Padres Press Clips Monday, October 22, 2012 Article Source Author Page Padres Insider: Expect decisions soon UT San Diego Center 2 The Padres can't overspend this offseason UT San Diego Calkins 4 Padres stay on 1090-AM radio through 2015 UT San Diego Center 6 Perfect Storm of high-energy mascots MiLB.com Hill 7 1 Padres Insider: Expect decisions soon By Bill Center Originally published October 20, 2012 at 2:38 p.m., updated October 20, 2012 at 3:45 p.m. We could soon be seeing the first definitive signs of what the Padres new ownership is planning. Major League Baseball annually asks teams not to make major announcements during the playoffs and World Series – although travel days are open to certain announcements. Which means the Padres will soon be making known plans for immediate and longer-term changes and improvements to Petco Park, the naming of a new bullpen coach and possibly an announcement on golfer Phil Mickelson’s stake in Padres ownership. But don’t expect the Padres to be making major changes this winter to their roster. “I don’t think we’ll be as active as we were last off-season,” general manager Josh Byrnes said earlier this week. “But you never know.” Byrnes will listen to inquiries, although he says he is hesitant to make the kind of massive changes he negotiated last winter. “We’re taking a little bit of a longer view,” he said. “We like what we saw in the second half of the season.” In addition to interviewing candidate for the vacant bullpen coaching position, Byrnes and his staff are reviewing the 40 possible free agent starting pitchers for two who could be suitable for the Padres -- in other words, fitting into the club's payroll parameters. Probably high on Byrnes wish list are former Diamondback Dan Haren and Anibal Sanchez, whose post- season efforts for the Tigers have probably driven up his price while reducing his availability. The first major announcement from the Padres will likely be about Petco Park. The outfield dimensions will be changing, although the alternations likely won’t be as drastic as those favored by some fans and left-handed hitters. The biggest changes could be in the gaps to left-center and right-center. A club official recently said changes to Petco Park’s dimensions could be made gradually over a couple of seasons as the club makes other changes while reviewing the impact of earlier dimension adjustments. Over the next couple of winters, the Padres are also expected to replace the current video board with a larger and more comprehensive video board. There are also plans for a new out-of-town scoreboard in addition to several field-level entertainment/concession zones for fans. Pitchers sharp in AFL Right-handed reliever Kevin Quackenbush has yet to allow a hit or a run over four innings in four relief appearances in the Arizona Fall League. He has seven strikeouts against two walks. 2 Left-handed starter Robbie Erlin and right-handed reliever Matthew Stites have near identical lines. Each has allowed one run on four hits and no walks in 4 2/3 innings. Erlin has eight strikeouts in two starts. Stites has made four relief appearances. Right fielder Rymer Liriano is off to a 9-for-28 start (.321) with a homer, two doubles, three steals and four RBI. Second baseman Cory Spangenberg (2-for-7) and Jeudy Valdez (6-for-23) have split the time at second base. First baseman Nate Freiman is off to a 5.for-25 start (.200) with a homer and four RBI. Padres notes --The Padres have 11 minor league prospects listed as “maybes” for what might be only three or four openings on the 40-man roster. The list includes first basemen Freiman and Matt Clark; outfielders Jaff Decker, Blake Tekotte, and Yeison Asencio; middle infielders Jeudy Valdez and Jonathan Galvez; starting pitcher Adys Portillo, and relief pitcher Josh Spence. --Padres co-owner Tom Seidler has been named the Executive of the Year of the Single-A California League. Seidler has been the president and general manager of the Visalia Rawhide. Visalia is owned by the Seidler family, which has pumped more than $500,000 into improvements at the city-owned Visalia ballpark. --The Padres have dropped their compensation claim against the Chicago Cubs regarding the Cubs signing general manager Jed Hoyer and assistant general manager Jason McLeod away from the Padres last winter. 