Padres Press Clips Thursday, July 16, 2015
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Padres Press Clips Thursday, July 16, 2015 Article Source Author Page Padres a success on Fox UT San Diego Maffei 2 Trade James Shields? Not a great idea UT San Diego Sanders 5 Minors: Federowicz homers for TinCaps UT San Diego Sanders 7 Friar talk: Was Josh Byrnes right all along? UT San Diego Sanders 9 Padres look to find their groove in second half MLB.com Brock 12 Ortega excited to broadcast 2016 ASG to the world Padres.com Center 15 My argument for Myers as Padres’ MVP Padres.com Center 18 El Paso’s Decker represents Padres in Triple-A All-Star Game Padres.com Center 20 Justin Upton says he believes Padres can turn around poor season ESPN.com Crasnick 21 1 Padres a success on Fox Team's TV ratings are way up despite its first-half struggles By John Maffei | 4 p.m. July 15, 2015 This isn't the season Padres management envisioned. Major changes on the field haven't translated to victories, and the team finds itself eight games under .500, in fourth place in the NL West and 10 games behind the first-place Dodgers. Perplexing numbers at best. But while the team struggles on the field, ratings on Fox Sports San Diego are up - way up - from last year. Through the season's first 90 games, the Padres are averaging a 4.86 rating on FSSD. In San Diego, that averages about 51,000 households, up 56 percent from last season. "Our ratings are up dramatically, as well as for all the ancillary programs - Padres Social Hour, the postgame show, SD Live and Padres POV," said Henry Ford, executive vice president/general manager of Fox Sports San Diego. "Ratings for SD Live are up 50 percent and the Social Hour is up 80 percent." Only Kansas City (12.69). St. Louis (10.17), Detroit (7.68), Pittsburgh (7.61), Seattle (6.29), Boston (5.98) and Baltimore (5.71) have better average TV numbers than the Padres. Only Houston (up 347 percent), Kansas City (119) and the Cubs (100) have improved more from last season than the Padres. Padres telecasts boasted better numbers in San Diego than the NBA Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and The Players Championship. Since the start of the season, FSSD's 4.86 rating for Padres games is better than KFMB (CBS Channel 8), which is averaging a 3.77, KNSD (NBC Channel 39), which is at 3.58, and KGTV (ABC Channel 10), which is at 2.71. 2 But why? Why are more people watching this Padres team which is only one game better than last year's team that was 40-50 after 90 games? Is it the addition of Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Will Middlebrooks, James Shields and Derek Norris? "I think it's a little bit of everything," Ford said. "The team has some big-name players. "We've been around for a while now, we're fully distributed, and people know where to find us." Research shows Padres games sit between a 4.5-4.9 rating. If the Padres are playing a big series - like the Dodgers or Giants - those numbers will spike as high as 6.2. The April 24 game - a Friday night home contest against the Dodgers - did a season high 7.18 rating. If the team is on the road for 4:15 p.m. starts or even fall behind early, the numbers can fall to 3.7 or so. Part of the attraction for viewers is the quality of the telecasts. Jeff Byle, FSSD's executive producer, continually cranks out network quality telecasts. And the broadcast team of Dick Enberg and Mark Grant are first rate. The recent addition of Mark Sweeney to home games, making it a three-man booth, has been huge. Sweeney and Grant provide a nice hitter-pitcher perspective. Sure Enberg, who will enter the broadcast section of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown later this month, misses some plays and botches some names. And Grant can get silly, especially when the Padres fall behind early. 3 But, believe me, I get every MLB game on the Extra Innings package. I've seen every team and heard all the broadcasters. Enberg, Grant and Sweeney are among the best in the business. "The second half of the season holds some promise," said Ford. "And honestly, if the team gets on a roll, puts together a winning streak after the All-Star break, you could see some phenomenal numbers." === Remember when? In the old days - 1984 and 1998 - when the Padres were winning pennants and playing in the World Series, Cox Channel 4 did ratings numbers in double figures. At times reaching 13s. Padres fans were starved for a winner in 1984. And even in 1998, there was far less competition for the TV audience. Remember when most homes got just CBS, NBC and ABC, and cable was something foreign? Now most homes get more than 100 channels on TV. Plus, there is the Internet, cell phones, twitter, Facebook and more to pull audiences away. "It's hard to get your head around those numbers from '84 and '98," Ford said. "Certainly, the fans embraced those teams. "But we have a larger audience now, although our ratings numbers aren't in double figures. "I think we're on the path to get there, though." 