Padres-Brewers Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers have picked the worst time to meet one the hottest pitching staffs in the major leagues.
The Brewers will try to halt an eight-game losing streak when they take on the San Diego Padres in the start of a four-game series at Miller Park on Monday.
With a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, San Diego (30-26) has won four of five - three via shutout. Two nights earlier, the Padres won a rain-shortened six-inning game from the Pirates 7-0.
On Tuesday, Chris Young and Trevor Hoffman combined on a two-hitter in a 2-0 win over Colorado.
''The last two games, things have gone my way,'' said Young, a 6-foot-10 right-hander who held Pittsburgh without a hit for 5 1-3 innings Sunday. ''Things might turn (for the worse), but right now, things are good.''
Young allowed two hits over eight innings and Hoffman pitched a perfect ninth for the save against the Pirates.
''Back-to-back games like that is pretty impressive,'' San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said of Young. ''He did a super job again.''
Clay Hensley (4-3, 3.82 ERA) will take the mound for the Padres looking for his third win in as many starts. Since losing to Seattle on May 20, the right-hander has allowed just three runs in 14 innings while posting wins over St. Louis and Colorado.
''Everybody did the job - this was a total team effort,'' said Hensley, after allowing two runs and eight hits over six innings in a 3-2 win over the Rockies on Wednesday. ''I got in some jams, but my change was working big-time for me.''
Hensley faced Milwaukee on May 9, but did not get a decision in a 5-4 loss. He allowed four runs and eight hits through five innings.
While San Diego is surging, Milwaukee (26-31) is sputtering. After losing 8-4 to Washington on Sunday, the Brewers are in the midst of their longest losing streak since a 12-game slide from Aug. 18-30, 2004.
''We can come up with 95 different excuses and reasons why,'' said Brewers manager Ned Yost, whose team has been outscored 64-21 during their skid. ''The bottom line is we're not winning. And that's it, you either get it done or you don't get it done and we're not getting it done. There's no excuse for that.''
Right fielder Geoff Jenkins in hitless in his last as 15 at-bats, as is rookie first baseman Prince Fielder. Jenkins also is day-to-day with a concussion after running into Fielder while chasing a foul popup Sunday.
Left fielder Carlos Lee leads the team with 18 homers and 44 RBIs, but is hitting only .182 (3-for-33) in his last eight games.
Chris Capuano (5-4, 3.33) will try to put May behind him when he starts for the Brewers. In six starts last month, the left-hander was 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA after going 4-2 with a 2.36 ERA in six April starts. Batters hit .304 against him in May after posting a .179 average in April.
Capuano closed out May by giving up season-highs of six runs and 11 hits including three homers in a 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
''I could have been a little bit sharper, but other than that, I'm kind of at a loss. We didn't deserve to get (beat) that bad, '' he said.
Capuano lost to San Diego on May 10 after yielding three runs and six hits over six innings of a 3-0 defeat. He is 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA in his career against the Padres.

San Diego recalls Mike Thompson from Triple-A Portland

The San Diego Padres recalled right-hander Mike Thompson from Triple-A Portland Tuesday night.
Thompson is scheduled to make his major league debut Wednesday night as the starting pitcher at Arizona. Thompson, 5-0 at Triple-A Portland with a 3.79 ERA in seven starts, will take the rotation spot that opened up when Woody Williams went on the disabled list with a strained left calf May 13.
To make room for Thompson on the roster, the Padres optioned right-hander Cla Meredith to Portland.

