing bailout money on display behind home plate? AIG bonuses converted smoothly into popcorn, peanuts, Cracker Jack?

I've never rooted for the Yankees, and I never could. But now, their very home no longer smacks of tradition, history, championships. It's money, money, money. It's garish. Gross. Hey look at us, anyone in here's got to be golden, because we can throw down $500+ to just go see a major league ballgame! What, are you jealous of our success? The Apprentice theme is going to be piped in through the bathroom walls.

Here's to many a night of profits flushed, and some sap plunking down $975 to a scalper so he and his lady can eat a Gray's Papaya they smuggled in while watching A.J. Burnett walk six Orioles. The O's can win 7-0, and maybe someone can watch through their monocle as Edwar Ramirez works on his changeup.

A Reason To Go To Petco...Ello, Apr. 2nd

2009-04-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

I guess the easiest line of the week would be: "You better go see Stephen Strasburg pitch at Petco Park on Friday, because he'll be the best pitcher you see there all season!"

Ha, ha.

But, of course, true Padres' fans aren't laughing.

Friday is indeed the day for everybody to have a chance to come out and see the Aztecs' All-American, can't-miss, future Hall of Fame right-hander pitch for the first time in a big league ballpark. According to everyone who has ever seen a baseball game of any kind, it won't be the last time.

But after Strasburg pitches, there will be another game at Petco on Friday night, one that I have a feeling will be looked upon with far less fanfare and far more trepidation.

More on the season that nobody-seems-to-be-looking-forward-to later. But first, a bit more about our star.

Strasburg has been the subject of recent articles in Sports Illustrated (five pages, with pictures!), on ESPN (TV, website, magazine), at Yahoo Sports...and anywhere else anybody happens to be musing about the National Pastime these days.

One TV wag said that Strasburg -- who most certainly will be the No. 1-pick in this summer's MLB draft, and will most certainly command a salary in the neighborhood of $50-million -- is baseball's version of LeBron James.

With all of that fanfare, there's no doubt that curious eyes want to get a glimpse of this local phenomenon. So Friday at Petco (vs. UC Davis, 2:30 p.m.) will be your chance.

Personally, I have no idea how Strasburg's pro career is going to play out. At this point he's really nothing more than the latest great thing. Some of these guys (LeBron) live up to the expectations. But, frankly, most do not.

What I can tell you is that Strasburg has been fantastic so far. Coming out of West Hills High in Santee with little attention three seasons ago, Strasburg spent a year in a relief for SDSU before bursting onto the scene last spring with his amazing 23-strikeout game against Utah.

This season, radar guns have recorded him throwing fastballs at up to 102 mph (which really seems ludicrous, but hey, he does throw very hard)...And he's 5-0 with an ERA of a buck-fifty. He's also averaging a not-of-this-planet 19.2 strikeouts for every nine innings pitched.

He's good. Very good. And I'm happy to report, he's been just as good off the field. A down to earth kid who really just wants to be a good teammate more than anything else, Strasburg has not let any of the overwhelming attention go to his head.

He works his butt off between starts, and he works hard in the classroom as well. Though he's just finishing up his Junior season, he'll be just one class shorts of graduating by season's end.

Guided beautifully by a guy who's already a Hall of Famer, Aztecs' baseball coach Tony Gwynn, Strasburg seems to have all of his ducks in a row. He'd like to finish up this season by leading the 21st-ranked Aztecs (19-10) to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 18 years.

Then it should be on to the big leagues -- which, of course, is where the Padres presumably reside. I say presumably because in this, the 40th-anniversary season of the Friars, I'm not so sure many of us feel as if the Padres really belong.

After Strasburg is done wowing us on Friday afteroon, the Padres will begin (embarrassing us?) Friday night in their first local exhibition game of the year against the Angels.

You tell me...but I don't think there's ever been a Padres' season looked upon with as much dread as this one. In the early days of the '60's, you still had a bit of a novelty...In the '70's enough progress was made from time-to-time that fans held out at least a glimmer of hope.

The brilliance of Gwynn (along with a couple of World Series appearances) took care of the '80's and '90's...And for most of this decade, win or lose, we could at least hang around until Trevor Time.

Now it's as if there is no hope at all. Not a single preseason publication picked the Padres anywhere but 5th this year in the NL West, and the Friars were only that high because there is no 6th....Following last year's 99-loss debacle, not a single player of any substance has been added to the roster....And those that have some substance, the Padres spent the entire off-season trying to get rid of (see Jake Peavy while you still can!).

There are no dreams this season....no chance...and really nothing at all to look forward to.

Unless, that is, Strasburg takes the mound again at Petco Park on August 31st when the Nationals -- the team that figures to draft him -- come to town.

Sour Apple

2009-03-31T21:13:00.001-07:00

Disappointing. There is no shame in losing in the semifinals of the NIT, and the Aztecs are to be commended for setting the single-season school record with 26 wins (and a final record of 26-10). But I am sure that for the seniors who played their last game tonight, they are disappointed with a game in which they simply did not play very well at all.

You'd much rather get carried out on your shield than slip on a banana peel, but the Aztecs were left red-faced after 19 turnovers and numerous bad shots in the second half. You'd rather go down swishing than clanking, but Richie Williams and Lorrenzo Wade combined for 3-16 shooting (Richie 0-7), 9 points (all Wade), and six turnovers. After a first half in which SDSU turned it over 10 times, often carelessly, UCSD head coach Chris Carlson and I both thought on the halftime show that it was a good sign, as the Aztecs clearly had their best basketball ahead of them. Then, they came right out and saw the 1-point halftime deficit balloon up to 13.

At some point, after SDSU had twice rallied within six only to see Baylor re-establish their double-digit lead, the realization that this was it clearly settled into the team. The last few minutes of the game were quite forgettable. So I'm going to go ahead and forget them.

The wallpaper on my laptop is a picture of Kyle Spain, beaming, in a sea of fans, holding up one finger as the students stormed the court after the St. Mary's win. I'm going to keep that photo up for a little while, because that's how I want to remember this team, and this senior class. Their last home game is a much sweeter memory than their last game.

A Catchup Column

2009-03-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on right now, I've started and stopped three different columns this morning. SDSU basketball in the NIT today. A changing of the guard for the Padres. Aztecs baseball winning 2 of 3 at TCU and entering the national rankings. Shawne Merriman making an encouraging re-appearance at Chargers camp. Why settle for just one? Let the dots commence...

This is an exciting day for SDSU basketball, the unversity, the students, and the long-suffering fans. The semifinals of the NIT aren't the same as the NCAA Final Four, but for this school it's their greatest achievment to date. And, unlike so many San Diego sports stories that have come before, there is no Goliath currently standing in the way. Baylor is a good team, and they've been hot in the postseason to be sure. But it's not the '84 Tigers, or the '94 49ers, or the '98 Yankees across the court. It's not even the Stanford team that swamped SDSU women's basketball earlier this month. This is an opponent the Aztecs can match up against. A heavily guard-oriented team that likes to run and gun but is a bit lax on defense. If Steve Fisher's boys bring their lunchpails tonight and commit to the hard-nosed defense that has been their trademark this year, they should be able to light the flashbulbs at Madison Square Garden with some exciting plays in transition and off of turnovers. I'm expecting a really good game, and it will be up to Williams and Spain outside defensively to stop penetration by Curtis Jerrells and Tweety Carter. This is the opportunity so many of these Aztecs have been waiting for, and they are going to take advantage and get noticed on the national stage. Tune in today to AM-600 KOGO, where I will be hosting a special one-hour pregame show today at 3pm. Yeah, it's hilarious, back in the building again. UCSD head coach Chris Carlson is going to join me as an in-studio analyst for the entirety of the game.
Oh, by the way, what scares me the most about Baylor? Their hot run coincided with their switching to a 2-3 zone for the Big 12 tourney. Uh oh. The zone has been the bane of this Aztecs' team for years. Beating an old bugaboo: it's becoming a bit of a theme this postsesason. First St. Mary's, now a zone team. Time to hit some outside shots, Spain/Wade/Williams. And if DJ Gay could hit another three this YEAR, now would be the time.
Up until the ceremonial changing of the guard between John Moores and Jeff Moorad on Thursday, this was shaping up as one of the bleakest preseasons in the bleak history of the San Diego Padres. Now, at least, the feel changes for 2009 and moving forward. Sandy Alderson is gone, and that's an instant plus, on the field and in the important field of public perception. Whatever good he did while he was here, Alderson will be remembered as the man who ran out Trevor, treated Khalil Greene like a bad schoolboy, alienated the team from its fans, and handled the players like some bizarre bespectacled vice-principal. Between Alderson's autocratic rule, the bizarre who's-in-charge configuration of the front office, and the Moores' divorce, the Padres were caught in a death spiral. Moorad stops that. The team's going to be bad this year, there's little doubt about that. But instead of feeling like an endless slog, at least we'll be able to say 2009 is the start of something, namely the Moorad Era in San Diego. An owner who was an agent himself, who understands the value of premium talent, who's not going to bait-and-switch his scouting department into taking a bargain-basement bust with the #3 pick in the draft this summer. It will be something to keep in mind while you're choking down your $5 food-o-rama at Petco Park this summer, watching Eulogio De La Cruz walk the bases loaded.
Baseball America has Tony Gwynn's Aztecs at #21 this morning, as the boys wake up in Santa Barbara and get ready to battle the Gauchos this afternoon. Chris Ello has the call at 2pm on www.goaztecs.com. I watched all three games from TCU on my laptop last weekend, and was not surprised to see another 9th inning uprising on Sunday. Four times this year, SDSU has rallied in their final at-bat to win, and they turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in Fort Worth on Sunday, claiming the series from 16th ranked TCU and establishing themselves in the national rankings. This will be an exciting and challenging week for the Aztecs. A home-and-home two-game set with the 20th ranked Gauchos begins today, followed by a four-game weekend series against UC Davis. The Aggies series will feature Strasburg pitching at Petco Park on Friday afternoon, and a Saturday doubleheader at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Chris and I will call three of the four games on XTRA 1360 this weekend, while the 2nd game of the doubleheader will be exclusively on goaztecs.com. This should be a good week, in that what is really being challenged is the Aztecs' depth in the rotation, and they should be able to roll out O'Sullivan, Simmons, Strasburg, Berger, Lavigne and Solow without asking the bullpen to really get taxed.
So Shawne Merriman says he "feels great and looks amazing"? Good news for Chargers fans, and a great excuse for me to link to Stephen Colbert's amusing riff last night on narcissism. Enjoy!

Nothing But Net (trouble)

2009-03-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

So....the Elsten internet feed was temporarily shanghai'ed by three tech support flunkies in Sri Lanka, before being restored by a tech support angel from Manila today.

Apologies for the lack of posting.

619 Sports returns at full strength later this evening!

HIGH FIDELITY U2 #1 SONG: BAD

2009-03-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

A week later, I noticed that I never posted my #1 for my U2 Top-5. A High Fidelity Brownie Point if you noticed and actually missed it!

Easily my favorite U2 song of all time, amidst all their epic ballads, this is the one that gets me every time.

That leaves me with a final U2 Top 5 of:

#1 Bad

#2 Pride (In The Name Of Love)

#3 Where The Streets Have No Name

#4 New Year's Day

#5 (tie) Breathe/Magnificent

What's yours?

On the Road with T.Gwynn...Ello, Mar. 28th

2009-03-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

So what's it like to actually BE a Hall of Famer?

Hell, I don't know...I'm not a Hall of Famer in.....well....in anything....Unless you wanna' count stuff like Mowing Down Ribs at a Buffet, Taking Long Afternoon Naps, Seinfeld Trivia or Worst NCAA Tournament Bracket Ever Recorded.

And, of course, you're no Hall of Famer either....so that pretty much puts both of us in the same boat.

Last couple of days, however, I've had the chance to be a little closer to an actual Hall of Famer. A real one, who lives in our very midst.....the great Tony Gwynn. You know, of Baseball Hall of Fame -- er, -- fame.

And I'm hear to tell you that maybe the greatest compliment I could ever pay to Tony Gwynn -- and I've paid a lot of them over the years -- is that when you're around him....you simply don't feel like you're around a Hall of Famer.

At least in my mind, the life of a Hall of Famer is all about limos and chauffeurs...and free dinners with no tips...and adoring masses and adulation...and big pay-day speaking appearances with rubber chicken and strawberry shortcake.

