Stop me if you have heard this before about a San Diego Padres minor league affiliate ballclub, the Lake Elsinore Storm were a lot of fun to watch this season. Despite their 68-72 record, the Storm finished strong, winning the final four games of the regular season and just missing out on a playoff birth in the California League after finishing one game behind the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the first-half South Division standings.
Outfielder Buddy Reed exploded onto the scene in Lake Elsinore, hitting .324 with 12 home runs and 33 stolen bases in 79 games, earning him a mid-season All-Star spot, an invitation to the MLB Futures Game, and a call-up to the Double-A San Antonio Missions.