Luncheon meetings are summarized below (starting with most recent month). Feel free to scroll down the page to view or select one of the following months to jump directly to the article you would like to read.
| January 2010 | Dave Marcus & Shaun O'Neill |
| April 2010 | Oscar Salazar & Randy Jones |
| May 2010 | Nick Popaditch & John Ensch |
| June 2010 | Tony Gwynn, Jr. & Doug Harvey |
| July 2010 |
Jerry Coleman & Ted Leitner Jeff Moorad |
A RETURN ENGAGEMENT
by Rickie Sevadjiann; Photos by Rick Zambori
Joining us
for a return engagement at our January meeting was
Dave Marcus, the
producer in the radio booth for Padres games, literally the “brains behind
the broadcast.”
Dave brought along a special person to our
meeting, his fiancée Tammy.
“Last year when she came with me, we had just
started dating.
She thought the Madres were a most
prestigious, influential group.
My invitation to speak to you must have put
me over the top in her mind, because now we’re engaged.”
Dave is the
person who waves the star outside the booth when Jerry Coleman calls for
it with his “You can hang a star on that one!”
His close association with Coleman gives him
the opportunity to observe his unique behaviors, some of which Dave shared
with us.
“Jerry’s key to long life is lots of sleep.
He sleeps across America, anywhere there’s a
couch, in the clubhouse, in Bud Black’s office, in all ballparks and in
all positions.
Jerry gets the line-up before the game, sits
down in the booth and makes a few notes, takes his hat off, and puts his
head down for his pregame nap, pencil still in his hand.
Pretty soon there’s a pencil line across the
scorebook.”
Dave recalled a game when the San Diego
Chicken was there, and he wondered if he should invite the Chicken to the
booth for an on-air interview.
“Do you want the Chicken?” Dave asked.
“No thanks,” replied Jerry, “I just ate.”
Dave also
works closely with Ted Leitner.
“I’ve been listening to him since I was a kid
in L.A.”
To earn his respect, Dave says he has to do
his job right.
“Twenty-five years later, I’ve
almost earned it!”
That kid in
L.A. grew up wanting to be a baseball player.
Lacking the talent for that, he decided he
would become an announcer.
As a journalism major at San Diego State, he
did indeed go into radio broadcasting in 1991, but he found that “it’s a
tough job, trying to fill in all the blank air spots and tell stories, and
my emotions got in the way.”
Once he remarked, “That umpire should see a
gynecologist!
Oops, I mean an ophthalmologist!”
And when Kirk Gibson hit his walk-off home
run in the ’88 World Series to win Game 1 for the Dodgers, then Dave’s
team, “I was excited,” he explained.
“I said a bad word.”
That’s when he went off the air and into the
production department. joining the Padres sixteen years ago.
In addition to producing the
Padres radio games, Dave began his “Pearls of Wisdom” segment during the
“BP Show” in 2006, and it has become a fan favorite.
MAGAZINE MAN
He took one
year off to work with the Daily Racing Form but missed being
with the team. He feels
that the Padres have a unique tie to the community, and he wanted to
be part of that. He still
likes the ponies at Del Mar, though, and greyhound racing is big in
the Phoenix area during Spring Training!
In 1992, just out of SDSU, Shaun
was at Spring Training in Yuma for his first assignment with the team.
He was new on the job and frankly scared in the small locker
room. Tony Gwynn came up
to him and said, “You look like you have a question.”
Shaun felt that was a real “human” moment.
Tony was his easiest interview.
“Tony always told you something you didn’t know.
He always provided input.”
Bruce Hurst, a pitcher in the early 90s, was also a good
interview. He was very
analytical; he liked to break down his performances.
The most difficult was Brian Boehringer. “Nice guy, but he
simply didn’t want to talk to the media.”
Shaun offered a little insight
on Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel.
They see this ownership as a great challenge; they want a lot
and are very demanding.
They know San Diego is different from their previous area, Phoenix.
On the business side they are seeking fan input and reaching
out to the community with Padres.com and the Open House.
They plan to offer give-away bobbleheads and team jerseys, to
lower the price of beer at the ballpark, to bring back the Padres
Yearbook, and to distribute The Padres Magazine FREE at the
games!
