What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
Probably didn’t notice this, but the San Diego Padres parted ways with former Portland Beavers manager Randy Ready on Thursday. He was the Padres’ hitting coach.
Ready is the fifth hitting coach to get the heave-ho since the team moved into spacious Petco Park in 2004.
What the Padres should have done in 2004 is fire the architects who designed the downtown ballpark. Can’t hit, can’t score runs, can’t win games. Simple as that.
When Petco Park opened, then-general manager Kevin Towers joked that the Padres had made it Barry Bonds-proof, since the San Francisco Giants slugger always tormented San Diego. Well boys, Bonds isn’t playing anymore and yet your Padres are.
Perhaps future ballpark builders should focus on what makes the home team play better rather than what makes it aesthetically pleasing.
2
Asked this of someone in Talking Points Central: “Would you fire Mariners manager Eric Wedge right now to hire Terry Francona?”
The answer came instantly: “No.”
And it makes sense.
Though the track record of Francona in Boston is second-to-none compared to what the Mariners have accomplished in that time span, the players in Seattle are young and still developing.
Boston was a roster of established stars and personalities that Francona worked well with. If he is to manage next year, look for him to find a similar situation with an established veteran roster.
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