Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Call To Arms

Pitchers and catchers both reported to Peoria Sunday, as ordered, and workouts in earnest begin Monday. Pitchers usually need a little more time to get up to speed than do position players, and it's difficult to pitch without a catcher. So, they go early. It's a wonderful tradition. Get a lightning bolt for an arm and you get some special rules to go along with it.

Gone are Heath Bell (Marlins), Mat Latos (Reds), and Aaron Harang (Dodgers); new faces include Huston Street, Edinson Volquez, and Micah Owings. Nolan Ryan once threw 259 pitches in one game. That was in 1974. In 2012, when the spring training games begin in March, Padres pitchers will be limited to 30 or 40 at first, it's a different game now. The idea is to build up some stamina. Expect them to get hit around some. Don't worry much about whether the boys win or lose.

And know that no one will ever throw 259 pitches in a single game ever again.

An arm can only take so much abuse. The Padres training staff has one of the very best reputations in all of baseball, they take care of those arms. The general idea is that a pitching arm has a shelf-life, a certain number of pitches in it, depending on the pitcher. In October, most of those arms get shut down, rested, and even if a pitcher does some winter ball, the pitch count is closely monitored. In March, they get back into it. Slowly.

The rotation is still a little up in the air, but Stauffer looks to be the ace, with Volquez, Dustin Moseley, and Clayton Richard in there somewhere. The last starting spot will feature a competition between Anthony Bass, Corey Leubke, and maybe even Josh Spence. The losers get rewarded with a bullpen role. That's not a bad consolation prize in a pitcher's park.

The boys will be tossing some long ball tomorrow in sunny Peoria, maybe a bullpen session or two. And you're going to like Huston Street, he's a smart guy and a team player. Micah Owings is another great addition. There is an unbelievable amount of optimism with this bunch. And the guys from last year's 90-loss squad? They're not happy with that, they want to fix things.

And just so you know, a lot of position players showed up in camp early. Don't be surprised if you wind up surprised.


Notes:

Tony Gwynn's surgery was deemed as successful by his doctors, it will be a long recovery, but everything we've read has been encouraging. Biopsies taken were all negative. Excellent, excellent news, indeed.

Nothing new to report on the media contract front, the Padres and Fox Sports (regional-yet-to-be-named) are still awaiting word from MLB. Still thinking that this coming week something will shake loose. You don't just toss a few cameras around and hope for the best at the last minute, MLB is aware of the logistics involved with broadcasting. They'll approve it, and soon.

Unsure of where Moorad's fate as face of the ownership group is at the moment. If he isn't voted in when the media deal is approved, it's possible that it won't happen this year. Technically, that group still has two years to buy out Moores, but the buy-out money is still sitting in escrow which means that a lot of money isn't making any money. That's not going to remain static for very long. Money doesn't enjoy sitting in one place doing nothing. Sort of like a pitching arm.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Southern California Asks: 'What Is Vinivia?' Meet the New Creator-First Livestreaming App

Next Article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon

Pitchers and catchers both reported to Peoria Sunday, as ordered, and workouts in earnest begin Monday. Pitchers usually need a little more time to get up to speed than do position players, and it's difficult to pitch without a catcher. So, they go early. It's a wonderful tradition. Get a lightning bolt for an arm and you get some special rules to go along with it.

Gone are Heath Bell (Marlins), Mat Latos (Reds), and Aaron Harang (Dodgers); new faces include Huston Street, Edinson Volquez, and Micah Owings. Nolan Ryan once threw 259 pitches in one game. That was in 1974. In 2012, when the spring training games begin in March, Padres pitchers will be limited to 30 or 40 at first, it's a different game now. The idea is to build up some stamina. Expect them to get hit around some. Don't worry much about whether the boys win or lose.

And know that no one will ever throw 259 pitches in a single game ever again.

An arm can only take so much abuse. The Padres training staff has one of the very best reputations in all of baseball, they take care of those arms. The general idea is that a pitching arm has a shelf-life, a certain number of pitches in it, depending on the pitcher. In October, most of those arms get shut down, rested, and even if a pitcher does some winter ball, the pitch count is closely monitored. In March, they get back into it. Slowly.

The rotation is still a little up in the air, but Stauffer looks to be the ace, with Volquez, Dustin Moseley, and Clayton Richard in there somewhere. The last starting spot will feature a competition between Anthony Bass, Corey Leubke, and maybe even Josh Spence. The losers get rewarded with a bullpen role. That's not a bad consolation prize in a pitcher's park.

The boys will be tossing some long ball tomorrow in sunny Peoria, maybe a bullpen session or two. And you're going to like Huston Street, he's a smart guy and a team player. Micah Owings is another great addition. There is an unbelievable amount of optimism with this bunch. And the guys from last year's 90-loss squad? They're not happy with that, they want to fix things.

And just so you know, a lot of position players showed up in camp early. Don't be surprised if you wind up surprised.


Notes:

Tony Gwynn's surgery was deemed as successful by his doctors, it will be a long recovery, but everything we've read has been encouraging. Biopsies taken were all negative. Excellent, excellent news, indeed.

Nothing new to report on the media contract front, the Padres and Fox Sports (regional-yet-to-be-named) are still awaiting word from MLB. Still thinking that this coming week something will shake loose. You don't just toss a few cameras around and hope for the best at the last minute, MLB is aware of the logistics involved with broadcasting. They'll approve it, and soon.

Unsure of where Moorad's fate as face of the ownership group is at the moment. If he isn't voted in when the media deal is approved, it's possible that it won't happen this year. Technically, that group still has two years to buy out Moores, but the buy-out money is still sitting in escrow which means that a lot of money isn't making any money. That's not going to remain static for very long. Money doesn't enjoy sitting in one place doing nothing. Sort of like a pitching arm.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The Ghost of Ray Kroc

Next Article

Volquez One-hits Astros, Padres Win

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader