But Cody Decker brushes that off. He does so with a mix of cool confidence, extreme focus, and a whole lot of humor.

“Pitchers aren’t necessarily better, just more polished.  They know what they are trying to do and they are very good at executing it.  But honestly baseball is baseball, no matter where you play it.  But as my teammate Crash told me:  I’m just happy to be here, hope I can help the ballclub.”

You’re getting to know him quickly. And there’s no overstating his energy and attitude can make a difference in a sport that requires daily maximum drive.

Decker, 25, suffered a sprained ankle in May, his first career injury, which caused him to miss three months.

“The injury was unfortunately pretty rough, and I don’t think I fully recovered for the remainder of the season. I was however extremely happy to get back on the field and somewhat salvage the season I missed the majority of,” he said.  “My team had a great playoff run, winning the Texas League, and I’m happy that I was able to play a major role.”

He played in 49 games for the Double-A San Antonio Missions knocking in 38 runs, with 14 home runs. In 2010 he played for the Advanced-A Lake Elsinore Storm, where he put up career numbers. He finished the season with 90 RBI, 28 home runs, and worked 60 walks.

The Padres system has vastly improved this off-season through a number of significant trades. It is easy to get left behind when new talent is developing every year, all the time. Decker has the benefit of versatility. He embraces the challenge of a possible position change, something the Padres should be pleased to hear.

“I happy to play any position anyone asks.  In college I was listed as a C/1B/LF/DH/OF.  And I still find it cruel that 3B didn’t make it onto my 11 cent college baseball card.  I played 3B in winter ball, for all 3 hours I played there, and have no problem moving around.  As for DH-ing, I have no problem with that either.”

Defensively the first baseman is confident, though he is well aware of the criticism in that area.

“I have never received very much credit for my defensive ability.  And I highly doubt anyone will be tooting that horn anytime soon.  I completely disagree with those nay-sayers, but there is always room for improvement,” he said, then adds, “At the plate, a few less strike outs would be nice.”

He credits hitting coach’s Bob Skube and Tom Tornincasa (named the Padres Minor League Coach of the Year for 2011) for helping him the most in his development.

“A couple of great, not just hitting coach’s, but all around baseball coach’s.”

Like many minor league players trying to make it to the majors, Decker is part of the Twitter presence of prospects. His content is never boring, rarely small talk. He’s a straight shooter. And with trademark humor he explains his Twitter game. And his (apparent) reaction to his ranking on the Baseball Digest Twitter Twenty.

“I rarely take things too seriously, and my amazing Twitter account is no different.  I have fun with it.  Usually telling jokes and making fun of things.  Getting a chance to interact with fans is fun, somewhat get my name out there and let them know that I’m not Jaff Decker.  My blog is more or less the same.  Just an insight of what Minor League baseball is like.  Much like everything else, I have fun with it.  As for the top 20, it is a suspect list at best listing me at 12….. The writer of this list should be ashamed and I hope they miss several hours of sleep over this…..  I mean, come on, 12?!”

It’s up to you discern what part of that he’s serious about.

What he is serious about is the joy of baseball. And hitting, hitting, hitting.

“I’m like a 7 year old, hitting is my favorite thing to do, and as long as I’m doing that, you’ll never hear a complaint from me.”

The first baseman has begun again in a new organization after being traded by the Red Sox to the Padres, when Hoyer and Epstein were still the Red Sox Assistant GM and GM. Rizzo’s time with the Padres was short-lived, but the Padres are doing plenty right in stocking up on young talent this off-season.

They are intertwined with the Padres and Red Sox in a chip-trading bonanza that has changed each organization in significant ways.

Padres
91 losses – that’s how the Padres ended their 2011 regular season. But they ended the year and began 2012 winning in off-season acquisitions & loading up on top young talent.  That doesn’t mean instant success, but does give them a big jump in the reconstruction of the club.

The Padres parted with RHP Mat Latos, giving the Reds the righty starter they needed, and the Padres acquired two prospects in a four-player package, infielder/outfielder Yonder Alonso and catcher Yasmani Grandal, ranked 3^rd and 4^th in the Reds system by Baseball America.

If projections are correct, Alonso, already an advanced hitter, despite some struggles developing more power should be in the Padres lineup in the next two to three years. He spent 2011 with Triple-A  Louisville hitting .296 with 56 RBI. The Reds called him up in July after he’d made his MLB debut in 2011, getting a September call. The Reds desire to get him to the big leagues and not be blocked by first baseman Joey Votto led to converting him to left field, but that wasn’t a great success. Alonso’s value is in his bat, but the Padres could turn to him to take over first base heading into the future.

Grandal a 23-year old catcher with high upside spent 2011 at three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Louisville hitting .305 overall.  Grandal dealt with injuries in 2011, including a concussion, both during the regular season and in Arizona Fall League, where he was shut down with an injury to his left middle finger. He’s a shoo-in to start the season at Triple-A and needs to put together consistent solid results.

With Austin Hedges also in the system, the Padres best catching prospect, this gives San Diego a couple of excellent options behind the dish. At nineteen Hedges needs a lot more developing and Grandal provides the club with a more seasoned young catcher to bring up if needed. Cory Spangenberg is ahead of him, but having this much catching in the system is a nice problem to have.

Cubs
While the Padres made various flashy moves, the acquisition of first baseman Anthony Rizzo singular power can’t be overstated.

Rizzo blazed his way through Triple-A pitching in 2011, hitting .331 in 356 at bats and collecting 101 RBI along the way.

The Padres AGAIN acquired a top prospect, with the Cubs giving up a lot AGAIN in singular form – pitching prospect Andrew Cashner couldn’t have been easy to deal. Cashner had shoulder issues last season, but he’s not on the high risk side.  The twenty-five year old has a 4.29 ERA in 60 appearances. If he goes to the bullpen, he adds a bit more depth to an area in need of improvement. Along with Cashner they also traded minor league outfielder Kyung-Min Na.

Rizzo could be a difference maker for a team that seems determined to build a farm system that will produce major league success.

Red Sox
The Red Sox have taken their hits. Looking at what they’ve lost over the past two seasons – Rizzo, as well as pitcher Casey Kelly to (a pattern here) the Padres – you could say that hurt them deeply in the future talent department. But that’s not the case.  In 2010, when the Red Sox gave up Kelly and Rizzo, as well as Reymond Fuentes and Eric Patterson, they got first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, one of the best in the game. They also signed Carl Crawford. Those two moves upgraded their lineup. At the end of 2011, when they fell to pieces in historical fashion, they looked like hard-luck losers in a game of failure.

But they have some excellent talent in the pipeline.  Pitching wise, Anthony Ranaudo is their top righty in the wings. He passed a big part of the test in his professional debut in 2011, pitching 127 innings between two levels (Low and High A), completing the season with a 3.97 ERA and 117 strikeouts. He needs a full season at High-A Salem, or possibly split-time between there and Double-A. But he’s going in the direction the Red Sox need.

Third baseman Will Middlebrooks is the Sox best prospect and proved himself between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2011. The Red Sox will surely start him in Triple-A Pawtucket, where he can get more at-bats, with the majority of them coming at Portland, with 356. In terms of major league readiness he’s close.

Their current rotation- a work in progress- has the ability to succeed with the benefit of good health, a bounce-back performance from Jon Lester, as well as a successful transition of Daniel Bard to starter, to right the ship. Their lineup is a force.

The three teams have made each other interesting now and a few years down the line, when all this acquiring and sacrificing will show who really won the trading game.

Five Questions With Yankees Brad Meyers
The Yankees picked up pitcher Brad Meyers in the Rule 5 Draft, nabbing him from the Nationals. In four years with Washington, the 26-year old pitched at every level, ending 2011 with Triple-A Syracuse going 6-5 in 92 innings, and a 3.48 ERA. The righty agreed to the ‘To The Farm’ five…

Jessica Quiroli: You pitched a lot at the Double-A level the last couple of years, but saw some time in Triple-A last season. What was the biggest difference in facing Double-A and Triple-A hitters?

Brad Meyers:  The biggest difference is that triple A hitters make adjustments pitch to pitch rather than at bat to at bat.  They recognize pitching patterns a lot quicker and will exploit them.  Triple A hitters play more off the weaknesses of a pitcher as opposed to double A hitters who will wait a couple of at bats to get the pitch they are looking for.  Also, triple A was the first time that I had to throw balls intentionally instead of strikes.  I never thought I could throw too many strikes, but there is definitely a balance between walking people and giving up more hits.

 Quiroli:  Is there a pitch you still struggle with that you are continuously trying to improve?

Meyers:  My slider can be inconsistent at times.  I would like to add some depth to it without dropping off too much velocity.

Quiroli:  What did you improve most in 2011?

Meyers: Last year was the biggest jump for me from double A to triple A.  I learned a lot about the type of pitcher that I am, what hitters are trying to do against you in certain counts/situations, and really did a better job at controlling the running game.

Quiroli: Switching gears. Do you have a horse in the football playoffs?

Meyers: I’m not a big football guy, but I do enjoy Sunday fun-day every couple weeks.  I got into a playoff pool and…

Quiroli: A team you’re rooting for to be in the Super Bowl?

Meyers: I have the Saints beating the Pats in the super bowl.  Tough to go against Rodgers, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the Saints offense all year.

Due to overwhelming response, here is an extended list, 11-20 top MILB players to follow.

