Valentine’s Day Special: Padres we all love
By Matt Welch
Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, a day full of love. A day where we celebrate the people we love. What better way to do that as a Padres than to compile a list of the Top 5 Padres of all time?
August 21, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; Former San Diego Padres players (from left) Steve Garvey Tony Gwynn Dave Winfield and Randy Jones are recognized during a retirement ceremony for closer Trevor Hoffman prior to the game against the Florida Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
1. Trevor Hoffman – Arguably one of the greatest closers of all time, Trevor Hoffman will forever be engrained into the minds of Padres fans for years to come. He is the MLB’s all time leader in saves with 601 career saves. He went to six All Star games with the Padres and holds seven Padres career records. He had a career ERA of 2.76 while with the Padres, while compiling 552 saves for the Friars, also a Padres record.
2. Tony Gwynn – This Hall of Famer is not just one of the great Padres but one of the greatest ball players of all time. He played every season of his career with the Padres and holds the nickname of “Mr. Padre”. He was an eight-time NL batting champion, a fifteen-time All-Star, a seven-time Silver Slugger, and a five-time Gold Glover. He finished with a batting average of .338, compiling 3,141 hits, 135 home runs, and 1,138 RBIs. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
3. Dave Winfield – Winfield played eight seasons in San Diego before moving on in his career with other teams. During his time in San Diego he was a four-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glover. He hit .282 for his career with San Diego, hitting 154 homeruns and driving in 626 runs during his eight-year career. He went on to be the first Padre inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
4. Jake Peavy – Peavy spent his first seven years in the majors with the Padres and they were probably his best. He was selected to three All-Star games, won the Cy Young and won the Pitching Triple-Crown all while with the Padres. He was also selected to the USA World Baseball Classic team in 2006. He had a career ERA of 3.89 with the Padres, posting a sub 3.00 ERA in four of those seasons. He’s also the Padres all time strikeout leader.
5. Eric Show – Show spent nine seasons with the Padres. He’s the Padres all time leader in wins with 100. He posted a career ERA of 3.59 and added 951 strikeouts. He earned double-digit wins in five of his nine seasons with San Diego.
Who would you include in your top 5?
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