Hall of Famers move among us with entourages and tinted windows....with designer suits and $200-dollar shades....on private jet airplanes with champagne and caviar...with not a care in the world.... but always with a Sharpie in hand ready to make a few more bucks by signing the collar of your grandmother's poodle.

The life of Tony Gwynn is nothing like any of that, however. Or at least it hasn't been this weekend.

I shuttled on to the San Diego State baseball team's bus Thursday morning with the destination being Fort Worth, Texas, as the Aztecs (16-8 and not doing too badly, thank you) prepared for a three-game weekend series against three-time defending Mountain West Conference champion TCU.

Surely, I figured, the Aztecs' head coach (must be a figure-head title, I thought) would not be joining us for the ride to the airport....After all, Hall of Famers don't ride buses. Do they?

Well, this one does -- and he did. In fact, he was sitting right there in the front seat, and he was ready with a quick quip about my relaxed travel attire. (First, I was definitely under-dressed. Second, one need not be a Hall of Famer in most cases to find fault with my choice of clothing. My wife's no Hall of Famer, and she finds fault with it all the time).

Once at Lindberg Field, I awaited the whisking away of Mr. Gwynn to some remote, off-limits airport location so he could at least cool his heels before the flight. But it never happened.

Not only did Cal Ripken's HOF classmate carry his own bags, but he waited IN THE BACK OF THE LINE while his troupe of scruffy-faced collegians checked in at the American Airlines ticket counter ahead of him.

As we lined up for departure, an absolutely crazy thing happened. Some bag check guy recognized ME and wanted to chat me up about some NFL football (how one gets recognized from being on the radio, I have no idea).....all the while I was wondering when the wide-eyed fellow would recognize the guy standing directly behind me and completely lose his mind.

But Tony Gwynn got on the plane with nary a glance -- not from the bag check guy, or anyone else, for that matter. And then something else surprising happened.

I turned right once in the airplane door to go take my seat in coach along with all the players -- and Mr. Hall of Famer turned right and took his seat in coach as well. (Maybe coaches are supposed to fly coach, but I thought in this instance, perhaps it would be different).

Once in Fort Worth, the team was hungry and I figured the following would happen: we'd all be dropped off for a fast-food feast at McDonald's, and the Greatest Hitter of the last Half-Century would be met by City dignitaries and shown the biggest table at the the finest restaurant on the top floor of most plush five-star hotel in town. (That's assuming, of course, that there is such a thing in Fort Worth).

This is what did happen: we were all bused to some Texas Ranch-style buffet place for dinner, and everybody paid their own way -- including Mr. Padre, who reached into his own wallet and paid his own $12.40 tab like everybody else.

When Tony Gwynn took the job as San Diego State's head baseball coach seven seasons ago, most thought it was just a temporary move. After all, why would anybody of Gwynn's stature want to deal with the rigors of college baseball? The buses, the roadside diners, the cheap hotels, the life as far outside the limelight as possible?

The reason, as it turns out, is that Tony Gwynn is really just everyman. Hall of Famer in Cooperstown, but just simply college baseball coach in San Diego. He has simple tastes and wants a simple life. He has goals, just like the rest of us, and he doesn't plan on stopping until he attains them.

Through his first six years as the leader of the Aztecs, he hasn't had the success he thought he would have: just one league title and no NCAA Tournament appearances. He's had to work harder than he thought, and he's had to learn patience while youngsters struggle to accomplish what he accomplished so easily before them.

Most Hall of Famers are off somewhere else enjoying the good life. Tony Gwynn is still in their battling every day like the rest of us.

A pretty good life, indeed.

A Rare Spring Storm

2009-03-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

SDSU's men's basketball team is heading to the Final Four of the NIT for the first time in school history. Last night's thrilling, tense, roller-coaster 70-66 win over St. Mary's at Cox Arena gave this class of seniors every chance possible to exorcise their demons. They faced a tough team which had beaten them twice before. They fell into a familiar pattern, building and then squandering a large lead. With less than two minutes to play, it was all there for the Aztecs. Take care of business on your home court, rise up for this moment, and you will be rewarded with a trip to New York City.

And they took care of business. With a clutch basket from Tim Shelton, one of the few returners for next year. With (finally) a clutch free throw from their senior point guard Richie Williams, after he missed a couple of big ones. With, as always, tough defense, athleticism, and the ability to contest shots and force turnovers.

The moment was one of pure release, as the final shot for St. Mary's clanked away, and the final second ticked off the clock. And then, a scene of pure release, as the student section and fans stormed the court to bounce and celebrate with their players.

Hey, I love this stuff. In our city, are you kidding me? What do we ever have to celebrate, especially in college sports? Double-extra especially in San Diego State sports?!?!? When I came to this town in 1990, SDSU had a marginal football team with some good offense and a maddening tendency to come close but not win big games. The basketball team was an embarrasment, and after 1991, the baseball team never sniffed a regional again.

Not much changed over the next decade, except the football team got worse. Gateway games, the real wins that could lift a school and a program, all ended up the same way. Either an embarrassing rout or the ever more painful close-but-no-cigar-loss. In 1999, Steve Fisher arrived to take over the basketball team, long removed from the Fab Five, now an assistant coach with the NBA Sacramento Kings. In his first season, the Aztecs went winless in conference play.

This senior class has posted the most wins of any group in school history. But their legacy was going to be a mixed one, with suspensions and late letdowns marking the path as much as any success. Honestly, they had never won anything without Brandon Heath, no conference titles, no postseason success. Now, in addition to a 26-win (and counting) season, the class of Lorrenzo Wade, Kyle Spain, Richie Williams, Ryan Amoroso, Matt Thomas and Kelvin Davis (who may return next year as a medical redshirt) has an indelible moment in Aztecs history, a visceral memory which they will keep for their entire lives.

You don't hang a banner for a NIT-Final Four appearance, but if you're us, if you're a San Diego State fan, you do storm the court. It may look silly from the outside, like a bunch of rubes who can't act like they've been there before. Guilty as charged. We haven't. But now, we have this. And it's pretty good.

The Next Step

2009-03-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

A wise AztecTalker reacted to my column about this being the best time in SDSU basketball, their Golden Age:

I know it's been a while since my Greek lit class but doesn't a society's "golden age" immediately precede a catastrophic event that wipes out the whole society?

If so, I would much rather characterize this time as SDSU's bronze age. Up from the stone age and just now learning the potential of their initial set of tools. Still very much prehistoric though and a lot of room to grow but still the potential to go the way of the Anasazi.

Brilliant, 1610aztec! For this society of basketball to take its next evolutionary step, it must get past an old enemy, with an old-school name. The Gaels, besides fitting our metaphor perfectly, have beaten these Aztecs in each of the last two years. Both games were nip and tuck and decided late, mostly on Daimon Simpson putbacks and a lucky hoop by Omar Samhan.

For the Aztecs to win tonight and advance to New York, they will of course need to contain Patty Mills and shut down his dribble penetration. This is actually what I'm most confident about in the matchup. SDSU has done a pretty good job shutting down the lead man on most teams this year. Richie is quick enough to at least keep up with Mills and if the Aztecs close out and contest on the perimeter they should be OK.

The real issue will be defensive rebounding, denying Simpson 2nd chance points, and positioning on Samhan to keep him from his prime operating areas on the floor. White and Amoroso are the guys on the spot.

Finally, for this team to take that next step, I still feel in my gut that they will have to make a big outside shot or two down the stretch, when the Gaels are denying Wade the ball. Step up and hit the shot, and send the Aztecs to the Big Apple.

25 wins is a great season for SDSU basketball. But I know if I was on this team, I wouldn't feel like we had accomplished much unless we took that next step by proving we could beat a good team like St. Mary's on our home floor in a game that really mattered.

SDSU Baseball sweeps Southern Utah: Highlights

2009-03-24T19:20:00.001-07:00

Last night's game was a come-from-the-dead 8-7 thriller, with the Aztecs scoring 7 in the bottom of the 8th after trailing 6-0 in the 6th. Scott over at SDSU has done another nice job putting together the highlight package from the game, click here for the comeback heroics.

Today was a more "typical" 11-4 win, with Erik Castro continuing his ridiculously hot homestand with another 4-hit game out of the cleanup spot. Castro is also playing a fine third base and giving Tony Gwynn a very offensive lineup, with the talented Chris Wilson grabbing hold of the #5 spot in the order and the catcher's job that Castro used to inhabit more frequently.

You can really see pieces of the Aztecs' offense coming together. Brandon Meredith gets better every game, Colwell and Decker set the table, Wilson is a talented, aggressive hitter, and Vaughn can do it all. Today Jomel Torres also reached four times from the #8 hole, and Ryan O'Sullivan finally delivered a big two-out RBI single. He added an amazing catch later in the game, hopefully those highlights will be up tomorrow.

Goldy Simmons pitched pretty darn solid and has a big-league frame at 6'5" and around 230. Matt Skipper continues to impress me. The 6'9" freshman from Colorado pitched the last four innings, didn't walk a batter, and the only run he allowed came when a flare bad-hopped over the charging Vaughn's head in right for a fluke triple. These are the TUESDAY pitchers.

The Aztecs are 16-8 and the biggest test of the season is next, a three-game series at TCU this weekend. Ello will be there all weekend long so I'm sure we'll hear a lot from Fort Worth.

How To Ruin Your Own Column

2009-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

...in three easy steps.

1) Start with a predetermined conclusion

2) Make the boldest possible statement

3) Disprove it yourself within three paragraphs.

I give you Thomas Boswell, dismissing Stephen Strasburg in the Washington Post.

Thomas starts with a discussion that in the abstract is both worthy and interesting. Is there any historical value in taking a pitcher #1 in the MLB amateur draft? What's the historic success rate of pitchers #1 vs. hitters #1?

Well, Thomas has already decided. The answer is hitter, and he's sure of it.

"History is unequivocal. Strasburg, no matter how much he dominates college hitters, will probably either be a .500 pitcher with a 150-150 record, or he'll be a bust."

And he's going to go a step further: picking a pitcher #1 has never worked EVER.

"Nobody -- n-o-b-o-d-y -- has used a No. 1 overall pick on a pitcher and been glad they did it. Thirteen teams have tried it since the draft began in 1965. Nine have gotten egg on their faces. The lucky four got Andy Benes (155-139), Tim Belcher (146-140), Mike Moore (161-176) and Floyd Bannister (134-143). No Hall of Famers. Just a bunch of guys who could throw a ball through a wall when they were young but never became great."

OK, so the very best #1 pitcher ever taken in the draft was Andy Benes. Got it? As Boswell continues to hammer the point home, oops! The back door swings open, and in creeps the guy he doesn't want to talk about.

"The only reliever of note: ex-Oriole Gregg Olson. Josh Beckett (89-62) may end up high on the list eventually."

There he is, after Boswell has already gone through starters and down to relievers. Josh Beckett. Who? Oh yeah, the former #1 pick of the Florida Marlins, who went on to lead the Marlins to the 2003 World Series, and was named MVP, and pitched the clincher at Yankee Stadium. And then, was moved on to the Red Sox in exchange for Hanley Ramirez, a franchise shortstop who is a Marlins All-Star right now. And in Boston, Beckett won another World Series.

I guess he's a n-o-b-o-d-y. Oh, and then there's David Price. Do the Rays regret that pick too?

What really irritates me about this style of arrogant writing is that he started with a decent idea, and makes a decent point in one section of the column. But he totally loses me with his dismissive attitude toward facts that don't please his thesis. I've been to every Strasburg start this year, and EVERY time I've had the chance to see a gun he's been 97-98-99 with a slider that can be 84 or up to 93. Oh, but the time Boswell saw him HE saw 93-97 so everyone else must be full of it.

Now, is he right about not paying mid-career prices for the formative years of a pitcher? Maybe. But who is the real-life hitter who Boswell thinks the Nats should take instead of Strasburg?

Oops again. Leaves that part out. But he does tantalize his Post readers with Chipper-ARod-Strawberry-Griffey-Mauer. Not that there is anyone like that necessarily in this year's draft, or even an obvious #2 pick behind Strasburg. Nope, just take a hitter, because I saw Ben McDonald and he was a bust, and this guy's gonna be a bust too.

Ivory tower writing, rife with the assumption that the reader will just sleepwalk through his list without noticing the gems he's trying to cover up with soil.
Late add: here is Rob Neyer writing a similar column, but MUCH better. Note how he just lets the facts tell the story. His discussion of Ben McDonald's a little different from Boswell's, isn't it?

Tribute to the Aztecs...Ello, Mar. 24th

2009-03-24T00:32:00.001-07:00

"It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game."

