Beginning with the preseason, the San Diego Padres set out to grab one more
title for two long-time core veterans, Randy Jones, who announced his
decision to retire on April 1, and Terry Forster. The duo accounted for 364
wins since 1973, an average of nearly 23 wins per season over those 16
years. Given that Forster pitched in middle relief from 1973-1984, that
number could have been even higher.

Jones' career has been detailed in these articles before, but a small recap
reads like this: 242 career wins, 3rd All-Time among CJBL pitchers, career
ERA of 2.74, two outs shy of 3500 IP, eight All-Star games and three Cy
Youngs - the latter two accomplishments are unequaled by any pitcher in CJBL
history. Only once did he win less than 10 games, and that was in his final
season, where he went 2-3. It was also just the second time he finished
below .500 in his career, which includes six division titles and, now, two
CJBL titles.

Forster's run in 2nd place to Jones since both were drafted in 1973, but
much of that back seat mentality was due to Terry's position - middle
relief. Despite not turning to full time starting until the latter half of
1984, Forster has been named a CJBL All Star six times - good enough for
second among pitchers, tied with other greats like Vida Blue and Wayne
Simpson. If he performs in 1989 as he did in 1988, he would reach enough
innings to move into the top 10 in career ERA. Like Jones, he too owns six
division titles and two championship rings.

With the decision made to go for broke, the Padres took to the decision
earnestly pushing up player expenses to $107M - more than any other team in
the league's history. Bob Welch's $18.5M contract was dealt, later brough
back to cover for an injured Milt Wilcox and later re-dealt for prospects
clearing the way for a flurry of July deals that, in the end, pushed Sa
Diego to the title.

Wilcox, acquired in the preseason and shuffled throughout the pitching staff
during the year, delivered another remarkable playoff performance, making
him a top name in playoff pitching. Winning a team high three playoff games,
Wilcox improved to 11-5 in his fourth playoff trip and, at the early stages
of research, may be the first PLAYER to win back-to-back titles.

Kevin Kobel, who also suffered from the lack of a defined role through
August, looked like the new closer after going 3-0 with six saves in
September. but, with battles against Philadelphia, New York and Oakland, a
steady pitcher who could keep the ball in the park was needed. Kobel
answered, going just 2-0, butthe club won each of his five starts.

Lloyd Allen, a last ditch pickup in July from Chicago, dominated in the
closer's spot during the playoffs, allowing zero runs and saving six of the
team's twelve playoff wins.

Pitchers were not the only newcomers contributing to the run. A number of
bats helped in the cause.

Mike Greenwell tied for the team high with twenty hits and was second in RBI
with 12. Pedro Guerrero drove in ten runs and reached base a team high 26
times in 18 games for a .311 average. Dave Oliver batted .423 in the
playoffs, picking up eleven hits in twelve games. Mark Bailey, the catcher
acquired from Washington as a backup to perennial MVP candidate Jody Davis,
only batted twelev times, but his game 7 pinch-hit two run homer off Phil
Huffman gave the Padres the 2-2 tie.

The biggest playoff surprise was the play of Onix Concepcion, one of the
nine Padres to also play on the 1985 championship team. In '85, Concepcion
played in two games going one for nine. By 1988 at age 30, he has developed
into an everyday second baseman, winning the job from Pat Tabler and Dave
Oliver, whose bat rivals any at second. He had twenty hits in these
playoffs, tying Greenwell for the #1 Padre spot, though he only required
sixteen games to do so. His OPS, .985, outpaced any Padre with over 50
playoff at bats.

As for the club as a whole, they found a way to defeat the NL's #3 and #2
teams before bouncing the AL's #1 club and one of the league's top offenses.
Oakland's players dominate the postseason stat categories. Five Athletics
had more hits than any Padre. Greg Harts had 30 - ten beter than the SD
mark. Darren Daulton led all batters with 20 RBI and the A's had three
players with 15 or more RBI, while San Diego had just one - Andy van Slyke,
who missed the last five games of the series due to injury.

But the Padre pitching found a way to keep Oakland off the board, allowing
27 runs, about 3.8 per game, right in line with the 3.82 per game throughout
the playoffs. The pitching consistancy allowed the offense to find its
groove in enough games to win four, scoring 5.42 runs per game in the
series, although that number jumps to 7.6 per game if you remove the two
shutouts pitched by the A's. Give the Padre staff seven runs to work with
and they'll win 80% of the time.

Of course, the Padres good pitching started with two players drafted in 1973
who have combined for over 350 wins over their careers. The club decided to
dedicate 1988 to getting this duo one more title, sparing no expense and
turning over every stone to give each a chance to end their careers on the
highest of notes. Consider the '88 title a retirement gift to those two
gentlemen of the game, men who built the Padre franchise from a sickly
expansion club into a two-time champion and perennial contender, from the
San Diego front office, who may regret a few of this seasons moves in a year
or two. Only two moments remain in their careers - the numbers going up in
honor and the Hall calling both pitchers into the history books. You've both
made San Diego very proud.