A few things. A lot of these guys were considered for the top ten. The selection process is difficult because, whether you know it or not, there are numerous minor league players using Twitter. That led to adding an Honorable Ten list.

Reminder about how this was decided: frequency, interaction, humor, overall just compelling feed. Interacting with their fans/followers was big in deciding. Tweet frequency counted a lot as well. Humor matters. Every single guy that made these lists had a way with a joke or making fun of themselves. When their personalities shine through, the flow of the content is fun and interesting to read. For guys trying to make it to the big leagues, they experience a lot of transition and adversity. Every player named in the Twitter Ten and Next Ten shares a fascinating look into the unique life of baseball.

Starting with #11, a player whose use of Twitter gives him an important connection to fans. After being so protected by his team, that connection has been meaningful.

11. Bryce Harper @BHarper3407 – Washington Nationals
12. Cody Decker @Decker6 – San Diego Padres
13. Tyson Gillies @TysonGillies21 – Philadephia Phillies
14. Thomas Neal @TdaddyNeal – Cleveland Indians
15. Will Middlebrooks @16WMBrooks- Boston Red Sox
16. Mike Trout @Trouty20 – Anaheim Angels
17. LV Ware @LV_Ware – Atlanta Braves
18. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire – Toronto Blue Jays
19. Ryan Tatusko @RyanTatusko – Nationals
20. Michael Crouse @_crouse_ – Blue Jays

Honorable Ten Mentions:

1.Bryan Harper @BHarp45 – Nationals
2. Chris Swauger @cswag8 – St. Louis Cardinals
3. Matt den Dekker @UpperDekker – New York Mets
4. Bryan Longpre @BryanLongpre- Blue Jays
5. Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219 – Blue Jays
6. Justin Fitgerald @jfitgerald31 – Giants
7. Trent Mummey @trentmummey7 – Baltimore Orioles
8. C.J. Cron @CCron24 – Angels
9. Jordan Comadena @Funky2414 – Houston Astros
10. Kellin Deglan @keldegs – Texas Rangers

Drew Cumberland – The future is full of possibilities for Cumberland and the Padres needn’t have worried about losing the infielder.

There wasn’t much doubt he’d remain with the team that drafted him in . After a forced early retirement due to a condition that caused concussion symptoms, such as migraines and blurred vision, Cumberland hadn’t played in 2011. He received clearance to continue his career, but the Padres, understandably, left him exposed. There was no reason to assume he’d return.

His minor league career had so far proven him to be a solid defense man and hitter, despite a history of injuries. The Padres will continue to develop the 22-year old, but with a new aspect involved. The question is whether or not he can be an everyday major league player in the future with a condition that could cause a number of issues.

Pat Venditte - A reliever who can pitch lefty or righty, Venditte is a valuable asset in a number of situations. But his Yankees possibilities might not be endless. Rule 5 eligibility was perhaps the best thing for him, but he went unselected. The Yankees aren’t hurting for bullpen arms, but he could be an extra option late in the season. Venditte, who is 26, has proven himself to be tireless and teachable, no matter what happens.

But after two years at Double-A Trenton, an opportunity to face more advanced hitters would be a valuable one.

Brad Meyers – The Yankees selected the RHP from the Nationals, the team that drafted him in 2007. Meyers has consistently achieved, logging an impressive number of innings every season since his debut. He pitched at three levels – -Harrisburg, Auburn, and Syracuse- finishing at Triple-A Syracuse with a 2.43 ERA in nine starts. In an interesting move, the Yankees decided to convert Meyers from a starter to a reliever, deepening their organizational pitching. Meyers has an opportunity to continue the excellent results he posted in 2011. By giving him spot starts and using him in long relief, he learns more about the kind of pitcher he is and whether he’s comfortable in a relief role.

Should he be offered back, no telling whether the Nationals would convert him back.

Jordan Danks – Danks was left exposed, but remains with the White Sox, his exclusion from the 40-man a bit surprising to begin with.  The twenty-five year old is a highly touted outfielder, but more than that, in his second stint with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights he improved in several areas. His total RBI (65) was up from 2011, as were walks (57), but he tends to strike out a lot and he only hit 14 home runs, a very slight improvement from the previous season.

He’s got the potential to develop a bit more power and could certainly be a late-inning replacement

One player in a difficult and intriguing spot, is Padres shortstop prospect Drew Cumberland. After being forced to retire last year due to a rare neurological disorder, he missed all of 2011. But doctors have cleared him to continue his playing career. The Padres likely didn’t see any reason to protect him and so he’s up for grabs. What chance does he have of being selected? Getting zero playing time last season due to such a serious medical condition, make him a risk. They can’t be certain how much the condition, which includes severe migraine headaches, will affect his playing ability.

But at 22, his potential is completely untapped.

The shortstop last played in 2010, splitting time between Class-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio Missions. He hit .350 with 106 hits and 41 runs batted in for the season. That excellent season was capped with a reward, when he was selected to participate in the Futures Game.

Cumberland is, in a sense, starting his career over. He’s not the same player the Padres drafted as a first rounder in 2007, but he came with a history. He suffered multiple concussions in college. The challenges are unavoidable, but he has proven his mettle in his collegiate and professional career. All that’s left is to prove he can do his job consistently. So now he waits to see where he might be able to do so.

On The Board: Jordan Danks, a White Sox prospect that played at the Triple-A level in 2011. He’s got some upside, but has a high strikeout rate. He also has good power, but his value is in his defense. The Astros could be interested…Ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte pitched mostly for Double-A Trenton in 2011, finishing with a 3.40 ERA. He was a tireless arm (s) in an overworked Thunder bullpen, logging 90 innings…The Nationals chose not to protect 26-year-old RHP Brad Myers, despite his positive results last season. His ability to keep guys off base with good control and command of the strike zone is reflected in the low number of walks. He walked 15 in 2011 through 138 innings, down from 32 in 2009 in 136 innings pitched.

The Rule 5 Draft takes place on Thursday, December 8th.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

What can be expected from the Padres this off-season?  Look the team to try and improve the offense, but don’t expect another Cameron Maybin to drop into their lap.

The current roster is not entirely devoid of talent, despite finishing 20 games under .500.  Chase Headley was having a breakout season before breaking a finger in late August, posting a 125 wRC+ (third-highest on the club).  Nick Hundley was one of the National League’s best hitters after the All-Star Break, and appeared to finally have the breakout season many have been hoping for from him.  His season 132 wRC+ was second-best on the club.  We mentioned Maybin at the top, and with good reason.  Only 25, he stole 40 bases, had a wRC+ of 112, and developed into one of the premier centerfielders in the game.

Then there are the starters.  Mat Latos was a surprise top-10 finisher in the 2010 Cy Young voting, and pitched very well again in 2011 (185K, 102 ERA+).  Tim Stauffer pitched like an ace for the first half of the season before running out of gas.  Cory Luebke (154K, 1.067 WHIP, 108 ERA+) was a pleasant surprise.  Only Clayton Richard (92 ERA+) seemed to regress, however he missed the second half of the season due to shoulder surgery.

The team has a couple of free agents.  The highest profile one is closer Heath Bell.  On 23 November the Padres offered him arbitration.  That’s a calculated gamble, for even though Bell is a Type A free agent and would entitle the Padres to 2 draft picks should he decline arbitration, he will command around $10M for his services in 2012.  San Diego has one other rated free agent in starter Aaron Harang (Type B), and held a mutual option for him in 2012.  Interestingly they declined the option early in the off-season but have since offered Harang arbitration.

The biggest non-Bell question facing the Padres this off-season is what to do with Jesus Guzman.  Guzman’s 144 wRC+ in 2011 led the team.   He has ML experience as a corner outfielder and first baseman.  If he settles in at first he blocks 22-year-old Anthony Rizzo, the hitter acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez trade and the projected future at 1B for San Diego.  If he plays LF full-time he would likely displace Kyle Blanks.  Guzman’s natural position is first, but it remains to be seen if new GM Josh Byrnes is willing to block Rizzo by settling Guzman there.  San Diego would lose less defensively if they placed Guzman in LF.  He also has experience at 2B and 3B, but all that has been in the minors.

No matter what happens with Guzman, Rizzo should make the major league roster out of spring training and spend most of the season with the big club.  Rizzo has legitimate major league power and a plus glove defensively.  Last year he tore up AAA at Tucson (.331/.404/.652) but struggled mightily in San Diego (.141/.281/.242).  Assuming he is able to plug the holes major league pitchers found in his swing last year, adding his bat to the middle of this order would be the significant improvement the Padres seek offensively.

If San Diego is to trade for offense, they can deal from a surplus in the outfield and on the mound.  They are flush with outfielders having major league experience; most other teams, however, don’t suffer from a lack of OF depth.  The players they would probably try to move include Will Venable (.250/.321/.410 career), Chris Denorfia (.275/.342/.399), or Blanks (.219/.315/.424).  Blanks, the youngest of the three at 25, would likely be the most attractive although conventional wisdom rates his defense below-average (he did improve dramatically in 2011, per Fangraphs UZR/150).

Realistically they will only get the offense they seek if they throw one of those players into a package as supporting cast, and deal one of their young starters.  Latos would clearly be the most attractive of their young arms, although Luebke and Anthony Bass could generate significant interest.  The Padres have been stockpiling young arms via trade over the last two seasons (see the Gonzalez and Mike Adams trades for good examples), so they have the depth to replace these guys if they choose to go that route.

There have been rumors they may try to deal Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett, or both.  Each players had a disappointing 2011, and both will make $5.5M in 2012.

