San Diego Padres Worst Moments Of 2014

4 of 6

5 worst Padres moments of 2014

2014 was yet again another disappointing season for the San Diego Padres. From Josh Johnson and Cory Luebke exiting before the season even started to the horrible sudden losses of greats Jerry Coleman and Tony Gwynn. It will be rough to relive these moments after watching underdog teams like the Kansas City Royals take off in the postseason, but someday the Padres will be back to contending and it can only go up from here for Padres fans. Changes are in full bloom with the Padres, from the mid-season firing of G.M. Josh Byrnes to the hiring of new G.M. A.J. Preller.

The horrible month that was June basically put the Padres out of contention and the eventual departures of third baseman Chase Headley, catcher Nick Hundley and outfielder Kyle Blanks. Lots of changes happened this season and this off-season should have more to come. The Padres need to get better on offense and might have to part ways with some quality pitching in order to get some consistent bats in. But for now, let’s revisit what were some of the many lows in 2014. The following are the five worst moments of the 2014 San Diego Padres season.

#5 Injuries

Yet again, the Padres were sickened with injuries in 2014. The list began early in the season with the announcement of future star pitcher Cory Luebke again facing year-ending Tommy John surgery for the second time. His future with the Padres is very cloudy. Then the season began, the Padres on opening night, defeated the Dodgers and things seemed to be looking up. Not so fast, yet again players like Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin, declining Everth Cabrera for example, nearly most of the lineup and pitching staff hit the disabled list at some point on the year.

More from Padres News

Other stars that disappointed in 2014 with injuries are mainly Josh Johnson, who was signed from the Toronto Blue Jays after a disappointing 2013 campaign. Johnson got through Spring Training in Peoria until the injury bug popped up yet again. Johnson, like Luebke, needed season-ending Tommy John surgery without a pitch in the regular season. The biggest bust because of injuries in 2014 goes to second basemen Jedd Gyorko. After signing a huge extension with the Padres, Gyorko in the most Padre way, hit the disabled list shortly after with plantar fasciitis. The sad part was he was still tops in home runs on the team after coming off the disabled list few months later.

San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley reacts after striking out. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

#4 June Gloom

The month of June for the Padres was the factor in another non-competitive season in 2014. The month of June alone simply put the Padres out of gleaming contention. The team batted .171 for the entire month of June, THE ENTIRE TEAM. This led to the end of two and a half year tenure for former G.M. Josh Byrnes after promising this franchise would compete in 2014.

The month of June was the lowest single-month batting average for a team since the pitching mound was elevated in 1914! It can only get better from there, right? WRONG. The Padres’ good friend Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants threw another no-hitter against San Diego (he had a no-no against the Pads in 2013) as part of four shutouts that month. The team scored two or fewer runs in 18 of 27 games in June. June went from “maybe” we have a chance to finally being put in place and being 11 games out going into July.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

#3 Allan Huber “Bud” Selig Hall Of Fame Plaza

That’s right, there’s a part of Petco Park that is named after the Commissioner who has absolutely ZERO ties to baseball in San Diego. After all, he was a former Milwaukee Brewers owner for heaven sakes. People off the bat believed that this was named for Selig because the Padres would basically be a slam-dunk to get an All-Star Game in San Diego if they honor the exiting commissioner of Major League Baseball. This would be the first time hosting an All-Star Game since old Jack Murphy Stadium in 1992. But really, the Padres are next in line to get one anyway, even without having to name a part of Petco Park after Selig.

The Padres for some time passed on hosting an All-Star Game and agreed to host some of the World Baseball Classic games. Now that the Padres haven’t been in the rotation for the WBC, it’s been overdue for San Diego to host the Mid-Summer classic. Naming a plaza after Selig made no sense and is now a continuation of a long list of questionable ownership decisions since John Moores made the Padres available for sale. The Padres struck out on Jeff Moorad, let’s hope they don’t go down 0-2 on Mike Dee and Ron Fowler.

Apr 2, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Detail view of a patch worn by San Diego Padres players to honor former Padres radio announcer Jerry Coleman during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

#2 The Tragic Loss Of Broadcast Icon Jerry Coleman

San Diego sports fans were having an absolute perfect day back in January 2014. The Chargers had upset the favored Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round of the AFC Playoffs. A few hours later, San Diego State basketball had upset the Kansas Jayhawks at the Allen Field House, a place where the Jayhawks NEVER lose at home, and put SDSU on the map with a top-25 win.

During that game, our beloved Ted Leitner of the Mighty 1090 AM had to make the hardest announcement of his life. We had lost longtime Padres’ broadcaster and close friend of Leitner, Jerry Coleman. Coleman, who was the 1950 World Series MVP for the New York Yankees, was a war-veteran who served in World War II. Coleman after the military and his Yankees career started to go into broadcasting.

After a short stint managing the San Diego Padres in 1980, he went back into the booth. The 2005 Ford C. Frick winner went on to continue broadcasting some of the best moments in Padres history, granted there were few, but he was there for all of them and Padres fans will never forget his signatures “Oh, Doctor!” and “You can hang a star on that, baby!” We’ll miss you, Colonel!

#1 Forever #19

As if Padres fans had been through enough already with yet another losing season and previous loss of fan-favorite broadcaster Jerry Coleman in January, the worst news of all happened. The Padres lost Anthony Keith “Tony” Gwynn on June 16^th, 2014 after a long, hard-fought battle with salivary gland cancer. Known as “Mr. Padre”, Tony Gwynn made his MLB debut on July 19^th, 1982.Gwynn got the first of his 3, 141 career hits that night. First Basemen of the Phillies against the Padres that night was Pete Rose, who told Gwynn “Congratulations, don’t catch me in one night.”

That year was the only time Gwynn finished a season hitting below .300 (.289) mainly due to injury. Gwynn is only the only player in franchise history to appear in both World Series for the Padres in 1984 and 1998. Gwynn went on to be the NL-batting champion eight times, won the Silver Slugger award seven times, won five Gold Gloves and made 15 All-Star appearances for the National League, scoring the winning run in the 1994 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh.

That strike-shortened year was one of Gwynn’s best hitting over .400, the first since Ted Williams in 1941. “Mr. Padre” will be forever missed among baseball fans and Padres fans with his loveable personality and his contagious laugh. He was truly one of the great players of the last century.

Home / Padres News