You Better Take This Opportunity!

“Lay the body down,” Bud Black would implore players and staff during Spring Training. It was a gentle way of suggesting that a good night’s sleep was a better investment than other evening activities.

I’ve heard Black’s voice in my head all month as the offseason has picked up where the World Series left off.

It feels like somebody boarded a time machine, traveled to the past, and stepped on all the butterflies. Now here we are with a major gambling scandal, labor strife that threatens the 2027 season, ownership instability in San Diego, and accusations of abuse of power and nepotism lobbed at union head Tony Clark. If I’m forgetting something, please don’t remind me.

With continuing drama and unexpected storylines, the industry as a whole should listen to Black. Just not today.

Today, we’re celebrating.

In a recent wave of unorthodox managerial hires, the Padres tabbed Craig Stammen — who made his last big league appearance on October 5, 2022 — as their new skipper. In a recent article from Ken Rosenthal, he referred to the Padres’ “bizarre process” that included Stammen as part of the group interviewing candidates only to emerge as a candidate himself.

By now you should know that if you’re not expecting the unexpected out of the Padres, you’re either lying to yourself, or you’re a San Diego local whose self-defense mechanisms have adapted in the name of survival.

Padres baseball may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.

It was 30 years ago today that a 34-year-old Kevin Towers — my mentor, friend, and the patron saint of Warning Track Power — was named GM of the San Diego Padres.

In 1995, CEO Larry Lucchino was leading the search for the Padres next head of baseball operations. He wanted someone who understood the intricacies of the game to assist with the interviews. He asked KT, then the scouting director, to join him.

Over time, the story has become part of franchise lore. I heard the play-by-play from KT many times over the years: Lucchino reports to Towers that he has decided on his next GM. When KT asks who, Lucchino tells him to guess. After exhausting all candidates, KT is perplexed if not a little annoyed that he can’t come up with the answer. He finally gives up.

Lucchino says, “You.”

I asked Bruce Bochy, who was already in place as Padres manager — a fantastic hire by previous GM Randy Smith — if he had any memories of that day. He shared the following via text:

“Kevin comes back to me and tells me [what happened] and then says I’m not ready to be a GM. I said the hell you’re not! You better take this opportunity!”

Apparently, Stammen had some reservations as well before accepting the job.

KT would have turned 64 last week. His spirit lives on at Petco Park and in all corners of the game.