So far San Diego has made two minor moves to strengthen their bench, bringing Mark Kotsay back, and trading for back-up catcher John Baker.

Mike Metzger is a freelance writer who discusses the Padres at Padres Trail.  Follow him on Twitter@metzgermg.

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

The 2011 Padres could aptly be called ‘The Team That Did Not Hit’.  Trading Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in the off-season meant the Padres had to count both on Ryan Ludwick returning to form and major contributions from other free agent signees.  Ludwick did hit better, but the Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett, Brad Hawpe, and Jorge Cantu produced nowhere near the offense the Padres needed.  After starting 3-1, San Diego lost 16 of their next 22 and never recovered.

Rotation:  C
The rotation was solidly average.  Mat Latos pitched well but regressed from his 2010 form.  Tim Stauffer pitched exactly like he did in 2010 until July, when he fatigued noticeably and started getting hit hard.  Stauffer threw over 100 innings more than he had in any previous major league season.  Clayton Richard missed the second half of the season after arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulde.  Dustin Moseley threw 27 innings over 5 games before the Padres scored a run with him on the mound, then missed the last two months of the season after dislocating his left shoulder twice while swinging the bat.  The team had two unexpected bright spots in Cory Luebke and Aaron Harang.  Luebke started the season in the bullpen but was pressed into service due to all the injuries, posting an ERA+ of 108 for the year.  Aaron Harang, despite his 0.6 fWAR, let the team in wins and set a career low for ERA (3.64

Bullpen:  B
Heath Bell saved 40+ games for the second season in a row but was far from the dominating closer he had been in 2010.  Bell’s HR/9 quadrupled, and he struck out almost 4 fewer hitters per nine.  Curiously his BABIP was 60 points lower than it had been in 2010.  Mike Adams continued to be the best set-up man in the league; he was traded to Texas at the deadline.  Chad Qualls capably manned the seventh inning, but struggled after inheriting the eighth following Adams’ departure.  Qualls eventually returned to the seventh.  Luke Gregerson was dominant when his slider worked, hittable otherwise.  Luckily his slider was working more often than not.   He finished the year as the eighth-inning guy.  San Diego used various other arms to fill in the middle innings.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Catchers:  Nick Hundley – B; rest – D.
This grade would be higher if Nick Hundley hadn’t missed 2 months in the middle of the season due to elbow issues.  Hundley started the season on fire, got hurt, went cold, had surgery, recovered, then had the second highest batting average the last 2 months of the season by any position player.  While he was out the Padres employed a variety of can’t hit, below average defense backstops in Kyle Phillips, Dan Johnson, and Luis Martinez.  Johnson again was one of the worst catchers in the league at stopping balls in the dirt.

Infield: Chase Headley/Jesus Guzman:  A.  Jason Bartlett/Orlando Hudson D.  Anthony Rizzo/Brad Hawpe/Jorge Cantu F.  Logan Forsythe:  Incomplete.
Chase Headley had his best offensive year (OPS+ of 120)  and remained a force with the glove (3 runs saved).  Headley returned the last week of the season after missing almost seven weeks with a broken finger.  Jesus Guzman was the most pleasant offensive surprise in 2011.  He played a competent first base (1 run saved), and once Ludwick was traded to Pittsburgh Guzman became the most feared bat in the Padres lineup (139 OPS+).

Jason Bartlett had his worst offensive season since 2005, and his minus-8 runs saved ranked 30^th in the league for shortstops.  Orlando Hudson made two different trips to the disabled list and never really got into a rhythm at the plate.  He also had his worst offensive season since 2005, and his minus-6 runs saved ranked 31^st in the league for second basemen.

The Padres called up Anthony Rizzo in June after he tore up the Pacific Coast League.  He started with a bang, tripling in his second professional at-bat and homering three days later.  Opposing pitchers quickly realized his long swing meant he could not handle an inside pitch effectively, and Rizzo endured an increasingly frustrating next month before being sent back down.

Brad Hawpe’s bat speed was noticeably slow at the start of the season.  It did improve towards the end of April, but he continued to struggle to hit high heat.  Hawpe hit a dismal .231/.301/.344 before Tommy John surgery ended his season.  Jorge Cantu never did get on track.  He hit .194/.232/.285 before being designated for assignment to clear room for Rizzo.

Logan Forsythe appeared in 62 games for the Padres.

Outfield:  Cameron Maybin – A; rest – C-
Cameron Maybin joined the Padres with a reputation as a good-glove, weak-bat centerfielder; a bust, if you will, because he was so highly regarded as a prospect.  His glove was as good as advertised.  Maybin was plus-19 on the Dewan plus/minus scale, marking him as one of the elite OF in the National League.  His bat came alive in San Diego, as he slashed .264/.323/.393 and stole 40 bases to boot.

The rest of the Padres OF was completely pedestrian.  Will Venable struggled early and was sent down for a month.  Chris Denorfia missed a month with a strained hamstring.  Ludwick was better than his press clippings indicated but still an adventure defensively in left.  He led the Padres in HR and RBI when he was traded, and still did when the season ended. Aaron Cunningham popped out a lot.  Kyle Blanks completed his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery and played the majority of the second half in left.  He worked hard on his defense and it showed, as he was plus-2 defensively.  His bat continues to be a work in progress.

Top Offensive Player – Chase Headley
Headley had the highest wRC+ on the team (125) among those Padres who played at least 100 games.  Runners-up included Maybin, Guzman, and Hundley.

Top Pitcher – Cory Luebke
Luebke had the best xFIP on the staff, a half-run better than Mat Latos.  Runners-up included Latos and Mike Adams.

Mike Metzger is a freelance writer who discusses the Padres at Padres Trail.  Follow him on Twitter @metzgermg.

His history with the Mets makes him a meaningful candidate for a future big league managerial job, but he’s also clocking plenty of experience in the bus leagues. His familiarity with many of the players gives him a keen understanding of their tendencies and growth. Binghamton finished 2011 with a 65-76 record. Backman has been a consistent part of the organization, beginning his road back with the Class-A (short season) Brooklyn Cyclones in 2010. He led that club to a historical 51-24 finish.

Backman also dealt directly with the difficulty of top prospect Reese Havens development. He’d been forthcoming and encouraging when it came to Havens. While saying last year that Havens will likely always struggle with injuries, he also championed the infielder’s potential. There is also a strong possibility Havens will join his Binghamton manager in Buffalo.

Backman’s loyalty to the Mets was displayed recently, when he rejected an offer to join the Nationals coaching staff. Whatever disappointment Backman harbored being passed up to manage the Mets, he’s clearly staying the course.

If he’s not earned a job with the big club just yet, he’s certainly earned a promotion to the Bisons.

John Gibbons Mission to Accomplish
John Gibbons joins a San Antonio Missions club that won the Texas League in 2011. But the team’s new manager has plenty of developmental league experience to draw from.

The 49-year old spent twelve seasons in the Mets system in several roles. That includes managing four Mets teams to league titles.

Required of Gibbons is to simply continue the crucial development of the Padres best young talent. Last year’s team included terrific performances by Casey Kelly and reliever Juan Oramas. The Padres history at the developmental level is filled with missteps, but through trades they’ve greatly improved. While the team doesn’t have all the pieces they need to be highly competitive at the major league level, they’re putting needed emphasis on developing talent. Kelly is an important part of that. The acquisition of the power pitcher righty was important, but at 22, he may not have all the needed seasoning. He is also not likely to be in Gibbons starting rotation. Kelly has spent the last two seasons at the Double-A level (with the Red Sox and Padres) and despite growing pains, he’s on tap for a promotion. His growth has been considerable from his first year in Double-A , when he often struggled with control.

Gibbons could be seeing the Padres top prospect Rymer Liriano in 2012. The 20-year old outfielder split 2011 between Low-A and Advanced-A, finishing with career high numbers in RBI (68), walks (53), stolen bases (66), and home runs (12).

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Members of the MLB Umpiring Department who will be in attendance will include Umpiring Director Rich Rieker; Umpiring Director Randy Marsh (U.S. Army Reserve, 1968-1974); Supervisors Cris Jones, Chuck Meriwether, Ed Montague (U.S. Navy, 1969-1973), Steve Palermo, Charlie Reliford, and Larry Young; Director of Umpire Administration Tom Lepperd; Special Assistant for Umpiring Bruce Froemming; and Director of Umpire Medical Services Mark Letendre.

“The events that Major League Baseball has organized for the members of the military have been among the most rewarding experiences we have ever been a part of,” Rieker said. “We are looking forward to another great day in San Diego.” Marsh added: “The opportunity to work with these men and women is inspiring, and we are honored to give some of our nation’s heroes a glimpse of a career on the baseball field.”

The Major League Baseball Umpire Camps train both aspiring umpires and baseball fans alike. Launched in 2006, the MLB Umpire Camps featured on-field training and classroom instruction, as well as lessons on rules enforcement and interpretation, game management, conditioning, nutrition, safety and equipment needs. The MLB Umpire Camp, which is scheduled for November 6-13, 2011, is held annually each November at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California.

The free one-day Umpire Camp at PETCO Park is the latest in a series of steps that the MLB Umpiring Department has taken as a gesture to honor members of our nation’s military. This past May, a free one-day Umpire Camp for Marines was held at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Last August, a free one-day Umpire Camp was held at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. In March 2009, during the World Baseball Classic, MLB and the Department of Military Affairs of the San Diego Padres organized a free one-day Umpire Camp for Marines at San Diego State University’s Tony Gwynn Stadium. More than 100 Marines attended each of these special MLB Umpire Camps, receiving instruction from MLB staff on all facets of umpiring.

