San Diego Padres All-Time 25 Man Roster

The San Diego Padres history has been rich, despite never winning a World Series. The most outstanding players that come to mind when you think about the Pads would be Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield, or Adrian Gonzalez. But now, we wont just go over a few of the best players to suit up in a San Diego uniform, we will go over what could be a Padres dream team (if time travel was a possibility, of course).

Since it's inception in 1969, the Padres and San Diego have stood side by side. They have been owned by many people, like McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, to former Dallas Cowboy Troy Aikman, who still owns a part of the franchise today. The team is now in good hands.

With a 70 million dollar payroll on the horizon, this list may drastically change. But for now, lets take a look at the top 25 Padres of all time.

Starting Pitcher #1--Jake Peavy

Jake Peavy was drafted in 1999 out of high school, and never disappointed. He spent just four years in the Padre farm system, and made the MLB team in June of 2002. Just three years later, Peavy made the NL All-Star team, which was his first of three. 

His pitching career in San Diego reached its peak in 2007, when Peavy won the Pitching Triple Crown and the NL Cy Young award. In a contract year, Peavy was dealt on the Trading Deadline to the Chicago White Sox for four prospects, one of which is a current SP for San Diego (Clayton Richard). His baseball career on the South Side of Chicago has not been the same, as Peavy has struggled with injuries.

Despite some misfortunes in the present, Peavy's legacy in San Diego will not be forgotten. If it wasn't for payroll issues, Jake could still today be pitching at PETCO, where the Bay breeze could assist him.

Jake, who had a 92-68 Record, 3.29 ERA, and 1,348 K, will forever go down as an all time Padre great.

Starting Pitcher #2--Eric Show

Eric Show spent the bulk of his career as a pitcher on the mound in a Padre uniform. Those nine years spent in San Diego has allowed him to become the all-time Padre leader in wins. He also gave up Pete Rose's 4,192 career hit.

Eric was drafted in 1978. In 1981, San Diego started Show in September. Following a 1-3 record that year, he went on to finish 10-6 in '82.

Eric Show had double digit wins in five of his nine years in San Diego. In 1990, his performance was drastically diminished, so much, that he lost his spot in the rotation. He left for Oakland the following year.

His time as an Athletic was short, and after retirement, suffered a fatal hear attack at the age of 37.

Eric's all time stats as a Padre were impressive. He had a 100-87 Win/Loss statistic, and had a 3.59 ERA. He struck out 951 batters.

Starting Pitcher #3--Randy Jones

Randy Jones spent eight of his ten years as a professional baseball player in San Diego. The Pads drafted him in the fifth round in 1972, and just a short year later in June of 1973, made his first appearance at the Major League level.

A two time All-Star selection in 1975 and 1976, Jones also won the Cy Young award, representing the National League, and also has the honor of having his #35 retired by the Padres. Today, in center field, his number sits among some of the other Padre greats.

In his Cy Young winning season, Jones pitched a victory in 22 games, and only dropped 14, a superb total. Unfortunately, an injury that existed in a nerve of his left arm required surgery. After this injury sustained to the pitching arm, his ability slowly diminished.

Jones was sent in late 1980 to the New York Mets, where he spent the last two years of his career. He made an attempt to pitch for the Bucs, but Pittsburgh released him before the 1983 season began. He retired that year.

Today, Jones is a pitching coach, and has worked with Cy Young winner Barry Zito, owns a business, and can be heard on radio.

As for a Major League pitcher in San Diego, his stats were good. He went 92-105, had a 3.30 ERA, and punched out a total of 677 batters.

Starting Pitcher #4--Gaylord Perry

No doubt, Gaylord Perry spent little time in San Diego. In fact, only two of his 22 years in baseball was as a Padre. Perry actually spent more time pitching against the Pads then he did for them.

So, why is the great Hall of Famer on this list? Perry probably had the most effective two years on the mound in San Diego than most Padre pitchers. Take these stats into account: Gaylord went 33-17, winning .778 of his games in 1978 (he was 21-6 in that year). In '79, Perry still had a decent year, going 12-11. A winning record isn't bad when you are a professional pitcher.

