The 1998 Padres brought joy to the city of San Diego
Credit: AP Photo
Second Base- Quilvio Veras
The Padres needed the top of the order after the team finally let loose of aging all-time great, Rickey Henderson.
While looking for a potential leadoff-type hitter, the name Quilvio Veras came up to Kevin Towers.
The New York Mets initially drafted Quilvio as an amateur in 1989. He never played for the Mets on the major league level and was dealt in 1994 to the Marlins for Carl Everett. Making his debut for the Marlins in April 1995, the Dominican switch hitter stole 56 bases that year and hit .285 with four homers and 34 runs.
He had promising numbers as a rookie, but suffered a leg injury and was limited to only 34 games his second year with the Marlins.
On November 21, 1996, the Padres sent former 1st round pick Dustin Hermanson to the Florida Marlins for Quilvio Veras. Veras would immediately take over as the team’s leadoff man and second baseman. In 1997, Veras put up a .265/.357/.328 batting line in 145 games for the Friars. He stole 33 bases and walked 72 times for the team, solidifying the top of the order.
In 1998 for the Padres, Quilvio Veras had his best year in the majors. He played in 138 games and hit .267 with six home runs and 45 RBIs. Veras also stole 24 bases and recorded a .373 on-base percentage, walking 84 times that year. The Dominican was a real spark plug at the top of the order. He created havoc for many National League pitchers that season.
Quilvio made it three seasons with the Padres. He played in 415 games and stepped to the plate 1,531 times. He smacked 15 home runs and drove in 131 runs while stealing 87 bases; a .270 career Padres’ hitter with an on-base percentage of .366.
On December 22, 1999, a blockbuster deal went down between the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves. The Padres sent Quilvio Veras, Wally Joyner, and Reggie Sanders to the Braves for Brett Boone, Ryan Klesko, and Jason Shiell.
Quilvio would only play two and a half seasons in Atlanta and would ultimately retire in July of the 2001 season, at the age of 30.
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James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.