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.

2. Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp’s glory days were with the Dodgers. He experienced a breakout year in 2008 with regular playing and became a mainstay in the Dodger lineup. He posted monster numbers in 2011 – .324 average with 39 home runs and 126 RBI – and should have been named the NL MVP.

After the 2014 season, the Dodgers traded Kemp to the Padres, and he smacked 23 bombs along with 100 RBI in his debut year with the Friars.

He hit 23 home runs and drove in 69 RBI halfway through the 2015 season before he was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the deadline.

He returned to the Dodgers for the 2018 season and posted remarkable numbers – .290 average with 21 home runs and 85 RBI – and earned his third All-Star selection.

4. Fernando Valenzuela

The Dodgers acquired Fernando Valenzuela in 1979 and was named the Opening Day starter for the 1980 season in place of the injured Jerry Reuss.

He was a regular in the rotation for the next ten years, posting a career 3.31 ERA and collected both the Cy Young and NL Rookie of the Year Awards in 1981.

He spent time with the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies before landing with the Padres in 1995. In 2.5 seasons, Valenzuela posted a 4.22 ERA in 59 starts while striking out 203 batters in 328.1 innings.

Clearly, in the twilight of his career, Valenzuela was traded to the Cardinals in 1997 and retired after the season.

5. Adrian Gonzalez

One of the most prominent left-handed power hitters, Adrian Gonzalez, had tremendous power that was on display to all parts of the field.

He posted 30+ home runs season from 2007 to 2010. Seeking big money and unable to pay him, the Padres traded him to Boston after the 2010 season.

Before the 2011 season, he signed a seven-year, $154 million contract but was traded to the Dodgers in late August 2012. While not the prominent power hitter he once was with the Padres, Gonzalez hit 18 or more home runs from 2013 to 2016.

He struggled through injuries in the 2017 season and was traded to the Atlanta Braves, where he was instantly designated for assignment.

Gonzalez signed a one-year deal with the New York Mets in 2018 but was released in June.