2pm Padres Name Opening Day SP

Opening Day pitching match-up set For Padres Tigers. The 1st Weekend Of March Madness.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
San Diego Sports seven said, a global leader in digital security,
probably headquartered in San Diego. For North America, San Diego
Sports seventy six, KGB and KGB FM HD two San
Diego and iHeart Radio station guaranteed Hugh Manual men Man.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
The support is sponsored by Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air.
Padres opening day is Thursday afternoon. We have known for
a while that the Tiger's opening day starter is going
to be Treek Schooble, but now we know who the
Padres opening day starter is going to be. It's going
to be Nick Pavetta going on the Hill on opening
day for the Pods.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
That game will be.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
For his Thursday at one ten down in Peco Park
and NFL News at Jackson Smith and Jigma. The reigning
NFL Player of the Year, has reached an agreement with
Seahawks in a four year, one hundred and sixty million
dollars extension that will make him the highest paid wide
receiver in NFL history. Of course, the deal averages forty
two point five million a year and includes over one

(01:09):
hundred and twenty million guaranteed.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Both are records for.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
A wide receiver and Thursday and Friday, We've got sweet
sixteen action for you on San Diego Sports seven sixty
starting at four o'clock. Choosing the right home service company
isn't just about fixing what's broken. It's about trusting who's
in your home. That's why homeowners count on Anderson for friendly,
professional service that keeps everything running right.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
Visit andersonpha dot.

Speaker 4 (01:34):
Com San Diego Sports seven sixty. John Jay for Sammy Long,
Brent's Berry with you here for the next oh I
don't know, sixth of a day four hours on.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
San Diego I did you think about that way?

Speaker 4 (01:53):
Thanks to the day you put it that way, and
in terms of like you're waking day. If the average
American sleeps day that hours, that's high if you're an adult.
But let's just say an adult sleep state hours. Then
four out of sixteen is a quarter of the day,
you know, a quarter of the day.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Talk to It is Southern California Public.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
Which again I love doing. So we'll be with you
for the next four hours. I want to start with this.
We'll get into Bavetta schoogle. That's now officially official obviously
it is. Kevin Acy will join us at four pm.
Caleb Davis San Diego State Football GM. They opened spring
practice today on the MACE. The w hold join the
show coming up at three thirty. But so, the NCAA
tournament was here at via Haas, not that I need
to remind you, Yes, yeah, no, I watched as a

(02:33):
Kansas fan, but you're also an Astec fan obviously an
Aztec alum. But so I went the first day on
Friday and it was spectacular. Fia Haas is an amazing
arena for the NCAAT. It really is great on TV too.
Some of these buildings aren't the right buildings because they're
like nineteen thousand seed NBA buildings and the market doesn't
really care. But San Diego cares. It's a great college
basketball market. It's the perfect size venue and the building's

(02:56):
just electric. I've been there and on multiple tournaments. So
I'm there on Friday afternoon session. First game, Arizona rolls whoever.
They played the Battle of the iced Ta Arizona, I
cy against Loylan.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Arizona won. That second game was a very good game.

Speaker 4 (03:10):
I was there for Utah State villaenof It was a
good game and Utah Stay came back and won. I
missed the night session which had all the hooplab because
Saint John's and camps in the building, and then Sunday,
so I was credentialed for the entire weekend. I couldn't
go Sunday because I've been working all year, as you know,
calling astek games. I might to be like, hey, hon,
hey Jones, let me go to those Saint John's Kansas

(03:31):
game is supposed to hang out with you.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
You couldn't say you were covering that one because it.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
Was really covering that one even Friday. I don't know
how much covering I was doing on Friday, but what
I did notice when Saint John's beat Kansas, as you saw.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
I'd hate to.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Bring it up, but on that final play with three
point nine seconds to play where their guard gets downhill
and hits the layup to sin Saint John's so sweet
sixteen for the first time since nineteen ninety nine where
the entire Saint John's team celebrated was literally at the
San die Go Sports seven sixty credential like location, like
we're sitting.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
And by we, I mean me. They literally all.

Speaker 4 (04:08):
Leapt upon each other within like honestly, I would have
been in.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
The shot like one hundred times all over the New
York Post. Exactly.

Speaker 4 (04:16):
I would have been in that shot if I was
there Sunday afternoon for whatever, for whatever that's worth. And
I will say this real quick, a couple of years ago,
where was it I'm trying to remember, Oh yeah, when
Yale beat Auburn.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
And spoke yes that was run.

Speaker 4 (04:31):
The dude who hit the game winning shot or made
the stop for Yale jumped up on the table and
his legs were like overtop me, like all the camera
ba he was like, it was bizarre. He was on
the table and I was at the seat. I thought
he was going to break my laptop. And then prior
when San Diego State went to the National Championship, when
who was it when Furman beat UVA on that ridiculous

(04:53):
interception and a half court that was the game before
I SDSU. That dude jumped on the table right by me.

Speaker 5 (04:58):
Dude, you're like this the good light. You're the table guy,
You're the sable guy. You're the You're the You're gonna
be like in star photos like twenty years snow and
they're going over highlight packages of Saint John's against these.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
Moments have followed me Laman Butler when it hits the shot.
Oh yeah, I'm in like those videos. I haven't shared
some of them because i've have you ever, I'll have
to show you.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
To break one of the videos. Show me what I've
seen one of you where you're sitting right there.

Speaker 4 (05:22):
I say it there, but then I like jump up,
and then I like fall over because I don't want
people behind me not to be able to see, So
I like, can it's really fault you'd have to see.
It's ridiculous. But March madness, dude, I mean, there's nothing
like it. It's different. In my opinion. This is two
straight years where you haven't had a thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
or sixteen win for the first time ever two straight years.
But you're still you're still getting You're still getting the madness.