In addition to his fantastic record in 1978, Gaylord went on to win the NL Cy Young award as a Padre. That would seal the deal as an all time Padre great; anytime you reel in an award, you prove that you are worthy to be mentioned in that teams list of greatest to take the field.

If Gaylord Perry had not gone to New York, and stuck around in San Diego, he may have been remembered more often as a Padre great. His lack of time spent in San Diego means that he is often forgotten. Perry spent his first ten years as a Giant.

Perry went on to win over 300 games in his 22 year career, a remarkable milestone. He was elected into the Hall Of Fame in 1991.

Starting Pitcher #5--Andy Ashby

Andy Ashby spent his 14 professional years as a pitcher with a handful of teams. But, his most successful years were spent at Qualcomm Stadium as a San Diego Padre.

Before his stint in San Diego, Ashby played ball for Philadelphia and Colorado for two and a half years. Then, from 1993 to 1999, Ashby was a Padre pitcher. He would go on to play for the Phillies again, the Atlanta Braves, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and played at PETCO Park in a return for the Padres in 2004.

During his first tenure in San Diego, Ashby had his ups and downs. But his most successful year came in 1998, the year the Padres won their second pennant. Ashby was a major contributor to the Padres World Series run. That year, he won 17 games for the Pads.

He was also elected to the NL All-Star team in both 1998 and 1999, the last year of his first tenure in San Diego. He made his return in 2004 as a reliever, and also was invited to Spring Training in 2006.

His lifetime stats as a Padre, including his remarkable pitching that led to a World Series, puts his name on the map of greatest Padre starters. He was 70-62, with a 3.59 ERA, and rang up 829 batters.

Starting Pitcher #6--Ed Whitson

Ed Whitson had many good years pitching for the Padres, and finds himself fourth on the Padres all-time wins list. However, his pitching in San Diego is not what he is mainly known for.

After his first tenure with the Padres, Whitson signed a lucrative deal with the New York Yankees. He didn't pitch up to par early on in his contract, and would constantly be harassed by Yankee fans. Eventually, the situation boiled over, and resulted in a physical altercation with then Yankee manager Billy Martin. Both received injuries in the brawl at a hotel in Baltimore.

Still, this was well after Ed's first few seasons in San Diego. While he had his good and bad starts, he was fully responsible for his involvement in the the third game of the 1984 NLCS against the Chicago Cubs. Down 2-0 in the series, Whitson gave up only a run in eight innings, leading the Padres to victory. San Diego would go on to win the series.

Ed was also responsible for a poor start in a World Series game in 1984 versus the Detroit Tigers, which, ironically, was the only World Series win for San Diego. Whitson left for New York later that year.

After his roller coaster stint with the Yanks, Ed returned to San Diego. This was when he pitched his best baseball, in the last few years of his career. From 1988 to 1990, Ed managed a total of 43 games.

His final stats as a Padre was a 77-72 record, 3.69 ERA, and 767 strikeouts.

Relief Pitcher #6--Scott Linebrink

Scott Linebrink, who is a current MLB pitcher for Atlanta, spent much of his time in San Diego pitching the 8th before legendary Closer Trevor Hoffman. His four years spent as a Padre has made him the all-time Padre leader in holds.

Scott was taken off waivers by the Padres from Houston, and pitched remarkably for San Diego. While his time in San Diego was short, he did a lot in his time here. Currently, he has 111 holds as a Padre.

He was dealt to Milwaukee for three prospects, one of which is now eighth on the Padres all-time holds list, Joe Thatcher.

As a Padre, Scott was 27-12, with a 2.73 ERA, and 297 punch outs.

Relief Pitcher #5--Mark Davis

Mark Davis played for the San Diego Padres for five years in his 15 year career, and a total of six teams. During his years as a Padre, Davis won the NL Cy Young Award, and was on two All-Star teams.

