Padres Editorial: Stay Positive San Diego
I understand that the life of a San Diego Padres fan can be harsh. It is a life of promise and riddled by disappointment. Being a lifelong fan of this team for almost 40 years has been tough. My fondest memories are when this team has succeeded. Unfortunately those memories are few and far between.
In recent weeks the negativity level on this fan base has reached a new high once again. Fans are up in arms about Craig Kimbrel being dealt. Padres fans don’t understand why Yonder Alonso or Joaquin Benoit were traded. To the novice fan this appears to be another rebuilding project. They are quite familiar with this dance, and quite frankly they are tired of the tune.
Hold on Padres fans. This isn’t a rebuilding project. The team is attempting to field a competitive team while rebuilding the philosophy of the team. Not an easy task by any means. It is no secret that the winning culture of this team needed to be changed. It needed to be changed from the bottom of the franchise all the way to the top. In overhauling the mindset of its players and the system they are in, there are going to be rough spots.
The overall philosophy of the Padres has been incorrect for years on end. There has been no sense of commitment to the fans and putting a quality team on the field. The organization has struggled to consistently put a winning product on the field and players have been traded while at the height of their career for prospects. The team has only instead strove to be average and was never really committed to go the extra mile for its teams benefit.
I know none of this is breaking news to any Padres fan but this team and its ownership group are different. The additions made to the team last year were exciting and succeeded in rejuvenating the once dormant fan base. Any time you add James Shields, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris and Craig Kimbrel to your team, the fans and the national media are going to get excited.
Okay so the plan did not work out and the team failed miserably. The entire coaching staff was fired with the exception of Glenn Hoffman and Darren Balsley. It made sense that the staff was re-worked since A.J. Preller had no direct connection to the hiring of anyone on the coaching staff.
Here we are now with Andy Green, Alan Zinter and Mark McGwire hand-picked by A.J. Preller to represent this organization. Sure it is easy to be critical at the moment. Yes last years failures were harsh but this franchise has a future and we as fans need to realize that. The team is still being constructed so to call this upcoming season a full on rebuilding season is delusional at this point. As a Padres fan its natural to cry foul anytime the club sheds payroll. Let’s wait till the full roster is constructed before we cry foul. The overhaul of this franchise is a long-term investment. This will not come over night, and in reality we are realistically looking at a three to five-year plan.
With that being said, I hope the team is constructed to compete this season. However if the teams future is fortified and a solid ground work is constructed throughout the organization, then I as a fan will remain patient in the near future. There is no magic wand to wave over the Padres team to make them a winning franchise That will take hard work and will not be easy to achieve. You must trust that A.J. Preller and his team are doing what is best and the rewards will eventually come.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.