Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Quarterbacks

So it comes to this. In less than an hour the Illini open the season in St. Louis against the 6th ranked Missouri Tigers. The Illini, as has been documented in a number of recent posts on this blog, have a talented roster. But the key for the Illini in this game - and others - is their starting quarterback, Juice Williams.

Juice is entering his third season as a starter and improved a lot from his first to his second season. The Illini are counting on him to further improve on his accuracy and get the ball with regularity to the weapons the Illini have at receiver. If he is more accurate - and I think he will be - that will free up some space for the talented, but still unproven, running backs like Daniel Dufrene and Troy Pollard.

And also at quarterback are Eddie McGee and Jacob Charest. Both are monsters but I'm so excited for tonight's game I can't write anymore right now.

Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Running Backs

Other than perhaps the placekickers, no Illini unit has more questions entering the 2008 season than the Illini running backs. Mendenhall's decision to leave after his record-breaking junior season - the right choice for him - leaves a big hole in the backfield, and a lot of touches available to the back who steps up and earns Zooker's confidence.

To start the season Daniel Dufrene will be that back. He showed flashes of breakaway talent last season, most notably with his 106-yard performance at Columbus against the Buckpeyes. He's a junior this season and has a great opportunity to be a two-year beast working with Benn and Juice.

Troy Pollard will also get touches. He looked awesome early last season before succumbing to a knee injury that knocked him out. He's now a redshirt-freshman and, assuming he comes back healthy, should be on the field for a lot of snaps.

Complicating the mix - in a good way - are two freshmen who bring a lot of buzz with them to campus. Jason Ford was the #14 recruit in Illinois but slid under the radar of a lot of the big time programs. People say he's going to surprise some people. The other freshman is Champaign Centennial grad Mikel LeShoure. He was teammates with Mike Locksley, Jr. and is well-known by the coaching staff. I look for him to make an impact on this offense.

At fullback is Rahkeem Smith. He's a junior and will be called upon to block for Juice, Dufrene and Benn. He's more than up to the task. Tyler Pacha, a senior who was a stud fullback in junior college, will likely back up Rahkeem.

Converted defensive back Darius Purcell, who some predicted would challenge for touches, transferred to North Dakota St. so he could go back to playing defense. Also on the roster are freshman Zach Becker and redshirt-freshman Mark Burgess. I don't know much about those guys, but no doubt they wear the orange and blue with pride.

Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Arrelious Benn is probably the best football player in the country. I'm not joking. He played nearly his entire freshman season with a dislocated shoulder and was still an absolute gamebreaker who broke a ton of freshman receiving records at Illinois and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Now he is 100% healthy for the first time in his college career and, with the departure of Rashard Mendenhall, will be the #1 offensive weapon for Juice Williams and the Illini offense. Not only will Benn be the top target in an expanded Illini passing game, but look for Benn to get a significant number of carries out of the backfield and on reverses. The sky's the limit for this monster.

But the talent at receiver doesn't end with Benn. Jeff Cumberland is a big bodied converted Tight End who brings athleticism and size at one of the receiving spots. He looked really good in limited starts last season and could be a sneaky stud in the unit. He'll miss the Missouri game and possibly a few more with a stress fracture in his foot, but hopefully will come back healthy and beastly. Also in the starting mix are Chris Duvalt and Chris James. Duvalt is a junior, a former defensive back and an absolute burner. He'll outrun people when called to do so. James, a sophomore, started two years ago but redshirted last year with a knee injury. I think he'll enjoy coming back and taking passes from a more experienced - and accurate - Juice Williams.

Two other guys with experience who may get some starts are senior Will Judson and junior Marques Wilkins. Both played in nearly every game last season and Wilkins had the big 31-yard TD catch against the Buckfreyes. Judson is 5'8" and offers a speedy contrast to the larger Cumberland.

But you know what? Even though Benn, Cumberland, Duvalt, James, Judson and Wilkins offer a lot to be excited about, they aren't what really gets me excited about this Illini receiving unit.

So go ahead. Ask me what gets me the most excited?

Go ahead. Do it.

Do it.