As editor, Shaun says the
magazine will be 64 pages in playbook format and will be geared
towards what is happening in the ballpark during each home stand,
including rosters, bios, player features, opponents, a military
feature, a history feature, and concessions, as well as information
about the next Petco Park home stand.
Shaun was asked about the future
of newspapers. He said he hopes they have a future.
He noted that society in general needs them – “We need
watchguards and we need more information.”
He said he
appreciates the support of the Madres.
“When you’re talking about fans – it’s right here.”
A WELL-TRAVELED PLAYER
by Kris Hardesty
our player guest for April was Oscar Salazar.
He came to the Padres in July 2009, in a trade for Cla
Meredith, from the Baltimore Orioles.
Oscar plays both infield and outfield.
Last year for the Padres he played in 55 games at four
positions - left field, right field, first base, and second base,
making starts at each. At
age 31 he has already played for 23 different professional teams in
nine countries, including eight different Major League organizations.
He also spent the 2005 season in Mexico and the 2006 season in
Italy - not to mention
every off-season
playing winter ball in his native
Venezuela.
He has been playing baseball since he was three and
started his pro career at 16 when he was signed by the Oakland A’s as
an amateur free agent.
Taking questions from our group, Oscar was asked who plays tricks in
the dugout. “Me!”
He told us that one of his favorite players while growing up
was Roberto Alomar. Asked
what he thinks of Petco Park, he answered, “It’s beautiful for the
pitchers, not so good for hitters.”
But he did add that he really likes San Diego.
Asked if he has any superstitions he said yes, but he would not
tell us what they are.
When asked who the team clown is, he paused, thinking about it, and as
he was thinking someone shouted out, “Heath!”
Oscar immediately agreed.
He then added, “Yorvit . . . and me!”
Since he plays so many positions he was asked which one he
likes to play the most.
His answer: ”Hitting.”
He was asked if he joins in with the others on the team playing
golf or basketball. “No
golf, no basketball, just baseball.”
During his visit he was wearing a Padres jersey, and when he was
finished taking questions, the jersey was put up for auction.
Sue O’Donnell was the lucky winning bidder and got to take the
jersey right off his back!
He told us the
team gets along very well.
It’s a young team and all of them are working hard to win.
Based on what we saw on the field during this home stand, it
appears that work is paying off.
CRAFTY on the MOUND, the GRILL, and the RADIO
by Kris Hardesty
Randy Jones, also known as the “Crafty Lefty,” was our media guest for April. He was drafted by the Padres in 1972 and was pitching with the Big League club by June of 1973. After a forgettable 1974, he earned Sporting News’ Comeback Player of the Year in 1975. In 1976 he won the Cy Young Award, posting a 22-14 record, starting 40 games, pitching a complete game 25 times, working a total of 315.1 innings. Randy is known for his fast-paced games, once pitching a complete game with only 68 pitches in one hour and 29 minutes. He pitched for the Padres through the 1980 season. He was traded to the Mets and played for them in ’81 and ’82. He retired in 1983. He is a charter member of the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame and the first Padre to have his number, 35, retired.
Randy is busy these days with barbecue and radio.
He can be found at Petco Park keeping an eye on his Randy Jones
Baseball Barbecue. You can
actually catch him at the grill every now and then!
He can be heard on the “Padres BP Show” on XX 1090 along with
Darren Smith. He also
hosts a national internet radio baseball show every Tuesday, 1 to 2
p.m., at SignOn-wsRadio.com.
Randy is not the type you have to ask questions to get him to
talk! He has stories to
tell and loves to tell them.
He shared one about a time he was pitching, when the batter
kept stepping out of the box, and umpire George Foster was tired of
it, so he signaled to Randy to throw a pitch, and Randy did.
The umpire called a strike, although the batter wasn’t even in
the box. In talking about
salaries today, Randy compared his $25,000 raise when he won the Cy
Young to the $52 million Jake Peavy got when he won it.
He told us that Jake once asked him how he pitched 25 complete
games, and he answered, “If you saw our bullpen you’d complete them
too!” Asked if he is going
to write a book like so many others, he said, “No way!
I’d throw somebody under the bus!
