My Favorite Posts of 2013

And so the end of the year lists begin.

I know everyone else is doing theirs already, but I have three big ones, and I should probably start around now if I wanna get them out before 2014. So yeah. I put together a list of my best posts of the year. Not the most viewed, not the most commented, not the most controversial. The best. It's not even in list form, it's in order.

Stream of Consciousness- Jacoby Ellsbury- Good one to start with. My favorite English teacher, who I ended up having for Journalism this year, used to have this column in college where he'd just write about whatever he wanted, stream of consciousness, and it would be as bizarre and funny as humanly possible. And I took his advice, and tried doing a post about Jacoby Ellsbury. Was it too weird, because I've been thinking about doing another one.

Custom Card of the Day: Chapman Edition- This one explains the Incredible Hulk theory, which explains why closers like Chapman and Neftali Feliz only do well because they're closers, and would fail if they were promoted to starters.

Custom Card of the Day: Rivera Edition- This was a touching, fitting sendoff to the greatest closing pitcher of all time. I think I did pretty well, too.

4/15 and '42'- I had a nice post a few years back when I talked about Moneyball and baseball movies. This one wasn't as good as Moneyball, but illicited more of a meaningful post, more of a post on Robinson and movies in general, which was nice.

Custom Card of the Day: Santana Edition- That same day, I gave my dad the greatest birthday present he could ask for. He absolutely loved this post, and shared it with a lot of my family.

Custom Card of the Day: Fowler Edition- This post was great, because after years of seeing players like Slade Heathcott, Dellin Betances, and Alexi Ogando, all of whom I had found first, flame out after a few years, I finally had someone I found that made it big. Now he's on the Astros. Not sure if good thing or no.

Custom Card of the Day: Pujols Edition- This post, comparing the Angels' team to The Great Gatsby movie, was one of my favorites, and incredibly detailed and funny. I especially love comparing Chris Iannetta to Carey Mulligan.

Custom Card of the Day: Gallardo Edition- If I could pick a favorite on the year, it would be either this one or What Pisses Off Carlos Lee. This one was so funny, and so excellent in its execution that I'm still proud of it to this day. And still not a single call from Nabisco.

Custom Card of the Day: Quentin Edition- A lot of times, when I have absolutely no ideas for a post, I'll just throw together a random sonnet. This was probably my favorite, in response to the MLB repealing Carlos Quentin's suspension for beating up Zack Greinke, yet keeping the victim's suspension.

The Long Fall from the Top- This post was from a frustrated Phillies fan, who had seen the Phils be awesome, and then had to watch the seasons after. The sad part was that Roy Halladay, the one person who I thought would take the team back to October, retired at the end of the season.

Custom Card of the Day: Brown Edition- Coming way late to the Dom Brown party, I used another movie analogy, likening prospects that pretend to not pan out, only to be awesome in the end, to movies that use multiple fakeout 'oh, no! How are we gonna come back from that' moments in their climaxes, especially any of the Back to the Future movies. Bonus points for the Man of Steel jab, which came not too long after seeing it.

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition- Examining this generation's Fred Lynn, Alex Gordon, I stated how so much hubbub was caused over his rookie card, when he's basically amounted to being a nice everyday player, not as much a superstar. It's one of those things a lot of people really don't think about years down the stretch, just to say 'man, we really thought THIS GUY was gonna be amazing?'

Why Panini is doing football cards better than Topps- I was in Lake George, New York, and I was hungry for Topps Football, and they had none. So, I got Panini, and absolutely fell in love with their set. And this post was just flat out fawning over Panini, analyzing how good their product was, and the similarities between Panini and Topps.

Custom Card of the Day: Stanton Edition- My funniest post of the year, arguably. I couldn't have done this before Blogger added strikethroughs, so I'm thankful for that. The little jabs I threw in, especially at the expense of Chris Coghlan and Mike Redmond, were so much fun to make up.

Football Custom of the Day: Rice Edition- The number of implausible Super Bowl matchups were endless, so I had a lot of fun making them up. Remember kids, back in September, the Chiefs making the Super Bowl wasn't a surefire lock like it is now. My favorite is 'If Tim Tebow had his way'.

