Say this about Jed Hoyer: The Padres new general manager is not short on enthusiasm.
Hoyer was officially introduced in his new capacity during a press conference at PETCO Park on Monday afternoon. Hoyer joins the Padres after seven years in the Red Sox front office, most recently serving as Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager.
Hoyer was complimentary of his new team, his former team and his predecessor as Padres GM. Item No. 1 on his agenda was getting back to his office so he can learn everything he can about Padres players and prospects.
He has a pretty good headstart in that regard. Hoyer said the Padres were one of the teams he was assigned to know in and out as part of his Red Sox duties.
Hoyer's press conference was fairly wide-ranging. One thing that caught Friar John's attention was his candor about building a ballclub suited to the expanses of PETCO Park. The speed and athleticism we saw in the second half of 2009 may be just an appetizer.
"It's really important to dominate your home games, to do really well," Hoyer said. "One of the advantages in San Diego is you can tailor the team to the ballpark."
Since PETCO Park opened in 2004, the Padres are 255-231 at home in the regular season. That's a .525 winning percentage. OK, you say? Well, it ranks 21st among the 30 Big League clubs.
OK, yeah. But room to improve for sure.
Who's No. 1? Boston, at .658 (320-166). And the Red Sox have two World Series titles in that time.
Hoyer was part of a Red Sox staff that sought right-handed pull hitters and left-handed batters who could go the other way, as the Green Monster in left field influenced their baseball decisions.
PETCO Park has shown to depress offensive stats more than any other Major League park, but it doesn't have the unique features of a Fenway. It's challenges to the baseball brass are more traditional: Find fast players who play good defense and back them with a bullpen that can protect a lead in those inevitable low-scoring games.
Hoyer didn't promise to turn the Padres into the Go Go Sox -- that's the 1959 White Sox for those not up on their baseball history -- but he didn't shy away from the PETCO effect. He noted that the National League West is full of big ballparks that would reward that style of play.
He's right: Dodger Stadium, AT&T Park, Chase Field and Coors Field all have a lot of outfield to cover, for one. Chase and Coors fall into the hitters park category. The other two are definite pitchers parks. Yet an aggresive, athletic style of play translates anywhere.
This isn't a concept of building the opposite of the Blake Street Bombers, only to struggle when the Padres leave behind the Marine Layer.
"You don't want to shortchange yourself on the road," Hoyer said. "But in this division, I don't think that's the case at all."
You can be sure that Hoyer's conclusions aren't based on a two-day cram session since he accepted Padres Vice Chairman/CEO Jeff Moorad's offer to become GM. Hoyer comes from an organization that is a model for the melding of traditional scouting methods and sophisticated statistical analysis.
Hoyer noted that it's his responsiblity to seek reliable information from all areas possible before making a decision. There are no value judgments on the methods, only evaluations of the information itself.
"My goal is to build a consistent winner, year in and year out, for the city of San Diego," Hoyer said. "It's a clear goal.
"I'm incredibly lucky to have a lot of the pieces in place already. We have a really good, young core. We have a very talented farm system. We have a fantastic coaching staff, led by Bud Black. ...
"My job and my goal here is to continue to build that momentum that's already been created. There's been a lot of good progress here. ...
"My goal is consistency. I want to make sure that on Opening Day every year, there's a quality team on the field. Really, the only way to develop that kind of consistency is through scouting and player development. Relying on external forces -- trades, free agents -- that's not the way I want to build a team. I want to build from within."
Is that a shot at previous GM Kevin Towers, who was a master of the trade market but had limited success with the farm until recent years? Not at all. FJ was impressed by Hoyer's class in praising Towers during the press conference.
Too often, when a pro sports team makes a change in leadership, the previous regime becomes Stalinized, virtually erased from history. But not this time.
Hoyer learned the trade from Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, who learned from Towers in San Diego. Hoyer specifically thanked K.T. for the work he did with the Padres.
"I grew up in baseball listening to Theo extol Kevin's virtues," Hoyer said. "I got to know him a little bit through Theo. He's one of the best baseball guys in the game. ...
"I'm incredibly thankful for what he's left behind. He's left behind some great players, some great building blocks and a great baseball operations staff. Every day I walk into the office, I'm going to be thankful for the work he did."
Hoyer will make his reputation as a GM based on what baseball decisions he makes in weeks, months and years to come -- and how they pay off on the field. As far as FJ is concerned, he already has made his reputation as a leader in the organization -- classy.
FJ
(Photos by Padres team photographer Chris Hardy. Inset photo shows new Padres GM Jed Hoyer holding up a Padres jersey. He is joined on the podium by Padres President COO Tom Garfinkel, Padres Vice Chairman/CEO Jeff Moorad and Padres manager Bud Black. Why No. 11? It was Hoyer's number as a college baseball player at Wesleyan.)
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