Forget mowing your lawn or getting to that extra load of laundry that's starting to get rank. Saturday is the day to get busy planning your baseball calendar.

San Diego Padres single-game tickets go on sale starting Saturday at all the usual outlets: padres.com, padresbeisbol.com, 1-877-FRIARTIX, PETCO Park advance ticket windows, the Padres Team Store in Tijuana and at participating PETCO stores in San Diego County. The ticket windows will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The cool part of the deal is that tickets bought in March will be sold for the 2007 prices. Why wait?

Also available Saturday are tickets for the March 28 exhibition game against the Angels, the team from a wordy, multi-municipal region up north. Friar John would call this game the Bud Bowl, but copyright lawyers might object. It's Bud Black managing against the team he served so capably as pitching coach for seven years.

The ticket sales aren't the only reason to be at PETCO Park on Saturday. The Padres, with their partners, are hosting an ASA softball coaches clinic from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. The ASA -- Amateur Softball Association -- and Just SOFTBALL are the co-hosts.

Deb Hartwig, founder of Just SOFTBALL, will conduct the clinic. Coaches can hone their skills and learn about practical matters they encounter as coach.

Padres ambassador Randy Jones will be there and will help auction off a pair of Opening Night tickets. Participants also can receive 50 percent discounts off two Padres game tickets.

The clinic is free, but registration is required. Coaches are asked to check in between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. at the Home Plate Gate at PETCO Park. Parking in the D1/D2 lot across Park Boulevard from the gate is complimentary on Saturday.

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Friar John was running a bit late and got there with two outs in the top of the first. The Padres were making a pitching change.

Uh-oh.

Shawn Estes failed to escape the first inning as the Padres fell 13-9 to the Kansas City Royals on Friday afternoon at Peoria Stadium. But he was better than his pitching line, the punctual witnesses told FJ.

Corey Brock, as always, will have full documentation on padres.com. The man knows how to cover a baseball beat. He even can blog a bit, despite his too-frequent tangents on 1980s bands better forgotten.

As for the rest of the game, well, they got their work in. Maybe it's a good thing Feb. 29 comes but every fourth year.

Here's to March baseball!

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres' exhibition game today against Kansas City can be viewed on mlb.com TV.

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres officials returned this week to Arizona and San Diego after a walk-through of the team's new training complex in the Dominican Republic.

This is the trip that where concept met reality. The place isn't done, but buildings are up and fields are in place.

"We're at about 90 percent complete," said assistant general manager Fred Uhlman Jr., a member of the traveling party.

Also on the trip were CEO Sandy Alderson, international scouting director Randy Smith, corporate communications director Tim Katzman, PETCO Park head groundskeeper Luke Yoder, general counsel Katie Pothier and associate counsel Jeremy Horowitz.

Yoder's work is the most obvious. One field is pristine and ready. The sod on the second field is more recent and still growing. But it will be ready by the day players take the field, approximately April 6. A grand opening event will come later in April.

There will be 2 1/2 training fields, residency suites for players, classrooms, a complete weight room and clubhouse. That's good for the business of baseball, training Latin players and helping them to adjust for the move to summer ball in the United States.

The suites alone will attract players. Many teams that previously were ahead of the Padres' efforts in the D.R. house their players in barracks, with rows of bunk beds. Weight facilities are cramped, and dining areas are minimal. The Padres' new facility will be more like the spring complex in Peoria, Ariz., than the older Dominican facilities.

Then there's the aesthetics. The complex is in Palenque, a town on the southern shore of the Hispaniola Island. It offers breathtaking Caribbean vistas. The town itself is about 20 minutes from San Cristobal, the closest big city, and about 45 from Santo Domingo.

At owner John Moores' behest, the Padres aren't just building a complex and hiding within the walls. Their contracts with the builders of the complex also called on them to build a school in Palenque, and the Padres will remain active in supporting that school program.

"We want to be part of the community and do some positive things there," Uhlman said.

Stay tuned. Friar John might get his hands on some recent photos of the place. Should be posted in a few days, at most.

