Hello!
One. Step. Closer.
The Pads will open up Cactus League play tomorrow against the Mariners1. I don’t know that I’ve ever been this excited for the start of a season before. Have you? Like each of the last few years have been anticipated in a very serious way, but I think for me at least, the NLCS appearance sort of pushes this one over the top. No matter what, it’s going to be a blast.
I believe at one point I noted that this space would be used, in part, for shameless promotion of our radio broadcast, so without further ado, a reminder that the full Spring Training broadcast schedule was released this week. Head over to the MLB app or the schedule page on padres dot com and check it out.
Next to “radio,” you’ll either see KWFN-97.3 or MLB.com—those are the games we’re broadcasting, either on normal radio or via webcast. Spoiler: it’s most of them, beginning with tomorrow’s opener at 12:10 SD time/1:10 AZ time.
The webcasts are free and available on padres.com/mlb.com/the MLB app. There are also a selection of video webcasts for certain home games, which are a relatively new feature. Hats off to our production and content crews for putting those together. Not simple to do.
Tomorrow is technically a home game against the Mariners and Bob Melvin has made it clear most of the big-name WBC guys will be in the lineup, which is unusual for the first game of the Spring. Great for all of us, of course. Nick Martinez will start and probably go two innings if all goes according to plan. Saturday we head down to Glendale to see the White Sox and if you’re interested in the other Cactus League facilities, there’s a treat for you later on in this newsletter.
As for the games themselves…
Pitch Timer!
As soon as the game tomorrow begins, I’ll get my first ever in-person look at baseball with a pitch clock. I’ll be honest, I’m really excited. I think the flow of the game will be markedly better than the last many years and that should make for a much smoother watching (and listening!) experience for fans.
I have my thoughts, of course, but figured I would turn the floor over to a guy who has actually seen and called a bunch of games with the timer. Tim Hagerty is the voice of the Padres’ AAA affiliate in El Paso and when I asked him about how it went in the PCL, he was kind enough to send in this report:
People talk about Triple-A game times being shorter, and it was great to see more families still in the ballpark during ninth innings, but the biggest pitch clock benefit is the improved pace of game. Watch any random Triple-A inning from 2022 and the game’s rhythm has been restored. It felt like the game I fell in love with as a kid. Some say pitch timers will change the game, I think they’ll bring the game back to normal.
MLB did a thorough job experimenting with this in the minor leagues. It allowed them to see situations develop. I think that’s why the new MLB rules limit pitcher step offs. In 2021, they didn’t have that rule in Triple-A and pitchers would step off and get a reset on the pitch timer, which made it useless. I was glad MLB limited pitcher step offs to avoid that loophole. Today’s MLB talent with a restored pace of play is going to be awesome. I haven’t been this excited for a major league season in a long time.
That makes two of us, Tim. Thanks for this! And remember, his fun new book is available for pre-order.
Along Those Lines…
Good stuff from Dennis Lin in The Athletic this week talking to different Padre pitchers not just about the timer, but also about PitchCom 2.0. This Spring, pitchers will have the option of experimenting with a transmitter on their belt buckles that allows them to tell the catcher what they want to throw. Good insight in there from guys like Nick Martinez and Joe Musgrove.
One other must-read comes from the inimitable Sarah Langs of MLB.com: a story about why Juan Soto is projected to be the best hitter in baseball this coming season. Need I say more?
How Business Gets Done
There’s obviously been quite a lot of talk around baseball about the Padres payroll and, generally, the way they’re doing business. Just this week in a handful of national interviews, I was asked every possible question about the way that Peter Seidler is operating the club.
On Tuesday, Peter met with the assembled media here in Peoria and was basically asked what he thought about people questioning his strategy. His answer tells you all you need to know about the state of the Pads:
These are the good old days, let’s be sure to enjoy every moment2.
