Huston Street, Tony Fernandez Next on My Top 100 Padres

Players were N.L. All-Stars two decades apart

By Bill Center

Huston Street celebrates the final out in the game against the Reds at Petco Park on June 30, 2014

Before moving on to No. 90 and 89, take a look at the first 10 Padres contributors on the countdown here: http://atmlb.com/2jwKKgc

A pair of players who represented the Padres on the National League All-Star team two decades apart are today’s players on my list of 100 most influential Padres.

Closer Huston Street represented the Padres in the 2012 All-Star Game, 20 years after shortstop joined starters Tony Gwynn, Fred McGriff and Benito Santiago and Gary Sheffield as one of five Padres on the 1992 National League All-Star team.

90. Shortstop Tony Fernandez

Tony Fernandez reaches for the ball during a game against the Phillies at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego on July 9, 1992

The native of the Dominican Republic was already a three-time All-Star when the Padres acquired him and McGriff from the Toronto Blue Jays on Dec. 5, 1990, in a controversial trade for second baseman Roberto Alomar and outfielder Joe Carter. Fernandez hit .274 in 300 games with the Padres over two seasons and was ranked among the National League’s top defensive shortstops. Fernandez also had a .337 on-base percentage and scored 165 runs for the Padres while getting 59 doubles, nine triples and eight homers for 75 RBIs. Although Fernandez was an All-Star in 1992, Padres fans never totally warmed up to him due to the loss of future Hall of Famer Alomar in the trade that brought Fernandez to San Diego. On Oct. 26, 1992, the Padres traded Fernandez to the New York Mets for three players, outfielder D.J. Dozier, pitcher Wally Whitehurst and catcher Raul Casanova.

89. Right handed reliever Huston Street

Huston Street looks at the catcher of the Padres before pitching against the Pirates at Petco Park on June 4, 2014

Street followed Trevor Hoffman and Heath Bell in the long line of All-Star Padres closers and was a National League All-Star in 2014 as well as 2012. In just over 2½ seasons with the Padres, Street recorded 80 saves to rank fifth on the Padres’ all-time list while posting a 2.03 earned run average. The Padres acquired Street and cash from the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 7, 2011, for a player to be named later (pitcher Nick Schmidt). In his first season with the Padres, Street knocked two runs off his ERA (1.86) while getting 23 saves in 24 chances despite two stints on the disabled list. The following season, Street had 33 saves in 35 chances with a 2.70 ERA in 58 games. Street had a 1.09 ERA and 24 saves in 25 chances in the 2014 season when he was traded with pitcher Trevor Gott to the Angels for shortstop Jose Rondon, pitchers Elliot Morris and R.J. Alvarez and corner infielder Taylor Lindsey. Street’s save conversion rate of 95.2 percent with the Padres is higher than Hoffman’s.