Many Thanks for 2012

As the season winds down for the Padres and our last home game has come and gone, I wanted to write a review and a thank you to so many people. First of all, I want to thank my many friends at Petco Park who make me feel like I am home. I want to thank Mike Hardin, the owner of Hodads who always greets us with a welcome home and a hug when we come in the restaurant. Rafael Torres (aka Jay), who always does such a wonderful job serving us at Hodads and who always greets us with a warm smile and a hug as well.  Our usher Yolie Sanchez, who is friendly, kind and a pleasure to see (I hope you get your IPhone 5 in the off-season.)  Rebecca Herman's season ticket rep Hayley Hallum, who is a nice, attentive and looks out for us (she'll be my rep as well in 2013.)  The Dancing Friars out in the Mission; Corey, Ishmael, Kai, Tony and the rest of the gang out there who dress up and cheer the Padres on.  Luigi Novello, who did my first video blog on my page and is Clayton Richards #1 fan (John Baker's as well.)  To the many players and announcers from Mark Grant to Tim Flanney, who listened to a nervous blogger try to ask them who their favorite player was and why.  To Andrew Werner, who was the first player who did a video for my blog.  To Jerry Coleman, who took the time to sign his book for me.  The Coach John Kentera and Randy Jones, who always made us laugh at Lolita's.  Last, but not least, to Rebecca and Trevor Herman for inviting my son and myself to so many games, and dealing with me (and that's a lot to deal with.)  You all made Padres season 2012 enjoyable.  God Bless each of you.

Wayne McBrayer aka The Casual Fan

Tim Flannery-2B-3B San Diego Padres-Current 3B coach for the San Francisco Giants

Growing up as a Padres fan, one of my favorite players to watch was Tim Flannery.  He was drafted in the 6th round in 1978 by the San Diego Padres out of Chapman University in California.  After only a year in the minors, Tim was called up to the Padres on September 3rd, 1979 and got a hit in his first game.  He struggled for the first few years in the majors, going back and forth from AAA to the big club, but came up to stay in 1982.  He became a favorite of then manager Dick Williams, who loved his all out aggressive play. In 1985, he became the starter at 2B and had his best season.  In 1989, he decided to hang it up for good and was greeted in his last at bat to a standing ovation, which caused the game to be delayed.  After his career was over, he moved on to managing in the Padres minor league system for 3 seasons before being hired by Bruce Bochy to be his 3rd base coach.  He remained with the Padres until 2002 and when Bruce Bochy was hired to manage the Giants in 2007, he was hired once again to coach 3B, which is the position he currently holds.

On the final home game for the Padres on September 30th 2012, we went to the ballpark early to have breakfast on the field.  The previous day, I had tried to get Tim's attention but had no luck getting to him.  While sitting at breakfast, I looked over and saw someone standing on the grass near where people were eating and was shocked to see it was Tim Flannery!  I walked over and got his autograph and asked him who his favorite player was growing up.  He said, it's very difficult question, but I would have to pick Pete Rose, because he taught me so much about how to play the game."  I got a quick picture with him (thank you Rebecca Herman for taking the picture) and told him he really missed him here.  My friend Rebecca told Tim how Mike Hardin, the owner of Hodads restaurant said Tim was his favorite all-time player.  Tim said he was going to stop by in the off-season to say hi to Mike.

Andrew Werner-SP San Diego Padres September 7th, 2012

Andrew Werner never gave up on a big league dream.  After pitching for The University of Indianapolis, he was signed in 2009 as an undrafted free agent by an Independent team called the Evansville Otters.  He pitched with them for 2 seasons and then took a chance on a big league career.  He borrowed some money and went to a camp put on by the San Diego Padres.  He impressed the Padres, who immediately signed him and sent Andrew to Fort Wayne, their Low-A Ball team.  From there, Andrew climbed the minor league ladder and on August 22nd, 2012, the Padres called him up from Tucson to pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Pitching more like a veteran than a rookie, he only allowed 2 runs in 6 innings and got the win.  He has pitched well in each of his starts, and it looks like the Padres have found a keeper in Andrew.

Before the game, I sat down in my usual spot near the visitors bullpen.  I brought with me an Evansville Otters shirt, hoping Andrew would sign it.  He walked by me and I yelled out to him and held the shirt up.  He walked over and signed the shirt and talked to me and my friend Rebecca for a few minutes (she is friends with a lady whose son roomed with Andrew in college.)  I asked Andrew if he would do a video of me asking who his favorite player is, and he graciously said yes.  I want to thank you Andrew for your time and may God Bless you and your family.

Luigi Novello-Padres Fan, August 21st, 2012

Over the last couple of years, I have had to opportunity to meet lots of Padre fans.  Some come to a few games, some come to a lot of games, but all come to cheer on the club.  When you arrive early, you see the die hard fans out and about, waiting to talk and get autographs from players they love.  If you look down toward the Padres dugout, you'll catch Luigi there saying hi to the guys coming in and getting an occasional autograph.  During the game, you'll see Luigi out in the right-center area with The Dancing Friars, leading Padre fans in cheers and just having a great time.  I asked him to videotape an interview and he said yes.  If you ever see Luigi at the park, take the time to say hi.  He's a great guy.