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Just a quickie. Here's the lineup for the Padres on Friday. The Kansas City Royals are visiting Peoria Stadium:

Callix Crabbe, DH
Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
Jim Edmonds, CF
Tony Clark, 1B
Khalil Greene, SS
Michael Barrett, C
Scott Hairston, LF
Paul McAnulty, RF
Craig Stansberry, 3B
Shawn Estes, P

It's audition time for pitchers after Estes leaves. Kids and nonroster types will get the duty vs. K.C.: Arturo Lopez, Wilton Lopez, Ernesto Frieri, Paul Abraham, Mauro Zarate, Adam Bass and Michael Gardner are on the ready list.

Randy Wolf will start on Saturday vs. Seattle, and Justin Germano is set to pitch in the game, too.

Since Friday is the first Cactus League game -- Thursday's game was the annual unofficial charity game -- it's also the first broadcast. Ted Leitner, Jerry Coleman and Andy Masur have all checked in and will be on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM).

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres' co-tenants in the Peoria Sports Complex got the better end of the annual charity game to start the exhibition schedule.

Despite the Padres' 10-3 loss to Seattle on Thursday afternoon, there was plenty of good. Chase Headley made a nifty catch in left field to rob Ichiro Suzuki of a leadoff single. Trevor Hoffman had a perfect inning in his first outing since ... well, forget about since. Jody Gerut continues to impress.

On the other side, Joe Thatcher wasn't able to complete his one inning of work, surrendering two home runs and seven runs overall. Ouch.

Corey Brock will have all the details in his daily report on padres.com. Friar John just wanted to make an entry on the game to emphasize one point: The Padres' catchers can throw runners out.

Josh Bard nailed Bryan LaHair attempting to steal second base for the first out of the second inning. Manager Bud Black said pitcher Tim Stauffer was timed in 1.25 seconds on his delivery to the plate. Anything in the 1.3- to 1.35-second range is considered acceptable.

Given a chance, Bard got the job done.

FJ

While the Padres are tuning up in Arizona, there's plenty of action back in San Diego, too. The front office has been busy perfecting the PETCO Park experience for fans and coming up with new ways to enjoy a day at the ballpark.

The latest, unveiled Thursday, is the Bases Loaded Ticket.

This is basically one-stop shopping on one ticket. For $45, ticket buyers get a seat in the Right Field Pavilion and $20 of credit toward concessions and/or merchandise. A bar code on the ticket streamlines the purchases of food, beverages or souvenirs. Instead of fumbling for cash, simply present the ticket. A bar code will be swiped to complete the transaction. Easy, and less time in line.

The Bases Loaded Ticket value can be redeemed at all fixed concession stands, merchandise outlets on the Toyota Terrace Level and Club 19.

The Bases Loaded Ticket is available for all home games. Seats are in Sections 219-225.

If you see someone sitting in a robe in right field, you will know Friar John took advantage of this value.

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- They played only six innings. They practiced bunt defense between half-innings. Some innings had only two outs.

But, hey, it was close enough to the real thing to call it baseball. And Friar John was happy to see it.

The Padres played their only intrasquad game of the spring on Wednesday afternoon of the main practice field. The "road" team comprising mostly newcomers and minor-leaguers defeated the "home" team with more veterans 5-3.

The winning pitcher and clear standout of the game was left-hander Cesar Ramos. A first-round sandwich pick out of Long Beach State in 2005, Ramos breezed through two perfect innings while facing several regulars.

Jeff DaVanon led off, then came five regulars: Tadahito Iguchi, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Adrian Gonzalez, Khalil Greene and Jim Edmonds. Ramos showed a good change-up and plenty of life on his fastball.

Colt Morton hit a three-run home run for the winners, off Ernesto Frieri, and Will Venable had a three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth, off Wilton Lopez, to make the score close.

Outfielder Jody Gerut, on the comeback trail following knee problems that kept him out of the majors for two years, looked as good as he did in winter ball. Gerut walked twice and doubled. He figures to be a serious player in the battle for the job in left field.

