Inside The Padres

Former Padres Superstar In Awe of Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Amid Postseason Dominance

Jason Fray|
Jul 28, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres former pitcher Jake Peavy waves to the crowd after being inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame before the game against the Texas Rangers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
Jul 28, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres former pitcher Jake Peavy waves to the crowd after being inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame before the game against the Texas Rangers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

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As the old adage goes, "game recognizes game."

Former San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy is currently a member of the media as an analyst with MLB Network. Peavy had his fair share of moments with the Friars. Some consider him to be one of the most competitive pitchers ever.

The three-time All-Star won a Cy Young Award with the Padres, and many peg him among the best pitchers in the franchise's history (with Trevor Hoffman and Randy Jones).

On MLB Network, the panel was discussing the absurd performance by Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in Game 4 of the NLCS. Ohtani not only threw six shutout innings (10 strikeouts), but he also hit three homers for good measure — one of which left Dodger Stadium.

Despite his fandom surely lying with the Friars, even Peavy admits that what Ohtani has done this postseason is something truly special.

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"It's Little League. It's what happens in Little League. Once you get above Little League, this doesn't happen. [Ohtani] is playing Little League at the Big League level," Peavy said.

Peavy's co-host Adnan Virk made the point that Peavy had competed against the likes of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and other great players. Before Virk could finish his sentence, Peavy spoke even more glowingly of the Dodgers star player.

"[Ohtani] is just about that guy in the box. When you're' talking about setting Dodger records, Dodger history is deep," Peavy said. "You're talking about Shawn Green, and [Mike] Piazza and Eric Karros are some of the names I faced. They never did what [Ohtani] did. And then he's the No. 1 starter for anybody's team. If go you put him on anybody's team, he's starting Opening Day next year."

Peavy's points are very poignant. Despite the newfound rivalry between Los Angeles and San Diego, even the most passionate Friars fans must tip their proverbial cap at what Ohtani accomplished Friday evening in LA.

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As we look ahead to the winter, AJ Preller and the front office has some serious decisions to make. The goal is to obviously make the playoffs perennially. However, there's a greater goal: catching the Dodgers and winning the NL West.

It'll be a very fascinating next few months in San Diego as the team retools and reshapes to be more competitive.

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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