Custom Card of the Day: Helton Edition- Back when Chipper Jones retired, I had a whole post dedicated to how I first saw him in Backyard Baseball, and my appreciation stemmed from there. Todd Helton was the same story. I just had more of a connection because I pulled cards of him from packs of 2002 Topps.

Football Custom of the Day: Charles Edition- Seth Meyers used to do this thing on Weekend Update, whenever a big news story would come along, and he'd list the winners and losers of the event, and put his own snarky commentary on it. I thought I'd put my own spin on the idea, in honor of the looming Chiefs-Eagles game (aka the Welcome Home Andy Reid Bowl). The results were fantastic.

What Really Pisses Off Carlos Lee- The first of the Nachos Grande trilogy. This is obviously the funniest, as I absolutely went all out in making this the funniest, and getting the most votes in the qualifier.

Football Custom of the Day: Luck Edition- I had an over-the-top reaction to the Colts beating the Broncos, which I thought would be a surefire victory. Also, someone remind me that if I ever do a side project, or another blog, that I call it 'Somewhere in Saskatchewan, the people could hear my frustration."

Juan Uribe's Recurring Daydream- Part 2 of the Nachos Grande trilogy. I personally loved this one, but it only snuck by the competition to get me through. Thanks Grandma. Didn't know you had a PC.

Young Frankenstein: The Red Sox Version- Every year I tie a scene from my favorite movie into recent baseball events. This year's was my best, as I had a lot of fun with Bobby Valentine's ineptitude, and that last Igor line.

Mr. Thomas will now take your Questions- Part 3. This was not my best, and while it was inspired, it wasn't as good as the other ones, and that's why I lost this round. However, the whole inchworm-to-water-buffalo metaphor elicited quite possibly the loudest reaction from me of any joke I made up this year.

Eighteen- I celebrated my 18th birthday with a very meaningful post. Nothing else to say here.

What I'm thankful for, albeit a bit late- My Thanksgiving post is obviously one of my most popular of the year, but my dad loved it, as did a lot of my family.

Colon Blow- One last angry rant. This one concerned the Mets GM being confident enough in Bartolo Colon to sign him for 2 years. I was not amused, and had a very funny 'letter to the editor' style post.

So, those are my favorites. I know it's a bit weird if I'm pointing them out, but who cares. I doubt anyone else out there would be authority on this, but were there any of mine that I missed? If so, let me know.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Phillies

 Another year, another underwhelming season in Philly. Even with a surging Eagles squad, the Phils were a little outdone this year. Chase Utley had a not-so-great season, putting away the surefire HOF talk that hounded him back in 2010. I think he's done having monster seasons, too. Sadly.

 Jimmy Rollins is never one to have absolutely amazing seasons, and it's nice when he wins an MVP every once and a while. This season we were glad to have him back, but he didn't perform to his usual caliber. Thankfully, neither did anyone else.

With Halladay gone indefinitely, this guy is likely to become the hot arm of the Phillies' rotation in 2012. Just watch it happen.

Coming Tomorrow- The Pirates were amazing this season. A few members of that team.

A box of 1994 Stadium Club Series 2 (Part 2)

Today, we look at packs 9-16 of my box of 1994 Stadium club. You'll notice that a lot of the cards look like they've been thrown through an industrial shredder. Well, 90's cards often tend to stick together, and not cooperate. These cards aren't cooperating, and some of them are a bit roughed up, like Guillermo Velasquez up there.

FYI- If someone knows a technique for making sure cards don't stick to each other in 90's packs, let me know. I might have gotten another box of a 90's product.

In this pack, PACK 9, the discards were rookie cards of Joe Frazier and Tim Worrell. Yay.

If that left me underwhelmed, here is the amount of mojo I got in the rest of this pack:

• Kent Mercker silver foil. Okay, I did this just to show the silver parallel, and it is Kent Mercker, but still.
• Ruben Sierra Quick Start. Back when Ruben Sierra was awesome.
• JIM ABBOTT. I love Jim Abbott, and I'm ultra-proud that he threw a no-hitter for my team.
• Mark McGwire, who was a big deal in 1994.
• John Smoltz, a surefire Hall of Fame pitcher. THAT ALONE is awesome.
• Trevor Hoffman. The card says rookie debut, but this isn't his rookie card. That distinction would go to his 1993 Topps issue, but still. This is a 2nd year Trevor Hoffman card. I love it.

