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What do you think of when you read or hear “Every Four Years?” The Presidential elections?  The Olympics?  World Cup Soccer?

Nope, not if you are a fan of the San Diego Padres‘ infielder David Eckstein.

“Every Four Years” means David Eckstein wins a World Series.

In 2002, the biggest little man in major league baseball helped lead the then-Anaheim Angels to a World Series championship over the San Francisco Giants. The 5’7″, 175 lb. Eckstein led the majors with three grand slams that season.

In 2006, Eckstein was named World Series MVP for the champion St. Louis Cardinals.  Following a 1-for-11 start at the plate in the first two games of the World Series, Eckstein finished 8-for-22 with four RBI and scored three runs.

The World Series victory with the Cardinals placed Eckstein in elite company as one of few starting shortstops who have won a World Series in both the American and National Leagues.

Flash forward to 2010. It just so happens to be four years since Eckstein’s last World Series title, and the Padres are in the midst of an NL West pennant race.

As Dick Enberg put it in last Wednesday’s broadcast against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Adrian Gonzalez has been the Friars’ Most Valuable Player, but Eckstein has been the team’s most clutch player, while also mentoring younger players with his outstanding work ethic and hustle on each and every play.

Eckstein is the only infielder in major league baseball this year with at least 80 games played and no errors.   Despite missing 28 games because of a calf strain, Eckstein has played in 105 games this season and provided near-flawless defense.

In a recent poll of 313 major league players conducted by Sports Illustrated, Eckstein was chosen as the player who had gotten the most out of his talent. He got 25 percent of the votes, well ahead of the 13 percent earned by Boston‘s Dustin Pedroia.

In this new-age style of baseball, reliant on power numbers and jaw-dropping statistics, Eckstein has relied on another outlet to get the job done: his heart. 

Wherever David Eckstein has played, winning has followed. 

Entering the final week of the 2010 regular season a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West, Eckstein and the Padres are on a collision course for a pivotal three-game series in San Francisco this weekend. 

If Eckstein can help bring the city of San Diego its first professional championship, he might have to consider taking his “Every Four Years” regime from the playing field to politics.

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Miguel Tejada is playing grown man baseball at a grown-up time for the San Diego Padres.

Tejada became the 129^th player in MLB history to reach 300 homers Wednesday evening against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But that isn’t the only milestone the 36-year-old veteran is looking to accomplish this season. 

It has been seven years since Tejada has played in the postseason. Both he and the Padres are in search of their first World Series ring.

Acquired the day before the July 31^st trade deadline, the Padres’ acquisition of Tejada didn’t resonate throughout the MLB headlines for long.  Yet, it is tough to argue in favor of any other deadline pickup having more of an impact.

Tejada has eight homers in 194 at-bats for the Padres after hitting just seven in 401 at-bats for Baltimore earlier this season. He is also batting .273 with 28 RBI in just 49 games.

The Padres initially acquired Tejada for his veteran bat and presence. While he has surprised Padres management with his glove, he hasn’t surprised himself.

“We discussed the options [when Tejada was acquired]: left field, third base, second,” manager Bud Black told the San Diego Union-Tribune.  “Then we put him at shortstop and we watched just to see what we had.”

What the Padres saw was a 14-year veteran, six-time All-Star, and 2002 MVP with serviceable range that has committed just two errors in 49 games.

“I feel like I can get to any ball that anybody hits.” Tejada told the Union-Tribune. “I really had it in my mind I could still play short, my natural position. I was training in the off season to keep my legs really strong, to keep in good shape just in case somebody needs me to play short.”

Eligible for free agency at season’s end, Tejada would prefer to stay put. Given the uncertain future of Everth Cabrera and the free agency of David Eckstein and Jerry Hairston Jr., the Padres may be in need of multiple middle infielders next season.

“He’s been valuable,” Bud Black said of Tejada. “I think (keeping him) is definitely worth discussion as we move into the winter.”

“I would love to stay here,” Tejada said. “I love to play with the young guys. I love this team. Right now, I’m enjoying the moment. I enjoy the situation right now and I try to take it one day at a time.”