What gets me most excited are the crop of speedy and talented frosh receivers the Zooker brought in. Headlining the class are two 4-stars who will be studs: Cordale Scott and A.J. Jenkins. I can't wait to cheer these guys on for the next four years. Also in the freshman class are Jack Ramsey and Fred Sykes. Ramsey is from Simeon and played high school ball with Martez Wilson. He is reportedly very fast and there is some buzz about him coming out of Camp Rantoul, though he also has had some academic issues to work out. Sykes is a recruit out of Tampa and, as everyone knows, every football player in Florida is a beast.

Speaking of Florida I don't want to even talk yet about the possible best receiver on the team not named Arrelious Benn. That player would be Jared Fayson, a transfer from Florida, who was one of the top recruits in the country a few years ago. He'll sit out this season but could be Juice's favorite target in '09.

Also listed at receiver for the Illini are Jack Eastman, Jason McGoey and Alex Reavy. According to a recent blog post from Mark Tupper, Reavy, a walk on, may get some playing time because he is a worker who doesn't make mistakes. A lesson to the young: coaches like that kind of thing.

So with Cumberland hurt and already moved over to WR, it's worth asking who's going to start at TE? That's going to be Bloomington native Michael Hoomanawanui. He started midway through last season, has good hands and can lay down a block. I like this kid a lot. The Zooker also brought in two good recruits at TE who should get playing time: Hubie Graham, the #12 ranked TE in the country, and London Davis, a solid player out of Cahokia, IL. Let's be honest, has there even someone named "London" who wasn't a solid football player?

Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Offensive Lineman

Ryan McDonald is a true monster. He's about to become a 4-year starter as a Big Ten offensive lineman, including starting at center for the Illini the last two seasons. This season he will again feed snaps to Juice and, at times, Eddie McGee, and will anchor the offensive line.

The other two studs on the O-Line are a couple of upperclassmen who need no introduction. At left tackle is senior Xavier Fulton, a former defensive player who redshirted in '06 and then came back last season and started every game on the O-Line. All he did last season was consistently open monster holes for Rashard and Juice. He'll no doubt do the same this season. On the other side of the line, lining up next to McDonald, is junior Jon Asamoah. He'll start at right guard and will put D-Linemen on their backsides with regularity.

Joining McDonald, Fulton and Asamoah as starters will likely be sophomores Randall Hunt and Ryan Palmer. Hunt is at left guard. He's a former prep schooler who played a bunch last season. Palmer played in 11 games as a frosh last season and is a potential monster.

Next on the depth chart are a number of kids who will push the starting group and, in a few cases, could become superstars. At center are seniors Eric Block and Mike Nabolotny. Block is from 'Nawlins, played a lot last year and is an able backup for McDonald. Nabolotny has played some TE in the past so presumably he is a solid athlete. No word though on why the Zooker moved him to the O-Line. Backing up at the guard spots are Jeff Allen, a freshman who was one of the Top 30 recruits out of the state of Illinois, and Jack Cornell, a redshirt frosh who picked the Illini over Nebraska and was a 4-star recruit coming out of Quincy Notre Dame. I sense beastly things for both those young guys. Finally, adding depth at tackle are freshmen Graham Pocic and Craig Wilson. Pocic was an All-Stater last year in the state of Illinois and another 4-star. He is huge and potential super-stud. Wilson I don't know a whole lot about but if I was a betting man I'd bet he's good.

The only real negative news about this unit is that two players who would have been key backups - Mark Jackson and Brandon Jordan - appear to no longer be with the team. Mark Tupper and others reported a few days ago that Jackson, along with safety Brian Gamble, had academic issues and were not currently part of the football program. Jordan is not currently listed on the roster on the Illini website and reportedly had academic issues in the Spring. Hopefully he is not gone for good. Given the absence of Jackson and Jordan, a number of other players - Chudi Aguanunu (Jr), Mike Garrity (R-Fr), Corey Lewis (Fr), Tyler Sands (Fr) and Ryan Sedlacek (Fr), may get a shot to move up the depth chart.

Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Defensive Lineman

That's Will Davis wrapping up Troy Smith back in the '06 matchup between Ohio St. and Illinois. The Bucksleyes nipped out a 17-10 victory in that game but the Illini's game performance proved they could hang with the #1 team in the land. As you all know a year later the Illini took the next step and beat the (again) #1 Buckneyes in Columbus.

