A Padre In The Midsummer Classic

With the selection of one Brad Hand to the All-Star Game in Miami, the Padres will once again have a solitary player representing San Diego baseball in July.

How many times have the Padres saved on airfare and sent only one player to the ASG? A lot, actually. Let’s take a look at the years only one Padre was elected to All-Star status:

2017: Brad Hand (P)
2015: Justin Upton (OF)
2013: Everth Cabrera (SS)
2012: Huston Street (P)
2011: Heath Bell (P)
2008: Adrian Gonzalez (1B)
2006: Trevor Hoffman (P)
2005: Jake Peavy (P)
2004: Mark Loretta (2B)
2003: Rondell White (OF)
2002: Trevor Hoffman (P)
2000: Trevor Hoffman (P)
1995: Tony Gwynn (OF)
1994: Tony Gwynn (OF)
1989: Tony Gwynn (OF)
1988: Mark Davis (P)
1987: Tony Gwynn (OF)
1986: Tony Gwynn (OF)
1982: Ruppert Jones (OF)
1980: Dave Winfield (OF)
1975: Randy Jones (P)
1974: Johnny Grubb (OF)
1973: Nate Colbert (1B)
1972: Nate Colbert (1B)
1970: Cito Gaston (OF)
1969: Chris Cannizzaro (C)

When examining the list, it’s interesting to see who exactly was the sole Padres representative in those “lean” All-Star years. There’s also solid blocks of seasons where multiple Padres made the ASG roster. We seem to be on the back end of only sending one player even after having 2 All-Stars last year; here’s hoping the rebuild yields players worthy of consideration in the coming seasons.

Let’s examine a few lone ASG representatives of the past:

Tony Gwynn

What else can be said of Mr. Padre? There were many years of Tony’s career where he was the only Padre playing in the All-Star Game. Tony leads the Padres in solo ASG appearances with 5 and total appearances with 15.

Trevor Hoffman

Trevor has made his fair share of solo ASGs: 3, to be precise. He’s second behind Tony in solitary ASG appearances for the Padres and leads all pitchers in solo attendance at the ASG. Brad Hand will join that club alongside Heath Bell and Huston Street. All other Padres relief pitchers (Gossage, Bell again) attended with a fellow teammate.

Nate Colbert

They should really retire his number by now.

Rondell White

Who? Rondell White was the sole representative of the Padres in his only season with the club in 2003. A career .284 hitter, Rondell was summarily traded to the Royals about a month after his ASG appearance. Of further note Rondell had a 6 hit game in extra innings in 1995, completing the cycle and the first such game (6 hits in extra innings) since Tony Gwynn did the same (sans cycle) on August 4th, 1993. White also found himself mentioned in the Mitchell report.

Chris Cannizzaro

The first inaugural Padre to ever make the ASG was a sole representative of the Friars and did not play in the actual game: Johnny Bench was the NL starting catcher and there was no such thing as fan service back then. His last appearance in MLB was in a Padres uniform in 1974.

Many fans expect Hand’s election to the Midsummer Classic to bolster his trade value. As was the case with Drew Pomeranz last year, we may see another San Diego All-Star depart in return for some future prospects and hopefully future Padres All-Stars.