Padres Editorial: These are Not Your Fathers Padres
The San Diego Padres team has shown great chemistry thus far in only 11 games. Friday’s come from behind victory against the Chicago Cubs was something rarely seen from past Padres teams. As James Shields had a minor meltdown with a bad throw to first and a wild pitch/passed ball, I still had a sense that this team had this. Last season to have a melt down like that, would eliminate any chance of the team competing for the rest of the game. End of story.
It cannot be said enough how the look and feel to this team is way different that any Padres team of recent memory. The offense was completely rebuilt leading to legit hitters at every batting position in the lineup. That teamed with the addition of James Shields, has the Padres just oozing confidence. This team is having fun and playing the game the right way. If you do that, great things will happen. It’s a simple as that.
Wil Myers belting that 3-run home run deep into the center field stands was a thing of beauty. Yes, the previous pitch was close enough to be ruled strike three. Well, it wasn’t ruled that way and Myers and the Padres immediately capitalized on it. That is what great teams do. If they get a break in their favor, they take advantage of it. Bad calls are part of the game. Its how you adjust and move on that makes or breaks a successful team.
It is really early to call this team a winning team yet, but they have certainly proved all the critics wrong. The defense isn’t superior by any means, but it is not horrendous either. Matt Kemp has shown a youthful step on the diamond that I haven’t seen from him for years. The Padres are definitely a team to watch. One would figure that all the new faces would only build more chemistry as the season rolls on. If that is the case then the rest of the National League should take notice. This team is legit.
Matt Kemp is clearly motivated to compete and lead this team into a new direction. Although he has yet to hit a home run, he has provided that offensive punch in the middle of the order that the Padres lacked. Wil Myers has shown tremendous range in center field, and is still learning the position. He has been a real positive in what I thought could be potentially be an issue. The more I see the man play, the more I become a Wil Myers fan. What can be said about Justin Upton? He is everything as advertised. An elite slugger in the prime of his career. The Padres can only hope he falls in love with the city of San Diego, and the team, in order to extend his contract. Upton is sure to get more money on the open market than what the Padres can offer. That’s just the bottom line.
The swagger and expectation of winning is very refreshing to see from this team. You can just feel it coming to the ballpark or seeing the Padres on television. They have this expectation to win every game. Last season that expectation was just not a reality. The team didn’t feel that confidence, and it showed with their play on the field. That play resulted in stagnant attendance at the box office.
A.J. Preller waved his magic wand and suddenly in a matter of months the Padres have a real baseball team. The type of team that a fan can be proud of. That has been missing in San Diego for years and years. I thank him, as does every Padres fan. All we ever wanted as fans of this team, was a yearly effort from management to win. We now have that commitment and the team is poised to make a run at a championship. The fans will support this team win or lose. The attendance records will be smashed. Creating more revenue which can be funded into more talent on the field. Everybody wins.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.