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Home , Andy Parrino, Bud Black, Cameron Maybin, Cory Luebke, Dean Anna, Dick Luebke

Padres Press Clips Tuesday, April 3, 2012

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Friars feel Luebke's breakout just the start MLB.com Brock 2

Prospective Padres Owings, Brach hopeful MLB.com Brock 4

Padres option slugger Clark to -A MLB.com Brock 4

Many of Padres' affiliates have rosters set MLB.com Brock 5

One last look at … MLB.com Brock 6

Padres to salute Colonel on NC Times Paris 8

Questions surround Padres as opener approaches NC Times Paris 10

Black likes Maybin-Venable combination at the top UT Center 12

No Padres home opener on TV? No problem. UT Hall 14

You won’t catch Padres’ Cashner speeding, UT Canepa 16 except on the mound

DOWNTOWN LIBRARY’S TREASURY UT Rowe 18

1 Friars feel Luebke's breakout just the start Left-hander has added to already nasty arsenal By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 04/03/12 12:00 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- The very first driver's license the state of Ohio handed depicts a fresh-faced teenager hardly resembling the 6-foot-4, 205-pound left-handed who a decade later is being counted on by the Padres for quality innings in 2012.

"I was about 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds," Luebke said, smiling, as he recalled that first driver's license. "I was born about two months premature so they held me back a little bit. I ended up not really maturing physically until high school."

And that photo on the driver's license?

"I think it might be floating around somewhere at home," he said. "But if you saw it, you would laugh pretty hard."

No one is laughing these days at Luebke's frame or his stuff, especially opposing hitters in the who, in 2011, were introduced to a pitcher who got outs in bunches with raw stuff, even as his knowledge of his trade and arsenal of pitches continued to grow and develop.

The Padres firmly believe the sky is the limit in 2012 for the 27-year-old Luebke. How high is that ceiling? His pitching is a staunch believer that Luebke is destined for stardom.

Luebke, who last week agreed to a contract extension that will guarantee him $12 million and could potentially keep him in San Diego through 2017, is the No. 2 starter in the rotation and will make his 2012 debut on Friday against the Dodgers at Petco Park.

What to expect from Luebke this season?

"In my opinion, and this is going to put some pressure on him, but he should be one of the elite lefties in the National League, if not baseball," said Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley, who helped develop into an NL winner.

Sounds like steep expectations for a pitcher who has made all of 50 appearances in the Major Leagues, including 46 in 2011. Last year, Luebke's star burned brightly, first with a role in the -- before he assumed a much bigger stage once he shifted to the Padres' starting rotation.

Luebke, the 63rd overall selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, essentially became something akin to a sabermetric legend last season with a 9.92 -to-innings ratio, as well as a stunning 3.02 xFIP (the expected fielding independent pitching, which Fangraphs rates as a good metric to rate future performance).

Only , , Roy Halladay and had better xFIP numbers than Luebke, who was tied with Cole Hamels for with 130 or more innings.

"I thought the second half of the year, he really came on," Padres Bud Black said. "Going from a reliever to starter, he made that transition really well. We saw some strides in his pitch development, too. I think this year he's primed to keep that going."

2 Luebke, who was 6-10 overall with a 3.29 ERA in 139 2/3 innings, will slot behind as the No. 2 pitcher in the starting rotation. Luebke comes off a season where he had success in relief, the rotation and away from spacious Petco Park, positing a 2.55 ERA in 70 road innings.

Luebke allowed 105 hits in 139 2/3 innings, which is something managers and pitching coaches always look at -- low hits-to-innings results. There was the 154 strikeouts he had over that period of time -- meaning that Luebke missed a lot of bats. He also showed good command, walking just 44 batters.

Luebke made his first start of the season on June 26 against the Braves -- five scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a 75-pitch effort as he worked up his endurance.

Luebke got to the point where he was still maintaining his stuff late in games, like when he took a no- hitter into the sixth inning of a victory against the Rockies on Sept. 19. In that start, Luebke allowed one in seven innings with nine strikeouts.

"He's got good stuff, and he's got an assortment of pitches now that he can feel confident in to keep him progressing," Black said.

To be sure, there was a lot to like about Luebke's performance in 2011. That's why Balsley is so high on the left-hander and where he's going.

"The size, his athletic ability, his intellect," Balsley said. "When he puts it together -- and I'm not going to say if -- he's going to be one of the more dominant lefties in the National League."

The Padres have asked Luebke to use his changeup more, something he worked diligently on during the six weeks in for Spring Training. The team likes the and his . But to help him with his growth, to keep opposing hitters off the hard stuff and to help him keep his pitch count down, the team has asked for the changeup.

