DEVELOPING: Would The Padres Get Their First Ever No-Hitter...???

Through the first eight-and-a-half innings of the Padres-Dodgers game, only the Padres Cameron Maybin had the only base hit... for either team...

The Dodgers group of De La Rosa, Guerrier, McDougal, and Hawksworth kept the visitors off the bases while the Padres group of Harang, Spence, Qualls, and Adams kept the Dodgers doing the same- minus the one hit...

Luke Gregerson pitched the ninth for the San Diegans facing Matt Kemp for a three-pitch strikeout. James Loney was batter two. Loney fought off a few pitches before grounding out to first and Anthony Rizzo for out number two.

That brought up Juan Uribe... hitting .205 on the year leading into the at bat. Uribe would hit a two-out double off the wall for the end of that idea over the head of Chris Denorfia...

So, the answer is: "No..."
Dioner Navarro got the game-winning single... even after trying to avoid his team and their attempted tackling of him after the run scores...

More when we know more...

Padres' Tate Gets Another 25 Game Suspension

Technically, it's a 50-game, but he's getting a "time served" section knocked off of the top following a second positive drug test...

He's getting credit for 25 games since he's undergoing counseling for substance abuse. The rest of the suspension begins immediately.

The son of University of Georgia and NFL running back Lars Tate was the third overall pick in the 2009 draft. Currently at Class-A Eugene, he has also played this season at Class A Fort Wayne.

He is batting .294 with seven RBIs and seven stolen bases in 17 combined games with the Emeralds and the Wizards.

Here's Tate's last highlight from last week as an Em...
((HT: KVAL-TV Eugene))


And here's the Trebelhorn nutty in full...
((HT: KVAL-TV))


The HQ knows Tate from his time in OSG High with Cartersville ((GA)) High School as the Purple Hurricanes won the 2009 Triple-A title.

This will not sit well back home at all...

Now this...is a "First Pitch": Cirque du Soleil performer spins a strike

((ht: mlb.com))

We've seen some pretty weak ceremonial 1st pitches in baseball these days. From John Wall's dribbler to home plate to Dirk Nowitzki's air ball, it hasn't been pretty.

Which leads us to this. Check out this performer from Cirque du Soleil throw the opening pitch of Monday's Padres/Royals game in San Diego.

The spinning left hander actually throws a strike...and count us as "Impressed"

Video courtesy of MLB.com:

Chargers and Padres Visited By DEA

((HT: San Diego Union-Tribune/Schrotenboer))

When Chargers D-Back Kevin Ellison was arrested last month, the amount of pain medication in his possession raised a few eyebrows with the DEA. Ellison has since been waived and picked up by Seattle ((natch...)), but the DEA visited the offices of both San Diego sports franchises to check on the files.

The DEA served "administration inspection warrants" to both teams, and they went rummaging through Lord knows what since the warrants are under federal seal at present.

In a statement, the DEA said it was “in an attempt to verify the correctness of controlled substance inventories, records, reports and other documents required to be kept under the Controlled Substances Act and for the purpose of protecting the public health and safety.”

Well, there you go then...

Team coverage, with a bunch of full screened statements and no one coming on camera to talk, comes from our friends at Fox5 in San Diego...
 

Ellison's agent maintains that his client is not a part of the investigation at all.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On...

((HT: Cox4/MLB/8qa))

Not that the HQ feels responsible for this or anything, but there have been two earthquakes in southern California during our visit.

The first was a 4.4 in the middle of the desert that no one really felt- unless, of course, you were in the desert...

Last night, during the Padres-Blue Jays game this happened... a 5.7 that many more people felt than the first one...

Here's the coverage from our friends at KCAL9-TV

Your Tuesday MLB-Boras Update

Strasburg...in
Donovan Tate...in...((pictured, thanks Chris Stephens/Cartersville Daily-Tribune))

Scott Miller of CBSSports reports Number One overall pick, San Diego State pitcher Steven Strasburg, has signed his deal with the Washington Nationals...

The signing bonus is $15-million. The deal is for four years and $15.67-million.

Mark Prior had the modern-day record at a little over $10-million in 2001. Since the Natinals screwed up their number one selection, pitcher Aaron Crow ((the two sides were separated by only $500,000 at the deadline and Crow wasn't signed)), the Strasburg deal had to be done.

In San Diego, another Boras disciple high schooler Donavan Tate signed with the San Diego Padres. His bonus was figured to be in the $6-6.5 million range.

