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Congratulations Tim Stauffer, Your Perseverance Has Paid Off

Baseball 25 Mar 2011

Congratulations to Tim Stauffer on being announced the Padres opening day starter for the 2011 season!

It’s hard not to be happy for him. It’s an honor usually bestowed upon a team’s most experienced, established, and successful pitcher. Stauffer holds none of those titles on this staff. In fact, this time last season he was facing the prospect of being placed through waivers, if he did not make the team as a member of the bullpen. Of course he made the team in the bullpen, and went on to post a 1.85 ERA while making 25 appearances as a reliever, and 7 starts. This spring he leads the rotation candidates with a 2-0 record and 3.66 ERA.

With only 14 career wins and 38 starts under his belt he’s not the least experienced or successful starter to ever get the opening assignment. That honor belongs to Pat Dobson who in 1970 took only 11 career victories and 20 starts to the hill with him to start the Padres season.

Aside from the underdog attraction, there is also the character that Stauffer has displayed throughout his career that makes him someone you want to root for. In 2003 he was the Padres #1 draft pick. The Padres were prepared to give him $2.6M, which Tim could have easily agreed to. Instead he divulged to then GM, Kevin Towers, that he had a an arm problem. The Padres still signed him, but for $750K instead of $2.6M. You don’t see honesty and integrity like that very often, and even less often in the business of professionaly sports.

He chose to not have surgery but did rehab to strengthen his arm, and appeared to be on is way to making a complete recovery and comeback reaching the big leagues just 2 years later. He wasn’t able to stick, however, and spent time over the next 4 years bouncing up and down, enduring more arm problems and eventually surgery to repair the labrum. Finally last year he felt completely healthy for the first time since college, and showed what he was capable of.

He still needs to prove he can be a healthy and effective member of the starting rotation for a full year, but if last year’s results are any preview, the expectations the Padres had for him when they took him as a first round pick may be fulfilled.

Congratulations, Tim, you’ve paid your dues. Now, GO GET ‘EM!

Scan

2,246 Comments

Brandon Cline via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 9:14 am

Excellent. I get to see Tim in St. Louis! I believe he’ll have a great year with us. I think Heath needs to have some more “father-son” talk with Mat. He’s getting too emotional again. I saw flashes of the Mat we know in ST so he’s still got it. He has to get right in the head.

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Jesse Baker via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 9:22 am

Hey Scan, What r the chances Leubke gets the call if Mat starts the year on the DL?? I think Leubke and Latos are the future of the Pads.

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Bob Scanlan via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 10:24 am

Buddy has not ruled anything out. Luebke, Mosely, LeBlanc all candidates to fill Latos’ spot if he gets put on the DL. He is understandably hesitant to make any definite announcements about plans B, C, and D because I believe there are still multiple variables affecting how this all plays out – not the least of which is determining how long Latos needs to get back on hill. Good news is with all the off days, is allows for more creativity in how to use healthy starters they have, and roster makeup.

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Dale Entrekin via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 10:55 am

Stauffer is a great guy, he signed some autographs for the boys and was genuinely friendly with them. He didn’t act like he was bothered while a certain other padre seemed bored with the entire thing.

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Arnie Guzman via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 11:21 am

Lets be honest, Cory Luebke and Timmy Stauffer are the only padre pitchers that Really look confident and very good on most of the their spring training starts. Mat looks like he lost his flame, he already showed last half of last season and his spring starts. No more confidence in him forme.

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Joey Scigliano via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 11:24 am

I don’t get it…all these limiting pitchers innings, and starts and everything and they still wind up on the DL. Look at the major league rosters 25-30 years ago and compare them to now…Far more pitchers used a season per team with countless pitchers on the DL. I think pitch counts and limiting innings is overratted…Look at the Padres pitching staff in 1984..I believe one pitcher was on the DL all year. Now teams have 30+ pitchers a year throughout the season.

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Joey Scigliano via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 11:25 am

I meant use 30+ pitchers a year.

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Mickey Koke via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 11:35 am

Times have changed dramatically since the usage of relief pitchers and the way things are financially coincided in baseball. They’re not just baseball players, they are bargaining chips, investments for the future of the franchise. While I would agree that pitchers should be able to pitch a much larger work load, that has to come from within the teachings of the organization. An organization that will adapt Nolan Ryan’s philosophy of throwing much more. That would take years to implement into the Padres system.

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Joey Scigliano via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 12:15 pm

But more pitchers go on the DL with arm problems than before…Look at the pitching staffs from before 1990 and now…I don’t think one staff in the major leagues used under 20 pitchers for a whole season. And when you look at the numbers of the players on the team..they are horrible…Who would want to bring in a pitcher with an ERA over 5?

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Bob Scanlan via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Pitch counts necessary for some guys, but IMO many guys never find their true potential because they are not allowed to find out what they are capable of. Wouldn’t take that long to stretch guys out in an organization like Rangers have done.

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Mickey Koke via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 4:27 pm

Bob, what would you consider long? It would take at least a few years. I have wanted the Padres to adapt that style of throwing philosophy for years. Throw, throw, throw.

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Joey Scigliano via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 4:42 pm

I think pitchers should focus on stretching and cardio and stay clear of the weight room…I think many players are becoming too muscle bound.

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Bob Scanlan via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Mickey – WIthin the first year you would find guys who are capable of doing more. Within 2-3 years you would have found at least a couple of guys who can work more than the magical 110-120, and new expectation in place of what a starter should be looking to do every time out – finish his own game. Going at it with the expectation that you will finish that game, and the belief you can do it inspires guys to push themselves to limits they may not have known they could reach, both physically (more endurance), and mentally in staying focused and WANTING to throw more strikes early so that you don’t have to throw 140 to finish the game. You create a pitcher who is more physically and mentally able to go deeper into games.

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Bob Scanlan via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 5:14 pm

Frank – I agree that some guys are getting too muscle bound, but in no way would I say “stay clear of the weight room”. When done intelligently strengthening is an important part of improving and lengthening a career, but like anything else when overdone can be a counter productive.

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Joey Scigliano via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 6:06 pm

Hey scan…do you think baseball players do enough cardio? I see them stretching before games and do light running…but I seem to remember that former Padre pitching coach, Dave Stewart was firm believer in it and required the pitchers to run 1 1/2 miles per day.

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Bob Scanlan via Facebook
March 26, 2011 at 6:10 pm

Yes guys still do running, tread, bike, stair climbers, etc. Not sure exact amounts, but know they are doing something. It was a primary part of training when I played, but honestly not sure what levels they are doing now.

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David Leland via Facebook
March 27, 2011 at 10:11 am

LET’S GO PADRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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