NewsMaking the Grade: Offense
Infusion of young talent gearing Padres for better days ahead
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
11/03/09 12:31 PM EST
"Making the Grade" is a four-part series analyzing the performances of various units of the 2009 San Diego Padres. Today: Offense, followed by defense (Thursday). Starting pitching ran on Oct. 28, and bullpen ran on Oct. 30.Offense grade: C-minus
SAN DIEGO -- The obvious low point for the Padres offense occurred on July 10 in San Francisco when Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez tossed a no-hitter against San Diego, a fitful ending to a sour first half.
Before their second-half revival, where an improved offense helped spark a 37-25 mark from July 28 on, the Padres struggled mightily scoring runs. They finished the first half with a .233 team average and the worst run production in the National League.
That changed in the second half, or right about the time Randy Ready, the manager with Triple-A Portland, was promoted to take the job of dismissed first-year hitting coach Jim Lefebvre.
The infusion of young players like Kyle Blanks and Will Venable, the addition of center fielder Tony Gwynn and more productive second-half performances from Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff helped spark an offense that hit 20 points higher (.253) over the second half than the first half.
The Padres still scored the second-fewest runs in the NL (638), but the offense was much more productive and easier on the eyes than the group that limped to the All-Star break, well, other than All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who enjoyed another monster season at the plate, hitting .277 with 40 home runs and 99 RBIs.
The addition of Ready, who managed players like Blanks, Venable, Headley and catcher Nick Hundley in the Minor Leagues, helped, players said.
"I think what Randy brings is familiarity with a number of guys on our team," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "He brings a history with these guys. He has seen Chase at his best and at his worst.
"I think Randy has a nice way of communicating what he wants to see accomplished from the hitters. He's brought a little different dialog with the players."
More than that, Venable said, is a simplified approach to hitting that relied much more on feel instead of loading up on statistical analysis.
"He's talks a lot about having a free thought. That frees up your body, and just keeping things simple," Venable said during the season. "It's recognizing what a [pitcher is] trying to do to you and not trying to do too much. Approach an at-bat with a simple plan.
"It's not that he doesn't pay attention to [statistics], because that's helpful, but it's more getting in there, getting a good feeling and he's doing whatever he needs to do to help you."
One of the hitters who has benefited from better pitch recognition was Kouzmanoff, who hit .274 in the second half with fewer strikeouts, more walks and an on-base percentage that was 55 points higher (.335) after the All-Star break.
"Kouz is so strong, all we're talking about is having him wait a tick longer," Ready said. "He has great power to all fields and we want to have him utilize that. Sometimes we forget about the whole field. That's one of his strengths."
The Padres reintroduced the element of speed to their offense in 2009, as rookie shortstop Everth Cabrera led the team with 25 stolen bases and held up well in his first season in the Major Leagues.
Manager Bud Black believes there's such a thing as a PETCO Park player. If so, he might look a lot like Cabrera. But he might also look like Venable, or Gwynn or a catcher like Hundley who runs well, or even Blanks, who moved well in the outfield before being injured in August.
"To me, where speed really shows up is late in ballgames. The eighth or ninth inning and you have a guy like Cabrera gets on," said former Padres general manager Kevin Towers. "It can change the whole game. It's almost more dangerous than the one power hitter.
"The speed guys are less prone to the strikeout. They put the ball in play. They put a lot of pressure on the opposing team late in the ballgame."
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
