Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Craig Stammen admitted there would be a learning curve in his first year as manager of the San Diego Padres. The former reliever, who had not coached at any level before landing the job in San Diego this offseason, had a rough start to his tenure dropping to a 2-4 record after his first six
games at Petco Park. The Padres took one game from the Detroit Tigers and one game from the San Francisco Giants and fans were already speaking in hushed tones about the decision to hire Stammen and whether he would see the end of the season.
San Diego went on the road and seemed to find its stride. The Padres flipped the record from the homestand and took both series, the first against the Boston Red Sox 2-1 and the second against the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1. San Diego returned home after a winning road trip and were the owners of a .500 record. The successful road trip calmed the fan base and propelled the Padres into their home series against the Colorado Rockies.
The 6-6 record to start the season put San Diego right where the Frair Faithful put Stammen’s managerial performance when Gaslamp Ball asked respondents to grade Stammen in this week’s Padres Reacts Survey – right in the middle.
It is unclear if the grade for Stammen would change after the Padres took the first two games of the series against the Rockies in walk-off fashion on back-to-back nights. But if the question was asked today prior to Stammen releasing his Game 3 lineup, which included Fernando Tatis Jr. playing second base he may have received a higher grade.
Time will tell if fans are too high or too low on Stammen the manager, but for now, they seem to have him and his performance pegged.
