The Padres are so overdue to get a solid season from a player they signed out of the Dominican Republic that when it happens, you figure it’ll be something big.
As it’s shaping up today, approaching the season’s quarter pole, it’s someone big.
If jumbo outfielder Franmil Reyes volunteered to play for the football Aztecs, my guess is coach Rocky Long would drive him to campus.
In baseball, though, bigger isn’t always better. In fact altitude can work against a hitter. At 6-foot-5, Reyes has a huge strike zone to cover. Though he could look Padres Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield in the eye, Reyes would tower over former Padres sluggers such as Nate Colbert, a 6-2 righty who had to contend with the 17-foot outfield wall at San Diego Stadium, and Steve Garvey, who was listed at 5-10 apparently after standing on tippy toes.