Heath Bell on San Diego Padres Struggles, Injuries & NL West Outlook

Heath Bell on San Diego Padres Struggles, Injuries & NL West Outlook

Let’s get right into the San Diego Padres’s. Basically a 500 team since they dominated the trade deadline. So, can you summarize what you’ve been saying on Frier territory? I’m sure it has not been smooth. Well, um they were really hot after the trade deadline. They got all they like filled up all their pieces to the puzzle they needed and then the last two weeks they decided to play um football instead of baseball. you know, they just couldn’t put anything together, but the last uh two days they’ve kind of done really well. And I feel like they’re it’s it’s only time until they get on a streak and start um all, you know, firing all cylinders where the pitching staff’s been good all year except for the past maybe two weeks and the hitting’s been on and off, but they’re starting to swing the bat a little bit. So, they just need to go out there and play good fundamental baseball and um you know, it’ll take care of itself. We talk a lot about teams that hit home runs being streaky. This isn’t a team that hits a lot of home runs and they don’t strike out. How do they become a streaky team then? Because it feels like that’s almost like, hey, if you’re not going to hit a lot of home runs because you don’t want to be a streaky team, you got to be consistent. Where do you are they just not you know how how does it become a streaky team because they’re not waiting for the dinger? Well, I think this is one of those teams like Tatis really hasn’t hit a bunch of home runs. Machado’s hit a few, but they haven’t they have potential to hit a lot of home runs, but they’re not doing that. They’re hitting line drives or, you know, ball on the ground. They’re not hitting balls to the wall where they have potential of going and hitting a bunch of home runs. So that’s just kind of where I feel like they’re going to get hot and all a sudden the power is going to show up. I mean the last couple years you heard about, you know, Slam Diego and all that. So it’s it’s just about amount of time. It’s a matter of time before, you know, the power shows up and and I feel like that’s where the streak’s going to show up. All right. Since the trade deadline, they hit this little swoon. They were hot right after the trade deadline. It looked like they were going to be like the world beaters. Well, you go back to when they traded for Juan Sodto and they made this world beating trade. Something didn’t click. Is this the same or is this different? I know it was one guy. This time they traded for essentially a half a new team. But is is this the same type of thing where they brought in so much popularity, so much skill that like it doesn’t they can’t figure out how to play it together or is it just a just a small blip in the radar? I think it’s a small blip in the radar. I mean, last time you brought a really big name in. this time you brought a bunch of, you know, good above average major league ball players, but not a huge star name or whatnot. And I think the only thing that’s kind of happened was the last 10 days or two weeks, you know, you’re playing teams that are pretty much out of it and you’re thinking, “Oh, we’re going to run them over. We’re going to beat them.” And, you know, this team’s looking for next season and getting ready for next season. And the only thing they’re doing is trying to knock people out of the playoffs. And I think we just took, you know, Baltimore a little too lightly, Colorado a little bit, and some other teams just too lightly where Minnesota where it’s like, yeah, we’re going to beat these teams, but all of a sudden, you know, those teams are like firing all cylinders, playing 120%. Where I think we were just kind of coasting, saying that we’re going to win. And um it just didn’t go in our favor. And I think the teams realized that they need to go 120% just like the other teams that are out of it. And you know, uh hopefully they come on top. All this talk about, you know, the swoon and all this, but they’re one game behind the Dodgers. It’s not like they’re 50 games out. They’re one game back. They’re they’re one threeame winning streak from being in first place. So yeah, I I get it. A lot of injuries, Adam going down, Boger going down, a lot of these guys, but at the same time, they’re only one game out. Shouldn’t there be shouldn’t you guys be thinking positive we’re going to win the division? I I believe they’re going to win the division. A lot of people are saying that, you know, hey, just getting into the playoffs. I feel like the streak’s going to happen. Like they’ve been winning series just, you know, the last 10 days they were, you know, well, besides the last two, Colorado, they were two and eight. So what what are they four and um you know, just they haven’t been playing well lately in the last two weeks. And but you know, they kind of been winning the series here and there. And as we know, baseball players, you just want to win the series. If you just win the series, it’ll take care of itself. And I feel like they’re going to win the division because the Dodgers are kind of falling apart a little bit. But the Padres’s just need to kind of put it together and make sure the pitching’s there and the pitching goes five, six innings. The bullpen is stellar and the offense just, you know, you know, keep getting on base and I really believe the power is going to show up and that’s where the streaks, you know, the streaky teams or whatnot is they haven’t really shown a bunch of power. They hit occasionally home runs here and there, but they haven’t really hit the power like they have in the past. And that’s why they’re only one game back and, you know, their schedule is easier teams. The teams are out of the playoffs, but like I said, you can’t take them lightly. You got to play 110% so you can beat those teams that you should beat. And um that’s where they’re at this rest of the season. We spend a lot of