I’m not going there.”
When he was asked if he has any arm problems, he said he did
have his shoulder scoped, but that was because it affected his golf
game.
He talked about this year’s team, saying that they are young and going
through failures. They
will learn and get better.
They need to adjust, adapt, and work hard.
Thanks for the visit, Randy!
See you around the Bar-B-Q!
A Hero Among Heroes
by Rickie
Sevadjian
The Madres
were honored to welcome to our May “Salute to the Military”
retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch. His remarkable book Once a Marine is an inspirational memoir of a desert war tank commander’s combat, courage, and recovery.
Originally
from
“Gunny”
Nick recounted for us some of his most memorable wartime experiences,
such as the liberation of
Popaditch doesn’t consider himself a hero; instead he tells the story of Corporal Ortiz, a young Marine he met in a hospital. "This kid was with his injured buddy when a grenade came in. Ortiz could get out of there, but his friend couldn't — so Ortiz covered his buddy with his own body, hoping their body armor would take up most of the blast. He used his arms to shield his friend's face, and at the last second, this other Marine, shot and bleeding, wrenched his arm free to cover Ortiz's face, too. They took a beating, but they kept each other alive. They are heroes to me."
It was in the Battle of Fallujah that his tank was attacked and Nick was grievously wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade to the head. "We'd been in constant contact with the enemy for 36 hours. When I got hit, I saw a flash of light and then everything went black.” Popaditch groped his way around the inside of his tank until he located his driver, Corporal Chambers. "That guy, man, he was injured too, and he'd already climbed right up into the turret to take my place, to take command of the tank, to help save my life when that tank was under fire. That was comforting to me.”
Of the
medics and his military doctors, he said, “I don’t have a vocabulary
big enough to describe their actions that saved my life,” and of the
many individuals who served alongside him, “It was a privilege and an
honor to serve with these guys. God bless
The Madres know it was a privilege and an honor to
meet this American hero.
Military Marketing Man
by Kris Hardesty
Captain John “Jack” Ensch, affectionately known as Captain Jack to Padres fans, was our guest at the May brunch. Captain Jack is a real American hero!
Jack graduated from
After recuperating from his imprisonment, Jack went on to complete 20
additional years of an illustrious Naval career. His final position
was Commander of the
It was as he was preparing to retire, in 1995, that he was approached by the new owners of the Padres, John Moores and Larry Lucchino. He admits that when they approached him to be Director of Military Marketing, he had no idea what marketing was. He told us that to him marketing was when his wife sent him to the store for milk. When he came to the Padres and started this department it was very small. It has grown over the years. There are many programs the average fan knows about, such as the military discounts on tickets and the visits by the Marine recruits at Sunday games, but there are others that most have never heard about. One is giving tickets to ships’ crews who return from deployments in excess of six months. Another is working with the county veterans service to identify all local veterans and distribute ID cards that will allow them to get the military discount for life.
The Padres have the only military marketing department in all of professional sports. What is a baseball team doing with a military marketing department? Jack’s answer: “Look where we’re located!” One in five jobs in the county is connected to the military. He admits it does mean money for the club, but doing it is the right thing to do. He told us he recently spoke with people from the front office of the Washington Nationals, who, it appears, are going to start a similar department for their club. One very poignant story he relayed to us to show how much this all means to him is this: At a recent game he started talking with a young wounded Marine being honored on the field. He asked the Marine if this was the first game he had been to. The young man said no, he had been a member of a Marine recruit graduating class that had attended a Sunday Padres game just one year prior.
With the help of Captain Jack, the Padres are now known as the Team of
the Military. The Madres want to thank him for his work with the
Padres and for his service to our country.
Tony: Making a Name for Himself!
Our player guest for June goes by many names:
Little T, Tony, Tony, Jr., Anthony, or Anthony Gwynn, Jr. Whichever
you use, he will answer. For this story I will simply call him Tony.