According to FanGraphs, Luebke used his changeup only 6.8 percent of the time in 2011, well behind the use of his fastball (64.3 percent) and slider (25.8). But the pitch became a weapon during Spring Training as Luebke used it behind in the count, and often times, to get balls in play early in the count.

"I think the changeup is going to be critical for Cory as it is for a lot of pitchers," Black said. "I think he knows that with the fastball and slider that the change a lot of times is a separator from guys who end up having successful, long careers."

Luebke used the changeup several times each time out in Spring Training and saw good results from it. One of the biggest benefits is getting hitters to put the ball in play on it earlier in the count. If Luebke can do that, he hopes to pitch deeper into games than he did a year ago.

"I think that it's something that I'll use more of this year," Luebke said. "I rang up some pitch counts that got pretty high in the early innings, and I want to be out there more to eat up some more innings. Maybe I can use [the changeup] to get a quick out here or there and some pitches."

3 Prospective Padres Owings, Brach hopeful By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 04/02/12 6:55 PM ET

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres held a workout on Monday at Petco Park in advance of their exhibition games on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Royals.

Not everyone who dressed inside the home clubhouse before the workout has made the 25-man roster for Opening Day on Thursday against the Dodgers.

Relief pitchers Micah Owings and Brad Brach each sat quietly in front of their respective lockers on Monday, awaiting the workout, while reporters scurried about, talking to other players.

The 25-year-old Brach, who has all of 29 days' Major League service time, didn't sound like someone who was feeling the least bit anxious, wondering if he'll open the season with the Padres or pitching for Triple-A Tucson.

"I guess they could have cut me three weeks ago," Brach said, smiling. "It's been an awesome spring. I hope it continues."

There's actually a good chance that both could make the Opening Day roster, especially if the Padres do place pitcher Tim Stauffer -- sidelined with a strained right triceps -- on the disabled list to begin the regular season. There had been no determination on Stauffer's status as of Monday.

Between the two relievers, Brach had the better of the springs for the Padres, posting a 1.69 ERA in 12 games. Owings posted a 7.62 ERA in nine games, though he allowed runs in four of those nine games. Both would slide into different roles if they made the team, Owings being able to work multiple innings, with Brach -- a closer in the Minor Leagues -- called on to work one inning.

The Padres have until 2 p.m. PT on Wednesday to set their 25-man roster for Opening Day.

Like Brach, Owings had a good attitude about the uncertainty of his situation. Owings said that he has been one of the final cuts in five of his last six seasons.

"I came in here, and there's a lot of good arms in the organization," Owings said. "I feel fortunate that I have had the opportunity that I've had."

Padres option slugger Clark to Triple-A

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres have moved another player over to the Minor League side, as manager Bud Black said on Monday that first baseman Matt Clark has been optioned to Triple-A Tucson.

Clark, who hit a on Sunday off Rangers right-hander Alexi Ogando, finished Cactus League play with a .419 average in 43 at-bats, collecting four homers and 13 RBIs. He'll be the starting first baseman for manager Terry Kennedy in Tucson.

"I thought he had a great spring, and we got him exposed to big league camp," Black said. "This year, he came to camp very comfortable and played with a lot of poise and confidence."

4 Black said that he expects the 25-year-old Clark -- the son of former Major League pitcher Terry Clark -- to continue to produce in 2012. Clark has 80 home runs in his first four professional seasons, but the Padres have Yonder Alonso, Jesus Guzman, and even Mark Kotsay for first base.

"This guy has produced -- a big left-handed bat who does a lot of good things at the plate," Black said.

Clark joins pitchers Joe Wieland, Casey Kelly and , who were also sent to Triple-A. Suppan is battling a right triceps strain and could open the season on the disabled list.

Many of Padres' affiliates have rosters set

SAN DIEGO -- While the Padres are still pondering a few roster decisions, three of their Minor League affiliates have set their rosters for Opening Day.

The projected starting rotation for -A San Antonio, in no particular order, is: , Juan Oramas, Keyvius Sampson, and Hayden Beard. Other pitchers include Jeff Ibarra, Erik Hamren, Dustin Pease, Ryan Kelly, Jason Ray, Jeremy McBryde, Matt Lollis and Miles Mikolas, who's the team's closer.

Position players include catchers Jason Hagerty, Ali Solis, infielders Nat Freiman, Jonathan Galvez, Jeudy Valdez, , Cody Decker and Dean Anna. The are Edinson Rincon, , and Carlos Sosa.