(05:44):
We've still seen some craziness the last couple of days.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
We were talking about earlier.

Speaker 5 (05:47):
I actually look, I know, it's it's awesome when we
see a seed like that thirteen or sixteen win and
it's a it's a great We almost had some Sienna Overduke.
You had Wright State pushing for Chainey Furman push Connecticut
for a little bit, so we had some guys compete.
I think you're seeing with the nil the bench of
a lot of these schools just.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
Can't match up. They don't they don't have.

Speaker 5 (06:11):
The bench players of Sienna are not even close to
the bench players of Duke. The Sianta starters outplay Duke
for that basically entire game's ridiculously play stars in the
entire time they I it was kind of in saying
that it was that close. But from here on out
because a lot of people, I think, tune in because
the first weekend of March Madness. I don't care if
you're a college basketball die hard or you just watch

(06:34):
March Madness. People tune in for the lack of upsets though,
actually makes it more fun from here on out, because
when we have.

Speaker 3 (06:43):
A fourteen seed or a fifteen seed in there, it's
a great story.

Speaker 5 (06:46):
But if we're going off Vegas terms, if you know
Furman ended up matching up with Duke in the Elite eight,
that spread's gonna be about twenty five and a half
in favor of Duke, no doubt. And that's where you
see duds in games that aren't great. So although it's great,
seeing the Cinderella story. It also is fun that we're
getting I mean Saint John's and Duke, and we're getting

(07:07):
Yukon in Michigan State. And although that's chalk, we're getting
great basketball matchups that actually I think will lead to
a more funds we sixteen Elite eight than had we
gotten a fifteen seed advancing.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, I mean part of me. Listen, do I miss
the last two years? Someone may? I kind of do.
I'm with you.

Speaker 4 (07:24):
Do I need to see Saint Peter's in the Elite
eight In terms of like is that compelling?

Speaker 3 (07:28):
No?

Speaker 4 (07:29):
Not really, but the story is always amazing. I mean
the idea of loyala Chicago VCU First four to Final four.
Like it's different with Texas, Like Texas is not a Cinderella, right,
they played in the SEC because of the largest athletic
budget the history of mankind. They're budget run circles around
like the Green Bay Packers payroll. So they're not a Cinderella.

(07:49):
But it's just different. But it's still March Madness. And
I'm sure a lot of you were in Via House
Arena over the weekend.

Speaker 3 (07:54):
The other big story.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
That I have no idea why I took the Padre
so long to announce this and Kevin Acy will Jonas
Live at four pm, but they've made it official that
it will be Nick Pavetta. This was Craig Stammon, the
first year manager of the Padres, earlier today. It took
until the week of the game the other twenty nine
teams had announced their starters. In fact, the twenty ninth
was at least days ago. It wasn't yesterday. The twenty

(08:19):
nine team made this announcement. Let's say seventy two hours ago.
We were still waiting on the Padres. What do you got, bro,
I'm just laughing. He's playing it close to the chest. Yeah,
like why it's yeah, Hey, he's keeping in suspense, big
gamesmanship to so the Tigers can't prepare for Nick Povetta
for more than three days. So this is Craig Stammon
earlier today in the announcement.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
Craig, can you tell us who your opening day starter
will be on Thursday? No, We're gonna wait one more day. No,
I'm just kidding.

Speaker 6 (08:46):
Opening Day starter twenty twenty six Aego Pires will be
Nick Pavetta. We excited for Nick to get his chance
to start opening Day. He was our best pitcher throughout
the whole entire last season, was our number one starter
when we took on the Cubs in the Wildcard series.
He has pitched great in spring training and we he

(09:07):
deserves to get the opening day nod. I want to
qualify this by saying, I know there's one hundred and
sixty one games after and it's only one game.

Speaker 3 (09:14):
But given all that, you just said, why are we.

Speaker 6 (09:16):
Standing here a day the day before you leave, the
day you leave and finding out what were you guys considerations? Yeah,
I think we're deciding between him and Michael. And part
of it was Nick's little break that he took in
spring training, and you know, whether we felt comfortable with
him as not a highest pitch count as Michael, you know,

(09:36):
taking the ball and opening day, and so.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
We weighed all the.

Speaker 6 (09:40):
Options and you know, kind of stuck with what we
felt like going into spring training was, you know, the
guy that deserved to pitch on opening Day. And I
think the other part is like Michael pitch on opening
Day last year, So maybe there's some familia familiarity with
pitching on opening Day, but felt in the end like
opening day starter has a lot to do with what
you've done the past year and if you're deserving of

(10:02):
that and then healthy enough to take the ball in
opening day.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
And so Nick checked all those boxes.

Speaker 6 (10:06):
We're excited for him, you know what an opportunity for
him to start an opening day and represent us in
that first.

Speaker 4 (10:11):
Inning, all right, So shout out to Kevin Acy there
for just asking the most obvious question that everyone want
to answer them, which is like, why did you announce
this right now? Like you've known this for weeks now.
His answer I actually thought was good. He said, Listen,
King and Pavetta both have kind of earned it. Michael
King has been a really good picture for us. So
we were weighing that King has not hit near the spring,
not that it matters. I'm never a big believer in

(10:33):
proven players needing to have good springs, but I mean,
this is a no brainer. Nick, Pavetta was your horse
last year, so if he's your horse again this year,
you've got a shot.

Speaker 3 (10:41):
So he's earned it.

