A few impressions that remain from another late night in San Diego absorbed via the television in New York:
• The San Diego Padres of this century, no matter their episodic success, always come off as extras in a not particularly believable baseball movie. “Why couldn’t they use a real team? Padres? What the hell are those?” This current edition of Padres, who excelled on Wednesday night/Thursday morning [1], may grow into a roving band of West Coast marauders, but I stand by my sense that they don’t really exist.
• Steven Matz will be the subject of next week’s ABC Afterschool Special, “The Lefty Who Lost His Way,” set on Long Island, but filmed in Vancouver for budgetary reasons. He said that despite his sickly looking performances of late that he’s feeling fine, so I assume something is terribly wrong. Based on how he’s pitched, something is terribly wrong. Whether it’s physical, per se, or just, you know, something wrong…well, something’s wrong.
• Randy Jones was a welcome middle-innings guest on SNY. He’s doing better than he was a few months ago [2] and doing better than Matz, by all indications. The Padres’ premiere lefty of days gone by is in possession of Jerry Koosman’s 1976 National League Cy Young Award, but we won’t hold that against him. Nor will we dwell on his Mickey Lolich Lite tenure as a Met in 1981 and 1982. Some guys pass through your premises, some guys have legacies somewhere else. Keep throwing that soft stuff, Mr. Jones, and getting ’em out San Diego way. You were a helluva pitcher. (Maybe have a word with our Steven if you can spare it.)
• Chris Flexen starts tonight for the Mets. Clean slate. Fill it with outs, young feller.
• We’ll be rockin’ in Rockville Centre Friday night at 7:00, talkin’ Piazza and all that good ’90s Mets stuff. Come on over to where I’ll be speaking of the ex-Padre and eternal Met. The place has books and wine and, for a spell, me. Would love to see you. [3] Thanks.