Piazza happy in San Diego

Mike Piazza crossed over from the home dugout at Petco Park to the crowd of Mets loosening up in front of the visitors' dugout. He shook hands with Jose Reyes, joked with batting coach Rick Down and new closer Billy Wagner.
And then he went back to his side of the field, leaving behind the team he had been a part of for nearly eight years. While the Mets entered this series in San Diego with the best record in the National League, Piazza was no longer a part of it, pushed from the spotlight of the Big Apple toward the obscurity of a sub-.500 team for what he even acknowledged was the twilight of his career.
"I'm a realist," Piazza said. "I'm happy for their fans because I think the fans deserve a good ballclub. They stood by us through some lean years recently, a lot of expectations that were unfulfilled. It was sad.
"It's always frustrating and sad for me. I felt like I would have been a big part of that, we had some experiments, at least some gambles that didn't work out. When we're not playing them and we're not doing our thing, obviously I'll be following them a lot."
While the Mets have ascended with the latest round of acquisitions -- including Paul Lo Duca to replace Piazza behind the plate -- it was a parting that seemed one-sided at the time. Piazza came to the Mets and signed a seven-year, $90 million deal after his first year. But he never got the ring he wanted in New York, spending most of his time as the most visible face to blame when things didn't go right.
But in the rebuilding, it was obvious last year that the Mets -- trying to focus on defense, speed and youth -- would have little interest in retaining Piazza as he battled knee and arm troubles that reduced his production at the plate as well as his more obvious struggles throwing. The Mets mouthed the polite answers for a year, but never made a bid to keep him in New York. Piazza finally signed a one-year deal worth $2 million with the Padres, with a team option for 2007 at $8 million.
"It just seemed pretty mutual," Piazza said of his departure as a free agent this past winter. "They were obviously looking in another direction and I understand that. It's just one of those things. I've never really looked at it.
"It just seemed like they wanted to kind of move on in a way that anytime a new organization or at least a new kind of realm comes in as far as the general manager, he kind of wants to put his own spin on things.
"And it was nothing personal between me and Omar [Minaya]. It was just one of those things. It just kind of seemed like they wanted to go in a different direction, which is fine. I totally understand that, and I've never had a negative sentiment at all.
"I feel like I fulfilled my commitment there and they were very generous to me at the time," he added. "I feel like I gave them everything I had on the field. So there wasn't any animosity or anything. A little sad, sure, anytime you turn the page and end a chapter of your career. But again, I'm in such a good place and I'm happy getting an opportunity here, so again, I'm definitely in a good place."
Piazza homered in his first at-bat for the Padres, but has not hit one since. Piazza was the Padres' starting catcher Thursday, going 0-for-3 and lowering his average to .214 before Doug Mirabelli came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh. Before the game, Piazza talked about his role with the Padres, serving as a leader for a young team. But he rarely spoke with teammates last year in New York -- an elder statesman who seemed to have little in common with the youthful team around him. Even Thursday when asked if he had spoken to any of the Mets, he named only assistant trainer Mike Herbst and clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels.
Still, he missed New York -- the pace and the excitement. And he missed the Mets, too, hoping that he would wear a Mets cap when his likely induction to the Hall of Fame comes.
"I'm a little nervous," he said of facing the Mets. "I've been trying to downplay it a little bit, but I am nervous. And they're a good ballclub, so obviously you want to play well, too. I've had a lot of calls from friends in New York and they all said, 'Well, we're rooting for the Mets, but we hope you have a good game.' So I'm like, well, I don't know how I should take that, but it's kind of funny."

Cameron returns to stadium where his 2005 season ended

The San Diego Padres activated Mike Cameron from the disabled list and sent Jon Adkins back to Portland.
Cameron, while with the Mets, was involved in a horrific collision at PETCO Park on August 11, 2005 with teammate Carlos Beltran that left him with several facial fractures. Cameron was traded to San Diego in the offseason, but had been out with a strained left oblique.
Cameron played Sunday and went 0 for 3 with two walks and two strikeouts

