The Morning Friar – 2/20/11

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It was evident to anyone who watched the Padres last season that Mat Latos was the ace of the staff, Jon Garland was the reliable veteran and Clayton Richard, a 14-game winner like Latos and Garland, was remarkably steady.

So where exactly did that leave Tim Stauffer?

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If Chase Headley, the Padres’ switch-hitting third baseman, was forced to pick just one side of the plate to hit from, the choice would be a relatively easy one to make.

Easy, though a little surprising.

“If I had to pick one side, I would be a right-handed hitter,” said Headley, who struggled from the right side a year ago for reasons he still can’t explain.

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Will Venable hopes to stand a little taller this season . . . literally and figuratively.

Venable knows the Padres are looking at him to hit at the top of the order in 2011, meaning a .245 average with a .324 on-base percentage isn’t going to work.

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There was a time when Mat Latos would have exploded, maybe fired a baseball through a wall or attacked a water cooler because of the frustration.

Maybe he would have screamed at teammates or the opposing players and coaches.

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The stall in the southeast corner of the Padres’ spring training complex is hallowed ground.

It once belonged to Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. After Gwynn retired, the cubicle adjoining a rare — and valued — open space passed to Ryan Klesko. Jake Peavy set up shop in the corner for a season before it was passed onto Greg Maddux.

Adrian Gonzalez

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