His lifetime record and ERA are not too impressive, but 78 of his 96 saves came in a Padre uniform, placing him 5th on the Pads all-time list.

As a Padre, Mark had 14 wins, 20 losses, an ERA of 2.75, and struck out 298 batters.

Relief Pitcher #4--Rollie Fingers

Rollie Fingers is best known for his remarkable years with the Oakland A's, where he won three World Series and has his #34 retired (the Brewers have also retired #34). But Fingers spent four years in San Diego, where 108 of his 341 career saves have come.

As a Padre, Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man Award in the second, third, and fifth year of its existence. He also averaged 27 saves per year, and about a third of his career saves came in San Diego, where he is ranked 3rd on the All-Time list.

Rollie was 34-40, with 3.12 ERA, and struck out 319 opponents as a Padre. He was also elected into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1992.

Relief Pitcher #3--Goose Gossage

Goose Gossage finds himself fourth on the Padres all-time saves list with 83 saves.

In his 22 years as a MLB closer, Gossage pitched in San Diego for four years. These years were very productive. He also represented San Diego in the All-Star game twice. He was also a key player during the Padres World Series run.

Goose also struck out legendary Pete Rose in his final at-bat.

While Goose, when compared to other Padre closers like Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman, may seem insignificant, he played a major role for the Padres when they needed him the most.

As a Padre, Goose was 25-20, with a 2.99 ERA, and punched out 243 hitters.

Relief Pitcher #2--Heath Bell

Heath Bell could be one of the more energetic player in baseball today, but his focus is what makes him a great closer. Bell's ability to make a key strikeout is what makes him so successful.

Heath Bell was acquired from the Mets in 2006, returning to his hometown area of San Diego. Before he was a closer, he played the set-up role, filling in for Scott Linebrink. Bell would not receive the Closer role until Trevor Hoffman was released.

When Trevor signed with Milwaukee, Bell was given the role as closer. He had enormous shoes to fill, but he proved to fit them well. Heath has since been the best closer in baseball.

A three time All-Star, Heath Bell has a bright future ahead of him in San Diego. After he was not traded this season, Bell should be able to stick around and continue his dominance in the 9th inning.

While his stats will continue to change, Bell is currently 2nd on the all-time Padres saves list. He trails several hundred to...

Relief Pitcher #1--Trevor Hoffman

...Trevor Hoffman. Trevor, who was traded to San Diego from Florida in 1993, was and still is the greatest closer of all time. Known for his electric entrance, his world class changeup, plus his ability to shut the door in the 9th Inning, Trevor is the only Closer who has 600 or more saves.

And while Mariano Rivera is right on his tracks, the Padres didn't have a 200 Million dollar payroll to work with. Trevor should be regarded as the better closer of the two.

Sadly, his 600th save didn't come has a Padre. However, his legendary #51 will be retired this upcoming Sunday at PETCO Park, only the fifth Padre with that honor.

As a Padre, he managed a remarkable 552 saves, had a 54-64 record, an ERA of 2.76, and punched out a total of 1,029 batters.

Catcher--Benito Santiago

Benito Santiago began his 20 year career with the Padres when he signed as a free agent in 1986. In his rookie year, Benito hit safely in 34 straight games. He went on to win NL Rookie of the Year, and the Silver Slugger Award.

In just his second year with San Diego, Santiago hit .300, 18 HR, and drove in 79 RBI's. This would be his best year as a Padre.

Benito had a decline in statistics, and became a free agent in 1993. In his seven years as a Padre, Santiago has a .264 average, 85 HR, and 375 RBI's. He was a four time All-Star as a Padre, and won three Gold Glove Awards.

First Baseman--Adrian Gonzalez

In 2006, after two pro years in Texas, Adrian was sent to San Diego along with Chris Young and Terrmel Sledge in return for Akinori Otsuka and Adam Eaton. It would be a trade the Padres would not regret.

The Padres still had Ryan Klesko, but after an injury, Gonzalez was given the starting job. He would not relinquish the position until being traded once more in 2010.

