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Since the Padres are now in the middle of a home/away split series with the A's, it seemed like a perfect time to revive my seemingly never-ending series of combined teams. 106 players have suited up for both San Diego and Oakland, and winnowing them down to a 25-man roster was quite a chore. As always, I considered each player's peak and career as a whole, not taking into account how they performed for either team.
Starting lineup:
C- Mike Piazza
1B- Willie McCovey
2B- Todd Walker
SS- Miguel Tejada
3B- Kevin Mitchell
LF- Rickey Henderson
CF- Matty Alou
RF- Ollie Brown
Piazza never put on a chest protector up north, but he's still the starting catcher here. In interleague games he'd likely take the DH role. Walker was a tough pick, but Bip's versatility screwed him into a super-utility position. Kevin Mitchell was brutal at third, but somehow better there than he was in the outfield. Rickey's the best, Alou had a few All-Star seasons along with being the only eligible true center fielder, and Original Padre Ollie Brown earned his way on via numbers, not just legacy.
Bench:
C/1B/OF- Gene Tenace
2B/3B/LF- Bip Roberts
IF/LF- Randy Ready
OF/2B/3B- Ron Gant
OF/1B/PH- Matt Stairs
Now, that's versatility. On-base machine Fiore Gino Tennaci and his track record get the nod over All-Star Derek Norris, and Bip would likely find his way into the lineup most days. Ready never got his due, while slugging outfielder Gant's infield roots are oft-forgotten. And in case of emergency, take the Stairs.
Starting rotation:
Eric Show
Tyson Ross
Jesse Hahn
Aaron Harang
Brett Tomko
Show pitched the final five starts of his career, and only games out of a Padres uniform, as a member of the A's in 1991. He headlines an underwhelming rotation, but they have a strong bully to back them up.
Bullpen:
Goose Gossage
Rollie Fingers
Huston Street
Luke Gregerson
Pat Neshek
Craig Breslow
Alan Embree
Yeah, that's about as lights-out as lights-out gets. Street has the best ERA and save percentage of any Padres closer, but those were different times.
Who of my leftovers would you have put on your roster, and who would you have left off? What would your lineup look like?