OSG sources close to the Tate negotiations say that the Padres didn't even start the process with Donavan and Scott Boras until after the no-waivers trade deadline of July 31. Padres GM Kevin Towers, understandably, had a limited budget and was trying to figure out how much money was in play for the negotiations that eventually led to the Pads signing their 1st, 3rd, and 4th-round picks by the midnight deadline.

Tate was the third overall pick in the 2009 draft...

UPDATE from Chris Stephens in Cartersville: The deal is worth $6.25 million.

A brief conversation with Tate during the weekend showed his excitement about the future.

“I’m excited about this,” Tate said. “I’m ready to get to work and start the next chapter of my life.”

Described as a five-tool player, Tate was in San Diego Monday and was officially announced as being signed by the Padres after the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs. Today, he will take batting practice with the team before their game against the Cubs.

Tate will leave Wednesday to go to Peoria, Ariz., where he will start playing rookie ball for the Arizona League Padres.

"We have identified a need for athleticism, particularly in the outfield, when playing at PETCO Park," said Padres general manager Kevin Towers. "In signing Donavan Tate, we have acquired an excellent ballplayer and one of the premier athletes available in this year's draft."

Here's a really long at-bat of Tate from the AFLAC All-Star Game in Los Angeles

Matt Bush's Arrested Development

((HT: Fox5 San Diego/SD Union-Tribune/Schrotenboer))

Former Padres No. 1 draft pick Matt Bush ((pictured, thanks MLB.com)) entered a not guilty plea yesterday to charges of drunken driving, resisting arrest and two counts of vandalism stemming from his June 28 arrest.

Bush's attorney showed proof that he had entered a residential rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse – a requirement for his continued release on bond by San Diego Superior Court Judge Evan Kirvin.

Bush's arrest last month was the latest in a string of alcohol-related incidents. The latest happened after police received a call about 1:40 p.m. June 28 about a man throwing objects at passing cars while standing outside his vehicle on Camino de la Reina near The San Diego Union-Tribune building in Mission Valley. Police said he had hit at least one car with his belt buckle.

After getting into his vehicle, he backed into that same car, causing damage, police said. Bush was arrested in a parking structure of nearby Fashion Valley mall, taken to jail and booked on assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, driving on a suspended license, vandalism and driving under the influence.

A July 21 trial readiness conference is scheduled for this case and four misdemeanor assault counts stemming from an alleged assault by Bush against Granite Hills High lacrosse players Feb. 4. Witnesses said he appeared intoxicated in that incident, too. The Padres designated him for assignment the next day.

The former Mission Bay High standout then was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, who released him April 1 after another alleged drunken incident in Dunedin, Fla., where Bush had been pitching in the team's minor league organization.

In that incident, someone had drawn markings on his face at a party, according to a complaint made with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Bush blamed a 23-year-old woman, and she accused him of throwing a baseball past her head and banging on her car window to scare her, according to the sheriff's office.

The Florida state attorney's office said yesterday that they decided not to file charges in that case.

Since they decided not to embed the video, here's the link ((NSFW))

But, here's the Fox News version...


We personally enjoy the screaming and crying, but the words before the outburst we show you were quite choice...

Bees Interrupt Padres Game

((HT: CBS8/KFMB-TV))

Talk about adding a late-inning buzz to a ballgame.

The Houston Astros - who once had the "Killer Bs" - beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday, but only after waiting out a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth inning caused when a swarm of bees took over part of left field at Petco Park.

Geoff Blum hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs. The Astros won three of four against the Padres.

A beekeeper was called to the downtown ballpark and sprayed a chair and a ballgirl's jacket that had attracted the bees. Padres president Tom Garfinkel said a few thousand bees attached themselves to a queen bee.

"The umpires made the right call to stop the game," Garfinkel said. "There's a couple thousand bees there. If they decide to swarm on a person, whether that's a player, an employer or obviously a fan, we could have a real situation."

After Joe Thatcher's first pitch to Miguel Tejada with two outs in the ninth, San Diego's Kyle Blanks began walking in from left field. Second base umpire Mike Reilly walked toward left to see what was going on.

The game was halted at 3:09 p.m. Five minutes later, both teams were cleared from the field.

The beekeeper arrived at 3:56 p.m., quickly did his job to applause from the fans who remained, and the game resumed 5 minutes later.

The swarm first appeared along the warning track. Later, fans were cleared out of several sections down the left-field line.

Houston led 6-1 at the time.

Garfinkel said head groundskeeper Luke Yoder has the beekeeper on his speed dial.