Clint Hurdle-C, 1B, 3B-Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals-Current manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, August 20th, 2012

As a first round pick by Kansas City in 1975, there was a lot expected from Clint Hurdle.  He spent about 2 years in the minors before arriving in 1977 to a lot of fanfare, but he sadly never lived up to the hype.  He spent several years in the majors finishing his career with the New York Mets, which is where his career took off.  Clint was hired in 1988 by the Mets to manage the St. Lucie Mets.  He also managed both the Mets AA and Triple AAA teams.  He was hired in 1994 by the Colorado Rockies to be their minor league hitting instructor, and was promoted in 1997 to be the hitting coach for the big league club.  In 2002, he was hired to manage the club after the firing of Buddy Bell.  During his 7 plus years with the Rockies, he led them to their first and only World Series appearance in 2007 against the Boston Red Sox, where they were swept in 4 straight games.  In 2009, he was fired as manager of the Rockies and quickly landed a job as a studio analyst for the newly formed MLB Network.  The Rangers hired Clint to be their hitting instructor and helped develop their young hitters.  At the conclusion of the 2010 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Clint to manage their club.  He has done a terrific job working with a young club as well as changing the culture of the team.  He has them believing they can win, and it shows on the field.

I was able to talk to Clint briefly before the game and he told me how his favorite player growing up was Al Kaline.  He spent about 5 minutes signing autographs, talking to fans and friends at the game.  He came off as a very nice person who loved baseball.

George Kontos-RP New York Yankees, San Diego Padres August 18th, 2012

After talking to John Baker, I sat down and noticed a Giants player coming down to the bullpen to perform a bullpen throwing drill.  I saw the name Kontos on his back, and honestly, I didn't know who he was or anything about him.  After his throwing drill, he walked out to the OF and started talking to Will Venable and several other Padres players.  I researched him quickly using my phone, and found out he was a relief pitcher who started the season in AAA and had been called up on June 10th, 2012.  He had a 2.33 ERA and in 33 inning had struck out 29 and walked only 8.  He started to walk back to the dugout and I called out to him and he walked over and signed my ball.  I asked George who his favorite player was and he said, "Kerry Wood, I grew up watching him pitch with the Cubs." 

When I got home, I researched George and found out he was drafted by the Yankees in 2006 and converted to a reliever.  He pitched well in the minors and was drafted in the rule 5 draft by the San Diego Padres in 2011, explaining why he was chatting with several Padres players.  The Padres decided not to keep him (a HUGE mistake) and the Yankees took him back.  He was traded to the Giants just before the 2012 season for catcher Chris Stewart.  It looks like the Giants have a keeper in George Kontos.

On April 28th, 2013, George took an updated photo with me for the blog.

John Baker-C Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres-August 18th, 2012

Catcher is a very difficult position to play, and John Baker is a man who works hard to be good at it.  Born in 1981 in Alameda, Ca, John stayed in the area and attended Cal-Berkeley playing baseball.  In his junior year, he led the Pac-10 in batting with a .383 batting average, which got the attention of the Oakland A's, who drafted John in 2002 with their 4th round pick.  He was traded to Florida and made it to the majors in 2008.  He has struggled with injuries over the last couple of years, but that didn't deter Padres GM Josh Byrnes from trading for John to help solidify our catching depth. John is also a player who gives back to the community. He has traveled overseas to Afghanistan to meet our troops serving there, and has worked with the charity Homes for Haiti when he was with the Florida Marlins.  Truly a great man on and off the field.

Catching him before the Padres game, I was able to ask him who he loved as a player.  "Will Clark" said John without a hesitation.  "When I was a kid, I batted left handed like Will did and I loved the fact he was a clutch player".  

I hope my Padres keep John Baker here.  He's a good guy.

Jason Marquis-SP Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres-August 4th, 2012

Baseball has always been a big part of the life of Jason Marquis. Growing up in New York, he followed the Yankees and played Little League Baseball.  He is one of a handful of major league players to have played in the Little League World Series and Major League World Series.  He led his Little League team to a third place finish in the 1991 LLWS, tossing a no-hitter in the third place game.  In 1996, the Atlanta Braves selected Jason with their first round pick, and he decided to sign with the Braves rather than go pitch with the University of Miami.  In 2000, he was called up to replace John Rocker on the roster and stayed with Atlanta until he was dealt to St. Louis along with Adam Wainwright for J.D. Drew.  In St. Louis under the watchful eye of Dave Duncan, he developed into a solid starter.  He spent 3 years there before moving on to pitch with the Cubs.  His best year was in 2009 with Colorado Rockies.  Using a revamped pitching motion, he pitched well enough to be selected to play in the All-Star game, which was held in St. Louis.  The Cardinal fans gave him the longest ovation for a non-Cardinal player.  He has struggled with injuries over the last couple of season, but appears to be back on track with the San Diego Padres this season.  Jason is also a great hitting pitcher.  He won the Silver Slugger Award in 2005 with the Cardinals hitting a career high .310 with 8 doubles, one triple, one homer and 10 RBI's.  

