Let's look at baseball in the last week.

Josh Hamilton (who is on my fantasy baseball team) had nine homeruns, and 14 RBI's in one week.  He now sits at 18 HR's and 44 RBI's in this early season.  That's 17 more home runs than Albert Pujols, who makes more money than I will dream about.  Speaking of which the the Angels are now 8 games back in the American League West sitting in last place.  Yes, they are even a half game behind Seattle who is known more for their grunge rock scene then their baseball team.  

The Orioles are leading the East over Yankees, Red Sox (who are in last), Blue Jays, and Rays.  It won't last, but enjoy Bucky Baseball in Maryland while you can I guess. 

Matt Kemp who was hitting the baseball like it was connected to his bat by a string, went on the DL which is a shame for the National League West leading Dodgers, but good news for us Padre fans.  The Friars have been using Dale Thayer as their closer, to fill in for the injured Huston Street, and are more games back then they have won this year OUCH!  

And finally on a lighter note, a second juror was dismissed today in the Roger Clemens trial for falling asleep during the trial.  Apparently they are as interested in the case as I am, not much.  I saw Clemens pitch a couple of years back at Petco Park when he was on the Astros and he got a no-decision against the Padres and the Friars got the win.  I wasn't impressed with Roid-ger Clemens.

PADRES PRESS RELEASE

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Diego Padres today announced they have requested unconditional release waivers on infielder Orlando Hudson, placed infielder Jason Bartlett on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to May 15) with a strained right knee and recalled infielders Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista from Triple-A Tucson. In addition, the club has claimed left-handed pitcher Eric Stults off waivers from the Chicago White Sox with a corresponding move to be made when he reports to San Diego. Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcements.

“We felt it was time to make a change,” said Byrnes. “O-Dog has been a two-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and a contributor to playoff teams, but at this point, we want to give our younger players an opportunity.”

Cabrera, 25, has hit .333 (48-for-144) with nine doubles, one triple, 15 RBI, 27 runs scored and is a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen base attempts in 34 games with Tucson this year. The switch-hitter made his Big League debut with the Padres in 2009 and has hit .236 (141-for-597) with 24 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs, 53 RBI, 82 runs scored and 37 stolen bases in 181 career Major League games.

Amarista, 23, was acquired by the Padres from Los Angeles (AL) along with right-handed pitcher Donn Roach in exchange for right-handed pitcher Ernesto Frieri on May 3. The left-handed hitting infielder made the Angels’ Opening Day Roster, appearing in one game as a pinch-runner before being optioned to Triple-A Salt Late. In 29 games between Salt Lake and Tucson this year, he has hit .278 (35-for-126) with seven doubles, two triples, one home run, 18 RBI and 17 runs scored. He made his Big League debut with the Angels last season and has hit .154 (8-for-52) with three doubles, one triple, five RBI and two runs scored in 24 career Major League games.

Stults, 32, made two appearances (one start) for the White Sox this year, allowing two runs in 6.2 innings of work (2.70 ERA). Originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a 15^th-round selection in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, he has gone 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA (88 ER/163.2 IP) in 43 games (25 starts) over parts of six Major League seasons with the Dodgers (2006-09), Colorado Rockies (2011) and White Sox (2012).

Bartlett, 32, has hit .133 (11-for-83) with five doubles, four RBI and eight runs scored in 29 games in his second year with the Padres. Over parts of nine Major League seasons with the Minnesota Twins (2004-07), Tampa Bay Rays (2008-10) and Padres (2011-12), Bartlett has hit .271 (849-for-3,138) with 156 doubles, 26 triples, 31 home runs, 286 RBI and 432 runs scored in 889 career games.

Hudson, 34, hit .211 (26-for-123) with five triples, one home run, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored in 35 games for the Padres this season. Over parts of 11 Major League seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays (2002-05), Arizona Diamondbacks (2006-08), Los Angeles Dodgers (2009), Minnesota Twins (2010) and Padres (2011-12), he has hit .276 (1,292-for-4,688) with 253 doubles, 63 triples, 91 home runs, 525 RBI and 638 runs scored in 1,294 games.

THE FRO SAYS...
Finally!

