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Kevin Towers, a Medford High graduate and a member of the Medford Sports Hall of Fame who went on to a distinguished career as a major league general manager, has died following a fight with cancer. Towers, whose 14-year tenure as general manager of the San Diego Padres included an appearance in the 1998 World Series, was 56. Friend and former agent Barry Axelrod said Towers, a 1979 graduate of Medford High, died Tuesday at a hospital. Towers' wife, Kelley, was at his side. Towers was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer a little more than a year ago. Axelrod said Towers was admitted to a hospital with fluid on his lungs a few days ago, and friends and family members thought he would be able to go home Tuesday. As he spoke last week about being elected to the Hall of Fame, former Padres closer Trevor Hoffman grew emotional when he mentioned Towers' influence on his career. USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale posted to Twitter: "Kevin Towers, one of the greatest people this game has ever known, and the ultimate fighter, has passed away from cancer." First drafted by the San Diego Padres as a pitcher in 1982, he retired after a few years in the minor leagues. He then moved into scouting. After leaving the Padres in 2009, Towers went on to the front office of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 where he worked until 2014. Towers was GM of the Padres for 14 seasons — the longest tenured GM at the time — before he was fired in 2009 as part of a front office house cleaning by new owner Jeff Moorad. Shortly after Moorad made the announcement, Towers took the podium. "I'm a Padre at heart, always gonna root for the Padres," said Towers, choking back emotion. "Next year I'm gonna be rooting like a son of a gun for these guys and for Blackie (manager Bud Black), cause it's truly a reflection on some of the work that I've done." Under Towers, the Padres won four NL West titles and reached the 1998 World Series.