Catching Jason near the dugout before the game, I asked him who his favorite all-time player was he said, "Don Mattingly,,,,outside of myself," which he said with a laugh.  He said he grew up a fan of the Yankees and he "loved Don's work ethic." Thank you Jason for taking the time to chat with me.

Brad Mills-INF Montreal Expos 1980-1983 and current manager of the Houston Astros-July 24th, 2012

Brad Mills was drafted in the 17th round by the Montreal Expos and by 1980, he was in the major leagues.  In 1983, he suffered a severe knee injury, which ended his playing career, but not his career in baseball.  After his injury, he got a job managing in the Cubs minor league system and spent parts of 11 seasons with the Cubs as well as the Dodgers and Rockies. By 1997, then Phillies manager Terry Francona hired Brad to serve as a bench coach, a job he held until 2000.  In 2003, he returned to Montreal to serve as a bench coach before being tapped once again by Terry Francona to join him in Boston. In 2009, the Houston Astros hired Brad Mills to manage the team.  It's been a rough 2 1/2 years for Brad, but he continued to help the young talent develop and lead the team during a rebuilding period. 

I was able to catch Brad before the game on Tuesday and ask him who his favorite player was.He spent some time thinking about it saying, "it's a real tough question, but I would have to say Willie Mays."  I didn't get to ask him more as there was a lot of noise going on in the field and he could barely hear me, but I was thankful for the time he took to answer my question. 

Here is a picture of the ball Brad signed for me.

Brad Brach-RP San Diego Padres-July 8th, 2012

Brad Brach is a young pitcher with a lot of talent.  Drafted from Monmouth College with the Padres 42nd round draft pick in the 2008 draft, Brad has moved quickly through the Padres farm system.  Between 2008-2012, he has saved 115 games and is looked at as a future setup man or closer by the club.  He has a fastball which has been clocked as high as 94MPH and his slider comes in between 80-85 MPH with a lot of movement.  He's struggled with his control since coming up to the big leagues, but has shown flashes of brilliance.  As Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley says, "he needs to trust his stuff."

Before Sunday's game, I was able to talk to Brad about who his favorite player was growing up.  Brad is a "Cal Ripken Jr. Fan."  He grew up watching Cal play and he told me "I grew up playing SS in Little League because it was Cal's position."  Brad took this picture with me and I thanked him for his time.  Keep up the hard work Brad. 

Dusty Baker-Former OF Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland A's & current manager of the Cincinnati Reds-July 5th, 2012

Dusty Baker was a hard-nosed player who hit well in the clutch. He witnessed history from the on deck circle on the night of April 8th, 1974 when he saw Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run.  Drafted out of high school in 1968, he quickly made his major league debut in 1969 and came up to stay in 1972 and hit for a career high .321 average.  Traded to the Dodgers in 1976, he became their starting left-fielder.  He made history in 1978, when he became the 4th Dodger to hit 30 home runs in a season, a feat that no team before had ever accomplished.  He remained with Los Angeles for 7 seasons and won a World Series ring with the 1981 team.  He left the Dodgers in 1984 and joined the Giants for a season before moving on to Oakland where he played his last 2 seasons.  After his retirement, Dusty joined the San Francisco Giants as a coach and became their manager in 1993.  He led the Giants to a 2002 World Series appearance, losing to the Angels who were led by former teammate Mike Scioscia.  After the 2002 season, Baker jumped to the Chicago Cubs and in 2007, Dusty became the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, the team he currently manages.

In my last blog, Ron Washington had told me his favorite player was Dusty Baker because, "he took care of me when I first came up."  I couldn't wait for the Reds to come to town so I could mention this to Dusty and I was lucky because the Reds were the first team the Padres played on their next home stand.  My friend Brian and I got to the ballpark early and walked to the Reds dugout and saw Dusty walking out of the dugout.  We got his attention and had him sign my new baseball and a ticket for the game.  I asked Dusty who his favorite player was and he said, "Hank Aaron, because he was the best player ever." I told Dusty I asked Ron Washington the same question and he has said it was you, because you took care of him when he first came up.  Dusty responded, "I did take care of him and I felt the Dodgers didn't play him enough." It was great to hear Dusty's reaction to what Ron said about him.  Here is a picture of the ball Dusty signed: 

Ron Washinton Former MLB Infielder Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros & Current Manager Of The Texas Rangers-June 19, 2012

Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1970, he spent 7 years in the minors before the Dodgers briefly called him up in 1977.  He batted .368 over the course of 10 games before being sent back to the minors.  In 1981, the Twins brought him up and he spent 9 seasons in the major leagues before retiring as a player in 1990.  He moved on to coaching, spending 5 years in the New York Mets system and in 1996, his former manager with the Astros Art Howe picked him to be on his coaching staff.  He coached 1B, 3B and worked with the infielders.  3B Eric Chavez credited Ron for helping him become a 6 time Gold Glove winner. On November 6, 2006, the Texas Rangers signed Ron Washington to become the manager of the team.  During his tenure, he has shown that he is a great manager who will use every man on the roster during the course of the year.  He wears his emotions on his sleeve in the dugout and is loved by his players. 

