A "Beastly" List of Padres Shortstops

Everth,

You've been back from your hamate bone injury for a couple of days now and I like what I'm seeing. You make plays defensively, you play with speed, you step confidently to the plate and you have a general flair for the game that most of the other Padre players just don't have.

It's only been 9 games total so far (24 ABs) but for a guy who never played above A ball before this season, you comport yourself pretty well. I sense good things. All of which prompted me to look ahead a few years and consider how you might one day rank among Padres starting shortstops.

Thus, below is a list of Padres starting shortstops ranked by recognition. What does "ranked by recognition" mean? It means it's not necessarily a skill ranking, but rather a ranking of what order these SS's come to mind when someone says "Give me the name of a Padre shortstop."

Anyway, it'll probably make more sense once I rank them.

Here goes:

1. Garry Templeton ('82-'90): the most recognizable Padre SS
2. Khalil Greene ('04-'08): close to surpassing Templeton, but faded
3. Enzo Hernandez ('71-'72, '74-'76): not good, but defined 1970s-era Padres
4. Ozzie Smith ('78-'81): a Cardinal but people still know his beginning
5. Tony Fernandez ('91-'92): a member of the Four Tops
6. Chris Gomez ('96-'98): quiet member of two playoff teams
7. Bill Almon ('77): former #1 overall pick
9. Ricky Gutierrez ('93-'94): had flashes of goodness
10. Damian Jackson ('99-'00): one of faceless Latinos employed in 2000s
11. Ramon Vazquez ('03): Latino
12. D'Angelo Jimenez ('01): Latino
13. Deivi Cruz ('02): Latino
14. Derrel Thomas ('73): weird spelling of first name
15. Tommy Dean ('69-'70): have no idea who this is

So, Everth, there's the list. As you can see it's not exactly blowing the doors off Cooperstown. In retrospect it may have been nice to keep Ozzie but would the Padres have done much better in the 80s with him on the roster instead of Templeton? Maybe, maybe not. It's not like Templeton was a zero for the Padres. Khalil's downfall is Shakespearean and Tony Fernandez got shipped away before he could make a true mark. Chris Gomez was just steady. Enzo is a punchline and the rest of the guys are pretty forgettable.

Anyway, my point is that you've got a shot to move up this list quickly. As you learn to play the Big League game, I'm thinking you could pass Khalil on this list by 2012; sooner if the Padres win a sneaky Championship in the next few years with you at SS (don't laugh). With your game-changing speed and overall flair (there's that word again) for the game, you've got a shot to become a fan favorite in the Diego. And hopefully, someday soon, synonomous with the term "Padre Shortstop."

Best,
Bevormo

[Update: 9:50 PM EST: It just occurred to me that Damian Jackson might not be Latino. And you know what? He's not. He's from L.A. F. Sorry, Damian.]