Now Will Davis is a senior and the leader of what promises to be a stud defensive line unit for the '08 Illini. Davis will start on one end, bookended with senior Derek Walker. Up the middle at DT are senior David Lindquist and, likely, sophomore Josh Brent. The unit was to have four senior starters, but Sirod Williams had season-ending knee surgery and will redshirt. He'll be back next year but his absence allows Brent to take over the starting role. Brent is one of the best recruits of the Zooker era and could be dominant.

Backing those guys up and likely getting a good amount of playing time are Doug Pilcher, Antonio James, Daryle Ballew and Jerry Brown. Pilcher is, by most reports, a max effort guy who makes up in work ethic what he lacks in talent. I'm going to enjoy watching him stuff running backs this season. Ballew is a redshirt freshman who some say could start now and may start before the season is over. Jerry Brown is a potential monster who had a sack last season against the Bluckteyes. James is a junior who has played most every game the last two seasons. He can get to the quarterback and adds depth to this skilled and experienced unit.

Next I've gotta mention the freshman group the Zooker brought in, a group that by and large looks to contribute immediately. The cream of the crop is Corey Liuget out of the state of Florida. What a snake by the Zooker. Urban Meyer can't be pleased. He will get his fair share of playing time this Fall at DE. Then you have yet another round of beasts from Dunbar high school in D.C. (the same school as Rejus and Vontae): ends Reggie Ellis and Ugo Uzodinma. Ellis is one of the top prospects out of D.C. this year - if not the top prospect - and Ugo isn't far behind. Another frosh is Glen Foster from Mt. Carmel, and rounding out the group are two guys with beastly names and, no doubt, beastly talents: Whitney Mercilus and Wisdom Onyegbule.

Also involved on the D-Line this Fall are redshirt sophomore Anterio Jackson and senior Bryson Whalen. Clay Nurse, who we mentioned in the linebacker preview, may also see time on the line. Jackson is a former All-Stater out of Fenger. Nurse played primarily on kickoffs last year but there is some buzz about him.

You Get Nine Ribeyes, You Get A Mention

5-6, 2 dobles, 2 bombs and 9 ribeyes.

That's right. Nine ribeyes.

That was Kyle Blanks' line last night for the Padres' AA affiliate San Antonio Missions.

Blanks is a 21-year old 1B prospect drafted in 42nd round of the 2004 draft. He's 6'6'' and weighs over 270 pounds. BA jumped him from the Padres 29th rated prospect before 2007, to number 10 entering the 2008 season. Query where he'll rank next season now that Headley has graduated to the majors and Antonelli has slipped, but Ced Hunter and Kellen Kulbacki have raked and some of the '08 draftees - Decker, Tekotte, Carroll - are off to monster starts. My money is he'll be the #3 guy in the Padres system behind Hunter and Latos.

Does Adrian feel the footsteps? (Of course not, Adrian is a monster.)

La Leyenda de Jody Gerut

I have three things to say about Jody's walk-off bomb last night.

First, nice job Jody. You put a rabid swing on that offering from Rauch and lined it out of the park well past the short porch in rightfield. After two bombs off Rauch in less than a week no doubt he curled his 6'10'' frame into a fetal position last night and wept like a babe.

Second, great call by Matty Vasgersian on the home run. As Rauch wound and fired Vasgersian said calmly, "Jody has homered against Rauch." Then, just as he was finishing his sentence and the ball was climbing on a line towards right, Vasgersian continued, hardly pausing but now at a veritable scream, "Jody has homered again against Rauch! Game winnerrrr!" Just stellar.

And third, you gotta love the rook Hayhurst's half-hearted, I'd-love-to-go-crazy-but-I'm-a-rook-and-know-my-place celebration at the plate after Jody's bomb. All the players mobbed Jody in a jumping, celebrating mass, and there's Hayhurst, at the periphery of the group, jumping slightly with a hand lightly on CY's back. Like he wanted to do something but wasn't sure how much he should do. What a monster.

The rook Reineke goes tonight against Webb. That's way better than watching a speech by Hillary Clinton.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Yesterday - August 24, 2008 - the Drinos lost 7-4 to the Gints to lose their 7th straight game and close out an 0-6 road trip. Another disappointing loss for a team that has had a very disappointing season. It seems strange that just a year ago yesterday - August 24, 2007 - the Padres were in the midst of a pennant race and, though things would take a surreal turn in the coming weeks, reached a nice high point in their '07 season.

On that day, a year ago yesterday, the Drinos mashed the Phillies (a team that would make the playoffs) 14-3 at Citizens Bank Park. Milton Bradley and Adrian Gonzalez hit 2 bombs each and Milton, that monster, had 6 ribeyes. Brian Giles and Mike Cameron also had a couple knocks, while Kouz had 4 hits and Bard - wait for it - went 5 for 6. Not to mention Maddux went 7 strong and gave up only 3 earned runs.

Here is the lineup the Padres ran out a year-ago yesterday:

1. Brian Giles - RF
2. Mike Cameron - CF
3. Milton Bradley - LF
4. Adrian Gonzalez - 1B
5. Khalil Greene - SS
6. Kevin Kouzmanoff - 3B
7. Josh Bard - C
8. Marcus Giles - 2B
9. Greg Maddux - P

And here is the lineup they ran out against the Gints yesterday in San Francisco:

1. Brian Giles - RF
2. Luis Rodriguez - SS
3. Jody Gerut - CF
4. Adrian Gonzalez - 1B
5. Kevin Kouzmanoff - 3B
6. Chase Headley - LF
7. Edgar Gonzalez - 2B
8. Nick Hundley - C
9. Josh Banks - P

I'm not entirely sure what my point is here. I mostly just wanted to see the lineups listed on the same page. What jumps out at me is that a few important pieces are the same - Giles, Kouz and A-Gon. The big differences are that Khalil and Bardo both underperformed severely and missed time with injuries. Edgar is an upgrade with the bat over Marcus Giles but, in retrospect, the Padres would have done well to sign Geoff Blum as a backup for another season. The failure to sign Cameron and Bradley has resulted in a merry-go-round of players in the outfield this season, though that was solidified somewhat by Headley's call up in June and the recent performance of Jody Gerut. I still feel the Pads would have been better off with Cameron over Gerut, but I can't fault Jody for the job he's done this season.

This off-season is going to be interesting. The Padres are going to have ask themselves if they think they can win with a base of A-Gon, Giles, Kouz, Headley, Bard/Hundley, Khalil, Peavy, CY and Heath Bell. If they are confident they can get '07 production out of Bard and Khalil, continued improvement from Headley and Hundley, and more of the same from A-Gon, Giles and Kouz, then we might not see many changes in the '09 Padres lineup. They'll just have to figure out what they want to do at 2B and CF (Orlando Hudson and Jody Gerut?). After that it will all be a question of what kind of bullpen KT can put together and how much the Padres want to spend on starters 3-5. And CY needs to get through a season putting up good #2 starter numbers. I think he can do it.

But for now it's still 2008 and it's not too late to play well in the last 30 or so games and get a few wins and end the season on a positive tick. It starts tonight with Jake.

Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Defensive Backs

Vontae Davis is the clear superstar of the Illini defensive backfield. He is a preseason All-American, made the Playboy All-American team and is rumored to a be future first round NFL draft pick when he finishes up at the University of Illinois. He has the lightning speed to run down Joe McKnight from behind and, according to Rashard Mendenhall, is the hardest hitter he's ever experienced. And that was in practice. Vontae's one weakness is that he sometimes takes plays off or at least waits back to try to bait QBs into throwing in his direction to try to make a big play. If he can iron out that slight immaturity he has a chance to be the top cornerback in all of college football.

Also starting in the Illini defensive backfield this Fall will be Dere Hicks, Travon Bellamy and Nathan Bussey. Bussey and Bellamy, both sophomores out of the D.C.-Maryland area, are potential monsters and Hicks, a junior out of Pennsylvania, will lead the unit along with Vontae.

