San Diego Padres Top 5 All-Time Shortstops
Padre Shortstops- We have been lucky enough to have seen a few truly great ones here in our little surf paradise by the insane asylum. While the Padres have never won the BIG ONE, we have done our share of damage along the way. Let's take a quick look at my personal top five Padres shortstops, any of whom would look pretty good on your fantasy roster during their heyday.
5: Chris Gomez
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Chris Gomez, you say? Damn right. Gomez was the backbone of the Padres infield in 1998.
Any shortstop that was starting when the Padres won pennants make my list.
Gomez was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in 1996 and immediately stepped in as the Padres starter.
During Gomez's time as a starter, San Diego won two divisional titles and a NL pennant. Batting a robust .364 in the World Series, Gomez led by example.
Gomez played for the Padres until 2001, and I felt his departure was premature. I would recommend Gomez as an infield coach in a heartbeat—steady and solid production without all the flash and glitz.
Gomez finished his career with a .262 average, and played until the end of the 2008 season.
I would rank him higher, but as you will see, its a tough climb to the top.
4: Tony Fernandez
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Tony, we hardly knew ya. Fernandez played just two seasons in San Diego, but he was in the top 10 hitters for most of his time here. His selection to the 1992 All-Star Game was a prime example of how well Fernandez played here.
Fernandez played for seven teams during his time in the majors, winning a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993. Fernandez won four Gold Gloves, and was a five-time All-Star selection with a lifetime batting average of .288.
3: Kahlil Greene
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Greene is the Padres' biggest failure of the last 10 years. The kid had all the tools and the talent to back it up, but he just could not get his head on straight. After flaming out, he was sent packing to St. Louis, and is now out of baseball.
Greene made the second most plate appearances as a Padres shortstop with 2,332 at bats. Greenie belted 82 home runs and is the Padres' all-time leader at short. He also knocked in 322 runs, second most by a Padres SS. Only his meltdown prevented Greene from becoming the Pads' all-time leader at every shortstop category.
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2: Ozzie Smith
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The Wiz will always be known as the Cardinals shortstop. But he made his best play as a Padre, in a highlight reel stab of a bouncing ball behind his head back in 1978.
Ozzie was a hard player to let go of. Watching him win the World Series for the Cardinals was tough on any Padres fan's soul. I remember watching him shag grounders before games here at San Diego Stadium, and it was always a thrill.
If not for my No. 1 guy, Padre fans would have nothing to show for the loss of the Wizard of Oz.
1: Garry Templeton
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Tempy. Mr Smooth—If I ain't starting, I ain't departing.
Garry Templeton.
Watching Templeton was deceiving, because Templeton made it look so easy. From the day he arrived in the Ozzie Smith trade until his departure in 1991, Templeton was the Padres' unquestioned leader on and off the field.
The Padres won their first division title and pennant in 1984 with help from Templeton's steady glove and bat.
Templeton holds most Padres shortstop records, including 3,449 at-bats and 1,154 total bases. No one is touching either of those for a while for a while.
Tempy retired soon after departing the Padres in 1991, and is currently a manager in the GBL for the Chico Outlaws.
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