Petco Park On A Quiet Thursday In January

Last Thursday afternoon - well before the debacle at Qualcomm on Sunday - I arrived in San Diego and took a stroll down to Petco Park. As the photos above can attest, the day was absolutely perfect.

As I walked around the ballpark enjoying the perfect warmth of a sunny 69 degree day, I imagined Jed Hoyer sitting inside in his office, reading some scouting reports, chatting up some agents by telephone and likely housing a fish taco lunch. Then I thought about his office at his last job, probably in some early 20th century windowless tank at Fenway, the frigid winds of a Boston January seeping through the crumbling concrete as he scarfed down a quick bowl of clam chowder in between "emergency" calls from Theo Epstein, pressing him for inconsequential data about some overpriced free agent.

And then I thought to myself: well played moving to the Diego, Jed. Well played.