4 Trade James Shields? Not a great idea The latest news, notes and rumors around the NL West By Jeff Sanders | noon July 15, 2015 Of the Padres' owned big money over the next few years, two are virtually untradeable – Matt Kemp ($73 million between '16-'19) and Melvin Upton ($33.1 between '16-'17) – and another (Jedd Gyorko's $33 million between '16-'19) would represent a decidedly buy-low opportunity for other teams. The other two long-term commitments – James Shields ($65 million between '16-'18) and Craig Kimbrel ($25.5 million between '16-'17) – could net interesting returns, although moving Shields might shoot the Padres in the foot at the same time. Not that that is stopping A.J. Preller from at least considering the possibility. According to Peter Gammons, the Padres have asked other teams about possible interest in Shields, who has an opt-out clause after the 2016 World Series. While the Dodgers and Cubs could certainly use the dependability that the 33-year- old would infuse in a World Series-hopeful rotation, the Padres should tread carefully here. Signing Shields to a back-loaded, four-year, $75 million deal in February signaled that the Padres were indeed serious about turning this franchise into a perennial contender. Peddling him away five months into that pact would send mixed messages to the next class of free agents asked to consider the Padres as a long-term home. AROUND THE NL WEST • Troy Tulowitzki is healthy again. He is producing again, too, penning a .364/.419/.564 batting line with eight homers and 31 RBIs over his last 36 games to reignite rumors that the Rockies may finally try to cash in their biggest (and most expensive) trade piece. The All-Star shortstop, however, reiterated the he's a Rockie this week in Cincinnati. "I take a lot of pride in staying in one 5 organization," Tulowitzki told the Los Angeles Times. "My favorite player was Derek Jeter. He stayed with one organization his entire career. I think there is something special to that. Not too many guys get to do it in this day and age. It would be cool, when I am done playing, to say that I did that." • One reason the Dodgers are expected to make a move for a starting pitcher: Dodgers starters not named Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Brett Anderson or Brandon McCarthy (injured) have a 4.53 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP, according to the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. The Dodgers are 16-16 in those games. • The Diamondbacks are going down to the wire with top draft pick Dansby Swanson. • Tim Lincecum's future with the Giants is up in the air. 6 Minors: Federowicz homers for TinCaps Recapping Wednesday's Padres minor league games By Jeff Sanders | 8 a.m. July 16, 2015 His knee healthy, Tim Federowicz appears to be getting his timing down, too. The Padres' rehabbing catcher homered and drove in two runs in low Single-A Fort Wayne's 4-1 win over Lake County on Wednesday. The DH in this game, Federowicz also singled in four at-bats and is 3-for-11 through the first three games of what should be a lengthy rehab assignment. Acquired in December from the Dodgers alongside Matt Kemp, Federowicz has been out of action since injuring his knee in March. Luis Urias (.472), Franmil Reyes (.240) and Jose Ruiz all had two hits. Left-hander Thomas Dorminy (7-6, 3.90) threw six shutout innings and right-hander Colby Blueburg struck out a batter in the ninth to convert his 13th save. TRIPLE-A ALL-STAR GAME • International League 4, Pacific Coast League 3: The lone Padres' farmhand in the game, Cody Decker started at DH for the PCL and singled and walked in his lone plate appearances. The International League rallied for three runs in the ninth to win the game. DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (39-50) • Midland 6, Missions 4: LF Yeison Asencio (.290) drove in two runs on two hits, including a double, and RF Hunter Renfroe (.262) went 2-for-5 with a double. RHP Bryan Rodriguez (4-11, 4.73) allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings.