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San Diego π-dres: Padres who nearly matched math’s most famous constant

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On “Pi day”, we celebrate the Padres who came closest to matching the calculated value of π in various statistical categories.

By roydjt
MLB: All Star Game-All Star Futures Game
Mr. Padre notched a Pi-riffic 3,141 hits, all as a San Diego Padre. Miss you, T.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Today is March 14th. When written as 3/14, it matches the first three digits of the irrational number π (“Pi”), one of the most significant constants in mathematical geometry. Therefore March 14th is informally observed as “Pi Day”. The value of π is defined as the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its circumference, and when calculated out its value is approximated to be 3.14159..., and it’s a non-repeating decimal that can’t be represented as a fraction. For a game played with a round ball and a round bat, and also a game that uses statistics extensively, this number has significant value. In honor of this day, here are some Padres who have come close to matching this significant yet irrational number.

Pitching

Dave Dravecky throws the pitch
Dave Dravecky, we miss that beautiful left arm of yours.
Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images
  • ERA, single season: 3.14, Bruce Hurst, 1990
  • ERA, career: 3.12, Dave Dravecky, 1982-1987
  • Innings Pitched, season: 315.1, Randy Jones, 1976
  • Earned Runs, career: 312, Dave Dravecky, 1982-1987
  • Strikeouts, career: 318, Matt Clement, 1998-2000
  • Bases on Balls, career: 324, Andy Ashby, 1993-1999, 2004
  • K/BB, career: 3.099, Jake Peavy, 2002-2009
  • K/BB, season: 3.139, Rollie Fingers, 1977
  • Home runs per 9 innings pitched: .316, Steve Arlin, 1971
  • Hit by Pitch, career: 31, Adam Eaton, 2000-2005
  • Wild Pitches, career: 30, Tim Lollar, 1981-1984
  • Batters Faced, career: 3084, Bob Shirley, 1977-1980

Hitting

Padres v Cubs
Mark Loretta could rake, even in the sand.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
  • Hits: 3,141, Tony Gwynn, 1982-2001
  • Batting Average, career: .314, Mark Loretta, 2003-2005
  • Batting Average, season: .314, Mark Loretta, 2003
  • On-Base %, career: .316, Will Venable, 2008-2015
  • Slugging %, career: .312, Fred Kendall, 1969-1976, 1979-1980
  • At-Bats, career: 3129, Brian Giles, 2003-2009
  • Plate Appearances, career: 3065, Benito Santiago, 1986-1992
  • Total Bases, season: 314, Adrian Gonzalez, 2008
  • Runs Scored, career: 312, Benito Santiago, 1986-1992
  • Runs Batted In, career: 316, Cito Gaston, 1969-1974; Steve Garvey, 1983-1987
  • Bases on Balls, career: 325, Phil Nevin, 1999-2005
  • Strikeouts, career: Bip Roberts, 1986, 1988-1995
  • Stolen Bases, career: 319, Tony Gwynn, 1982-2001
  • Singles, career: 322, Quilvio Veras, 1997-1999
  • Extra base hits, career: 315, Nate Colbert, 1969-1974
  • At-Bats per Home Run: 31.6, Yangevis Solarte, 2014-2017
  • At-Bats per Strikeout: 32.5, Tony Gwynn, 1992

Miscellaneous

Florida Marlins v San Diego Padres
Miss you, T.
Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images
  • Attendance: 3,016,752, 2004
  • Win-Loss%: .312, 1969
  • Uniform number: 31, Dave Winfield, 1973-1980, retired in 2001. The number was worn by 15 different Padres, most recently worn by Matt Clement from 1998-2000, and perhaps most notably by Dave Staton in 1994. Staton himself didn’t leave much of a mark on Padres history, but his #31 jersey shall be a part of Padres folklore forever.

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