Future Padre - [Mystery LF] (?)

Let’s play a game: I’ll give you info; you stop me when you can identify the player (no looking ahead and no looking at websites for stats).

• He played his last two seasons in a pitchers’ paradise yet posted .300/.350/.515 or better both years…
• He has hit between 18 and 39 HR every year since 1993 and between 21 and 36 doubles every year since 1992…
• While he doesn’t always walk more than he strikes out, his walk total has been within 15 of his strikeout total every year since 1995…
• He is thought of as an ideal-influence for young players…
• He comes from a family tree rich in baseball history…
• His career batting line is .301/.368/.516.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Moises Alou.

2005: 123 games & 427 AB .321/.400/.518 with 21 2B and 19 HR
2006: 98 games & 345 AB .310/.352/.571 with 25 2B and 22 HR

Moises has played on playoff teams and has a World Series championship ring with the ’97 Marlins. On his career he only has 860 strikeouts to go with 708 walks in 6660 AB.

We obviously have injury concerns with a player who will turn 41 on July 3rd 2007 and who only played 221 games the past two seasons, but at the same time, we have the capable Ben Johnson and Terrmel Sledge as potential backups. And Alou would not require a large investment (allowing resources to be spent elsewhere).

With the deeper part of the Padres farm only reaching High-A (David Freese, Will Venable, Kyle Blanks, and Nic Crosta – who played half a season in High-A already) a short-term guy like Alou could be an effective stop-gap that allows us to spend more at third base and the rotation.