Towers was widely popular both among players and his GM counterparts through his careertwitter
Former Padres and D-backs GM KEVIN TOWERS died yesterday at the age of 56 after "battling a rare form of thyroid cancer," according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Towers was "beloved throughout the game for his passion, honesty, people skills, eye for talent and sense of humor." Though he became well known as a GM with the Padres and D-backs, Towers always was "most proud of his scouting roots." People "always mattered for Towers, who relied on a personal touch even as communication trends shifted to text messages and emails" (MLB.com, 1/30). In San Diego, Lin & Krasovic note Towers' cancer diagnosis "did not become public knowledge until October." With permission from the Towers family, Astros manager A.J. HINCH "displayed Towers' name on a placard in a Stand Up To Cancer spot during Game 4 of the World Series." Hinch, a former Padres Assistant GM, said of Towers, "He means a lot to me. He's meant a lot to the people within the game for many, many years" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/31). In Phoenix, Nick Piecoro writes Towers, "Likable and easygoing, he was largely adored throughout the industry, particularly by those who worked alongside him." D-backs Special Assistant to the GM and Major League Scout BILL BRYK said, "He was a boss that never wore his title on his sleeve" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/31).
LASTING IMPACT: In San Diego, Tom Krasovic notes Towers' "effective moves" with the Padres contributed to four of the franchise’s five playoff berths, a trip to the '98 World Series and "voter-approved public funding for Petco Park." Triple-A Int'l League Pawtucket Red Sox Chair LARRY LUCCHINO, a former Padres exec, said, "It’s just too soon for Kevin Towers to be gone. I will celebrate him for years to come." The Padres "reached new and lasting heights under Towers in his time as GM" from late '95 through '09. He "excelled as a high-volume trader." Towers also was the "rare baseball executive who engaged in home run competitions with staffers" during Spring Training. Giants manager BRUCE BOCHY, who coached the Padres under Towers, said that the GM was "feisty on the golf course and in poker games." Towers also "became the coach of a Padres-staffed hoops team that competed in a local recreational league." Bochy: "He wore a suit to the games, like PAT RILEY. Slicked his hair back" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/31). Also in San Diego, Nick Canepa writes under the header, "Kevin Towers Was One Of A Kind, A 'Genuine Article.'" Towers was a "wine aficionado, to the point of having an article written about him in a magazine for lovers of fruit of the vine." He also was "terribly superstitious." As an example, he "never saw a TREVOR HOFFMAN save" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/31).
ONE OF A KIND: ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes Towers could "talk to anybody and make anybody feel comfortable, which was his greatest gift." He "joked constantly about his own failures, his own gaffes." No GM over the past quarter-century was "more accessible to reporters" than Towers, but he "did not want to discuss his illness for print." That the "embargo on published news on Towers' condition held firmly through the last year of his life was just one more sign of the respect he had earned" (ESPN.com, 1/31). Cubs President of Baseball Operations THEO EPSTEIN, who got his start under Towers, said, "He was incredible at bringing people together, and finding a way to have a great time, making sure people enjoyed the experience of life, as it happened. He was never a worrier. He was always optimistic. He never took himself seriously. He cared so much about people that he wanted to make everyone feel welcome, connected and joyful." Padres VP & Assistant GM FRED UHLMAN: "Kevin was an awesome friend who did more for me both personally and professionally than anyone, other than my parents" (USA TODAY, 1/31). YAHOO SPORTS' Tim Brown wrote, "The game is poorer for the loss of Towers." He was always the "coolest guy in the room" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/30). Yankees Senior VP & GM BRIAN CASHMAN said, "He had an excellent baseball mind, an infectious personality and was down to earth. There was no one more well-connected in the game, so when it came to finding information -- and you combine that with his ability to evaluate players -- he was a great asset" (N.Y. POST, 1/31). THE ATHLETIC's Ken Rosenthal wrote, "Few people in baseball, or any walk of life, were as beloved as Towers." Towers had a "perpetual glint in his eye." He would "grow close with his players, sometimes too close." His assistants with the Padres "made sure someone always was watching him on the back of the team plane, fearing he would award a player a three-year contract while playing cards with him and drinking beer." At one point, Towers "actually made such a deal with a Padres pitcher." Few "could match Towers’ energy." He would "outlast younger GMs at the winter meetings, staying up all night talking trade, then strolling through the lobby grinning at 8 a.m" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/30).