Backing these guys up is a quartet of young guys that typify the depth in speed and athleticism that the Zooker now brings in annually. Garrett Edwards and Bo Flowers look to backup at the safety positions while Marcus "Miami" Thomas and Ashante Williams backup at corner. Flowers is a bit of an elder statesman as he spent four years playing minor league ball for the Tigers. Detroit is now paying for his schooling and Flowers is a walk on. Miami Thomas you know from the Ohio St. game where he filled in for an injured Vontae Davis and made one pick and forced another. What a superstar. He's a nice guy to have as a sophomore "backup."

Adding to the depth is another mix of underclassmen and a JC recruit that will press for playing time immediately. Donsay Hardeman was a highly recruited JC guy out of Florida and could be a monster. Antonio Gully out of St. Louis was highly recruited in the Midwest but the Zooker managed to snake him. And then you have three freshmen - Patrick Nixon, Supo Sanni and Tavon Wilson - who a few years ago would have been the three best DBs on the Illini squad, but now have to wait for their chance behind the likes of Vontae, Bussey and Bellamy. Man, I like this depth and athleticism.

Rounding out the mix are a few more young guys who may make names for themselves: Andrew Harweger, Mike Locksley, Jr., Cody Stankard and Kevin Johnson. These guys may not see the field often on gameday, but they're Illini so you know they're tough.

All in all this is a young group with a lot of skill. They'll be tested less than a week from tonight in St. Louis and that will give an immediate indication of just how good these guys are.

Merriman's Knee

I wish Merriman only had a PCL tear.

F.

Gints 4, Drinos 3

Dirk,

Congratulations on your Major League debut. I like how you stuck around, put up some good numbers in the minors and then got a shot in the Bigs. I also like how you have a solid writing style in that Non-Prospect Diary of yours that comes across as honest and observant.

I hope you strikeout batters and induce weak fly balls and ground outs with regularity as a pitcher for the San Diego Padres.

Best,
Bevormo

PS - I hope the Padres beat the Gints today.

Backs 4, Drinos 1

The big club lost again last night and I didn't watch one second of it. Shame on me.

But you know what I have been watching? The kid in the photo above, Jaff Decker. He's putting up outstanding numbers for the Padres Rookie League affiliate in Peoria, AZ. He looks like he hasn't lost all the baby fat on those cheeks of his but at the same time could beat my ass with that aluminum bat if he was so inclined. I like that contradiction.

I'm excited to see where Jaff ranks on the Drino prospect list next Spring with the likes of Ced Hunter, Kellen Kulbacki, Kyle Blanks, James Darnell, Will Venable, Mat Latos, Wade LeBlanc, Will Inman, Mitch Canham, Sawyer Carroll, Yefri Carvajal, Logan Forsythe, Blake Tekotte, Matthew Clark, Dan Robertson and Allan Dykstra. Some talent there.

Now if Carrillo, Schmidt and Bush come back strong from surgery, the Padres minor league system may have something.

Backs 8, Drinos 6

I saw Gerut's double to start off the game, and I saw Tad Iguchi's automatic double over the wall that scored Gerut. I saw A-Gon's slap single past a drawn-in infield and I saw Kouz's monster bomb to left. Then I looked away and later looked back and saw Dunn's bomb on that low pitch from Peavy that lasered out of the park in right.

Yeeze.

I didn't see anything after that because I left to drink sangria and Brahma beer at Cafe Ronda and then Guinness at the Emerald Inn.

I hope Reineke pitches really well tonight and the Padres win the baseball game.

Position Preview: Introducing Your 2008 Illini Linebackers

That's Martez Wilson, starting strong-side linebacker for the 2008 Illini. He is an absolute monster and one of the key recruits of the Ron Zook era. His strength and speed make him a potential All-American. If he performs at that level this season then the Illini defense has a chance to be special with Vontae Davis at corner and a deep, talented defensive line up front.

Also starting at linebacker is Britt Miller. As J Leman's replacement in the middle, this linebacking unit is his to lead and it will be Britt's ability to make the pedestrian tackles up the middle that goes a long way toward deciding whether this unit is great, or just good. Britt's such a monster, I'm not too concerned.

Senior Rodney Pittman looks to be the third starter at linebacker. He was recruited out of Maryland and will start for the first time. I don't know much about him but if he wins a starting job in this defense he must have some talent.

