This has gotten far beyond the talking stage, for the lost and reeling Padres. After coughing up a home series Wednesday to the hapless Royals, the worst MLB team not named the A's, they're painfully and inexplicably tardy for the doing-it stage.
Stop taking first-pitch strikes in the heart of the plate, only to feebly swing through breaking balls an Uber ride out of the zone. Stop taking third strikes down the middle with bats double-parked on shoulders. Plate discipline, not so long ago, had been a weapon.
Stop making the basepaths the property of others. Stop running into brain-camp outs, especially when runs have become as precious as pearls. While you're at it, steal a few bases of your own. Remember how the Padres began 2022 under new manager Bob Melvin by feasting on smart, aggressive scampering?