The projected rotation for Advanced Lake Elsinore is Matt Andriese, Mark Hardy, Matt Jackson, Mark Pope and Burch Smith. The other pitchers include Matt Branham, Jeremy Gigliotti, Jerry Sullivan, Ryan Quigley, Dennis O'Grady, Robert Lara, Yefri Carvajal and Kevin Quackenbush (closer).

Position players include catchers Eddy Rodriguez, Rocky Gale, infielders, Conner Powers, , Michael Wing, Chris Bisson, Bryan Altman, Tyler Stubblefield, outfielders Everett Williams, Rymer Liriano, Luis Domoromo and Rico Noel.

The list of starting candidates for Class A Fort Wayne include Frank Garces, Cody Hebner, Adys Portillo, , , Michael Kelly and Justin Hancock. Other pitchers include Luis de la Cruz, Robert Eisenbach, Johnny Barbato, Colin Rea, Daniel Sarria and Matt Stites (closer).

The position players are catchers Austin Hedges, Matt Colantonio, infielders Jose Dore, Casey McElroy, , Travis Whitmore, Zach Kometani, Justin Miller, outfielders , Alberth Martinez, Kyle Gaedele and Corey Adamson.

The roster for Triple-A Tucson hasn't been finalized, as the Padres need to set their roster first.

5 One last look at Spring Training …

Corey Brock, MLB.com

Well, another Spring Training is in the books.

After six weeks in Arizona, I pulled into the driveway on Sunday afternoon, ready to see my wife, Schnauzer and, soon enough, the weeds I need to tend to in the backyard.

On the five and a half drive yesterday, I started thinking about the time spent in Arizona and what we learned during that time. I decided to try to wrap things up in words, give a few thoughts about the things I saw, what I liked and what it all means.

So here’s a few of the things that stood out to me in Arizona (in no particular order):

– Pitcher Casey Kelly. The Padres have worked with him to quicken his pace as well as slide him to the first base side of the rubber to create a little deception and make it easier for him to throw his fastball down and away. He had a 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and two walks. I think he took a big step forward this spring. He’ll try to roll that momentum over to his time with Triple-A Tucson. Tough ballpark and very tough league for pitchers.

– The young talent. There wasn’t a day that passed where we didn’t talk about the young talent in camp. Erlin, Wieland, Kelly and, as manager Bud Black called them, the B-bombers, the young players who would fill in late in games. Rymer Liriano, Jonathan Galvez, Edinson Rincon, Jaff Decker, Matt Clark. Too many to name. There was no shortage of talk all winter about how good the Minor League system is. This spring, we got to see it for ourselves. The future looks very promising.

– First baseman Yonder Alonso. The Padres made it clear early that they wanted their new first baseman to play a lot and to get a good look at the pitchers from the NL West, pitchers he’s bound to see this season. Well, Alonso played a ton. He told me a few days ago that he was getting tired. That makes sense. He had 72 at-bats (hitting .314 with seven extra-base hits). He walked three times but I think he’ll walk more during the regular season. As advertised, the guy uses the whole field. I saw him double down the left field line on a ball away. I saw him homer to right-center, I saw him turn on a number of balls. It looks like an advanced approach to hitting. He told me he’s had the same approach since he was 13. He was much better later in game, the result, he told me, of his body telling him it’s time to hit.

– Right fielder . Venable told me in camp that, before this spring, he’s often tinkered with different stances in hopes of finding one that works. Through work last winter with hitting coach Phil Plantier, Venable believes he’s found something that works. He’s quieter in his stance. The bat is quiet and he’s done away with the double-tap in his stride that threw off his balance. Better yet for him, he’s quit worrying what went wrong during an at-bat and instead focusing on what he’s doing right. Here’s a snippet from Venable:

“I’ve asked them a lot of questions,” Venable said of Plantier and , both in their first season with the team. “If I ask them what I did wrong on a swing, they will tell me not to worry about it and instead focus on the five good swings that I just took. For me, it’s not focusing on the bad stuff.”

– Other highlights? It’s hard not to like the three deals the Padres did in March to lock up Cameron Maybin, and, last week, Cory Luebke. The Padres will fork over a guarantee of $46 million

6 in those three deals. All three deals rank as club-friendly. All three follow what new GM Josh Byrnes saw work well during his days with John Hart in the Indians front office in the 1990s.

A few things to keep an eye on moving forward:

– The offense. Yes, it was much better in Spring Training. But what do averages in Arizona get you in the regular season? Zilch. Still, I think the offense will be better one-through-eight than it was in 2011. Really, it has to be if the Padres are to eclipse the 71 victories they had a year ago. I wrote about the offense the other day as part of our season preview. You can read about it here.

