Padres Editorial: How Marathon Training Helps the Padres in 2015

Jun 13, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Jenna Prandini of Oregon defeats Morolake Akinosun of Texas to win the womens 100m, wind-aided 10.96 to 10.97, in the 2015 NCAA Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field. From left: Aaliyah Brown (Texas A&M), Akinosun and Prandini and Dezerea Bryant (Kentucky). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Conclusion

So yes, baseball has a long season. In that time, there is time for course corrections along the way. Bad decisions don’t have to fester all season, and you can’t celebrate good ones for too long either before you need to make another change. The Padres showed again their intense desire to win in 2015 by not being satisfied by a .500 ball club still within striking distance of the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres have veteran leaders in Matt Kemp and James Shields, in addition to catcher Derek Norris who has taken on the emotional leader tag with Wil Myers sidelined. They know how to help Murphy correct the ship and hang on to the winning streaks.

While every game may lack the magnitude of a single NFL match-up, don’t be mistaken that every game is not as important. As Pat Murphy brands the Padres in his image he will see incremental changes every day and help bring the Padres back to the top of the National League West. A baseball season isn’t won in a day – and it isn’t lost in a day either. So while the press continues to rattle on about the disappointing Padres season, they lose out on the fact that while the first 72 games have not gone as hoped – there are still 90 more to go.

When the finish line is crossed at a marathon, you may feel pain and soreness after running more miles than you have ever run before. Something funny happens though too as that medal is placed around your neck and the crowd at the end cheers for you. At least for a moment – you forget about the pain of the day, the times had to wake up at 5 AM on a Saturday to run, and the time you tripped and fell after exhausting yourself after an 11 mile training run. In that moment – that finishing moment – all you know is how it feels to finish and the rest is forgotten. Right now, the Padres feel the pain of Bud Black being fired, of Wil Myers of going on the DL for two months, and Andrew Cashner enduring some of the worst starts of his career. When they make those playoffs, and win the World Series – that is when all those pains simply become steps along the way to victory.

Padres Editorial: How Marathon Training Helps the Padres in 2015

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