Well...the above quote was probably written by some guy who lost...but, just the same, every now again there's some truth to the old saying.

Best example I can think of is the San Diego State women's basketball team, which was eliminated last night in the second round the NCAA Tournament by powerhouse Stanford, 77-49.

They surely didn't win...and they certainly did lose...but how they played the game was still something to behold.

No team I've seen in recent memory plays as hard as coach Beth Burns' Aztecs, and few play with as much heart...And though it can be difficult to please the bean counters who look only at results, there should still be room in sports to at least appreciate the effort.

One quick look at San Diego State, and then across the court at mighty Stanford, during the pregame warmups was enough to give away the game's eventual outcome...On the Aztecs side, just two players taller than 6-feet, and both slight of build...On the Stanford side, an entire team of 6-footers, and none slight of build.

How in world could San Diego State possibly win this thing? And the plain truth simply is that they couldn't....Stanford dominated the paint with its power and size so decisively that the Cardinal needed only to make one outside jump shot the entire game.

Time and again, with the ease of Jim Brown running over a high school secondary, Stanford pounded the ball inside for easy baskets...By the time it was over, the nation's No. 2-ranked team has scored 26 baskets -- and 25 of them were scored on layups.

The Cardinal's muscle-bound front line not only scored at will, but it punished San Diego State's smaller defenders so effectively that it seemed as if the entire Aztec team would foul out by halftime.

It was the men against the boys -- or in this case the women against the girls.

Nevertheless, Stanford did not march on to the Sweet 16 with complete ease...and that's because the spirit of San Diego State never waned, and the pressure provided on the perimeter by the Aztecs' athletic guards never wavered.

San Diego State scrapped and fought and battled for the entire 40 minutes...and the Aztecs' hearts never stopped beating even long after the issue had been decided.

Jene Morris, SDSU's brilliant guard who scored an NCAA Tournament-high 35 points in Saturday's dramatic first-round victory over DePaul, was relentless throughout and finished with a game-high six steals to go along with her team-high 14 points.

At just 5-feet-9 against Stanford's lineup of giants, Morris pressed the issue the entire night and drove Stanford's ball-handlers crazy...Sure, Stanford will move on but it's a pretty safe bet that the Cardinal is happy they won't have to deal with Morris any longer.

Jene's running mate in the backcourt, Quenese Davis -- also just 5-feet-9 -- played with undying energy and enthusiasm, working alongside Morris to pressure the ball for 94 feet of hardwood and forty minutes of game as well.

Coco Davis, SDSU's 5-foot-9 foward, time and again went to the hoop against Stanford's massive front line and was one of the reasons the Aztecs were able to foul-out All-American 6-foot-4 center Jayne Appel.

You don't see a lot of teams losing by nearly 30 given a standing ovation by the home crowd as its key players exit the game in the final moments...But that's what happened last night at Cox Arena.

The tribute, of course, was not about the winning and losing...but it was simply about the way they played the game.

San Diego State finished 24-and-8 and accomplished so much this season, that last night's loss could do nothing to take away from it....The Aztecs beat a ranked team (No. 4 Texas) for the first time in 14 years, won the Mountain West Conference title for the first time in 12 years, made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years, and won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in 15 years.

Afterward, the Aztecs locker room was hardly somber...that's because one gets the feeling that what was accomplished this season was just the beginning...Both guards, Morris and Davis, will be back next year for their senior seasons...All-Conference center Paris Johnson will only be a junior...and two All-Conference-type front-court power forwards, Allison Duffy and Jessica Bradley, will join them.

For now...there's just no beating a powerhouse like Stanford (unless you're top-ranked UConn, whom the Cardinal will no doubt face this year in the Final Four).

But last night was a reminder that it isn't always just about winning...and the way these Aztecs play the game, next season should be a lot of fun.

The Weekend That Was: SDSU

2009-03-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

One of the problems with being a San Diego sports fan is reconciling your heart and desire with the modest results of your city's teams and universities. Let's face it, our sports history stinks. No championships outside the San Diego Sockers, some Taylor Cups for the Gulls, and a lone men's volleyball title for SDSU. Our baseball team has a long-entrenched history of failure, to the point that my cohort Chris Ello called their 2004-2007 period the "Golden Age" for Padres baseball, and I'm pretty sure he was being serious! Our Chargers have made the NFL's biggest stage only once, and performed such a convincing pratfall that they looked like the junior varsity on the wrong field.

So, allow me to float this modest thought: this is the Golden Age, right NOW, for SDSU basketball. Now. This second. Before tipoff tonight between the SDSU women and Stanford at Cox Arena. Before the Aztecs men find out their opponent for Wednesday night's NIT quarterfinal showdown on the Mesa. While we can still look back at the 25-win season for the men (most in school history) without knowing whether their tourney run will end in New York or San Diego. While we can still savor 24 wins for the women and a first-round NCAA victory over DePaul, and dream of a much bigger upset tonight.

OK, it's not much of a Golden Age, I'll give you that. 2 wins in the NIT + 1 win in the NCAA would equal two coaches on the hotseat at programs like UConn, North Carolina or Louisville. But given where San Diego basketball has been, that our city's only NCAA win came when De'Jon Jackson somehow floated that last-second jumper in for USD last year, that SDSU once won 25 games in a five-year span, not a single season...this is pretty good for us. There is hope right now. For two programs at once. Both still alive in the postseason. And both with an opportunity on their home court to do something even bigger.

Alas, if you know our sports history in San Diego, then you know this as well: there is a behemoth standing in the way. There always is. In 1984, the Plucky Padres ran headlong into one of the greatest Tigers teams in history, a team that started 35-5 and finished by upper-decking the Friars into oblivion. In 1994 the Chargers collided with one of the great 49er teams in history, and got treated like royal doormats for Steve Young's Hall Of Fame coronation. In 1998 the Pads returned to the World Series, faced the Yankees, and naturally, it was the 125-win Yankees, the best team (by percentage) in the history of the team with best history in baseball.

Now, tonight, Beth Burns will try to find a slingshot when her Aztecs take on Stanford. Yeah, just Stanford, the 2nd ranked team in the country, the only team thought to be able to give UConn a run for the title this year. That's all. The paragon of women's college basketball on the West Coast. Who else would you expect? I'm just surprised Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker won't be running out on the court tonight against SDSU. But the way things go for our city, I wouldn't be surprised if each of them discovered an extra day of NCAA eligibility and signed up with the Cardinal this morning.

Tonight could get ugly. And there's no guarantee that on Wedneday, the men will be able to get past either Davidson or St. Mary's. But right NOW, we can dream. Right NOW, we can hope. Before the cold reality sets in, there is always the warm glow of hope and the comfort of dreaming big. And in San Diego, that's usually the most we can expect to have. So enjoy the Golden Age, while it lasts, whether that be for hours or days to come.

The Weekend That Was: The WBC

2009-03-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Was the WBC low on your sports priority list this weekend? Apparently it was for Team USA as well. Playing with a deliberately short-handed roster, a pitching staff which we know isn't anywhere near the best this country can offer, and a manager who last made a meaningful contribution to the game back in 1986, Our Team stumbled through Our Game like a bunch of kids who didn't know which field the game was on.

The result was a 9-4 loss to Japan, an elimination in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic, and a Korea-Japan final which should leave USA Baseball red faced and ashamed. It wasn't that they lost the game. The greatest baseball team in the world, in a one-game winner-take-all matchup against any other random team of qualified professionals, isn't much of a favorite. The problem was that the team which took the field with USA across their chests was far from the best team in the world, for reasons which at least partially boggle the mind.

The team was clearly, unsurprisingly, but sickeningly, unprepared. When did Team USA players start prepping this offseason? The broadcast team (Joe Morgan was SO awful yesterday, btw, but that's another story) was fawning over Roy Oswalt, because he actually bothered to throw five times to his local JUCO team while training this offseason! Meaning that Jake Peavy was not, because Roy was "farther along", that's why the semi-hittable righty was getting the ball in an elimination game over a healthy and well-rested Jake.

Injury after injury, all of the predictable, spring-training, "side pull"-type, knocked players off the USA roster. After all, you've gotta be careful, these guys have a REAL season to get ready for, starting in April. When the call went out for replacements, some guys (like Baltimore's Brian Roberts) jumped in, while others (like Derrek Lee) demurred. But after Chipper Jones and Kevin Youkilis were taken off the team, USA Baseball only bothered to replace Chipper (with Evan Longoria), but just left the other roster spot empty.

Ken Rosenthal, in an excellent column which heaps a lot of the blame on Davey Johnson, breaks down a key decision that wasn't made in the game:

With one on and two out in the sixth, Johnson allowed Curtis Granderson, a left-handed hitter, to face the same lefty. Pinch-hitting in that spot would have carried consequences, forcing the defensively challenged Dunn to remain in right field the entire game. But why was Victorino the only outfielder on the bench?

Because the Team USA braintrust had declined to replace the injured Kevin Youkilis with another position player for the final round, choosing only to summon Longoria in place of Chipper Jones.

The addition of Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore would have given Johnson the flexibility to hit Victorino for Granderson and go with a late-inning outfield of Ryan Braun in left, Sizemore in center and Victorino in right.

(sound of tires screeching)

WHAAAAT? Grady Sizemore was available? Who cares that he wasn't on the bench in the 6th, why wasn't he the STARTING CF FOR THE WHOLE DAMN TOURNEY?? Anyone going to stand up and argue that Curtis Granderson and Shane Victorino add up to more than the 5-tool Sizemore?

The entire roster construction is where you need to start when evaluating what went wrong. OK, Bob Watson can't force the country's top pitchers, like Tim Lincecum and C.C. Sabathia, to commit to their countries. He can't single-handedly change the culture of baseball in our country, where March is for prep and the big games are played in the fall. But if you're not going to do a serious enough evaluation to get the best possible willing players onto your roster, then it's time to go. Is the best USA bullpen really one that contains John Grabow and Joel Hanrahan? Just asking.

And is the best USA defense one that has Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins in the same lineup, but it's JETER who gets to wear the glove? Davey Johnson managed his roster like an All-Star team the whole time, acting deferential to the players, promising that one would get 3 at-bats and then the other would come in, etc. If the manager doesn't take the job seriously and manage to win, no matter how much the players care there will be a filtered effect. Like Jeter being allowed to get out there and make an error which turned a 2-run game into a 5-run game.

Hopefully this latest smackdown, getting thoroughly outplayed by Team Japan, will provide USA Baseball with the same wakeup call the USA Basketball team received through a series of Olympic and World Championship embarrasments. They finally had their pride injured to the point where they got angry, knuckled down and committed to being great. What resulted was the 2008 Olympics, one of the greatest basketball performances I've seen in my life, and a carryover effect which has led to a terrific NBA season. Nobody is crying right now that Kobe and Lebron got too much work in the summer. They are maintaining their elite play.

This needs to be the same blueprint for USA Baseball. Put someone in charge-RIGHT NOW-who will start recruiting and planning for 2013. Force the players to make a multi-year commitment to the team, including agreements as to when team workouts will start in the winter of 2012. So many of the players talked about this being the biggest thing they've ever done in their career, the most exciting tournament they've ever played...well, time to start acting like it before you get there, not just when it's time to dogpile after a walkoff win.

Or, just half-ass it like this year and get ready for Opening Day. Just a couple of weeks away, ya know.

HIGH FIDELITY U2 TOP-5: SONG #2

2009-03-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

This would be song #1 on most public lists, I'd imagine, but I'm saving my personal all-time favorite U2 song for last...

Something Gained, Something Lost

2009-03-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

The SDSU men's basketball team regained a measure of respect for their season last night by defeating Kansas State in the 2nd round of the NIT. Now, this senior class has something legitimate they can point to as an accomplishment on campus: a 25-win season, the most for an SDSU team in history. They did so by coming out in the 2nd half last night with passion and determination, and taking care of the backboards after getting dominated on the glass in the first half. In addition, the senior scorers Spain and Wade each took turns taking control after intermission.

This Wednesday's game will be the last chance (for sure) to see Spain, Wade, Williams, Amoroso and Shelton in a home uniform at Cox Arena, and I certainly plan to be there for the quarterfinal between the Aztecs and the winner of St. Mary's/Davidson. From a pure revenge standpoint I'd love to see these guys get a 3rd crack at the Gaels (having lost to them in each of the last two years), but to see Stephen Curry and Davidson at Cox would be equally exciting, so regardless it should be a heck of a game.