– Starting pitching. Not much of a history here as far as innings-eaters go, and that scares me a little. If you can’t work deep into a game, that puts stress on the bullpen. Those appearances start to pile up and that can lead to some bad things. That Tim Stauffer might start the season on the disabled list with a strained right triceps isn’t good. The Padres are going to needs guys like Edinson Volquez and Cory Luebke to log some big innings in 2012. The Padres, who lean on the run prevention model as much as anyone in the game, need their starters to work deep. Here’s what Byrnes had to say.

“In general, I think starters’ innings are a real indicator of a team’s success,” Byrnes said. “… It has a huge carry-over effect. You want your starters to pitch deep in games.”

Anyway, just a few thoughts as we move forward toward Opening Day on Thursday.

Remember, all your Padres news can be found right here. Bookmark it. Also, you can always finding me on as well at @FollowThePadres.

7 PARIS: Padres to salute Colonel on opening day

By JAY PARIS [email protected] | Posted: Monday, April 2, 2012 2:30 pm

Oh doctor, the Padres have settled on someone to heave the first pitch on Thursday's opening day.

"Anybody around here got a glove?'' Padres broadcaster , 87, asked before Monday's workout at Petco Park. "I got to get ready for Thursday.''

With that, Dylan Hoffman, one of third-base coach Glenn Hoffman's sons, grabbed some leather and settled in behind the plate.

Coleman, a former Yankees second baseman, was a bit short with his first two offerings. But before long, Coleman was lobbing in strikes, which should serve him well when the Padres start the season against the Dodgers.

Rookie mistake

Padres manager Bud Black had just completed his 33rd spring training Sunday when he made a rookie blunder.

As any North County Padres fan knows, when coming home from spring training in Peoria, Ariz., it's better to take I-10 to Highway 60 to I-215 to Highway 78 to I-5. Others talk about trekking across I-8 to come home, but not if you hang your shingle in North County.

But Black, a Rancho Santa Fe resident, went against conventional wisdom, took I-8 and it cost him.

"The big discussion in the clubhouse was which way to go,'' Black said.

The big discussion when Black was pulled over outside of El Cajon was, "Can I see your driver's license and registration, please.''

Black was ticketed by a Highway patrolman for going 83 mph in a 70-mph zone.

"Twenty minutes prior, he got Dave Roberts,'' Black said. "Same guy, same spot.''

Roberts, a Cardiff resident, should also know better than to trek on I-8. But at least his infraction was 1 mph slower than Black's.

Black said the officer was nice, but the manager's name didn't resonate enough to get a warning.

"He didn't know a Harry Ralston Black,'' said the man who goes by Bud.

Injury update

8 Right-hander Tim Stauffer, slowed by a triceps ailment, has been passed over for the opening-day assignment in favor of Edinson Volquez. Black said Stauffer will not pitch the opening series against the Dodgers and it was premature to gauge his availability for the second series against the Diamondbacks.

Outfielder Mark Kotsay remains out with a calf strain. , another and the Padres' biggest offseason acquisition, is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season after having knee surgery.

9 PARIS: Questions surround Padres as opener approaches

By JAY PARIS [email protected] | Posted: Monday, April 2, 2012 5:30 pm

SAN DIEGO ---- The white outlines for Thursday's opening-day logos were evident in front of the Petco Park dugouts. The marriage of wood bats and horsehide filled the air; the chatter of peppy Padres bounced around these downtown digs.

It's a sign that if baseball hasn't shed all its spring-training skin, it doesn't have far to peel.

"I think we played well the last three weeks,'' Padres manager Bud Black said. "We are ready to go.''

Too bad the rest of this outfit can't say the same.

Some 48 hours before welcoming the Dodgers for the season opener ---- now that sounds funny ---- the Padres' ownership and TV broadcasting particulars are like coach Dave Roberts' fungo shots to his outfielders: up in the air.

With CEO Jeff Moorad turning in his alphabet position and quest to secure full command recently, with the Padres unable to televise their games to all San Diego County homes, just what's up with this bunch?

Look, I'll grab my rose-colored sunglasses for Thursday, embracing the hope, the faith, that why-not-us attitude every team has when the curtain rises. Each squad can win the on opening day ---- that's what makes this time of year special.

But Monday, when watching the Padres go through a tune-up, there remained two big elephants on the field: what majority stakeholder John Moores does and the Padres' TV deal with Fox Sports.

Black swears the Padres are ready for prime time. If true, too bad many fans won't see it.

"We probably know less about that than anyone else,'' Black said. "I'm serious. All I know is last year some of my neighbors couldn't watch any games anyway because of certain pockets in San Diego.''

Maybe those in Black's Rancho Santa Fe 'hood are lucky. They didn't miss much as the Padres stunk, finishing in last place 20 games under .500.

