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Medford’s Towers didn’t forget his roots FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2005, file photo, San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers, right, peaks during a baseball news conference in Dallas. Towers, whose 14-year tenure as general manager of the San Diego Padres included an appearance in the 1998 World Series, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, from complications of cancer, friend and former agent Barry Axelrod said. He was 56. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File) Tuesday Jan 30, 2018 at 11:01 PM Jan 30, 2018 at 11:07 PM Tim Trower Mail Tribune @MTsports No matter how high up Kevin Towers climbed the major league ladder, or how far away he ranged from his hometown, the Medford product didn’t forget his roots. “He never did,” said Russ Batzer, a former teammate and friend through youth sports and into college. “He was always a Black Tornado through and through.” Friends and coaches from Towers’ years growing up in the Rogue Valley and from baseball at large took time to remember the former general manager of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks who died Tuesday from thyroid cancer. He was 56. The 1979 graduate of Medford High and a 2007 inductee into the Medford Sports Hall of Fame passed at a hospital with his wife, Kelley, at his side. They lived in Del Mar, California. Towers was diagnosed a little more than a year ago. Friend and former agent Barry Axelrod said Towers was admitted to a hospital with fluid on his lungs a few days earlier, and it was believed he’d be able to go home Tuesday. Towers was drafted in the first round in 1982 by the Padres as a pitcher but didn’t get past AAA ball before injuring his arm. He moved into scouting, then ascended in the front office. He was the general manager of the Padres for 14 seasons — a stint that included four National League West titles and a World Series appearance in 1998 — then served in the same capacity for four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his first season in 2011, Arizona went from last to first in the NL West and improved by 29 wins. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred praised Towers in a statement Tuesday. "Kevin Towers devoted his life to baseball," Manfred said. " … In addition to the successful teams he led, Kevin is remembered for being one of the most well-liked individuals in our game whose love of life and baseball will be missed." As much of an imprint as Towers left on baseball, his hometown left a similar impression on him. During his Hall induction 11 years ago, Towers told of his family moving to Medford from Northern California when he was a child. He remembered his mother speaking reverently about the Black Tornado, a dominant high school football team. He didn’t know what she meant until he saw the team play. When he followed suit years later, he said in an emotional presentation, it became “one of the greatest sports memories I have.” He also told of walking into Yankee Stadium with manager Bruce Bochy for the ‘98 World Series. “I told him, ‘You know, playing football in Medford, Oregon, is a lot like this,’” said Towers. Batzer and Towers, along with Mark Quinn and Russ Pendergast, attended Medford Mid High together, then Medford High, then they all went to MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California, to play baseball. Their college coach was tough and made players run miles whenever they made mistakes. “Oh, Kevin was a tough, gritty, always-on-fire guy,” said Batzer. “He was clearly one of the leaders of the team.” But when things got rough in practice, they remembered a line from a Mid High Marauders coach. “Jack Van Amburg used to say, ‘Gutters never quit, and quitters never gut,’” said Batzer. “I can always remember Towers, whether it was me saying it to him if he was having a bad day, or if I was having a bad day, just that little comment would fire you up and you’d finish.” After one season of junior college ball, Towers went on to play for Brigham Young. Batzer transferred to Oregon. Ashland native Jeremy Guthrie, who enjoyed a long big league pitching career, also played at BYU. He tweeted: “So saddened by the news of Kevin Towers. He was a great man in all facets of life. He was a fellow Southern Oregon native & attended BYU. In a humble way I can say I followed in his very impactful footsteps.” Medford High baseball coach Jim McAbee remembered Towers as a “terrific” three-sport athlete with a competitive streak that served him well on the mound. It didn’t hurt that Towers had a fastball in the low 90-mph range, either. “He had what I call athletic savvy about all the games he played,” said McAbee, who, with Towers and crew, took the Black Tornado to the state quarterfinals and semifinals their junior and season seasons, respectively. “Not just baseball, but athletic savvy about learning things and retaining things and applying things. “He was very good at that, so it was always a pleasure to coach a guy like that.” McAbee spoke with Towers last spring and said it sounded like his former player “was getting along, but it was difficult.” The Towers kept his condition largely private. That changed when, during Major League Baseball’s “Stand Up to Cancer” moment during Game 4 of the World Series last October, Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch held up a placard with Towers’ name on it. Hinch sought permission from the Towers to do so. In an interview, Hinch said Towers meant a lot to him and many others. “... I wanted to put someone on there that was a baseball person,” said Hinch, “that has resonated across the game at so many levels for so many years, and we just keep rooting for KT to have a recovery.” Towers, who was regarded as a front-office “gunslinger” when it came to making deals, was fired by Arizona during the 2014 season. On the heels of two 81-81 campaigns, the D’backs were more than 20 games below .500 when he was let go. Towers joined the Cincinnati Reds as special assistant and remained in that role until his death. One of his former players, Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, was inducted into the Hall of Fame last week and choked up in a press conference while talking about the impact Towers had on his career. Bill Center, a Padres beat writer, tweeted that Towers was “superstitious” but with a great sense of humor: “Never watched Hoffman save a game. Always headed to elevator and clubhouse when Hoffman entered. Had this habit of running right hand down his face when nervous. Smart, funny, loyal — Kevin Towers was a giant.” Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 541-776-4479 or email [email protected]