Tony Gwynn Jr. Returns To San Diego
by Eric Stephen on Apr 8, 2011 1:00 PM PDT
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PrintThough Tony Gwynn Jr. likely won't start tonight against southpaw Clayton Richard, the story of the day appears to be Gwynn the Younger's return to San Diego. Gwynn, the son of the best and most famous Padre ever, has always been popular in San Diego, even when he helped the Padres miss the playoffs with a game-tying triple off Trevor Hoffman in the next-to-last game of the season as a Brewer back in 2007. Tonight, he makes his return to Petco Park.
Gwynn enjoyed his finest season in San Diego in 2009, combining a .350 OBP in a pitcher's paradise with all-world defense in the outfield. However, Gwynn slumped to .204/.304/.287 last year, which earned him his release in December. "It bothered me a lot," Gwynn told Owen Roberts on MLB.com. "But at the end of the day, you look at the circumstances. I didn't do my part. I didn't play well. That left the door open for those things to happen."
He is 2-for-10 with a double so far, but if Gwynn can keep making plays like the one Tuesday night in Colorado, he's bound to get more playing time. So far Gwynn, who Don Mattingly called "a centerfielder playing left," has started twice in left, the same number of starts as Marcus Thames and Xavier Paul. At the very least, signing Junior has made Tony Gwynn Sr. a Dodger fan again, per Dan Hayes of the North County Times:
"Blood is thicker than anything else," Gwynn said. "I'm going to be pulling for him. I've got no qualms about that. And having to play the Padres 18 times, there are going to be some times where I'm sitting in the booth, I don't know what I'm going to do.
"But, hey, I've got to pull for my son."
In 120 career games at Petco Park, Gwynn has a .340 on-base percentage, compared to a .310 OBP in 251 games everywhere else.
The best news of all, however, is that Gwynn the Elder appears to be winning his battle with parotid cancer, per both Hayes, and Bob Keisser of the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
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Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket
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Per Rotowire:
Juan Uribe v. Clayton Richard – 7-for-15 (.467), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2:3 BB:K
Jamey Carroll v. Clayton Richard – 5-for-11 (.455), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 4:1 BB:K
Ted Lilly v. Padres – 29:6 K:BB ratio, .430 OPS against in 107 plate appearances.
Whenever fortune smiles on you, someone else got the frown
More Lineup Matchups
Rafael Furcal v. Clayton Richard – 1-for-10 (.100), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3:1 BB:K
Andre Ethier v. Clayton Richard – 1-for-12 (.083), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:2 BB:K
Whenever fortune smiles on you, someone else got the frown
Also per True Blue LA around 4pm
by Eric Stephen on Apr 8, 2011 1:10 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I realize this is irrational, but
as little faith as I have in John Ely to be a major league pitcher, right now, today, I think Ely is more likely to have a solid outing than Lilly is. Really not liking that signing still. I hope I’m proven wrong.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
According to fangraphs
the average speed on his fastball while a Dodger was 85.3 mph.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
The 85.3 is for this year. Last year, he averaged 86.8.
I’m guessing his average will end up around the same.
sorry misread
and 87.7 for LA in 2010.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Anyone know the SD weather right now?
(I mean in SD, not from a weather report)
Lewis Black says
“Nice. Back to you.”
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
by G.Scott on Apr 8, 2011 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Funny caption
did you leave out the word “huge”?
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Saw this Shaikin tweet
LAPD chief: #dodgers agree season tix can be revoked if ticket holder (or those using tix) are misbehaving
I suspect that is unenforceable. How can a season tix holder be responsible for the behavior of people he legally resold tickets to. BS.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I saw some NFL team policies
where the team reserves those rights, I don’t recall that being specifically spelled out on the season tix agreement or on Stub Hub.
as long as he doesn’t end up hitting long balls in left field for the Giants in 2011 I’m okay with it.
I never thought he’d hang around if he was going to suck. Thought he might have one more year in him but evidently not. One of the best hitters of my lifetime.
Whenever fortune smiles on you, someone else got the frown
Shaikin further tweetes
MLB says it notified Manny of “an issue” under MLB drug program and that Manny decided to retire “rather than continue with the process”
This made for an exciting Friday afternoon
by Michael White on Apr 8, 2011 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Shaikin tweets
Source: Manny tested positive for banned substance, would have been facing 100-game suspension had he not retired (or succeeded in appeal)
Arash Markazi
Should I unfollow or continue to follow? I am finding him irritating at times.
@davidyoungtbla - The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I followed him for about 15 minutes a year ago and unfollowed without ever looking back.
by Michael White on Apr 8, 2011 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Yea prime ticket game
but Manny, Manny, Manny. Hope the drug program report is untrue, but I suspect otherwise. He was a great hitter who could not allow his natural decline to occur, so he tried to enhance his performance (pure speculation on my part)
Hating the Giants for going on a half century and counting!
But he tested positive back in 2003, no? For those who like their baseball with a dose of moral outrage, I think he will be villain 1-b next to Bonds.
unconfirmed reports from anonymous lawyers leeaking from
“The List”
I do not trust that source.
Hating the Giants for going on a half century and counting!
by MammothDodger on Apr 8, 2011 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions
manny
I look forward to Giants fans using this as an excuse to talk shit about the Dodgers.
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Apr 8, 2011 1:36 PM PDT reply actions
thought that said TSOL
and imediately thought of Suburbia
Hating the Giants for going on a half century and counting!
by MammothDodger on Apr 8, 2011 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Giants put up two orange banners on their center field scoreboard. One on each side. So, we have that to look at all season or forever.
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