With the Major League Baseball postseason just beginning, I thought I would celebrate each of the franchises and their storied pasts by selecting an All-Time Team for every club.
The teams consist of one player per infield position (1B, 2B, SS, 3B, C), three outfielders, three starting pitchers, and two relief pitchers. Each American League squad also consists of a designated hitter.
The All-Time Teams will be in order, starting with baseball’s newest clubs (Rays and Diamondbacks) and concluding with the oldest franchise, the Atlanta Braves. Without further ado, here is part seven of a 30-part series documenting each franchise’s all-time greats.
San Diego Padres
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez 2006-10
During a five-season stint in San Diego, Gonzalez became one of the top players in baseball. During his first season in San Diego, he helped the Padres win the NL West title. In 2008 he was named an All-Star for the first time, and he followed it up by being selected as an All-Star and winning a Gold Glove in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Second Base: Mark Loretta 2003-05
Despite playing just three seasons with the Padres, Loretta made an impact in his short time. In his second season, he was named an NL All-Star, winning a Silver Slugger Award. In his final season in San Diego, Loretta helped the team win the NL West championship.
Shortstop: Garry Templeton 1982-91
During a 10-year run with the Padres, Templeton established himself as the top shortstop in team history. He was a Silver Slugger winner in 1984, helping San Diego win the NL West and NL pennants. In 1985, Templeton was named an NL All-Star. After his career, he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2015.
Third Base: Ken Caminiti 1995-98
During his four seasons in San Diego, Caminiti left a large mark on the club. He won a Gold Glove in 1995, and in 1996 was named an NL All-Star, as well as Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. After helping the Padres win the 1996 NL West title, Caminiti was named the NL MVP. He was named an All-Star again in 1997, taking home a third straight Gold Glove, and in 1998, guided San Diego to an NL West title and National League championship. After his career ended, Caminiti was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2016.
Catcher: Benito Santiago 1986-92
Santiago made an instant impact with the Padres, taking home a Silver Slugger and the NL Rookie of the Year after his first season. He won both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger in his second full season, and he won a Gold Glove and was named to his first NL All-Star team in 1989. Santiago was an All-Star, Silver Slugger winner and Gold Glove recipient in 1990, and during his final two seasons with the Padres was named an All-Star twice and won his fourth Silver Slugger in 1991. After his career, he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2015.
Outfield: Tony Gwynn 1982-01
The greatest player in Padres history, Gwynn was one of the best hitters the game has ever seen. By his third season, he was an All-Star, Silver Slugger winner, and batting champion, helping San Diego win the NL West and National League championships. From 1985 to 1999, Gwynn was named to 14 NL All-Star teams, winning six Silver Sluggers, five Gold Gloves, and seven batting titles. He again guided the Padres to the NL West title in 1996, capped off by another NL West crown and NL pennant in 1998. Gwynn also received the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1998 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 1999 before hanging up the cleats after a 20-season career in 2001. He was the first unanimous induction into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2001 and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2007. After his career, San Diego retired his No. 19 jersey in 2004.
Outfield: Dave Winfield 1973-80
One of the Padres’ first star players, Winfield became the first San Diego player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. During an eight-season run with the club, Winfield was named an All-Star four times (1977-80), winning two Gold Gloves (1979-80) and leading the NL in RBI in 1979. After his career, he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2000 and had his No. 31 jersey retired the following season.
Outfield: Steve Finley 1995-98
During a four-year stint in San Diego, Finely helped the team reach heights it hadn’t seen in over a decade. In his first season, he won a Gold Glove, and during his second season, he helped the Padres win the NL West while winning a Gold Glove Award. He was named an NL All-Star in 1997 and during his final season helped San Diego win the NL West and NL championships.
Starting pitcher: Jake Peavy 2002-09
Perhaps the best starting pitcher in Padres history, Peavy starred during an eight-year tenure with the club. He led the NL in ERA in 2004 and was named an NL All-Star in 2005 while leading the league in strikeouts, helping San Diego capture the NL West crown. Peavy helped the Padres repeat as NL West champions in 2006, and during a career-best 2007 season was named an All-Star, leading the NL in strikeouts, wins, and ERA, capturing the Triple Crown and receiving the NL Cy Young Award.
Starting pitcher: Randy Jones 1973-80
One of the Padres’ early stars, Jones became one of the clubs to pitchers during his eight-season run. After a down season in 1974, Jones had a turnaround campaign in 1975, being named to the All-Star team while leading the NL in ERA. 1976 was even better for Jones, who led the NL in wins (22), being named an All-Star and winning the NL Cy Young Award. After his career, his No. 35 jersey was retired and he was inducted into the first class of Padres Hall of Fame in 1999.
Pitcher: Andy Ashby 1993-99, 2004
During eight seasons in San Diego, Ashby helped the team reach new heights while having his best seasons in a Padres uniform. He helped the team win the NL West in 1996, and during the 1998 campaign was named an NL All-Star while helping San Diego win the NL West and NL championships. During the final season of his first stint, Ashby was named an All-Star for the second straight season.
Relief pitcher: Trevor Hoffman 1993-08
One of the game’s greatest closers, Hoffman starred for 16 years in San Diego. After helping the team win the 1996 NL West title, Hoffman had a breakout season in 1998, being named an All-Star for the first time while leading the NL in saves and winning the Rolaids Relief Man Award, helping the Padres win the NL West and NL pennants. He was named an All-Star again in 1999, 2000, and 2002, and helped San Diego win the NL West title in 2005. Hoffman helped the Padres repeat as NL West champions the following season, being selected to the NL All-Star team while leading the NL in saves and winning his second Rolaids Relief Man Award. Before finishing his career in Milwaukee, Hoffman was selected to his sixth All-Star team in 2007. After his career ended, he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame and had his No. 51 jersey retired. In 2018, Hoffman was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Relief Pitcher: Rollie Fingers 1977-80
During four seasons with the Padres, Fingers continued his dominance in the bullpen. He won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award three times (1977-78, 1980), led the league in saves twice (1977-78), and was named an All-Star in 1978. After his career, Fingers was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Others considered: Mark Davis, Gaylord Perry, Steve Garvey, Nate Colbert, Heath Bell