It was our pleasure to have him as our guest, as we have enjoyed
having his father, Tony, Sr., as our guest in years past. Many of our
members can still remember Tony when he was just a boy, following his
dad around the ballpark back at the Q. We watched him growing up,
going on to SDSU, and eventually being drafted by the Milwaukee
Brewers. Several Madres were there in 2007 when he got “that hit” off
Trevor Hoffman that cost us clinching a playoff spot. He brought it up
at our meeting, he took the BOOs, then he apologized for it. “That hit
cost us getting into the playoffs,” he stated, using us now that he is
a Padre.
Tony made his Major League debut on July 15, 2006,
getting his first hit on July 19, exactly 24 years to the day of his
father’s first Major League hit - and both were doubles. He came to
the Padres via a trade in May 2009. His father, Tony, Sr., was the one
who got to break the news to him. Needless to say, his mom and dad
were just ecstatic that Tony was coming home to play for the Padres.
Tony was asked what advice he would give to a boy
whose dad is a Major League player. His answer: listen to your dad. He
still talks to his dad on almost a daily basis; sometimes it’s not
even about baseball. Another question asked if he had heard the chant
the night before our brunch. During the game when he was up to bat,
the crowd had started chanting, “Tony, Tony,” as they had years ago
for his dad. He did hear it. He said it gave him goose bumps and made
him think back to the Q when it would be his dad at bat. Asked how he
was holding up to the pressure of being “Tony Gwynn. Jr.,” he told us
he’s been Tony Gwynn, Jr., for so long now that, although the pressure
is still there, he deals with it. “It’s like putting on your pants.
You just do it.” In regard to playing positions other than outfielder,
he said he did play infield in high school for a short time, but he
quickly realized he wanted more distance between him and the ball
coming off of the bat. Of the three outfield positions he prefers
center field.
Asked if would like to go up against Steven
Strasburg, he told us a story of the very first time he saw Strasburg.
After the 2007 season, he decided to get in some early work on his
hitting, so he asked his dad if he could work out with the SDSU team.
During an at-bat Strasburg was the pitcher. Tony knew nothing about
him. He said he just stood there as three fast balls flew by him. Of
course Dad knew what was going on and was sitting in the dugout
laughing. So, Tony said, he would like a chance to face him again, in
a real game. His feeling is, when you have a pitcher like that, you
look forward to the challenge.
Another question was which player he feels he has
learned the most from on the current team. That’s David Eckstein. Eck
has shown him how to be a professional at work. He was asked how the
team, being so young, keeps grounded. He answered that they are 25
people pursuing the same thing, working together toward the goal:
winning. There is very good chemistry in the clubhouse, and everyone
gets along.
Tony is married; he and his wife Alyse have two
daughters, Makayla and Jordan. Tony announced that they have another
child on the way. He told us they are a blessing. The girls keep him
grounded. When he gets home af-ter a game, they don’t know anything
about baseball; they just want to play with Daddy.
Did he ever dream he would be our guest as his dad
was? He does remember attending when his dad was our guest, but no, he
never dreamed one day he would do the same.
We thank him for being our guest and hope we see
him for many years to come, patrolling center field, making those
spectacular catches, and adding to the Gwynn legacy here with the
Padres.
All-Star Umpire
by Rickie Sevadjian
The year 2010 will be memorable for our June guest,
retired National League umpire Doug Harvey, as he celebrates this
“triple”: his 80th birthday and his 50th wedding anniversary and his
induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A frequent guest at Madres’ brunches, he is known
to many of us by his reputation for excellence at his job and by the
respect that players held for him. In his 30-year MLB career he
umpired 4,670 games, including five World Series and six All-Star
games.
Interestingly, one of his fellow inductees in this
year’s HOF class, manager Whitey Herzog, is the person in all of
baseball that Harvey sent packing the most times. “Somebody had to be
the one I ejected the most,” he explained unapologetically. (Author’s
note: Further research turned up a quote by Herzog, "I just hope he
doesn't kick me out of
Who was the first manager he ever ejected from a
game? Joe Torre! And who was the last? Joe Torre! A manager considers
it his responsibility to challenge the umpire’s strikes and balls on
behalf of his players, explained
What else gets a player or manager thrown out?
“Cursin’! My sister’s sitting in the first row, and she’s a nun,” he
joked. Actually, he tolerated certain language as long as no one said
“YOU!” along with the bad stuff. “Come out and get personal, then
you’re dead!”
