For the past four seasons, the Padres have been the most consistent team in the NL West, a division that has had way more ups than downs. This is a team that year after year, isn’t very flashy but wins a enough games to stay competitive. The Dodgers have been more erratic, one year winning 93, the next 71, but the Padres have been good for about 85 wins per year and a shot at the division for almost five years now. So it’s interesting that I’m actually a little disappointed that they’ve become so unremarkable so quickly.

You know how they say, “be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it?” Well, I’ve been hoping for the Padres to fall apart for the past four years now, and when it finally happens, I’m a little bored by it. Where are the fireworks? Where are the explosions? Sure there were signs at the end of last year: Milton Bradley almost decking an ump and tearing his knee to shit in the process; Trevor Hoffman blowing a huge save in the one game playoff against the Rockies; Chris Young crashing back down to Earth in the second part of the season to become hittable. All of these were nice, but I wanted to see a fight in the dugout or a cocaine bust involving Bud Black. Instead, they’ve gone out with a whimper this year due to what might become an historically bad offense. Dead last in the NL in runs scored, OBP, BA, SLG, OPS; twelvth in HRs; second in strikeouts (a funny stat: tied for last in IBB with 7; why would you intentionally walk a team that hits that poorly).

But this is a team that has always relied on their phenomenal pitching in a pitcher’s park. So far this year, however, their team ERA is 8th out of 16. Not exactly life saving. And their staff just took a big hit this week as reigning Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy was placed on the DL. Without Peavy for an extended period of time, does this team have a chance to get back into the division race when they’re already 12 games out of first? Another question: if the Pads are winning, does Peavy take the time off?

Again, I hate ruling a team out before the end of May, but how do they make up a deficit that big, leap frogging four teams, without their best asset? Like I said, it’s a bit of a letdown.

For the past four seasons, the Padres have been the most consistent team in the NL West, a division that has had way more ups than downs. This is a team that year after year, isn’t very flashy but wins a enough games to stay competitive. The Dodgers have been more erratic, one year winning 93, the next 71, but the Padres have been good for about 85 wins per year and a shot at the division for almost five years now. So it’s interesting that I’m actually a little disappointed that they’ve become so unremarkable so quickly.

You know how they say, “be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it?” Well, I’ve been hoping for the Padres to fall apart for the past four years now, and when it finally happens, I’m a little bored by it. Where are the fireworks? Where are the explosions? Sure there were signs at the end of last year: Milton Bradley almost decking an ump and tearing his knee to shit in the process; Trevor Hoffman blowing a huge save in the one game playoff against the Rockies; Chris Young crashing back down to Earth in the second part of the season to become hittable. All of these were nice, but I wanted to see a fight in the dugout or a cocaine bust involving Bud Black. Instead, they’ve gone out with a whimper this year due to what might become an historically bad offense. Dead last in the NL in runs scored, OBP, BA, SLG, OPS; twelvth in HRs; second in strikeouts (a funny stat: tied for last in IBB with 7; why would you intentionally walk a team that hits that poorly).

But this is a team that has always relied on their phenomenal pitching in a pitcher’s park. So far this year, however, their team ERA is 8th out of 16. Not exactly life saving. And their staff just took a big hit this week as reigning Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy was placed on the DL. Without Peavy for an extended period of time, does this team have a chance to get back into the division race when they’re already 12 games out of first? Another question: if the Pads are winning, does Peavy take the time off?

Again, I hate ruling a team out before the end of May, but how do they make up a deficit that big, leap frogging four teams, without their best asset? Like I said, it’s a bit of a letdown.