Cactus League Ballparks (non-Peoria), Ranked (Part 1)
With the full Cactus League slate set to get underway, let’s stir things up and do a list…
Note: This is all based on my own criteria, which I am making up and altering on the fly. These are my opinions, they don’t have to be yours. I am not ranking the Peoria Sports Complex, which is home to the Padres and Mariners. I love it and it feels like home. This is more for your road trip planning purposes. Also, there aren’t any Cactus League stadiums I don’t like—it should really go without saying that they’re all delightful places to watch baseball.
9: Camelback Ranch-Glendale (White Sox & Dodgers): Before you get too excited and think this is just about me poking the Dodgers…it isn’t. For starters, I believe they built the place backwards, so that the sun is in your eyes for day games during the Spring. The legend is that Jamie McCourt wanted it that way for the mountain views. No idea if that’s true or not. To me it also feels like the least intimate of all the ballparks in the Cactus League. Just sort of sprawled out. Really good broadcast booths, though. While that’s nice for me, it does nothing for you. The other positive, for our purposes, is that it’s an easy drive down the 101 from Peoria.
8: Tempe Diablo Stadium (Angels): The oldest (1968) and I think smallest venue in the league, it’s a quirky little place nestled up against I-10 near the airport and ASU. Probably its most defining feature is the butte (fun word to say) up above foul ground beyond left field. It’s a bit of a throwback experience, not unlike Angel Stadium in Anaheim. In fact, as I think about it, they kind of feel like kindred spirits. If you’ve been to the Big A anytime in the last 20 years, it’s as if you’ve been to Tempe Diablo.
7: Goodyear Ballpark (Guardians & Reds): Better known as the “Little Ohio Complex” because of its tenants (it’s true, look it up), this is a nice, little desert oasis. A bit off the beaten path, it’s still plenty accessible, especially if you’re coming from the Peoria area or anywhere else in the west valley. Like a lot of these ballparks, it was very recently in the middle of nowhere, but the area has built up quite a bit in the last decade or so (this includes what have to be the world’s largest Amazon storehouses). That said, it’s still about as isolated as any of them. Bonus if you’re an aviation geek like me: there’s a creepy old airplane boneyard at the airport next door. Scores of hollowed-out old airliners just baking in the sun.
6: American Family Fields of Phoenix (Brewers): Our radio producer, Dave Marcus, dubbed this place “AMFOP” when they renovated and renamed it a couple of years ago. That tickles me in a big way. Like Peoria, there’s nothing fancy about it, per se, but it’s a wonderful place to watch a game. People often comment about the surrounding neighborhood—it’s not the best—but that doesn’t detract, as far as I’m concerned. Centrally located, so whichever side of the valley you’re coming from, not too tough to reach.
5: Surprise Stadium (Rangers & Royals): This place qualifies as something of a hidden gem as it doesn’t get talked about a ton, but it’s a really well-maintained and modern-feeling ballpark. It feels new, though there aren’t a ton of bells and whistles like some of the other newer places—and in a way, that just adds to its charm. I would say it has the feel of a super-nice AA ballpark. As an added bonus, it’s an easy trip west on Bell Rd. from the Peoria Sports Complex.
Part 2 to come next time…who will win?!
Quick Hitters
Some fun personal observations from the first few workout days:
Nelson Cruz has a gravitational pull about him. Seems like whenever he’s around, whatever players are nearby just get sucked into orbit around him. Neat to see.
Getting to watch guys like Manny, Bogaerts and Cruz talk hitting from 10’ away is the coolest.
Speaking of the intimacy of Spring Training, a perfect example the other day: Julio Teheran just leaning against a chainlink fence watching a BP session with a gaggle of fans sitting behind him.
Saw Chan Ho Park taking a video of a Ha-Seong Kim at bat, which was a neat moment.
We know Fernando Tatis Jr. has a cannon for an arm, but watching him unload from the outfield is pretty remarkable. Baserunners beware.
I could watch Manny Machado take grounders for hours.
Hats off to associate manager Ryan Christenson, who spearheads the organization of these Spring workouts. Every field is being used at every moment and it’s like a fine-tuned machine. Amazingly efficient and neat to watch.