Despite Moores filling page 12 of the 2012 Padres media guide, despite pages 333 and 334 revealing that Dick Enberg and Mark Grant will work the TV telecasts, this season begins with mysteries stretching to nearly ever corner of the organization.

The Padres are consistently picked to finish in the cellar, and anyone with any business acumen would speculate the front office is duplicating the expected product on the field.

Moores retains 51 percent, but good luck seeing him wearing a jolly face come Thursday. My thin wallet says his big wallet is nowhere near Tony Gwynn Drive when the man in blue yells, "Play ball!"

"Obviously the ownership situation, in the large spectrum, even in present and moving forward, is a huge deal for this city, this team and organization,'' Black said. "But for those of us in uniform, we have to play no matter who the ownership is or what is going on above us.

10 "Players know that. They are conditioned to play, and that was my message.''

His missive came in the wake of Moorad's departure, a spring team meeting that was brief ---- 10 minutes ---- but telling in who participated: acting CEO Tom Garfinkel, general manager Josh Byrnes and Black.

"They know if they don't play, they don't perform, things change for them,'' Black stressed. "But the ownership situation is not going to affect Edinson Volquez come Thursday, or Cameron Maybin's at-bats, or Jason Bartlett's ability to pick up a grounder and throw to first.''

True, but is this any way to run a ball club? Black and the players just shrug.

"It's impossible not to hear about it,'' third baseman Chase Headley said. "But as far as the day-to-day stuff, it really doesn't affect the way we prepare or play.''

So if Headley is down in the count 1-and-2 and facing Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw on Thursday, he's not fretting about which name is atop the team's chart?

"I'm not going to be wondering who the next owner is,'' Headley said. "You don't think about that.''

The Padres being restricted in broadcasting their revamped team is a bigger issue for now. Fox Sports and multiple cable companies have yet to find common ground for games to snag a county-wide signal.

"That needs to be get done, but I don't want to get caught up in it,'' Headley added. "It's not good for baseball, it's not good for San Diego, it's not good for the fans and it's not good for anybody. It's ugly, and hopefully whatever the snag is will be taken care of and that will be one thing off the checklist that's not a question anymore.''

We'll check back on Thursday, but don't expect much change. The checks that really matter ---- no matter the ownership ---- are being cashed.

"We still get a paycheck,'' Black said, "and we still have an owner.''

But many still wonder why the Padres are in such a pickle this close to opening day.

11 Black likes Maybin-Venable combination at the top

Written by Bill Center 8:05 p.m., April 2, 2012 Padres this week

Tuesday: vs. , 7:05 p.m., Petco Park, TV: FSSD

Wednesday: vs. Kansas City Royals, 2:05 p.m., The Diamond, Lake Elsinore

Opening Day Thursday: vs. Dodgers, 4:05 p.m., Petco Park, TV: FSSD

The combination first surfaced this spring when Orlando Hudson was out.

But the more Bud Black sees Cameron Maybin and Will Venable hitting one-two at the top of the Padres order, the more the manager likes the possibilities.

“It gives us speed and power at the top,” Black said Monday afternoon as the Padres practiced at Petco Park during their first day home from Arizona.

“Cameron wants to be the lead-off hitter,” continued Black. “He likes it. It gets him an extra at-bat or two a game.

“And Cameron’s the type of guy who, when the pitcher looks in, he knows it could be 1-0 if he makes a mistake and if walks Maybin, he could be pitching with a runner on second.

“Will also gives you the speed and power element.”

Plus, if Maybin is on base, the left-handed-hitting Venable has a bigger target on the ride side of the infield.

“Maybin and Venable are our two of our most athletic players,” continued Black. “They have the most speed. They are two of our hitters with the most power.”

It was pointed out that Maybin hit only .172 this spring.

“That won’t be his average during the season,” said Black. “As the spring went on, Cameron had better at-bats.”

Worthwhile trip

There is still a better than 50-50 chance that right-handed reliever Brad Brach will open the season with Triple-A Tucson.

But Brach made the trip from Peoria to San Diego to be with the Padres for at least Tuesday night’s exhibition against Kansas City at Petco Park (7 p.m.) and Wednesday afternoon’s final exhibition against the Royals at Lake Elsinore (2 p.m.).

12 “Being asked to come over here for these games is a pretty good indicator I did well this spring, I definitely take it as a positive,” said Brach who had a 1.69 average in 12 appearances this spring. He allowed nine hits and two walks while striking out 14.

The best indicator of what the Padres thought about Brach this spring is not so much how many innings he worked, but rather when he worked in games.

During the regular season, the best relievers work the eighth and ninth innings. But during the spring, front-line relievers usually work the fourth, fifth and sixth innings when the major league hitters are still in the lineup.

