2006 San Diego Padres: NL West Champs

2006 San Diego Padres: NL West Champs

2006 San Diego Padres: A Division Title Forged by Bold Offseason Moves

Offseason Moves Build a New-Look Roster

Going out quietly from the 2005 postseason, the 2006 San Diego Padres began an offseason of moves designed to improve the team, and many of these changes clearly paid off on the field. On November 15, 2005, the Padres traded outfielder Xavier Nady to the New York Mets for center fielder Mike Cameron. On January 4, 2006, the Padres sent pitchers Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian to the Texas Rangers in a six-player trade that brought back first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, starting pitcher Chris Young and outfielder Termel Sledge. On January 12, the Padres signed pitcher Alan Embree, and on February 3 they signed catcher Mike Piazza.

A Competitive NL West and a Division Title

Along with the changes to the roster, the 2006 San Diego Padres faced an improved National League West that made for a harder road to the postseason. The Padres went 88-74, tying the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the division, but were awarded the division title because of their 13-5 record against the Dodgers in head-to-head play. San Diego went 43-38 at home in PETCO Park and 45-36 on the road.

Padres Statistical Performances

Offensive Standouts

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez batted .304 with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs off 173 hits and 38 doubles. Left fielder Dave Roberts batted .293 with 146 hits, 18 doubles, 13 triples and 49 stolen bases. Catcher Mike Piazza batted .283 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs off 113 hits and 19 doubles. Second baseman Josh Barfield batted .280 with 13 home runs, 151 hits, 32 doubles and 21 stolen bases.

Center fielder Mike Cameron had 22 home runs and 83 RBIs off 148 hits, 34 doubles, 9 triples and 25 stolen bases. Right fielder Brian Giles had 14 home runs and 83 RBIs off 159 hits, 37 doubles and 9 stolen bases. Shortstop Khalil Greene had 15 home runs, 101 hits and 26 doubles. Third baseman Vinny Castilla had 59 hits and 10 doubles in 72 games. Infielder Geoff Blum had 70 hits and 17 doubles in 109 games. Catcher Josh Bard batted .338 with 9 home runs, 78 hits and 19 doubles.

Pitching Staff

Though he went 11-14, starting pitcher Jake Peavy struck out 215 batters and threw 2 complete games. Clay Hensley posted 122 strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA despite going 11-12, recording 1 complete game and 1 shutout. Chris Young went 11-5 with 164 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA. Woody Williams went 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA. Chan Ho Park went 7-7 with 96 strikeouts, recording 1 complete game and 1 shutout. Closer Trevor Hoffman won the 2006 National League Relief Man of the Year Award after posting 46 saves and a 2.14 ERA. Relief pitcher Scott Linebrink went 7-4 with 2 saves and a 3.57 ERA. Jon Adkins went 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA. Alan Embree went 4-3 with a 3.27 ERA. Cla Meredith went 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA.

A Strong Regular-Season Surge

Compared to 2005, the Padres fared better during the 2006 regular season, playing well on a month-to-month basis. They went 19-10 in May, 14-12 in June, 13-13 in July and 19-9 in September. On May 1, the Padres traded catcher Doug Mirabelli to the Boston Red Sox for Josh Bard and Cla Meredith, a trade that would pay dividends down the stretch.

One standout regular-season performance for San Diego came on September 13, when the team blanked the Cincinnati Reds 10-0 at Great American Ball Park. Jake Peavy pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 hits and 1 walk while recording 2 strikeouts. In the top of the 1st inning, Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI double. In the top of the 2nd, Peavy added an RBI double, Brian Giles hit a 2-run double, and Gonzalez followed with an RBI single. In the top of the 3rd, Geoff Blum smacked a 2-run home run, and in the top of the 6th, Mike Piazza clubbed a 3-run home run.

Postseason: A Rematch with the Cardinals

The 2006 National League Division Series was largely a repeat of the 2005 NLDS, as the Padres once again faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the postseason. The outcome only slightly changed, as the Padres fell to the Cardinals 3 games to 1. The Padres’ lone win of the series came in Game 3 on October 7 at Busch Stadium III, a 3-1 victory. Chris Young pitched 6.2 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 walks while recording 9 strikeouts. In the top of the 4th inning, third baseman Russell Branyan hit a 2-run double, and Geoff Blum followed with a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the 8th, pinch hitter and outfielder So Taguchi hit a solo home run, but it wasn’t enough to spark a St. Louis rally.

End-of-Season Honors

Several 2006 San Diego Padres players earned recognition for their performances. Mike Cameron won a Gold Glove for his standout play in center field. Chris Young was named National League Pitcher of the Month for May, and Trevor Hoffman made the 2006 All-Star Game as a reserve for the National League.