Speaker 5 (10:42):
It was funny that Jack Flaherty, who's starting Saturday for
the Tigers, was announced before he went. Nick Covetta's opening
day started the Game three starter for the Tigers. Yeah,
it's kind of odd. I we were talking off air gamesmanship.
I don't really know what that does. This is not
like you know, the star quarterbacks injured. Is he gonna play?
Is he not gonna play? Where you see that lean

(11:04):
up to game day? I agree, Nick Pavetta had certainly
earned those stripes last year. He was a the most
available pitcher and he was just the best pictures for
the Potter's consistently throughout the season. It's nice that they
can have a conversation between King and Paveta, But yeah,
I'm with you. I don't take much stock into oh
this guy had a rough spring training outing or stuff

(11:25):
like that like that. I feel like people, because spring
training goes on for so long and we're looking for storylines,
can definitely overreact to things like that. Once the season starts,
I mean, one hundred and sixty two games, we'll definitely
get a big sample size of Nick Pavetta if he's
the same player he was a year ago.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yeah, it's it's me. It's literally nothing. It's like, here's
what happens on opening day. Everyone overreacts one way.

Speaker 3 (11:46):
Or the other.

Speaker 4 (11:47):
It's like if the Padres beat Scooble, people like this
team's legit, Like they got all the pieces. Did you
see Merrill's two strike approach? They scored three runs off
they chased Scooble the fourth, Like, guys, it's a game
now again, I'd prefer to beat to re ex School
and if they lose to tourk Schooble three nothing, if
it just kind of goes as planned, easier said than done, right,
their favorite, their favorite on the road, right, Yeah, But

(12:08):
if s Goooble, you know, goes six shutout innings and
you lose three to one, that this team isn't it?
Like in no sport can you possibly say that, specifically
baseball when the starting pitchers change every single day and
they truly play nearly two hundred times.

Speaker 5 (12:25):
I think what's interesting about the fact that they're playing
this Tiger's team. And I'm not saying that they were
ever going to be in on Framer Valdez, but the
Tiger's big off season acquisition was Framer Valdez, and they
have a really nasty starting ratation Jack Flaherty inconsistent, but
him as your number three starter is something you feel
pretty good about. And it just feels like that what
we've been talking about for months on end, which is

(12:48):
was Griffin Canning and Walker Bueler and her mom Marquez
Enough was that taking the shots in the dark.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
Is it going to come back to bite you?

Speaker 5 (12:54):
Or are we going to be sitting here a few
months from now talking about a j Prowler's a genius
in the fact that the guy who if you could
have signed, would have been that is a superstar. You
put him in your lineup. You don't need taking flyers
on anyone else. That's the guy you throw out there
every five days and feel great about. Not that they
were ever in on frame of Valdez. I mean they
might have been out priced, certainly, but it just it's

(13:15):
an example of them not getting a bona fide other starter.
And now with the Joe MUSKRM news on the IL,
it's a little bit of a hard pill to swallow
when you're gonna be seeing him wear a different jersey
on Friday night at Peco. Dude, everyone overreacting on opening
Day is one of my favorite things. Every year, there'll
be some dude I always call it the Toughie Roads. Yeah,

(13:36):
three home runs and opening again, Yes, where there'll be
some dude that will be like Oh my god, who
is this guy?

Speaker 2 (13:41):
He's the next lou Gerrigg. And then we will never
hear from them again completely.

Speaker 4 (13:46):
That is an annual right of passage from baseball fans
or just sports fans overreacting on opening Dan Now the
Padres did make him move today, what impact would have
on their chances in twenty twenty six plus. Kevin Asy
will join the show at four pm. Caleb Davis, San
Diego State Football General Managers, Bring practice underwent in the
mesa Old Jonas coming up at three thirty.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments San Diego Sports seven sixty
America's finest sports tea.

Speaker 3 (14:18):
At San Diego Sports seven sixty.

Speaker 4 (14:20):
March Manadess does continue on seven sixty this Thursday and
Friday afternoon at four pm with Sweet sixteen action. You
can hear all the action right here on your home
for March Mandis in San Diego. San Diego Sports seven sixty.
John Schaeffer, Sammy Long, Brent Sperry with you. Kevin Ac
at four pm. Caleb Davis, San Diego State Football General Manager,
Spring practice Underwayhal Jonas at three thirty. We do have

(14:42):
a pair of tickets to see slightly Stupid, and they're
coming to San Diego and Petco Park June thirteenth, and
tickets available at ticketmaster dot com. We'll give those tickets away.
Coming up Slightly Stupid June thirteenth at Petco Park. All right,
So first of all, you are okay. So last week
I want to say to Annie and here on Wednesday, Brent,
I think that's right. And Annie was a little under

(15:05):
the weather. Yeah okay, And now I'm sensing a week later,
not even a week, you're under the weather.

Speaker 5 (15:12):
All right, this is my first I literally Thursday through
Sunday did nothing and watched basketball all day. I was
out out completely not nasty head colding fight here in
my voice. So you were sick over the weekend? Yeah,
watching it first day. I'm feeling better today. But uh,
there are certain people not Annie. Annie, I do not
blame for getting me.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
Say yea, because I don't think you're in the same
room with her.

Speaker 5 (15:33):
There were certain people in this building Travis Dale. Uh,
and some people at COG were sick last week. Ben
Flesher sick a couple weeks ago. It's like, you know what,
I where's Ben? He's at some golf event.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
Today. I was on with Ripken today.

Speaker 6 (15:50):
I know.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
So he was at a golf event.

Speaker 4 (15:52):
He was just playing golf, yeah with with with Big
with Richard Okay, okay, so yeah, so it's doing something
he was like.

Speaker 5 (15:58):
He was like, he texted like, hey, do you if
you guys want me to call in at one o'clock.
I was like, we want you to call in after
ten beers? Like good, I said, We're fine, We'll see
you tomorrow. All right, So you're you're listen.

Speaker 4 (16:09):
I've always said this, and it's it's not to our
listeners have way harder jobs than ours by large, right,
Like the people listening have real jobs. We talk sports
and even you know when we can play like oh
we have to work for four hours. People work twelve
hours in a day, right to put food on the table.
So but I will say this, if you do what
we do, like take your job if you're listening right now,

(16:31):
and say what is the worst part about your job
or what makes your job much harder for you?

