Go Time :)
As you read this, I am on my way to Peoria, AZ for Spring Training (or already there depending on when you’re getting around to it). While pitchers and catchers officially reported on Sunday, this particular broadcaster is reporting today and as you likely know by now, I am very excited.
As far as team news goes since we last spoke, it’s been fairly quiet, but not completely silent. This past week the Pads agreed to terms with fan/clubhouse/front office/broadcaster favorite Jurickson Profar to a 1-year deal, as he became the third outfielder on the 40-man roster, joining Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jose Azocar.
That said, the overall OF situation has crystalized a little bit more in the last few days. For one, general manager AJ Preller has made it pretty clear that the prospects in the building are going to be given every opportunity to earn a spot on the big league roster. Whether that means Jackson Merrill or Graham Pauley or Jakob Marsee or someone else (or no one else) will depend how the next four or six weeks go. Preller referenced Tatis and Chris Paddack as a couple of recent examples of guys who basically forced their way onto the roster during exhibition play. Could one of these guys make that happen? Join Tony and Jesse all Spring long to find out!
That said, does everyone seem to anticipate more moves? Yes. Whether that’s a trade or a signing or both is to be seen, but still hard to figure that there won’t be some movement in the days ahead (and who knows, by the time you read this, maybe another move will have been made!)
Jenny!
Those of you who go back to the Channel 4 days here in San Diego no doubt remember Jenny Cavnar, who has spent the last 12 years as a key cog in the Rockies’ broadcast team.
Well, Jenny not only went out and got herself a new job this week, but she made some history as well.
Jenny will become the first woman to hold the role of primary play-by-play announcer in MLB history.
First, on a personal level, you’re not going to find a more wonderful person. I am honored to call her a friend and thrilled for her not only to go into the history books, but also to have an opportunity that I know means so much to her.
We’ve had many, many broadcasting conversations over the years and there’s no doubt in my mind that she is going to be a wild success with the A’s. She is as plugged in and prepared as anyone in the game and—something I think often goes under-appreciated in our business—has done so many different things behind the mic that she can handle absolutely anything that comes her way.
Congratulations to Jenny, I look forward to reading about you in Cooperstown some day.
More info, courtesy of NBC Sports Bay Area, is here.
Spring Broadcast Schedule Released
Speaking of microphones, the Pads unveiled the Spring Training broadcast schedule this week, and is always the case, Tony and I will be quiiiiite busy bringing you a tremendous amount of the action.
By my math1, we are calling 21 of the 23 games in Arizona, plus the two exhibitions in Seoul, before obviously diving in to the regular season for the Dodger games there. When we get back, we’ll have both Mariners exhibitions at Petco for you and then away we go, proudly bringing you all the action in 2024.
If you’re in San Diego, you can listen to the radio games on 97.3-FM (The Fan), or locally on the free Audacy app. If you’re not in market, your best bet is the MLB app, which carries every radio broadcast of every team all season long (no blackouts) for a grand total of $29.99. That’s 30 bucks for every team’s radio broadcast all year long. I say it every year, but if it fits into your budget, it’s the best deal in baseball and also very reliable from a technical standpoint.
As for the Spring Training webcasts (listed as “MLB.com” on the schedule), if they’re home games, there will be a video component so you can watch a scaled-down “telecast.” Road games we’ll be a bit more technically limited, so they’ll be audio only.
The bottom line is that every game will be covered one way or another.
Thanks in advance for joining us. First game is a week from today (2/22) at 12:10pt in Peoria against the Dodgers.
All the info can be found here, including a bunch of stuff about the TV situation.
Many Miles Ahead
With the upcoming trip to Korea, the Padres (and Dodgers) will obviously tack on some extra miles to what’s already a pretty grueling travel schedule. So it should probably come as no surprise that for perhaps the first time ever, the Pads will be the most-traveled Major League team in 2024.
That’s right, the 2024 Padres will be the only team in baseball to travel over 50,000 miles this season. We should get a special bag tag from the league or something.
That graphic is courtesy of Jayson Stark’s fun look at all things schedule this week in The Athletic.
The Mariners, who regularly top this list (closest opponent: no one), are incredibly right behind the Pads and Dodgers, despite not having an international trip on their schedule. To further illustrate their particular plight: they won’t play a road game in their own time zone until June2.
As for the teams that travel the least—as always, the two Central Divisions lead the way. The Pirates will travel only 25,389 miles this year…less than half the Padres’ total.
Spring Cleaning
For the first time in a few years (welp), I decided to clean up my computer desktop. To say it was long overdue would be putting it gently.
But while de-cluttering, I came across a handful of things I thought were fun/funny/interesting enough to share here.
First, from 2020, a complete (though unofficial) list of all the San Diego State Aztecs who have played for the Padres:
Next, a picture I took from the booth just before Game 1 of the 2022 NLCS. Still get chills thinking about it and excited about bigger and better ahead.
How about three clowns on the video board at Petco? 2019, I think? I don’t even remember what it was for, but maybe places to eat at the ballpark?
Mud’s belt for the win3.
And finally, baby Jesse talking to the commish at what I’m 99.9% sure was the day they formally announced that Petco Park would host the 2016 All-Star Game.
Super Bowl Halftime x Padres Crossover Event
Whether you watched the Super Bowl halftime show or not, odds are at least some piece of it crossed in front of your screen at some point in the last few days.
My personal highlight of the event was Lil Jon coming on stage with Ludacris to join in Usher’s performance. And why was that? Well!
Back in the day, we had a little show called Padres Social Hour and one of the more memorable shows was (I think) in 2015, when Lil Jon came on and sat alongside Bill Center:
The picture itself is wonderful, but the video is even better. Eternal credit to both Bill and Lil for embracing the moment. It was a joyful day.
Lastly!
I cringe every time I write this, but should still probably write it more often: if you enjoy the newsletter, please feel free to pass along to any family and friends you may think would also like to read it. I don’t feel too bad asking, since it’s free and always will be, so please do share away/subscribe/etc.
And since we’re self-promoting, might as well mention that the bulk of what I’m going to do social media-wise this Spring will probably be on Instagram, though I’ll still occasionally put some stuff on Twitter/X, as well.
Talk soon!
jesse
Which, as usual, could be off a touch, so don’t hold me to it
The Rockies, of course, never play a road game in their own time zone, but that’s a different thing altogether
There’s actually a whole story about that belt, but it’s probably not worth getting into. Just suffice it to say it was purchased in Atlanta and it was not a quick outing to the mall.