Through the Padres Foundation, the Padres endeavor to improve lives with their Live, Learn and Play initiatives. The Padres support many health and fitness endeavors, spearhead the Padres Scholars among its educational efforts and promote youth sports with such programs as the Little Padres Parks.

Please visit the Padres Community Page on padres.com for more information about the programs.

FJ

(Photo of the 2009 Padres Scholars day taken by Chris Hardy.)

C Nick Hundley had surgery to repair a sports hernia. ...

On padres.com, beat writer Corey Brock grades the 2009 Padres defense. ...

Two veterans, C Henry Blanco and OF Brian Giles, filed for free agency on Thursday. ...

C Mitch Canham, who had been struggling with the bat in the Arizona Fall League, broke out with a four-hit game Thursday, but the Peoria Saguaros fell 12-11 to Phoenix. ...

It appears Triple-A Portland has eliminated Beaverton from its list of potential new ballpark sites. ...

Tom Krasovic writes about Yankees scouting executive Damon Oppenheimer, whose scouting roots are in San Diego. ...

Former Padres RHP Jared Wells is helping at a Habitat for Humanity event in Texas.

FJ

Edgar Gonzalez will elect free agency instead of assignment to the minors after he was dropped from the 40-man winter roster. ...

If you're going to near Kokomo, Ind., later this month, you might want to check out LHP Joe Thatcher's fundraiser. ...

INF Lance Zawadzki doubled and scored the decisive run as the Peoria Saguaros defeated Phoenix 3-2 on Wednesday in the Arizona Fall League. ...

Single-A Lake Elsinore and Triple-A Portland get a mention from MiLB.com for offseason events at their ballparks. The Diamond will be home to a motorcycle race. PGE Park will host a clinic. ...

If you happened across Padres broadcaster Andy Masur yesterday and he appeared groggy, he had good reason. He explains in his blog. ...

Former Padres OF Mark Kotsay has re-upped with the White Sox. ...

Former Padres INF Jerry Royster will return for a third season managing in South Korea.

FJ

Padres general manager Jed Hoyer is readying for the annual GM meetings. ...

Just in case you didn't believe the dozen or so previous reports, here's one more story about Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen electing to stay in Boston instead of joining the Padres. ...

The Arizona Fall League has aided LHP Steve Garrison in his comeback from shoulder surgery. He helped the Peoria Saguaros to a 2-1 victory over Mesa on Tuesday. ...

INF Lance Zawadzki in the lone Padres prospect on the roster for the AFL's Rising Stars Game. The all-star exhibition will be broadcast at 5:15 p.m. Saturday on the MLB Network. ...

Padres talent evaluator Bill Bryk is pitching in at a camp near his offseason home. ...

The short-season Single-A Eugene Emeralds are in a dispute about the cost of stadium repairs. ...

Former Padres LHP Craig Breslow is fighting the good fight by raising funds for cancer research. ...

Former Padres OF Shane Victorino, now Philadelphia's starting center fielder, says his finger injury won't keep him out of Game 6 of the World Series tonight.

FJ

On padres.com, beat writer Corey Brock grades the 2009 Padres offense. ...

SDNN.com gives us a travelogue of a Padres fan visiting a Philly-New Yawk World Series. Not for the faint-of-heart. ...

The World Series has given several writers the excuse to catch up with Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman. Always a good thing. ...

Padres RHP Heath Bell never shies away from a topic, so he was happy to share his thoughts about how teammate Adrian Gonzalez would fare in Boston. ...

RHP Evan Scribner lowered his Arizona Fall League ERA to 2.84 with an inning of scoreless relief Monday, but the Peoria Saguaros fell 7-2 to Mesa. ...

Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen tells Peter Gammons his reasons for staying in Boston instead of joining Padres GM Jed Hoyer in San Diego. ...

Padres radio broadcaster Andy Masur is emcee of a USD basketball event Thursday. Check details at the bottom of his blog entry today. ...

ESPN's Jayson Stark dug up a good one: The double steal pulled off by Johnny Damon in Game 4 of the World Series when third base was left uncovered in an infield shift was not unprecedented. In fact, Willie Mays did it against the Padres in a 1971 game when our local heroes shifted against Willie McCovey. (We present this info via a second-hand report because Stark's original copy is behind a pay wall.) ...

Former Padres OF Shane Victorino got a bit of air time in Game 5 when he appeared upset about coming out of the game, but he chalked it up to simple miscommunication. 