When the Rangers came here on their last home stand, I was able to ask Ron who he loved as a player.  “Dusty Baker, because when I first came to the majors, Dusty took care of me”, was the response from Ron.  He signed my well worn (and now retired from getting autographs on) ball.  Ron Washington is a nice man who proves to one and all that persistence pays off.  He never quit, he continued working hard, and now he’s one of the top managers in the game. 

I wasn’t able to get a picture with him, but my best friend Dr. Rebecca Herman did. She was granted a 30 minute interview with Ron to discuss a book she is working on.  Here is a picture of them together.

John D'Acquisto SP/RP San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A's-May 30th, 2012

Growing up as a kid in San Diego, I remember the 1978 season.  It was the first season my Padres finished over .500 at 84-78.  One of the key players for the Padres that season was a man named John D'Acquisto.  He was a first round draft pick of the Giants, and became the became the 1974 NL Rookie Pitcher of the year.  When he arrived with the Padres in 1977, he had already started the transition to the bullpen.  In 1978, he had his best season as a pitcher.  Spending most of the season in the bullpen, he pitched 93 innings, striking out 104 hitter with a 2.13 ERA and he had 10 saves.  Several times during that season, he came out of the bullpen to bail Rollie Fingers out of jams using his 95 MPH fastball (a fastball that you could hear all over the stadium when it hit the catcher's mit).  John continued his career until 1983, when arm injuries finally caused him to retire from the game he loved.  Through the years, I would always look back and remember that '78 season and could hear hear in my mind the call of the Padres PA announcer, "now coming into the game....#16...John D'Acquisto!" Such wonderful memories......

Fast forward to last year.  I was on Facebook one day when a name popped up that jarred all the memories of that season back; John D'Acquisto!  I couldn't believe it when I saw the name and I immediately requested him as a friend and he accepted my request.  I told him how much I liked him and remembered him playing when I was a kid, and he was so kind in his words and happy to hear I remembered him.  I finally worked up the courage to ask John the question who his favorite player was and why, and he graciously took the time to answer my questions.  His favorite players?  "Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal and Nolan Ryan, but I was influenced by Koufax and Marichal."  He told me that he wore Marichal's #27 when he was in high school.  Knowing that he was with the Giants toward the end of Juan's career, I asked him if he ever worked with him while he was with the Giants.  He told me, "Yes I did..I was in spring training when I was 19 and had the pleasure to work with Juan in 71, 72, and 73 before I took his place and he was traded to Boston."   "He taught me a lot about the slider and how to bring my hand straight down and not wrap it because it could effect my control..Juan Marichal was a magician with control."  "I could remember when we were in the first day of spring training and Marichal was on the mound throwing and he was painting the corners with something on it and he hadn't done anything all winter long."  "Quite an amazing pitcher."

Thank you so much John for sharing your memories of your hero!  

Sargeant Slaughter Former AWA and WWF Heavyweight Champion-May 26th, 2012

Growing up in the 80's, I started watching professional wrestling as it started to become more mainstream.  As the WWF grew in popularity, other wrestling leagues starting getting tv time, and this is when I first heard the name Sargeant Slaughter.  He first appeared in the WWF, but moved to the AWA and became a huge name in the wrestling business, even branching out into a GI Joe character on their cartoon series!  He soon claimed the AWA Heavyweight Champion defeating Larry Zbyszko.  He continued to wrestle with the AWA until 1990, when he then jumped back to the WWF and after years of being a good guy, became a heel and defeated The Ultimate Warrior at The Royal Rumble to claim the Heavyweight title.  During this time, he was forced to wear a bullet proof vest due to death threats made by fans.  He later lost the title to Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 7, and then once again became a good guy helping Hacksaw Jim Duggan in a match and he's remained a good guy ever since.  He served for a time as the WWF Raw Commissioner and currently is a goodwill ambassador for the now WWE.


I had the opportunity to meet The Sarge at a Lake Elsinore Storm baseball game.  He made an appearance to celebrate Memorial Day and to throw out the first pitch.  When I met him, I asked him not about wrestling, but baseball.  Who would a former WWF, AWA Champion love as a ballplayer?  "Mickey Mantle" said the former champ.  He talked about "growing up listening to baseball games on his transistor radio and the Yankees were the only team he could get on radio, so he became a Mickey Mantle fan."  He then took pictures with my kids and myself and of course, I asked to be put in his finishing hold for the picture.

Love the Sarge!

Kevin Quackenbush RP Lake Elsinore Storm-May 26th, 2012

Drafted  in the 8th round in the 2011 draft out of the University of South Florida, Kevin is quickly moving up.  He spent last year playing between Eugene and Fort Wayne compiling a 2-1 record with 18 saves with a 0.64 ERA, with 12 walks and 71 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched!  Currently, he is pitching with the Lake Elsinore Storm in the Cal League (A-Ball) and is tied for the league lead in saves with 10.


Kevin was doing an autograph signing at the ballpark right near our seats.  I walked over and told Kevin I was a blogger and gave him my card and asked him who his favorite player was.  Kevin's reply to me was "Roger Clemens" because "he was a great pitcher into his 40's and I grew up a Yankees fan watching Roger pitch."


I thanked him for his time and took a picture with him.  Good luck Kevin and I hope to see you at Petco soon.