Question Time
Another broadcasting question, this one from Kirby in Carlsbad:
Q: What are some of the main differences of calling a game on the radio compared to in the TV booth?
A: Definitely one of the most common questions I get from fans. The way I’ve always explained it is that radio is an individual sport and TV is a team sport. That’s a little bit overly simplistic, but maybe think of it this way: on radio, Tony and I are playing doubles tennis together; when I do TV, it’s like being one guy out of 11 on the football field.
On radio, Tony and I basically talk about whatever we want whenever we want and Dave makes sure that it sounds good. There’s also a studio coordinator who takes our signal from the ballpark and sends it out on the air and plays all the commercial breaks. On TV, you have your partner, a stats person, a stage manager and an audio tech in the booth with you PLUS a crew in the production truck that includes the producer and director PLUS all the camera operators around the stadium PLUS the folks that actually transmit the thing from master control. And I am probably leaving some people out (SORRY!). On TV, it’s almost like a ballet: everyone is constantly trying to set each other up for a conversation or a comment and it’s like this choreographed dance that when it comes together really feels and sounds amazing. It’s complex. And again on radio, it’s freedom.
As you can probably tell, they are very, very different and both a lot of fun. I feel incredibly fortunate that I get to spend time doing both and for me personally, it’s pretty much a perfect mix: 10-20 games a year on TV and the rest on radio. I love it all so much.
Thanks to Kirby for the question and remember, you can submit yours by pressing the magical golden button below.
Speaking of television..
Tim McCarver, 1941-2023
I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to mention the passing of Tim McCarver last Thursday. In my opinion, the finest analyst baseball on TV has ever had. And a sneaky-great part-time play-by-play guy for some years with the Mets, as well. I grew up watching and listening to him and Ralph Kiner on WOR and, like all of us I’m sure, hold a very special place for the announcers of my youth.
I think it’s fair to say McCarver was to baseball what John Madden was to football. And of course Madden perfectly embodied that sport. I think the same could be said for McCarver. While Madden was big and bombastic and full of BOOMS, McCarver was erudite and intellectual and seemed to relish passing along the nuances of the game to his viewers. Each was perfectly suited for their time and place.
I was always hopeful our paths would cross at some point…not sure I’d have had the guts to tell him how influential he was to little Jesse…but it never happened. What a marvelous career.
Salute to Dave
As mentioned, the first game of the spring schedule is coming up tomorrow. As Tony Gwynn Jr. and I began our third year working alongside one another on Padres Radio (🤎), our producer/engineer Dave Marcus will be starting his 30th season in that role. Thirtieth!
Thirty. Thir. Tee. 30!
That’s wild.
Dave, if you’ve never met him, is a gem. Wonderfully talented at his job (see picture) and has the kind of personality that somehow allows him to sit back there and just absorb all of our nonsense and neuroses on a literal daily basis for upwards of 7.5 months every year and just…smile. That’s a special kind of person.
If, like me, you’re slow with math, his first season was 1994. Not a great year for baseball, but a great year for Padres radio!
For some added perspective on how long ago that was, here’s what the Padres’ Opening Day lineup looked like on April 1st of that year vs. Atlanta (a non-divisional opponent for the first time that season):
Bip Roberts-2B
Ricky Gutierrez-SS
Tony Gwynn-RF
Phil Plantier-LF
Derek Bell-CF
Archi Cianfrocco-3B
Dave Staton-1B
Brad Ausmus-C
Andy Benes-P
The first batter of the game? Deion Sanders.
We love you, Dave. Thanks for everything and I salute you with an ice cold Mountain Dew.
Weather permitting. The forecast is, shall we say, sub-optimal. As of now, it looks like the rain on Friday will be mostly in the morning, which would be fine for the 1:10 local time start. But not ideal baseball conditions this week. Things change, stay tuned, etc.
When looking at Peter and Erik, do I feel mustache/facial hair envy? I do.