Pack 10-
You have seen all of these cards before. My reaction was the same as Bill Gullickson's.

A lot of good stuff in this pack. I love the shot of Kevin Young, because it's so 90's. I love the Matt Williams card. Ruben Sierra looks great on his card. I love me some Marlins teal. JAMIE MOYER, back when he was on the Orioles. And, a Barry Bonds insert. I don't love Bonds, but I can appreciate him.

Pack 11-
Trevor Hoffman and Barry Bonds again. Nice of you to rejoin us. The Trevor Hoffman one is in better quality than the one I got two packs ago. Bonds is probably worse.

These players I had heard of. Dave Nilsson and Ray Lankford's cards are pretty nice.

These four made the pack. The first is the silver foil, a Lance Blankenship. The other three are great. Brad Ausmus rookie, which is pretty nice. A Frank Thomas card, which is a bit roughed up, but who cares, it's Frank Thomas.

The Griffey Card is awesome, because it's a Dugout Dirt insert. If you look at the back...

You get an incredibly awesome drawing. Seriously. Bravo to that guy.

Pack 12-
Discards, and a lot of doubles.

I got the other Dugout Dirt card in this pack, and it's of Jack McDowell. Nowhere near as impressive as Ken Griffey Jr., but still.

This card also popped out of Pack 12, and it's a beaut. Chan Ho Park was a really big deal in 1994, and anyone who pulled this card back then must have absolutely flipped. I absolutely love this shot, and think it's one of the best ones in this set. Very impressed.

Pack 13-
A lot came out of this one, so these doubles and crap go first.

These ones had pretty good poses, and good photography, but keep going...

Here are three excellent cards. Steve Finley, who deserved more Hall of Fame votes than he got, David Cone, who was a great pitcher and I'm glad he was a Yankee. And a Ken Griffey Jr. leaders insert. But there are two cards that absolutely trump those three.

Ozzie Smith, two years from retirement, posing for an awesome card. I love Ozzie, and I think he's a great player, but one card was even better than his...

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Manny Ramirez rookie. I mean, Topps had a draft pick card of him in 1992, but this is an actual rookie card. And I am very impressed, especially by the photo. I think Topps knew he was gonna be a big deal.

Pack 14-

Discards, doubles, crap

The highlights here are an awesome Jose Valentin shot, and a card of Craig Biggio. Biggio deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.



Pack 15-

Our doubles include a silver foil one of Billy Ripken, far away from 'f--k face'

This card included a nice card of Darren Lewis that got really roughed up, a nice card of Brian McRae, nice shots of Pat Borders and Mike Stanley...

Our 2nd Tale of 2 Players, including a player who absolutely deserved his Cooperstown entry, and another who probably will never get one thanks to an influx of surefire inductees coming soon.

Pack 16-

The doubles include a silver of Kevin Appier.

A few moderate stars, including Mike Timlin, and a rookie card of Rondell White.

I love all three of these cards. Here's why.

Geronimo Pena's card is not only an awesome double play card, but it's a multiple exposure card. And I absolutely love those. This is another awesome card I pulled.

Mike Pappas eating makes for an excellent card as well, probably already featured on a number of blogs.

Kevin Mitchell's card is our first FIRST DAY ISSUE card. It's nice, because Kevin Mitchell was really good for a few years.

 

Tomorrow I'll post the last three packs. I'm going to be doing a lot of posting the last few days of 2013, so bear with me.



Football Predictions: Week 16

Yes, I love that custom, showcasing the helmets that are basically the highlight of the Jaguars' season.

Today is a crucial day, as most people's playoff chances come down to today's games, and a lot of people are going to clinch. I'll heavily detail the playoff-ish games today, and sort of sift through the other ones.

1 PM GAMES:

Dolphins vs. Bills:
Two teams that started pretty well, and then it all went downhill for both. However, which one's better?
Who should win: Dolphins
Who will win: Dolphins. For no other reason, except that I like Tannehill.
Overall: Dolphins over Bills.