Meanwhile at Tony Gwynn Stadium, the Aztecs' baseball team lost a good measure of the momentum they had built up over the past two weeks. BYU came back with 3 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th to beat SDSU last night 4-2, wasting another brilliant outing from Stephen Strasburg. Strass matched his baseline performance with another 7IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 15K night. On his 2nd to last pitch of the 7th Strasburg apparently slipped a little (at least that's what they called it afterward) and the trainer came out. One pitch and one flyout later, his night was done. The Aztecs have treated Strasburg like a crown jewel this season, and they weren't about to risk him last night. Unfortunately Andrew Leary's string of effective relief appearances came to an end as he allowed all four runs in 1+ innings of relief.

The real problem for SDSU is on offense, where they are getting shut down with far too great a frequency. It's one thing for a tough righty (like Kansas' Ridenhour, or Toole of BYU) to handle the Aztecs' lineup, and something else altogether for a made-o'-hits righty like Blake Torgerson to hold the team to 2 runs in 7+ IP. The youth of the SDSU order, which featured three true freshman last night (O'Sullivan, Meredith and Chris Wilson) leads to some poor AB's, and right now the bottom 3rd of the SDSU lineup is producing very little.

Today's game has suddenly become extremely important. BYU is not expected to contend for the MWC title this year, even though they are very hot right now (having won 9 of 10), and they are clearly improved as a ballclub. To get swept at home by the Cougars would be devastating to the Aztecs' hopes. Already they have likely squandered whatever positive feelings they were starting to generate in the national polls. Jon Berger will get the ball today, let's hope the senior can continue his impressive run of pitching. More importantly, SDSU will have to swing the bats today or their great homestand (started 5-0) will suddenly look a whole lot less impressive. I'll have the call today with a 12:45 pregame and 1pm first pitch on 1360-AM.

HIGH FIDELITY U2 SONG #3

2009-03-20T15:09:00.001-07:00

Joshua Tree was the album that turned U2 from megaband to a cover-of-TIME Magazine global phenomenon. Arguably their greatest album, although I would elevate The Unforgettable Fire above it...but in my mind, Where The Streets Have No Name is one of the ultimate side-1, track-1's of all time. Roll down the windows, crank up the radio and sing at the top of your lungs...that still tends to be my reaction to this song!

A Friday Column

2009-03-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Clearing the morning fog on a foggy morning, one multiple-subject column at a time...

When the SDSU baseball team catches the ball, they can shut down just about any team with their pitching staff. When they fail to catch the ball, games such as last night's 6-2 loss to BYU happen. With two outs in the 3rd and nobody on, Nate Solow gave up a little chop single to left, just off Erik Castro's glove. Next, BYU's big hitter Sean McNoughton hit a little ground ball to short, easiest play in the world. Ryan O'Sullivan didn't get in front of it and tried to pluck the ball, and it stayed down when his glove came up. The error opened the gates, and as has happened many times in Nate Solow's career, trouble followed. Nate walked the next better on four pitches, and then grooved a 2-1 fastball to Brandon Relf, who ripped a three-run double down the left-field line. 3-1 BYU, and their pro prospect starter Jeremy Toole, with a mid-'90s fastball and just-OK slider, worked 8 strong innings to protect it. The Cougars made every play in the field, including two double plays, a diving catch in center, and a runner thrown out at home plate. The Aztecs gave up two more unearned runs in the 8th on three walks and a missed flyball in right by Cory Vaughn. Realistically SDSU could have won the game 2-1 if they had just made routine plays in the field. Oh well, six-game winning streak by the boards. Strasburg throws tonight, so get there early, hoping for another 2000+ crowd.
Oh, just mentioning it again, the BYU/SDSU game tonight will be on XTRA 1360, and I will be doing the play-by-play. 5:45pm pregame, 6:05 first pitch. Somehow that information didn't make the U-T this morning but did find its way to the North County Times. Tomorrow's game will be on the radio as well, a 1pm start. That's part of a 619 Sports-laced doubleheader, as I hand off after the game to Chris Ello at Cox Arena for the SDSU women's first-round NCAA game against DePaul, a 5pm tipoff.
I really wish I could be in two places at once, because the SDSU 2nd round NIT game tonight should be a unique affair. USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion packed with Aztecs fans, and Kansas State in town. The smaller venue and the out-of-place feel might even enhance the experience. I hope the atmosphere and energy lift the Aztecs, because there is some concern about the matchup. The Wildcats have the size underneath to make life very difficult for SDSU.
3 hours, 42 minutes. That was last night's time-of-game for the Korea/Japan game at Petco Park. A 6-2 game. Way. Too. Slow. Add the postseason-style ad package to any baseball game and you instantly make the game far less enjoyable. The slow pace of international play just adds to this. And, the games are played at times when nobody in their right mind would be watching past the West Coast. I've got to say, as a big-time fan and supporter of the WBC from the start, they are losing me a bit this time with the space between games and the pace of games. How can you get a feel as a team when you've played six games in well over two weeks?
So much of what's wrong with the WBC comes from the half-in, half-out mentality of MLB. The 2nd and 3rd rounds are played in the U.S., and spring training is extended and revised to make room for the Classic. But clubs are wary about risking their stars to the competition, and stars are concerned about injury and disruption. To me it's clear what needs to happen. Every four years, you actually treat this thing like a World Cup or Olympics. You bring MLB to a halt for four weeks in the middle of the season. Right smack dab in the middle of summer. Everyone plays. All the stars are in midseason form, the arms are stretched out and loosened up, and you'll find the players loosening their fears about playing for their country. It's all about routine for baseball players. March is for conditioning, not angry games. June-July is for playing ball. Put the classic at a time when it can be played well. Add games to the schedule. Let people grow and fall in love with the teams, instead of barely being introduced to them before they are gone.
Oh, but but but...what about the money lost by stopping the season? What about all the other players, what do they do? Figure it out. The NHL closed down for the Winter Olympics. Soccer clubs loan players and make adjustments. This is what I mean: if you're REALLY committed to the idea of a WBC, go all-in to make it a great event. This half in-half out mentality leads to a half-assed Classic which still is OK but could be much, much better.
Maybe it was just the weak slate of games yesterday until the UCLA game at night, but the first day of March Madness didn't really grab me like it normally does. I mentioned it in the comments of yesterday's thread, but once again, the networks are doing their best to ruin the sports they pay ungodly sums of money to broadcast. College hoops games should be 2 hours, period. Adding 30 minutes of ads and promos just makes the game uneven and fitful in its pace. And I really am trying not to wish ill on the obnoxiously precocious "very smart little girl" who wants to have her "big girl seat" in the Chevy pickup truck. Please go away from my life "very smart little girl", and never return.
Spring has officially begun. This pleases me. Last winter sucked.

KU/SDSU Highlights, Games 1 and 2

2009-03-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was not at last night's series finale, but Jack Cronin did a fine job calling a 9-8 walkoff win for SDSU, running the winning streak to 6. It's the 2nd walkoff win and 3rd last-AB win for SDSU already this year.

Here's the link to Tuesday's 1-0 duel

Here's the line to Wednesday's 9-8 slugfest

Two thrillers, two Aztec wins. Now 13-6, the homestand continues with BYU in town for a three-game MWC series. The rotation for the series is:

Tonight: Nate Solow

Friday: Stephen Strasburg

Saturday: Tyler Lavigne

Yep, the reigning conference pitcher of the week, Jon Berger, couldn't get a start this week. Good to be the Aztecs right now.

Oh, with a hat tip to AztecRyan over at AztecTalk, check out this early Rivals.com projection...SDSU in the regional field! Long way to go but a good thing to see...

I'll be calling tonight's BYU/SDSU game from Tony Gwynn Stadium at 6pm on www.goaztecs.com. Friday and Saturday's games will be on the radio at 1360 AM, a 6pm first pitch on Friday, 1pm on Saturday.

HIGH FIDELITY U2, CONTINUED: Song #4

2009-03-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

So this week, I'm counting up from #5 to #1. With something as straightforward as one band's best five songs, I might as well rank specifically.

So, cheating yesterday, #5 for me is Magnificent/Breathe. Making the rest of the list ridiculously hard, as I'm giving up a slot to a new song(s).

For #4, let's go into the wayback machine for New Year's Day, which I personally prefer over Sunday Bloody Sunday, just because it's got a little more depth and singability. A live performance from 1983, check out the differences in the band from 26 years before!

March Madness Begins

2009-03-19T10:43:00.001-07:00

At some point I became really bad at picking brackets. I'm sure I'm just as bad this year. But in case anybody has interest, I'm taking the #1 seeds in each bracket, for a Final Four of UConn, Louisville, NC, and Pitt, with Louisville beating UNC for the title...and Utah out in the first round.

Sure does make for a fun couple of days of TV watching...

Stay Classy USD!!!...Chris Ello, Mar. 19

2009-03-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

Quick difference between the sports programs at the University of San Diego and San Diego State...Classy move by USD's Athletic Director Ky Snyder (always remembering he is at heart, an Aztec) to allow SDSU to play it's second-round NIT game Friday night on his campus at the Jenny Craig Pavillion.

The Aztecs were stuck because Cox Arena is being used all weekend for the NCAA Women's Tournament (more below)...Without Snyder's good will, Steve Fisher and company would have had to travel to Kansas State, thereby forfeiting their home-court advantage....

Nicely done, Ky...

Oh...and about SDSU...word is that the Aztecs were willing to give away their second-round game....unitl Fisher himself stepped in and demanded that the NIT find a way for the second-round game to be played in San Diego....Never mind that the SDSU Athletic Department apparently felt that it had exhausted all options.

Fisher and the NIT -- working with Snyder -- got the job done, so that SDSU could play in front of its home fans....

A birdie told me that some felt the Aztecs' heirarchy were too quick to give away the game because the second-round opponent was likely to be Kansas State (which it is)...Don't know why that would be...but SDSU Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel is a K-State alum.

(Hmmmmm......)

Anyway....the bottom line is that USD does things right...San Diego State has to start doing things right.

Speaking of USD, everything with its men's basketball program suddenly has gone all wrong...It was just one year ago that I was sitting in a Mexican restaurant in Arizona, munching some chips and guacamole, when De'Jon Jackson hit the shot the toppled UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament....The restaurant in Arizona went wild.

Me included....Though like Ky Snyder, I'll always be an Aztec at heart, it was wonderful to finally see a team from San Diego come through on the national stage (quick, tell me the last time that happened).

But this year has been a mess for the Toreros....first guard Brandon Johnson suffers a devastating knee injury that takes him out for the season...then Trumaine Johnson gets kicked off the team...then, with the WCC Tourney no longer in San Diego, they get wiped out quickly by Santa Clara in the quarterfinals...now forward Rob Jones says he wants to transfer so he can be closer to his ailing father (nothing wrong with that).

But unfortunately, that USD win over UConn now seems like it was a long, long time ago...and getting back to that stage for Coach Bill Grier and crew seems like it is a long, long ways away.

So...this college basketball postseason belongs to San Diego State...and especially to Beth Burns' women's team...A bit more than a year ago, SDSU was awarded with hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Cox Arena for 2009...It was at that moment, the young Aztecs made it their goal to be there.

And so now they have accomplished that goal....this Saturday at 5 p.m. SDSU (seeded 10th in the Berkely Regional) will meet 7th-seeded DePaul in the women's Big Dance...not bad for a program that went 0-and-16 in conference play just three years ago.

Burns' team went 14-and-0 at Cox this season...and to remind her squad of their home-court dominance, T-Shirts were purchased for the players last week with "OUR HOUSE" printed on the front and "14-AND-0" printed on the back.

Led by super-athletic guards Quenese Davis and Jene' Morris, and 6-foot, 4-inch center Paris Johnson (all underclassmen), the Aztecs are maybe a year ahead of schedule...But they might just be precocious enough to believe they can advance Saturday night.

It wouldn't hurt the cause, of course, if the San Diego fans would come out and represent...tickets are still available, and this club deserves a solid crowd of at least 6,000 for the big event.

And then there was the big event that just finished up in San Diego...the World Baseball Classic at Petco Park...Japan (the defending WBC champs) and Korea (the defending Olympic Gold Medalists) advanced to the finals...I tell you this, because I'm figuring very few of you were paying much attention.

Despite Mexico's inclusion in the field (the U.S. team played its 2nd-round series in Miami), the crowds at Petco looked like a Padres-Nationals game in late August. (Though the fans that were there were far more spirited).

Bottom line: San Diego sports fans don't like it when their teams and their city are overlooked and forgotten about...but when the fans overlook and forget about big events...well, as the old saying goes, you are what you are (thanks, A.J.).