Here's how it looked, thanks to CBS8 and Craig McKee...

Peavy Rejects Trade To ChiSox

The agent for San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy ((pictured, thanks Gary A. Vasquez/US Presswire)) expressed doubt early Thursday that his client would sign off on a proposed trade to the Chicago White Sox.

By Thursday evening Peavy had nixed the trade, the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Tribune reported.

Agent Barry Axelrod told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Peavy had a "strong preference" to stay in the National League. That preference, along with Peavy's fondness for his new home in Southern California, apparently spelled the end of the deal.

"We aren't hiding anything from anybody. Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League. He has a comfort zone there, he's been successful, and he's won a Cy Young Award. I don't know that on May 21, that preference has eroded very much. From our point of view we may say, 'Let's give [the Padres] more time and see if a National League team might step up over the next six weeks.'

"If this were any one of three or four other teams and they called about him, Jake would jump at it. He would be willing. They know who they are. They know that certain places are more enticing to him."

Axelrod said that Padres general manager Kevin Towers spoke to him Wednesday and indicated that a trade with the White Sox was on the "front burner." But Axelrod and Peavy had less than a half-hour to discuss the potential move to Chicago, and they planned to speak again Thursday.

Peavy called White Sox right-hander Scott Linebrink last night for his opinion about going to Chicago and got strong feedback, ESPN's Peter Gammons reported.

"Jake called me [Wednesday] afternoon to ask about what it's like here in Chicago," said Linebrink, according to ESPNChicago.com's Levine. "I think he's ready to move on, but I can't tell you for sure he's going to accept the deal. Losing 100 games, like they did last year, wears on a player."
Linebrink was Peavy's teammate in San Diego.

Peavy's preference for the National League and his fondness for California would appear to put the Los Angeles Dodgers high on his wish list. But any deal between San Diego and L.A. would be complicated by the fact that the teams are divisional rivals and are located about two hours from each other.

Even if the Dodgers were interested in putting together a package for Peavy, which is uncertain, they do not have much of a trading history with the Padres.

The Chicago Cubs were also mentioned as a possible suitor for Peavy throughout the offseason.

Peavy's contract includes a full no-trade clause for both this year and 2010. It shifts to a partial no-trade clause in the final two years of his deal in 2011 and 2012.

Axelrod said if Peavy consents to a trade, he will insist upon having a no-trade clause for the duration of the contract. If Peavy were to remain in San Diego, he would attain his 10-and-5 service time (10 years in the majors, five years with the same franchise) and have the right to veto any deal starting in 2012.

According to Axelrod, Peavy might also be more inclined to ask for financial concessions -- such as a contract extension -- if he agrees to go to a team that isn't high on his list of preferred sites. "If it's a team that Jake deems to be very desirable, he might be looking for something on the minimal side," Axelrod said. "If it's a team where he feels he's sacrificing some things -- geographically or otherwise -- he might ask for more."

Peavy, who won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award, has an 89-67 career record with a 3.27 ERA. In 2007 he earned the pitching Triple Crown by leading the National League with 19 wins, 240 strikeouts and a 2.54 ERA.

Peavy is due to earn $11 million this season. Towers has said the Padres are about $5million above the $40 million player payroll that the team's majority owner, John Moores, has set for this season, according to the Union-Tribune.

Peavy is currently 3-5 with a 3.82 ERA for the Padres, who are 18-22 and third in the NL West, 10 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Professor Heads To Planet Man-Ram

Multiple media outlets are confirming that future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Greg Maddux ((pictured, thanks San Diego Union Tribune)) is heading up Interstate 5 to play, once again, for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti officially rescues Maddux from one of the worst teams in the majors- again. Two years ago, Maddux was acquired for a stretch run in Dodger Blue- going 6-3, 3.30 as the team made the playoffs.

Maddux, who has 353 career wins and a 6-9, 3.99 ERA this season in San Diego, cleared waivers earlier in the month and would only allow himself be traded to the Dodgers.

With Brad Penny going on the Disabled List earlier in the week, this is the move that Colletti and Manager Joe Torre hope get them to the playoffs in the National League West since Penny could be gone for the year. It is reported that the Padres will receive two minor-leaguers to be named later.

Jon Heyman's work with SI.com is hyah

Dylan Hernandez's work with the LA Times is hyah

Tony Jackson's work from the LA Daily News is hyah

Chuck Scott's Padres' blog from the San Diego Union-Tribune is hyah