Jeff Suppan SP San Diego Padres-May 20th, 2012

Drafted out of high school in 1993 by the Boston Red Sox, Jeff Suppan wasted little time climbing the major league ladder.  He made it  the majors with the Red Sox in 1995.  He has since played with Arizona, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Milwaukee and currently the San Diego Padres.  His best season came in 2005 with St. Louis where he compiled a 16-10 record with a 3.57 ERA.  In 2006, he won the National League Championship series MVP when he pitched 15 innings with a ERA of 0.60 and helped the Cardinals win the World Series.  In the off-season, you can catch Jeff at his restaurant Soup's Sports Grill located in Woodland Hills, CA.  

Before Sunday's game, I was able to chat with Jeff about who his favorite player was.  Jeff talked about how your favorite player "change as you get older."  As a kid, he really loved Mike Schmidt and tried to emulate him as a player, "hitting home runs" like Mike did with Philly.  He said he would think about it some more, so I hope to catch him again and see who else he mentions.

Micah Owings SP/RP San Diego Padres-May 18th 2012

Micah Owings is a complete major league player.  He's been a starting pitcher, a reliever, and has occasionally come off the bench as a pinch hitter.  Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft by the Arizona Diamondback, he moved through their minor league system quickly and by 2007 he was the Diamondbacks 5th starter.  His greatest claim to fame came on August 18th, 2007.  Pitching against the Atlanta Braves, he went 7 innings, allowing 3 hits and 3 runs, while striking out 7 batters.  What he did at the plate that night though was record breaking.  He went 4 for 5 with 2 homers and 6 RBI's and scored 3 runs.  His 11 total bases were the most by a pitcher in 50 years.  He has moved back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation during his career and last year had a record of 8-0 pitching for Arizona.  San Diego signed him in the off-season with the hope that he can become a starter here.


Arriving at the ballpark, we sat down to watch batting practice down in the right field area.  Our friend Luigi Novella had pointed out to us that Micah was working out in the outfield as he rehabs from an injury.  When Micah was done, Luigi called him over and started to talk to him.  I stood up and ask Micah if he would sign my ball and told him about my blog and asked him my question.  He said he had 2 favorite players, one hitter and one pitcher.  "Frank Thomas and Greg Maddux" was the answer he game me and the reason why? "Because both players cover both sides of the baseball spectrum".   I thanked him for his time and for the first time game him a card with my blog info so he could look it up.


I look forward to seeing you play again soon.  

Clayton Kershaw SP Los Angeles Dodgers 2012 National League Cy Young Award Winner-May 15th, 2012

Clayton Kershaw is a left handed starter for the Los Angeles Dodgers  His four seam fastball (which has been clocked at 95 MPH,) combined with a nasty curveball and change-up, makes him one of the best pitchers in baseball.  He was drafted right out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers with their first round draft pick (7th pick overall.)  He quickly moved up the through the Dodger minor league system and was called up May 24th 2008, and has been with the big club ever since. In 2011, Clayton compiled a 21-5 record with a 2.27 ERA, 5 complete games and 248 strikeouts and  won the National League Cy Young Award  When Clayton isn't blowing away hitter at the plate, he is spending time reaching out to those in need.  He is part of a non-profit group called Arise Africa, which helps spread the gospel and helps the poor.  Feel free to check them out-www.ariseafrica.org 


We arrived a few minutes after the gate opened and walked in and saw that Clayton was doing his in between starts work in the bullpen.  He threw for about 10 minutes, and when he got done, he tossed his ball to a young girl who was watching him throw.  He walked over to where I was standing and I handed him my ball and asked him who his favorite player was.  "Will Clark," he said without a hesitation.  When I asked him why, he said, "because he's from Dallas," which is where Clayton was born and grew up.  As he walked off, he took the time to sign one last autograph for the young girl who he tossed the ball to.  I was very impressed with how polite and friendly he was, and surprised that a man wearing a Dodger jersey would have for his favorite player a former Giant!  


All in all, baseball needs more players like Clayton Kershaw on...and more importantly, off the field.

Dave Roberts Former MLB OF and current 1B Coach San Diego Padres-May 7th, 2012

Dave Roberts is a former OF who played 10 season with the Cleveland Indians (1999-2001), Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-2004), Boston Red Sox (2004), San Diego Padres (2005-2006) and San Francisco Giants (2007-2008).  He was a leadoff hitter with great speed who greatest moment in baseball took place in game 4 of the 2004 AL Championship Series.  The Red Sox were down 3 games to 0 and were facing elimination from the playoffs.   Bill Mueller lead off the 9th with a walk off of Mariano Rivera.  Dave was brought in to pinch run for Mueller and promptly stole second base and then scored on a base hit to tie the game.  The Red Sox went on to win game 4 and came back and swept the Yankees and then the Cardinals to win their first World Series in 100 years.

I was able to chat with Dave before the game on Monday and I asked him who his favorite player was and why.  Dave had 2 players he really loved.  "Tony Gwynn and Ricky Henderson."  I asked him why he liked both and he said, "I grew up in the area and saw Tony play and Ricky Henderson because he was a small guy who was able to control and dominate the game with his speed."  I wasn't surprised hearing his answers because in many ways, Dave Roberts played like both of these men.  He was a line drive hitter with great speed who very rarely got thrown out trying to steal a base.


