San Diego Padres: The franchise all-time bracket
By Bill Felber
San Diego Padres: The All-Time Bracket
No. 2 vs. 7 seed
The 1996 Padres won the NL West by a single game. Trailing the Dodgers by two games entering the final weekend and scheduled for three games with the team they were chasing, the Padres swept that closing series, winning the Sunday wrapup 2-0 on pinch hitter Chris Gwynn’s 11th inning two-run double.
Tony Gwynn hit. 353 that season, taking the third of four consecutive batting titles and the seventh of his career. Third baseman Ken Caminiti batted .326 with 40 homers and 130 RBIs and was named National League MVP.
The pitching staff was ordinary, but it did have Hoffman at the tag end. He saved 42 games with a 9-5 record and 2.25 ERA.
In 2005, the Padres were just 82-80, but that was good enough for a division title by five games. Outfielder Brian Giles hit .301 with a team-high 83 RBIs.
Jake Peavy led an otherwise ordinary pitching staff with a 13-7 record and 2.88 ERA in 30 starts. Hoffman, still a bullpen fixture, saved 43 games.
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Game 1: As you might guess, the 2005 team’s .506 winning percentage didn’t stand much of a chance against the 1996 club’s 91-71 .562 percentage.
Game 2: In 1996, the Padres were swept by St. Louis in the division round. The 2005 team suffered an identical fate, a three-game division round sweep at the hands of the Cardinals. This game is declared a tie.
Game 3: The 1996 club had a 100 OPS+, precisely league average. The 2005 Padres presented a 97 OPS+.
Game 4: Padres pitchers only managed a 94 staff ERA+ in 2005. Against the 1996 team’s 107 OPS+, that’s not nearly good enough.
Game 5: The 1996 division champions had a so-so 39.5 WAR. But the 2005 division winners only got to 25.8 WAR.
Result: 1996 in four games (one tie)