3 The Padres can't overspend this offseason The team can't sacrifice its future to win immediately By Matt Calkins Saturday, October 20, 2012 We are well aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke. What we are less educated about are the perils of second-hand champagne. There you are one night in your living room, believing you’re safe from all agents of intoxication, when your flat-screen suddenly displays the closing moments of an MLB League Championship Series. Bubbly drenches the victors’ clubhouse, and while you can’t taste a drop, you begin to feel its effects as though fresh off of your first keg stand. Rationality flees your brainwaves. Reason has been 86’d. Like the time you gave your buddy $12 for his maple bar, the scene makes you willing to part with any amount of money so that your team can reach the World Series next year. Padres ownership – resist this temptation. Heed this PSA and understand that this offseason should be about patience, not payments. For most fans of struggling baseball franchises, opening day is when they break out their most ardent optimism. But for San Diego fans, the end of this year is what they’re most likely anticipating. After all, with Ron Fowler and the O’Malley family heirs now running the team, that’s when the Friars can begin their blockbuster of an offseason and build an All-Star roster, right? Ehhhh….not so much. As it stands, the Padres have one of the strongest farm systems in baseball. In fact, before the season began, ESPN said that they have the strongest farm system in baseball. Does it feature a Mike Trout or Bryce Harper-like phenom? No, but it’s got depth. Consider it like an army of Lexuses missing that one Lamborghini. Thing is, fans don’t want to hear about prospects such as 18-year-old pitcher Max Fried or 23-year-old outfielder Rymer Liriano when they feel All-Stars past or present can be acquired now. But in reality, they should be quite pleased with the players their scouts were able to discover. Finders keepers. Spenders? Often times weepers. Two months ago, the Dodgers took on more than $260 million worth of contracts when they acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford from Boston. Just 10 days earlier, the far-more-frugal Giants had lost their leading hitter, Melky Cabrera, to a 50-game suspension for testing positive for testosterone. The two teams were tied for first in the National League West at the time. San Francisco won the division by eight games while L.A. missed the playoffs. 4 Look, whenever there is a new face of power, the public beams with enthusiasm at the thought of immediate change. It happens with presidents. It happens with governors. It certainly happens with sports owners. And just as often, that new face wants to announce his arrival with a grand slam on the first pitch. In 2012, when five seconds is too long for a web page to load, who’s going to want to wait for the wins to start rolling in? Well, hopefully Fowler and company can. And hopefully Padres fans can, too. From a talent standpoint, the organization is like a spectacular coffee table that happens to be from IKEA. They can’t throw it away just because they don’t have the patience to put it together. In 1978, Celtics general manager Red Auerbach selected Larry Bird with the sixth pick in the NBA Draft. Thing is, Bird wasn’t even going to make himself available until the 1979-80 season. When people questioned Auerbach’s decision, he responded, “Do you have any idea how short a time one year is?” It’s not long at all. In fact, two or three years isn’t, either. The Padres would do well to sit tight. Besides, the best champagnes taste better with age. 5 Padres stay on 1090-AM radio through 2015 By Bill Center Friday, October 19, 2012 After spending much of last off-season negotiating a radio contract, the Padres have extended their agreement with 1090-AM for three seasons through the end of the 2015 season. Under the new agreement between the Padres and the Broadcast Company of the Americas, all 162 regular season games will be broadcast, although BCA committed to only 15 spring training games. In the past, the Padres broadcast all their spring training games. But many teams have reduced the number of spring training broadcasts. “The radio market has changed dramatically over the last couple years,” said Padres CEO Tom Garfinkel. “We did get a better deal than we had last year which is one reason why we moved quickly.” The Padres’ association with 1090-AM began in 2004. Details of the agreement and the names of the broadcast team were not announced. 6 Perfect Storm of high-energy mascots Giant gorilla, rabbit share time with 'World's Fastest Squirrel' By Benjamin Hill / MLB.com 10/22/2012 10:10 AM ET A gorilla being pummeled with foam noodles before escaping over a 12-foot fence.