HIGH FIDELITY: TOP-5 U2 SONGS

2009-03-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was able to download No Line On The Horizon the other day and have been listening to it ever since. As a life-long U2 fan, I thought they would never really produce another great album again, but this might be the one. I almost think of it as another Unforgettable Fire, but for their middle-aged years.

So, this got me thinking about Top-5 all-time U2 songs, which got me in the mood for another round of High Fidelity. This should definitely engender some controversy, as U2 is just about the most popular band in the world and everyone's got 5 of their songs that they love.

Right off the bat, I'm going to cheat! I can't pick one from the new album, but I think both of these songs have a great chance to be on people's Top-5's moving forward. Which one do you like better?

Coming Together

2009-03-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was at the baseball game at Tony Gwynn Stadium between Kansas and SDSU. This two game series is one of those quiet, unnoticed but truly important moments in the Aztecs' season. The Mountain West (as we saw in hoops) has its identity issues in every sport, but in baseball the conference is seen as weak. It's hard to get more than one team in from the conference UNLESS a team really schedules well and shows well against tough non-conference competition. For the last couple of years Tony Gwynn has really been trying to beef up the schedule and test his team against top schools from the West and Midwest. Last year the Aztecs showed well against USD but lost to teams such as Missouri, Long Beach State, Oregon State and Arizona. Instead of getting a winning streak revving the Aztecs started 11-10 and finished 31-28.

This year's start looked very similar to last year, with SDSU beating USD four out of five but struggling against Cal State Fullerton, Kansas State and Pacific. At 7-6, the Aztecs started last week with their most important win of the year to date, the 6-run 9th inning comeback at UCLA. Then, last weekend, all three starters shined on the mound as State swept UNLV. Which brings us back to last night, and Kansas in town for two. 10-5 on the season, with a strong schedule and some impressive wins, the Jayhawks stood between a possible big time winning streak and another stop-and-start pattern for the Aztecs.

Ryan O'Sullivan got the start for SDSU, the freshman coming in from shortstop to make his 4th start on the mound. Thanks to the aggressive schedule, Ryan has faced nothing but tough teams in his midweek starts, and he came in to last night with an 0-1 record and a 7.04 ERA, by far the highest on the staff. Ryan has been solid at short but has struggled badly at the plate the last couple weeks, and you could sense he was hungry to contribute to a win.

For the first time last night, it really came together for O'Sullivan on the mound. He had a sinking, moving fastball working and retired 12 in a row. Ryan also showed a solid slider to right-handers and an offspeed breaking ball. O'Sullivan really has an aggressive, bulldog attitude while he is pitching and the infield fed off his energy and made good plays behind him.

Cory Vaughn continued his tear in the 2nd inning by taking an outside fastball deep to right-center field for a wall ball. Most would have had a double on the play but with his speed Vaughn easily made 3rd base. That same speed revealed itself on the next play, when Mitch Blackburn hit a reasonably hard grounder to short. Vaughn was moving on contact and the shortstop had no play but first base. 1-0 Aztecs.

Kansas freshman right-hander Lee Ridenhour was spectacular from there. With a mean fastball and filthy slider, Ridenhour struck out 8 over 7 innings with just three hits allowed. The Aztecs wouldn't even sniff another scoring threat on the night. Which left SDSU hanging on for dear life in the late innings.

In the 7th Easton Gust booted a routine grounder for a leadoff error, and after a sacrifice O'Sullivan issued his first walk of the night. The 7th was uncharted territory for the freshman, but Tony Gwynn stuck with him against Kansas' best hitter, third baseman Tony Thompson. The sophomore slugger had a 23-game hitting streak active, 1 away from tying the Kansas record. It looked like he had it on a deep launch to right field, which was carrying over Cory Vaughn's head. But Cory continued his star performance by somehow catching up to the ball, leaping, and grabbing the ball high over his head on the dead run toward the wall. Both Kansas baserunners were off and running and Vaughn was able to throw back in and double off the lead runner to end the inning. A spectacular play!

Chase Thomas came on in relief to start the 8th but walked the leadoff man, and Andrew Leary relieved him. The right-hander has become an unsung hero on the Aztecs, so I will sing his praises here. Even after Brandon Meredith made a shaky decision trying to throw for the lead runner on a bunt and failing, Leary came back to strike out three in a row and get the game to the 9th.

On came Addison Reed, who was a perfect 6-for-6 in saves so far this year. A leadoff single was followed by a sacrifice and a strikeout. Then, it was the big hitter Thompson at the plate for one more chance. Reed got ahead 0-2, Thompson fouled one off, and then Reed lost his grip on a slider and hit Thompson in the back. Corey Lytle followed with a worm-burner ground ball to 2nd, but Mitch Blackburn booted the play for an error (after making several good plays on the night). Now with the bases loaded, it was nervous time, but Reed knucked down and got left fielder Nick Faunce to pop out and preserve a 1-0 win.

SDSU has now won 5 straight and 7 of 8, and at 12-6 on the season, the team is coming together and winning games they didn't use to win. Tonight's game now looms as an even bigger chance, as a win would link up this win streak to the next conference home series against BYU, with the Aztecs' top pitchers coming back around in the rotation. The game will be on goaztecs.com tonight at 6pm.

A couple of other notes...

Why are WBC games as long as World Series games? I set up last night's Puerto Rico-USA game to tape for 4 hours and still came up short for a 9-inning game. Grr. Yay for the USA comeback in the 9th, though. Now Peavy will get one more chance for redemption, at his favorite stadium in which to pitch, Dodger Stadium.
A great first step to redemption for the Aztecs' men last night against Weber State. Chris was there so I'll leave the analysis to him, but if SDSU can get past their 2nd round opponent and a pretend home court at USD on Friday, they could possibly earn a rematch with St. Mary's and a chance to exorcise one of their demons from this season.

Poor and Predictable SABR coverage on MLB-N

2009-03-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

At least three quick disclaimers at the top:

1) I first saw this at another blog, linked at the bottom

2) I'm big friends with several people at BP, and friends with Matt Vasgersian

3) Other than Matt being an ex-Padre announcer, this isn't about SD sports

Putting three ex-players on a studio set isn't going to make anyone smarter. MLB Network takes a stab at understanding Baseball Prospectus' statistical projection system, known as PECOTA, on their MLB Tonight show, and they swing and miss miserably.

What's the matter with this handling of the topic? Let me count the ways...

First, the "chalkboard" walk-through of PECOTA goes out of its way to sound obscure and confusing. Phenotypic attributes? This could be partially BP's fault, for an overly wonkish explanation of PECOTA, but there is no understanding of how these 4 metrics are used to predict future performance. There is no presentation of how successful PECOTA has been in 6 years at actually predicting what happened. Just a "balanced" intro (some find it gospel, others overkill) and then a quick zip through some confusing stuff, wham bam! PECOTA explained. Now, let's present and discuss!

So they put 4 projections for the year on a graphic. Kevin Youkilis is going to hit .275-20-82, CC Sabathia (or is it C.C. again this year?) is going to win 15 games exactly, etc. No mention of how PECOTA actually shows a range of performance. A high-middle-low projection. A breakout and collapse rate. Useless little "details" or "facts", which we will quickly learn are not welcome in the upcoming discussion.

Now, Matt comes out of this and immediately frames the discussion. "This is always controversial stuff..." He then gives a disclaimer shout-out to Baseball Prospectus, and then turns to the player 'pen for "expert analysis".

Sean Casey: an ex-player who was signed by a scout

Barry Larkin: an ex-player who was signed by a scout

Harold Reynolds: an ex-player who was signed by a scout

Shockingly, this trio agrees that stats "can't tell a player's heart", that "stats are ridiculous" because there's a "game inside the game", and that "stats have a place", and that place is the arbitration hearing, not the clubhouse.

Do any of these three players have any idea whatsoever what PECOTA is? Of course not.

Question for the MLB Network: where is the BP representative? Where's NATE SILVER?? You know, the guy who created PECOTA? Same guy who accurately predicted the election last year on FiveThirtyEight.com? AND made multiple national TV appearances last year? Don't you think there should be at least one person on the set who knows what they're talking about if they're going to devote 6+ minutes to a topic?

Matt is stuck in a ridiculous position. He's the only one on the panel who can even defend statistical analysis or PECOTA, and he's the moderator. A moderator who then commits a massive error by putting up a straw man for the panel to knock down: (at 4:01 in video)

"If you had one thing to trust though, and you had to make ONE CHOICE, do you believe the guy with the calculator or the guy with the straw hat and the stopwatch that's at the ballpark, YOU CAN ONLY PICK ONE." (caps my emphasis)

Matt! YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK ONE! That's the whole point! Sabermetrics and scouting both belong in EVERY major league front office! Nobody has to pick one. That's like asking the president, "if you can only pick one, the facts and intelligence on your desk or your gut instinct, what do you choose?" The answer is: STUPID! I use everything!

But asking three guys who were each started on their path to MLB, millions of dollars and an eventual seat on a players' panel at MLB Network by a SCOUT SIGNING THEM, whether they'd pick a "guy with a calculator" or a scout, you are asking a really silly question. And again, this is a direct by-product of having not a single person in the discussion who is actually knowledgable about the topic.

I know Matt knows the benefits of sabermetric analysis and he offers a couple of valid counterpoints in the discussion but basically he's offering the classic false-neutral position which devalues the debate some more.

Fox News has had better in-depth analysis than this, although actually the similarities are strikingly familiar.

Awful Announcing: MLB Network Tries To Take On PECOTA

And That Happened: Why MLB Network Is A Failure

All About the Aztecs...March 17

2009-03-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

The question, as far as I'm concerned is, how do Lorrenzo Wade, Richie Williams and Kyle Spain want to be remembed?

Throughout this season, the trio -- along with center Ryan Amoroso and backup guard Matt Thomas -- have been referred to on many occasions as the best Senior class in San Diego State basketball history.

The references, I'm sure, are flattering...but at this point in time, they are far from accurate. I mean, let's take a look at what they've accomplished: as freshmen, they rode the coat tails of Marcus Slaughter and Brandon Heath to a Mountain West Conference title -- then immediately were ridden out of the NCAA Tournament by Indiana....as sophomores, again it was Heath who led them, this time to the NIT where a magical shot by the sharp-shooting guard at least earned them one victory, over Southwest Missouri...as juniors, they again fell short of the big dance and hardly even looked the part of a postseason team, rolling over in favor of Florida. Spain, in fact, wasn't even around for the disasterous conclusion, having been suspended from the team for a second time.

Wade joined Spain on the police blotter prior to the start of this season, and Williams has been in trouble off the court as well during his career....So, back to the beginning: just how do they want to be remembered? What happens in the NIT, which begins tonight when the Aztecs host Weber State (7 p.m., Cox Arena), will go a long way towards defining their legacy.

To me -- as it stands now -- Wade, Williams and Spain are nothing more than an example of great talent frittered away. Sure they've won a bunch of games, and there have been some awards sprinkled in. Sure they've helped elevate SDSU basketball to the level of yearly contender (something that Aztec fans could only have dreamed of a decade ago).

But when the chips have all been on the table...when that one victory was needed to push the program over the top...the trio of stars have simply come up short.

How can this possibly be called the greatest Senior class in Aztec history without a single marquis victory anywhere on its resume'?...What I remember about this group is that it didn't even bother to show up last year against Florida....What I remember is that had it won any of its three important non-conference games this season (all losses to Arizona St., Arizona and St. Mary's), it would have made it to the NCAA Tournament...I remember a 14-point second-half lead blown against BYU, a loss that ultimately cost them a share of the Mountain West title and a No. 1-seed in the conference tournament.

Ultimately I remember Saturday afternoon when -- presented with one last chance at the Big Dance -- they rendered dramatic victories over UNLV and BYU useless by stinking up the joint worse than Utah did and losing the MWC Championship Game.

Honestly I'd rather remember Wade, Williams and Spain differently...The three of them have provided some spectacular moments...and perhaps they can provide a few more.

Yes, the NIT isn't the NCAA's...but once again a chance has been presented...a door has been opened...an opportunity has been offered...Beat Weber State, beat either Kansas State or Illinois State in the second round, and get revenge on (probably) St. Mary's in the quarterfinals.

End your careers in Madison Square Garden playing in the NIT semifinals (or even the finals)...Those are the memories I'd rather have.

Meanwhile, the San Diego State women's team -- to me anyway -- has become the polar opposite of the men's team...Beth Burns' squad has not just met expectations, but they have easily surpassed them.

And their reward was a Monday celebration in their Cox Arena locker room when they watched together on television and received news of their NCAA Tournament berth.

To really understand what this accomplishment meant, one needs only to go back three seasons, when SDSU won only three games total and finished an imperfect 0-and-16 in conference play. Change, of course, was needed...and it started with the signing of point guard Quenese Davis and the transfer from Cal to SDSU of athletic two-guard Jene Morris.

Two-time San Diego County Player of the Year center Paris Johnson (from San Diego High) joined the following year as did All-CIF power forward Allison Duffy (from El Capitan High).

Young and precocious, the kids took their lumps for two seasons, but steadily grew together...They made their first mark in last year's conference tournament, upsetting a pair of NCAA teams, Wyoming and TCU, before losing the MWC final to New Mexico.

This year, they shook off a season-ending suspension to Duffy (who is expected back next year) and became champions. They tied for the conference title with a 13-3 mark, and went 23-7 overall...Morris and Johnson were named first-team all-MWC, and Morris was named the conference's defensive player of the year...Davis earned second-team all-MWC honors and became the school's all-time leader in assists...Burns was named Coach of the Year (tends to happen when your team improves by 19 wins over a short three-year span).

Now they'll face 7th-seeded De Paul in the first round of the NCAA's on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Cox Arena...Can they beat the Blue Demons? They absolutely can, if for no other reason than the fact that they went 14-and-0 at home this season (including a win over No. 4-ranked Texas).

After that...they'd almost assuredly meet Pac-10 champ Stanford in the second round...Stanford was the NCAA runner-up last season (beating UConn in the National Semifinals), and they're ranked No. 2 in the country this season....No chance, you say? Well...just keep in mind that the second-round game would be played at Cox as well.

One last note about the women...regardless of what happens this season, this group is still a year ahead of schedule...Next year, Davis and Morris will both be seniors...Johnson and Duffy will be juniors...and Jessica Bradley, an all-Big 12 conference transfer from Baylor, will join the ranks.

The future is even brighter.

Another fantastic performance by the Aztecs' All-American pitcher Stephen Strasburg last Friday, kicking off a three-game weekend sweep by Tony Gwynn's team of UNLV. (By the way, SDSU owns UNLV in everything this year. Football got one of its two wins over the Rebels, both the men's and women's basketball teams were 3-0 vs. Vegas, and now baseball beats 'em three-straight).

But the best pitching performance of the weekend was not turned in by Strasburg, but rather by UCSD senior right-hander Travis Decker, who pitched a no-hitter on Saturday and defeated top-ranked Cal State Stanislaus, 6-0...Decker walked the first two hitters of the game, then retired 20 batters in a row to complete the seven-inning jem.

Decker's effort was the centerpiece of a four-game UCSD sweep of Division II's top-ranked squad and improved the Tritons to 15-7....Nicely done!

Aztecs Baseball Weekend In Review

2009-03-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

A tremendous weekend for SDSU Baseball ended with a three-game sweep of UNLV yesterday, 15-2 at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs have now won four straight and seven of their last eight games, improving to 11-6, 3-0 MWC. Thoughts on all three games:

FRIDAY: Over 2,100 take in the game at TGS, leading to a host of logistical problems, from long ticket lines to parking structure-change making issues. By the 3rd inning it was hard to find an empty seat in the house. They've come to see Strasburg and Stephen does not disappoint, striking out the side in the 1st and 2nd innings and recording an insane 10 K's through four innings. UNLV scores off Strasburg twice, the first involving a walk-steal-balk and the second a strikeout-wild pitch. Stephen runs up his pitch count, forcing him out after 7 innings, but the big crowd sees 14 strikeouts against just one walk, with six hits and two runs allowed. Three in the first and one in the 2nd is enough for the SDSU offense, and the bullpen survives a shaky 9th from Addison Reed to close out a 4-3 win. Erik Castro shows signs of breaking out of a season-long slump with his first HR of the year and a 2-for-3 night.

SATURDAY: It's a matinee, scheduled head-to-head with the start of the MWC basketball championships in Las Vegas, so I knew the crowd would be a big drop from Friday night to Saturday afternoon. About 1600 less, as a matter of fact. Those watching the basketball disappointment at home miss one of the most complete games of the Aztecs' season to date. The story is Jon Berger, a senior who got boxed around badly last year but has found great control and a breaking pitch to complement his excellent changeup. Berger strikes out a career-high 10 over 8 innings, all but one on his slow-slow-slower change. After a slow start against impressive whip-thin UNLV freshman right-hander Tanner Peters, the Aztecs rise up with three runs in the 5th and three more in the 8th. Pat Colwell's in the middle of things as usual, leading off with a base hit for the 5th straight game, he finishes 2-4 with an RBI. Leading 6-1 in the 9th, Tony Gwynn thinks he's going to be able to rest his closer, until James McLaughlin loads the bases with nobody out. In comes Reed for his best appearance of the season, striking out three straight for his career-best 6th save. 6-1 SDSU the final.

SUNDAY: Here is where the Aztecs can really separate themselves from other teams in their conference. While UNLV throws Corey Hales, a senior with an 8.10 ERA, the Aztecs counter with Tyler Lavigne, a solid sinker-baller who has kept his team in the game every time out. SDSU's pitching depth is starting to reveal itself, and never more so than today. Lavigne strikes out 8 in 5+ innings, and is never hit hard. The only three singles he allows are little rollers or choppers off his sinker. The Aztecs' bullpen finishes off with four shutout innings, with three hits and no walks allowed. Oh, what about the offense? Feasting on the back end of the Rebels' pitching staff, SDSU bangs out 14 hits and 15 runs in a 15-2 laugher. Ever since his walkoff HR against USD last Friday, Cory Vaughn has been on an absolute tear:

7 games: 10-26 (.385), 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 9 RS, 3BB, 2 HBP, 4K, 4 SB

Yesterday Cory ripped an 0-2 fastball up the middle for a two-run single in the first, used his speed to leg out an infield dribbler for a single in the 3rd, laced a triple down the left-field line and into the corner in the 5th (part of a 7-run inning), and then blasted a hanger over the left-field fence for a 3-run HR in the 7th. He never got to bat again, finishing a double short of the cycle. It was also great to see Josh Chasse, a hard worker who struggles to crack the outfield lineup, come off the bench and go 2-2 with 3 RBI, including his first college HR, a no-doubter in the 8th.

Kansas is in town Tuesday and Wednesday and then it's BYU for a three-game series on Thursday-Friday-Saturday. I would anticipate the SDSU rotation for the next five days to be as follows, but it's not official:

Ryan O'Sullivan-Tuesday

Nate Solow-Wednesday

Stephen Strasburg-Thursday

Jon Berger-Friday

Tyler Lavigne-Saturday

So Disappointing

2009-03-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

One more shot made in a 2-point loss. One more win. One less underdog winning another conference tournament, putting one less dead spot in the field of 65. One more iota of exposure nationally for a good team and a good conference. Any of this would have been enough for the SDSU men to make the NCAA tournament. They got none of it, a perfect S-storm that managed to send 65 schools dancing while the Aztecs polish up their sandals to shuffle off to the NIT.

Being the #1 seed in the NIT has to be the most hollow "honor" ever bestowed upon a basketball team. I'm trying to search for the positives here: at least SDSU fans will get to watch Wade, Spain, Richie, etc at home again. At least the Aztecs will get another gate or two, which helps the coffers. At least SDSU will get to play on national TV, and if they do happen to roll off a few wins, they'll get second stage exposure. On the flip side, you're #1 among the also-rans...so if you win the whole NIT, you're still big fish of the small pond, but if you lose, you were upset and underachieved again. Awesome.

Do I think they should have made the field? Yes. They should have done it by beating St. Mary's at the Wooden Classic. They should have done it by hanging onto their lead against Arizona State. Or not blowing a 14-point second half lead against BYU. Or by winning in Laramie against a defense-challenged Wyoming team. Or by finding a way to put the ball through the hoop in the MWC final against Utah. As they stood this afternoon, the Aztecs were probably still one of the best 65 teams in the country. But if they had done ANY of the things listed above, there wouldn't have been any question.

I have changed the poll: please vote as to whether you think SDSU got what they deserved, or got robbed of a spot in the NCAA's.

HIGH FIDELITY #4: TV Show Themes

2009-03-15T10:08:00.001-07:00

(High Fidelity returns after a brief delay...)

So in #3 we dealt with the crooners, now how about the TV shows you've come to associate with Sin City? Certainly CSI has become identified with Las Vegas, but I can also remember way back, into the hazy past, to a different TV show theme...

Thoughts on Peavy and the WBC

2009-03-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

What makes baseball great? A million things. But here's one I'm thinking about this morning...

Baseball is the game that simultaneously offers the most and least variance. What do I mean? In any given baseball game, given that the skill levels are at least of a baseline level, any team can get the better of another. The 63-99 Padres can beat the 97-64 Cubs, and make them look bad, on a particular Sunday. But over the course of a season, the best teams win, the flaws are revealed, the strengths play out.

The power of knowing this is understanding that you just can't read too much into any one game or performance. You really just can't. Even a handful, even a set of results are too little. It takes time and a large sample size to really get an accurate judgement on a player or a team. And people who throw out wild proclamations after a game, questioning a player's heart, talent or conviction after any one performance, are just revealing themselves as reactionaries.

I lay all this out to wade into the discussion of what I saw last night in the World Baseball Classic against Puerto Rico. Jake Peavy got strafed, again. The pitcher who has been one of the loudest and biggest fans of the WBC was lit up for six runs in two innings, including a bombastic HR from Felipe Lopez. Jake had that deer-in-the-headlights, uh-oh look that I've seen from him so many times before. Early in his career on the road. In the playoffs against St. Louis. In the play-in game against the Rockies. Throw it, spin around and see where it lands.

Another big game, another big stage for a great young pitcher who we see at his greatest, but the rest of the nation often sees faltering. Why did Peavy fail yesterday? Did he want it too bad? Did he not train well enough in the offseason? Did he fall victim to a spring training mindset in a championship tournament? Is he "not a big game pitcher"? What does it all mean?

Er, sorry. It probably means nothing. It probably means he left some pitches up. It probably means Javier Vazquez pitched well for Puerto Rico yesterday and Jake did not. It might be just that simple. There might be nothing more to learn.

I was thinking of all sorts of excuses this morning, for Team USA and for Peavy. The Latin players have an advantage over the Americans, because they play baseball all winter long and have a Caribbean World Series before the major leagues open camp. They are ready, while our guys' bodies are just naturally geared to be ready for the summer, not the spring. Their pitchers have their arms stretched out and they're used to pitching at 100% right now.

But if that's true, what about the Dominican team? Why did they lose, and to the Netherlands for goodness' sake? TWICE? Why can Mexico get mercy ruled one game and then mercy rule their opponent the next?

The simple truth is the one that's hardest to accept: there's no rhyme or reason to any of it. Let the 16 teams of the WBC train and play each other for an 80-game season. Then, you will find out who has the best team, the best pitching staff, the best offense, etc. What, you don't have time? Want to play the 2009 MLB schedule instead? I don't blame you. Me too.

So we're left with a double-elimination crapshoot where no result can be taken too seriously. Is Japan really the best team in the world? They won in 2006. If Venezuela, or the U.S., or Cuba, or Puerto Rico wins this year, are they the best? We will never know. The Netherlands beating the DR just makes the point more than anything else I can write. In an 80-game schedule with their pool region as their division, the Dutch win 10-15 games. They may beat the DR 1-2 times in 16 tries. But they go 2-0 in a two-game season in the WBC.

It's fun, it's dramatic, it's enjoyable, just not particularly insightful. So I'm going to try to shelve any big thoughts on Jake Peavy and what this latest subpar performance says about his ability to win a big game, and whether it's buyer beware for a playoff team that wants to trade for Jake, and whether all the hue and cry about keeping or trading him matters much if he only pitches big in small situations...because all of that would be reactionary and needless. I'm going to root on Team USA tonight against the Netherlands and hope they win. I'll hope for Jake to get another shot to pitch in the WBC Finals. But beyond that, reading too much into the WBC is probably just an invitation to look foolish later.

Well...

2009-03-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

...1 out of 3 ain't bad???

