"20 to Remember" team: Pitchers
The "20 to Remember" team consists of 20 players, voted by you, the fans, over the past two decades who have become World Champions, California League MVP's, or been loyal to this great community. We close out this final six roster spots with pitchers. I hope you have enjoyed this All-time team and watching these young boys at The Diamond and beyond.
The most decorated position for the Storm is pitchers. Six World Series rings, combined 479 wins, 355 Major League saves and a Cy Young recipient.
Jarrod Washburn: A second round selection in 1995 by the California Angles out of Div. III University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Washburn joined the Storm to open the 96' season. In Lake Elsinore, he went 6-3 in 14 starts and struck out 93 batters in 92.2 innings pitched.
The Storm finished with a 35-35 First Half record in 96'and would go onto capture their first California League Championship in franchise history.
Jarrod was promoted to Double-A and ended the season in Triple-A. He spent the 97' and 98' seasons back and forth between the two teams until he made his Major League debut on June 2, 1998. He finished the season with the Angels compiling a 6-3 record with a 4.26 ERA in 11 starts.
Washburn spent eight seasons in Anaheim and was a member of the 2002 World Series Champion Angels.
He signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2005 and was traded in July of 2009 to the Detroit Tigers before retiring following that season.
Currently Washburn has returned to be the Head Coach at his alma mater Webster High School in Webster, WI.
John Lackey: The glare seen on the mound of multiple Major League teams started his on-field focus at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore. After a second-round selection in the 1999 Amateur Draft, He joined the Storm mid-season in 2000.
He began his professional career posting a 2.02 ERA in Low-A ball before joining the Storm. He made 15 starts for Lake Elsinore compiling a 6-6 record with a 3.40 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched. The Angels dubbed him the organization Minor League Pitcher of the Year that season.
He spent 2001 splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A and made his debut with the Angels in June of 2002 at the ripe age of 23.
Lackey was a critical rookie joining the squad going 9-4 in 18 games finishing with a 3.66 ERA en route to a league title being only the second rookie in World Series history to start and win Game 7.
He was honored as an AL All-star in 2009 as he finished that year with a career high 19 wins and led Major League Baseball with a 3.01 ERA as a starter.
John joined the Boston Red Sox the following season signing a 5-year $82.5 million contract. In 2013 Lackey again saw himself as the winning pitcher in the final game of the World Series to capture his second title. He missed the 2012 season to Tommy John surgery.
Last season Boston traded Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals going 3-3 in 10 starts for the team.
Francisco Rodríguez: The man most notably know as "K-rod", who has recorded over 40 saves in five Major League season once wore a Storm uniform the final season as an Angels affiliate.
After signing from free agency out of Venezuela in 1998, Rodríguez joined the Storm in 2000 as a starting pitcher. In 13 games on the mound for the Storm, Francisco went 4-4 with 79 strikeouts in 64 innings throwing a 2.81 ERA.
In 2001, he joined the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes roster as the Angels changed affiliates where he went 5-7 striking out 147 batters in 113.2 innings in the Cal League.
In 2002, he recorded a combined 120 strikeouts in 83.1 innings and 15 saves as he switched roles in Double and Triple-A as a closing relief pitcher. He joined the Angels in September just before their postseason run to a World Series title.
He spent the next six seasons playing in Anaheim and won the closing role for the Angels. He led the league in 05' and 06' with 45 and 47 saves. In 2006 he finished the season with a 1.73 ERA. In 2008, Rodríguez set the single-season saves record when he recorded 62 saves. He led the American League appearing in 76 games, allowed only four home runs and posted a 2.24 ERA heading into free agency.
In 2009 he signed with the New York Mets for three years for $37 million. He recorded 35 saves that season and was the closer for the National League All-Star team.
He spent the next four seasons with the Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles.
Last season he signed a one-year deal with the Brewers for a second time and returned to "K-rod" fashion recorded 77 strikeouts in 68 inning and 44 saves. He was selected to the All-Star team for the fifth time in his career.
Francisco Rodríguez is currently 10th on the All-time saves list just 10 saves behind former Angel Troy Percival.
Jake Peavy: One of 12 California League players who have coveted the Cy Young Award and one of two Storm players who have their number retired at The Diamond (Joe Urso is the other) is Jake Peavy.
Peavy was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 15th Round of the 1999 Amateur Draft spending his first season in rookie ball. He played the 2000 season in Fort Wayne where he debuted his arm going 13-8, striking out 164 batters in 133.2 innings.