Players are ejected too easily nowadays, he thinks.
“Maybe umps are less tolerant because they’re hired too young,” he
muses. “Umpires in the olden days were more brotherly. I always kept
control of myself and the game. That’s the thing about Doug Harvey.”
What else has changed? “The strike zone! What the
(heck) is that? Remember, what counts is where the ball crosses the
front of the plate, NOT where it crosses the batter. When he stands at
the back of the box, the ball can fall as much as eight inches. That’s
not baseball to me. Pitchers deserve as much right to play the game as
hitters.”
He’s not a fan of instant replay. “How many jobs do
you know where the boss can hammer and hammer and hammer at you” if
you make a mistake? Besides, “I’m better than any replay you’ll ever
have!”
Other thoughts on his career were these:
“Baseball’s the greatest game in the world,” and “I loved every minute
I walked on the field.”
Baseball is not his only love. There are his two
sons. And joining Doug as our guest at the brunch was his wife Joy, a
charter member of the Madres and one of its organizers 38 years ago.
Referring to her affectionately as “Mrs. Harvey,” he said, “She’s my
pal! I’ve loved every minute of being married to her for fifty years.”
Doug Harvey’s induction into the Baseball Hall of
Fame will be on Sunday, July 25.
Jerry and Ted?
Oh, My!
by Rickie Sevadjian
How about Jerry Coleman and Ted Leitner’s
appearance at our July brunch? As Dick Enberg would say, “Oh, my!” The
comments, jokes, and banter flew non-stop! To begin, Stevie Vigeveno
announced that Jerry has been named an Honorary Madre and presented
him with his own Madres name tag. “It’s a magnet, not a pin,” said
Stevie, “so you won’t have to stick it into your shirt.” Uh-oh! Jerry
has a pacemaker and can’t use a magnet, so Stevie promised to get him
a replacement pin. That started the banter between our two
broadcasters.
Ted, to Stevie: Huh! So you made him an Honorary
Madre and then you took it back! Anyway, why didn’t I get anything?
Did he die?
But then Ted went on to praise Jerry’s achievements
in the military, on the baseball field, and in the broadcast booth.
Jerry: Would you shut up? You’d think I won
World War II and Korea single-handedly!
Ted: Jerry always tears himself down, but he has
a body of work that I couldn’t touch.
Ted, on his own unlikely career as a broadcaster:
When I had to speak at age 13, even in the classroom, I was
catatonic. I would cut school rather than speak. I would rather be in
the coffin than give the eulogy.
But then as he matured he realized that he had a
gift and a passion for broadcast reporting. His calls are accurate,
his comments reflective, but what about the stories he tells?
When in doubt, lie! Make it up! Never let facts get in the way of a
good story.
Jerry, on his broadcasting future: My time is
short. I’ll be 86 next month. Another year or so . . .
On the 2010 Padres . . .
Jerry: I don’t know what to say about this team!
They were 37-23 to end last year, and now they’re actually better than
that.
Pitchers win. Our pitchers have the best pitching record in all of
Major League Baseball, and we have the best bullpen.
This is not an overwhelming team, but the sum of its parts . . . it’s
the damnedest team! They’re smart in their approach. If they go on to
the playoffs, it will be the biggest achievement in Padres history,
based on what they have.
Buddy Black is the most intelligent manager, intellectually superior.
He should be named Manager of the Year.
Ted: It’s an amazing year. Our players are
smart, they have book smarts, brains, and baseball IQ.
Jerry: Dumb never wins!
Ted, quoting some favorite baseball lines . . .
Jerry Coleman: He slides into base with a
stand-up double!
Yogi Berra, when he ordered a pizza and was asked
if he wanted it cut into six pieces or eight: Make it six. I don’t
think I can eat eight.
Casey Stengel: There comes a time in every man’s
life, and I’ve had a lot of them.
John Kruk: Lady, I ain’t no athlete. I’m a
ballplayer.
Tallulah Bankhead: There have been only two
geniuses in the world, Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare.
More comments and stories . . .
Ted, on the size of Bruce Bochy’s batting helmet:
It was so big, Tony Gwynn used it to hold ice and cans of beer.
