San Diego Padres announce Class of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees
By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The San Diego Padres announced the 2023 class of the Padres Hall of Fame, including 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy and long-time team owner John Moores.
The inductions will take place as part of a Home Plate ceremony on July 28 prior to the Padres vs. Texas Rangers game at 6:40 p.m., with Peavy and Moores serving as the 18th and 19th members to be inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame, respectively.
Peavy, the only Padre to ever notch a pitching Triple Crown in franchise history (2007; 19 wins, 2.54 ERA, 240 SO), went 92-68 with a 3.29 ERA (491 ER, 1342.2 IP), 1.19 WHIP, and 1,348 strikeouts in 212 career starts for the Padres from 2002 through 2009. A three-time All-Star (2005, 2007, 2012) and unanimous 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner, Peavy finished his Padres career as the all-time franchise leader in strikeouts and ranks 2nd in winning percentage (.575), quality starts (142), SO/9.0 IP (9.04), opponents AVG (.232) and opponents OBP (.297), T-2nd in wins (other: Randy Jones), 3rd in starts, 4th in innings and ERA, and 8th in CG (7) and shutouts (7). The 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander struck out a career-best 16 batters in a game twice (5/22/06 vs ATL, 4/25/07 at ARI), a club record that still stands today. Peavy was originally selected by the Padres in the 15th round (472nd overall) of the 1999 MLB First-Year Player draft out of St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, Ala. Current Padre Joe Musgrove, a San Diego native, wears No. 44 in Peavy’s honor.
“This honor means more to me than I’ll ever be able to put into words,” Peavy said. “The San Diego Padres feel like home. This organization developed me professionally and helped mold me personally. When I was drafted by the Padres at 18 years old, I never could have imagined that some 20 years later we’d be here. I’m so proud to be a Padre for life!”
Under Moores’ ownership from 1994 through 2012, the Padres won four NL West titles and the 1998 National League pennant. He was instrumental in the design and construction of Petco Park in downtown San Diego. Approved by a public vote in 1998, Petco Park was the catalyst for the redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood and is recognized as one of the most successful public-private partnerships among sports venues. Nearly two decades later, Petco Park was honored by USA Today as the No. 1 Ballpark in America. Additionally, Moores focused his efforts on community and philanthropic endeavors during his time with the Padres, including the launch of the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, which is currently ranked No. 1 in San Diego and No. 20 in the nation for cancer care (U.S. News and World Report). He founded the River Blindness Foundation, which was absorbed into the Carter Center. Moores also supported UC San Diego, San Diego State University, San Diego Zoo, The Carter Center, The Scripps Research Institute, The Innocence Project, the Foundation for the Children of the Californias, and the University of Houston.
“While I would rather have been an MLB player than an MLB owner, my experience in Baseball for 18 years was remarkably satisfying,” said Moores. “What I remember most fondly from this adventure wasn’t limited to building a ballpark or periodically winning the NL West. Rather, the charm of baseball was watching the game that Americans have enjoyed since the 19th Century. I never had a bad day at the ballpark. Go Padres!”
Prior to the induction ceremony on July 28, Peavy and Moores will be added to the Padres Hall of Fame exhibit presented by Motorola, located in Palm Court Plaza at Petco Park.
A complete list of the Padres Hall of Fame members is available online at https://www.mlb.com/padres/history/padres-hall-of-fame.
