San Diego Padres: Five players who also played for the hated Dodgers

The San Diego Padres have had several talented players that have also played for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Which had the longest-lasting impact?

Ever since the San Diego Padres inception into Major League Baseball, there has been a fierce rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Separated by just 125 miles, the two fanbases are heavily intermingled throughout Southern California.

The Dodgers, no doubt, are a much larger market, but after several years of dominating the division, the Padres are ready to challenge their counterparts, competitively.

It’s been difficult taking a backseat to the Dodgers, and it’s even more disheartening seeing former Padres don Dodger blue. And surprisingly, there have been several cases where that has occurred.

1. Kevin Brown

Brown had stops in Texas, Baltimore, and Florida before landing with the Padres for the 1998 season. He was coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons, but at age 33, he took his game to another level.

In his one and only season with the Friars, Brown made 35 starts, posting a 2.38 ERA and striking out 257 batters in 257.0 innings of work. He had four critical appearances – including three starts – as the Padres cruised through the NLDS and NLCS rounds of the 1998 postseason.

He made two starts in the World Series against the Yankees and was roughed up to the tune of seven earned runs as the Yankees began their stretch of three consecutive World Series titles.

In the offseason, he signed a seven-year, $105 million with the Dodgers and led all pitchers with a 2.58 ERA in 2000. He earned All-Star selections in 2000 and 2003 but was traded to the Yankees after the latter year.