Vikings vs. Bengals:
THIS is a big one. If the Bengals win here, they will undoubtedly be closer to a playoff spot, which they will earn upon a Ravens loss. Therefore, I am instituting a new category...
WHO NEEDS TO WIN: Bengals. Their season has been, for the most part, a success, triumphing over a surge by Andy Dalton, an impressive season by A.J. Green, and a revitalized defense thanks to James Harrison. A win here would be excellent to keep them in the lead in the playoff chase.
Who should win: Bengals, because they have done the most this season, and they have the most on the line.
Who will win: Bengals. The Vikings, if they win, will be winning for no other reason than to make Detroit feel really bad about themselves. They probably aren't going to win, too; AP is out, their QB is Matt Cassell, and they're really cooked. The Bengals are winning this game, unless something absolutely catastrophic happens.
Overall: Bengals over Vikings, by a minimally wide margin.

Colts vs. Chiefs:
Both of these teams are already in the playoffs. The Colts are here because they are so much better than everyone else in their division. The Chiefs are here because they're so much better than the competition for the wild card.
Who should win: Chiefs. Andy Reid has done something unheard of; he's taken a team with literally no shot to win last year, and made them into playoff contenders. And not even a 'oh, they made it, alright, how'd that happen' scenario. They are earning this wild card spot, even if they have enough wins to clinch any other division. They are just sharing one with one of the other best teams in the league.
Who will win: Chiefs. Even if the Colts have a spectacular game, the Chiefs are still the better team, and can come back from that kind of deficit. I really like them this year, too, and I'm not just saying that because it's an excuse to see Andy Reid wear red.
Overall: Chiefs over Colts.

Buccaneers vs. Rams:
Good God, I have absolutely no clue.
Who should win: Rams, I guess? Because they have more wins?
Who will win: Yeah, Rams. I'm going with the Rams. You go, Rams.
Overall: RAMS over Bucs.

Browns vs. Jets:
Another inconsequential game. And two teams that stunk up the joint, despite winning a few.
Who should win: Browns, because I like them better.
Who will win: Jets, because they win when I don't want them to.
Overall: Jets over Browns. Sobbing Weeden.

Cowboys vs. Redskins:Here we go, boys and girls. This one is absolutely huge. If the Cowboys win here, whether or not the Eagles win or lose, they are still alive in the playoffs. Which means if they win here, Tony Romo still has a potential chance to make the Super Bowl.
Who NEEDS to win: Cowboys. Even if I absolutely despise them, I know it when a team needs to win, and even if they're sucking, they need it this year.
Who should win: Redskins. I know, they suck this year, and I know their QB is Kirk Cousins, but I don't care. I absolutely NEED them to win. If they win, I don't have to worry about anything else, save for if my Eagles lose.
Who will win: Redskins. Somebody needs to pull something huge. I mean it.
Overall: Redskins over Cowboys.

Titans vs. Jaguars:
Battle for 2nd place in a losing division?
Who should win: Titans
Who will win: Jaguars. Because anything can happen when absolutely no one is watching.
Overall: Jags over Titans.

Saints vs. Panthers:
Okay, THIS ONE is huge. Both these teams have the exact same record right now. Whoever wins will clinch, whoever loses will be in for the wild card. And these teams are both really good. So, both of them need to win.
Who should win: Panthers. Right now, they are the better team. As awesome as Drew Brees has been this season, Cam Newton has been 5 steps ahead, and he's been really wowing some people. I think that going in today, the Panthers have the highest chance of winning.
Who will win: Saints. I know, I just talked up the Panthers, but I have a feeling that today is going to be big for the Saints. I don't know how they're gonna win it, I just see them winning it. It may not actually happen, but I have a fonder appreciation for them this year. I hope they get it.
Overall: Saints over Panthers, by a very slim margin.

Broncos vs. Texans:
Last year, this game would have been considered a high profile playoff game.
Who should win: Broncos.
Who will win: Broncos. So much for that.
Overall: Broncos over Texans. It isn't even close.

4 PM GAMES

Chargers vs. Raiders:
Neither of these teams have any shot at making the playoffs. So, I'm gonna take a wild guess.
Who should win: Chargers.
Who will win: Chargers. It's not that hard, guys.
Overall: Chargers over Raiders.

Lions vs. Giants:
Battle of the third place teams!
Who should win: Lions, even though they are down by Green Bay by a half-inch
Who will win: Giants. This should fix that.
Overall: Giants over Lions.