PADRES PRESS RELEASE

Club transfers RHP Dustin Moseley to the 60-day DL

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Diego Padres today announced they have placed right-handed pitcher Micah Owings on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and selected right-handed pitcher Dale Thayer from Triple-A Tucson. In addition, the club has transferred right-handed pitcher Dustin Moseley to the 60-day disabled list. Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcements.

Owings, 29, has made six relief appearances for the Padres this season, posting a 2.79 ERA (3 ER/9.2 IP). Signed as a free agent this offseason, he has gone 32-33 with a 4.86 ERA (261 ER/483.0 IP) in 138 games (68 starts) over parts of six seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2007-08, 11), Cincinnati Reds (2009-10) and Padres (2012).

Thayer, 31, has made 23 career Major League relief appearances between the Tampa Bay Rays (2009-10) and New York Mets (2011), going 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA (17 ER/26.0 IP). With Triple-A Tucson this year, he has yet to allow a run over 8.1 innings in seven relief outings.

Moseley, 30, made one start for the Padres before being placed on the DL 4/8 with a strained right shoulder. He underwent season-ending surgery yesterday to repair the shoulder.

THE FRO SAYS...
It's a bummer to lose Owings and his bat, I mean, and his long relief which has really saved our bullpen in these first few weeks.  Dale Thayer  has been lights out in AAA and making his Padres debut after we signed him as an amateur back in 2002.  Here's to his success in the show, we can use all that we can get!

"Why would I want to go where fans only support you from the third inning through the sixth?"
- Cole Hamels, Padres fan?

Reference articles:
Hamels counts himself among alienated Padres fans - San Diego Union-Tribune
Cole Hamels, Padres fan - Inside the Padres

So, let's get this straight.  Cole Hamels made some comments in the offseason about Padres fans and possibly coming to San Diego as a free agent.  Then, a couple stories appeared while the Phillies were visiting over the past weekend and it appeared he wanted to clarify his comments to the press.  Pretty much bashing our organization and saying he was a disenfranchised fan.  No, the truth is, Cole Hamels is your typical bandwagon San Diego fan.  The one that showed up when his team won, and was a ghost when his team lost.  I guarantee once he got his millions, the only time he thought of the Padres was when he got to face them and collect  double-digit strikeouts.  The premise of Hamels statements are true, but dude, shut your piehole.  You are gonna get paid, and yes some team will waste over a hundred million on you, but state the facts to the press.  You are not a Padres fan.  You aren't an "alientated" fan.  You are just another professional athlete wanting your big paycheck now and hopefully will bring another ring to the Phillies or whatever team gets suckered into signing you next year.  I don't doubt your talent or your recollection of facts about the Padres organization.  I just doubt your heart as a Padres fan and the fact that you open your big mouth to our press about it just makes you come off as tool to your "so called" fellow San Diego Padres fans.  Take your money, your amazing ability to destroy us on the field, and shut up.  One day, you will eat those words about the Padres and you know what, I don't care when that day comes (sooner than later would be nice though!).

Sincerely,
A True Padres fan (it could be worse, we could love the Cubs)

PADRES PRESS RELEASE

DENVER, Col. -- The San Diego Padres today announced they have reinstated infielder/outfielder Mark Kotsay from the 15-day disabled list and have optioned right-handed pitcher Brad Brach to Triple-A Tucson.  Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcement.

Kotsay, 36, began the season on the disabled list with a straight right calf muscle.  The left-handed hitter played in 104 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, hitting .270 (63-for-233) and was signed by the Padres as a free agent in November this past offseason.  In 13 games this Spring, hit .345 (10-for-29) with three RBI, two runs, four walks and five strikeouts.

Brach, 26, made his first career Opening Day roster this season and has worked in five relief outings for the Padres, going 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA (3 ER/5.1 IP) with three strikeouts against seven walks.  The right-hander made his Major League debut for San Diego last season and has worked in 14 career outings total, going 0-3 with a 5.11 ERA (7 ER/12.1 IP) for San Diego.


THE FRO SAYS...
Hopefully this is the start of the biggest comeback after one of the worst season openings in team history.  Kotsay brings some leadership, but I'm not sure how strong of a leader he is, or if it will help at all.  Brad Brach needs to keep working, he'll be back up again this year.

Here we are a couple of weeks into the season (depends if you count those weird Mariners A’s games in Japan) and there is no clear cut leader.

A lot of big bats haven’t gotten hot yet and a few smaller bats have (Emilo Bonifacio and his .421 avg).  Two weeks into the season and Ozzie Guillen is already serving a suspension for his comments about Fidel Castro.

ESPN already thinks the Tigers will run away with the American League Central, while their magazine and Sports Illustrated both pick the Tigers to win the division and the Kansas City Royals to be a distant second.

Now the let’s chat about two wild card team playoff?  Is this a good idea?  This makes the season even longer, extends the risk that pitchers arms will get injured, and gives teams with perhaps a good record and would’ve finished second, a chance to be in the plaoffs.  I don’t like it.

I do like the purposed idea of putting the teams with the best records in the playoffs despite where they might have finished in a division setting.  Sorry Padres!
Let’s get to the Friars now.  I think Cameron Maybin is going to be HUGE this season.  If he can stay healthy, he will be a constant in a less than productive Padres lineup.  While on base, Maybin can steal, giving the Padres a chance to score runs they might not have earned otherwise.

Now for the question of the week?  How much money did Joey Votto of the Reds get?  Good Lord, I can’t even count that high (and I took my shoes off too).  What is it with first basemen and the astronomical contracts.  With that, I will wrap up my ramblings with my closing thought (Jerry Springer style) - Baseball is out there, it’s in the air, its everywhere and I’m loving every minute of it.

I just got word from the Padres about a pretty cool thing they are doing this season. For every Saturday away game in 2012, they will be having some OFFICIAL viewing parties at various places throughtout San Diego. So if this weeks locations are a bit far for you, don't worry! Next time they will be in different locations. You should still come to one this week, but just know that the next time there's a chance you could crawl there (or crawl back depending on your condition) it'll be so close.

I'm shooting on going to the Fleetwood myself.

RELEASE:

The team is on the road, but you can still enjoy Padres Baseball at an official Padres watch party! Enjoy the game with the Pad Squad, plus Padres Watch Party specials and have the chance to win great prizes.

San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers at 6:10pm

This week’s parties will be at:

ž   Miller’s Field – 4465 Mission Bay, San Diego, 92109

ž   Fleetwood – 639 J St, San Diego, 92101

ž   D Street – 485 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, 92024

We’ll see you there!

For more details visit padres.com/watchparty

Padres' early-inning woes lead to loss in extras - Padres.com
Moseley's shoulder has extensive damage - Padres.com
Padres need Luebke to step up vs. D-backs - Padres.com
Moores says Padres sale will proceed - Padres.com
Hard to tell, but Padres purchaser could emerge quickly - San Diego Union-Tribune
Arizona tops Padres on Young's 2-run homer in the 11th - San Diego Union-Tribune
Moores puts Padres up for sale again - San Diego Union-Tribune
News not good for Moseley on latest shoulder injury - San Diego Union-Tribune
Team loses to Arizona in 11, vows not to let uncertainty at top affect them - North County Times
Volquez froze on broken-bat single - North County Times
Moseley to be treated for now - North County Times
Moseley to be shut down after MRI on shoulder - North County Times
Padres hang tough, falter in 11th vs. D-backs - Fox Sports San Diego
Moseley's shoulder has 'extensive damage' - Fox Sports San Diego
Padres owner announces he's selling team - Fox Sports San Diego

SCORES - April 10, 2012
Arizona 4, PADRES 2 F/11
Sacramento 18, Tuscon 6
NW Arkansas 2, San Antonio 10
Inland Empire 7, Lake Elsinore 2
Fort Wayne 8, South Bend 1

PADRES PRESS RELEASE

San Diego Padres Chairman John Moores announced today that the ownership group will move forward to sell the club. Steve Greenberg of Allen & Company and John Moag of Moag & Company have been retained to advise on the sale of the team and to work with prospective buyers. They have advised the club that the process could take a number of months.

"Three years ago, I made the difficult decision to sell the club, and I didn't expect to have to make that same decision again," said Moores. "I have been honored to own the San Diego Padres and have enjoyed the experience tremendously."

THE FRO SAYS...
This looks like a good sign John Moores is willing to keep the sale of the Padres moving forward and hopefully this time we get a more financially solid ownership group.