In addition, in January 2010, Major League Baseball announced a collaboration with Columbia College (MO), a leader in military-friendly education, on the development of a certificate of professional umpiring. Following the completion of online coursework in subjects relevant to sports officiating, the program incorporates a week-long training program at the MLB Umpire Camp in California.

For more than 30 years, Columbia College has helped military personnel, their family members and Department of Defense civilians earn college degrees during their service. One out of every four students at Columbia College is in the military or is a military dependent, and 18 of the institution’s 35 nationwide campus locations are located on military bases.

www.tincaps.com

BD.Com: What are your responsibilities for the TinCaps?

Nutter: Lots of stuff the fans never realize! It does not consist of anything in terms of the players on the field. Other than that, our staff is responsible for just about everything! We pick the game times, set ticket prices, concessions menus, promotions, etc. Our front office is responsible for the gate opening times, promotions, community involvement and just about everything other than who plays for the team and who the coaches and manager are.

BD.Com: What does your job consist of, what do you do?

Nutter: As the GM, I am the person ultimately responsible for what goes on here, but the reality is that this is a total team effort. We have a management team that starts with Jason Freier-our owner and CEO of Hardball Capital. He is the best to work for and with. He gets what we are trying to do for the fans and for our business model He is very involved in the process and success of our team.

We have an extremely talented front office that chooses to work in Fort Wayne, Indiana at one of the best stadium in the country (Parkview Field). We are entering our third season in our new facility and the reality is that many offers have come to current employees to move on to other positions but most have elected to stay and continue to be a part of something very special here. It is more than being part of minor league baseball-it is about doing our part in the economic redevelopment in our region and downtown Fort Wayne.

BD.Com: What does your staff do?

Nutter: Our staff works on daily stuff from eight AM to five PM on non-game days in and out of the season. Game days are nine AM until the conclusion of the game for the seventy dates we have at home.

Off-season is spent more in management and sales mode and in season is a lot more of executing the game/events as well as promoting the team and stadium. The game has changed a lot in the regard as well. More stadiums are going from seventy games only and doing much more. Last year we hosted over two hundred special events in addition to the seventy home games. We were the only minor league stadium in the country to host the Zac Brown Band (Grammy winner) and we had other concerts, conventions, wedding and wedding receptions, etc in addition to the games.

BD.Com: Parkview Park recently reached its one-millionth fan, although not all attended Tin Caps game. What are your thoughts on reaching this milestone?

Nutter: We are excited and got there faster than anyone imagined. Baseball attendance has been spectacular and the special events (non baseball attendance) has been tremendous as well.

Parkview Field has become exactly what people hoped it would be. The ballpark was intended to be a community-gathering place that would be utilized the entire year. Between TinCaps games and the multitude of other events hosted here, our goal has truly been met and exceeded how the facility’s use was envisioned.

Later this summer, we plan on welcoming the 1,000,000th fan to attend a TinCaps game at Parkview Field.

BD.Com: What was your first job in baseball?

Nutter: My first job in baseball was as an intern or summer employee of the Kane County Cougars in 1992. My very first job was to clean the lawn areas up after each game and make sure there was no trash, cigarette butts or gum left in them. This was a very humbling experience.

I was able to work four summers during college for the Kane County Cougars-definitely one of the best franchises in the country for all of minor league baseball.

The four summers there provided great experience in all aspects of the game: promotions, sales, concessions, operations, grounds crew, etc. I was fortunate enough to work for great people there that believed in doing things the right way and helping advance others in their careers I think eight or nine of us went to be General Managers from our time spent at Kane County during the summers.

BD.Com: How did you get that job?

Nutter: My mom got me the job! Seriously, I was attending college in Northern California and my parents wanted me to move to Chicago as they were transferred. She called me and said since you always wanted to work in baseball-and I said yes-that is what I am going to do in my career, she said, “great-you start on May 15th”

I laughed and that started what has been a twenty-year career in the Minors that had led to the position of GM/President of the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Family vacations for my mom ad dad and I were for spring training and sporting events. I realized I could spend a lifetime in sports without being on the field.

BD.Com: What do you love most about your job?

Nutter: I get to work at a baseball stadium! Seriously, it is the American Pastime and we get to do it for our career. This is the place people come to escape the grinds of their day-to-day lives. We do affordable, family-friendly entertainment with baseball too! I consider it a blessing to work for a baseball team and plan on doing it for a long time.

In addition, I love that our job is never the same two days in a row, from the crowd, weather, games, etc. There are lots of days, but they are all different and exciting. Additionally, our jobs are like many different jobs in one. The season is long hours providing great entertainment to over 400,000 fans When the season winds down, we do all of our off-season events, sales, etc and then start over preparing for the new season.

It is always jumping and there is always something going on. I cannot think of anything else I would rather be doing than working with this staff in Fort Wayne.

BD.Com: What is the most difficult part of your job?

Nutter: The time commitments are a challenge-no doubt about it. My wife and I are blessed to have a seven-year-old son (Carson) and a six-year-old daughter (katelynn). There is not a lot of family time during a ten-day homestand. Fortunately, my wife is great at keeping things going well at home and the kids’ love what dad does for a living!

Of the seventy home games last year, my family probably attended sixty of them. That helps a lot.

BD.Com: Where were you born and raised?

Nutter: I was born in Akron, Ohio on November 30, 1972. My father was in sales so we moved a lot. I lived in Napoleon, Ohio from 1977 until 1987. We moved to Danville, California in 1987 and I graduated from San Ramon Valley High in 1991.

BD.Com: Did you play sports in High School?

Nutter: Yes. I competed for three years in Cross Country as well as four years of golf. I attended San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, California.

BD.Com: What College did you attend?

Nutter: I went to Cal. State, Chico, California for two years and then transferred to Bowling Green State University and graduated May 2006 with a sports management degree and a minor in marketing.

BD.Com: What career were you considering in college, how, when & why the change to a baseball career?

Nutter: I always wanted to work in sports. I would have guessed that I would have worked in the NBA-I was sure of it, but that never happened. Going to work for the Kane Country Cougars was all I need to know that Minor League Baseball would be great for me

BD.Com: When and how did you get interested in working in baseball?

Nutter: My mother and father raised us in a big sports family. It was all Cleveland Indians, Browns, Cavaliers and Ohio State Buckeyes. We were always encouraged to follow our heart and dreams and for me that was working in baseball.

Twenty seasons later, I love what I do more than ever before. I can recall wanting to work in sports as long as I can remember.

BD.Com: When did you get interested in baseball as a child? Who influenced you?

Nutter: I am thirty-eight and baseball was king as I was growing up. We played outdoors most days, that is what I loved doing. I grew up playing and going to games, working at a baseball card store, going to major league games and getting autographs.

My mom and dad were my biggest supporters. Without their encouragement, I would not be in the industry without them.

BD.Com: What was the first pro game you saw?

Mutters: I saw the Cleveland Indians vs. Texas Rangers at old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The first minor league game I was the Toledo Mud Hens at Old Ned Skelton Stadium. We sold tickets in our Little League and went to the game together as a team

BD.Com: When you were a youngster, who did you root for? Who were a few of you favorite players?

Nutter: As a really young child, I rooted for the Cleveland Indians. We moved to Danville, California and I became an Oakland A’s season ticket holder. We loved rooting for both teams.

Players that stood out then were: Joe Carter of the Indians, Dave Stewart and Rickey Henderson of the A’s. I am still a fan and pull for guys like Jake Peavey, Grady Sizemore and Chase Utley.

BD.Com: Who are a few of your ALL-TIME favorite players?

Nutter: Jackie Robinson for what he went through and what he did for the game.  Ricky Henderson for his combination of speed, power and his intimidation of the other team. Dave Steward because he had the heart of a champion for the A’s and others

BD.Com: Who are a few great MLB players that played in Fort Wayne? Where are they now?

Nutter: Jake Peavy: Cy Young Award Winner-currently with the Chicago White Sox. Tori Hunter: multiple gold gloves winner and All Star games-currently with the Los Angeles Angels and Mat Latos: Fifteen game winner for the San Diego Padres in 2010, still there and Joakim Soria-all star closer for the Kansas City Royals.

BD.Com: What advice would you give a young person considering a career in baseball?

Nutter: You can succeed in the industry with a great work ethic and passion for your job and career. Embrace sales, as sales are a part of almost everyone’s responsibility that we have on staff.

Start your career early as there is a high demand to work in sports, make sure you are working for a team if you have the opportunity. There are over one hundred eighty teams in the USA and hundreds of opportunities out there. Gain as much experience as you can prior to graduation through internships and volunteering.

BD.Com: Are you married? Have any children?

Nutter: I was married in September 2002 and my wife Beth enjoys a good game at the ballpark. We have two children, Carson Michael born in 2003 and Katelynn Ann (born in 2005. They both think dad has a cool job.

BD.Com: Are you active in local community groups?

Nutter: Yes, I am active in groups like the Salvation Army, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and I am a Board Member of the Convention Visitors Bureau.

BD.Com: What was the best baseball advice you have received?

Nutter: Scott Lane, currently the President of the West Michigan Whitecaps
and a baseball veteran gave me the best advice. He was Assistant GM of the Kane County Cougars a few summers when I worked there.