Cardinals vs. Seahawks:
Forget the fact that the Cardinals have more wins than anyone in the NFC North right now. The Seahawks, if everything goes right, are a Super Bowl team this year. Really. They are playing beautifully, and they deserve something close to a nice playoff run.
Who should win: Seahawks. They're already in the playoffs, so let's see them beat down another team.
Who will win: Seahawks. The Cardinals are a great team, let's not deny that. However, they are playing Seattle. Russell Wilson is on his A-Game this year, and so are his receivers. This might be close, but the Seahawks should have it.
Overall: Hawks over Cards.

Steelers vs. Packers:
If the Packers win today, they are still alive. They NEED to win today.
Who should win: Packers. I don't care if Rodgers is out, I don't care if they're slumping. I do not care. I think that they have a shot at winning today. If Matt Flynn plays like he's been playing, they're going to win.
Who will win: Packers. If Ben Roethlisberger plays like he's been playing, the Packers are going to win. Go. Packers.
Overall: Packers over Steelers.

Patriots vs. Ravens:
You'll notice that the Patriots have not clinched their division yet. You'll also notice that I am OVERJOYED about said fact.
Who should win: Ravens
Who will win: Ravens. Both these teams need it. Baltimore wants it more.
Overall: Ravens over Patriots. Wide margin.

8 PM GAME:

Bears vs. Eagles:
The Eagles have a lead. Tonight, they NEED to keep it. The Bears also have a lead. Tonight they need to lose it. It's going to be a battle of which team is better, and which team wants it more.
Who should win: Eagles. I'm not just saying this because I'm biased. I'm saying this because the Eagles have been through a LOT since McNabb left. A lot of awful seasons, a lot of bloodshed, a lot of Michael Vick. Here, they have a chance to finally win, and make the playoffs in a season where they've redeemed themselves. Nick Foles needs to play well today.
Who will win: Eagles. The Bears are a great team, really they are. And they are used to this kind of weather. But I honestly think that the Eagles are tougher than they are. The Bears have a different QB (unless Cutler's back, I forget), and they have a lot more inconsistencies than the Eagles do, which says something. If the Bears win, I'll be fine. But I'd personally prefer the Eagles take it.
Overall: Eagles over DAAAAAAA Bearss.

MONDAY NIGHT:

Falcons vs. 49ers:
Not even close.
Who should win: Niners
Who will win; Niners
Overall: Niners over Falcons. Well done, boys.

So, those are my predictions. Let's watch the fur fly.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Padres

 Yes, Ian Kennedy played for the Padres this season. And that right there sums up their season. A former-really-good pitcher gets traded there, and it does absolutely nothing to impact the rest of the season. Although, if you're a Padres fan, you're probably used to this ritual by now.

This card is awesome. A pitcher sliding. Like, this doesn't get depicted in photography every day, let alone on cardboard. I'm glad I customized it.

Coming Tomorrow- Three members of my pathetic Philadelphia Phillies.

A box of 1994 Stadium Club Series 2 (Part 1)

If somebody handed me a hundred dollars and told me I could only spend it on cards, the one thing I WOULDN'T do would be to spent it all on modern flagship. I mean, the wax of the 2000's and 2010's are fun, but they're not...fun to open, or fun to reminisce upon. That's why if I'm getting an older box of cards, I seek out a fun set, one I'm going to have a good time opening.

So, when I got a surplus of Amazon money over the holidays, I felt like I needed to get at least one Stadium Club box.

Why, exactly? I ripped two vintage boxes of Stadium Club two years ago. A box of 1993, and a box of 1996. I adored both sets, and enjoyed the quality, the photography, the design, and countless other things. And also, because Amazon sells them relatively cheap.

There were a few years' boxes up for grabs, but I figured that if I were getting Stadium Club, and if I were getting a FUN box, then I had to get a FUN design. And the 1994 design always spoke to me as a fun one, as it was so 90's it wasn't funny.

So, I bought the box, and it came in the mail last weekend. And I'm gonna open it with you all. I mean...I'm gonna open it, and you're gonna see what I got, via my crappy camerawork.

24 packs. 12 cards per pack.

Pack 1-
For the record, when I display my findings, I'll divide them into three main categories- dummy cards, cards of people I've never heard of/doubles, and cards that, if I were collecting cards in 1994, I would put in my binder. There are a few notable rookies in this set, but they're not actual rookie cards. They are, however, damn close.
My discards here included Jose Bautista, Phil Clark, and Scott Cooper.

