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With the Cubs in the playoffs this year, an old memory was jogged having to do with something called an ex-Cub factor. Someone came up with this silly idea that if you have 3 or more ex-Cubs on your team, then your postseason was doomed. It's a silly idea because you could pick almost anything that could doom a postseason run and you have a good chance of being correct since all but one of the teams participating will end without a championship.
However, the ex-Cub factor talk isn't really the memory that got jogged for me. It was that my dad heard about that idea and decided there was an ex-Padres factor. This idea was that if you have 3 or more ex-Padres then you could go on to win the World Series. I want to say that the idea came about in 1992 when the Blue Jays had at least 3 ex-Padres: Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter and Dave Winfield. The idea was proven wrong plenty of times (did you really think it wouldn't be?), but looking at ex-Padres in the postseason helps us celebrate the former friars who have gotten one step closer to their goal of being a champion.
Here's the list of ex-Padres in the 2015 postseason:
- Chase Headley (2007-2014)
- None
- Ross Ohlendorf (2012)
- Will Venable (2008-2015)
I knew when I started this list that both the Astros and the Cubs would qualify for the "ex-Padres factor", but I'm a little surprised no one else did. Both of those teams won their wild card playoff game, so the former Friars have provided them some luck so far.
The teams also have some ex-Padres that didn't make the postseason roster or only contributed to the playoff run, but weren't with the club until the end. Those guys still count. Sam Deduno (2011) and Joe Thatcher (2007-2013) played for the Astros, Kyle Blanks (2009-2014) and Anthony Bass (2011-2013 were Rangers, Mike Baxter (2010) and Donn Roach (2014) played for the Cubs, Mat Latos (2009-2011) and Joe Weiland (2012-2014) spent time with the Dodgers, Tim Stauffer (2005-2014), Alex Torres (2014) and Buddy Carlyle (1999-2000) played for Mets, and finally Colt Hynes (2013) was a Blue Jay. There were also some Padres farmhands who were on playoff teams: Tony Sipp (Astros), Dean Anna (Cardinals), Nick Greenwood (Cardinals), Jose DePaula (Yankees), Rico Noel (Yankees), Steve Delabar (Blue Jays) and Andrew Albers (Blue Jays). In addition, there are guys with San Diego connections: Cole Hamels (Rangers, Rancho Bernardo HS), Quinton Berry (Cubs, Morse HS, Grossmont CC, SDSU), Xavier Scruggs (Cardinals, Poway HS), Kris Bryant (Cubs, USD), Addison Reed (Mets, SDSU), Greg Garcia (Cardinals, Valhalla HS) and Trevor Cahill (Cubs, Vista HS).