His advice was great. He told me to always prepare every day and try and make three, four and five steps ahead so that when something happens, you are ready to react and put out the fire of make the best of a bad situation.

BD.Com: What makes you successful at your job?

Nutter: I have a tremendous group of people around me and we run it as a team. I seek their input and work with everyone on staff. Individually, it would be the work ethic instilled in me by my parents growing up. It might drive my wife crazy the hours that I/we are here, but I would not want it any other way.

BD.Com: How has baseball affected your personal life?

Nutter: It has been awesome for my family as our kids are getting older (they are six and seven). The hours are tough on all of us. I tend to miss a lot of family events that take place in the summer, but I help coach little league when I can, basketball in the off-season, but we make the best of it.

BD.Com: Who was your mentor in baseball?

Nutter: Bill Larsen was the GM at Kane County for many years and went to have successful stops in many other cities. He was a great innovator but has never gotten all the credit he deserves.

There are many teams running a lot of promotions that Bill created first. He had an incredible mind for marketing and promotions. He gave us a lot of freedom to make decisions and take chances and would advise us that there were not any mistakes we could make that we could not fix as a group. He empowered us and gave us confidence.

BD.Com: What is the most unusual promotion you have seen with the TinCaps?

Nutter: It is not unusual to me, but many people coming to their first game like the Bad Apple Dancers. It is our promotions team that has been dancing and doing the grounds work for a few years. They do an awesome job with it; it is often imitated, it is never duplicated.

BD.Com: What is your favorite ballpark to watch a game?

Nutter: Wrigley Field. I remember the first time going there when I worked for the Kane County Cougars. My dad and I attended together and I still remember walking out into the seating bowl for the first time and getting chills. It is an awesome scene to watch a game.

BD.Com: Have you attended any World Series games?

Nutter: We were season ticket holder for the Oakland A’s during the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s. We were there for the three straight World Series appearances and all the playoff runs that great team had. Unfortunately, it ended with just one title in the three years.

We were not at the game in San Francisco the year of the big earthquake (b) or that would be at the top of the list for sure.

BD.Com: Do you follow other teams or sports?

Nutter: The entire Nutter family are big Cleveland Indians and THE Ohio State Buckeyes fans. We also cheer for the TinCaps and the San Diego Padres.

BD.Com: What is the most creative part of you?

Nutter: We are willing to try new things, give it a shot, take a risk, keep things new and fresh, willing to fail and move on.

BD.Com: What do you do for relaxation after work?

Nutter: Go home, play catch with my kids. We just put a new Bar-B-Que in so I will do some cooking and have a cold brew.

BD.Com: Most teams have a mascot. What is the name of yours?

Nutter: Ours is Johnny Appleseed (Johnny) named after John Chapman who is buried here in Fort Wayne. He walked around with a tin cap on his head so we called our team the TinCaps. Most people cannot believe there was a real Johnny Appleseed but this is where he lived. ©

BD.Com: What is your favorite American city to go to when you and your family travel?

Nutter: Chicago, about 200 miles from Fort Wayne. We love the culture there; my wife loves to shop Michigan Avenue; my son and I visited the Museum of Science and Industry and we love to go to Wrigley Field.

BD.Com: What do you do during the off-season?

Nutter: We work during the week and weekends and we travel. But that is when the team sets up the advertising and group sales; we have numerous Sales and management meetings and get ready for the following season.

BD.Com: Do you have a favorite Spring Training site to go to?

Nutter: We enjoy going to Peoria, Arizona. The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners share a complex there. It is a different vibe there; guys are approachable
and it is easy for the kids to get autographs.

BD.Com: What is best memory with the TinCaps?

Nutter: The year was 2009 and we were the first team to win 101 games lost 49. We were the first team in 25 years to win that many games and won the championship on the road. We got some buses, told the front office staff to bring their family and kids.

One of the stars of the team was Mat Latos who won fifteen games for the Padres last year. Guys would swing and miss, he was domineering.

BD.Com: Do you have a future super star on your team the Padres fans should be watching for?

Nutter: Yes, we have a young guy name named Donavan Tate he was the third pick in the draft a few years ago. He is built like a ballplayer; he is six feet- two inches and weighs two hundred pounds. The Padres gave him a 6.25 million contract when was eighteen. He has the talent, tools, plays center-field and is a great kid.

BD.Com: What are your thoughts on the DH?

Nutter: I grew up an Indians fan and liked it. We had Buddy Bell, etc. They use the DH in low A Pitchers reward takes BP the next day. It should stay.

BD.Com: When you look back at the end of this season, what do you most want to be proud of?

Nutter: We are going to host four games with the AAA Tucson Padres vs. Las Vegas 51s between July 14th and 17th. The Padres (they were the Portland Beavers) moved from Portland to Tucson and we suggested they play here in our stadium. We get to show off the second biggest Hoosier city, one of the best children’s zoos in the country and show them mid-west hospitality.

This is a first in the minor leagues; two teams from the Pacific Coast League playing in a city in the Midwest League.

BD.Com: What were the results of the four game series? How did your fans accept this unusual series? What was the attendance?

Nutter: We did very well with the series. The four games attracted just under 24,000 total fans. This was in-line with AAA attendance and our attendance numbers for TinCaps games. It was a truly unique opportunity for our fans to see Minor League baseball at the highest level being played.

The Las Vegas 51’s team won three out of four games, but they were all entertaining and the fans loved it. More info on the series can be found here.

BD.Com: What is the economy like?

Nutter: It is pretty tough. We are a little insulated from the highs in the economy to the low, lows. General Motors, one of the largest employers in town closed. Some factories used to run three shifts and are now running two. Some used to run seven days a week but now running five. However, we have a resilient group of people here in Fort Wayne who love their sports and support their team.

Street & Smiths Business Sports Journal a few years ago called Ft. Wayne the number one minor league sports market in America. Even when the economy is bad we still see families coming out to the park because our entertainment is family oriented and affordable.

(a) Opening day was April 16, 2009. The TinCaps beat the Dayton Dragons 7-0. Attendance was 8,208.

“Parkview Field, home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, earns praise for achieving a level of perfection. TinCaps owner Jason Freier and architect Populous have managed to create an intimate, thoughtfully designed facility where community is king and fans are prompted to have a new experience every time they visit the park.” BallPark Digest

(b) The 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics is best remembered for the Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred just prior to Game 3. It caused a 10-day disruption in play. This Series is forever known as the “Earthquake Series”
The A’s swept the Giants four game to none.

He is buried in Johnny Appleseed Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is a National Historic Landmark.

After a deal for Rich Harden fell through at the last moment, the Boston Red Sox took a risk on another brittle pitcher, the Seattle Mariners Erik Bedard. To land the talented, but often disabled lefty, the Red Sox and Mariners got the Los Angeles Dodgers involved for a three team deal.

In addition to Bedard, Seattle also sent right-hander Josh Fields (the pitcher, not the former White  Sox third baseman) to Boston. The Red Sox dealt catcher Tim Federowicz, and pitchers Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fifer to the Dodgers for outfielders Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien Chiang, who Boston then spun to the Mariners. Despite some time on the DL, Bedard appeared to return to his old form this season and is a low risk move for Boston. He’ll eventually take the place of Andrew Miller in the rotation, with Clay Buchholz likely out for the season with a back injury, but for now Boston will employ a six man rotation.

San Diego Padres set up man Mike Adams and  closer Heath Bell both heard their names thrown around in numerous rumors all week. As things came down to the wire on Sunday it was first announced that Bell had been dealt to the Texas Rangers, but it turned out it was Adams that was being sent to Texas. He’ll team with another pickup, Koji Uehara, to strengthen the Rangers’ pen. In return the Padres received pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and their fans are having the time of their lives right now. Normally the Pirates are sending veterans to other teams in July, but after acquiring Derrek Lee from Baltimore on Saturday, the Bucs picked up outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the Padres on Sunday. The Pads will get a player to be named later or cash.

The Dodgers and Cardinals finalized their deal for Rafael Furcal. The shortstop and cash went to Missouri for outfielder Alex Castellanos.

Arizona added to their bullpen by sending slugger Brandon Allen and pitcher Jordan Norberto to Oakland for reliever Brad Ziegler.

Deals can still be made as the calendar turns to August, but players must pass through waivers in order to be moved.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Richard Michael Gossage was born in 1951 in Colorado Springs, CO where he still makes his home today. After a stellar career at Wasson High School, Gossage was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 9th round of the 1970 amateur draft. He appeared in 13 games combined that year for the Gulf Coast rookie White Sox and low level ‘A’ Appleton Foxes with mixed results, but a year later as a starter he made everyone in the organization stand up and take notice.

24 of Gossage’s 25 appearances for Appleton in 1971 were indeed as a starting pitcher and he excelled. An 18-2 record, 1.83 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 187 innings jumped off the page at everyone. He also allowed just 141 hits and 50 base on balls. His performance earned the 20-yr old an invitation to the big league spring training in 1972. He then continued to open eyes that spring and went north will the ball club.

Manager Chuck Tanner, who later became Gossage’s manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the front office decided to move Gossage to the bullpen despite his prior year’s performance. It was felt that his electric stuff would work even better out of the pen. He made 36 appearances his rookie season, but despite a 7-1 record, his other numbers weren’t up to his minor league standards. He walked five batters per nine innings, allowed 72 hits in 80 innings, and posted a 4.28 earned run average. Control issues would be the reason was Gossage shuttled back and forth between the Majors and minors the next two seasons.

Bob Rubin of the Miami Herald profiled Gossage after the reliever saved 33 games in 1980. Click here to read all about it.

It wasn’t until 1975 that the player nicknamed “Goose”, by teammate Tom Bradley, (because of the way he stuck his neck out when looking for the sign from the catcher) started to put it all together at the Major League level. He led the American League that year with 26 saves, struck out 130 batters in 141.2 innings pitched, and allowed 99 hits (just three of which were home runs). His play earned him the first of his nine All-Star appearances, and he finished sixth in the 1975 AL CY Young voting.

Despite his fabulous year, the White Sox decided to move Gossage back to the starting rotation for the 1976 season. The results were semi-disastrous. Goose lost 17 games, struck out just 130 in 224 innings, and allowed 214 hits. The team led by Paul Richards also lost 97 games, so that winter owner Bill Veeck decided to make some changes. In December, Gossage along with lefty Terry Forster were shipped to Pittsburgh for outfielder Richie Zisk and pitcher Silvio Martinez. Zisk hit 30 home runs and produced 101 RBI in his one and only year in Chicago and never approached those numbers again. Meanwhile Gossage’s best days were ahead of him.

Back in the bullpen in 1977, Gossage saved 26 games and combined with Kent Tekulve and Grant Jackson for one of those dominant relief corp in baseball. But free agency loomed for Gossage and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, despite having the reigning AL CY Young winner Spark Lyle on his team, was greatly intrigued.  And whatever George wanted, George generally got. He landed Gossage with a six year deal on November 22, 1977. It was a move that eventually led to third baseman Graig Nettles’ famous quote on Lyle, “He went from CY Young to sayonara.”

Gossage’s intro to New York was a rough one. He lost the first game of the season when he gave up a 9th inning home run to none other than Texas’ Richie Zisk. His next appearance was a blown save to Milwaukee and another loss. After mop up duty in his third appearance, Gossage lost another ninth inning game, this time to Toronto. His 0-3 record led to boos when the Yankees returned home. Gossage loves to retell the story today of when center fielder Mickey Rivers jumped on the hood of the bullpen car, yelling “NO”, to stop Gossage from entering a game.

Though he also had a blown save in the ’78 All-Star game, Gossage turned things around (a league leading 27 saves) and helped the Yankees come back from a 14.5 game deficit to Boston in the AL East. He then protected a one run lead in a one game playoff between the two teams, getting Carl Yastrzemski to pop up to Graig Nettles to end the game. Gossage went on to make four All-Star appearances while with New York, led the league in saves twice and finished third in the AL CY Young voting in 1980. But Gossage began to clash with owner George Steinbrenner as the 1980′s marched on and he decided to depart as a free agent after the 1983 season. He signed with San Diego and helped them to their first World Series with 25 saves.

After four years on the left coast, Gossage spent time with the Chicago Cubs, had a second tour with the Yankees before rounding out his career with the Texas Rangers, Oakland A’s, and Seattle Mariners. He also pitched in Japan during the 1990 campaign. In 22 big league seasons, Gossage finished with 310 saves and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Today, the Goose is active in youth sports and serves as a Spring Training instructor for the Yankees.

Also Born Today:

Gary Matthews Sr. (San Fernando, CA 1950): “Sarge” was a star baseball player at San Fernando High and was selected as the 17th overall pick in the 1968 amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants. The southern California native made his MLB debut in northern California for the Giants in 1972, hitting .290 with four home runs in 20 games. He then won the NL Rookie of the Year award a year later when he hit .300 with 12 HR and 58 RBI. After five years by the Bay, Matthews signed with Atlanta as a free agent. He spent four years there and made his first All-Star team before being dealt to the Phllies prior to the 1981 season. He was a member of the 1983 NL pennant winning team and also reached the playoffs with the Phillies in 1981 and the Chicago Cubs in 1984. Matthews retired after splitting the 1987 season with the Cubs and Seattle Mariners.

Jesse Crain (Toronto, ON 1981): The Canadian born Crain attended the University of Houston and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2002 draft. Crain debuted with the Twins in 2004 and finished eighth in the ROY voting in 2005 when the reliever went 12-5, 2.71 with one save. Crain had his ups and downs for the next several seasons, but in 2010 he put up strong numbers with 60 strikeouts in 68 innings. The timing couldn’t have been better as the free agent to be signed a three year deal with the Chicago White Sox during this past off-season.

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Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

“That was the most difficult part. I’d never been anywhere else. Walla Walla [Washington, Class-A Padres] isn’t exactly close to West Virginia.”

In 1981 he played in 63 games for Walla Walla, hitting .242 with 13 RBI and 56 walks.  He moved through the ranks at a good pace, spending 1982 at Advanced-A Reno, then 1983 at Double-A Beaumont. He started 1984 with the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars and spent that season and all of 1985 there. After playing six games for the Stars in 1986, he made his major league debut for the Padres

“Getting used to seeing good pitching everyday was also difficult. In high school you’re seeing maybe one good pitcher maybe all season. In junior college, maybe one good pitcher a week or every two weeks. They’re throwing harder and they’ve got more movement on the ball.”

Upon being called up Kruk was hitting .464 and appeared ready to hit major league pitching. But he needed veteran leadership and got it.

Padres teammate Tony Gwynn made a huge impact on Kruk. A particular piece of hitting advice came when Kruk was trying to work through the kinks as a rookie.

“He said if you hit to the left, you’re driving a Mercedes. If you try hitting it to right, you’ll be driving a Pinto. I learned how to hit from him. I learned how to hit in a lot of different situations. I wanted to see what he was seeing.”

The biggest issue for many a young hitter proved to be challenging for Kruk as well.

“I had to learn patience. And it was the first time I wasn’t playing everyday.”

Kruk was a natural hitter and he attributes that to an old-fashioned approach to learn hitting growing up.

“We didn’t have no hitting guy from the age of  six years old. We just hit to hit. And it’s the way I’m teaching my kids, especially in golf. I tell them to figure out a way to get the ball in the hole. That’s the way I was with hitting. I figured out a way to hit. I’d done that my whole life. They ruin kids today with these hitting gurus.”

He went on to have a ten-year career with the Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, and, briefly, the Chicago White Sox, where he retired in 1996. It was just announced that he was chosen to be inducted to the Phillies Wall Of Fame.

In 2000 he returned to baseball as manager of the Double-A Reading Phillies. The experience was eye-opening and not at all what he expected.

“I was told, here’s the prospects and you can’t coach them.”

Kruk explains that teams then and today are controlled by concerns about agents who want to protect their clients.

“Agents are potentially destroying baseball. They are ruining it. Because you have teams who want to call agents and see if they improve something with one of their players and then they want to go back to the player and discuss it with him. ”

At the time he was with Reading, Marlon Byrd was the Phillies top hitting prospect and was struggling at the plate early in the season. Kruk recalls the frustration Byrd felt with Kruk’s lack of involvement.

“Marlon came to me and asked me when I was going to work with him. I told him that I’d love to, but explained why I wasn’t. He said to me, “This is my career.” And after that we spent a lot of time together.

He finds the changes in baseball baffling, despite the obvious influence of money.

“You can’t discipline them anymore. I don’t know where we got away from the game and how it should be played. It’s like you have to get a political pardon to work these top young players.”

But it isn’t just today. Kruk recalls what teammate Kevin McReynolds went through with the Padres.

“He was a top pick and they tried to treat him with kid gloves. And he didn’t wnat that. It really upset him. They wanted him to DH [McReynolds was an outfielder] and be really careful because of an injury he’d had. Today, it’s worse. I know for a fact you can’t coach prospects now. That’s why as a coach it was so frustrating. I can’t take a .200 hitter and make him a .300 hitter. I can’t do it. No one can. It was awful.”

It isn’t surprising that the popular ESPN analyst has no new designs on a minor league baseball coaching career. However, his competitive spirit and love of teaching still exists.

“If I were to do anything it would be to coach college baseball or women’s softball. I love the way those girls play the game.  They love it. And it would be fun.”

Rotation: Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer, Aaron Harang, TBD.

Mat Latos burst upon the scene in 2010, and from May 1st to September 7th he was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball (13-3, 1.64 ERA, .490 OPS against).  He wore down a little in September, but is positioned to be the Padres ace for years to come.  Clayton Richard has developed into a dependable starter and is one of the top left-handers in the league.  He threw 200+ innings for the first time in his career, and will be counted on to remain a workhorse on this staff.  Tim Stauffer has persevered through multiple injuries, and in 2010 showed the talent that caused the Padres to select him with the 4th pick of the 2003 draft.  Last season he bounced between AAA, the rotation, and the bullpen.  This season he will be the #3 starter.  The stability should do him good, and set the stage for a big season.  Aaron Harang tries to revitalize a career that’s been derailed recently by injury.  A San Diego State alum, he will benefit from the spaciousness of Petco after laboring for years in the Great American Ballpark.  The Padres fifth slot is up for grabs between Wade Leblanc, Dustin Moseley, and Cory Luebke.  LeBlanc struggled the second half of last season in the Padre rotation, Moseley comes over from Anaheim where he was a spot starter, and Luebke is the next big Padre rookie.  Of the three Luebke has the largest up-side, but Moseley has the most experience.  The Padres have not announced a winner yet.

Bullpen: Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson, Joe Thatcher, Pat Neshek, Chad Qualls.

Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and Luke Gregerson return to continue closing out the backs of games in 2010.  Bell made the All-Star team for the second time in 2010 and has a 33 consecutive save streak in progress.  Adams has the stuff and mental toughness to be a closer, but for now remains the dominant set-up man in the League.  Gregerson’s slider is unhittable when he locates it, and very hittable when he does not.  So far his locate days far outnumber his hittable ones.  San Diego traded away several pieces of their 2010 bullpen to obtain Cameron Maybin and Jason Bartlett during the off-season, and have brought in Chad Qualls, Moseley, and recently Pat Neshek to fill out that bullpen.  Expect the bullpen to once again be one of the best in the league.

Infield: Brad Hawpe, Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett, Chase Headley.

Brad Hawpe returns to his natural position as the Padres first baseman.  Hawpe progressed through the Colorado Rockie system at first but moved to the outfield because he was blocked by Todd Helton.  He followed a superior 2009 (125 OPS+) with a sub-par 2010 (94 OPS+, 2 teams), and looks to rebound.  He won’t make fans forget Adrian Gonzalez, but he is capable.  Orlando Hudson has had a strong spring training and may be the Padre #3 hitter on Opening Day.  He had 4 great years in the NL West from 2006-2009 with Arizona and the Dodgers, and looks to recapture that magic.  He also brings his 4-time Gold Glove to the team, solidifying what had become a revolving door at second.  Jason Bartlett was the second key acquisition San Diego made this off-season, acquired via trade from Tampa Bay.  His superior glove should give the Padres one of the best infields in the NL.  His 88 OPS+ last season is likely what can be expected of him in 2011, but he’s primarily here for his defense.  It’s hard to believe Chase Headley is the elder statesman of this Padre infield, but he has been with the team the longest of the 4.  He was league-average at the plate, and average in the field – dependable, not flashy.  The Padres would like to see a little more pop from his bat in 2011.  Nick Hundley goes into 2011 as the starting catcher for the first time in his career.  He has improved steadily at the plate throughout his short big league career, and the Padres hope this season is his breakout one.

Outfield: Ryan Ludwick, Cameron Maybin, Will Venable

Ryan Ludwick may be the most important Padre in 2011.  Acquired at the trade deadline for his bat, he flopped in his 2-month audition with San Diego.  Now that Gonzalez is in Boston, Ludwick becomes the lone true deep threat in the lineup.  The team hopes he returns to the hitter he was in St Louis, and forgets about the guy he was last fall.  The Padres other big off-season acquisition was Cameron Maybin to play centerfield.  He is a virtual clone of Tony Gwynn Jr defensively.  His value, however, is at the plate, where he has already demonstrated more power in his career than the younger Gwynn ever did.  Will Venable is another Padre poised for a big season.  Venable finished second on the team in HR, and thrived as an everyday player despite the lack of a consistent position (he played all three spots in 2010).  He is projected as the Padres leadoff hitter this season.

The Padres also burst unexpectedly on the scene in 1984, rolling to the World Series.  One of the leaders of that team was Garry Tempelton.  This article from July 1985 talks about his redemption in San Diego.

Bench: Rob Johnson, Chris Denorfia, Jorge Cantu, Everth Cabrera, Aaron Cunningham

Rob Johnson will be the back-up catcher this season.  He was acquired via trade from the Seattle Mariners just before Christmas.  Rob will give Hundley the odd day off.  Chris Denorfia was a non-roster invitee last spring training, and played so well both during the spring and at AAA he spent the last 2/3 of the season in San Diego.  He plays all 3 outfield positions and gives the team some pop off the bench.  Jorge Cantu signed as a free agent this off-season, and gives the Padres another power bat who can play the corner infield positions.  A right-handed hitter, he may platoon with Hawpe at first.  Everth Cabrera may have the strongest arm of all the infielders in the Padres organization, and is lightning fast.  His bat has not developed as the Padres hoped, relegating him to late-inning defensive replacement/pinch runner duty.  He can give Bartlett and Hudson the occasional day off.  Finally Aaron Cunningham provides additional outfield depth and speed to the roster.  Cunningham appeared in 53 games last season.

Management:

Jed Hoyer (GM).  Hoyer starts his second season as GM, his first being an unqualified success.  Knowing he could not re-sign Adrian Gonzalez for the money the first baseman sought, he was able to turn that to his advantage, acquiring 3 highly rated prospects from Boston.  He has been aggressive in trying to improve the team, yet shrewd enough to keep his main minor league talent intact.  Hoyer will make a move to improve the Padres if they are in contention (see last year’s Ludwick and Miguel Tejada trades), and has put significant emphasis on not only developing the talent already in-house but drafting smartly to build the farm system.  Hoyer is an up and coming star among baseball executives.

Bud Black (manager).  Black enters his fifth season at the helm for San Diego, and is the reigning NL Manager of the Year.  Black has done an excellent job with the Padres, given the talent he has had at his command.  If there is a knock on him it’s a propensity to overuse his bullpen, and (admittedly this is unfair) the two late-season collapses in 2007 and 2010 that left the Padres out of the playoffs.  Still, Black is one of the better managers in baseball at this time.

Prognosis. The Padres believe they have a more balanced lineup than in 2010, and their pitching is comparable.  No one player on this roster will replace the production lost when Gonzalez was traded, but top to bottom they do appear more potent.  San Diego will not sneak up on anyone this season, and although another 90-win season may not be in the cards, they will be in the thick of both the pennant and wild-card chases all summer.  San Diego will likely finish third in the division behind San Francisco and Colorado.

NL East

Atlanta: Superstar-in-the-making Jason Heyward returned to the Braves’ lineup yesterday after sitting out the the last four games due to a sore back. Heyward saw a specialist on Wednesday for further evaluation. “He told me it’s bone structure vs. muscle or anything like that, nothing to be torn,” said Heyward, who hasn’t played since his back stiffened Saturday in batting practice, a scheduled day off for him. “If I can’t tear anything or do anything worse, I’ll play, and that’s what I told Fredi (Gonzalez).”

Florida: The Marlins may have a makeshift outfield in their lineup on opening day. Another superstar in the making, Mike Stanton, has yet to play in a spring game after injuring his quad in an exhibition game against the U. of Miami. While he has taken some at-bats in minor league games, he’s been replaced by a pinch-runner each time he gets on base. On Thursday, Chris Coghlan was sidelined with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. Manager Edwin Rodriguez has not ruled out Coghlan starting the season on the DL.

Free agent pitcher Javier Vazquez was scratched from a Tuesday start due to elbow soreness, but threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and felt fine afterwards. He’s scheduled to start against St. Louis tomorrow. Fellow starter Anibal Sanchez is expected to pitch in Sunday’s game after being out since March 10 after a comebacker bruised his shin. Their potential battery mate, John Baker, is day-to-day with a muscle strain near his right throwing elbow. He can swing the bat, but so far he has been prohibited from throwing.

New York: Things have been rough in Metsville and they may get rougher. Reports surfaced this week that ace Johan Santana was behind schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery. The Mets have denied the report, which specifically stated that Santana’s bullpen sessions were not going as planned. Whatever the case, Santana will be on the DL (as expected) to start the season. Carlos Beltran has been slowed by left knee tendinitis and might start the season on the DL. GM Sandy Alderson is contemplating not having Beltran play any additional spring games so that the DL time can be backdated.

Philadelphia: All-Star 2nd baseman Chase Utley continues to be bothered by patellar tendinitis and chondromalacia in his right knee and sought out assistance from a specialist on Thursday. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is hoping Utley can avoid surgery. “We’re doing everything we possibly can to have him not get into a surgery,” Amaro said. “Until we stop seeing progress, then we’ll continue to exhaust all those possibilities.”

Third baseman Placido Polanco had to leave Wednesday’s game after hyperextending the same elbow he had surgery on in November. He’s expected to be back in the lineup in a few days. Closer Brad Lidge is day-to-day with muscle soreness in his right bicep, but Amaro is not worried since Lidge has already thrown a good number of innings. Finally, prospect Domonic Brown was lost for the season after he broke the hamate bone in his right hand and underwent surgery.

Washington: Chien-Ming Wang continues to try to come back from 2009 shoulder surgery. He’s been limited to a pair of bullpen sessions, including one this past Tuesday, so the Nationals have not been able to set a timetable for his return. 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman strained his groin on Monday and has sat out since. He’s expected to return to action next week and said he would have played had it been during the regular season.

NL Central

Chicago: Angel Guzman will miss the start of the season and won’t be back until mid-April at the earliest, as he recovers from a tear in his throwing shoulder.

Cincinnati: Johnny Cueto had to leave his start last Friday with stiffness in his right bicep, but after having a throwing session yesterday, he’s expected to return to the mound on Saturday.

Houston: Earlier this month, the Astros lost their starting catcher, Juan Castro, for the year with torn ligaments in his knee. Infielder Jeff Keppinger is no longer hampered by the walking boot he’s been wearing since he underwent foot surgery to remove the sesamoid bone in his left foot. He’s hoping to be back in the Astros lineup in mid-May. Wandy Rodriguez, who signed a new deal this winter, has been bothered by shoulder tendinitis and was scratched from his last start. But the right-hander threw a side session this morning and is good to go.

