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Larry Lucchino to be Inducted into San Diego Padres Hall of Fame

July 7, 2022 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


The San Diego Padres will honor Worcester Red Sox Chairman and Principal Owner Larry Lucchino as the 16th inductee to the organization Hall of Fame Thursday, July 7. Lucchino will go into the hall alongside longtime Friars broadcaster Ted Leitner.

Lucchino spent seven years as president and CEO in San Diego from 1995 to 2001. During his tenure, the Padres achieved two National League West Division titles (1996, 1998). The latter season resulted in a franchise-best 98-84 finish, and the second NL Pennant in Padres history.

Before joining owner John Moores in San Diego, Lucchino finished the 1993 MLB Season as the president of the Baltimore Orioles. In Baltimore, Lucchino opened his first of five professional ballparks, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in 1992. While Lucchino perused a purchase of his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in 1994, he consulted and advised Moores in purchasing the Padres.

Moores bought controlling ownership of the Friars from Tom Werner, who Lucchino would later join to purchase the Boston Red Sox in 2001. Moores proceeded to sway the hesitant Lucchino to California.

"I was reluctant to go out there," Lucchino said. "I remember being quite unsure how I was going to adjust to the West Coast. It was something that was quite new and different to me. I viewed myself as an East Coast gym rat, and here I was moving across the country for the first time. I remember telling John Moores I would agree to stay for a year, and I ended up in San Diego for seven."

At the helm in San Diego, Lucchino promoted then-Scouting Director Kevin Towers as the Padres' general manager and worked closely with both Towers and Manager Bruce Bochy to realize near-immediate success in 1996, beating the Mike Piazza-led Dodgers for the NL West title.

Lucchino will follow his GM into the Padres Hall, Towers was posthumously inducted in 2018.

The late 1990s brought about great accomplishments for Padres present and future. However, Lucchino and his front office recognized myriad issues with their current home, Jack Murphy Stadium.

1997 renovations saw the addition of 10,000 new seats to the newly-named Qualcomm Stadium for Super Bowl XXXII. With their lease expiring in 1999, Lucchino and Moores viewed the now nearly-70,000 seat stadium as an unfeasible home for Padres baseball.

Padres ownership viewed this junction as dire for the future of baseball in San Diego.

"When we came [...] the team was last in winning percentage, last in revenue, last in season ticket holders, [and] last in attendance," Lucchino said. "It was known as the 'fire sale epic' for our salary era."

Designs for Lucchino's next ballpark triumph, Petco Park, were then introduced. Padres ownership, led by their president, worked tirelessly with city leaders to get the ballpark approved, realizing a need for investment in both the park and its surrounding neighborhood.

To encourage San Diego voters to support the Friars' future via a new ballpark, the Padres front office bought in, adding ace pitcher Kevin Brown to a roster with former MVP Ken Caminiti, perennial batting champion Tony Gwynn, silver slugger Greg Vaughn---who hit 50 home runs in '98--and closer Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman and Gwynn were inducted to the Padres Hall in 2002 and 2014, respectively, as well as the Baseball HOF in 2007 and 2018.

The star-studded clubhouse promoted fever pitch interest in its 94-win team. The Padres won the National League Pennant, claiming series victories over the Houston Astros and 106-win Atlanta Braves. The New York Yankees ended the Padres' historic season in four games. Although the Padres fell in the Fall Classic, interest garnered in the Friars pushed Petco through on the ballot.

The Padres' new home opened ahead of the 2004 season, and is reveled across the league. Most recently, USA Today ranked Petco Park the No. 1 MLB stadium in 2022. Lucchino is proud of what the ballpark did for the team and the city.

"[Petco Park] has stabilized the franchise," Lucchino said. "The notion that San Diego would be without a baseball team disappeared when Petco Park appeared. The impact on the city will continue to grow, [and] diversify."

Lucchino left San Diego in 2001 to purchase the Red Sox, but he relishes his time he spent in California.

"It means a lot because that was seven of the most active years of my career," Lucchino said. "And I went from being a total stranger to San Diego, [now], I really feel at home in San Diego and I still have a home in La Jolla. And I'm very pleased and proud of my years in San Diego."Lucchino will be honored before the Padres game Thursday, July 7, against the San Francisco Giants. Longtime Red Sox and current Padres commentator, Don Orsillo, will emcee the festivities ahead of the 6:40 pm first pitch.

The Padres induction will be the fifth Hall of Fame to honor Lucchino. He is a member of the Taylor Allderdice High School, Pennsylvania Sports, Italian-American, and Red Sox Halls of Fame.

"It's quite meaningful to me because I left a lot of my head, heart, and body in San Diego."

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