Padres Press Clips Thursday, December 13, 2012 Article Source Author Page Padres elevate Blair to bullpen coach MLB.com Brock 2 O'Sullivan among three signed to Minors deal MLB.com Brock 3 Padres give Valhalla High grad O'Sullivan a shot UT San Diego Center 4 Willie Blair promoted to Padres bullpen coach UT San Diego Center 5 Krasovic: Expectations shape Norv, Buddy outcomes UT San Diego Krasovic 7 YMCA opens military holiday gift shop CBS 8 Staff 8 1 Padres elevate Blair to bullpen coach By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 12/11/12 4:02 PM ET The Padres have hired Willie Blair as their bullpen coach, promoting the former Major League pitcher from his post as the pitching coach with Class A Fort Wayne. Blair, 46, pitched for eight different teams over parts of 12 Major League seasons, including the 1995-96 seasons with the Padres. Blair spent the last two seasons with Fort Wayne, helping develop a pitching staff that included Keyvius Sampson, Adys Portillo, Matt Stites, Matt Wisler and many others who are considered top prospects in the team's Minor League system. "Willie did a terrific job for us with a young pitching staff both years," said Randy Smith, the Padres' vice president of player development and international scouting. "The reaction of the players [to him] was positive. He's got some teeth; he won't let them get away with stuff. But at the same time, he's a good confidant and sounding board." Blair replaced Jimmy Jones, who acted as the interim bullpen coach for part of last season after Darrel Akerfelds lost his battle with pancreatic cancer last June. Blair won 16 games for the Tigers in 1997 and went a combined 9-11 with a 4.46 ERA in his two seasons with the Padres. Overall, he appeared in 418 Major League games (139 starts) and had a 5.04 ERA. Earlier this month, the team offered the bullpen coach job to former Red Sox pitching coach Bob McClure. But family commitments prevented McClure from accepting the position. 2 O'Sullivan among three signed to Minors deal By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 12/12/12 3:00 PM ET The Padres signed three Minor League free agents on Thursday -- right-handed pitcher Sean O'Sullivan, infielder Gregorio Petit and catcher Rene Rivera. All three players will be invited to big league camp in February. O'Sullivan, 25, is a San Diego native who attended Valhalla High in nearby El Cajon. He was drafted by the Angels in the third round of the 2005 Draft. O'Sullivan made his Major League debut in 2009 with the Angels and has played in parts of three Major League seasons (2009-11). O'Sullivan split last season between two Triple-A teams in the Blue Jays and Royals organization. He went a combined 14-7 with a 4.23 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. O'Sullivan offers the Padres versatility, as he can start or pitch in relief. He throws a good changeup and has good command with a low walk rate. With pitcher Andrew Cashner to miss Opening Day after having surgery last week to repair a lacerated tendon in his right thumb, O'Sullivan could forge his way onto the roster with a strong performance in Spring Training. Rivera has spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues (2004-06, 2011) with the Mariners and Twins. The 29-year-old Rivera gives the Padres some catching depth. He spent all of the 2012 season with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, hitting .226 with 10 home runs and 26 RBIs. The 28-year-old Petit originally signed with San Diego as a Minor League free agent in December of 2010 but he suffered a knee injury playing winter ball shortly thereafter. He likely would have made the roster as an extra infielder in 2011 had he not been hurt. Instead, the team traded for Alberto Gonzalez during Spring Training. Petit is regarded as a good defender who can play in the middle of the infield but is best at shortstop. He appeared in 25 games with the A's in 2008-09. Petit hit .260 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs last season with Columbus, the Triple-A affiliate for the Indians. Pitchers and catchers report to the team's Spring Training facility in Peoria on Feb. 12. Position players report on Feb. 15 with the first full-squad workout set for the following day. 3 Padres give Valhalla High grad O'Sullivan a shot Written by Bill Center 6:30 p.m., Dec. 12, 2012 Sean O’Sullivan is coming home. The former Valhalla High and Grossmont