Milwaukee: The Brewers were hoping to get off to a good start with their 1-2-3 punch of Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and Yovanni Gallardo, but Greinke injured his ribs playing pick up basketball and is out until mid-April. Outfielder Corey Hart may miss opening day due to a strained rib cage. He took swings off a batting tee on Tuesday, but still doesn’t feel right. ”It’s still not coming as fast as I want it to,” Hart said. “It won’t go away. I still can’t go full-speed on anything. Hitting off the tee is fine, but I can’t amp it up the way I know I can. I can throw, but as soon as I have to do a quick move or let it go, it kills.” Catcher Jonathan Lucroy may or may not be ready to catch on opening day. He’ll undergo surgery on Monday to remove pins that were placed in his hand when he broke his pinky finger during a catching drill back in February.

Pittsburgh: Reliever Joe Beimel has been out since early March with pain in his left forearm, but has been cleared to pitch against the Orioles this coming Monday. Catcher Ryan Doumit has missed a week with a strained oblique, but is expected to be back in the lineup today.

St. Louis: Utility infielder Nick Punto underwent surgery in February for a sports hernia and is out until at least mid-April. The Cardinals’ most devastating injury was, of course, losing starter Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery.

NL West

Arizona: Infielder Geoff Blum will miss a few days with a swollen right knee that he strained earlier in the week.  Zach Duke, who was competing for the #5 spot in the rotation, is out until May after a line drive broke two bones in his pitching hand.

Colorado: Aaron Cook was already starting the season on the DL due to shoulder inflammation, but then slammed and broke his finger in a car door and is out until May. 3rd baseman Ian Stewart is day-to-day with a sprained right knee. Eric Young Jr. is back competing for the utility position after sitting out all spring with a broken tibia.

Los Angeles: The Dodgers were expected to be competitive  because of their starting pitching, but have suffered two injuries already. Jon Garland is out until mid-April with a strained oblique, and Vicente Padilla is lost until late April/early May with forearm surgery.

San Diego: Outfielder Kyle Banks returned from a 10-month absence after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he served as the DH on Monday. He is a certainty to start the season on the DL. Starter Tim Stauffer is still hurting from a strained hip flexor and missed his scheduled start today. He’s listed as day-to- day. Southpaw Joe Thatcher was scheduled to undergo an MRI today on his ailing left shoulder. Thatcher hasn’t appeared in a game this spring and is headed to the DL as well.

San Francisco: Starter Matt Cain returned from a nearly two-week absence caused by elbow inflammation to throw three scoreless innings on Monday. Just like their AL counterparts, the defending NL pennant (and World Series) champions are in good shape to start the season.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Those words were spoken by the late, great Tom Cheek, the “voice” of my hometown Toronto Blue Jays on October 23, 1993. And he was right: Joe Carter never hit a bigger home run than the one that won the second consecutive World Series title for the Blue Jays. Being seven years old and having a babysitter that night, I wasn’t allowed to stay up and see the home run live (thanks Mom and Dad!), but I remember the days that followed vividly. Toronto was simply on fire, and the parade down University Avenue was an outpouring of love for our heroes. With that one swing Joe Carter, a baseball player from Oklahoma, had joined the ranks of Gretzky, Lemieux, and so many other hockey players as one of Canada’s greatest sports heroes.

What people outside of Toronto often forget is that Carter was more than the guy who hit one of the most famous home runs in history. He was a regular 30-home run, 100-RBI machine, won a pair of Silver Sluggers, and played in five all-star games. Today, Baseball Digest looks back at Joe Carter’s career on his 51st birthday.

Carter was born in Oklahoma City and played his college baseball at Wichita State University, winning College Player of the Year in 1981. The Chicago Cubs selected him second overall in the 1981 draft. Within two years, Carter had reached the big leagues; however, he only appeared in 23 games for the Cubs in 1983. Carter began 1984 back at triple-A Iowa, and was traded to the Cleveland Indians in June as part of the deal that brought Rick Sutcliffe to Chicago. He would then spend the rest of 1984 in Cleveland, hitting .275 with 13 home runs.

The 1990 blockbuster trade that sent Joe Carter from San Diego to Toronto sent shockwaves throughout the baseball world.  Dan Schlossberg wrote about the trade in Baseball Digest’s May 1991 issue.  Click here to check it out!

In 1986, Carter broke out to lead the American League with 121 RBI while hitting a career-best .302 and reaching the 200 hit mark for the only time in his career. The following year, Carter posted a 30-30 season, becoming the first Indian to achieve that feat. Despite his power numbers and acute base running, the Indians were concerned with Carter’s defensive play. Following the 1989 season he was traded to the San Diego Padres for a package including future Indians stars Carlos Baerga and Sandy Alomar, Jr.

After one season out west, where his numbers fell off at Jack Murphy Stadium, the Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a blockbuster trade that changed the course of both franchises. In a swap of four marquee names, the Padres sent Carter and a young second baseman named Roberto Alomar to Toronto in exchange for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. While the Padres ignited a fire sale two years later that was led by trades of McGriff and Fernandez, Carter and Alomar formed the nucleus of the Blue Jays’ championship clubs.

Carter was finally noticed in 1991 when he hit 33 home runs, won a Silver Slugger award and made his first of five All-Star teams. Along with Alomar and fellow newcomer Devon White, Carter immediately became a star in Toronto and earned his place as one of the most popular Blue Jays. In 1992, he finished third in MVP voting and was again an All-Star, while playing a key role in helping the Blue Jays franchise shed its tag as the team that couldn’t win.  He was a key contributor to the Blue Jays’ first World Series win in 1992(hitting .273 with 2 home runs), and made the final out of the Series playing first base. After the game, Carter said that he would be part of Toronto history forever after being involved in the final out. Nobody could have known he’d play an even bigger role in history the following October.

After spurning a free-agent offer from his off-season hometown of Kansas City, Carter returned to Toronto and had another solid, 30-home run season in 1993. His heroics in game six of the World Series overshadowed his regular season by a great deal. Down 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning with two men on base and staring at a game seven, Carter strode to the plate to face the erratic Mitch Williams of the Philadelphia Phillies.  After working the count to two and two, he took a pitch that was low and inside — Williams later said it was a “terrible pitch” — and jacked it into the Blue Jays left-field bullpen.  In one magical moment, all 52,000 fans at SkyDome and an entire country (minus Expos fans) were in a complete frenzy.

Joe Carter’s home run remains the moment that defines not just Blue Jays baseball, but baseball in Canada.  The image of Carter bouncing around the bases like a kid in his backyard after hitting the Series-winning home run is one of the most iconic images of the 1990s, and in the game’s history on both sides of the border. Tom Cheek’s call of his home run remains one of the most celebrated sports calls in Canada’s sports history. I still remember waking up the next morning and watching the home run on video, then mimicking Carter’s jumping around the bases all over my living room.

The Blue Jays franchise began a freefall after the high of back-to-back titles and as the franchise went south, so did Carter’s production. While still hitting his career averages in home runs and RBI, and continuing to lead the club in both categories in 1994 and 1995, the overall decline in his numbers were noticeable. Carter began to see more time at both first base and designated hitter, as his fielding difficulties became more noticeable with age. In 1997, his final season with the Blue Jays, Carter hit only .234 while popping just 21 home runs. After longtime manager Cito Gaston was fired with five games remaining, Carter showed his displeasure with the move by switching from his longtime number 29 to Gaston’s 43 for the remaining games.

Carter signed with the Baltimore Orioles for the 1998 season for what was subsequently his final campaign. In July, Carter was traded to the San Francisco Giants and gave them some power off the bench during a Wild Card race. The Giants lost a one-game Wild Card playoff at the end of the season to Carter’s original team, the Chicago Cubs. Fittingly, the final at-bat of Joe Carter’s career was a pop-out to first base at Wrigley Field – his first big-league ballpark – that ended the game and clinched the Wild Card for the Cubs.

Carter retired after 16 seasons, seven with the Blue Jays, with a career average of .259, 396 home runs, and 1,445 runs batted in. He averaged 162 hits and 29 home runs per season. Carter left the Blue Jays in 1997 with 203 home runs, which was at the time a club record – only one home run higher than George Bell. His mark has since been passed by both Carlos Delgado and Vernon Wells. Carter remains in the top ten in nearly every Blue Jays offensive category.

Today Carter remains a fixture in the Toronto area, spending his time on many charity projects including an annual golf tournament, and often can be seen at Blue Jays games.  He has often been quoted as calling Toronto his “second home”. His status as a sports icon in Toronto, and across the entire country of Canada, has remained strong since his retirement. His name and number 29 was placed in the Blue Jays’ Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre in 1999, and he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Mary’s, Ontario in 2003.

Also Born Today:

Jeff Kent turns 43 today. Probably best known for his six tumultuous seasons hitting with Barry Bonds in San Francisco, Kent was a three-time Silver Slugger winner and won the 2000 NL Most Valuable Player award. He also played for the Blue Jays, Mets, Indians, Astros and Dodgers over his 17-year career, and finished his career with 377 home runs. Kent should be considered in the discussion of the best offensive second basemen in history. Despite being traded for David Cone in August of 1992, the Blue Jays gave Kent what turned out to be his only World Series ring after winning the title in his rookie season.

Jeff Burroughs turns 60 today. The native of Long Beach played outfield for the Senators, Rangers, Braves, Mariners, Athletics and Blue Jays over a 16-year career. Drafted first overall by Washington in 1969, Burroughs won the AL Most Valuable Player in 1974 with Texas – just his second full season in the major leagues. He finished his career with 240 home runs and 882 RBI.

Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, a proud Canadian baseball fan, has joined the staff at BaseballDigest.com as an intern for the 2011 season.

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