Thank you Dave for taking the time to chat with me.

Bob Scanlan Former MLB Pitcher and current Padres Broadcaster-May 4th 2012

If you get to a Padres game early, you're bound to see Bob Scanlan on the field, spending time talking to the players and coaches.  Bob pitched for several years with the Cubs, Brewers, Tigers and Royals.  His major league experience combined with his knowledge of the game makes Bob a great announcer to listen to.  Before Friday's game, I was able to get a moment of Bob's time and chat with him about baseball.  When I asked him who his favorite player, it took him a moment to think about it.  "The players that you like change from when you're a kid to when you grow up."  He told me his favorite player was Lou Gehrig because he was "a class act on and off the field." I thanked him for his time, and he walked off.  Bob then turned around and walked back to me and said, "you can't have a list like that without Jackie Robinson on it," and then he talked about how much he loved Ken Griffey Jr.  I asked Bob if he pitched against Griffey Jr. and he said he did.  "You could throw him a fastball low and away on the first pitch, but you couldn't do it in the same count again, because he would go down and get it everytime."  I thanked Bob again and was honored that he took the time to chat with me and then come back over and talk some more.

Thank you Bob!

Carlos Zambrano-SP Miami Marlins-May 4th 2012

Carlos Zambrano is a former all-star pitcher with the Miami Marlins, who has a reputation for being a fiery competitor as well as a great pitcher.  He had just finished a bullpen session before the game and walked over to sign some autographs for a few fans who were waiting for him.  I handed Carlos my ball and asked him who his favorite player was and he took a moment and said, "Greg Maddux, because he was a pitcher."  I thanked him for his time and was happy to have gotten the answer from him.  Thank you so much Carlos!

Coach John Kentera XX1090 Broadcaster-May 1st 2012

Coach John Kentera is a one of the best radio sports talk hosts in San Diego.  He has a memory for stats and events that few people on the radio can manage to duplicate.  He regularly hosts the Padres post game show with Randy Jones after each game at Lolita's Mexican restaurant. After Tuesday game, we went over to hear the broadcast and between commercial breaks, John talked to people who came over to hear the show.  I asked John who his favorite player was and why.  From the modern era, he was a big fan of Vladimir Guerrero, but his favorite all-time player was Reggie Jackson.  Coach loved his flamboyance and how he was a clutch player.  We chatted about baseball and he talked about going to the very first Padres game at San Diego Stadium when he was 10 years old and how Dick Selma got the win in a 2-1 game against the Houston Astros.   Later that night, Coach sent me a message mentioning some of his other favorites: Willie Mays, Fred Lynn, and Dave Parker.

Coach is a very nice guy and he let me take a picture with him.

Mike Hardin-Owner of Hodads April 26th 2012

Over the last couple of years, one of the highlights of going to Padres games was eating and drinking at the Baja Bistro.  Located in the Toyota Terrace area of Petco Park, it's a good restaurant with great service that we have enjoyed going to.  The day before the first Padres home game (an exhibition game with the Kansas City Royals) we found out from Jay, one of the servers at the restaurant, that the Bistro was gone and replaced by Hodads.  My first reaction was anger!  Replacing the Bistro with a place called Hodads!?!  What the heck! I was not a happy camper at all.  After researching the restaurant online, I found out that Hodads is a local hamburger place that has a reputation as being one of the top 5 burger joints in the country.  We decided we would head up there to see all of our friends that work there and give it a try.  We walked in and sat down and were greeted by Mike Hardin, the owner of the restaurant.  He was extremely nice and has a passion for people pleasing which means great food with a smile.  We ordered our food and I had to admit that they're burger is the best I have had.  Better than the best burger though is Mike, and as you get to know him and the restaurant, you find out it's a family business.  His parents started it and now he runs it with his girlfriend.  Every time we have been there, he has greeted us and he remembers us by our first names.  Last night, I gave him a business card with info about my blog, and asked Mike who his favorite player was.  He told me about how his son played Little League, but struggled being a good player and how he told his son to watch Tim Flannery.  He loved how Tim would, "run to first base with a passion" and how much you could tell that Tim loved playing the game.

If you're at Petco Park for a game, go to Hodads and get a burger.  Heck, even the dreaded veggieburger tastes great!  When you see Mike, he'll shake your hand and make you feel at home.

Update:  On April 26, I went to the Giants vs. Padres game at Petco Park.  I brought a baseball with me hoping I would be able to track down Tim Flannery and have him sign the ball for Mike. Tim was getting ready to hit some grounders to the infielders. I called out to him and held up the ball.  He asked me to toss it to him and I requested he sign the ball to Mike.  Tim signed the ball, "To Mike Friends Tim Flannery" and tossed the ball back to me.  I went up to Hodad's with my friend Rebecca Herman and we presented the ball to Mike.  He was thrilled and gave both of us a big hug.  I have included the pictures below.

From this point on, I will ask the players that I get a chance to talk to if they have ever met their favorite players in person and what was it like for them to meet their hero.

