Matt Stairs, Who Has Slimmed Down 36 Pounds From A Year Ago in Philly, and The Padres Are Running Wild This Spring
PEORIA, Ariz. — Matt Stairs glanced up at the television from his locker room stall because he had heard his name. Moments later, he saw himself in action.
The highlight clip was from nearly two years ago when Stairs was with the Toronto Blue Jays, and it showed him doing something Matt Stairs rarely does — which is to steal a base. The announcers cackled some, his Padre teammates in the clubhouse laughed, and Stairs — now 42 years of age — creased a rankled smile.
“Yeah, that’s very funny,” he said. The reason the MLB network had chosen to dig through the video archives was because Stairs had stolen a base the previous afternoon here in a Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. “I’m trying to do everything I can to make this team. And the way these guys are running this spring, I figured I’d better get with the program.”
Beep. Beep. It’s true. Stairs is hardly the only Padre on the run in the spring training. The Friars stole six bases in all against the Angels on Tuesday and had five thefts the night before against San Francisco. Heading into Wednesday’s exhibition game against Kansas City, the Padres had pilfered more spring training bags (26) than any other team in baseball.
So what in the name of Carl Lewis is going on around here? The plodding and plundering Padres, who never run (unless it’s back to the dugout after making an out), who never take chances, who never push the issue, are — what? — all of a sudden daring?
“It’s something that we’ve really stressed this spring,” said oufielder Will Venable, who tried only seven steals last season but was successful on six of them. “We need to be aggressive not only stealing bases, but on the bases in general. Going from first to third, stuff like that. With the ballpark we play in, it’s important for us be able to manufacture some runs.”
Pardon me for a moment here while I say — hallelujah!!
You mean, after all these seasons of watching long fly balls die short of the warning track at spacious Petco Park, the Padres have finally realized that they’re going to need to use the running game to create offense? As the saying goes, better late than never.
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