Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Ryan Schimpf has become the fourth Padre to earn a National League Rookie of the Month award.
Shortstop Khalil Greene won two NL Rookie of the Month awards in April and August 2004. Xavier Nady won the award in May 2003, and Josh Barfield won the award in July 2006.
Schimpf, 28, was honored for a July during which he hit .269 (21-for-78) with five doubles, a triple and nine home runs for 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored in 24 games.
He not only led all rookies in homers in July, he led all Major League hitters. He ranked third in the Majors with a .705 slugging percentage. He led Major League rookies in both homers and slugging percentage as well as extra-base hits (15) and total bases (55).
He was second in runs scored and OPS (1.092) and tied for second among NL rookies in RBIs, while his batting average was fourth.

Here are some statistics from past Padres Rookie of the Month winners:
• Greene hit .304 (24-for-79) with eight doubles, two triples, no homers, 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored with a .368 on-base percentage and .824 OPS in April 2004. In August 2004, Greene hit. 311 with seven doubles, five home runs, 16 RBIs and 16 runs scored with another .368 on-base percentage and a .893 OPS. Of course, Greene's defense also helped to earn him votes.
• Nady hit .320 (33-for-103) in May 2003 with seven doubles, four homers, 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored. He had a .358 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging percentage for an .863 OPS.
• Barfield, like Schimpf a second baseman, hit .400 (40-for-100) with eight doubles, a triple and three homers for 13 RBIs and 16 runs scored in July 2006. He had a .435 on-base percentage and a .590 slugging percentage for a 1.025 OPS.
Schimpf's nine homers in July are also the most ever by a Padres rookie in a calendar month.
Notes from the scorebook
• That "triple whammy" set of numbers regarding the Padres' lack of success in series finales, day games and Sunday games is improving slightly, but it is still alarming. The Padres are 5-4 in their last nine series finales to improve to 8-27 overall. They are 4-5 in their last nine day games to improve to 10-25 on the season. The Padres are 3-14 on Sundays.
• Most backup catchers play in day games. Christian Bethancourt was 2-for-5 with two RBIs Wednesday. In day games this season, Bethancourt is hitting .297 (19-for-64) with four doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs and eight runs scored with a .500 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS.
• The Padres on Thursday claimed outfielder Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A El Paso. Even with the addition of Kivlehan, the Padres have one opening on the 40-man roster.
• Right-handed pitcher Tyson Ross threw 10 balls from the mound to test the ankle he sprained while rehabbing from a shoulder strain. The Padres are hoping that Ross, who hasn't pitched since Opening Day, will return in September.