Friar John's personal highlight was sitting on metal bleachers so close to the field that you could eavesdrop on the dugout chatter.

As Robert Fick was leaving the field, general manager Kevin Towers gave him an attaboy for getting a base hit.

"Forget the knock," Fick countered. "I threw a guy out!"

The exclamation point is fitting. Baserunners have been successful in 90.7 percent of their attempts against Fick in his 152 Big League games behind the plate. But he will play anywhere the team needs him, and his versatility could come in handy as he fights for a utility job. Thus, the catcher's gear on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Padres get to play against a team wearing a different uniform: the Seattle Mariners in the annual charity game at Peoria Stadium. Tim Stauffer gets the start and could go two innings. Bullpen stalwarts Heath Bell, Cla Meredith and Trevor Hoffman are to follow.

Friar John can't wait. Intrasquad games are one thing, but the concession stands don't open until the stadium does. Deep-fried Twinkies await!

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Given that today is Sunday, Friar John is understandably occupied. But there's just enough time to toss in a tantalizing tidbit, one to give high hope for 2008.

Padres general manager Kevin Towers has a history of coming out on top in years that end with 8.

1968: Sonoma Little League champions with the Bears.

1978: Oregon state class 3A co-champions in football with Medford High School.

1988: Pacific Coast League champions with the Las Vegas Stars.

1998: National League champions with the Padres.

Detect a trend here? It's a good one for Padres fans.

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Today was major-league photo day. That means early arrivals for players and coaches, then being put through the paces as they move from stop to stop, getting their picture taken or delivering sound bites for promos to be used during the coming season.

It's organized chaos, and it's a day that makes clear who are the veterans  and who are the rookies. The rookies are wide-eyed and need to be pointed to the next station at every turn. The vets are blase, just hoping to get through the cycle as quickly as possible.

The weather wasn't the warmest for a 6:45 a.m. start, but things went as smoothly as they could, allowing the players to be back to the business of baseball in time for 9:15 a.m. conditioning drills.

Among the sights and scenes of the day:

> Jake Peavy threw live batting practice and concentrated on improving his change-up. He was not thrilled with the deliveries but got the full work in.

> Brian Giles was lugging around a Chargers helmet -- Quentin Jammer's helmet, specifically.

> Manager Bud Black listed Wade LeBlanc among the candidates for the No. 5 starting job. What separates LeBlanc from the other young prospects in camp who are sure to return to the minors? His change-up. "It's a big-league pitch," Black said.

LeBlanc, in case you're wondering, is a 23-year-old left-hander less than two years removed from the University of Alabama. He went 13-8 with a 2.95 ERA while splitting last year between Single-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio.

> The Padres will play only one intrasquad game, on Wednesday, before starting the exhibition schedule.

> Could head groundskeeper Luke Yoder and his staff be the team's secret weapon? When Khalil Greene arrived in camp and pronounced his intention to remain a Padre for years to come, he cited how much he enjoys fielding on the PETCO Park infield. Now new center fielder Jim Edmonds is telling reporters that the consistency of the PETCO Park surface will benefit him as he bounces back from injury. Black called the playing surface "immaculate".

> Peter Gammons, honored in the writers' wing of the Hall of Fame, made his annual visit to check out the Padres. A rocker at heart, he has the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" as his cell phone ring tone. How do we know? His always busy phone went off during Black's daily media briefing.

Friar John will get into the Hall of Fame only by buying a ticket, so this phone stays on vibrate when the skipper is talking.

FJ

PEORIA, Ariz. -- OK, so Friar John was a little late reporting for spring training. Visa problems. No, the passport is in good order. Old FJ just needed to clear some room on the credit card for the hotel reservation. At least the continental breakfast is free.

Also free is Friar John's favorite day of the baseball calendar: the first day of live B.P. For a couple days of spring training, it's teammate against teammate as Padres pitchers extend their already loose arms against a group of batters still cold from the long winter.

