Less Than Jake

"I’m free to do what I want any old time
I’m free to do what I want any old time
So love me, hold me, love me, hold me
I’m free any old time to get what I want"
--I'm Free, Rolling Stones

I'm refraining from such a pro-Padre post on the Rockham page, because I know it'll be met with a great deal of animosity. On my own blog, however, I'm free from all restrictions--real or implied--and I'll give Jake Peavy his due:
Wow. My jaw is still locked in agape position, having been there since about 7:10 last night, or the hour of Peavy's first strikeout of the evening. I don't think I've ever seen him better, striking out 13, walking one and only giving up two hits in eight stellar innings of work. He had everything working (Jeff Kent was the only Dodger starter who didn't strike out at least once), and went out with a bang--striking out Phillips and Grabowski to end the 8th and end his night). The offense gave him one run (fill-in catcher Robert Fick scored on a B-Giles double) and that was plenty. I won't spend too much time Dodger-bashing, because Brad Penny was almost as good, but Jake's just showing that he's the best pitcher in the league not named Pedro or Roger. There's a band that bears the same name as this post, and I'm just now realizing that they must have named themselves after every other pitcher in the majors. Great start to a big series, one which could have brought the Dodgers within half a game if they had swept, and one that could now serve to put some serious distance between my Padres and the rest of the awful NL West. Three more against the Dodgers, followed by three against the Mariners (bad, bad Adrian Beltre & Co.) and then up to L.A. for three more (I'll be there on Tuesday)...

Hey, it's Pedro Gomez on ESPN, and he's telling us that Barry Bonds isn't quite ready to come back and play this season. You know, I think I've heard that from Pedro sometime before. Oh yeah, like every single day since spring training started, that's right. Are you kidding me? Does this guy do anything else? His whole job is predicated on providing daily updates about a guy who hasn't done anything baseball-related since last September, and probably the most hated player in the entire sport. I'd rather hear Devil Rays minor league pitching updates than "Bonds played catch with Moises Alou today" and "Bonds wiped his nose this morning." Maybe it's just me. I suppose that if ESPN can send like forty people to the NBA Finals (37 of whom are essentially unnecessary--Tirico, Anthony and Walton are all they need; Tirico and Anthony for halfway-decent analysis, Walton for comedy), they can spare one to be Barry Bonds' cabana boy...

Double the basketball on Sunday, and I was much worse for wear yesterday, but it was still worth it. Did the Brentwood thing in the afternoon (lost three out of four, not a very good effort) and got a couple Galaxy tickets from Zeus for the 4th of July (not that anybody else cares, but it'll be the MLS game of the year so far: Landon and the Galaxy taking on the first place Revolution and Clint Dempsey). Had a nice nap after the forever drive home down the evil 405 and watched "Entourage" (epic cameos from Ralph Macchio and Pauly Shore), marking my second consecutive viewing of a show that is quickly approaching watch-every-week status (a level heretofore only achieved by "West Wing" and "24"). Nikki, by the way--the Iowa intern--started watching season one of "24" over the weekend, moving her up even further on the figurative charts. Our evening game was a joke, and exactly the type of game Michael and I wanted to play after such a tiring afternoon. We won by 44, and the game was never even that close. 36-11 at halftime (after we gave up a three-point play on the final play of the half) and 33-14 in the second half (don't worry, I'll do the math for you: 69-25 final score). So we're 5-0 now, rolling right along and having a darn good time. We even shot well this time out, which hasn't always been the case, despite our undefeated record. Hopefully we'll be able to take some momentum into the showdown with last season's champs, whenever that may be...

Coldplay, X&Y, not a bad disc at all. Haven't gotten all the way straight through it yet, but the bits and pieces of tracks one through eight or so have been outstanding. Not many bands at their level right now, frankly. Obviously I'm putting Jimmy Eat World up there, but is there anyone else? I'm unsure...

I am sure, however, that Jake Peavy is the best pitcher to don a Padre uniform since Kevin Brown's ridiculous '98 campaign, and I'm excited about where this team's heading...

I made a note on Rockham yesterday about the case for gay against me, and as much as I'm encouraged by the relative silence on that issue in the recent past, I do feel compelled to elaborate on it at some point. That point is not now. Nikki and I have work to do. Ha...