Ozzie Smith would become one of the most dynamic Shortstops in history and an eventual Hall of Fame inductee with a St. Louis Cardinals cap on his plaque.  Many forget that his career began in San Diego, and realistically, he was not yet what he would become.

Smith debuted in the Majors with the Padres in 1978 and was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year, batting .258 with 40 Stolen Bases.  This was the best offensive season for Smith as a Padre, but he quickly became an elite defender.  Smith won the Gold Glove in 1980 and 1981, leading the NL in Defensive bWAR in 1980 and was second in 1979.  

As good as Smith was, the Padres were considered about his bat and traded him to St. Louis for another Shortstop, Garry Templeton.  With all due respect to Templeton, Smith's post-trade career blew away Templeton, as Smith maintained his defense and developed his offense, which Padres management likely thought was impossible.  Smith only batted .221 with sub-.300 stats in OBP and Slugging; the main reason that the Hall of Famer is ranked so low.

When creating a historical hierarchy for a Major League franchise, the exact moment an organization changes its course often hinges on a single bold decision. For the San Diego Padres, that pivotal moment came before the 2019 season. Traditionally hesitant to compete aggressively for top-tier talent, the front office broke that pattern by signing Manny Machado to a record 10-year, $300 million free-agent deal. Machado, who had already proven himself as a perennial All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles and a postseason performer with the Los Angeles Dodgers, combined Gold Glove defense with middle-of-the-order power, immediately boosting San Diego's hopes for a championship.

Machado's 2019 debut season in Southern California established a strong foundation, with 32 home runs despite adapting to a new environment and finishing with an OPS just below .800. His true status as a superstar was confirmed during the pandemic-affected 2020 season, when he delivered an exceptional offensive performance. Machado transformed his standard performance into a stellar regular-season showing, batting .304 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs over 60 games, earning his first National League Silver Slugger and finishing third in MVP voting.

Despite the 2021 Padres’ well-publicized collapse at the end of the season, Machado stayed consistent as a reliable, low-variance presence. He earned a spot in the All-Star game thanks to an impressive season with 28 home runs and 106 RBIs. His personal best and increased national attention peaked during an outstanding 2022 season. With key players absent, Machado led the team back to the playoffs by hitting .298, with 32 homers, 102 runs scored, and 109 RBIs.

His advanced efficiency filters fully disrupted Senior Circuit pitching, securing him a superb second-place finish in the National League MVP voting. After a minor, injury-affected decline in 2023 when his OPS fell to .782, he bounced back strongly in 2024, hitting 29 home runs and driving in 105 RBIs to earn his second Silver Slugger award as a Padre.

Machado begins the spring after a highly disciplined and durable 2025 season that firmly established his spot on the franchise's Mount Rushmore. Demonstrating exceptional longevity, he played 159 games last summer, recording 169 hits, 33 doubles, and 27 home runs. He drove in 95 runs and showed consistent offensive performance throughout the season, earning his seventh All-Star nod as the National League's starting third baseman and winning his third Silver Slugger award.

Debuting in 1980 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Mark Davis did not turn any heads until he was traded to the San Diego Padres during the 1987 Season (when he was with San Francisco).  Davis finished the second half of that year better than he did as a Giant, but it was nothing compared to what was to come.

Davis ascended to the Padres closing role, and he saved 28 Games with a 2.01 ERA in 1988 while going to the All-Star Game.  He had an even better 1989, and with all respect to Trevor Hoffman, Davis had one of the best seasons of any Relief Pitcher in Padres history.  Davis was an All-Star again, and he led the NL in Games Finished (65), Saves (44), and WPA (5.8).  He won the National League Cy Young Award, making Davis one of the few relievers to win that honor.

Davis' contract had expired, and he signed with Kansas City, but he was never the same Pitcher again.  He returned to the Padres during the 1993 Season but was ineffective and was released early the year after.  Davis' shine was brief, but it existed, and the Padres fans should never forget it.

It is the end of an era in Pittsburgh.

Following the Steelers’ playoff defeat to Kansas City, the time to debate in earnest the Hall of Fame candidacy of Ben Roethlisberger has begun.

The Quarterback has the statistical make-up for a Canton bust, even in this inflated era.  

Roethlisberger is also a two-time leader in Passing Yards, and went to six Pro Bowls.  He leaves with 64,088 Passing Yards (fifth all-time), 418 Touchdown Passes (eighth all-time) with an Approximate Value of 208 (14^th all-time).  The biggest metric that a Quarterback is based on, Super Bowl wins, is also on Roethlisberger’s resume with two.

The negative that will dog Roethlisberger is his past sexual assault allegations, which had they happened in the #MeToo era would be discussed far more than it is.

If we were to enter a guess at this time, Roethlisberger will get in quickly, but the first year might elude him as only five can enter from what will perpetually be a loaded group of Finalists from which to pick, especially if Eli Manning and Philip Rivers are still on the ballot.  If our own data is to be believed (and we would like to think it does), we had Roethlisberger as the #9 most deserving active player going into the 2021 Season, and number three at Quarterback. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish the best in the post-playing career of Ben Roethlisberger.