January 17, 2021
Chris Perez didn’t get many opportunities to swing the bat during his seven big-league seasons. As a short reliever who played primarily in the American League, that was to be expected. Somewhat less expected was what happened when he did have a chance to dig into the batters box.
“I had two [plate appearances], and I’m bitter about one of them,” Perez told me recently. “In 2008, my rookie year with St. Louis, we were in Florida at the old stadium, playing the Marlins. I came into the game in the eighth inning with one out, and got a double play with the bases loaded. When I went back to the dugout, Tony La Russa told me, ‘Hey, Chris, you’re still in there. Stay focused, because you’ve got the ninth.’”
Padres broadcaster Ted Leitner retires after 41 years with the team Leitner has been a Padres institution for the last four decades.
01/15/2021
Ted Leitner’s long and distinguished career as the voice of the San Diego Padres has come to an end.
On Friday, Leitner and the Padres announced that he was retiring from his broadcasting role with the team and would become a team ambassador.
“I will miss everything about the Padres broadcast that I have been privileged to be a part of for so many years,” Leitner said in a statement. “I’ve had the best seat in the house in San Diego for over four decades, and I’ve had the honor of working alongside Hall of Fame broadcasters while watching the greatest players to ever wear a Padres uniform.
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For 41 seasons, Ted Leitner has been an ambassador for the Padres as the radio play-by-play voice of the National League team.
Starting today, that ambassador role comes with a capital A.
Leitner is transitioning to the role of Padres’ Team Ambassador as he moves away from the radio booth to a front-office position.
Known affectionately as “Uncle Teddy” to legions of fans who followed “My” Padres, through his words, Leitner will become involved in team-organized events for the Padres, including community appearances and speaking engagements.
The new role with the Padres could be a fastball to Leitner’s wheelhouse. In addition to his radio duties with the Padres as well as San Diego State where he will continue to be the play-by-play voice of the Aztecs’ football and men’s basketball teams Leitner is well known throughout the San Diego community as the host and emcee of countless major events.
Yadier Molina Seeking Two-Year Deal
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Yadier Molina saw his three-year, $60MM contract expire at season’s end, which could potentially send him into the open market for the first time in his 17-year big league career. There’s sure to be mutual interest in extending the relationship, but agent Melvin Roman tells MLB Network’s Jon Heyman that his client is seeking a two-year deal (audio link to Heyman’s Big Time Baseball Podcast with Tony Gwynn Jr.; Molina talk begins at 34:30).
Whether the Cardinals are interested in handing out a multi-year deal for Molina at this stage of his career is unclear. Though he’s a nine-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, Molina’s bat has tailed off dramatically in recent seasons. He’s still managed to hit for a respectable average, but his already meager walk rate has begun to head south. And while his 13.5 percent strikeout rate from 2020 was still considerably lower than the league average, Molina sat around nin