New York at San Diego

Final Score: San Diego 7, New York 4
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Brian Giles hit a fourth-inning grand slam to guide the San Diego Padres past the New York Mets, 7-4, as the two teams split a four-game series at Petco Park.
Josh Barfield went 3-for-5 -- including his second homer of the season -- and scored three runs and Vinny Castilla had a trio of hits for the Padres, who have won three of their last five contests.
Mike Cameron made his season debut and went 0-for-3 with a pair of walks against his former team. San Diego activated Cameron off the 15-day disabled list and optioned pitcher Jon Adkins to Triple-A Portland on Sunday. Cameron, who has missed the entire season with a strained left oblique muscle, was traded to the Padres in the offseason by the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Xavier Nady.
Clay Hensley (1-1) recorded his second major league win, allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Trevor Hoffman notched his third save of the season.
David Wright went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Endy Chavez knocked in two for the Mets, who have lost four of their last six games. Victor Zambrano (1-2) lasted just four innings, yielding five runs on seven hits and three walks for the loss. Carlos Delgado had a pair of hits but ended his home run streak at three games.
The Padres plated a run in the home-half of the opening frame as Barfield smacked an 0-2 offering over the left field fence for a 1-0 margin.
San Diego used a two-out, four-run rally in the fourth to grab a comfortable lead. Hensley singled to center, followed by a walk to Dave Roberts and a base hit from Barfield. Giles came to the plate and worked the count to 3-2 before lifting a grand slam to right field for a 5-0 advantage.
However, the Mets got back in the game with a four-run sixth inning. Paul Lo Duca drew a one-out walk to get the frame started and Delgado's single sent the catcher to third. Wright's base hit scored Lo Duca and Cliff Floyd singled in Delgado before Hensley was lifted.
Scott Cassidy retired Nady with a pop fly and Chris Woodward's free pass loaded the bases. Chavez capped the scoring with a two-run single to pull within 5-4. New York had a chance to score more as pinch hitter Jose Reyes walked, but Alan Embree, who replaced Cassidy, struck out Kaz Matsui to end the threat with three runners left on base.
The Padres upped the lead to two in the bottom of the inning. Barfield picked up his third hit of the game, a single to third, and moved to second on Giles groundout. Adrian Gonzalez's soft line drive single knocked in Barfield for a 6-4 edge.
San Diego added another run in the eighth as Castilla and Khalil Greene singled and pinch hitter Mark Bellhorn knocked in a run with a grounder to second.
Game Notes
The Padres begin a three-game set with Arizona, while the Mets continue their 10- game road trip with three games in San Francisco on Monday...Barfield has five three-hit games on the season...Hoffman is 40 saves shy of Lee Smith (478) for the all-time lead...The Padres are 6-2 during the day...San Diego leads the series 205-202.

Padres Announce Promotional Lineup for 2006

2006 features 31 fan giveaways, 17 special events and three opening celebrations
The San Diego Padres today announced the promotional lineup for their 2006 season at PETCO Park, offering family-friendly events, exciting activities and popular premium giveaways. There will be a total of 31 giveaways, including 18 all-fan giveaways, the most in the three-year history of PETCO Park. Additionally, there will be a total of 17 special events as well as three separate Opening Day/Night Celebrations.At every Friday home game throughout the season, fans will receive giveaways including:• Padres Opening Weekend Long Sleeve T-shirts (April 7 vs. Colorado).• Padres Beanie Caps (May 26 vs. St. Louis).• The return of fan-favorite promotions, including Safari Floppy Caps (May 5 vs. Chicago) and Beach Towels (June 23 vs. Seattle).• Padres Replica Road Jersey T-Shirts (June 30 vs. San Francisco).On Saturdays, the Padres and PETCO Park will host special events and activities including five postgame fireworks shows, Park at the Park concerts, the Third Annual Action Sports Day (April 29 vs. Los Angeles) and Fiesta Con Los Padres (June 24 vs. Seattle).Sundays will be directed exclusively toward kids with events including Photo Day and Kids Run the Bases, as well as giveaways such as Trading Cards and Collector Sets, Lunch Boxes and for the first time Brian Giles-in-a-Box.Other core events that return to the promotional schedule include the 10th annual Mexico Opening Night featuring Vinny Castilla T-Shirts for Kids (Sunday, April 9 vs. Colorado), Military Opening Night when the team dons camouflage uniforms for the seventh straight season with this year's version patterned after desert camouflage uniforms (Saturday, April 22 vs. the New York Mets), the third annual Salute to the Negro Leagues (Saturday, May 6 vs. the Chicago Cubs) and a retro day in which the team sports 1976 throwback uniforms (Thursday, August 3 vs. Houston).Fans can purchase single game tickets beginning 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feburary 25, at the PETCO Park Advance Ticket Windows, over the Internet at www.padres.com, by phone at 1-877-FRIARTIX, at all San Diego area PETCO locations and at the Padres Team Store in Tijuana. The Padres are also introducing seven special ticket "6-Packs," featuring an assortment of attractive divisional and interleague matchups available for purchase by fans beginning Saturday, February 11. Season tickets are available by calling (619) 795-5500, online at padres.com or by visiting the Padres Ticket Office at PETCO Park during regular business hours.