Speaker 3 (16:36):
And I it's just being sick. It's the most annoying thing.

Speaker 5 (16:40):
On Wednesday, I had a massive sore throat. You know,
I was like really nervous for the show because I
was like, I don't know how I'm gonna get through it,
get through it, but yeah, you know, it's it's hard
out here.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
For us, it's hard out here. I mean we're troopers,
all right.

Speaker 4 (16:53):
So the Padres made a move today, and you know,
it's not probably the difference to winning or losing a
World Series, although it's easy to say that because you
don't really never know what the difference is going to
be between winning and losing a World Series. But they've
added a veteran reliever in jose Le Clerk, who has
actually had good career numbers. The issue is he missed

(17:15):
all of last year essentially due to injury, and he's
probably not eligible to come off the IL until the
midway point of the year.

Speaker 3 (17:22):
What was he deal with a lat strain? Yeah, lat strain.

Speaker 5 (17:24):
He was one of the setup guys for the Rangers
when they beat the Diamondbacks on World Series.

Speaker 4 (17:28):
So yeah, I mean his career numbers are solid. Now,
I don't know if this is the bullpen I would
try to break through in because the bullpen already is
obviously one of the deeper into sport.

Speaker 5 (17:37):
That's a great point, Like if you were looking selfishly,
why would you want to come to San Diego when
I mean, do you take guys like David Morgan last year, right,
who I thought actually when he was out there pitched
pretty well, but simply because when you have Jeremiah Strono,
Roberts Suarez, Mason Miller and Marijane like, you're not breaking
through with that and Jason Adam up until that point.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
Yeah, I mean it's interesting because I don't know like
this because this is the best opportunity, is this the
only opportunity is it? Because inevitably, over the course of
a year, there's going to be injuries in a bull
Like you're gonna get a chance if your stuff is
good enough, if he comes back healthy. This is a
guy that earned at one point a ten million dollars
one year deal from the Eights, So like he's only

(18:18):
like a year or two removed from that now last
last year and I don't want to hear about the numbers.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
Oh we had a six yur last year.

Speaker 4 (18:24):
He threw ten innings and was hurt, so who cares
what his number numbers were, but it is Here's what
I would say. The thirty thousand foot view on this
has nothing to do with Jose Leaclark and everything to
do with what aj Preller is trying to accomplish.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
And here's what he's trying to do.

Speaker 4 (18:39):
He's trying to prove this point, even if you can't
prove this point, is that can I win at the
highest level by building the most elite bullpen in modern
baseball history? Which is arguable if they can even do that,
if they can have the best bullpen the sport, they
certainly should be up there if they can stay relatively healthy.

(19:00):
Twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five postseason will tell
you an elite bullpen alone is not even getting you
to a World Series, let alone winning a World Series
for you. There are examples of recent baseball history of
elite bullpens. Carrit Dodgers two years Dodgers Kansas City ten
years ago with the Royals seven, eight, nine setup guys,
But can you do it with a I hate to
put it this bluntly, with the rotation, but if the

(19:21):
rotation is mid, can you still win at a high
level because of your bullpen?

Speaker 6 (19:25):
Well?

Speaker 5 (19:25):
Also, you were talking there kind of made me think
of if your AJ Preller think about opportunity because right
if're Jose Leclerk, San Diego doesn't make a lot of
sense in terms of opportunity for you.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
But is that the plan?

Speaker 5 (19:39):
Is it the plan of that the patterre is know
that rotation has nothing to write home about, and this
is going to be showcasing the bullpen throughout the season.
And so it's going to be you starters get through
the fourth inning and they're going to the pen. Now,
that's not sustainable over one hundred and sixty two games.
I have massive concerns about that, because you know, it's
one thing when you acquire Mason Miller down the stretch

(20:01):
in some of the arms and it's like it's the
hot new bullpen. You can ride that through the postseason.
But over months on end, that's just not gonna work.
But is this a j preler trying to stuff his bullpen,
load his bullpen up so much that it can somehow
make up for the deficiencies in the starting rotation.

Speaker 4 (20:18):
I mean, if you're gonna do it, why not just
do it to the end degree and just every fourth
day just have an opener, you know, like use your
three and a half four and a half starters and
then one of the raised series opener, Game two of
the next series against the Dodgers opener, Like, if you're
going to do it, if you're gonna invest in that strategy,

(20:39):
which clearly they have invested in that strategy, because you
can't convince me otherwise, I mean, the strategy can't be Well,
maybe Walker Bueller and Herman Marquez and Randy Vasquez all
have the greatest seasons of their career.

Speaker 3 (20:49):
That makes no sense.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
If that happens, incredible and that sounds great. But if
that doesn't happen, then I'm going down.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
With my bullpen.

Speaker 4 (20:58):
I'm not going down with Hermond Market. Oh but Johnny's
had a good spring. I don't care. Thirty consecutive good
stars from Herman Marquez is wishful. Same thing with Walker Bueller,
same thing with Randy Vasquez. You don't have to have
five great starters. That isn't my point. But if you've
got this elite, elite bullpen, then let's see how elite
it is.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
Like, go down with it. I'm just I'm totally with you.

Speaker 5 (21:19):
I'm just nervous that Craig Stammon is the guy who's
never managed before and who was a relief pitcher, so
that can't be the fallback plan like that. It might
win him a lot of games early and we may
be coming on here talking about, hey, look at this bullpen.
I mean, they're shutting people down left and right, But
what does that do for July and August? And it's

(21:40):
historically teams that have tax bullpens, despite talent, do not
win in the playoffs. The Dodgers are the one exception.
Two years ago they had one of the most heavily
taxed bullpens in the entire league and they still won.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
But usually that is not something that happens. But you know,
I guess maybe Ah probably trying to break a trend
and sorry, something new.

