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Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

25. Bruce Hurst

An All-Star with the Red Sox in 1987, Bruce Hurst signed with the Padres as a Free Agent after the 1988 season, bringing with him a decade of experience and a proven arm.

Hurst played for San Diego for a little over four years, and his output off of the mound was similar to what he gave Boston.  Hurst led the National League in Complete Games (10) in 1989, winning 15 against 11 Losses, with a career-best 2.69 ERA.  The southpaw continued to have good years, winning 40 Games from 1990 to 1992, and with the exception of '92, he kept his WHIP under 1.200.  

Shoulder problems and eventual surgery crippled his 1993 season, though he was traded during it.  Hurst only played another year but was never the same.  He might be best known for his work in Boston, but his 55-38 record with the Padres was a decent haul.

Garry Templeton will always be best known for being traded for fellow Shortstop Ozzie Smith.  There were other players involved in the deal, but the swap of Shortstops would be the focal point, especially since Smith became a Hall of Famer.

Templeton had a good career, but not in the stratosphere of Smith, and nor was he ever as good in San Diego as he was in St. Louis.  A Padre for ten years, Templeton did go to an All-Star Game, and won a Silver Slugger, and collected 1,135 Hits with a .252 Batting Average.  A four-year captain of the team (1987-91), Templeton’s rank is hampered by his sub-.300 OBP, and lack of power, but he should not always be compared to Smith.

The Padres inducted Templeton into their Hall of Fame in 2015.

23. Greg Harris

A quick look at the stats of Greg Harris does not make you think that he belongs on this list, at least this high, but that is why statisticians provide much deeper looks than just a Winning Percentage.

Harris debuted for the Padres in 1988, appearing in three Games, before settling into a bullpen role in the next two seasons.  Harris threw for over 110 Innings in each of those years, mainly in a set-up capacity, and he posted an ERA well under three. 

San Diego moved Harris back to the starting rotation in 1991, and while injuries held him to only 20 Games, he made the most of it, winning nine and posting a 2.23 ERA.  Harris slipped in 1992, with his ERA going over four, but he was righting the ship in 1993, winning 10 Games with a 3.67 ERA before he was traded to Colorado.

Harris had a 2.95 ERA with a 41-39 Record and 462 Strikeouts with the Padres.

22. Ryan Klesko

A World Series Champion with the Atlanta Braves in 1995, Ryan Klesko was traded to the San Diego Padres before the millennium.  Klesko was a decent power hitter with the Braves, and that is what he continued as a Padre. 

In the first two seasons with San Diego, Klesko continued his Home Run hitting with 26 and 30 respectively, but had 23 Stolen Bases in both years, an astounding achievement considering his previous high was six.  Klesko also went to his first All-Star Game that year.  Klesko had another two years with over 20 Home Runs but afterward began to miss games due to ailments and lost a bit of bat speed.

After missing nearly all of 2006 due to a shoulder injury, he signed with San Francisco as a Free Agent but retired after an unproductive season.  He smacked 133 Home Runs with the Padres, had 786 Hits, and batted .279.