The Padres have gotten off to a great start this season, sitting atop the standings for a bit, and keeping their heads above water and the .500 mark for the season, until this weekend when they fell below the winning mark for the first time all year. So what does this mean San Diego? The answer is absolutely nothing. The Padres are a team on the rise and a team that is just beginning to see what the farm system will produce to make the big league club Dodger Killers one day. The hardest part for anyone in San Diego is to allow this team to grow. After each win and loss, I want to run to check the standings and I have been guilty of this all season. To be honest, it's been fun to see the club get after it and take it to everyone in baseball to kick off the season. But now, reality has set in as we get to Memorial Day and we see clubs for what they really are. So what are the Padres as we sit here today? In my not so humble opinion, the 2019 San Diego Padres are a team that is ahead of schedule as far as winning goes. The Padres have many of the pieces to win and by adding Manny Machado they have shortened the time it will take to build a division winner. What you are seeing this season is a concept car at the San Diego auto show. It's almost ready to roll out into production. You can see into the future of what they will be but aren't quite sure of when the future will get here.
Think of a group of teams that have accomplished what the Padres are attempting to do: rebuild a winner. The Tampa Bay Rays, The Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros are fair comparisons to the Padres.
The Rays went from worst to first and got there sooner than they thought they would. The biggest difference is the Rays picked up veteran arms in the rotation and bullpen that helped kick start them.
OTD 2008: The Tampa Bay Rays beat Red Sox in Game 7 to advance to World Series pic.twitter.com/Bd8qZwIQPT
— Sports Front Pages (@SportsFrontPage)
October 19, 2018 The Kansas City Royals were supposed to peak at the same time as the Rays with Alex Gordon leading the way. They took longer to build a winner and a few folks dropped off the bandwagon because they took so long.
If you went into a coma the day after the #Royals' World Series parade & woke up today, what would be the most/least surprising thing that happened in KC sports while you were out? pic.twitter.com/tjvGXQ57cg
— 610 Sports Radio (@610SportsKC)
April 16, 2018 The Astros were right in the middle. Some thought they took to long, while others thought they got there too late, but they got there.
2017 MLB World Series Championship Ring Houston Astros - https://biggamering ... https://t.co/Yh3wZrnBDu pic.twitter.com/aBYanBaTPR
— The Big Game Rings (@biggamerings)
May 10, 2019 The one thing they had in common was they stuck with their plan and didn't panic when the team slipped, and didn't go too crazy when the team was red hot. They all stayed the course.
Magic Johnson is a cold-blooded assassin. That is the only way to describe what he did to the GM of the Lakers, Rob Pelinka.
Magic Johnson says that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was 'backstabbing' him https://t.co/RWDwwPdnGG
— Basketball Dimes (@raj_manjrekar)
May 20, 2019 I thought the knockout punch that I have seen lately was Deontay Wilder's raw power in the ring.
Boxing isn’t what it use to be but Deontay Wilder is a must watch. pic.twitter.com/2PbObm7ZIa
— Bob Slovak (@BobSlovak13)
May 19, 2019 But I am going to have to walk that one back because Magic Johnson threw a more savage punch than Wilder this morning.
Magic Johnson Blasts Lakers G.M. Rob Pelinka, He Trashed Me Behind My Back! https://t.co/Bi1VNTi1m6
— TMZ (@TMZ)
May 20, 2019 If that wasn't enough, he did it on the day the Lakers are having a press conference to name their new head coach.
------TODAY! The Lakers will be introducing Frank Vogel as the new head coach! We will be going LIVE at 11:00 am!Listen LIVE on ESPNLA 710 -- https://t.co/Wda75J3NBi! pic.twitter.com/d0w94GxyEw
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles)
May 20, 2019 We sometimes forget how competitive people can be, but don't make that mistake with Earvin Johnson. He maybe be Magic with that smile, but behind that smile is the heart of an assassin, and a cold blooded killer. That is why he won on their court leading the Showtime Lakers and how he just destroyed those who backstabbed him, and today they paid.
Yes @MagicJohnson pulls no punches as he reveals y he left the @Lakers @stephenasmith via @ESPN App https://t.co/2qBBrkU0A1
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV)
May 20, 2019 Game Over !
Rob Pelinka: ...Magic Johnson: Dracarys!!!#Lakers #MagicJohnson pic.twitter.com/tcq5IK412j
— Iheke (@Iheke)
May 20, 2019
