Response to Bill Shaikin Article: You Can Win in San Diego!

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres last produced a winning record in 2010, and have not made the playoffs since 2006.  Bill Shaikin’s article from the Los Angeles Times is correct, it is a tough time to be a Padres fan.  However, it is upsetting how Shaikin quotes Quintin Berry, a San Diego native and current Red Sox player, to paint a defeatist picture of the San Diego Padres Baseball Club.  In my opinion, it is possible to win a championship in San Diego.

Berry says that you need to leave San Diego to win a championship, and right now, he is right.  He left San Diego, and his team is two wins away from a World Series Title.  However, the current players in San Diego want to win just as much as Berry does, which is something the article fails to mention.  The Padres (and Chargers) are cut-throat competitors that cannot stand to lose.  The entire organization is preparing for a new opportunity to win the NL West in 2014, and it would be pointless to think otherwise.

The goal next season is to make the playoffs, and goals are what motivate players to get in the gym each day, improve their mechanics, watch video, and become better baseball players.  All the teams eliminated from post season play are getting ready for 2014, and one organization will put together a winner.  It starts with being a competitor, and in that sense, I see no difference between San Diego, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Boston.  I know the Padres are playing to win in 2014, so stop the trash talk and play ball!

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