Also, I added a few shots of really nice photography, like Jeff Reed or Derek Bell. Our big star in this pack was Kirby Puckett, two years before his premature retirement. Our one-per-pack gold foil card is Mike Henneman. The gold foil cards should not, by any circumstances, be mistaken for first day issue cards, such as the mistake I made.

Pack 2-
Already we have our first double in Phil Clark. Exactly one pack in, as well. Also, a rookie card of Turk Wendell, which tells you how impressive the 1994 rookie class turned out to be. And I have indeed heard of Appier, I just think that photo is a bit boring.

Wally Joyner was still a moderate star in 1994, as was Hal Morris. Meanwhile, Matt Turner is wearing one of my all time favorite baseball uniforms, the 1990's teal Marlins. I don't care that they're likely never going to wear them again. They're awesome.

We have our first two inserts in this pack. Our first is of David Justice, exclaiming that he hit the most home runs in the NL in 1993, which means that the NL must have been pretty depleted in 1993. Also, there's a Tale of Two Players insert of two Hall of Famers, Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield. Dave would retire a year after this set, Paul would retire four years after this set. Also, a foil card of Yankee punchline Roberto Kelly.

Park 3-
Three packs, three Phil Clark cards. Not even kidding. Great job, Topps.

Bob Hamelin and Kevin Stocker are two people that were relatively big deals in 1994. Especially Hamelin, seeing as he won the Rookie of the Year this year, alongside Raul Mondesi who was a lot better than Hamelin, though that's not saying much. Also, I got a Cecil Fielder Quick Start insert. I personally wish his son had more time as a Tiger.

Pack Four-
Already you can see how the collation in this box is going to be. The collation is the one thing I don't miss about 90's boxes.

A few nice stars in Ron Darling, Bob Welch, Willie Wilson and Jay Buhner. Only surefire hit is Andre Dawson. I do not have enough cards of him as a Red Sock, too.

Pack Five-
More doubles, plus Ramon Martinez.

This photo didn't come out too great, but there's an awesome Ozzie Guillen, an awesome Wes Chamberlain throwback, and a nice card of Jeff King getting eye-black painted on. Best card has to be Bret Saberhagen, even if it's 90's, not-as-good-as-his-Royals-days Bret Saberhagen.

Pack 6-
Most amuzing of the boring shots of John Valentin, at the height of his 90's popularity. Basically, he's the Kevin Youkilis of the 1990's, without the slumping-in-the-Bronx part, or the last-minute-career-renaissance-in-Japan part.

I got a rookie card of Curt Leskanic. -1 year old me would have been pleased with this, had there not been another Curt Leskanic rookie right behind it. Also, a nice shot of Darryl Kile. The pack MVP is obviously Wade Boggs. Take notes, Jacoby. This is how a Red Sock becomes a Yankee hero.

Pack 7-
One of our discards is Candy Maldonado. I imagine by this point everyone had come to their senses about Candy Maldonado. And the Indians, in that matter.

The highlights here are a very, very nice card of always-fantastic-on-cardboard Ricky Bones, a card of Yankee-flameout Jimmy Key, a Quick Start insert of Tony Gwynn, and an excellent shot of Dante Bichette, leaping against the monument of someone he will never be as good as.

Pack 8-
The discards include Rob Natal, a Marlins catcher who I have never heard of. It's justifiable, too, because I honestly forget who's playing catcher for them now.

Nothing too special here, save for a roughed-up Greg Vaughn, and a really nice shot of Ken Caminiti.

Well, I'll stop at 8 for today, but overall, the best of this box is yet to come. Trust me.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Orioles

 While the Orioles were nowhere near as good as they were in 2012, they still had a respectable season, and still had a nice showing out of Nick Markakis, who continued to be their star leader.

 Brian Roberts had another injury-laden season, which is normal for Brian Roberts. Good news is that in 2014 Roberts will be suiting up for the New York Yankees, and hopefully staying healthy for a while.

Bud Norris didn't do too much in his tenure with Baltimore, but he was respectable, and at least he got the hell out of Houston while he could.

Coming Tomorrow- a few from the Padres.