I’d love to say that I’ll be getting back into the hobby and resume posting, soon but that would be a lie.  My ship will soon be heading out for deployment, which means another long break.  Fortunately, I’m set to transfer to shore duty by January next year.  I’m hoping that by then, I should have the free time necessary to get back into things.  I really miss going to the hobby shop, opening packs, and searching Ebay for deals.  I’m also looking forward to someday being able to get my son involved in this hobby as well.

So, I’m keeping the blog open for now, with the hope that by the end of my deployment, I’ll be back and better than ever.  It’s killing me that I missed some great looking releases – stuff like National Chicle and T206.  I don’t think I even have any Chargers or Padres team sets from 2009. Like I said, hopefully 2011 I’ll be back with a vengeance.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

First Base
No brainer, Adrian Gonzalez ’s 2008 season, while not yet finished, is the best hitting performance ever by a Padres 1B.  Just shy of Nate Colbert’s 38 HR’s in 1972, Gonzalez has more RBI’s and runs than any 1B on the list.  And he’s doing it in the hitter’s graveyard that is Petco Park.

Second Base
Without looking I would have guessed that young Roberto Alomar’s 1989 season would qualify as the best in Padres history.  However, Mark Loretta’s stats from 2004 really overshadow anyone else on the list.  Amazing what he quietly accomplished that season. 

Shortstop
I would have liked to have gone with Garry Templeton’s 1985 season, but Khalil Greene’s 2007 season (27 HR, 97 RBI, 89 Runs) was definitely worthy of being the best ever by a Friar SS.

Third Base
Sentimentally, I would like to go with Ken Caminiti’s 1996 season (.326, 40 HR, 130 RBI) as the best 3B performance.  But the specter of his PED use that season makes me choose Gary Sheffield’s 1993 season (.330, 33 HR, 100 RBI) as the best.  Remember, young Sheff was a Triple Crown threat back in 93.

Catcher
No debate, Benito Santiago’s rookie season of 1987 (.300, 18 HR, 79 RBI, 21 SB) was the best season by a Padre backstop.  Let’s not forget his 34 game hitting streak during his ROY campaign.

Pitcher
At first I was shocked not seeing Jake Peavy on the list.  Until I realized this was for the best hitting performance ever.  Not much to choose from statistically, so I went with Eric Show’s 1984 season (.246, 3 HR, 10 RBI) if only for having at least one player from 1984 represented.

Outfielder
You get to choose 3. For the first OF spot I went with Tony Gwynn’s 1997 season (.372, 17 HR, 119 RBI, 92 Runs).  Surprising not seeing his 1994 season on the list.  You remember, the season he flirted with .400, until Baseball Economics intervened?  Dave Winfield’s 1979 season (.308, 34 HR, 119 RBI, 97 Runs) gets the second OF spot.  And the final spot goes to 1990’s Bip Roberts (.309, 44 SB).  Yeah I know.  I’ve got a soft spot for the Bipper. 

So those are my choices.  Check out the Padres website and let me know who you would pick as the Padres 9 best.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

In last year’s Rule V draft, the Padres selected an unknown middle infielder from the Rockies.  Since he was taken in the Rule V draft, the team was forced to play him all season or risk sending him back to the Rockies.  A daunting task for someone who never played above Class A.  He was projected by the team’s hierarchy as a SS even though he played only 171 of 219 career games as a 2B.  Hell, the team had the audacity to compare him favorably with Rafael Furcal.

Well, Mr. Cabrera proved he was indeed ready to make the leap from the South Atlantic League to the Majors.  He showed some flashes in the first month of the season.  Enough to get Padres fans worked up over the speed merchant.   When he came back from the DL, he proved that the early start wasn’t a fluke.

In Everth Cabrera, the Padres finally have someone well suited to Petco – a slap hitter who uses his speed to terrorize opposing teams.  With a young lineup featuring guys like Cabrera, Mat Latos, Kyle Blanks, Adrian Gonzalez, and Will Venable, 2010 should be a fun season to watch.

I won this card on Ebay for $13.50.  If he has a similar season next season, I’ll be curious to see how the value of this card holds up.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

My first Ebay win in quite a while and this one’s sweet.  The first two Padres players in the Hall of Fame, Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield, featured on an autographed card from Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classics.  Ok, so most baseball fans don’t automatically associate Dave Winfield with the Padres, but whatever.  Right now this is the crown jewel of my autographed Padres collection.

And Upper Deck got it right with the uniforms.  We’re not supposed to look like the Brewers with our uniforms.  Or pretty much the rest of the blue-clad baseball playing universe.  Padres wear brown.  Not blue or sand, but brown.  At least Donovan Tate understands.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

With football season fast approaching, I thought I should show off some of my favorite Charger cards.  Now, I’ve been a Chargers fan for most of my life.  And when I think of Charger Football, I always think back to the Air Coryell era.  Lots of points, tons of excitement.  Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler, the original Kellen Winslow, and of course #14 Dan Fouts.  By far the greatest bearded quarterback of all time.