In 2006, Adrian led his hometown Padres in batting average and homers. His stats would only get better. In his best year as a Padre in 2010, Gonzalez had a .298 Average, 31 Homers, and 101 Runs Batted In.

Because he was in a contract year, the Padres wanted some players in return for the All-Star, knowing he was a longshot to return. He was dealt to the Red Sox for four players. Today, Adrian is playing at an elite level. But for what he accomplished as a Padre, he will be remembered as an all-time great.

In five years as a Padre, Adrian had a .288 Average, 161 Homers, and 501 RBI's.

Second Baseman--Mark Loretta

Mark Loretta spent most of his years as a Brewer, but the bulk of his success came in his three years as a Padre. In 2004, his best year as a professional, he hit .335, had 16 Home Runs, and drove in 76 batters. He also managed 208 hits, a stat that earned him the Silver Slugger Award. He was also an All-Star that year.

Mark left town in 2006, and ended his long career as a Dodger in 2009.

As a Pad, Loretta hit .314, 32 Homers, and 186 RBI's in three years.

Third Baseman--Ken Caminiti

Ken Caminiti spent the most time with the Houston Astros, making his debut in 1987. After eight years with the club, he was traded to San Diego, where he would become a star.

Two of Caminiti's four years with the club ended with an average above .300. It was here when Ken was in two of his three All-Star Games, three Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger, and the National League Most Valuable Player. His best year was in 1996, when Ken batted .326, 40 Homers, and 130 RBI's. This was truly a remarkable season for the infielder.

In 1999, Ken made his return to Houston, where he played for two more years. He also spent time with Texas and Atlanta, before exiting baseball. Ken Caminiti would pass away in 2004.

As a Padre, Ken was a lifetime .295 batter, with 121 Home Runs, and 396 RBI's.

Short Stop--Garry Templeton

Garry Templeton and Ozzie Smith have much alike. Garry began his career in St. Louis, but would go on to be a legendary shortstop for the Padres. Ozzie began his career in San Diego, but would then go on to to be a Hall of Famer as a Cardinal.

Still, Garry is an all-time great Padre, even if he isn't in the Hall. His leadership and worth ethic made him the best SS as a Padre. Here are his Padre lifetime stats: .252 Average, 43 HR, 427 Runs Batted In. He won a Silver Slugger as a Pad in 1984, and made the All-Star team in 1985.

Outfielder--Ryan Klesko

Despite making the majority of his starts at First Base, Ryan was too good to leave off the starting lineup. Klesko made starts in the outfield as well.

After spending eight years in Atlanta, Klesko came to San Diego, and had an immediate impact on Bruce Bochy's offense. While his Bating Average rarely soared above .300, Klesko was a powerful batter in the heart of the Padres lineup, and hit as much as 30 Homers in 2001, when he also had a career high 113 RBI's.

Ryan only made the All-Star team once in 2001, but his ability to drive the ball lands him a spot on this list.

Ryan spent the last year of his career in San Francisco before retiring.

As a Padre, Ryan hit .279, with 133 HR, and drove in 493 batters.

Outfielder--Dave Winfield

Dave Winfield began his long career in San Diego in 1973. He only played seven full seasons, but they sure were long enough for him to go down as one of two Padres in the Hall. Still, his decision to choose the Padres HOF cap over the Yankees was highly controversial.

Dave was drafted by franchises in four different sports, including the MLB, NBA, NFL, and ABA. Winfield chose baseball and the Padres.

Winfield went on to win two Gold Glove Awards, and Four All-Star selections with the Padres, along with his #31 retired by the club.

In his eight years as a Padre, Winfield hit .284, with 154 HR, and batted in 626.

In 2001, Winfield became the first Padre to be inducted to the Hall of Fame

Outfielder--Tony Gwynn

Tony Gwynn spent all of his outstanding 20 season with the Padres, and was drafted out of SDSU. He is the most iconic sports figure in San Diego history, and is one of the best hitters to play the game. In all of Tony's 19 full seasons, he never finished below .300.