Randy Jones Former SP San Diego Padres 1976 NL Cy Young Winner April 26th 2012

Growing up in San Diego, one of my favorite players was Randy Jones.  He was a left-hander with a huge afro and a devastating sinker, a pitch that drove hitters nuts.  In 1976, he won the National League Cy Young awards winning 22 games and pitching a staggering 25 complete games!  Due to an arm injury, he was forced to retire in 1980, but Randy Jones will always hold a special place in my heart as my first favorite Padre.  Last night, I went to Lolita's after the ballgame to listen to the post-game show in person and Randy was there broadcasting with Ted Mendenhall.  I waited until they went to commercial and walked up to Randy and asked him to sign my ball and asked him who his favorite player was and why. Randy responded, "Sandy Koufax, enough said," and he started to sign my ball.  I told him how I was one of those kids who watched him pitch the year he won the CY Young Award. He continued to sign my ball and handed it back to me and shook my hand.  He added to his signature 1976 N.L. Cy.  I will always keep this ball.

Tom Garfinkel-CEO-San Diego Padres 4/22/2012

I have had the pleasure of meeting Tom Garfinkel on at least 3 different occasions, but this morning was the first time I ever had a serious chat with him.  I introduced myself and told him I was a blogger who was asking people who their favorite baseball player was and why and would he answer my question.  He said that, “it was a difficult question because there were so many players,” but he said George Brett, because Tom grew up a Kansas City Royals fan and watched George play with them.  He mentioned Roberto Clemente and Mickey Mantle as 2 players he read books about when he was a kid, but he never saw either player in person.  After a couple of minutes, Tom said, “you know, after thinking about it, I would have to pick Dave Parker as my favorite player.”   I thanked him so much for taking time with me and to answer my question.

Matt Balough - Asst Head Groundskeeper-San Diego Padres 4/22/2012

What does a groundskeeper know about baseball?  Quite a bit and that’s what I found out when I chatted with Matt Balough before the game.  We got to the ballpark early to have breakfast on the field and had the opportunity to see the work the grounds crew does to get the field ready for a game.  We saw a lone gentleman walking in the outfield checking the grass and pulling small weeds from the turf.  As he finished up, he walked by our table and we started to chat with him about his job.  He’s worked for 23 years for the Padres at Qualcomm and  Petco Park.  I asked him who his favorite player was and why and he said, “Tony Gwynn.”  He talked about how Tony has kept in touch with him over the years.  We chatted about baseball and how different it is now as compared to when we were young.  It was a wonderful conversation.

Matt is a man who lives daily between the blades of grass.  I will never look at Petco Park the same way again.  Thank you Matt.

Clayton Richard SP San Diego Padres 4/22/2012

Clayton Richard has just finished up his throwing session in between starts and was walking back to the field.  I walked up and asked him to sign my ball.  As he was signing, he answered my question with a simple answer, “Babe Ruth, because he was the best.” Babe Ruth was a pitcher who was converted to an outfielder because he was such a good hitter, and Clayton himself can swing a mean stick.

Great smile, great guy and a class act.

Carlos Quentin OF San Diego Padres 4/21/2012

My original plan was to try to get a player from the Philadelphia Phillies, but as we walked in we saw Carlos Quentin standing near the bullpen down the right field line.  Carlos has been on the DL since spring training and has started to take BP with the team as part of his rehab from knee surgery.  We walked down and sat near the bullpen and waited to see if he would walk over.  3 or 4 kids came down and started calling out his name hoping to get his attention so he would sign an autograph.  Carlos turned around and yelled at the kids saying, "I can hear you but I'm busy right now." The kids ended up leaving after that, but I decided to wait and see if he would come over when he was done.  Batting practice ended and he walked off, but I called out to him and held up a ball.  He walked over and said to toss the ball to him.  I then asked him who his favorite player was and why.  He said, "that’s a really good question." "I don't know and I'll have to get back to you."  He tossed me the ball and walked off.  He seemed thoroughly disgusted that I asked him the question, but since Carlos said he would get back to me, I will keep asking him when I see him.  

Overall, I was not impressed with Carlos.  I don't mind not getting an answer, but to yell at 3 kids asking for your autograph while you're standing there doing nothing?  I hope he was having a bad day and that this isn't an example of how he is.

J.J. Putz-Relief Pitcher-Arizona Diamondbacks 4/11/2012

It was a cold, rainy day, and we arrived at the ballpark as the weather finally started to get better.  The field crew had put a tarp over the field the night before to keep the field from getting soaked, so only a couple of players were out stretching when we arrived.  We walked to the Diamondbacks dugout, and waited to see if anyone would come out.  Out of the dugout came J.J. Putz, the Diamondbacks All-Star closer, looking for his family in the stands.  He brought his family on the field and chatted with them.  He also took the time to show his nephew how to grip a baseball to throw a change-up.  He finally hugged them goodbye and walked to the dugout where I was standing.  He signed an autograph for a fan and when he was done, I asked him who his favorite baseball player was and why.  He looked up at me and said, "Kirk Gibson, because he's my manager" and then he motioned for me to toss him the ball I was holding.  I hadn't planned on asking him for an autograph, but how do you turn down an All-Star closer?  I tossed him the ball and a pen and he said, "was that answer good enough for you?" and he laughed.  I told him it was and he tossed the ball back and I thanked him for his time.