As Allen Iverson might say, we're talkin' about practice. So, it's of no great importance in the greater picture. But you can bet  batters dig in a little harder than a typical B.P. Nobody likes to be embarrassed in the box, especially if it gives bragging rights to somebody in the clubhouse.

So, a casual observer might have been fooled into thinking the competitive juices were overflowing when Trevor Hoffman opened his throwing session by sailing a pitch a good three feet behind Brian Giles' noggin.

Nah, the smile was a giveaway. Giles set the whole thing up. He was having a little fun with those not in the know. Hoffman threw a fastball that could pass for his vaunted changeup, and Giles was moving forward thanks to his forewarning.

"I told him to hit me in the head so it wouldn't ruin my tan," Giles said later.

All the frivolity masked the fact that was an interesting matchup: two Padres veterans coming off off-season surgeries.

Hoffman, who had an elbow clean-up, looked sharp throwing fastballs to a group of left-handed hitters: Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley (batting one way, of course), Robert Fick and Paul McAnulty.

Giles, on the mend from knee surgery, took only one swing against Hoffman. He missed a fastball away even though he again knew what was coming, this time thanks to a tip from catcher Josh Bard. Giles chased a fastball that would have been a ball had an umpire been there to call it.

OK, so his eye is in February form. Imporant thing is the knee is OK. Even more important, so is the tan.

Time for Friar John to go work on his tan, too.

FJ

Friar John is going to be a little out of his element this weekend. This oblong ball is going to get some getting used to. But the fact-paced rugby tournament taking place Saturday and Sunday at PETCO Park looks like a hoot.

The USA Sevens event features international teams playing a souped-up version of rugby. Teams of seven play on a standard-sized rugby pitch for 14 furious minutes. The schedule has a new game starting every 22 minutes. Sixteen nations will play 44 matches over the two days.

Rugby is well-known for its party atmosphere, and that tradition will be celebrated in a Fan Festival in the Park at the Park beyond center field. It's worth checking out.

Ticket info, the tournament schedule and team details can be found on the USA Sevens Web site.

See you there,

FJ

Friar John can't pass up a free lunch, so he was at the San Diego Hall of Champions on Thursday. Turns out, the chicken fajitas were a mere appetizer. Baseball was the main course.

Padres manager Bud Black and general manager Kevin Towers were the guests at the Hall's monthly luncheon, and they served up plenty of baseball talk. These two are not short on confidence.

In his introductory comments, Towers painted a picture of the disappointment following the Padres' 9-8 loss at Colorado in the thrilling, 13-inning tie-breaker game that sent the Rockies to the postseason and the Padres back home. Towers took note of the fact none of the players were hanging their heads, taking a "woe is me" attitude.

It strengthened Towers' conviction that he had a winning group of ballplayers, a group he brought back largely intact for 2008.

"I can assure you these guys will not let the '08 season finish up like the '07 season," Towers said. "We will play into October."

For those of you who have not picked up the handy Padres pocket schedules, the regular season ends Sept. 28. If the Padres play in October, they will be playing playoff baseball.

"Our expectations are just like last year," Black said. "We're looking to capture the division. We're looking forward to making it to the playoffs and, ultimately, grabbing that brass ring. We feel as though we have a little unfinished business."

The Hall of Champions luncheons bring a lot of the coat-and-tie crowd. Often, the audience is a bit staid. But Black and Towers turned it into a pep rally with their enthusiasm. Friar John thought Black was so fired up for the season that he might just run out the door, past Bazaar del Mundo and into the desert to get to Peoria ASAP.

Intrepid MLB.com reporter Corey Brock was there, so he'll have a write-up on the padres.com home page. But Friar John can't wait to drop a couple tidbits.

1. Black listed his probable lineup: Brian Giles, Tadahito Iguchi, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Adrian Gonzalez, Khalil Greene, Jim Edmonds, Josh Bard/Michael Barrett depending on who gets the start on a particular day, whoever wins the left-field job and finally the pitcher.