Piazza likely Will be Padre

The Yankees are officially out of the Mike Piazza chase, a certain disappointment to the former Mets catcher. But the San Diego Padres, whose locale appeals to the 37-year-old, remain very interested.According to a major-league official, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman notified Piazza's agent Dan Lozano yesterday that the team would pass on the future Hall of Famer.
"I've got nothing to report," Cashman said.The Yankees intend to carry 12 pitchers, leaving them with 13 position players. With catcher Kelly Stinnett, infielder Miguel Cairo and outfielder Bubba Crosby already tagged as reserves, the last spot likely will go to Andy Phillips, who can spot Jason Giambi at first base. The Yankees ultimately decided that Phillips' defense would prove more useful than Piazza's offense.Piazza relished the idea of serving as the Yankees' part-time designated hitter. But with the Yankees no longer interested, he could find himself in San Diego, for about $2 million.The Padres began negotiations with Lozano about a week ago, according to Padres GM Kevin Towers. Said Towers: "[Lozano] basically said to DH was Mike's preference, but if that didn't work out, he'd really want to be on the West Coast."San Diego has carried on a busy offseason, acquiring Mike Cameron in a trade from the Mets and re-signing free agents Brian Giles and Trevor Hoffman, both for hometown discounts. At catcher, however, the defending National League West champions are unimposing, having lost Ramon Hernandez to Baltimore through free agency. Former Red Sox backup Doug Mirabelli, David Ross and former Yankees backup Todd Greene make up the catching corps."He still thinks he can catch 70 to 80 games," Towers said of Piazza. "We can probably carry three catchers."Piazza could DH in the Padres' nine interleague road games, Towers added, and the GM said that he could even envision Piazza playing "10 to 15 games" at first base during the season. Piazza didn't play first base at all for the 2005 Mets, after struggling greatly there in 2004.Towers said he had largely been playing "phone tag" with Lozano, but negotiations could progress quickly now that the Yankees are out. The Phillies and Toronto also have expressed interest in Piazza.

M's to Play Spring Game vs. Padres in Portland

The Mariners will play a spring-training exhibition game against the Portland Beavers at PGE Park.
The March 31 game is the Mariners' first appearance in Portland since 2002, when Seattle played the San Diego Padres before a sellout crowd of 19,778.
"This game will be a great start to the 2006 season, and it will be a unique opportunity for fans to get an early look at the Beavers as they approach their home opener on April 6," said John Cunningham, president and general manager of the Beavers.
The Mariners finished the 2005 season with a 69-93 record and a last-place finish in the American League West Division.
The exhibition game will wrap up spring training for both teams. The Mariners open the regular season against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field on April 3.
The Mariners are 1-1 in Portland, with a 5-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at then-Civic Stadium in 1984, and a 3-1 loss to the Padres in 2002.

Who wouldn’t want this guy?

