San Diego Padres - The Seventies (1970-1979)

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1970

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Titles:

Top Padres Players of the Seventies

None

Pitchers:

Ballpark:

Randy Jones (19.85) - 60

San Diego Stadium

Clay Kirby (8.42) - 35

Rollie Fingers (3.33) - 26

Team Name:

Gaylord Perry (7.52) - 24

Padres

Steve Arlin (1.74) - 20

Bill Greif (0.29) - 16

Owner:

Bob Shirley (3.88) - 16

C. Arnholt Smith (1970-1974)

Dave Freisleben (2.52) - 15

Ray Kroc (1974-1979)

Dave Roberts (10.38) - 14

Fred Norman (5.72) - 6

General Managers:

Buzzy Bavasi (1970-1976)

Catchers:

Bob Fontaine (1977-1979)

Gene Tenace (15.86) - 29

Fred Kendall (2.03) - 22

Managers:

Preston Gomez (1970 -1972)

First Basemen:

Don Zimmer (1972-1973)

Nate Colbert (14.73) - 35

John McNamara (1974-1977)

Willie McCovey (5.27) - 16

Bob Skinner (1977)

Mike Ivie (2.25) - 14

Alvin Dark (1977)

Roger Craig (1978-1979)

Second Basemen:

Derrell Thomas (0.29) - 11

Hall of Famers:

Dave Winfield

ShortStop:

Gaylord Perry

Enzo Hernandez (0.45) - 27

Willie McCovey

Ozzie Smith (4.89) - 17

Rollie Fingers

Ozzie Smith

Third Base:

Doug Rader (4.83) - 7

Rookie of the Year:

Ed Spiezio (3.16) - 8

Bruce Metzger (1976)

Dave Roberts (0.4) - 6

MVP

Outfield:

None

Dave Winfield (28.15) - 61

Gene Richards (7.95) - 27

No Hitters:

John Grubb (7.13) - 27

None

Cito Gaston (2.05) - 20

George Hendrick (5.58) - 14

Cy Young:

Jerry Morales (2.27) - 11

Randy Jones (1976)

Ollie Brown (4.11) - 10

Gaylord Perry (1978)

Jerry Turner (4.21) - 6

Notable Events:

1970 - The Padres, due to their poor records, draft high every year during

1974 - Ray Kroc brings in a San Diego State college student,

the decade and, every year, they make a really awful pick first round pick.

Ted Giannoulas, as a mascot in a chicken suit. Giannoulas is a revelation

Even the guys who turn out to be decent major leaguers were

- supremely entertaining to the fans - and his phenomenon packs the

disappointments because more was expected.

ballpark. The last place Padres draw over a miliion fans mostly to watch

However, those guys were successes when compared to some

The Chicken. Ted was not your run of the mill mascot, he was highly

of the others who were complete busts. A list of the complete busts:

innovative with a great sense of humor - he broke the mold because

1969 - Larry Elliot - 24th overall

we haven't seen another mascot like him before or since.

1971 - Jay Frankliin - 2nd overall

Ted was a natural for the job.

1972 - Dave Roberts - 1st overall

1975 - Mike Lentz - 2nd overall

1975 - OF Gene Richards. 21. is the first overall pick in the draft.

1976 - Bob Owchinko - 5th overall

As with Mike Ivie and Bill Almon before him, Richards has a lengthy,

1977 - Brian Greer - 8th overall

but disappointing, big league career. Being the overall number one

1979 - Joe Lansford - 14th overall

pick carries with it the expectations of superstar and that just

Truly, remarkably bad drafting.

happening for San Diego's overall number ones. Richards debuts in '77

1970 - 1B Mike Ivie, 17, is the first overall pick in the draft.

1975 - Randy Jones leads the Padres out of the cellar for the first time,

Altho' not a complete bust, he's pretty close considering he was the number

winning the ERA title.

one overall pick. He debuts in '71 at age eighteen

1976 - Jones wins the Cy Young.

1971 - OF John Grubb, 23, is the 24th overall pick of the draft.

One year wonder pitcher, Butch Metzger, wins Rookie of the Year

He debuts in '72

1977 - SS Ozzie Smith, 22, is selected in the 4th round of the draft,

1971 - SS Enzo Hernandez, 22, is obtained from the Orioles in a six player deal

debuts in '78

1972 - Righty Randy Jones, 22, is a 5th round pick, He debuts in '73

1977 - Relief ace Rollie Fingers, 30, is signed from the A's as a free agent.

Ray Kroc, tired of losing, wants to turn some of those Big Macs into victories

1972 - Nate Colbert, the only star player the Padres have, four years into their

franchise history, hits five homers and knocks in thirteen runs in a doubleheader

1977 - Hard hitting catcher Gene Tenace, 30, is also signed from the A's

as a free agent. Padres fans are happy to see that those orders of large

1973 - OF Dave Winfield, 21, uses his leverage as a three sport star at the

fries are being turned into something productive.

University of Minnesota (basketball and football, as well) to sign a big

contract with the Padres and get a guarantee to go straight to the majors.

1978 - Veteran righthander Gaylord Perry, 39, is acquired from Texas for

It turns out that he was correct - he didn't need minor league ball.

a bundle of cash. He goes 21-6 and is worth every quarter pounder.

Dave was the fourth overall pick in the draft, the Padres finally got one right!

1978 - Righty Andy Hawkins, 18, 5th overall pick, debuts in '82

1974 - McDonald's owner, Ray Kroc, buys the Padres from C. Arnholt Smith.

Major league baseball was never popular in San Diego under Smith's

1978, Righty Eric Show, 22, is selected in the 18th round of the draft,

unimaginative tenure. Smith also wasn't spending to make the Padres

debuts in '81. Show had a tumultuous life off the field that

any better and attendance was in the five to six hundred thousand range.

overshadowed his on field accomplishments which weren't that great.

Kroc saved the club from being moved to Washington, DC.

1978 - First winning season in Padre history behind Gaylord Perry's Cy

1974 - SS Bill Almon, 21, is the first overall pick in the draft. Like Mike Ivie

Young pitching, Rollie Fingers' 37 saves, Dave Winfield's hitting, and

before him, he's not a complete bust in that he has a lengthy big league career,

rookie Ozzie Smith's fielding.

but he nowhere meets the expectations of an overall number one pick.

He debuts in September.

1979 - The Padres show that '78 was a mirage as they drop 16 games

in the standings. The main culprits were Perry, who went back to being

a human, and Fingers lost his effectiveness