Padres' woes are sadly par for the course

After just a month's worth of baseball, it appears that the Padres will be free to rent out Petco Park this October. At this point, they should probably could start taking offers in July...

​The only professional major sports team in San Diego pressed the reset button on the franchise a few years ago, but so far, it's starting to look like a rerun. They are 11-21 this season and dead last in the NL West, eleven games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that was established in 1998 and has a World Series trophy on display.

To paraphrase Lloyd Bridges in Airplane!, it looks like I picked the wrong year to quit drinking...

I know what you're thinking because I've been telling myself the same thing. The Padres are a young team. They're full of promise. They've got kids that grew up through the farm system and have won. It's going to take a while. You'll just have to be patient. All those things may be true, but please forgive me if I don't see the glass as half empty as much as I see it shattered into a million pieces. Because in 49 years of existence, this franchise has been largely forgettable in the sports landscape.

As it's been most seasons, offense is the problem for the Padres this year. They are 27th in batting average, 26th in slugging percentage, and 28th in OPS. The one offensive category that they do lead is strikeouts. The team averages an abysmal ten per game. The pitching staff? Well, they’ve given up the 5th most hits and allowed the 6th most runs in the majors. So there’s that...

Once again, a slew of injuries have ravaged the team. Possible ace of the pitching staff Dinelson Lamet is lost for the season due to a torn tendon in his arm. Outfielder Hunter Renfroe somehow has a similar injury. Wil Myers, who's had a injury riddled history in his young career, is hurt yet again. And now, catcher Austin Hedges went on the disabled list and won't be back until mid-May at the earliest.

It's because of the weather isn't it? The sports gods had to take something away in exchange. We got fantastic 70 degree weather all year and Massachusetts got championships. Can we make that trade? I'd send one of our 80 degree Thanksgiving Days we've been having to Chicago for just one Cubs-like October run. See? I’m not being greedy! I just asked for one!

Sigh.

I guess the next time they blow a 9th inning lead, or watch another former Padre player win a championship, or watch another pop fly get dropped in the infield to lose a game, I’ll just close my eyes and repeat this mantra...

At least we’re not Cleveland...