Next on the depth chart will likely be Ian Thomas, Sam Carson and Dustin Jefferson. I don't know much about these guys but it's good to see Thomas and Jefferson, a redshirt freshman and sophomore respectively, so high on the depth chart. I hope they make a lot of hits and knock some heads off this season and build some confidence for seasons to come. Jefferson is from Kankakee, IL which, as Kraig Horstmann will tell you, is a city filled with beasts.

Also in the linebacking mix are these guys:

- Russell Ellington, Fr.
- Conor Gillen, Jr.
- Nate Palmer, Fr.
- Justin Staples, Fr.
- Evan Frierson, Fr.
- Clay Nurse, So.

Ellington may be the cream of this crop. He was part of a nice snake by Zook last Fall when Ellington and Jason Ford (RB) changed over their commitments from Iowa to Illinois. Good choice, boys. Palmer was a three-star out of Simeon (same school as Martez) and Staples was a three-bagger out of Ohio. Frierson is another potential beast out of the D.C. area. Gillen and Nurse I haven't heard much about so I just assume they are beasts but haven't made a name for themselves yet.

Backs 7, Drinos 6

Missed the last few games, not because I don't care but because I've been laid up with a little of the summer flu.

Can't stand the summer flu. Want to get over it quick because it is damn gorgeous outside. Best August in NYC I can remember.

In the meantime, Peavy goes tonight against Haren. What a coupla of beasts.

Drinos 3, Brew Crew 2

That was one heck of a 7th inning yesterday. Sheets is shutting down the Drinos with 6 innings of 1 hit ball when, out of nowhere, the Drinos go single, double, single, sinking sac fly (nice baserunning by Chase to score on that), near bomb fly out by Edgar (another nice catch by Cameron on that) and single. All that plated 3 runs and then, on a passed ball, Gerut gets home and clearly slaps a hand on the plate but the ump doesn't see it and calls him out when Kendall tags him just as Jody is about to walk into the dugout.

All year long that's the kind of break that's gone against the Drinos but yesterday, despite another mash by Cameron (this time off Trevor in the 9th), the Padres hung on to win. Of course it was all set up by a great outing by Peavy to keep the Drinos close and in a position to win in the later innings.

And tonight the Phils are in town to start a three game weekend series. The real question though is whether the Padres are going to sign Dykstra.

If I was a betting man I'd say no.

Brew Crew 7, Drinos 1

Didn't see much of last night's game. Saw A-Gon whiff at at C.C. slider in the dirt. Saw a brief replay of Chase's sliding catch and Jody's reach-out slap bomb over the centerfield wall. Saw footage of Cory Hart's bases-clearing triple that hung up in the left-field corner. But that's about it.

That's all I really needed to see. If you had asked me to predict the outcome of any sporting event around the world last night - the Men's Individual All-Around Finals, the U.S.-Greece Men's Basketball game, one of those swimming relays, any other game on the MLB circuit - I would have been most confident that C.C. Sabathia would beat the Padres at Petco. There was really no question. The psychology of this Padres team right now is that they were beaten before they even took the field.

But today is different.

Today is Peavy, in the afternoon, under the sun.

So bring on this Ben Sheets character. And let's watch A-Gon and the boys unleash the fury.

Brew Crew 5, Drinos 2

I miss you, Mike.

Sure, sure, maybe your "numbers" "offensively" don't compare well with the current Padres centerfield platoon of Jody Gerut and Scott Hairston. And maybe you "strikeout" more often than one would like, but I really miss having you on the Padres.

Seeing you roam Petco's centerfield last night, nonchalantly snagging those two long flys to deep center, and watching you whip the sweet spot of the bat out over the plate and deposit that Cha Seung Baek offering into the stands in left center, brought back a lot of good memories from the last two seasons. Yes, you K a whole heck of a lot, and you only hit about .250 or .260, but what you bring to a team in terms of centerfield defense, speed on the basepaths and consistent 20-25 HR power, is hard to replace.

And what's more, you're an Everyday Player. A legitimate starting centerfielder in the big leagues. Not every team has one of those, including this year's version of the San Diego Padres. And this is coming from a guy who really likes Jody Gerut and Scott Hairston. They've been darn good this season. It's just that they aren't Everyday Players. And when you fill a clubhouse with a lot of guys who aren't Everyday Players, that starts to seep around and the players, whether they'll admit it or not, look around and start to think that the team doesn't have the personnel to compete and win games day in and day out.