Speaker 4 (21:58):
It'll be interesting to see beginning Thursday what the Padres
true plan is for their bullpen. All right, back to
again this past weekend with March Madness, and also this
past weekend involving a Padres prospect that we'll discuss. Plus
we have these tickets to give away for Slightly Stupid
coming to Petco Park in the middle of June. Caleb Davis,

(22:18):
san Diego States Football general Manager. He will join the
show at three thirty Kevin ac Live on his way
out of Peoria he's getting out of there quick.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
Miss the action of DNA Thursday and I Diem every
week on AMC. For showtimes and more information, visit DNA
wrestling dot com. San Diego Sports No.

Speaker 3 (22:42):
Be Spurt is sponsored by Dairy Queen Padres.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
Opening Day is Thursday afternoon at one ten down at
Petco Park, and we now have two official starters for
the game. The Tigers, of course, are going to go
with three Schooble, but the Padres announced today that Nick
Povetta is going to be on the hill for opening
Day or the Fryars. In NFL News at Jackson Smith
and Jigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year

(23:07):
reached a deal with the Seahawks on a four year,
one hundred and sixty eight million dollar extension that makes
him the highest paid wide receiver in NFL history. The
deal averages just over forty two million per year and
includes over one hundred and twenty million guaranteed, both records
for a wide receiver. And Thursday and Friday, we've got
Sweet sixteen action right here on San Diego Sports seven

(23:30):
sixty beginning at four o'clock. Whoever said opposites attract was
definitely talking about the new swicey menu at DQ. Spicy
Flamethrower chicken strip served with a dip of sweet DQ
Soft Serve sounds wrong.

Speaker 3 (23:43):
But tastes so right.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
The new swicey menu at DQ Happy Taste good for
a limited time at participating locations.

Speaker 4 (23:58):
San Diego Sports seven Kevin AZ Live at four pm,
Klem Davis, San Diego States Football General Manager at three
thirty Spring practice UNDERWND the MESA for the Aztecs plus
slightly stupid tickets we will give away, all right, So
like two things can be true here on Ethan Salas,
the once top Padres prospect, is he still the Padres

(24:19):
top prospect.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
That I thought up to be the top prospect? It's arguable,
it's subjective.

Speaker 4 (24:24):
He's certainly considered still a top one hundred prospect and
as ceiling is higher than that.

Speaker 3 (24:30):
I will not deny that or discount that.

Speaker 4 (24:33):
You have to remember with Ethan Sallas, he's nineteen, Like
what were you doing at nineteen?

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Was that r He's their second prospect? Now always he
who's the number one prospect Cruz School Krakraft Awesome enough.

Speaker 4 (24:49):
Still he's still considered one of their top prospects. At
one point he was one of the top prospects in
the game. He doesn't currently possess that, but he is still,
let's say, a top one hundred prospect.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
He's nineteen elt twenty in June.

Speaker 4 (25:01):
But okay, so he hasn't had great offensive success as
of yet as a young player.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
Obviously he's still young. Last year was a complete wasted year.
Not his fault. He was hurt. Okay, so he was hurt.
Last year.

Speaker 4 (25:15):
He played ten games, hit one eighty eight. I'm discounting that,
no issue. The point I bring up is there was
the Future's Prospects Game, whatever the hell they call it,
involving Padre's prospects, and he had a really strong overall game,
both defensively and of the blade homeward And look, the
part is the point. But similar to what we said
about what Brent was referencing about Opening Day, one game

(25:39):
does not make anything, just like his ten game season
last year is not a reason to fully discount him.
He wasn't healthy. So the point is, I think he
just needs plenty of time. I think we need to
be reasonable with Ethan Sallas and recognized that most catchers
don't pop in the major leagues until like twenty four.
So if he's able to do it at two two

(26:00):
or twenty three, I think that's going to be terrific
when he's If he's breaking through in the major leagues
at that point, I think that'll be really good. But
I think it's encouraging. But played out in this prospect game.
But you can't tell me on one game, just like
you can't sell me he's not a prospect because he
played ten games last year and was heard it's gonna
play out over a number of years. This guy is
not helping the Padres. I see someone in the chat

(26:21):
telling me, how you know he's gonna be up this year. Now,
he's not gonna be up this year, And if he is,
he's gonna play no role if he's up this year,
and it's probably a disservice to his development. And I'm
not telling you he doesn't have a significant ceiling in
the Padres organization. He's gonna help them one day. I'm
confident in that.

Speaker 3 (26:37):
I just don't know what it is. It shouldn't be
in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 4 (26:39):
He's nineteen. Give him a full year in the minor leagues.
Look up, at the end of the year and see
where he is well.

Speaker 3 (26:45):
And I think because we can.

Speaker 5 (26:47):
You had the great tweet that the pottery has played
thirtieth of the in the farm systems or whatever, yep.
And the fact that a j Probber traded everybody Me
traded Deree. He's traded so many, so many prospects that
kind of littered the top one hundred for them. Then
it's everyone hyper focuses on Salas because he has always
kind of been the prize gym everyone's.

Speaker 3 (27:08):
Been looking for. And I mean right when he's nineteen.

Speaker 5 (27:11):
And baseball is such a game where it is not
like in the NBA, where even if you are not
an elite scorer, you can rebound, you can assist, you
can play defense like until you get your shot right,
and you can do it if you are in Major
League baseball. I mean, and you ruin you bring a
kid up too early where there's such a mental sport
in you could I mean, you could ruin a top prospect.

(27:34):
And because the cupboard's so bare in that regard, I
think people hyper focus on Sallas and everything he does
in the miners is either right, He's gonna be a
Hall of Famer or he's terrible, but it does feel
like we're we're probably a little too like one day
to your point, hopefully he's a star. But nineteen oh
even Salas can't be the answer as to why the
Potterys are gonna break through the World Series this year exactly.