Three messages awaited Kevin Towers when he arrived at the San Diego Padres’ offices Wednesday. They were from co-workers in the baseball-operations office wondering when, exactly, Towers decided to sign Jose Lima.
All of them had read a story from the Dominican Republic in which El Caribe newspaper reported that Lima said he would sign a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Padres.
Towers laughed. No such deal existed.
“Frankly,” the Padres general manager said, “that would make us look like buffoons.”
Towers wasn’t trying to be callous. It’s just that Lima’s 2005 season with the Royals rivals the Titanic in terms of success, and even in this inflated market for starting pitching, Lima figures to get no more than a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league camp.
Whatever prompted Lima to talk of a deal that didn’t exist, it only makes Joe Klein’s life tougher. He is Lima’s agent. His job is to create a market where none exists so Lima doesn’t resort to playing Pinocchio.
“I don’t think it hurts,” Klein said Wednesday. “I hope not.”
Because Klein has spent months already aiming to convince teams that his client is salvageable goods.
“He’s fun,” Klein said. “He’s sincere. He really is a good guy. He’ll show up to every charity event. He signs autographs.”
All true — and so is the fact that Lima lost 16 games last year.
“You can’t give up on a guy who, at one point in his career, won 21 games,” Klein countered. “He’s shown he can.”
He’s also shown he can pitch like he did in 2005, when Lima’s 6.99 ERA set the record for the worst mark in baseball history for a pitcher with more than 30 starts.
“When people don’t believe in him is when he gets fired up and gets it done,” Klein said. “That seems to motivate him.”
Give Klein this much: He’s trying. He’s unearthing every bit of positive information to offset the specter of last season’s numbers.
Not only can Lima pitch, but if you’re in a pinch for a national anthem singer, he’s your man!
Seriously, it’s not an easy job.
Fourteen years ago, when in the Dominican Republic during the offseason, Klein — real-estate lawyer by trade, sports agent on the side — met Lima, a precocious teenager who had finished his third pro season at Class A Lakeland. They hit it off, and Lima’s been with Klein ever since, through good and bad.
The good: In 1999, Lima went 21-10 with Houston and finished fourth in Cy Young voting. Four years later, after pitching in the independent Atlantic League, Lima went to the Royals midseason and won his first seven decisions. With Los Angeles the next season, Lima notched the Dodgers’ first playoff victory in 16 years.
The bad: He collapsed in Houston, flamed out in his second go-around with Detroit and made history — albeit the bad kind — with the Royals last season.
“We needed somebody to take the ball every fifth day,” Royals general manager Allard Baird said. “We were in a total rebuilding mode. We had young pitchers who had maxed out their innings pitched. We didn’t want them to throw. That’s what factored in. He’d take the ball. And he’d take the bullet.”
Bullets do cost. On top of Lima’s base salary of $2.5 million last season, he earned $1.25 million in bonuses for the number of starts he made. The money has grown even greater this offseason, as pitchers lap up millions in a market inflated particularly for pitchers.
And still, six weeks before spring training starts, Lima remains unemployed and available to every team except Kansas City.
“I see guys who have signed two-year deals and know I’m better than that guy,” Lima said earlier this week from the Dominican Republic, where he won a winter league playoff game for Aguilas on Tuesday. “I know I can get guys out. I believe in myself. I know I’ll go to spring training, bust my (rear) and make a team.”
Klein said his phone calls have yielded at least a couple of bites, including a possible minor-league deal with San Diego. Japan, where Lima is immensely popular, is always a possibility. With baseball’s dearth of starting pitching, Baird believes Lima is bound to get at least a shot at making a team. And Lima — well, it’s easy to figure out what Lima thinks.
“It’s always Lima Time,” he said. “What you see from Lima is what you get.”
If it’s anything like 2005, that’s not good.
So forget that, Klein said. New year, new season.
“And remember this,” Klein said, sounding like he was ready to unleash his most convincing reasoning yet. “He’s only 33.”
In the peddling of Jose Lima, every little thing counts. But only if it’s true.

Shawn Estes agree to one-year deal

Starting pitcher Shawn Estes and the San Diego Padres reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday on a one-year contract.
The left-hander must pass a physical before the deal is completed. Estes was sidelined for two months last season with an ankle injury that limited him to 21 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 7-8 with a 4.80 ERA.
Estes would be the only lefty in the Padres' rotation, although they're known to still be interested in reacquiring David Wells from the Boston Red Sox.
The 32-year-old Estes is 99-89 with a 4.71 ERA in 11 major-league seasons. He has also pitched for San Francisco, the New York Mets, Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs and Colorado. His best season was 1997, when he went 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA for the Giants.