I guess what I'm saying is that you're the type of player I'd want on my team if I was the one picking the players for a team.

Revenge

I'm torn.

Under normal circumstances the last thing I would root for is an act that would help either the Cubs or Cardinals make the playoffs.

But considering what happened last year in Milwaukee at the end of the regular season, I think it's time to seek a little revenge on the Brew Crew.

Yet according to the chart above, simple "revenge" will only provoke the Brewers into "retaliation" which, in turn, will start a vicious cycle of exchanged humiliations and retaliations. However, if the Drinos come up with some sort of "constructive revenge," then everything will be "OK."

That raises the question: what exactly is "constructive revenge"? Apparently it means that, rather than going directly after the person (or team) that caused your humiliation, you instead decide to better yourself to demonstrate your stature is superior to your adversary's.

Sounds bold, progressive and mature.

...

F "constructive revenge."

Let's squash the Crew tonight!

Drinos 16, Mountains 7

That game on Sunday - a 16-7 bomb fest at Coors Field - had a lot to like, and some to not like.

What I Liked
- Gerut and Kouz continuing their hot streaks and going yard early with authority
- Livan Hernandez throwing up batting practice balls
- Giles' 2 doubles and bomb to show that he likes being a Padre
- A-Gon going 4-5 with 3 runs and 2 ribeyes
- Luke Carlin hitting his first major league bomb, a 3-run job that came two innings after the Rockies scored 7 runs to close the gap from 11-0 to 11-7

What I Didn't Like
- CY's fourth inning debacle, giving up 7 earned runs to let the Rockies back in the game (although arguably the official scorer could have hung an error on E Gon for that liner past his glove)

Bolts 31, Boys 17

Jacob Hester played for LSU last season and helped lead them to a BCS Championship.

I'm not gonna hold that against him. He's a Bolt now and we can forgive anyone their past.

Last night he scored two touchdowns in the Bolts' preseason smackdown of the Dallas Cowboys. He rushed 13 times for 49 yards, sharing carries with Darren Sproles and Marcus Thomas.

Good overall start for the Bolts, although Romo led the Boys to an opening score a bit too easily for my liking. Hopefully a little too easily for Ted Cottrell's liking too.

Drinos 8, Mountains 3

Kouz has been absolutely raking of late.

Since July 5 he's raised his batting average from .266 to, as of this morning, .278. His slugging percentage is up from .422 to .450, and his OPS has jumped from .734 to .768.

That's pretty impressive, and I don't even know what OPS means.

After a little dip earlier this week after back-to-back 0-fers in the last two games at Shea, Kouz has three hits apiece in both games in Denver this weekend. On Friday, he hit 3 for 4 with a double in an otherwise disgusting, mistake-filled 6-3 loss to the Mountains. Then, last night, he smoked 3 hits in 5 at-bats, including another double, a ribeye and 3 runs scored. And, as today's headline indicates, the Drinos won this time 8-3.

Obviously opinion is divided on this issue, but the Padres should be very wary of trading away Kevin Kouzmanoff. First, in what is probably the most important factor to the front office if grumblings in the press about impending budget cuts are to believed, he's a very inexpensive 3B option for the next few years. Second, I think the numbers Kouz is putting up this season - by no means shabby - are going to be his low-median numbers over the next 5-7 years. His numbers this season will be a slight improvement over his numbers from last season, and I can't see him having a drop off going forward. More likely he'll continue to improve. And who knows what his numbers would be if he ever found himself playing home games in Colorado or Cincinnati or Philadelphia or Arizona.

Could be sick ridiculous.

Drinos 4, Metsies 2

Look at that photo. You see that guy in the background on the right side, the figure with his back to us? That's Petey Martinez, future Hall of Famer, known headhunter with his fastball, a Red Sox legend, and currently an oft-injured pitcher for the New York Mets.

And now do you see that other guy in the photo? The one in the foreground, trotting professionally down the third base line towards home plate. That's Brian Giles. He's just hit a first inning bomb off Petey, staking the Drinos to a 2-0 lead over the Metsies.

