The Padres inducted the 16th and 17th members into the team Hall of Fame o Thursday night, as former team President and CEO Larry Lucchino and longtime broadcaster Ted Leitner were recognized for their achievements and time spent with the organization.
Lucchino served as the club’s president and CEO from 1995 to 2001. He played an integral role in building the Padres teams that went on to win two National League West titles (1996, 1998) and the 1998 National League pennant, first by hiring fellow Padres Hall of Famer Kevin Towers as General Manager, and then by working closely with Towers and Manager Bruce Bochy to construct championship-caliber teams. The approval and design of Petco Park was Lucchino’s lasting legacy, from lobbying city officials and working to win the 1998 vote that approved the ballpark to leading the design of the ballpark.
Leitner was the primary play-by-play radio voice of “My Padres” for 41 years from 1980 through the 2020 season. He has been a broadcaster for 43 years in San Diego as he continues to be the voice of the San Diego State University Aztec football and basketball programs. His career includes 25 years (1978-2002) as a sports anchor for KFMB-TV, the local CBS affiliate, and play-by-play roles for the San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, the San Diego Clippers of the National Basketball Association, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Connecticut. Beyond broadcasting, Leitner has served as the Master of Ceremonies for many Padres events, including Padres Hall of Fame ceremonies, the memorials of Jerry Coleman and Tony Gwynn, Padres Opening Day ceremonies, and Jerry Coleman Day in 2012, which honored Coleman’s 70 years in baseball.
You can watch the full induction ceremony below:
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