FJ

Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez is featured in a book about five exceptional San Diego athletes. ...

Hey, did you know Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman played in the 1950 Phillies-Yankees World Series? Yeah, thought so. ...

Philadelphia's Cole Hamels has allowed seven home runs this postseason, matching the postseason record shared by several, including Eric Show of the 1984 Padres. ...

The Padres reportedly talked to Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen (a former Padres minor leaguer) about becoming assistant GM. Peter Gammons, however, reports Hazen is staying in Boston. (Thanks to Gaslamp Ball for sharp eyeballs on the Gammons update.) ...

Former Padres GM Kevin Towers might wind up as an adviser to the Yankees. ...

Bleacher Report likes PETCO Park. Why wouldn't they? ...

RHP Brandon Gomes gave up a run in one inning of relief as the Peoria Saguaros fell 6-0 to Scottsdale on Saturday in the Arizona Fall League. The Saguaros were off Sunday. ...

Former Padres LF Rickey Henderson is tutoring Athletics prospect Jemile Weeks.

FJ

At padres.com, Corey Brock's review of 2009 moves to the Padres bullpen. ...

A reminder that the MLB Network will debut the documentary "Triumph and Tragedy: The 1984 San Diego Padres" at 7 p.m. PDT tonight. Set those DVRs, if you can. ...

Lee Hamilton lays out the challenges facing Padres general manager Jed Hoyer. ...

RHP Evan Scribner had two strikeouts in a scoreless innings as the Peoria Saguaros defeated the Phoenix Desert Dogs 4-0 on Thursday in the Arizona Fall League. ...

The Astros hired former Padres coach Bobby Meacham as their first base coach and declined a contract option on former Padres RHP Doug Brocail.

FJ

The Padres this week welcomed aboard Dan Migala as Vice President, Partnership Solutions.

If that sounds like a funky job title, you might want to check out the Padres press release on padres.com and see Migala's work history. This is a guy who doesn't seem bound by traditional titles.

A veteran of the comingling of the worlds of sports and corporate parterships, Migala is credited with the idea to start White Sox night games at 7:11, gaining the team an important corporate partner, the 7-Eleven convenience store giant.

"Dan is widely recognized throughout the industry as an expert in creating value for sponsors through original ideas and the fostering of partnerships founded in trust and communication," said Padres President/COO Tom Garfinkel.

"His integrity, creativity and solutions-based approach will help the San Diego Padres build innovative programs for our partners that help them connect to our fans through authentic experiences."

Welcome to San Diego, Dan.

On padres.com, Padres beat writer Corey Brock reviews the team's starting pitchers. ...

Although Padres general manager Jed Hoyer will bring in a new farm director and scouting director, he has offered contracts to the holdover scouts and minor league coaches. ...

The North County Times blogs about Hoyer settling into the GM chair. ... Among his upcoming tasks: hiring new executives. ...

Broadcaster Jerry Coleman remains entertaining in his stories about the 1950 Yankees-Phillies World Series. ...

Back home in Indiana, Padres LHP Clayton Richard picked some pumpkins for charity. ...

LHP Steve Garrison got his first win of the Arizona Fall League season Wednesday as the Peoria Saguaros rolled to a 9-0 victory over Surprise. ...

Former Padres LHP Sean Henn was claimed by the Blue Jays, who then designated for Padres C Michael Barrett for assignment. ...

Former Padres player/coach/minor league manager/broadcaster Tim Flannery has a musical gig in Normal Heights tomorrow night.

FJ

ESPN.com's Rob Neyer talks about Padres general manager Jed Hoyer as part of an online chat. ...

Hoyer's 1994 college baseball team is being inducted as a group into the Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame. ...

Bill "Chief" Gayton, who has run the past nine Padres drafts as scouting director, will take on another scouting role with the team as Hoyer reshapes his baseball operations staff. ...

On his North County Times blog, Dan Hayes weighs in with some thoughts about the baseball ops changes. ...

Some of Hoyer's first hires might come from his former employer, the Boston Red Sox. ...

A familiar name in Padres land predicts 1B Adrian Gonzalez will be dealt. ...

Cbssports.com's fantasty baseball writer spotlights the top Padres prospects. ...

OF Cedric Hunter had a walk-off sacrifice fly as the Peoria Saguaros defeated Mesa 6-5 on Tuesday in the Arizona Fall League. ...

Former Padres OF/1B John Vander Wal, now a Padres scout, talks postseason baseball.

FJ