As spring training advanced, Brach started getting some earlier innings.

“I think this has been a good spring for me,” said Brach. “I was hoping to get regular work.”

Clark made his mark

The Padres Monday assigned first baseman Matt Clark to their minor league camp, a formality before the 6-foot-5, 25-year-old opens the season with Triple-A Tucson.

Clark’s farewell Sunday afternoon was a home run against Texas – his fourth of the spring. Clark finished with a .419 average (18-for-43) with three doubles, the four homers and 13 RBI, which shared for the team lead in Arizona.

“Matt had a great spring,” said Black. “He plays with a lot of poise and confidence, it’s a big left-handed bat.”

Last December, the Padres left Clark exposed to the Rule 5 draft. But he was passed over by the 29 other teams.

“Watching him now, a lot of teams might be wishing they had selected him,” said Black.

Notable

--Black commenting on preseason predictions regarding the Padres: “We’re not in a bubble. We hear what’s being said. That’s why we play the games. Funny thing, it happens every year. Some team surprises everyone. We all have pride.”

--Black on Opening Day starter Edinson Volquez’s potential: “If he is sound health-wise, heads up.”

--Outfielder Mark Kotsay said his tender right calf was about the same and he remains a candidate to open the season on the disabled list. That could open the door for outfielder Jeremy Hermida or a second middle infielder ( and Andy Parrino have been vying for one spot).

--Black said right-handed starter Tim Stauffer could pitch in the second series of the season against Arizona if his triceps improves.

13 No Padres home opener on TV? No problem.

Written by Matthew T. Hall 12:45 p.m., April 2, 2012

This post is for the tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of San Diego sports fans who want to watch the Padres' 2012 debut Thursday but don't have a ticket (or a friend with either DirecTV or Cox Cable at home.)

So you're caught in the middle of the nasty contract dispute between the new Fox Sports San Diego (which will air almost every Padres game this season, including Thursday's home and season opener) and Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-Verse (which are still haggling with Fox over the price of showing these and other sporting events.)

So you might not be able to watch the home opener at your home. So what?

For you (and, truth be told, for my family and I, who live in La Jolla), I've compiled a list of sports bars and restaurants where you can catch the Padres on TV in and around the Time Warner Cable coverage area.

A company spokeswoman estimated this accounts for some 30 percent of the county, including San Diego neighborhoods north of Interstate 8, Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Encinitas, Solana Beach and parts of Fallbrook, Poway and Rancho Santa Fe.

Cheers. And play ball!

Coronado: Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint, 100 Orange Ave.

Come for the game, stay for the burgers.

Del Mar: Bellasario's Pizzeria and Rotisserie, 2648 Del Mar Heights Road

New York style pizza. New York Yankee haters won't be turned away. Probably.

Encinitas: Stadium Sports Bar & Restaurant, 149 South El Camino Real

The draft beer selection includes Ballast Point, Karl Strauss, Green Flash and Stone. Need we say more?

Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co., 305 Encinitas Boulevard

Conveniently located off Interstate 5. It's easy to get to, hard to leave. Unless your team's losing real bad.

Fallbrook: Rainbow Oaks Restaurant, 5815 5th St., Rainbow

The wood was harvested locally. Knock on it every time you say "Edinson Volquez is pitching well today!"

14 La Jolla: The Public House, 830 Kline St.

The sign says it all: "Locally world famous." I ask you: Best use of adverb ever?

Poway: Phileas Foggs Bar & Restaurant, 11385 Poway Road, San Diego

Technically this bar is in Sabre Springs, but it's so close to the Poway border that one enthusiast wrote on Yelp, "This is probably the ONLY bar in Poway that is worth going to."

San Diego: The High Dive, 1801 Morena Blvd.

The High Dive hits the spot.The menu not only features great food. It features Chewbacca.

San Marcos:Players Sports Bar, 328 South Twin Oaks Valley Road

The original Players in Kearny Mesa (arguably the best place in San Diego to catch a Boston sports event) has some company for folks who live north of it. And: Go Sox!

Solana Beach: Chief's Burgers & Brew, 124 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite 108

Chiefs is a Broncos bar. Confused? Don't be. It's baseball season. And the Rockies don't look too strong.

15 You won’t catch Padres’ Cashner speeding, except on the mound

Written by Nick Canepa 10:51 p.m., April 2, 2012 Padres this week

Tuesday: vs. Kansas City Royals, 7:05 p.m., Petco Park, TV: FSSD

Wednesday: vs. Kansas City Royals, 2:05 p.m., The Diamond, Lake Elsinore

Opening Day Thursday: vs. , 4:05 p.m., Petco Park, TV: FSSD

While Padres manager Bud Black and coach Dave Roberts were getting separate speeding tickets on I-8 Sunday after closing up their Arizona spring training shop, Andrew Cashner was having no such problems — although excess velocity is very much a part of who he is.