time on the road. We are often concerned about our online security when you’re logging in from all over the globe. Really? So you should maybe look into a VPN. What does that stand for, Kratz? Virtual private network. Boom. Nailed it. And that virtual private network that you should look into is called Surf Shark. It is time to take control of your online security and try Surf Shark today. You can enjoy their 30-day money back guarantee and secure your digital world right now by visiting the link that we’ll post there for you and start surfing securely. surfark.com/foul or the code foul at checkout will get you four extra months of Surf SharkVPN aka virtual private network. It’s a risk-free 30-day money back guarantee. Surf Shark’s unique VPN benefits include use on unlimited devices in 100 countries and 247 support at surfshark.comf. This has been your tech update. Keep your data safe. Nester Cortez goes on the IIL. Does the starting rotation truly matter with the bullpen even without Jason Adam once they get to the playoffs? Yeah, I really think the starting rotation sets the tone of the game. If you give up a run in the first inning or the second inning, the hitters are almost like, “Oh my gosh, we got to make a comeback or whatnot.” Where it kind of sets the tone to the game where if you get, you know, the first inning you go one, two, three, second inning one, two, three, kind of sets the tone that, hey, we’re here. We’re going to, you know, shut the other offense down, shut the team down. even if they go five innings and then the bullpin can take over. But it it’s just that set the, you know, set the tone of the game that the Padres’s are here to win the game and they they’re just not waiting on their offense to carry them. All right, Heath, let’s finish with your banana ball experience. We saw you coming in hot over the weekend. How’d it go? Yeah, I had a really good time in Petco Park. played for the Bananas the my first time. I played against them a couple times. It was really exciting. It was fun. Uh the grounds crew told me not to slide on the grass, so I slid at second base and then went out and finished out an inning. And then uh the next day, Trevor Hoffman got to close the game out. So, I think San Diego got the two best closers out there this weekend and um you know, the Bananas won both games. So, uh I think it’s a win-win. And you know, there’s no better feeling going out there and, you know, doing the little, uh, shimmy on the mound and, you know, uh, I’d probably get, you know, hit back in the day or, you know, fined if I did that. AJ, what did you think of his performance? I mean, AJ was there a couple weeks ago, Heath, for uh, for a little point of reference and he gave us a little primer on it. No, he did great. I I mean, seeing Trevor come out one more time in San Diego had to be unbelievable. I mean, I just want to know who was more tired, you or him, cuz he had to run all the way from the bullpen. You You just sprinted from the dugout. Trevor, listen, I love Trevor. And I know Trevor’s in great shape. But by the time he got all the way to the mound, he looked like he was he was taking his time. I think Trevor was really nervous. I didn’t see him after the game, so I didn’t know if he was huffing or puffing. We’ll just say me. But, uh, he had a long run and he kind of walked and then realized, hey, I got to jog out there. And um he I I talked to him before the game. He was excited and nervous like what do I do? What what if I can’t get it there? And I was like, “Well, throw from the grass. They don’t care.” So um we had a really good time. It was an awesome experience. And um we wish them nothing but the best. All right. So AJ got bat. We have to have a matchup. And it’s only hypothetical cuz you guys are one play and out. But if a veteran like you has to face AJ, who gets the better? Who gets the better? Like if it goes old-timers game, pitcher versus hitter, who has the advantage? Because I know you ain’t long tossing for a long time. You’re not getting them pitches out there and he’s not hitting very much. Um, you know what? Hitting is probably hard. So, I’m going to say a little bit. I got the advantage. But honestly, I’m going to probably say, “Hey, where do you want it? Try to hit it out. Let’s go.” It’ll be a cool excite. It’ll be cool and exciting if I can, you know, groove one in there for him and he can hit it out and then maybe I’ll pick him up and carry him around the field or something like that. I mean, I would hit it. I would hit it. I don’t know if it would go very far, but I would hit it if he threw it. I don’t know where it would go, but I promise you there’s one thing pitching is a little different than hitting. Like, if you could hit, you can always I feel like you can always hit as long as you can still see. But pitching, you know, you got you guys got the arm thing you got to get through. So pitching pitching to me is much harder than just stepping up there to have to hit a ball. Well, it has a little bit more arc now before, you know, before it was kind of straight. Now it’s kind of, you know, an arcish. So, you know, I think we can always throw strikes. It’s just how, you know, how many strikes can we throw now? Yeah. Just you changed your launch angle, right? Yeah, that’s all. We just We’re changing our launch angle now. That’s all.

Former MLB closer and Friar Territory host Heath Bell joins Foul Territory to break down the San Diego Padres. Bell shares his perspective on the team’s post-trade deadline struggles, why he still believes they can win the division over the Dodgers, and what it will take for the offense and rotation to click at the right time. We dive into the Padres streaky play, injuries to key stars, and whether San Diego can overtake the Dodgers down the stretch. Plus, Heath talks about his Savannah Banana Ball appearance at Petco Park alongside Trevor Hoffman, and even imagines facing AJ Pierzynski in an old-timers showdown.

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