Speaker 3 (27:55):
And here here's the thing.

Speaker 4 (27:57):
I think anytime you have a top prospect, expectations are unrealistic.
But when your top prospect is a catcher, it's even worse, right,
because there are no examples of catchers having like impactful
seasons as nineteen and twenty year olds in the major
leagues in the last quarter century. If there is, then
forgive me, but it's very rare. It's almost unprecedented in

(28:18):
modern baseball. So it's the quarterback they're calling the game. Yeah,
I mean, shoot, I mean it's different now with quarterbacks
where you don't stick out like Aaron Rodgers for three years.
But there are a lot of examples of guys. I mean,
one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL history is
Patrick Mahomes. He sat for a year and that's not
that long ago, it's within the last ten years. Let's
say Tom Brady sat initially before injury. I mean, obviously

(28:40):
he wasn't some prize prospect at the time, but it's
not atypical for quarterbacks to take a little bit of
time to develop or have that opportunity. But I would
say catcher even beyond that, you know, like you can
really break through in your mid twenties. He's six years
away from his mid twenties. You could be a Hall
of Famer and break through at twenty five at six
years from now.

Speaker 5 (29:00):
Right, Oh, and let's just say, because the Patters farm
system isn't packed, so if they want to go make
a deal the deadline, maybe like they need to go
get a starting pitcher, Like we're probably going to be
talking about months from now. The last thing you want
to do is bring up a kid who's not ready.
You burn all the excitement about the prospect. Because the
chances of Ethan Salas coming up to the big leagues

(29:22):
at age nineteen or twenty and having a good couple
of weeks are sudden to none. And that's not an
indictment on his talent or anything whatsoever. It's like he's
not ready. And to the point about being a catcher,
it's not like a dh that even that would be
super hard. But it's like, hey, your job is just
to go to hit. You're gonna focus on one thing
and that's going to be to hit. Oh let alone,
you're gonna be hitting and then calling a game for

(29:44):
a bunch of different pictures. I mean that is that
is way too much put on Ethan Salas at nineteen
and people need to definitely kind of key their excitement
a little bit.

Speaker 4 (29:53):
You make a really good point about like you don't
want him up this year or not because he's not good,
because you want him fully developed.

Speaker 3 (30:02):
Like this is gonna be a really weird analogy. I
don't even know why I thought of this. I don't
even eat meat.

Speaker 4 (30:08):
It's like, you could have the greatest steak in the world,
but you don't want it until like it's like cooked.

Speaker 5 (30:12):
Maybe some people want to rare, right, don't ruin it
and don't put it back in the oven. You know,
I'll redo redo your analogy. Okay, you want to have
the great steak on Saturday night and a nice dinner spot.

Speaker 3 (30:25):
Do you want to eat it Tuesday? I want to
talk to you. No, no, you got way. You gotta wait.

Speaker 4 (30:29):
Lectures it's fully done. Yes, have some patience. Though here's
the thing. AJ Preller will be patient.

Speaker 3 (30:38):
Would be my guest.

Speaker 4 (30:39):
With Ethan Salas, I don't think he has anything to
prove with Sallas. Preller's not losing his job. If Pallas
doesn't fan out, he may not.

Speaker 3 (30:46):
I think he will.

Speaker 4 (30:47):
I think it's still multiple years away, would be my guess.
But listen, aj Preller's fine. He just got his extension.
Organizations are one hundred plus players deep, from the major
leagues through the minor leagues. They've already invested in Sallas.
It's sunk cost. You're not getting out from underneath it
at this point. I'm not trading this player away. He's
certainly not at his ceiling currently. Maybe he could work

(31:08):
his way back up there. I'm just giving it time,
and with time and patience, hopefully you get what you
all were hoping to get along the way.

Speaker 5 (31:17):
And to your point about prospects, it's fun. And you know,
there's diehard fans who are watching a much of minor
league baseball games, but outside of the diehards is just
a number.

Speaker 3 (31:26):
It's number one ring prospect.

Speaker 5 (31:27):
People get excited because it could be something and we've
seen i mean the Mize for Milwaukee come up. That
was a highly anticipated debut. Lit it up obviously schemes.
You know, most of these pitchers and players take years
to develop. He comes in as a rookie and dominates.
I mean, look at the Red Sox. The Red Sox
had the top three prospects in the entire farm system,

(31:47):
and they kept waiting and kept waiting and kept waiting,
and they finally brought him up last year and Red
Sox fans were clamoring, like, why is Roman Anthony not
playing every day?

Speaker 3 (31:56):
Why are these guys not up there? It's because now the.

Speaker 5 (31:59):
Red Sox are a threat because they waited in kind
of not to use stake reference, but marinated.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
The players, right, and the man hid the player.

Speaker 5 (32:07):
They marinated the players, bronchoy some worse. But now they're
ready to go, and the Red Sox spoks to be
a threat for years to come versus two years ago
throwing them up there and there, you know, they've lose
all trade value, they lose all confidence, and so it
is a you know, kind of a tight rope to walk.

Speaker 4 (32:23):
I mean, they've punted on enough in terms of prospects
over the years, in trades where you don't let them
fully develop.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
You don't let them marinate, so to speak.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
And there's reasons for that, because you're acquiring Mason Miller,
because you're acquiring one Soto, and so on and so forth.
In this example, this is going to be one of
the one of the rare examples under Preller where they've
been willing to give a time Like Jackson Merril was
young when he made it up.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
But at least they they let them make it up.
They didn't trade them away. Tatist. I get it.