Cashner was towing his bass boat. He doesn’t go places for long periods of time without it, and given the winds and mountain passes he had to navigate, the outdoorsman gladly settled for taking in the beauty that is his new backyard. So going the 82-83 mph the same cop clocked Black and Roberts — about 18 mph slower than Cashner can throw a fastball, 7 less than his change-up — not only didn’t make sense, but it would have taken some doing, and it might have been dangerous.

“I was doing 75 or so, but I ran into a little bit of trouble on the mountains,” Cashner, the setup man acquired from the Cubs in the Anthony Rizzo trade, was saying Monday before the Padres’ workout in Petco National Park. “And there were some high winds, around 40 miles per hour in Arizona. It was crazy.”

Cashner is all strapping Texas country boy, 6-feet-6, 200 pounds, who resides on a 150-acre spread, complete with a lake (of course), in Montgomery, just a ways from Conroe (where he was born), and about an hour north of Houston. He fishes. He hunts. He throws hard. Man, this kid throws hard.

“Right now, that boat is in the (Petco) parking lot,” the 25-year-old Cashner was saying. “I’ve got to find a place to put it. I guess I went out six or seven times in Arizona, caught some fish. I love catching bass; I love lake fishing. There are a ton of lakes here and I’ll be out as soon as I get a break.

“I just enjoy doing something other than baseball. It’s peaceful, out there all by myself. I like to watch the sun rise, when the lake is like glass. That’s where I do a lot of thinking. I grew up next to a lake. I’ve been fishing for a long time. I like to hunt, too. When hunting season’s over, I fish; when fishing season is over, I hunt.”

And during baseball season, he pitches. And, if all the stars align and he remains healthy, he could become a star. Guys who can throw a 101-mph fastball with a 90-mph change-up must be given a chance. And the unfriendly hitting confines of Petco National aren’t going to hurt him any.

There was a standout Cashner Moment this spring. The Padres were playing the Rockies. It was the ninth inning and Cashner was on the mound. Colorado had run out of position players so a minor league pitcher was sent to the plate. He took a 100-mph fastball, and when Cashner came back with a 90-mph change,

16 the kid stepped out of the batter’s box and stared out with a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look. He soon took a seat.

“I didn’t know he was a pitcher,” Cashner said. “I don’t look at a hitter much when I’m pitching. He didn’t swing.”

Black and the Padres basically knew the kind of talent they were getting in the trade for Rizzo. Cashner did nothing this spring to disappoint. He fit in. As Black put it: “His personality is starting to show a little bit more.”

Cashner already feels as comfortable as he is on a calm lake.

“Everybody made me feel welcome, from the manager, to the coaching staff, to the trainers to the players,” he said. “It’s been awesome since day one.

“I was eating lunch when I heard about the trade. I was drafted by the Cubs (19th overall out of TCU in 2008) and you think you’re always going to play for the same team. But I couldn’t have been more excited about becoming a Padre. There are a lot of good young players in this organization — some that aren’t even up here yet — but we’re going to open some eyes this year.”

Cashner may close some batters’ eyes. He’s just about mastered the change, to go along with that heater. “I’m working on a two-seamer,” he said.

Oh? How fast can you throw that? “About the same,” he said. Oh.

“I’ve always thrown hard. In high school I threw 88-91-92, but every year I’ve gotten stronger. I was really skinny when I was younger, but my legs have gotten a lot stronger. My legs are where my power is.”

He seems such the nice, gentle young man. I wonder what he’s like on the mound?

“I try to block everything out when I’m on the rubber,” he said. “Really, I like to keep some things about myself to myself. But I’ll tell you, I like to think, when I’m out there, I’m a different person.”

Trevor Hoffman, the former Padres reliever and change-up master, walked by after we finished talking. Hoffman worked with pitchers this spring, so I asked him about Cashner’s change.

“It really (ticks) me off,” Trevor said. “He tries to throw it slow and he still throws it harder than I threw a fastball.”

Wonder how far he can cast a lure.

17 DOWNTOWN LIBRARY’S BASEBALL TREASURY Center is home to a major collection

Written by Peter Rowe 12:01 a.m., April 3, 2012 Updated 8:17 p.m. , April 2, 2012 San Diego Baseball Research Center

Where: Central Library’s Art, Music & Recreation Section, 820 E St., San Diego

When: Open Monday and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Closed Saturday.