Tejada has a negative image in the court of public opinion due to previous alleged steroid allegations and pleading guilty to one count of perjury on Feb. 11, 2009 for lying to Congress.

Those will be interesting facts in building a Cooperstown Hall of Fame case for Tejada someday.

By the time he’s eligible, he’ll likely rank second or third all-time for homers by a shortstop and somewhere between fifth and seventh in RBI. He also won an MVP award and amassed a very impressive consecutive games streak—162 games in six straight seasons from 2001-2006.

It’s safe to say a World Series ring in 2010 would bolster his Cooperstown resume. 

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This year, the San Diego Padres have taken the West by storm and it’s no secret that they are at the top of their game.

The Padres have constructed a team that include good, young arms, contact hitters, and a well managed front-office.

Bud Black has been nothing more than stellar when it comes to game day and has showed off the potential of his squad. Combine that with power hitting in Adrian Gonzalez, and young pitching in Mat Latos, and your team will go a long ways.

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How many people realize the San Diego Padres have the third-best record in baseball at 54-37? I don’t think too many people realize how good the Padres have been this year, and the guy leading the way is manager Bud Black.

Due to the team’s success, the Padres front office has rewarded their manager with a three-year extension. The extension will run through 2013, with club options for 2014 and 2015.

In three-and-a-half seasons as Padres manager, Black has compiled a 281-297 record. The record doesn’t do Black any justice. He has been dealt some pretty crappy cards in San Diego, and he has always held steady and brought a lot of leadership to a young Padres team.

Black, like his mentor Mike Scioscia, manages in a similar fashion. They both are extremely detailed, both surround themselves with solid coaches (Randy Ready, Glenn Hoffman, and Ted Simmons are a good group), and both like to play small ball when possible.

With Black and GM Jed Hoyer at the helm, the Padres should be competitive for years to come. Now, if people would actually watch them play, that would certainly help.

Come on people of San Diego—support your Padres!!! There is no reason that a team with the third-best record in baseball is ranked 20th in attendance.

You want to keep Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego? Show up.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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For a Padres team that has surprised many this year, some of the best news they’ve gotten all year came on Monday, in the form of a three-year extension for manager Buddy Black. This move shows the Padres that the front office believes that what they’re doing this year is sustainable, and also shows the rest of baseball the Padres are unlikely to be dealing away any stars come July 31.

Many will tell you that Black’s extension was well deserved. It’s true, he has done an excellent job of handling a bullpen and starting rotation that have been the best in baseball.

But could it be too soon?

Don’t get me wrong, Black seems like a nice enough guy, and certainly capable of handling a major- league managing position. But half of a season does not have much of a bearing on the next three years.

Look at a couple of the Cinderella stories of recent baseball memory.

Everyone remembers the 1969 Miracle Mets, who improved by 27 games and shocked the world and the Baltimore Orioles by winning the World Series, right? Not so many people remember the 1972 version, who finished a distant third in the NL East.

The 1991 Twins, who improved their record by 21 games, won the World Series. Three years later, Minnesota was sitting 14 games out of first when a strike ended the season.

The point is that nothing is for sure when it comes to  Cinderella teams, especially low budget ones such as San Diego. Their biggest star and offensive lynchpin, Adrian Gonzalez, is only under contract through 2011. If Gonzalez leaves, Black will be stuck with a sputtering offense.

In fact, this season may not be all it’s cracked up to be for San Diego. Their dream season could come falling back to earth in a matter of weeks.

Mat Latos, the staff ace, has an unsustainable .246 BABIP, well below the norm.

Jon Garland, the only Padres starter with much big-league experience, and thus a large enough sample size, is expected to hit a serious wall, and soon, as evidenced by his an xFIP of 4.34 and a lucky BABIP of .276, which should regress. His ZiPS projected ERA is 3.61, so don’t expect him to continue his lucky streak much longer.

Clayton Richard and Wade LeBlanc have stranded 80.6 percent and 83.2 percent of base runners so far, so their ERA is bound to rise as well. In fact, LeBlanc’s home-away splits are horrible. Once he gets away from cavernous PetCo Park, his ERA will continue its recent rise.

