San Diego Padres
Encyclopedia
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball
team based in San Diego, California
. They play in the National League Western Division
. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League
Pennant twice, in 1984
and 1998
, losing in the World Series both times. They and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
are the only MLB California teams to originate in California; the Dodgers
and Giants
are originally from New York
, and the Athletics
are originally from Philadelphia.
team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diegan Ted Williams
. The team's name, Spanish
for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan
friars who founded San Diego
in 1769.
In 1969, the San Diego Padres joined the ranks of Major League Baseball
as one of four new expansion teams, along with the Montreal Expos
(now the Washington Nationals
), the Kansas City Royals
and the Seattle Pilots
(now the Milwaukee Brewers
). Their original owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. Despite initial excitement, the guidance of longtime baseball executives, Eddie Leishman and Buzzie Bavasi
as well as a new playing field
, the team struggled; the Padres finished in last place in each of its first six seasons in the NL West
, losing 100 games or more four times. One of the few bright spots on the team during the early years was first baseman and slugger Nate Colbert
, an expansion draftee from the Houston Astros
and still the Padres' career leader in home runs.
by the beginning of the 1974 season. People were so convinced the transfer would happen that new uniforms were designed. Even the baseball card companies were fooled. About half of the Padres' player cards printed by Topps
that season displayed "Washington National League" as the team name. But C. Arnholt Smith changed his mind, and instead sold the Padres to McDonald's
co-founder Ray Kroc
, who was not interested in moving the team and kept the team in San Diego.
grabbed the public address system microphone and apologized to fans for the poor performance of the team, saying, "I've never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life." At the same time, a streaker
raced across the field, eluding security personnel. Kroc shouted, "Throw him in jail!" The following season, 1975, would be the first season that the Padres would not finish in the National League West cellar (finishing fourth), and brought the promise of an owner who would make the necessary changes to the organization.
Nate Colbert
is one of two major-league baseball players (Stan Musial
is the other) to have hit five home runs in a doubleheader, a feat he accomplished as a Padre. He collected 13 RBIs in that doubleheader, still a major league record. Although the Padres continued to struggle after Colbert's departure via trade to the Detroit Tigers
in 1974, they did feature star outfielder Dave Winfield
, who came to the Padres in 1973 from the University of Minnesota without having played a single game in the minor leagues. Winfield was also drafted by the Minnesota Vikings
of the National Football League
, the Atlanta Hawks
of the National Basketball Association
and the Utah Stars
of the American Basketball Association.
Winfield took over where Colbert left off, starring in the Padres outfield from 1973 until 1980, when he joined the New York Yankees
. In seven seasons, Winfield played in 1,117 games for San Diego and collected 1,134 hits, 154 home runs and drove in 626 runs. But most importantly, he helped the team
out of the National League West basement for the first time in 1975
, under the guidance of manager John McNamara
, who took over the club at the start of the 1974 season.
Winfield's emergence as a legitimate star coincided with the turnaround of a promising young left-handed pitcher named Randy Jones, who had suffered through 22 losses in 1974. Jones became the first San Diego pitcher to win 20 games in 1975, going 20–12 in 37 outings as the Padres finished in fourth place with a 71–91 record, 37 games behind the Cincinnati Reds
.
Jones won 22 games in 1976
, winning the Cy Young Award
in the process, another franchise first. The club set a new high with 73 wins, but fell to fifth place.
Jones slipped to 6–12 in 1977
, and not even the acquisition of Rollie Fingers
could help the Padres escape the bottom half of the division. Only Winfield and fellow outfielder George Hendrick
cracked the 20-homer barrier, and the pitching staff was filled with a group of unknowns and youngsters, few of whom would enjoy much success at the major league level.
The 1978 season
brought hope to baseball fans in San Diego, thanks to the arrival a young shortstop named Ozzie Smith
, who arrived on the scene and turned the baseball world on its ears with an acrobatic style that redefined how the position should be played in the field. The Padres hosted the All-Star Game
that summer. The National League won the contest 7–3 thanks to an MVP performance by Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey
, who would play a crucial role for San Diego in the not-too-distant future.
Winfield and Fingers represented the team at the game, but conspicuously absent was starting pitcher Gaylord Perry
, who joined the Padres after spending three years with the Texas Rangers
. At 39 years of age and coming off a 15–14 season with Texas, little was expected of him. All Perry did that summer was post a 21–6 record and a 2.73 earned run average, edging Montreal's Ross Grimsley
to earn the Padres' second Cy Young Award
in three seasons. San Diego also picked up another first that summer, compiling an 84–78 mark for manager Roger Craig
, the only time in 10 seasons the team finished a season with a winning percentage above .500.
The good times did not last, as the Padres closed out the decade with another losing season in 1979
, a 68–93 record that cost Craig his job. Winfield was the lone bright spot, leading the National League with 118 RBIs. The good times continued to fade out as Winfield signed a 10-year contract with the New York Yankees
after the 1980 season.