My heart breaks for the men's basketball team at SDSU. A 52-50 loss to Utah saw the Aztecs at their best and worst, all at once. At their best, defending and rebounding ferociously, throttling a good team and holding them to 52 points. At their worst, going minutes without a field goal and turning it over twice on critical runouts, including in the last three seconds of the game. I really, really hope the NCAA tournament committee grants the Aztecs an at-large berth, and I do think they've earned it, BUT...if you've ever followed SDSU sports, you know that the rug is pulled out from underfoot more often than not. Until I see their name in the field of 65 I will be doubtful.

The women's team will still make the NCAA tournament for sure, so their loss in the conference tournament final is a little less devastating, but from what I was hearing while checking in between innings of the baseball game, it seemed like they were hanging onto the lead for almost the whole game before succumbing to Utah. Poor Chris Ello had a courtside seat for both setbacks, he sends his regards but doesn't have internet access right now. I'm sure we'll hear all about the Vegas trip in the coming days.

At Tony Gwynn Stadium, the baseball team put together a solid all-around effort in a 6-1 win over UNLV. Jon Berger had his best start as an Aztec; the senior struck out 10 and walked none in 8 innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 run. SDSU's offense went quiet for an extended period once again, but rose up for 3 in the 5th and 3 in the 8th. Addison Reed pitched for the 3rd straight game, inheriting a bases-loaded, nobody out situation in the 9th and striking out the side for his 6th save in 6 tries. The defense was error free and the Aztecs waited out their opponent. At 10-6 (2-0) SDSU has a chance to really make something of their week when they take on UNLV in the series finale tomorrow. The game starts at 1pm at Tony Gwynn Stadium...while you're waiting to see if the men's team's bubble bursts, why not come out for some baseball in the sun? If not, I'll have the play-by-play on www.goaztecs.com.

It's late night, and I'm back from my friend Bree's birthday party at Ono Sushi, full of Baja Roll, cold sake, Sapporo and edamame. Jake Peavy has allowed two runs in the 1st inning of my WBC replay against Puerto Rico. Oh Jake, are you ever gonna pitch big in a big game? See you in the morning...

Identity

2009-03-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

For so long, the identity of the SDSU athletic program has been one of close calls and pratfalls, near-misses and implosions. Today, three Aztec teams have a big chance to forge their identity:

The senior class on the men's team has very little to look back on and call their own. NIT appearances? Second-half fades? No longer. Now, they have this run. Lorrenzo Wade, stepping up yesterday to play the biggest and best game of his SDSU career. Game, gutsy play from Spain, Richie, and Amoroso. Last night, the Aztecs LOOKED like a tournament team. A win today, and the chance to cut down the nets in Vegas and claim a Mountain West title...now THAT would be a banner you could hang at Cox Arena. They can beat Utah and I think they will.
The women's team is already a virtual shoo-in for an NCAA berth and a chance to play the first two rounds at home. But a MWC championship would help seal Beth Burns' identity as the greatest coach on campus. This game could be a real toss-up, but I'm hoping the positive mojo of the Aztec contingent in Vegas will lift the ladies over the top.
The baseball team, fresh off a 4-3 win over UNLV last night at Tony Gwynn Stadium, can make it 3 straight and 6 out of 7 if they can pull out a win over the Rebels this afternoon. Jon Berger has thrown nothing but quality starts so far this season, and if the senior keeps it up, the Aztecs will take a big step toward forging their identity as a contender for a postseason berth this year.

I'm off to the ballpark, all the SDSU baseball action is available at goaztecs.com. Also, a hat tip to the UCSD women, and the clutch shooting of my Triton Talk guest Annette Ilg, who hit a jumper with 5 seconds left to give the Tritons a first-round one-point win over CSUDH. Good luck to the Triton ladies tonight against Northwest Nazarene!

3 FOR 3

2009-03-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

It's late, and I'm watching back the replay of the men's hoops game. Despite my hopes of missing the final score, I already heard about the dramatic advance to the MWC final. This caps a highly satisfying 3-for-3 day, starting with the women's team beating UNLV, and including Strasburg's 14-K win over UNLV 4-3 tonight at Tony Gwynn Stadium. I'll have a lot more in the morning, but for a university that's had a lot of athletic lows and a lot more letdowns, this was a pretty damn good night.

Exciting Friday

2009-03-13T07:54:00.001-07:00

My goodness, this is an exciting Friday morning. What's got me fired up?

For fans and followers of SDSU sports, there aren't too many days like this. Ideally, you would be in Vegas for the doubleheader at Thomas & Mack Center. At 2:30pm, Beth Burns' Aztecs take the court against UNLV, trying to cap the San Diego Smackdown of Vegas basketball, in the MWC Women's Semifinals. At 6pm, it's the men in their critical semifinal matchup against BYU. Hopefully a great number of Aztec fans are making the spontaneous weekend trip. Man, I wish I could be there. But then again...
Being here in San Diego isn't so bad either. If you're here in America's Finest City, follow this little itinerary with me and you'll actually pick up a bonus third SDSU thriller. First, watch the women's game on Ch4 in HD this afternoon. Then, after the ladies punch their ticket to the MWC finals, off to Tony Gwynn Stadium. Bring a jacket or sweater, it'll be one of those cold, clear nights, and there will be a persistent breeze coming from home plate. Strasburg is pitching tonight, and the opponent is...Vegas! Of course! It's the all-UNLV weekend. If the Aztecs bring the confidence from their Wednesday comeback to the plate tonight, it should be a great evening of SDSU baseball. Set the DVR to tape the SDSU/BYU men's game, and listen to the baseball broadcast at the game (I'll be on 1360AM), because I promise not to give the score. After all, I'll be avoiding it myself. Then, when Strasburg sets his number against the Whiffin' Rebels (15? 18? 22?), go home happy, grab a hot (or cold) drink, and press play on the men's game. Bink! 3 great Aztec contests, two tourney games, and a live baseball game featuring one of the best pitchers in the nation, a rare live treat. Who's with me? Huh? Who's with me?
I'll be sending faraway good luck wishes to Charity Elliott and the UCSD women's team, as they get started with the Division II NCAA Western Regionals tonight against Cal State Dominguez Hills, up at Seattle Pacific University. The Tritons need to win three games to win the region and advance to the Elite Eight (there are eight regions in D-II, unlike the four regions in D-I). The top seed in the region is the host Seattle Pacific, a team that has ousted UCSD from the playoffs three times in the last five years. If UCSD wins today they play either Alaska-Anchorage or Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. You can hear an interview with Coach Elliott and UCSD women's player Annette Ilg on this week's Triton Talk, by clicking here.
If I hadn't watched Sportscenter this morning, I would have had no idea that one of the greatest games in college basketball history went down last night. Syracuse beats UConn in the Big East Tournament 127-117 in 6(!!!!!!) overtimes. Even the highlights were exhausting to watch! One of the safest bets in Vegas today: going with West Virginia against the exhausted Orangemen. Guard Johnny Flynn led Syracuse by playing 67 minutes in the game. Yes, that's a school record. Now, the local angle: this can't get a mention on the front page of the U-T sports? Anywhere? Not even in that little box at the top as a tease? It was in the small type roundup on Page 2; yes, at the top of that, but still. VERY easy to miss thumbing through the paper. I know you guys are down and out, and obviously I appreciate the commitment to covering local sports, but this is a 6-OT classic we're talking about here, not chopped liver. Today, plenty more tourney action around the country, that's exciting.
We got hits yesterday from North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and South Korea. Thanks to everyone for checking in, please sign up and subscribe for free, and bookmark us as a daily place to come and talk San Diego sports! We took some important steps toward podcasting this week, and hope to be up and running with a whole new layer of content very soon!

LOL Bleacher Bums

2009-03-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

Presented for your reading enjoyment...John Maffei of the NCTimes just unloading both barrels on Jordan and Earl, pausing to reload, then firing again...I haven't seen a trampling like this since Richie Aprile ran over Beens on the Sopranos, and then bragged about it to Tony:

"I thought I told you to back off Beensie!"

"I did...then I put it in drive..."

Maybe now the Bums will give Maffei the RESPECT he DESERVES LOL!

MORNING EDIT: Here's Posner's take, from this morning's U-T. In what might be a first, Jay was the more newsy read while it was 'Fei taking the gloves off and wailing away. In all my years I've never EVER read Maffei more ticked off than this one.

Of course, that's exactly, perversely, what Hal and Mr. Lynch should have (and likely might have) expected, they've been aiming to shock on the cheap with a couple of screamers off the street. They say something outrageous, people call, they talk about it, people complain, but they're talking. Then, sooner than later, they say something else so far over the top, a big turdpile on the dance floor, that it just can't be ignored, and they get suspended. And people talk some more.

Hat tip to John for a pair of compliments in the article as well...

(that scene just for kicks below, NSFW...)

Impressive

2009-03-12T17:21:00.001-07:00

What a win for the SDSU men today, beating UNLV for the 3rd time this year, 2nd time in Las Vegas, advancing to the Mountain West Conference tourney semi-finals. Chris is in Vegas as I write this on Thursday evening, so I'm sure he'll be checking in later with reaction. What I can say from the perch of my HDTV is that SDSU played as well on offense as I've seen them play in two years. Moving the ball, passing from side to side of the court, inside and outside, and only six turnovers for the entire game. It really looks as if the seniors on this team have finally come to the point of no return and they are stepping up to play team basketball and see how far it can take them.

I certainly think it can take them right through this tourney and into the NCAAs. Today's win should definitively move SDSU ahead of UNLV for an at-large berth, and while they might be in even if they lose tomorrow, a victory over BYU would all but cinch an Aztecs' NCAA bid.

Aztecs Baseball Recap from UCLA

2009-03-12T08:26:00.001-07:00

The Aztecs now have two last at-bat wins they can point to in the preseason as potential building blocks. Last night at Jackie Robinson Stadium, a chilly and sloppy game came to a rousing conclusion as SDSU scored nine runs in the final three innings, including 6 in the 9th, to beat the reeling UCLA Bruins 10-6. Five straight hits in the final inning included 2-run doubles from Brandon Meredith and Cory Vaughn, who are fast becoming the run producers Tony Gwynn hoped they would be. San Diego State is now 8-6 while UCLA is a hard-luck 3-11.

The Aztecs dealt with some of their familiar issues, such as hitting droughts and fielding miscues, but also showed a real resiliency in waiting out a tough young pitcher and feasting on the weaker part of the UCLA bullpen. It was my first chance to call a Ryan O'Sullivan pitching start, and I thought Ryan showed a good fastball and at times had a pretty solid breaking pitch. He was certainly the victim of some bad fortune early on, as there were a number of "almost" plays made behind him, and a couple of real ducksnorts fell for base hits. He also walked two batters who both came around to score. In the fifth he gave up three straight solid hits and got lifted.

Trevor Bauer started for UCLA, a freshman from Hart High, and he was pretty good. Looked like a low-'90s fastball, good hard slider, a 6'0" right-hander who has a terrier mentality and really locked in as the game went along. He was herky jerky and a little violent in his delivery, but did get good extension coming toward home plate. Bauer gave up just two hits in 6 innings and believe me the Aztecs were happy to see him go. It was his first start after working out of the bullpen.

In college baseball one thing is clear: if you can keep the game within striking range there are usually a couple of pitchers in the other bullpen who will give you a chance to get back into it. Sunday's game wasn't out of reach at 5-1...but when USD kept piling on to get to 10-1, that's when the Aztecs were in trouble. Last night, at 5-1 UCLA in the 5th, the SDSU bullpen held it right there. Andrew Leary retired all five Bruins he faced, and James McLaughlin was solid in the 7th. That's the type of pitching midweek that can separate the Aztecs from other teams.

Still, San Diego State's offense was as cold as the chilly night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Finally, after a total gift run was given to SDSU in the 7th (error, wild pitch, passed ball, groundout, LOL), the Aztecs took advantage of some more presents. Wild lefty Gavin Brooks (from Rancho Buena Vista) gave up a hit, walk, and hit by pitch, then a wild pitch. Brooks departed for another left-hander, Brendan Lafferty, who then got out of the inning without allowing another hit, although a sac fly cut the lead down to 5-4 UCLA.

Kegan Sharp gave up a homerun to Cody Decker in the bottom of the 8th (the UCLA ballpark is a little bandbox by the way, it was probably a double at TGS) and it was 6-4 and trouble heading into the 9th. The Bruins were the preseason pick to win the Pac-10, but a couple of their top pitchers are injured, and the hard-luck team went through a 10-game losing streak that included 6 one-run losses and 8 games in a row against ranked teams (#1 strength of schedule in the country). On this night, instead of their top closer, the Bruins had to try and have a pair of journeyman seniors finish the game.