Hammond agrees to contract with Reds

CINCINNATI Chris Hammond has agreed to a one-year, 800-thousand dollar deal with the Cincinnati Reds.Today's deal includes a mutual option for 2007.
Hammond was five-and-one with a three-point-eight-four E-R-A in 55 appearances for the San Diego Padres last season.
The southpaw held left-handed batters to a point-one-six-four average.
Cincinnati drafted Hammond in the sixth round in 1986. He went 14-and-19 in three seasons with the Reds, primarily as a starter.
Hammond turns 40 on January 21st.

Top Ten Prospects: San Diego Padres

While the Padres won the National League West and visited the postseason for the first time since 1998, it’s hard to call 2005 a banner year for the franchise. San Diego had to scrape to finish two games over .500, then was swept by St. Louis in the NL Division Series. The Padres won five fewer games than in 2004, had the lowest winning percentage of any non-strike-year playoff team in baseball history and would have finished closer to last place than first in the NL East or Central.
General manager Kevin Towers began to remake the team even before it wrapped up the division, shipping out malcontent Phil Nevin at the trade deadline. Towers made the first two major deals of the offseason, acquiring Vinny Castilla for Brian Lawrence and Mike Cameron for Xavier Nady in an effort to jump-start the offense. Changes continued in the offseason, as while the Padres were able to retain free agents Brian Giles and Trevor Hoffman, they lost catcher Ramon Hernandez as a free agent and traded Mark Loretta to the Red Sox for Hernandez' replacement, Doug Mirabelli.
A front-office overhaul preceded the roster makeover. Towers explored the GM opening in Arizona and emerged as a candidate in Boston, but remained in San Diego and enters his 11th season at the helm. Owner John Moores brought in some heavy hitters to assist Towers, however.
Former Major League Baseball vice president and Athletics GM Sandy Alderson was made team president, overseeing Towers and the entire baseball operation. Credited with molding Billy Beane into a star executive and promoting statistical analysis in Oakland, Alderson has begun implementing many of the same philosophies in San Diego. His power is only expected to grow.
Grady Fuson, who worked under Alderson as the scouting director in Oakland, joined the Padres staff as a special assistant to Towers in spring training and spent the majority of the year evaluating the system’s talent as well as evaluating top prospects for the draft. Following the season, his role was expanded to vice president of scouting and development. Fuson, who held the same roles with the Rangers, is in charge of revitalizing a flagging farm system. Longtime farm director Tye Waller was made the new Padres first-base coach. Bill Gayton remains scouting director, though Fuson’s fingerprints are expected to be all over the Padres’ 2006 draft.
Though the system isn’t strong, it did provide some returns in 2005 as a pair of astute minor league deals began to pay off. Righthander Clay Hensley, a relative unknown when he was acquired from the Giants for Matt Herges in 2003, emerged as one of San Diego’s top relievers in the second half and will compete for a rotation spot in the spring. Outfielder Ben Johnson, added via the Carlos Hernandez trade with the Cardinals in 2000, will get a chance to replace Giles.
Beyond that, the system is bordering on barren. The Padres’ four full-season affiliates combined to place just three players on Baseball America’s league Top 20 Prospects lists, none in the Top 10.

Padres non-tender Brazelton, hope to re-sign him

The San Diego Padres allowed Dewon Brazelton and Craig Breslow to become free agents on Tuesday night, but the team hopes to re-sign both pitchers.
The Padres acquired Brazelton from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Dec. 8 for third baseman Sean Burroughs.
"I think we'll sign him back," general manager Kevin Towers said. "We wanted to negotiate a better deal. We lose exclusivity, but we were down the road with both of them. We're hoping we'll be able to sign those two back."
The 25-year-old Brazelton was Tampa Bay's opening-day starter last season, going 1-8 with a 7.61 ERA in eight starts and 12 relief appearances. Breslow had a 2.20 ERA in 14 relief appearances.
The Padres also allowed backup catcher Miguel Olivo to become a free agent.
San Diego and backup catcher Dave Ross agreed to a $500,000, one-year deal. He can earn another $25,000 if he starts 85 games.

