Flannery reached the Padres as a utility man in 1979, his second pro season. An intelligent and reliable player who made the most of limited ability, he was primarily a pinch hitter for the 1984 NL Champions; it was his grounder that eluded Cubs first baseman Leon Durham to start San Diego’s winning rally in the deciding game of the LCS. Flannery batted .280 as a starter at second in 1985-86, but lost his job to Joey Cora in 1987, and Roberto Alomar in 1988.