Speaker 4 (32:52):
They got it from the White Sox, but they didn't
trade them away. And now you're gonna have Ethan Salas
where I think we're probably at the point where you're
just kind of invested in them, like you're you're not
gonna I don't. I'd be surprised if they parted ways
with him at this point. It's like you're already a
couple of years into this experiment. Just see it through.
Doesn't have to be perfect right to second, he's still nineteen.

(33:13):
If he hits two fifty three and you're at the
trade deadline, doesn't mean well he's got to go. He's
only hitting two fifty three, and yeah, he's not he
hasn't conquered double as.

Speaker 3 (33:22):
If it was nineteen. I just see the full thing through.

Speaker 4 (33:26):
Why trade them all for less than you think he's worth,
get him to the major leagues and see, well.

Speaker 3 (33:31):
You also have to have something coming up the pipeline.

Speaker 5 (33:33):
I mean you traded Devrees, which I mean you can't
knock Mason Miller's and one of the biggest stars in baseball.

Speaker 3 (33:39):
But it probably will hurt at some.

Speaker 5 (33:41):
Point when Devrees is playing for the A's and if
everything is what he is, it's probably gonna be like,
oh damn, that would have been great for the Potterys
to have. You know, it's it's not Baseball's funny because
it's the one league where it's not sexy when you're
trading away the star player because you get cash and prospects.
And again, the amount of people who are so tapped
into the farm system. You don't know, I mean no

(34:03):
one knows. Most people don't know, and hell managers don't know.
The general managers don't know. Who has any idea if
the top prospects are going to hit or if they're not.
But it's never sexy trading way the star to get prospects.
But that is a vital pipeline the sport. And you
look at the best organizations year in and year out,
they always have big time farm systems.

Speaker 4 (34:25):
All right, we're gonna get back to it. Kevin ac
at four pm. Caleb Davis, san Diego State's football.

Speaker 3 (34:29):
General manager at three thirty. Spring practice underway.

Speaker 4 (34:31):
Anders Shaun Lewis on the MESA on other side, consider this,
Gonzaga doesn't reaches Sweet sixteen, Utah State loses in the
round of thirty two. The new PAC twelve kicks off
next year. How good of a league is it going
to be in?

Speaker 1 (34:46):
At least he's a place where it all happens in
San Diego Sports seven sixty. America is fine a sports station.

Speaker 4 (35:04):
All right, San Diego Sports seven to sixty. The Padres
twenty twenty six Cactus League is over.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
Like they're done. They won today. I haven't looked at
Cactus League standings in a while. I swear to even
know the Cactus League had standards. They do they do
in the Cactus League.

Speaker 4 (35:22):
Our listeners are not going to be thrilled to find
out the Padres are six and a half games back
of guess who correct the Dodgers. The Padres went fourteen
fifteen and one this spring. No, they went fifteen to
fifteen to one. Because they won today. It says they've
lost four straighter they won today, So fifteen to fifteen
to one, they will not bring home a Cactus League

(35:43):
title twenty twenty six. But to your point, who cares? Yeah,
I mean, it's interesting that the Dodgers are twenty and eight.
Atlanta's supposed to bounce back in the National League as
well in the Grapefruit leath are twenty and seven. Like,
it's interesting that there's some good like the Yankees are
eighteen to eleven, the Giants are nineteen to nine.

Speaker 3 (36:01):
These aren't the worst teams in baseball. Well, it's funny,
I guess if you look at it, obviously.

Speaker 5 (36:07):
I mean, the Dodgers farm system is ridiculous, right, so
they're just gonna be good. They have three outfielders who
are not gonna crack their lineup because of how good
the outfield is because they signed Kyle Tucker, that right
would be prize prospects going other places. So I guess
it makes sense that the teams that have some of
the most money in our good ball clubs just have
more talent, and maybe it speaks to the lack of

(36:28):
depth for other teams everywhere else.

Speaker 4 (36:30):
But I mean, well, you know how in football, dude,
is like every year back in the day with like
real whatever preseason games you'd have like the worst team
go for it. You'd have a team that would go sixteen,
Like the Browns could go four out right, and they
have the Chiefs go owing four, right, or the Patriots
going four and like it literally means nothing.

Speaker 3 (36:53):
I'll say the same thing about the cut and you
know what, you know why that is because the or
the Jags backs.

Speaker 5 (36:57):
The Browns are making eleven draft picks in the NFL
draft because they have more open roster spots, whereas the
Seahawks have less open roster spots. So the guys that
are actually gonna play are not gonna be playing in
the preseason games.

Speaker 3 (37:08):
Right, it's tip for the printerfall preseason. None of this stuff.

Speaker 4 (37:12):
Matters, Like NBA preseason, Give me a break. Oh they
play like five minutes Cactus League, give me a break. Like,
let's get to the real deal, which is going to
kick off Thursday afternoon. Spring training is way too long,
way too long, and it's only long. People would always
ask like, why are there so many games? There's one
reason it is to build up starting pitchers as the

(37:32):
only reason. Fernanda Tutties Junior could be ready in six days.
You know, most relievers could be ready in ten days.
But to get a guy built up to throw ninety pitches,
you can't go from thirty pitches to ninety pitches.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
He thirty fifty, seventy ninety.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
That was the best part of the WBC for me,
is it broke up the long spring training totally?