Tony had multiple incredible seasons with the Padres leading up to his retirement in 2001. One year, Gwynn finished the season with an almost impossible .394 record in the shortened 1994 season.

In San Diego, Tony won five Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Sluggers, eight NL Batting Championships, and was elected to 15 All-Star Games.

His number was retired in 2004, and was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame in 2007. He has a street named after him near PETCO Park, a stadium in his name where SDSU plays ball, and is an alternate color commentator on Channel 4 San Diego.

In his 20 years in San Diego, Tony hit an outstanding .338, with 135 Homers, and 1138 RBI's.

Utility Player #1--Nate Colbert

Nate Colbert is currently the Padres All-Time Home Run Leader, and one of only two players to hit 5 Home Runs in one day.

Nate had played for Houston in two of the past three years before heading west to San Diego. He then spent six years here. During that time, he hit 163 HR, and drove in 481, while batting .253. He was selected to three All-Star teams as well.

Later in his career, he was traded to Detroit, and also played ball for Oakland and Montreal. He retired at age 30 in 1976 due to a back injury.

Nate's powerful bat has made him a great Padre, and the only one to hit over 160 out of the park.

Utility Player #2--Brian Giles

Brian Giles, who was a native of America's Finest City, arrived in sunny San Diego in 2003 from Pittsburgh, in a trade. He was a star player with fantastic plate discipline, and his first three years as a Padre were superb. Injuries then began to hinder the veteran outfielder.

Brian's best years as a Pad were his first four, where he had 65 Home Runs, 311 RBI's, and hit as high as .301 (2005).

Brian was a consistent bat in the lineup until 2009, when injuries caused the 38 year old to stay on the DL. He was released the following year, and ended up retiring from baseball.

In his hometown, Brian had a bating average of .279, 83 HR, and 415 RBI's.

Utility Player #3--Terry Kennedy

Terry Kennedy started out a Cardinal, but played great baseball as a Padre. Born in Ohio, and drafted in the first round of the amateur draft, Kennedy was an excellent hitter. Still, he never played in over 100 games in each of his three seasons in St. Louis.

When Terry came to San Diego, he was an instant success, batting .301 in his first year. The next two were followed by a power surge, when Kennedy hit 21 and 17 homers in his next two years. His average also stayed consistent.

His worst year as a Padre came in 1984, when his average dipped to .240. His numbers would level of at around .260, and Kennedy always had 15 or so homers in his six years with San Diego.

After his stint as a Padre, Kennedy left for Baltimore, and finished his career in San Francisco.

Terry made three All-Star teams as a Pad, and hit .274, with 76 Home Runs, and drove in 424.

Kennedy is currently the manager of the Tucson Padres, the AAA affiliate of San Diego.

Utility Player #4--Steve Finley

Steve Finley was drafted by Baltimore, and was a Minor League standout. He was traded to Houston in the early 90's, and began to prove he was worthy of a starting job.

Steve found his way to San Diego in 1995, where his stats continued to look good. His first two years out of four were his strongest, hitting .297 and .298 in 1995 and 1996 respectively.

In his four years as a Pad, Steve hit .276, with 82 HR, and 298 RBI's.

He was elected to one All-Star team as a Padre, and won two of his five Gold Glove Awards in San Diego.

Utility Player #5--Phil Nevin

Phil Nevin was the number one pick in the 1992 MLB Draft, and we was selected by the Houston Astros. In his 12 years in the Majors, Phil played seven of his best years in San Diego.

After his short stint with the Astros, Phil moved to the Tigers, where he spent about three years. He then came to San Diego in 1999 after spending some time north in Anaheim. He would spend the majority of his career here.

Phil's best year came in 2001, when he became an All-Star. He batted .306, with 41 Homers, and 126 RBI's.

His average would stay mostly above .275 until 2004, when Phil ended his career as a Padre. He was a lifetime .288 hitter with the Pads, with 156 HR, and 573 RBI's/

He currently works as the Manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, who are the Tigers AAA team.