Favorite Players - Dodgers Edition (blecch!)

As a Padres fan, it would have been okay to pick three dodgers that suck. But, no. I am taking the high road. I actually like a lot of dodgers players. I just don't like dodgers fans (certain folks excluded.)

Robinson and Koufax were around before my time, so they get a free pass. Fernando played for my Padres, so he is acceptable. My mom told me that "if you don't have anything nice to say, you must be talking about the dodgers."

Favorite Players - Phillies Edition

The two on the bottom are no brainers.

Mike Schmidt announced his retirement in San Diego. Word around the campfire is that he was a pretty decent ballplayer.

John Kruk came up with the Padres. He, Marvell Wynne, Sr., and Tony Gwynn hit back-to-back-to-back homeruns to lead off a game in 1987. He is also mentioned in my favorite Steve Poltz song. My favorite memory of John Kruk is at Tony Gwynn's final game in 2001. I was lucky enough to get a pass to the V.I.P. tent for a pre-game party. As I got to the front of the long line for the bar, the guy behind me in line tapped me on the shoulder and told me not to get ALL the beer. That guy... was my friend Jeff. As we left the bar, Jeff backed into John Kruk, spilling Krukie's over-filled buffet plate onto the floor. Sweet.

Back in 1985, my friends and I made up a great baseball game using baseball cards and a 20-sided die (um... We stole the die from some nerds we had beat up earlier.) While my less card-centric friends used any-old cards they had, I culled my team from my stack of shiny new 1985 Topps cards. The only team I had that was close to complete was the Phillies. Unfortunately, I was short an outfielder. I was able to trade a couple of doubles for my buddy's Jeff Stone card.

Despite lagging far behind Juan Samuel in real-life stolen bases and Mike Schmidt in real-life home runs, Stone led my team in every offensive category for our 20 game season. He will always be one of my favorite Phillies.

Favorite Players - Red Sox Edition

All three of these should make sense to the outside observer. Ted Williams is heads and shoulders above the other two. He's a San Diego boy. Not to mention, I live off of Ted Williams Parkway.

Favorite Players - Pirates Edition

My next team (in no particular order) is the Pittsburgh Pirates. My last little league team was the Pirates, so I have a special place in my heart for the Buccos.

How can anyone not love Roberto Clemente? No list of Pirates favorites would be legit without Clemente. Same "no-brainer" category as Tony Gwynn.

Willie Stargell was the first (non-Padres) player I remember being a fan of. I got the chance to meet him in the late '80s. He was friendly and ridiculously generous with his time and signature. Somewhere I have a 1983 Fleer card autographed by him. It will be donated to the 83 Fleer Project as soon as I find it. The '79 World Series was the first World Series that I remember watching. We are Family, me and Pops.


Mike LaValliere... Come on! Spanky! Gotta love him! If Bonds didn't have such a rag arm, Bream was OUT!!!

Jumping on the Bandwagon...

I know a good idea when I see it. Night Owl, followed by I Heart Halos, started some great lists. I LOVE making lists!!! Especially "to-do" lists... and not following through.

I have decided to create a list of my three favorite players for each Major League Baseball Franchise.

I will try to complete the list by opening day...

Up first MY San Diego Padres:

Tony is the obvious choice. One of these days, I will post the crown jewels of my Tony Gwynn collection. (I will put it on my list of things to do...)

Mike Darr was one of my favorite young Padres at the turn of the century. He had a ton of potential, and was a genuinely nice guy. Sadly, on the eve of Spring Training 2002, Mike and a friend were killed when he was driving drunk and crashed his car in Peoria, AZ.

To me, Enzo Octavio Hernandez (Martinez) epitomizes the Padres' futility in the first dozen or so years after expansion. In 1971, he was the Anti-Triple Crown winner, finishing last (of batting qualifiers) in the three Triple Crown statistics, with a .222 BA, 0 HR, and 12 RBI.

Leading off for your San Diego Padres, shortstop, number eleven, Ennnnnnnnnzo Herrrrrrnannnnnndez!!! (It gives me chills.)