2. Towers gave hope for a more-aggressive timetable for pitcher Mark Prior's Padres debut. Towers said Prior has been playing long toss at 150 feet with good carry on the ball. Even better, he has played catch off a mound a couple times. Towers said the encouraging signs have him hopeful Prior can be on a rehabilitation assignment when the season starts and perhaps be activated "as early as the first of May."

3. Black and Towers both indicated Greg Maddux has an interest in making the trip to China for the exhibition games against the Dodgers. Black cautioned that starting pitchers have to stay on schedule and build up arm strength, so that Maddux is not a sure thing. It seems that Kouzmanoff, Hoffman and Scott Hairston are probables for the trip.

4. Asked by an audience member for an update on former first pick Matt Bush, Towers told an interesting story. Bush converted from shortstop to the mound last summer but soon suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John reconstruction. Bush, however, was impressive enough in his 7 2/3 innings to catch the attention of then-Braves general manager John Schuerholz, who was widely regarded as the best GM in baseball. Towers said Schuerholz sought to include Bush in trade talks last July. Towers made sure Schuerholz knew Bush had recent surgery. "I don't care," was the reply.

Bush, who reportedly reached 100 mph with his best fastball, is likely to miss all of 2008 before resuming his pitching career.

The Padres are off to Arizona in just a matter of days, but there's still a chance to get info straight from the team's brass before spring training begins. Manager Bud Black and general manager Kevin Towers will make their annual appearance at the San Diego Hall of Champions on Thursday. Luncheon details are available at the Hall's Web site.

FJ

Once he's seen the big city, how are you going to keep him down on the farm?

Not a problem with Jake Peavy. Yeah, he was in the Big Apple last month to collect the National League Cy Young Award. This week? It's dinner with the home folks in Mobile, Ala. It's a big dinner, mind you.

Mobile's movers and shakers will turn out Thursday as Peavy is feted for his success, and raises some money for charity. The Padres' ace right-hander will receive the key to the city, and fellow Mobile product Henry Aaron has donated a signed bat and ball to auction off.

Here is coverage from Peavy's hometown newspaper, the Mobile Press-Register.

Hey, a good meal and some Padres talk can be had here out west, too. The San Diego Hall of Champions monthly luncheon is Thursday. Padres manager Bud Black and general manager Kevin Towers are the speakers. The format includes a question-and-answer session.

FJ

Remember Tony Gwynn’s last day as a major-league player? Friar John does. He was there.

The Padres’ farewell to their brightest-shining star was epic, from the “Field of Dreams” entrance of the players who shared the field with him in his first big-league game to the speakers who heaped praise after his final game.

Gwynn’s last group of teammates back in 2001 pooled their gift fund and presented him with a 2002 Road King Harley-Davidson motorcyle. Try as he might, Friar John just could not visualize Gwynn actually riding the thing.

Turns out, neither can Gwynn.

“I’m a car guy,” he says with resignation.

Gwynn is giving up the hog.

The Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation is conducting a raffle of the motorcycle. One thousand tickets will be sold at $100 a pop, and proceeds will go to the foundation.

“I didn’t want to get rid of it,” Gwynn says. “It’s something the players gave to me, and that means a lot. But it’s been sitting in the garage for years.”

Friar John had to ask: Did Gwynn ever ride the Harley? Or was the pose at home plate in Qualcomm Stadium back on Oct. 7, 2001 the last time he was in the seat?

Gwynn says he took lessons about a year after he retired and gave it a go. But the Road King is a beast, hardly a bike to break in on.

For Gwynn, the Harley was akin to facing Randy Johnson. It was a rare taste of defeat.

“The shifting was too tough for me,” he says. “I never got the hang of the gears. I went out there the first time, and nobody told me you’re supposed to wear long pants. So I got burned. Then I hit the brake too hard and nearly went over. That was enough.”

The Padres organization, it should be noted, is not associated with the raffle. But that Harley is a unique piece of Padres history, an artifact Friar John occasionally wondered about. Thought you might have wondered, too. Now we know.

FJ