McIlvaine’s Padres Get Triple-A Rating

Joe McIlvaine, you should be ashamed of yourself. You’ve given the poor laid-back Padre fans a woeful bunch of triple-A players masquerading as major leaguers. Hey Tom Werner, are you and your partners watching?

Some observations as the Padres self-destruct:

--Greg Riddoch is not a major league manager. This team needs a canny, aggressive baseball man to instill some intensity and a desire to win. Doesn’t it pain you to watch these humpty-dumpties day in and day out?

--Benito Santiago should be moved while he’s marketable. Clearly, he’s outlived his usefulness here.

--Your blockbuster trade, alas, has fizzled. We’ve got a broken down shortstop and first baseman who simply can’t hit in the clutch. Now he’s also broken down. Meanwhile, Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter are having banner years and probably will play in the World Series.

--Clearly, you need a second baseman, third baseman and a center fielder. Get us somebody with some pop in the bat.

You’ve got your work cut out for you, Joe, given the thin talent pool in the majors that will be further eroded by expansion. The depleted Padre talent, thanks to Trader Jack McKeon’s madcap maneuvers, won’t help you much either. Good luck.

MICHAEL VICKERS

Del Mar