Ron Fowler calls performance by James Shields ’embarrassment to team’
The Padres lost to the Mariners 16-4 on Tuesday, leading to one of the team’s executives blasting the team during a radio interview the following day.
Ron Fowler, Padres executive chairman, was a guest on 1090 AM in San Diego on Wednesday and as you can probably expect he was none to pleased with Tuesday’s game or the team’s 20-33 start to the season. He was blunt by calling the recent stretch by Padres pathetic.
“It’s been embarrassing. I don’t know how else to put it,” Fowler said, via FOX Sports. “Our performance on the road trip (1-7) was pathetic.”
San Diego’s starting pitcher on Tuesday was James Shields, who allowed eight hits and 10 runs in less than three innings to pick up his seventh loss of the year, which is tied for most in the majors. The typically dependable Shields obviously did not have it against the Mariners, a performance Fowler labeled as an embarrassment.
“To have a starter like Shields perform as poorly as he did yesterday is an embarrassment to the team, an embarrassment to him,” Fowler said.
Fowler went on to say that in most work environments, performing the way the Padres have over the past few years would lead to the loss of jobs. However, the guaranteed contracts of baseball make that difficult and the organization has to find a way through the tough stretch.
To say frustration around the Padres has reached its peak probably wouldn’t be far from the truth. Prior to last season, the team drastically reshaped the roster, bringing in Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Derek Norris, and Shields in an attempt to make a run at a division title. Despite the additions, San Diego finished the year 74-88 and 18 games out of first place in the division. Fortunes haven’t changed much thus far in 2016 and Fowler is understandably frustrated.