San Diego Padres get Mike Cameron from NY Mets for utility player

Mike Cameron will return to baseball in the same outfield where he was so frighteningly injured last summer.
Cameron's trade from New York to San Diego was finalized after the Padres were assured by doctors on Friday that the outfielder has no lingering vision or health problems from his season-ending, face-to-face collision with Mets teammate Carlos Beltran in the Petco Park outfield on Aug. 11.
The Mets got utilityman Xavier Nady from San Diego.
Cameron was playing right field when he was hurt. He will play centre for the Padres, who've been pursuing him since before Petco Park opened in 2004, featuring a huge outfield, particularly centre and right.
"Maybe it's a test from a higher power, to be able to come back and play in the same place," Cameron said. "I was thinking the other day, 'Man, I'm going to the same place.' I guess the good Lord wants me to get rid of my fears right away. I'll be all right."
Cameron and Beltran collided while pursuing a sinking liner. Cameron was hurt the worst, breaking his nose, his right orbital socket, his cheekbones and sustaining a concussion. He had surgery a day later.
Cameron joked about it Friday, saying his wife loves San Diego because she spent extra time in the city in August.
"For her to get a good experience, I had to be in the hospital for a week," he said.
Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Cameron passed thorough vision and physical exams, and the outfielder said he's as close to 100 per cent healthy as possible.
"I didn't have to rehab anything," Cameron said. "My limbs were fine. It was my face that had to heal. I had to lose a little beauty for three months. Other than that, everything's good. I'd be ready in two weeks if they needed me to play."
The Padres tried to sign Cameron as a free agent after the 2003 season, but he accepted a $19.5 million US, three-year deal from the Mets.
"I'm a big believer in fate," Towers said. "Things happen for a reason. We've been looking the last two to three years to find this type of athlete to roam the vast expanse of Petco Park."
The Padres also think Cameron will thrive offensively at Petco Park, where right-handed pull hitters fare better than left-handed pull hitters. Cameron hit at least 18 homers every season from 1999-2004, and had 12 last year before the collision.
Mets manager Willie Randolph said Cameron "is a great guy, a hell of a player. He played hard for me this year and I'm going to miss him. It's just part of our whole putting together a team."
Cameron was uncomfortable playing right, where he was moved after the Mets signed Beltran last off-season. He said he met with Mets GM Omar Minaya after the season and expressed his desire to play centre, but added that he didn't demand a trade.
"He felt much more comfortable in centre field than in right field," Minaya said. "I had to take that into account."

Brian Giles agrees to stay with San Diego Padres

Right fielder Brian Giles reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday night to re-sign with his hometown San Diego Padres for US$30 million over three years.
The deal was pending Giles' scheduled physical Thursday morning and an announcement was expected later in the day, two baseball officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the contract hadn't been finalized yet.
One of the top outfielders on the free-agent market, Giles batted .301 with 15 homers and 83 RBIs last season, leading the NL West-champion Padres in several offensive categories. He drew a major league-best 119 walks and had a stellar .423 on-base percentage.

Padres re-sign Young

Eric Young agreed to a $700,000 US, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres on Monday, two weeks after the team declined to exercise the utilityman's option for next year.
The Padres declined Young's $850,000 option on Nov. 8, giving him a $150,000 buyout, which the sides took into account when negotiating his new deal.
The 38-year-old Young hit .275 last season with two homers, nine doubles, seven steals and 22 runs in 56 games. He can start earning performance bonuses at 200 plate appearances.
Young made 10 starts at second base and 22 in the outfield.
He missed nearly three months after dislocating his right shoulder making a catch against the centre-field fence in the Padres' home opener against Pittsburgh on April 7.