This was my very first Dan Fouts card.  It came from my first pack of 1984 Topps football.  While most kids would have gone bananas over the Dan Marino or John Elway, I couldn’t contain myself when I pulled this beauty.  For me, pulling a Dan Fouts cad from my first ever pack of football cards was like card-collecting nirvana.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

Merriman’s back, Rivers has a new contract, and Ladainian might be healthier.  Can’t wait for the season to start.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

This seemed like a timely card to feature.  Jake Peavy’s 2001 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres card that I got autographed through the mail.

Since returning from my last underway almost a week ago, it has taken me a few days to digest the whole Jake Peavy trade.  Normally, we have email and limited internet availability at sea.  However due to certain mission-based restrictions, we were essentially isolated.  Two weeks with no access to the outside world seemed like an eternity.  So it was quite a shock for me to discover that Jake Peavy, the greatest starting pitcher in Padres history, is now a member of the Chicago White Sox.

Shock, anger, resignation.  An apt description of my feelings.  As a lifelong Padres fan, you’re supposed to be used to this.  Sure you might be able to enjoy Tony Gwynn or Trevor Hoffman for many seasons.  For the most part, you know that the Padres wind up trading away vast amounts of talent – Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, the Alomar brothers, Fred McGriff, Gary Sheffield, et al.  But how could the organization trade away probably it’s best home grown pitcher, ever!!  Cy Young winners don’t just grow on trees.  Elite aces are few and far between.  Besides, during this transition period and sagging attendance, wouldn’t it be wise to at least give the fans someone recognizable they could cheer for?

As a Padres fan, I loved Jake Peavy.  Loved his fiery attitude, his competitive juices, and of course his ability to pitch.  Last Labor Day weekend, I made the trip to San Diego and I got to see him pitch against the Rockies.  Just an absolute joy to watch.  On a team that showed almost no emotion last season, it was fun to see him go out every 5th day and actually pour his heart out on the field.

As the days have gone by, the trade has actually grown on me.  I read some analysis on the trade that I tend to agree with.  Look, I’m a Padres fan but I’m also a realist.  This team will never be on par with the Yankees, RedSox, or Cubs when it comes to player salaries.  That’s the reality of modern day baseball economics.  This is a team that has to spend it’s limited resources carefully.  Peavy was scheduled to make $15 million in 2010.  Even if the payroll got bumped up to $60 million next season, that would commit 25% of the team’s payroll to a guy who plays every 5th day.  Given the choice, would I rather have Peavy or Adrian Gonzalez locked up long-term?  I’d rather have Adrian.  Hands down.  Cy Young pitchers don’t grow on trees, but decent pitchers who can put up solid numbers in Petco Park are always available (hello Kevin Correia).  However, a young slugger who can hit in the offensive hellhole that is Petco park?  Lock him up immediately.

Also, for a guy who’s still on the DL, this was a decent haul.  If you believe the rumors, this was essentially the same package the White Sox offered for Peavy earlier this season.  Clayton Richard is already with the big club and figures to challenge next year for a rotation spot.  Aaron Poreda is considered the  jewel of the package.  I expect to see the lefty later this year when they shut down Mat Latos to protect his arm.  But the one who has me most intrigued is Dexter Carter.  The guys just a strikeout machine right now.  Hopefully that trend will continue as he progresses up the ladder.

Having said all that, despite the seeing how sensible the trade was, it still sucks.  Makes me wish for an NFL style salary cap.  Seriously, if the NFL had the same economic system as MLB, do you really think Peyton Manning would have been able to play his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts?

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

As I said, I’ve got a ton of catching up to do.  I haven’t even touched my cards in a couple of months.  Football season is also just around the corner, and one of the first things I discovered when I got back was that the Padres finally traded Jake Peavy to the White Sox.   A bit of a bummer, and quite frankly a bit of a shock since as far as I know, Peavy was still hurt.  I’m still researching the players the Padres received in return.

I also want to give a word of thanks to The Mojo Hand.  I made a trade with him around the time of my last post and I haven’t had a chance to post about it.  A stand up guy and a great person to deal with.  I just wanted to say thanks for the great cards.

I did get a some great news this summer.  Definitely will be the centerpiece of my life’s collection.  Expected release date is in January, but here’s a sneak peak:

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

First the Peavy trade.  As a Peavy fan I am glad to see that he rejected going to San Diego.  Despite his “down year” he’s still one of the top pitchers in baseball and a hell of a competitor.  However, the thought of a Gordon Beckham and/or Aaron Poreda does seem intriguing. Still not sure who the four players the White Sox were giving up.  With the economy and the team the way it is, I’m kind of resigning myself to the fact that Jake won’t be in San Diego much longer.  I only hope the Padres can maximize his trade value.

Returning the Gwynn name to San Diego is brilliant.  Not in the baseball sense, but in the PR sense.   At this point Jody Gerut is a much better player.  However, the team saves $1 million and they add a name familiar to most casual fans, the ones who haven’t been coming out to Petco.

