Padres News: Having Fun Wins Baseball Games
The San Diego Padres resemble a little league team out on the field this season. Not in the way they play or the effort they put in everyday, but the joy and happiness they express reminds me of a little league team. In order to play this game successfully, you must have fun, and the Padres are definitely having fun!
The last out of Tuesday’s game where four Padres surrounded a pop up and Alexi Amarista snatched it out of the air was fantastic. Not only for the grab but the reaction of Matt Kemp after the grab. He was hopping around like a kid and proceeded to grab Amarista and smack him in the arm. That kind of reaction was priceless and horsing around like that will take this team into a new level of play.
The sixth come from behind victories in this short season shows the teams character. This team is every game until the end. There is absolutely no quit in these Padres. Matt Kemp has brought a looseness to the clubhouse and the players both new and old are responding. Yonder Alonso, Yangervis Solarte, and Will Venable look like whole new players. That’s what having fun and playing the game with confidence will bring you.
Even is losing games the team still has an arrogance and swagger that they should have won. This team is really special, and should be competitive deep into the season. Every night of the week it could be a new potential hero. Derek Norris, Will Middlebrooks, Wil Myers and Justin Upton have all come in and immediately paid dividends. Norris in particular worried me about his defensive abilities. The Kansas City Royals ran wild against him last year in the playoffs. He made the necessary adjustments to his footwork and the difference is night and day. You cannot steal on Norris recklessly anymore. An adjustment like the one Norris made is invaluable. A player knows about an issue they have and they fix it. That’s the type of player you want on your squad. That direct response to a potential issue makes the team better.
Will Middlebrooks has solidified the defense on the infield and has come up with some big hits in his short time as a Padre. This team acts as though the have played together for seasons, and the early chemistry is something really special to see. Smiling, joking around with each other and just having fun will take this team to a whole new level. One would have to think the chemistry will get even better the longer the team plays together. Who knows what the future for this team is? It is surely bright though.
This San Diego Padres team has shown unbelievable character early in this season, but the team has yet to go on a losing streak. That is inevitable, it will happen. The team will have a stretch where they play bad and get swept by another team. I am anxious to see how this team deals with defeat. Having fun is easy when you are winning, when your back is against the wall it can be a different story. I hope the team approaches every game the same way, because the season is a marathon and can ware you down. Having fun and playing the game like a kid we go miles and miles for this Padres team. Enjoy it fans, because the players surely are.
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.