College star signed with the Padres Tuesday as a minor league free agent with an invitation to spring training. “I’ve got a shot,” said the 25-year-old right-handed starting pitcher who was granted free agency at the end of the 2012 season. “I told the Padres I’m not looking for a handout. I wanted the Padres to sign me so I could fight for a shot in my hometown. The Padres are an ideal situation for me. When I became a free agent, I told my agent the Padres were my first choice. It didn’t take long for a deal to be worked out.” In addition to O’Sullivan, the Padres added two other minor league free agents Tuesday – catcher Rene Rivera and infielder Gregorio Petit. Both also received invitations to spring training. The Padres also re-signed Juan Pablo Oramas. The left-handed starting pitcher was released last month to create an opening on the 40-man roster. Oramas, 22, who had elbow reconstruction surgery during last season, will still be rehabbing next spring and did not receive an invitation to spring training. Drafted in the third round out by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim out of Grossmont College in 2005, O’Sullivan has a 10-14 record with a 6.13 earned run average in 43 major league games (34 starts) over parts of four seasons. He made his major league debut with the Angels in 2009 at the age of 21. O’Sullivan spent all of last season in the Pacific Coast League with Triple-A affiliates of Kansas City and Toronto. He was a combined 14-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 31 games (19 starts). He was 9-3 with a 2.73 ERA in the second half of the season with Toronto’s Triple-A team in Las Vegas. “I was hoping I’d get a September call-up with the Blue Jays,” said O’Sullivan. “When I didn’t get called up and became a free agent, I didn’t know what to expect.” O’Sullivan said he heard from six other major league teams. “But this was the first time I hadn’t been controlled by a team and gave me a chance to sign with the Padres,” said O’Sullivan. “I’ve wanted to be a Padre since I was four or five.” Petit, 28, has a .266 career average in the minor leagues with 163 doubles, 22 triples and 51 homers over 3,411 major league at-bats. The Venezuelan native played 25 major league games with Oakland in 2008-09 and went 15-for-54. He hit .260 in Triple-A last season. Rivera, 29, hit .226 with 14 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 34 RBI in 288 at-bats at Triple-A in the Minnesota system last season. The Puerto Rico native has hit .193 in 98 games over parts of four major league seasons. 4 Willie Blair promoted to Padres bullpen coach Written by Bill Center 5:40 p.m., Dec. 11, 2012 The Padres filled two staff vacancies Tuesday, promoting Willie Blair to the job as major league bullpen coach and adding Brett McCabe as strength and conditioning coach. Blair, 46, who pitched for the Padres in 1995-1996, has worked the past two seasons as the pitching coach of the Padres Single-A Fort Wayne affiliate. While with the TinCaps, Blair helped develop some of the top young pitching prospects in the Padres system. McCabe, 33, joins the Padres organization after spending the previous seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He most recently served as Arizona’s minor league strength and conditioning coordinator, overseeing strength and conditioning programs for each of that organization’s seven minor league affiliates. The addition of Blair and McCabe left the Double-A manager slot the only vacancy needing to be filled on the Padres staff. Fort Wayne’s pitchers have finished among the Midwest League leaders in staff earned run average in each of the past two seasons under Blair, who filled the post that was originally offered to veteran Bob McClure. McClure turned down the offer from the Padres for family reasons. “After McClure, we cleared the decks and took another look at it,” said Padres general manager Josh Byrnes. “We brought Willie down to Nashville to meet with everyone. “Willie has clearly demonstrated since he’s been with us that he’s an excellent teacher with a tough edge. He’s very real and knowledgeable. He has a good way with players.” A native of Kentucky, Blair’s playing career spanned 12 seasons starting in 1990. The right-hander was 9-11 with a 4.46 ERA in 100 games (12 starts) over his two seasons with the Padres. He finished with a 60-86 career record and a 5.04 ERA in 418 major league games (139 starts).