Speaker 4 (37:53):
Yeah, I agree, all right, I wanted to switch gears
for a moment. So this past week into March Madness,
you saw a Zaga go out in the round of
thirty two. That's a rarity under mark few historically, right,
they made up like a bizillion sweet sixteens in a row.
Now they haven't in back to back years. They weren't
fully healthy, by the way. And then Utah State, good story.
They did beat Villanova, and then I thought they played

(38:14):
well against Arizona. There was no world where they were
beating Arizona heading insto that game. Arizona's four, Yeah, so
the credit to Utah State. They headed four in the
final few minutes they lose by twelve. It was a
good showing by Utah State. Now you may have seen
over the last hour that Utah State's head coach. This
was always a formality. He's leaving. He's going to Cincinnati.
He'll be the next head coach the Bearcats. That's his

(38:36):
alma mater, Gonzaga. You would assume Mark Few is going
to be back, but the question now becomes, hold on,
there's gonna be this new league with Kenzaga, San Diego State,
Utah State, Colorado State, Boise State. That's what I would
call the top of the league. They also have programs
like Washington State and Oregon State that have won in
men's basketball before. And how does that compare to what

(38:56):
we've seen here recently in the Mountain West. I would
say it compares, and I would say you've got a
really good shot for programs like in Zaga, San Diego State,
and even Utah State. They've had coaching changes forever. They've
had four coaches in the last eight years. A lot
now have five and nine. I still think those three programs,
let alone a Boise and Colorado State that have been

(39:17):
in the tournament more often than not the last five
or six years. I think you've got a really good
path to getting three teams in annually to the NCAA
Tournament out of nine. And I think that's kind of
the point, because this year's Mount West had won, right,
you're hoping in the future, not only are you gonna
have multiple teams, you're hoping to get three plus teams
with hopefully you know, a San Diego State and Gonzaga

(39:37):
leading the way well, and.

Speaker 5 (39:39):
With Gonzaga despite the fact they got beat this week
in that's a national brand, just like San Diego State
has become a national brand because people casual fans see them.
When they went to the National Championship game, people are like, oh,
San Diego State, you get the iconic home Mount Butler
shot Utah State. I don't know Utah State fans to

(39:59):
be like, we beat the Aztecs two or three times,
but Utah State is a Mountain West brand.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
That is not a national brand.

Speaker 5 (40:06):
People people in my people in Miami are not concerned
with Utah State basketball, like I'm sorry that, let's just
let's be real. So when now they're all there and
that's not even to cite them. Utah State is a
very good basketball program. And to your point, they won
this weekend against Villanova that they played well against. Arizona
was a heavy dog in that game. But so you
still get the kind of quality of the Mountain West.

(40:29):
But San Diego State's problem is, you could argue the
Mount West. The only national brand in the Mountain West
is San Diego State. So it's hard for San Diego
State to kind of make resume builders where they're on
TV all the time when everyone they have to play
to get in is not necessarily that in Gonzaga, San
Diego State two times a year will be must watch television.

Speaker 3 (40:51):
On ESPN or whatever it's gonna be on.

Speaker 5 (40:52):
It's gonna be on a prime time people are gonna
pay attention to that game. So it gives you, i think,
two opportunities every year to Beacon Zaga, which is going
to be resume building wins, but also keeps the depth
of how good talented the Mountain West is.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
With Utah State in Colorado State, you may.

Speaker 4 (41:10):
Be asking yourself why is San Diego State leaving the
Mount West.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
Let me answer it with this.

Speaker 4 (41:16):
The Mount West and football this year was won by
Boise State, one of the defectors the Mount Weston basketball
this year was won by Utah State, one of the
defectors because they're joining programs that have won consistently at
a high level, like the Aztecs have in both football
and basketball. It's as simple as that. But John, they're
not joining the old PAC twelve. I know, I'm not
a moron, but it's better than what they're in. It's like, right,

(41:39):
it's like a ladder. It's like you don't typically go
from if you look at minor league baseball like a ladder, single,
a DOUBA TRIPAA, major leagues four rungs of a ladder.
There used to be more rungs. Very rarely do you
go from the first rung to.

Speaker 3 (41:50):
The top rung.

Speaker 4 (41:50):
There are examples, there are guys that have gone from
a ball to the major leagues. It's a rarity, right,
It's more an exception to the rule what San Diego
State is doing. There's examples also of program going from
you know, group of five to P four. But what's
happening here with programs like San Diego State and Boise
State is while they're not going to the P four
P five, they're moving up a rung. They're not going

(42:11):
up five runs, but they're moving up a wrong and
that matters in the ecosystem. Because they got one team
in the NCAA tournament this past year, you're hoping next
year in that new formation of a league, it's two
or three and guess who benefits San Diego State. That's
what you're hoping for in my opinion, by you know,
partnering with programs like in Zagon now the football side,

(42:31):
programs like you know, Washington State and Oregon State too.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
That's a big deal. To the point, is it the
Big twelve?

Speaker 6 (42:37):
No?

Speaker 3 (42:38):
Is it the SEC?

Speaker 5 (42:39):
Absolutely not, But it's better what it's been And the
fact that San Diego State what it ideally does is
that when coach Stutscher was on last week, he said,
he's like, we beat Houston and here we go. Got
into tournament. Right, had a bad players or a tournament
this year, didn't get into tournament. I mean, you were
putting so much pressure on that one week for the

(43:00):
Aztecs with the current and Mountain West structure because they
don't have resume builders. So if you play great in
the middle of November, when a lot of people's focus
is on the NFL, you're getting to the tournament point.
And if you're not playing, if you don't play well
like they did this year, they're not getting in. What
Gonzaga does and continue to play Utah State in Colorado
State is it takes the top of the Mount West

(43:23):
and then add some other value in from other conferences,
and I think there'll be less pressure on the Aztecs
having to be fantastic early on in the season. Give
them a little bit of leeway, which certainly would have
helped this year.

Speaker 3 (43:36):
Yeah, I completely agree with that. All right.

Speaker 4 (43:37):
On the other side, let's look at its opening day
for the Padres Downtown Petco Park Padres and Tigers. Who
know the starting pitching matchup in that one will preview
Opening Day on the other side, Plus Kelly Davis, San
Diego State's football GM joins this at three point thirty
and Kevin ac live from leaving Peoria will join us
at four pm. Sammy, good stuff. I appreciate you.

Speaker 3 (43:57):
I'm not gonna