For a team so reliant on its starting rotation, any sign of failure means the wins will stop coming.

Even the bullpen, which has been one of the best ever, may experience some slight regression. The Padres currently have four relievers who have thrown over 40 innings this year. No other team has three. An overworked bullpen can lead to some not so friendly postseason outings.

Just ask Ryan Franklin.

I can see why the Padres think extending Black was the right idea, but I wouldn’t be too confident in a man who has never won 90 games in a season. This move could be a huge success in the Bobby Cox mold, but it could also be a huge flop for San Diego. To me, it seems like the Padres have just tied Bud Black to the mast of a ship that is bound to sink.

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Less than a week ago Mat Latos was three outs away from his first career shutout in Houston. It did not take long for him to get another shot at it.

Latos came within one hit of a perfect game Thursday, yielding only an infield single in the sixth inning to Eli Whiteside while overshadowing Jonathan Sanchez yet again as the first-place Padres won 1-0 to complete a three-game sweep at AT&T Park.

Latos, who was perfect through five innings, faced 28 batters—one over the minimum—struck out five and did not issue a walk. The 22-year-old has thrown 16 scoreless innings against San Francisco this year, both times outshining Sanchez. In two starts, Sanchez has allowed two runs and four hits to the Padres in 15 innings. Yet, thanks to Latos, he has two losses on his record.

And guess what? Sanchez and Latos are slated as probable starters yet again Tuesday at Petco Park.

San Diego (22-12) has won all six contests against the Giants this season. Four of those decisions have been by one run.

It is difficult to point to anything more significant than the Padres pitching this season, with a major league-best 2.66 ERA. But one could make the case for their hitting—the Padres pitchers’ hitting.

Latos accounted for the Padres only run Thursday, with a single in the fifth inning that scored Lance Zawadzki.

In eight shutout innings against the Astros in his last start, Latos—now batting .308 at the plate—knocked two doubles in the 7-0 rout. In the series finale, despite the Friars falling 4-3 in extra innings, Tim Stauffer got the party started with a two-run double.

One can also not discount Clayton Richard’s 3 RBI’s in clutch situations this season.

In football, players who can “go both ways” refer to their versatility and ability to play on both offense and defense.

If the trend continues, Padres manager Bud Black may want to consider a few pinch-hit cameos from his pitching staff.

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If the duration of the major league baseball season were a California road trip up the Interstate 5, the Padres would barely be in Oceanside.

Nonetheless, with one month in the rear view mirror, the Padres are in cruise control.

For the third time in four games on Sunday, the Padres shut out the Milwaukee Brewers, this time on a combined three hitter by John Garland and two relievers. The Brewers came into the series leading the NL in scoring. 

It was the first time the Padres have had three shutouts in a series of any length in their 42-year history.

The 8-0 victory marks the 13^th win in 16 games for San Diego.

The early success has left fans and followers of baseball asking the same question:

Who are these guys and what have they done with the Padres?

As evidenced in the recent shutouts, the Friars’ pitching staff, from the starting rotation to the bullpen, has been lights out.

Yet, the stingy pitching has set the tone for the Padres clubhouse and resulted in not only more offensive potency, but a unit playing with more intensity and resolve.

Adrian Gonzalez, the usually permissive Padres All-Star first baseman, was tossed in the bottom of the 8^th of Saturday’s 2-1 loss, after arguing balls and strikes in a rare show of emotion.

The ejection was the first of Gonzalez’s career, and has a ways to go to reach Bud Black’s mark of 10. Black not only joined the double digit ejection club as a manager, but he also joined Gonzalez in the clubhouse after backing his slugger.    

Home plate umpire Rob Drake’s strike zone was fluctuant at best for most of the evening. It was Adrian’s third strikeout of the night and while he and Black definitely got their moneys worth, it was good to see some fire from within.

It was peculiar seeing all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman in another jersey at PETCO Park. Hoffman, who has struggled this year with four blown saves already, pitched a perfect ninth for his 595^th save Saturday.

The Friars look to stay in gear for their sixth consecutive series victory and their 10^th win in 11 games at home Monday, as they host division rival Colorado for a three game series. 

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