He cracked me up with his answer and I believe he meant when he said.

Opening Day 2012

Of all the sports that I have watched, nothing matches the excitement of Opening Day in Baseball.  The smell of hot dogs in the air, fans dressed wearing jerseys of their favorite team, and the renewed optimism that this could be the year your team wins the World Series.  We sat in the parking lot before the game eating breakfast burritos, pancakes and sipping on some almond champagne and talked about the new season. 2PM arrived and it was time to enter inside and see what the ballpark looked like, if there are any changes that have been made and would our friends be there. We walked through the gates of Petco Park and saw many familiar faces we have missed over the last few months.  Luigi, wearing his Bring Back The Brown t-shirt and shaking hands with his friends.  Yolen, our usher, who is kind and sweet and is always there to help us.  Andrew, our in seat service waiter, who loves baseball, loves the fans and always has a smile on his face.  Yes, it was time once again to cheer for our Padres, win or lose.

Ah, yes, the baseball season is back!

Mike Moustakas-3B Kansas City Royals 4/3/2012

A few minutes after Jeff walked off, Mike came over and started signing for a group of kids there wearing Royals shirts.  I walked over and waited and asked Mike if he would please sign my shirt.  He said, "sure," and then I asked him about his favorite player.  His answer was great and really touched my heart.  He said, "Mickey Mantle, because he was my dads favorite player."  I was really NOT expecting to hear a player say that.  As a father, it really touched my heart to hear a grown man say his dad's favorite player was his favorite player.  Even as I typed this, I still feel a lump in my throat and fight back a tear.

Classy, just classy.  The Royals organization is very classy.

Jeff Francoeur-Right Fielder Kansas City Royals 4/3/2012

A couple of days before the start of the 2012 regular season, The Kansas City Royals came to town for an exhibition game against The San Diego Padres.  I decided to wear my Kansas City Royals St. Patrick Day's shirt that I got at spring training and see if I could get any players to sign it.  As I sat in the stands near the left field line, Jeff Francoeur came walking up and started signing for the fans.  I walked over and asked him to sign my shirt and then asked him, "Who is your favorite player was and why."  He wasted no time saying, "Dale Murphy, because I grew up in Atlanta."  I thanked him for his time and then watched as he signed for every kid that was there.

All I can say is Jeff is a class act!

Bud Black-Former pitcher and current manager of The San Diego Padres 2/10/2012

I had decided before going to the event that my #1 priority was to meet Bud Black and ask him who and why.  I have talked to him only one time at spring training for a grand total of 5 seconds!  I had hoped that this time, it would be a longer conversation.  He walked toward where I was sitting and I stood up and introduced myself and asked him who his favorite player was and why.  He said, “Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays.”  “Sandy because he was a pitcher like he was” (Bud pitched for over 10 years with several clubs), but he didn’t give a reason for Willie Mays. 

I was very happy to have accomplished my goal for the night.  

Mark Grant-Former pitcher and current Padres Radio and TV Announcer 2/10/2012

I had the opportunity to attend the San Diego Padres Foundation Dinner on February 10, 2012.  It was an early present from my friend Rebecca Herman.  We arrived early, and were assigned table #31 then proceeded to walked out to the infield area to check out items up for bid in a silent auction.  At 7:30, it was time to head to our table and start the dinner and awards ceremony.  Up to our table walked Mark Grant, former Padres pitcher and current announcer for the team!  He introduced himself and sat down and started to chat with us.  After a few minutes, I finally decided I was going to ask him the question. I looked at Mark and asked, “who is your favorite baseball player and why?”  Without hesitation, Mark said, “Ernie Banks SS-1B for the Chicago Cubs, because he loved his passion for the game and his attitude as a player." I thanked him for answering and was happy to have my first question answered.  

I will never forget Mark Grant and the kindness he showed that night.  He is a class act.

When it's time to change....

Greeting to baseball fans one and all,

It's been a while since I touched my blog.  Since my last post, I took a trip to San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle to catch ballgames and had a blast.  Loved the fan base in Oakland and had the most fun there.  Fans were friendly, staff was great and I felt welcome.  San Francisco is a beautiful ballpark, but the fans were less than friendly and the seat I bought was a restricted view seat (behind the right field foul poll) and I was charged full price and not told it was a restricted view.  Seattle was ok at best.  Sat in the outfield there and saw Red Sox fans get drunk and fight with Mariner fans.  Spent the last 2 months suffering through Padre baseball and lost a desire to write about what I saw from the players.

With the start of the new baseball season, I decided to change the focus of the blog to a more positive one.  While I didn't plan on the other being negative, it sometimes sounded like it.  I understand players want their privacy and that it's a hard life.  Sometimes, they just want to come to work and not be bothered.  So instead of writing about players attitudes, I wanted to pick a subject that was simple and a little fun.  With that said, my idea and theme for 2012 will be.....Who and Why?

Who and why you say?  What does that mean?  Well, I've decided to undertake the task of asking players, managers, coaches, and even the front office who their favorite all time player is and why.  I think this will be a fun project to undertake and I hope to get lots of answers. I hope you will enjoy this too.

The Casual Fan