Padres Spring Training Report – Feb. 14, 2014

As much as I’ve seen and experienced in my 30 years of playing and broadcasting professional baseball, it understandably takes a lot for me to get goosebumps by something I see on the field.  It’s even rarer that it happens by something I see in spring training, and rarer yet by something I witness in just a practice setting…but it happened to me today.  The last time I remember having that kind of an emotional response in a spring training setting was almost 27 years ago, during my first big league spring training when I threw my first bullpen session on  a mound next to the legendary left hander Steve Carlton.  The lesson I learned trying to out throw the future Hall of Famer that day is a story for another time.

What evoked that reaction within me today however, was the result of a combination of elements that came together at the same time, somewhat by chance but much more so by design, and that I reacted as I did honestly caught me totally by surprise.  So what was it that struck me so strongly and unexpectedly?  Are you ready?  Sitting down for this?  It was…a bullpen session. Yep that’s it.  A simple, relatively unimportant, first of the year, spring training bullpen session!  Anticlimactic, I know, but it’s the truth.

So, what was it about watching a group of pitchers throw their first fastballs of the spring for 8 minutes?  Matt Wisler, Josh Johnson, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, and Burch Smith.  The five of them were lined up in a row on the practice mounds this morning for the team’s first bullpen session of the season, and as they each got loose, and started getting into their grooves, the more entranced I became.  Heater after heater easily leaving each of their hands and hitting the glove at the knees.  Smoothly delivered, middle of the plate, knee high strike after strike.  After a few minutes the intensity naturally crept up a notch, and so did the pop of the catchers’ mitts.  Pop, after ringing pop of fastballs hitting the target, at the knees.  For a former pitcher that sound is mesmerizing, even addicting, and I found myself becoming entranced as my eyes tracked from glove to glove in anticipation of the next pitch smacking the pocket and making it sing.  After several minutes my trance was broken by the movement of a figure standing behind the five fireballers responsible for creating this beautiful symphony of baseball sound…it was #51, Trevor Hoffman.

It was a this moment as the future Hall of Famer repositioned himself to watch this new generation of Padres hurlers practice their craft that the goosebumps formed on my skin.  It was more than just the flashback of my own experience 27 years ago throwing a bullpen in the presence of one of the greatest pitchers that the game has ever seen.  It was also the realization of how exceptional a collection of potentially dominating pitching talent that was lined up in front  of me.  Each of them capable of firing fastballs at 95+, each with the ability to locate that stuff at the knees, each a good all around athlete, and each already having shown at whatever level they’ve competed at that inner toughness to compete.

As someone who dedicated 20 years of his life to mastering this skill, it was professionally inspiring to watch an unusual collection of talent like this all lined up and easily performing their craft.  As someone who has spent the last 10 years closely observing and evaluating Padres baseball, it was for me a watershed moment in recognizing the change that has been taking place in the quality of player the Padres bring to camp.  It wasn’t that long ago that those same bullpen mounds were lined up with a stable of “pitchability” guys.  Nothing wrong with having a few average velocity strike throwers in your organization that can manipulate the baseball, but when they dominate your system you’re going to have challenges producing MLB difference makers.  Look, we all know that velocity in no way comes close to guaranteeing MLB success, but combined with the ability to locate the ball, athleticism, solid mechanics, and the toughness to compete I’ll take my chances.

So sure, it was coincidence that those five electric arms were lined up next to each other today, and that Hoffman entered the scene when he did.  But it is most certainly by design that the quality of athlete that Josh Byrnes is bringing into the organization is going up, and that they are surrounded by a Hall of Fame caliber coaching staff.

I doubt anyone else had the response I did to watching those pen workouts today, but that’s ok.  It was just a fun moment for me to experience as a former competitor, and an encouraging flash of unbridled expectation as a Padres fan.  I’ll just put that moment in my pocket and savor it, hopefully until the next time.

As an aside, Austin Hedges was catching Wisler’s bullpen workout today.  Yes, the future was looking bright today.

Last couple of comments.  I really was surprised at how free and easy Johnson appeared to be able to reach out today.  If his progress from off season elbow surgery continues as it has so far, he could be even more of an impacting factor in the rotation that the Padres are already hoping for.  Also, Jesse Hahn impressed in my first viewing of him.

Hopefully more good showings tomorrow, but things definitely appeared to get off to a good start today.

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