Note: I am re-printing this article from March 31 just so everybody knows who knows it first...

The Padres are about to embark on one of the worst seasons in baseball history. Plenty of blame to go around although much of it at this point must be centered on John and Becky Moores and Sandy Alderson.

While it's all good and well to go around saying how much one loves the Padres etc., the fact is Moores and family milked this sucker for all it was worth and a lot more. They turned -- or rather, circumstances, the economy and MLB popularity turned -- an $84 million investment into $500 million. Good for them, but don't pretend your love for the Padres, their fans and San Diego is paramount when it isn't. Just witness the dismantling of the team over a few dollars in an environment when teams are expanding rosters and payrolls.

What's more, the Moores' choice of Alderson was disastrous. The drafts were terrible, maybe the worst in baseball. Not only was Matt Bush recently called the second worst draft pick in MLB history, but the lack of drafted players in the majors is amazing. Other than that, Alderson's stupidity drove away all decent baseball guys and left yes-men and sycophants or a few smart guys whose advice was ignored.

The Padres will lose around 105 games easy. Thanks for nothing!

As an added blog bonus today only, this is the e-mail I sent the Padres TV pigs about their coverage, too (Thanks goodness for MLB Network, MLB Extra Innings and MLB. com for real coverage)...

You don't even have a proper way to e-mail you with comments, how user unfriendly with this form.

The fact is the only reason anybody would watch your Padres coverage is you have a monopoly, but that will end, too. This year, don't complain  when your ratings are zero, or say it's because the team is bad or the economy sucks.

The reason nobody will be watching is evidenced today by your Padres=Brewers coverage. The announcers are the worst in baseball. Do yo have any doubt if a Vince Scully or even a Matt Vasgersian were broadcasting you would have a few viewers, just because it was interesting despite a terrible team. But now, you have a Mark Grant who is so odious, obnoxious and disgusting with his self-promotions and BS fake knowledge and your new guy is so boring and nondescript that it is a chore to listen and watch, actually like a job (bad) or even an affliction.

I'm a big baseball fan, but I'm afraid I will watch alternative baseball coverage rather than yours because yours is so sub-standard, even annoying and worse, stupid and maddening.

Don't bother with your form reply, we blah blah and other people blah blah blah... You're fooling only yourselves. The fact is you've dug your own ratings grave whether you believe it or not and I HATE YOU FOR REMOVING THIS PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE of enjoying Padres baseball on TV, even if the team is bad,, although I'm sure watching the Rockies, Giants, Dodgers, D-Backs, anybody but the Padres will remain my baseball solace.

Thanks for nothing!

Thanks to this being 2009 when everything is available for viewing anywhere all the time, I've seen more Big League baseball in the month of March than I would have seen in half-a-season in, say, 1979.

Indeed, as long ago as 2006, few spring games were televised. Now, several are on every day. Not to mention the World Baseball Classic, which has been a super-hit this year, the quality of play at Major League level and intriguing.

Every MLB game will be televised, or video-cast, in some format this year, a far cry from crowds of 1,500 at the Oakland Coliseum -- A's v. M's for last place in a dismal 1978, I was there -- and no radio broadcast.

But, I digress.

Based on early observation, my picks for "surprise" teams this season in the American League:

Orioles, Indians and Royals.

The O's under Larry McPhail seem much better and on the right track. Their pitching has improved greatly and appears underrated. Their farm system has stepped up with prospects and enthusiasm. I believe they will pound the ball. Unfortunately, the AL East is an incredibly tough neighborhood as we all know. But this team will be interesting, probably for the first half of the seasn before fading under the pressure of Sox-Yanks-Rays and come what may.

Similarly, the Indians look very strong. With Joe Mauer appearing out for a long period of time, so goes the hopes of the Twins, who will be strong, but not strong enough. It looks like the Tribe will be able to challenge the White Sox. Pitching is strong despite the losses -- CC, no-no etc. -- with Lee and Carmona looking good so long as their arms don't fail them now. Wood isn't the 1998 version, but is a bullpen upgrade. Their bats are flat-out awesome. I like this team.

Flying under the radar, the Royals have assembled a balanced, and impressive, team of good, exciting young players supplemented by winning veterans. The team displays speed and power, a top-line bullpen and strong group of starting pitchers. The defense appears solid. What more can we ask? They haven't won anything in decades, but this team has the look of a real contender, maybe the Rays of 2009.

Then again, I've seen a lot of Royals games the last few years, much to my chagrin. Frankly, I've made an obscure specialty of watching Royals games, despite living on the West Coast. There has been a wackiness to them the last few years reminiscent of the 1960s Mets. I've developed a soft spot for those darn guys, especially after witnessing some amazing defeat-snatched-from-victory efforts over time. But ,they always hustle. 

I've also enjoyed Indians games, since Cleveland appears to be a mirror, or polar, opposite of San Diego. I liked the obscurity of Indians players -- the likes of Grady Sizemore, Jhonnny (bonus points for spelling that name correctly) Peralta and Jim Thome -- whose performances speak for themselves, even if nobody outside of Cleveland listens.

With that said, I might go to a sports book in Vegas and drop a couple of Andrew Jacksons on both teams to make the playoffs. However, I'm not a betting man (and have seen a load of Royals and Indians games over the years).

MLB Network is a great success, no question. From the daily coverage of Spring Training to the special documentaries and films, in-studio analysis, they've got the Rolls Royce of sports stations currently. Who knew?

Replays of games past has been a particularly interesting bit of programming. MLB.com did this to some degree, but nothing like the new television product. The opportunity to watch legends perorm real-time in games from the 1940s to 2001 is enlightening and, in some cases, amazing.. 

Consider then October 1978, Fenway Park; Red Sox v. Yankees playoff for the AL East. Memory, or folklore, may not gibe exactly with fact.

Bucky Dent actually hit his famous home run in the 7th Inning. It gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead, but did not win the game. He didn't think the ball would leave the park and it barely did. I believe many people now, 31 years later, forget that, In fact, Reggie Jackson hit a later home run and the Yankees saw their 5-2 lead shrink to 5-4 in the 8th Inning.

Ron Guidry coming off a 25-3 Cy Young year was a bit less sharp than usual. (he only reason he is not in the Hall of Fame is his career was 13 years, not long enough but from 1977 to 1985. He was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

Here is something that would never happen today. Closer Goose Gossage came in the 7th Inning to finish the game. The Sox had runners on First and Second in the 9th Inning after Pinella lost a fly ball in the sun. Carl Yastrzemski, who had hit a home run for the first run of the game, made the last out. The Yankees won 100 games, the Red Sox, 99.

Also not considered today. Sox manager Don Zimmer came out to the mound to talk to Mike Torres just prior to Dent's home run and left him in the game. After the home run and another batter, he lifted Torres. And shout out to Red Sox Nation,  Jerry "Remdog" Remy had a great, clutch game.