Info: (619) 236-5810; sandiego.gov/public-library

To satisfy their cravings, San Diego’s baseball fans head downtown — and not just to catch the Padres, whose season begins Thursday.

Just a short walk from Petco Park is one of the West Coast’s leading collections of writings, films and music about this sport. The San Diego Baseball Research Center, tucked inside the San Diego Central Library, contains 120 shelves of books devoted to local heroes (“The Encyclopedia”), players present (“Albert Pujols”) and past (“Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story”), even a history of Japanese baseball cards (“Sayonara Home Run!”).

And books are only part of the lineup. The 4,500 distinct items preserved here include videos, magazines, CDs and microfilm, running the gamut from recorded songs (a rousing rendition of “Fair Weather Fans,” anyone?) to photocopied documents relating to the 1919 — known as the “Black Sox,” after players were accused of taking payoffs to lose the World Series.

“I’ve had people from Los Angeles call and say, ‘You have that?’Ԝ” said Pete Miesner, the librarian who oversees the collection.

If many are surprised by this collection’s depth, few are startled to learn that it exists. After all, libraries across the country clear space on their shelves for the national pastime.

“There are 300 to 400 new baseball books that come out every year — it’s a popular subject,” noted Jim Gates, librarian for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. “But San Diego wanted to become a go-to place for baseball research west of the Mississippi. They’ve been working very hard on that.”

Loge or plaza?

The center began in 2000 when the city’s library system received $4,000 and about 1,400 books from the Ted Williams Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Since then, the collection has mushroomed, threatening to crowd out its less-athletic neighbors in the central library’s second-floor Art, Music & Recreation Section.

18 Many of these treasures, then, have been relegated to the basement. In this windowless literary dungeon, the air is musty and the atmosphere mysterious. Book-lined aisles extend into a dimly lit distance; stumbling through the gloom, you meet no one — except the spirits of games past. Shelves overflow with baseball books and periodicals, most representing lost eras and bygone players. An anonymous ballplayer with a handlebar mustache looks out from 1908’s “Official Base Ball Record.” There’s a caricature of pitcher Dizzy Dean on the 1935 “Who’s Who in Baseball.” A photo of outfielder Rico Carty graces a 1971 magazine that claimed to offer readers inside information on the sport. Unfortunately, this title hasn’t aged well: “Baseball Dope Book.”

“Today,” Miesner said, “you do not want to see ‘Baseball Dope Book’ with Barry Bonds on the cover.”

To some, though, this old dope remains priceless. No other sport so obsessively charts players’ performances — the batting averages of left-handed , say, facing right-handed pitchers in day games during the 1880s. This may seem pointless, even to most baseball fans, but a hard core cadre sees it as relevant as this week’s “American Idol” results.

Miesner and his predecessor at the library, Vic Cardell, have fielded hundreds of inquiries from writers seeking picayune details.

“We get calls from out of town,” Miesner said, “people who say, ‘I know this player hit a home run on this certain day. But I can’t remember if the ball went into loge or the plaza levels?’Ԝ”

Some of these answers are found in a rich source Cardell helped acquire in 2005: 329 reels of microfilm from the Hall of Fame’s archives. Most of the reels contain photocopied index cards, handwritten reports on minor league players from about 1900 to 1980. Some reproduce the league’s official reports on major leaguers between 1882 and 1899; others contain questionnaires completed by veterans of two defunct but notable organizations, the Negro Leagues and the All-American Girls League. And a single reel illuminates the “Black Sox” investigation, through copies of original telegrams, letters and affidavits.

“We had to go through legal hoops to get all that,” Cardell said, “had to sign all sorts of paperwork.”

They did, and now this material is only available in Cooperstown and San Diego.

Hold the tortillas

Beyond the Hall of Fame, there are few other important baseball-related archives. Gates, the Hall’s librarian, cited three east of the Mississippi: at the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

But smaller, and quirkier, collections thrive across the nation. Los Angeles County’s Monrovia is home to the Baseball Reliquary, a freewheeling museum that emphasizes its one-of-a-kind “relics”: the nub of a cigar smoked by , hair curlers owned by Afro-coiffed pitcher Dock Ellis, baseballs autographed by that famous left-hander, Mother Teresa.

As for the San Diego research center, when the new central library opens in the summer of 2013, more treasures will be unearthed from the basement and prominently displayed. Still, don’t look for any items resembling the Reliquary’s flour tortilla bearing the likeness of late Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley. The librarians, already drowning in a sea of printed material, don’t have time for relics.

19 “On my desk, I’ve got a list of 200 baseball titles coming out right now,” Miesner said. “I send these lists to the SABR guys — which ones should we get?”

20