Josh Chasse, a junior outfielder who has to fight for playing time, got things started for the Aztecs with a big walk, fighting back against Lafferty after falling behind 1-2 in the count. Pat Colwell then hit the first pitch he saw to right field, past the diving second baseman for a hit. Down 6-4 with two on and nobody out, Tony decided to call for the bunt, and Brandon Decker laid down a good one to the left of the mound. Lafferty threw late and it was a base hit to load the bases. I looked down in the UCLA bullpen but couldn't quite see the number. When the head coach made the call to the bullpen and it was senior right-hander Jason Novak, he of the team-worst 13.50 ERA, I figured there was a pretty good chance for the Aztecs.

With Meredith at the plate, Novak jumped ahead 0-2 then threw a breaking ball in the dirt and to the backstop. 6-5 game, and now 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Brandon kept the at-bat alive with a foul or two and then roped an inside pitch inside the 3rd base bag and down the line for a double, plating both runners. 7-6 SDSU, their first lead of the game. Now, the floodgates were wide open. Erik Castro gets just his 4th hit of the season, a hard grounder that gets through this time. Vaughn doubles to deep center, short-hopping the wall to make it 9-6. And with two outs, Mike Gallego's son Nico throws it away at shortstop to make it 10-6. After being two-hit through six innings, the Aztecs get five straight hits in the 9th to score six runs and add to the UCLA misery in 2009.

Addison Reed had a big fastball in the 9th, striking out the last two Bruins, their top two hitters back-to-back. Then it was on to the bus for the long drive back to San Diego, a happy Aztecs team with a big win in their back pockets. With Strasburg on the mound Friday, SDSU has a chance to build a little winning streak here opening conference action. We'll have radio coverage on XTRA 1360 this Friday at 6pm.

HIGH FIDELITY #3: The Vegas Crooners

2009-03-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

In addition to songs about Las Vegas, there are a host of songs indelibly linked to Sin City, including the iconic songs that you've "gotta hear" sometime in a Vegas show. Two of the longest running Vegas performers of all time, Wayne Newton and Tom Jones, each give us their "gotta hear it" time-worn standard. Do you think at some point later at night, each of these guys secretly hates these songs now? Second question, which of the two do you like better? Respond in the comments...

One More Run

2009-03-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well, thank goodness. I did not want to see it end like that. Ladanian Tomlinson has been too special as a San Diego Charger, too great, to just see his career end with an injury, a release, a new team and a new uniform, a Chunky Soup re-shoot in different colors. In a time when the word loyalty has been replaced by restructuring (as in, we are restructuring as a company so we no longer have loyalty to you, here's the door), it was LT's loyalty to his city and his team which led him to swallow some financial pride and restructure his contract.

Is it any surprise to see that this deal gets done with LT and Dean Spanos coming to an agreement, and then dragging along the kids who have been battling in the playpen (Smith, Condon)? The former wear their hearts on their sleeves, the latter both battle ultimately for the bottom line. This time, heart wins.

But I think the head wins here too. To me, objectively evaluating the San Diego Chargers' championship chances in 2009-2010, they are closer to the goal with LT and Sproles at running back than they are with an unknown draft pick and Darren Sproles. Tomlinson has a lot to prove next season, and so do the Chargers. Both are set for a bounce back year, and for those who believe that LT is washed up and the Bolts are making a mistake, I suggest you continue reading.

Tomlinson's 2008 was a season of struggle not because he was a step slow, but because his step was slowed by a toe injury which he never let heal. Right when he was back to himself, exploding from the line against the Broncos, he suffered a detached tendon. If LT had sat for 4-6 weeks after the opening week injury against the Panthers, he undoubtedly would have run for a higher average, and performed at a higher level. But LT at that time sublimated his personal interest for the team's interest, believing that they needed him in order to succeed.

In the weeks that followed he suffered; both the pain of the injury, and the barbs of the critics and loudmouth fans/callers who said he had lost his mojo and was washed up as a running back. I heard it every week after the Chargers lost, back when they used to let me go on the radio every day. Amazingly, people called HIM selfish for playing in pain. A selfish player would absolutely have sat down and smiled as his team struggled without him. LT grimaced and continued, even as the team clanked and stumbled through a 4-8 start.

At their lowest point, LT got mad. He said quite famously and hilariously that he would be "God-dogged" if a team of his quit. Four days later, the patsy Raiders came to town and let LT and the boys run all over them. Four weeks after that, the Chargers were beating the Colts in the playoffs, with LT breaking away on the first play of the game for a 14-yard run, grimacing once again, this time on a detached tendon. Darren Sproles took it from there, but he couldn't take it all the way to the Super Bowl. The Chargers will need LT for that.

Next season's roster and salary cap choices will be tougher than this year's, and the Bolts have already had to jump through some hoops to keep their backfield intact. Shawne Merriman might not be a Charger in 2010, Cromartie might be gone, and that's just the start of it. This intriguing, electric, aggravating, and varied collection of talent is here for one more run, and then it may scatter to the wind. For all we know, by 2011, the Chargers could be in the City of Industry.

This is no time to part ways with a legend in a cold-hearted salary cap move. This is the time to get everyone together, read them Henry V's speech about "once more unto the breech dear friends", and then do everything humanly possible as an organization to win the Super Bowl in 2009. The championship window for this team, this time, is still open, thanks to bringing back Ladanian Tomlinson. The window WILL close at the end of the year. It may reopen again soon, or it may not. But we Charger fans, we happy few, should celebrate the fact that indeed, we will have one more run at the top. Let's hope that this time they get it right.

HIGH FIDELITY #2: Cocteau Twins

2009-03-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you for a number of Vegas song suggestions, many of them on my Facebook page...I think we'll have no trouble getting from #1 to #5 this week!

One of David Peng's suggestions stuck in my head yesterday, and I couldn't get it out of there, so it becomes song #2: one of my favorites from back in the KSDT college radio days, even though I couldn't tell you any of the lyrics outside of "Heaven Or Las Vegas", by the Cocteau Twins...

Strasburg mechanical issues?

2009-03-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

I did an interview on Jeff Erickson's Blog Talk Radio show last Friday and the guest host asked me if I was concerned with Stephen Strasburg's mechanics. Having watched Strasburg so many times in person, it was actually an odd question to me, because his mechanics always seemed very solid. He throws very free and easy, not a max-effort guy at all, and if anything I thought his windup was refined from last year to this, better balanced.

Then yesterday, Avenger-In-Chief passed this along to me...the Mariners' fan blogging doesn't interest me that much, but the website he linked to did...Driveline Mechanics. Now, watching through this guy's Strasburg posts and his analysis, a second and third look is giving me more and more doubts. Not about Strasburg, more about the analysis. Speaking with great authority on a subject can make you sound really smart and knowledgable, but you also might be wrong. I noticed in the comments that the poster's analysis was criticized pretty firmly. So I'm just presenting all this for informational purposes, and perhaps I can float it along to Will Carroll over at Baseball Prospectus, who I respect a lot on mechanics and pitcher injuries. Please follow the links and form your own conclusions.

http://www.drivelinemechanics.com/2008/9/5/607023/on-strasburg

http://www.drivelinemechanics.com/2008/11/18/665018/quick-note-stephen-strasbu

By the way, Strasburg's next start will be Friday against UNLV at Tony Gwynn Stadium, and I'll be calling the game on XTRA 1360, a 6:05 first pitch, so please tune in if you can! There will also be video coverage as usual on goaztecs.com.

HIGH FIDELITY #1: Elvis!

2009-03-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

OK, after much deliberation, I came up with this week's High Fidelity theme...the Mountain West Conference tournament is taking place this weekend in Vegas, and UNLV is coming to Tony Gwynn Stadium this weekend, so I'm going with VEGAS SONGS! Songs specifically about or strongly identified with Sin City. We start with the most obvious pick in the history of picking songs for themes:

Weekend in Review

2009-03-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

A weekend of positive results for SDSU, a mixed bag for USD and UCSD, and a nervous quiet on the offseason front for the Chargers. Baseball's best (well, some of them) square off in the World Baseball Classic. Meanwhile, the Padres blithely prep for their long slog in Arizona. And, a city rivalry gains steam and attention in college baseball. Some of the things on my mind this gray and cold morning in America's Finest City...

Tops on my list for the weekend: the big win for the Aztecs' men. Beating UNLV twice is now on the top of their resume for an at-large berth. Coming together with a solid second-half performance gave the seniors on the team something to feel good about heading into tournament play. And, while UNLV has the home court for Thursday's re-rematch in the first round of the conference tournament, SDSU has the positive momentum of back-to-back wins to fall back upon if the Rebels make an expected run. To me, it's not that bad to draw the team you've swept in the first round, even if that team is the home team. And while beating UNLV for a 3rd time still wouldn't guarantee an at-large berth (especially if it was followed immediately by losing to BYU for a 3rd time), it certainly would be a big step in the right direction. Great job for the men's team to at least come together and pull out this win.
Even more praise-worthy is the clinching of the co-conference championship for the SDSU women's hoopsters. You could see last year that Paris Johnson arriving gave Beth Burns a base to work with, and the improvement of her guards Jene Morris and Quenese Davis has turned the Aztecs into a rightful power in the MWC. I would like to think an at-large berth is secure, but to be safe SDSU probably should win that semi-final MWC tournament game they will play on Friday. Chris can elaborate much further than I as he has followed these Aztecs through every game of the season.
The baseball City Championship was great, and even Sunday's clunker wound up being close enough to be considered a decent game. The first three were all tense thrillers. Strasburg's 18K performance was the highlight, followed by Cory Vaughn's walkoff in the 10th on Friday, and the Aztec bullpen's escape job on Saturday. Yesterday's game featured miserable, awful, hideous defense from SDSU, but the long-term development from the game was probably more important: Brandon Meredith started to find his groove. With a LONG HR to left and a booming double to the right-center alley, Brandon displayed the power and bat control that got Tony Gwynn so excited. For SDSU, it's off to UCLA on Wednesday (I'll be there on goaztecs.com), and then back home for a weekend series against UNLV (I'll be there too, with Friday's Strasburg start on XTRA).
Rich Hill's USD baseball team really, REALLY needed that win on Sunday. They play Long Beach State and then Rice for four games this week, two of the top programs in the country. USD is still trying to get their pitching worked out, and while Solis shows a lot of promise, they don't have that Matusz-Strasburg type superstar on the mound this year. Blair is another good one but still erratic. I like USD's defense, it's mostly excellent, and they've got plenty of solid line-drive hitters. Only Sanchez has real power though, and he's still a work in progress with a long swing.
If you think it's going to end well between LT and the Chargers, you're in a shrinking group, and I don't know that I can join you anymore. To me there are too few ways for A.J. Smith to make it work and still keep all of the other pieces that he drafted and have salary cap room to re-sign Rivers. I still think the Bolts need him back for one more year, though, if they want to really be a Super Bowl contender next year, and I'm not going to change that position even if they do decide to part ways and go to a younger RB in the draft. People will hype that young rusher and within weeks of his departure, the new Conventional Wisdom will be that the Chargers are better off without LT. That's a guarantee from you to me if it happens. But newer isn't always better and I think betting on another year of LT is a safe wager.
Maybe I'm the only one who likes the World Baseball Classic, but I was very much interested in both of the games that I saw parts of yesterday. The USA lineup was relentless and eventually pounded the minor leaguers within the underbelly of the Venezuelan bullpen. The Mexican team, meanwhile, imploded on their home field and got mercy ruled by Australia! It was an ugly pitching performance. USA is already into the 2nd round and looking like a much more determined and much less sluggish team than their first go-round in '06.
I still plan to be heading out for the tail end of Spring Training, right after the players get back from the WBC. Nothing like a dose of Arizona sunshine and artifical optimism to mark the start of the baseball season to come.
UCSD's women's team drew a 3rd seed in the Division II tournament and will play CSU Dominguez Hills in the first round. They lost their chance to host a regional, though, by bowing out in the first round of the CCAA tourney. The men were not unexpectedly left out of the NCAA field after their semi-final departure in the tourney on Friday night. I'll be back on campus tomorrow to talk with the head coaches while taping the 4th edition of Triton Talk.
The scene last night in Big Love when Nikki gets confronted by the DA and Bill out in the street in front of their home was absolutely electric. The last three shows have been, to me, the best of the series to date. And to no one's surprise Nikki winds up crawling back to her twisted family when no one else will have her.

OK that's it for now but this week's High Fidelity will get started later on today!