Fortunately, happier times were ahead for the team. The Padres finished at 92–70 in 1984 and won the National League West championship, despite having no players with 100-RBI and only two batters with 20-HR. They were managed by Dick Williams
and had an offense that featured veterans Steve Garvey
, Garry Templeton
, Graig Nettles
, Alan Wiggins
as well as Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn
, who captured his first of what would be eight National League batting championships that year (he would also win in 1987–89 and from 1994–97; Gwynn shares the National League record with Honus Wagner
). Gwynn, who also would win five National League Gold Gloves during his career, joined the Padres in 1982 following starring roles in both baseball and basketball
at San Diego State University
(he still holds the school record for career basketball assists), and after having been selected in the previous year by both the Padres in the baseball draft and by the then San Diego Clippers in the National Basketball Association
draft. The Padres pitching staff in 1984 featured Eric Show
(15–9), Ed Whitson
(14–8), Mark Thurmond
(14–8), Tim Lollar
(11–13), and Rich "Goose" Gossage as their closer (10–6, 2.90 ERA and 25 saves).
, the Padres faced the NL East champion Chicago Cubs
, who were making their first post-season appearance since 1945 and featured NL Most Valuable Player
Ryne Sandberg
and Cy Young Award
winner Rick Sutcliffe. The Cubs would win the first two games at Wrigley Field
, and were less than two innings away from a series sweep when their luck changed. The Padres swept the final three games at then San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium (the highlight arguably being Steve Garvey's dramatic, game winning home run off of Lee Smith in Game 4) to win the 1984 National League pennant. Gossage, a former New York Yankee, said the San Diego crowd at Game 3 was "the loudest crowd I've ever heard anywhere." Gwynn agreed as well. Jack Murphy Stadium played "Cub-Busters", a parody of the theme song
from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters
. Cub-Busters T-shirts inspired from the movie were popular attire for Padres fans.
In the 1984 World Series
, the Padres faced the powerful Detroit Tigers
, who steamrolled through the regular season with 104 victories (and had started out with a 35–5 record, the best ever through the first 40 games). The Tigers were managed by Sparky Anderson
and featured shortstop and native San Diegan Alan Trammell
and outfielder Kirk Gibson
, along with Lance Parrish and DH Darrell Evans. The pitching staff was bolstered by ace Jack Morris
(19–11, 3.60 ERA), Dan Petry (18–8), Milt Wilcox (17–8), and closer Willie Hernández
(9–3, 1.92 ERA with 32 saves). Jack Morris would win games 1 and 4 and the Tigers would go on to win the Series 4-games-to-1.
Reporter Barry Bloom of MLB.com
wrote in 2011 that "the postseason in ’84 is still the most exciting week of Major League Baseball ever played in San Diego."
continued to win batting titles (including batting .394 in 1994). The Padres would come close in 1985. They would field eight All-Stars (manager Dick Williams
, Tony Gwynn, Graig Nettles
, Rich Gossage
, Terry Kennedy
, Garry Templeton
, Steve Garvey
, and La Marr Hoyt) at the 1985 All-Star Game in Minnesota
. However, they collapsed at the end of the season, finishing tied for third with the Houston Astros
behind the Los Angeles Dodgers
and Cincinnati Reds
.
. Late in the 1986 season, Gossage was suspended and then reinstated with a $25,000 fine for behavior not in the best interest of the team. Gossage said that Smith "wants choirboys and not winning players" and that Smith "just listens to what Mom says," a reference to Padres owner Kroc, Smith's mother-in-law. Gossage also said Kroc was "poisoning the world with her cheeseburgers." He later apologized to McDonald's
, which Gossage said his family would continue to frequent.
hit in 34 straight games, earning him the NL Rookie of the Year Award
. However, the Padres finished dead last in 1987, thanks to the managing of the tempestuous Larry Bowa
. The next season, rookie second baseman Roberto Alomar
would make his debut, forming a double play combination with veteran shortstop Garry Templeton
.
, Bowa was replaced by Jack McKeon
and the Padres won 83 games, finishing in third place. In 1989
, the Padres
finished 89–73 thanks to Cy Young Award
-winning closer Mark Davis. Between 1989 and 1990, friction dominated the Padres' clubhouse as Tony Gwynn
had constant shouting matches with slugger Jack Clark
. But as the franchise player, Gwynn prevailed as Clark finished his career with the Red Sox.
. After the ownership change, the old brown that remained in Padres uniforms since their inception were supplanted by navy blue, a nod to the vintage 1940s PCL franchise colors. Shortly after the ownership change, a trade was made with the Toronto Blue Jays
where Joe Carter
and Roberto Alomar were traded for Fred McGriff
and Tony Fernandez
.
In 1992
, the Padres lineup featured the "Four Tops": Gary Sheffield
, Fred McGriff
, Tony Fernández
, and Tony Gwynn
. However, Fernandez would go to the New York Mets
, McGriff went to the division-winning Atlanta Braves
, and Sheffield would go to the expansion Florida Marlins
. Although extremely unpopular at the time, it was the Sheffield trade that brought in pitcher Trevor Hoffman
, who was virtually unknown to Padres fans. While Sheffield led Florida to a World Championship in 1997, Hoffman would be the next franchise player behind Dave Winfield
and Tony Gwynn.
