Tuesday, May 31, 2005
The Best Team Nobody’s Talking About
The San Diego Padres came into May 11-13 and all but written off by media pundits and fans. The team had just been laid into by embattled manager Bruce Bochy and there was talk of letting go of the skipper who has helmed the franchise since the mid-'90s.
On May 2nd, the Padres took what seemed to be an innocuous game between two bottom dwelling teams and began a surge that shows no signs of slowing down. Since April 27, the amazing Friars have taken 21 of 27 games and have become the hottest team no one knows about.
Led by the resurgence of Brian Giles and Ryan Klesko, the Padres have surged from fourth-place and five games behind the Dodgers to first place in the National League West and the third best record in baseball. Brian Giles has been red-hot of late, batting .364 in May with 20 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
As hot as the Padres hitters have been, the pitching is still what makes this team go. Jake Peavy has turned into one of the best pitchers in the game. With a record of 5-0 and an ERA of 2.00, the National League ERA leader from 2004 has picked up right where he left off.
However, it is the emergence of Adam Eaton and rookie Tim Stauffer who have helped the Padres to one of the best months in club history. The Padres have been counting on Eaton since acquiring him in a trade with Philadelphia Phillies six years ago. Eaton showed signs off being the dominant pitcher the Padres hoped for late in the 2001 season before going down with a season ending elbow injury in 2002. After a rough 2004, Eaton has proven to be worth the wait. Boasting a 7-1 record and a 3.49 ERA, Eaton has proven to be a solid No. 2 starter behind Peavy.
Stauffer, called up earlier this month after Woody Williams went down with an injury, has been solid for the Padres as well. The rookie has gone 1-1 and pitched a gem yesterday against San Francisco. Many within the Padres system think Stauffer could be the best of San Diego's young arms in the next few years.
However, the strength of the Padres is their dominant bullpen. The Padres have one of the best closers in the history of the game in Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman, third all-time in saves, has had a career renaissance this season. After suffering what many thought would be a career ending injury in 2003, Hoffman once again is one of the top saves men in the National League with 15 saves in 17 opportunities. The Padres also boast three capable setup men in Rudy Seanez, Scott Linebrink, and Ankinori Otsuka. The bullpen has been lights out from the seventh inning on.
However, with all of these plusses, the Padres know they will need more help to transform them from a playoff contender to a championship team. The Padres would love to add another pitcher to complete their five-man rotation. With the injury to all-star second baseman Mark Lorretta, the Padres would also like to add another bat to the front of their line-up.
Yet, the Padres seem to have hit their stride and show no signs of letting up. Boasting the best home record in the league, the Padres have finally grown comfortable with the spacious confines of Petco Park. While teams like the Yankees and White Sox have fattened their records against the bottom dwellers, the Padres surge has come against the best in the National League, including the Braves, Marlins, and Cardinals.
These are the San Diego Padres, just winning and having fun in the obscurity of Southern California. If you don't know them now, you will get to know them in the months to come.