Lost in all the excitement is the fact that the Padres swept the Giants and the Reds.  Bring on the Cubs!

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.

I’ll start off with the retail tin.  These sell for about $30 at target and offer 3 packs of 8 cards with the promise of at least one memorabilia or autographed card.

Pack 1

-85 Rich Harden
-58 Johan Santana
- 61 Jose Reyes

- 31Dan Uggla
- 94 Torii Hunter
-34 Derek Jeter
-97 Troy Tulowitzki

-7 Alex Rodriguez
-YSL Game 5546 Wade Boggs – Is it me or does it seem weird that Wade Boggs has a ring with the Yankees but Don Mattingly doesn’t?

Pack 2

-42 Grady Sizemore

-23 Carlos Zambrano
-50 Jason Bay
-Ivan Rodriguez Sweet Swatch Memorabilia (Gray)

-74 Michael Young
-38 Felix Hernandez
-47 Ichiro – That’s an awkward batting stance.  He looks like he needs to head to the restroom.

-B.J. Upton
-YSL Game 2425 Allie Reynolds

Pack 3

-67 Lance Berkman
- 4 Albert Pujols
-40 Freddy Sanchez
- 78 Nick Markakis
-51 Jeff Francoeur
-13 Billy Butler – I think I like the old school KC look.

-15 Brandon Webb
-70 Manny Ramirez
-YSL Game 5571 Don Mattingly – Donnie Baseball, still one of the cooler nicknames of the 80’s.

Thoughts on the retail tin:  Not too bad.  I didn’t think I would pull an autograph from a retail tin, so that’s OK.  Pudge Rodriguez is a great pull, the man’s a future HOF.

Now for the hobby box.  Spotted this at the comic shop, it kept tempting me, so I figured I’d take a shot.  I’m hoping to get a decent Sweet Spot autograph.

Hobby Pack 1
-63 Josh Hamilton
-90 Ryan Howard
-27 Chris Carpenter
-86 Robinson Cano
-66 Ken Griffey Jr. – Junior seems out of place in a White Sox uni.

-48 Ivan Rodriguez
-YSL Game 585 Lou Gehrig

and…

Sweet Swatch Triple Memorabilia #’d 10/25
-Vlad Guerrero (red, white, & blue patch)
-David Ortiz (red & blue patch)
-Magglio Ordonez (blue & white patch)

Hobby Pack 2:
-35 Dontrelle Willis
-62 Josh Beckett
-89 Ryan Braun
-Hanley Ramirez Sweet Swatch (Gray)

-41 Gary Sheffield
-68 Lastings Milledge
-5 Alex Gordon
-YSL Game 635 Bill Dickey

Hobby Pack 3:
-26 Chris Young (D-back OF, not Padre pitcher)
-80 Paul Konerko
-17 Brian Roberts

-Sweet Swatch Triple Memorabilia – Vlad Guerrero (gray swatch), David Ortiz (gray swatch), and Magglio Ordonez (white swatch)

-23 Carlos Zambrano
-50 Jason Bay
-42 Grady Sizemore
-YSL Game 560 Babe Ruth

Time for a rant.  Come on Upper Deck!  Two Triple Memorabilia cards featuring the same exact players?  I realize that one is a numbered, multi-colored patch card, thus making it a premium.  But at least go for some variety in these boxes.

Hobby Pack 4:
-44 Hanley Ramirez
-71 Mariano Rivera
-8 Alfonso Soriano
-Sweet Swatch Pedro Martinez (gray swatch)

-69 Magglio Ordonez
-6 Alex Rios
-96 Trevor Hoffman – His last Upper Deck card as a Padre.  Definitely a keeper.

-YSL Game 485 Babe Ruth

HobbyPack 5:
-64 Justin Morneau
-1 Aaron Harang
-98 Vernon Wells
-Sweet Swatch Johan Santana (white) – looks like there’s a crease in the upper-right corner

-3 Adam Dunn
-93 Tom Glavine
-30 Dan Haren
-YSL Game 685 Red Ruffing

Hobby Pack 6:
-13 Billy Butler
-40 Freddy Sanchez
-67 Lance Berkman
-Sweet Beginnings Auto Greg Smith #’d 252/399

-95 Travis Hafner
-32 David Ortiz
-59 John Smoltz
-YSL Game 610 Tony Lazzeri

Thoughts on the hobby box:  Definitely disappointed.  The only autograph was a pitcher I’ve never heard of.  I would have loved to pull a Sweet Spot auto.  The fact that Upper Deck collated two similar triple memorabilia cards also made the break a disaster.  Only picked up one card for my personal collection (Trevor Hoffman).

As far as the base set design goes, it’s ok.  I like the faux stitching used on the cards.  The photography is also good, but not on par with the photos used in Upper Deck’s flagship set.

©2008 The Electric Friar. All Rights Reserved.