Ted, on umpires: I don’t know where they get their attitude. Once
they were non-confrontational. Now they’ll rip off their mask and
curse out a player. They’re not Supreme Court justices, not appointed
for life. They need evaluating.
Jerry, on the best players he ever saw: Joe
DiMaggio and Willie Mays.
Jerry, on playing through pain: You have to
play, even when you’re dying!
Once Ted, father of five sons, was celebrating the
birth of his daughter. Jerry commented on raising a girl: Wait!
You’re a dead man! You wait!
Ted, moaning: Oh, he was right. When she was
eight, I told her, “No sex and no dating until I’m DEAD!”
Ted, spokesman for the Medi-Fast diet: I’m
sucking my gut in so much that this speech has to end soon!
And thus it did, but only after several caustic
remarks from both of them about coaches and players betting on
baseball, using drugs, lying to Congress.
And finally, from Ted: HOW ‘BOUT THOSE
PADRES??!!
Jeff Moorad: Write It Right!
by Kris Hardesty
Jeff Moorad, vice-president and CEO of the Padres, was our guest at
our July brunch. Jeff brought a vast amount of experience with him
when he and his group reached an agreement to purchase the Padres in
February 2009. He founded Moorad Sports Management in 1983,
specializing in athletic representation. In August 2004 he joined the
Arizona Diamondbacks. While with Arizona, Jeff was a general partner,
CEO, the spokesman for the D-backs' ownership group, and oversaw,
along with Ken Kendrick, the day-to-day operations of the franchise.
Additionally he was a baseball technical consultant for two motion
pictures, For Love of the Game and Jerry Maguire, and
had an appearance in both movies.
Right off, Jeff admitted that he did not know there were men in our
organization. He then told us about a trade, bringing Ryan Ludwick
from St. Louis, that had been completed just prior to his arriving at
our brunch.
He began his presentation by telling us his theory of how to run a
ball club. He feels that good leadership is hiring the right people to
do a job, and letting them do it. You don’t make change for change
sake, on either the player or the executive side. He talked about when
he started at Arizona; the team was declining, on the field and in
attendance. Upon arriving here in San Diego, he saw the same thing
happening. Working from their experience in Arizona, he and Tom
Garfinkel went to work to stem the decline right away. He pointed out
three things he will always stress: (1) put a competitive team on the
field, (2) the fan experience should always be family friendly, and
(3) the organization should be involved in the community, should be a
good corporate citizen.
Jeff is from Modesto. He was a Giants fan growing up, not so much
these days, though! His favorite player was Willie Mays.
He then answered questions from the group. One was, how is Chris Young
doing? He told us Chris has started throwing again. He could be back
in August, it could be September, and it could be next year. They
really don’t know. He was asked if he would be open to giving Trevor
Hoffman a one-day contract when he is ready to retire, so he could
retire as a Padre. He was not sure how that would work, but said he
would like to have Trevor working in the Padres organization once he
does retire. What about getting an All-Star game at Petco Park? He is
one- for-one so far, getting a game for Arizona. He is going to do
everything he can to secure one here. It means politics, and he’ll
play them to get the game. Asked if there will be any changes to the
team colors, he said the only one that might happen would be a return
to the “road gray” uniforms instead of the sand. When asked if we
would be changing the game times back to those of last year, he said
no, we will be staying with the hours as they are this year. Will we
start seeing our good upcoming players stay? To be honest, he said, he
doesn’t see that happening. With our small-market club it can’t. When
a player becomes a free agent and can get the kind of money the market
is paying, the Padres just can’t pay up when they are trying to run
the club as a break-even business. The question came up about the
Padres’ AAA team having to move from Portland. He likes the idea of
having the AAA club in North County. Aside from the savings in travel
expense and time, it would allow fans to see the club’s young players,
get to know them, and then follow them to the big club downtown. For
now it looks like the AAA team will play in Lake Elsinore, along with
the A team, for the 2011 season, although nothing has been finalized
yet.
When asked what he thought of all the pre-season predictions that the
Padres would finish in last place, he said he just wants them to write
it right when the season is over!
We too are looking forward to the story of this season, ending in the
playoffs…and beyond?!! We thank Jeff for his visit and hope to see him
around the ballpark!