Oops.

The Rockolas have good pitching, even if it's been inconsistent. They have great hitting and good defense.

And now they're hot hot hot while the rest of the NL West is the usual crudaicious slop.

It's not even September. They're six games back and charging fast.

We  shall see, but the smart money now rides on the Rocks rocking on...

The 11th inning let's get the hell out of Dodge and bust rule specially conjured for the last baseball Olympics (for a while) is a real loser.

Talk about sucking the excitement out of a baseball game.

Extra innings generally are interesting, even thrilling. The Olympic artificial flavoring of an ending -- not so much.

They start the inning with runners on first and second and each team picking where to start in the lineup.

Why not just stage a simulated game from the start or a rousing game of over-the-line while you're at it. Who needs innings. Just play it on the computer and reveal the results.

The reason for this lame format is just as lame. Get the games over with since the tourney only lasts two weeks.

Huh.

USA USA  got burned by Cuba last time. This time they beat Japan (barely) for the honor of a rematch.

Can you say bronze medal?

Sure, Jeff Kent is a jerk and a liar. Don't forget moron. Remember his close encounter of the broken wrist kind while --  er-um, kick me if you've heard this one before -- "washing" his truck.

He's also a red neck loser.

But a great hitter. Defensive liability but he can hit.

Hit it already and shut up otherwise. I'm speaking in reference to Jeff Cant's comments about Vin Scully.

Vin Scully is the greatest broadcaster of this generation and any generation dating back to when he started in the 1950s. He is a far greater presence and historic figure than Kent ever could hope to be.

So, to go after Scully for alleged disrespect when the announcer merely pointed out the obvious, that Kent's hitting numbers had skyrocketed since Manny Ramirez came aboard is beyond idiotic.

And then to say Scully should stop talking about it and that he talks too mch.

All Scully does is talk about it. And it and that and this. That's why people love him. That Scully has so much baseball knowledge, and can say the most illuminating and amazing things during the game. That makes the game for most of the world. Not your sorry country-western ***.

Kent said he was kidding. Oh yeah. Funny stuff. Next Stop John Stewart and Letterman.

Vin Scully is a baseball legend. You Jeff Kent, are a monkey on a rock. And yes, Manny is the reason you're hitting better. So, if anybody should shut up, gee...wonder who.

At this point, the Bonds baggage actually can be a good thing. Really.

The Rays need a power left-handed bat. Bonds can DH.

The steroid stuff is so tired and old. We all know he's going to prison for perjury next year. So, he has six weeks to help a cinderella team win the pennant.

It's all good PR. And Bonds can help the Rays.

Since the steroids are a given and we know he has to be clean, the controversy on this point is moot. Barry is at St. Pete to play ball and win the pennant so who can doubt that each day the focus wll be on the team and the win, not so much on Bonds. And since everyone knows the baggage situation, nobody is going to care all that much. And if Bonds does deflect some attention, that's good too, since it takes media glare off other players who can relax and play loose.

It's surprising this hasn't taken place as of Aug. 15.

I predict it will happen...

(And speaking of which in a strange paradoxical thought pattern that popped just in my brain now: What about Dale Berra?)

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They rebounded against the Dutch, ha-ha.

Davey Johnson looked sick to his stomach in the Korea loss and with good reason. Surely, these guys can respond better to pressure. Unfortunately not, as they did a redux against Cuba the other night/day.

Can you say sayonara? The Japanese team is loaded with top pros and the Cubans are the Cubans, despite half their real team now playing in the U.S. 

But who cares, I got a badminton match to watch. What's the birdie over/under on Malaysia-Sri Lanka?

The heady barely surpassing mediocrity lifestyle that was an 85-win-in-a-crappy-division and get bounced out of the playoffs in three games days are ended. Sadly.

Luck and lies. Each has caught up with the team that actually had something in 1998 and probably won't have anything until 2013 at the earliest.

As they say at the old school essay competition, compare and contrast.

LIES:

1. Our farm system is much better than people give us credit for:

       So bogus. For the last decade, the Padres have had one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Everybody knew it. Turnover was a problem. They kept hiring and firing key scouting personnel and management. Instructional framework was bizarre. Furthermore, the drafts were terrible. Hardly any Padres draft picks have made it to the majors. The Matt Bush syndrome rules. Try to get prospects on the cheap and see what happens. The Padres have had no international presence. It's a disaster and as we all know -- thank you Branch Rickey -- the farm system, and development process is the key building block to a succsessful franchise.

2. We will spend what it takes to compete in the middle market bracket:

      Never true. John Moore has penny-pinched for years. Finances are a problem, always have been. My Rancho Santa Fe neighbor borrowed and spent $80 million to buy the club. It is his main -- I would say sole, but let's not get technical -- financial resource, income and economic vehicle. So, he's always looked to save each hay-penny. And that lovely new government issued downtown stadium to draw fans and all notwithstanding, the situation just went from bad to beyond worse. Tammy Wynette breath anybody: D-I-V-O-R-C-E. Yes, once again marital affairs have risen to strike the Friars. Moore's divorce with his (soon-to-be) ex-wife in community propertyland has meant they need to do something about the franchise. Divide it down the middle Solomon (not Torres, the real one) fans? Not likely. The Padres are the Moores' main asset and surprise, surprise, the divorce is right out of War of the Roses; not ye olde jolly English kind, but the Danny Devito-Kathleen Turner-Michael Douglas fight-a-thon. This will take maybe years to sort out. Don't be surprised to see this team for sale within the year. Who knows when financial solvency will return?

      Not really. Team officials always have hyped their players. This tired smoke finally has engulfed their lies. Adrian Gonzales, Jake Peavy and many, many question marks, some of them with exclamation points, that's all folks. A lot of Triple A-Plus talent. No pitching. Other dumb stuff like giving Jim Edmonds a big contract and then just cutting him. Huh? And now L'affaire Giles. Talk about over-rated at this point. Padres officials even had the temerity to say they kept naked beer-swiggling man around because he was such a good influence on the other players. Huh-Huh-Huh? And they were going to pay him $9 million? Come on. Then, Giles vetoes a trade that would have given him his only World Series opportunity ever not to mention millions of dollars and free agency in two months, and blames people for leaking his name in trade rumors. He has LOSER written all over him. But I digress.

It's plumb run out for this tired excuse -- and by excuse, I mean lots and lots of excuses, more excuses than Maxwell Smart on a good day -- of a team. Officials have answers for everything, but the fact is the NL West has been a mediocrity for years and the Padres were lucky to squeak out enough wins to win a few division crowns. They got lucky for several years with bargain basement relievers who blossomed. This luck ran out as most clubs got savvy in their middle relief conceptions and started paying the best of this bunch a little more money than the stngy Padres, always looking to get help on the cheap. Now, the Pads are left with dregs, no help forthcoming from the minors and nothing else in the cupboard either. Since relief pitching was their stregnth and they are just about last in any offensive category, 

HELLO!

That was the lesson I took from his cameo appearance at Corporate Logo Park in The City. Maybe, he thought his presence might spark some interest.

The reception was amazing. It was quite the Bizarro World experience. Even more amazing in some kind of anti-karma wonderland, the Gigantes have come from behind in the bottom of the 9th Inning (or 10th inning Saturday) and won both game since the chimerical Bonds sighting.

Which begs this question. Since Bonds is available and the only place he can go and not be a pariah is San Francisco and since he has no contract and can sign a contract for the minimum...

Is it not obvious?