His first start in a Storm uniform in 2001 was a no-decision five innings where he recorded nine strikeouts. He played four games where he struck out double-digit batters (10, 12, 12, 11) and combined for 7-5 record in 19 starts, 144 strikeouts and a 3.08 ERA. He led the team to its best half in franchise history going 50-20.
The team finished the 2001 season as Co-Champions of the California League (shared with San Jose due to 9/11 attacks) and was named the Minor League Baseball Team of the Year.
Peavy started the 2002 season in his hometown with Double-A Mobile BayBears. On June 22, at the age of 21, the San Diego Padres promoted him to the Major Leagues. From 2003 to 2008 he played six consecutive seasons with ten or more wins for the Friars including 2007 when he captured the pitching Triple Crown with a league leading 19 wins, 240 strikeouts and finished with a 2.54 ERA unanimously winning the 2007 Cy Young Award.
In 2009, the Padres traded Peavy to the Chicago White Sox for a slew of players. He spent four and a half season with the White Sox including 2012 when he was named an All-Star for the third time in his career and finished the season with 11-12 record, a 3.37 ERA and a Gold Glove winner.
It took Jake 12 Major League seasons to capture the one honor every player covets. After a mid-season trade to the Boston Red Sox in 2013, Peavy joined a squad who captured the AL East crown and went on to win the World Series versus the St Louis Cardinals with teammate and former Storm John Lackey.
In similar fashion last year, Jake was traded mid-season to the San Francisco Giants who snuck into the postseason as a Wildcard team. The Giants captured their third World Series title in five years.
Most recently, Peavy re-signed with the Giants for the 2015 season.
Tim Stauffer: The Saratoga Springs, NY native was the fourth overall selection in the 2003 Amateur Draft by the San Diego Padres. Prior, he played three collegiate seasons at the University of Richmond where he was twice named Atlantic 10 Conference Pitcher of the Year. He still owns single season conference records in innings pitched (146), wins (15) and strikeouts (146).
Stauffer made his professional baseball debut with the Storm in 2004 getting just six starts with the club preceding his advancement to Double and Triple-A. Tim went 2-0 for the Storm with 30 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched, allowing zero home runs and posted a 1.78 ERA through just the second week of May.
He spent just eight games in Double-A Mobile throwing a 2.63 ERA and finished the season in Triple-A Portland. He finished the 2004 season with a combined 11-5 record and a 2.89 ERA.
In 2005, Stauffer started in Portland and finished in Portland but made his Major League debut on May 11, 2005. He pitched six innings in his first career start striking out five capturing the win.
Stauffer spent nine seasons with the Padres including 2011 where he went 9-12 as a starter. He has battled injuries throughout his career but always battled back and most recently came out of the bullpen for the Friars in 2013 and 2014. He went back-to-back seasons recording 64 strikeouts in 69.2 innings and 67 strikeouts in 64.1 innings respectively as the longest tenured Padre on the roster.
Stauffer signed this offseason as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins for one-year $2.2 Million deal.
Kevin Quackenbush: The new kid on the block of these decorated pitchers, The San Diego Padres drafted Kevin Quackenbush out of the University of South Florida in the 11th Round of the Amateur Draft.
In his senior year he recorded a 0.80 ERA and collected 12 saves for the Bulls. Opponents hit just .118 versus Kevin as he was awarded with All-American honors.
Quackenbush split time between Rookie league Eugene and Single-A Fort Wayne where he combined for 18 saves and 71 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched posting a 0.64 ERA.
He spent the entire 2012 season in Lake Elsinore and showcased his best Minor League season. In 52 games, he went 3-2 in 57.2 innings pitched, striking out 70 batters. Quackenbush recorded 27 saves and posted a 0.94 ERA and was named a California League All-Star.
He started the 2013 season in Double-A and finished the season in Triple-A collectively logging career high 84 strikeouts in a single season.
Quackenbush made his Major League debut for the Padres on April 25th this past season and finished 2014 with a 3-3 record in 54.1 innings pitched with 56 strikeouts. He collected six saves for the squad and recorded a 2.48 ERA.
Kevin will be competing for the closing role for the 2015 San Diego Padres.
20 to Remember:
Manager: Rick Renteria
First base: Xavier Nady & Tommy Medica
Second base: Joe Urso & Josh Barfield
Third base: Chase Headley & David Freese
Shortstop: Jason Bartlett & Khalil Greene
Outfield: Ben Johnson, Darin Erstad & Paul McAnulty
Catchers: Todd Greene & Bengie Molina
Pitchers: Jarrod Washburn, John Lackey, Francisco Rodriguez, Jake Peavy, Tim Stauffer & Kevin Quackenbush