Pads Pod Bonus: End of Spring Training Report

Friday signaled the end of Spring Training for the 2015 San Diego Padres. As a farewell to Spring Training, we hear from a fan who has just finished her annual trip to Peoria. On this episode of Pads Pod, we speak to our special correspondent, and super Padres fan, Yoshi. Yoshi tells us about her favorite memories from her 3 day sojourn to Peoria, we discuss Jedd Gyorko’s physique, and we examine Justin Upton’s twitter account.

Pads Pod Episode 2: Mind Erase (you can’t win ’em all)

In this second episode of Pads Pod we a) take listener questions, b) discuss missing out on Hector Olivera and c) chat about the value of fair weather fans.  As always, our discussion is intensely immature yet wonderfully entertaining.  This episode includes fake commercials from Toms and Food 4 Less.

Subscribe to Pads Pod by clicking on the links below.  You can download the ‘cast directly by going to archive.org.

Re-imagining Cody Decker

The first Cody Decker video I saw was Brad. Though I was amused, my immediate reaction was “who the fuck does this guy think he is?” Shouldn’t a career minor leaguer be working on his game rather than spending hours making tacky YouTube videos? Then, I peeped this interview with Keith Olbermann and my distaste for Decker went to a new level.

In the video, he appears in the outfit you see on the right and generally acts like Troy McClure from the Simpsons. “What justifies this dude’s arrogance?” I said to myself. He’s representing the organization, and acting like a jabronie on TV makes jabronies of us all. I wrote Decker off and, this being 2013, went back to cheering for Chris Denorfia, a real ballplayer.

So, spring training rolls around this year and Decker reignites my interest in him with a grand slam in a 10-3 win over the Rockies. I was in a good mood ‘cause grand slams are sick and the Rockies are fucking lame, so I decided to give open my narrow-ass mind and give Decker another look. Armed with the search engine “Google” I looked for some more Cody related media. First, I found this interview he did with some awkward kid. He spent a god-damned hour talking to that fool. To me, that shows humility and generosity. My perspective on Cody was starting to change. Then, I posted up on an interview from the Chihuahuas. What I once saw as arrogance, I now recognized as self-deprecation. Maybe I was the jabronie. Read more

The Spiritual Supremacy of Fair Weather Fandom

San Diego has long been described as fair weather when it comes to supporting our sports teams. We often hear the cliché line about how when our teams are losing, as they often do, we’d rather just go to the beach than give a fuck about a losing club.

That’s probably true to some degree. No doubt when the Padres are out of contention our attendance dwindles. To what extent I’m not sure because I’m not about to waste my fucking time looking up attendance stats (fuck you FanGraphs).   Anyways, I’m not here to argue about whether the fair weather moniker is true or not. I’m going to assume it is.

What I am here to argue for is the motherfucking moral and spiritual value of being a fair weather fan.

To make my point, I simply ask you to think about the alternative. Look at those assholes in Philadelphia . Those dickheads aren’t fair weather. They have “passion” and “support their teams through thick and thin.” (I’m not saying we Padres fans don’t, I’m just using some lame-ass clichés to bolster my argument). Do you want to be like them? Do you want to boo your players when they under perform despite the fact they are trying their god-damned hardest? I say fuck that bullshit.

In some sweet-ass book I read “Baseball as a Road to God” by John Sexton, that slick-ass motherfucker talks about the spiritual value in finding enjoyment in the game in and of itself. He speaks about the quality of character it takes to smile at a losing team and say “we’ll get ‘em next year.” I guess there’s a slight difference between what I’ve just described and a ‘fair weather’ fan, but the two dynamics are certainly a lot closer than Phillies fan and Sexton’s Buddha-like devotee.

So that’s my point. Is it really that bad to tune into a few less games when your team sucks? I don’t think so. Bitch-ass motherfuckers act like Padre fans don’t deserve championships because of our perceived nonchalance. Fuck that noise.

As I’ve tried to argue above, we may even be on a higher-spiritual plane than many cities in the country. While other fans brood and bitch when they dip below .500, we’ve been forced to enjoy baseball for what it is regardless of win-loss records.

That being said, we’ve got Kemp, Myers and Upton and, if we don’t win it all this year, I’m gonna be fucking pissed.

Pads Pod Episode 1: In the Jockstrap Hamper

In our first episode, we a) imagine how the presence of Kemp and other stars is affecting the situation in the Padres clubhouse b) discuss the shortstop and 5th starter positions and c) muse about Carlos Quentin at first base.

Throughout it all we curse, ramble and spit vulgarities.

Pads Pod is explicit and not appropriate for children and most humans.

We are not actually sponsored by Sketchers, Rosendos or the Adelita’s brothel in Tijuana (yet).

The Cosmic Oneness of Mark Kotsay

Mark Kotsay is the Padres new hitting coach.  We love Mark Kotsay.

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In fact, Kotsay is the epitome of what we love about baseball.  Watching him play you feel a connection with him that can only come from a game free of helmets, shoulder pads and face masks.

He’s just a dude.  But, importantly, especially during his  2001-2002 stint with the Padres, he was one of the most talented dudes.  Even more importantly, although he was excellent, you always felt that having fun, a few beers, and shooting the shit was slightly more important than working hard and being serious.  Read more

Pads Pod Thesis

BG Padres

This is the blog of the Pads Pod.  The Pads Pod Blog (PPB, 2015).  Confused by the one syllable words?  Fuck you.  In the following days, years, months and centuries the PPB will make you laugh about the San Diego Padres.  The writers of the PPB are lifelong fans and observers of subtle ass shit.  Posts will arise in an increasingly rapid nature as the Pads start playing preseason baseball games.  Although this blog exists, the majority of our efforts are dedicated to the Pads Pod – the podcast from which this shitty ass blog derives its name.  Check both out while you’re poopin’ and stoopin.’

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