JUNE 18, 2009 -- Oscar Wilde told us, "No good deed goes unpunished." San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers did a good deed by signing ex-Padres hurler Brian Lawrence to a minor league deal. Well, it was a good deed for B.W. and his family, anyway. Padres fans may share a different perspective.
My first thought: Will Towers next go after Jose Arcia for shortstop? Jose was the Padres' first SS in 1969. Like Brian Lawrence, I trust that Arcia is both available, and grateful for another look.
Padres' radio voice and chief cheerleader Ted Lightner was interviewed on XX Sports Radio and asked what he thought of the Lawrence signing. He gave a world class sigh, followed by nervous laughter. He then noted that B.W. was topping out at 83 mph when last seen in a Padres uniform in 2005, as he went 7-15 on the campaign. With the New York Mets in 2007, he allowed a painful 43 hits in 29 innings before the Mets let him go. His career mark is an unremarkable 50-63 with a 4.19 ERA.
Unless Brian Lawrence has come up with a killer knuckleball, or is on the cutting edge of designer drugs that have blasted his heater above 90 mph, let's say it’s an extreme stretch to imagine Brian Lawrence contributing in a positive manner to the 2009 Padres.
God love him, Kevin Towers is the best bargain shopper of all GMs in baseball. He’s like the coupon-clipping housewife trying everything to stretch family dollars to feed the kids. The 28-35 Padres have lost Jake Peavy to an ankle injury for the next month or so. Big Chris Young has been throwing beachballs that have been mashed out of ballparks on a regular basis (and the latest MRI says his shoulder is just fine). Cha Seung Baek is on the 60-day Disabled List, Walter Silver is healthy again, but pitching ineffectively in the Pacific Coast League, and relievers Luke Gregerson and Luis Perdomo are now on the DL.
Thus, we get Brian Lawrence inked to a minor league deal, hoping and praying he can revitalize his career and eventually help the beleaguered staff.
Towers was hoping to gain about four prospective stars in a Jake Peavy trade, but his injury stalls that opportunity until after he proves his good health in July. Brian Giles has a fat contract to go along with his anemic .195 batting average and .278 on base percentage. He, too, is currently untradable.
Manager Buddy Black is in an unenviable spot as he tries to patch together a facsimile of a major league baseball team. If you don't have the cards, you have to fold to minimize your losses. However, major league baseball rules are such that the Padres must play whatever cards they have each game. It's getting uglier and uglier as the dog days approach. Try to enjoy the punishment as best you can...
(Rob MacKnight is a pitching coach who lives in Clairemont. At 53, he still pitches in the San Diego Adult Baseball League. His writing can be found at hubpages.com/author/pitchingguru/hot/.)