That was a nice little bomb, Brian. You've been a good Padre. Here's hoping that mystery team that claimed you off waivers last night doesn't pull off a deal to get you on their squad. Or, at a minimum, they give up a choice prospect to do so. Or, failing that, the Drinos use the cash savings to sign Brett Mooneyham. Or, failing even that, use the money to pay off Becky Moores and stop her from filing more papers regarding her divorce from John Moores in public court.

Also, before I forget, those were nice little bombs by Jody and Chase last night too. Chase hadn't left the yard since July 13 against the Bravos. Nice to see him get off the bomb schnied.

The two teams start up again at Shea in less than two hours, under cloudless skies and in 75 degree temperatures. Meanwhile I'm only thirty minutes away but am sitting in an office building hunched over a keyboard in an internet trance having the life drained out of me by overhead flourescent light bulbs.

Love it.

Metsies 6, Drinos 5

Darn it, Mike. CY goes out and gives up 1 hit through 5.1 and then you come in and promptly give up the go-ahead three-run bomb to 'Nando Tatis. What a shame. It's too bad too because you've been an absolute monster this season. You've taken on the role of Sleeper Reliever Snaked by Kevin Towers, a role played in the past by the likes of Aki Otsuka, Scott Linebrink and Heath Bell, and performed admirably.

Until last night at Shea, that is.

But these things happen, and, indeed, I partially blame myself for last night's loss. You see, I was at a softball game in Central Park - got smoked 13-4 but that's another story - and missed the first five innings of the game. But then the team went to Brother Jimmy's at 81st and Amsterdam for post-game appetizers and pitchers of cold Coors Louie, and, as I walked in, saw that the Drinos were winning 2-1 and the Metsies had amassed only 1 hit. Of course I immediately bragged to one my softball teammates, a Met fan by the name of D.P. McGillicutty, that the Metsies could not handle CY. No sooner did those words escape my mouth than I look back at the television and see Tatis trotting around the bases and the score flip from Drinos 2-1 to Metsies 4-2.

What a disaster.

Jody - who can hit - almost brought the boys back in the ninth but Giles' rope didn't quite clear Beltran's head and thus the game ended, another loss for the Drinos.

Better luck tonight against Petey Martinez. Here's hoping the Pads pummel that old guy.

CY Is Smarter Than You

CY is also smarter than the entire Mets team. He reads books with big words and complex themes. I bet Jose Reyes does not.

CY's stare alone solves mathematical equations. CY also probably knows what Paul DePodesta is talking about when DePo quotes obscure philosophers during Baseball Prospectus events at PetCo Park.

CY could have been either a baseball player or a basketball player, or probably even a scientist or a professor or a screenwriter or something like that. You know, something smart people do.

For all of these reasons I am pretty sure CY will win tonight at Shea Stadium.

Camp Rantoul

Hey, Ron. How's the water? Refreshing? Enjoying yourself? That's great, Coach.

But hey, guess what? Stop the grab ass. Summer's over. Time to get out of the pool and get back to work. Time to shake off that little dust up you had with the Mendenhall family in the offseason, and start focusing on finding a replacement for Rashard in the backfield. Who's it gonna be? Dufrene? Pollard? Or are you going to surprise us with Ford or Lekoure? You're so crafty. Who knows what to expect.

And don't forget Juice. He still needs some polish behind center. We're gonna need that arm of his a bit more this season. You gotta make sure Locksley stays on him and helps him reach his max potential. Because if he can get the ball there, you know Rejus and Kyle and Cumberland and, lest we forget, Hoomanawanui can catch it.

Wait, what's that? The defense? It's going to be good, you say? Yeah, well, I think you're right about that one. Look at all that speed you've recruited. Vontae ran down Joe McKnight in the Rose Bowl like he was in quicksand. And Martez could play TE if you'd let him. But hey, I agree with you. For now let's let him and Brit and Will D. run down the likes of Daniel and Painter and Boeckman and make them wish they'd never stepped on the same field as this Illini defense.

Suffice to say I'm excited to see what you and the boys have in store for us this season. So jump out of that pool, towel off and grab the clipboard and whistle.

It's time for a little footy ball.

Caught Boozin'

Say it ain't so, Jamar.

Say it ain't so.