The Padres would finish dead last in the strike-shortened 1994 season
, but Gwynn hit .394 that year (the most since Ted Williams hit over .400 in 1941). After that season, the Padres made a mega-trade with Houston reeling in Ken Caminiti
, Steve Finley
, and others. In November 1995, Kevin Towers
was promoted from scouting director to general manager.
(a software tycoon who purchased controlling ownership in the team in 1994 from Tom Werner, who subsequently formed a syndicate that purchased the Boston Red Sox
) and team president Larry Lucchino
, and with a team managed by former Padres catcher Bruce Bochy
(a member of the 1984 NL championship squad), the team won the NL West in an exciting race, sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers
at Dodger Stadium in the final series of the regular season. The '96 team featured Gwynn, who won his seventh National League batting championship, National League MVP
Ken Caminiti
, premier leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson
, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela
, first baseman Wally Joyner
and outfielder
Steve Finley
. The Padres had led the NL West early in the season only to falter in June, but came back in July and battled the Dodgers the rest of the way. However, they were defeated in the National League Division Series
by the Tony La Russa
-led St. Louis Cardinals
, 3 games to 0.
. Walker barely missed becoming the first Triple Crown
winner in baseball since Carl Yastrzemski
in 1967.
, Henderson and Valenzuela were gone, but newly acquired (from the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins
) pitcher Kevin Brown had a sensational year (his only one with the Padres) and outfielder/slugger Greg Vaughn
hit 50 home runs (overlooked in that season of the Mark McGwire
-Sammy Sosa
race). Managed by Bruce Bochy and aided by the talents of players such as Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti, Wally Joyner, Steve Finley, pitcher Andy Ashby and premier closer Trevor Hoffman
(4–2, 1.48 ERA and 53 saves), the Padres had their best year in history, finishing 98–64 and winning the NL West division crown.
in the 1998 NLDS
, 3 games to 1, behind solid pitching by Brown and Hoffman, and home runs by Greg Vaughn
, Wally Joyner
and Jim Leyritz
(who homered in 3 of the 4 games).
, who had won the National League East with an astonishing 106–56 record. The offense was paced by talent such as Andrés Galarraga
, Chipper Jones
, Andruw Jones
and Javy López
. Their pitching staff had the perennial big-3 of Greg Maddux
(18–9, 2.22 ERA), Tom Glavine
(20–6, 2.47 ERA), and John Smoltz
(17–3, 2.90 ERA), as well as Kevin Millwood
(17–8, 4.08 ERA) and Denny Neagle
(16–11, 3.55 ERA). However, it was the Padres that would prevail, 4 games to 2, with ace Kevin Brown pitching a shutout in game 2 (winning 3–0). Steve Finley caught a pop fly for the final out, as the Padres clinched the series.
the Padres faced the powerhouse New York Yankees
, who had steamrolled through the season with a 114–48 record and drew acclaim as one their greatest teams of all time. There was no offensive player with more than 30 home runs, in contrast to the teams of the 1920s, or 1950s, but they had four players with 24+ and eight with 17+. Yankee pitching had been paced by David Cone
(20–7, 3.55), Andy Pettitte
(16–11, 4.24), David Wells
(18–4, 3.49), Hideki Irabu
(13–9, 4.06) and Orlando Hernández
(12–4, 3.13). Mariano Rivera
, their closer, was excellent once again (3–0, 1.91 ERA with 36 saves).
The Yankees swept the Padres in four games. Mariano Rivera closed out 3 of the 4 games. One of the few bright spots of the series for the Padres was a home run by Tony Gwynn, in Game 1 that hit the facing of the right-field upper deck at Yankee Stadium and put the Padres ahead briefly, 5–2. But the Yankees would score 7 runs in the 7th inning en route to a 9–6 victory.
. Caminiti, a free agent went to the Houston Astros
. Vaughn and utilityman Mark Sweeney
were traded to the Cincinnati Reds
for left fielder Reggie Sanders
, infielder Damian Jackson
and pitching prospect Josh Harris. Starting pitcher Joey Hamilton
was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
for pitchers Woody Williams
and Carlos Almanzar
. The Padres opened their 1999 season
in Monterrey, Mexico versus the Colorado Rockies
. On August 6, 1999, Tony Gwynn got his 3,000th hit (a single) against the Montreal Expos
at Olympic Stadium
.
On October 7, 2001, in a post-game ceremony at Qualcomm Stadium
, Tony Gwynn
made an emotional farewell to the team that had been his only major-league home. In the game played that day, Rickey Henderson
, who in the meantime had rejoined the Padres, collected his 3,000th major-league base hit, a double. Gwynn struck his final major-league hit, also a double, in the previous game. He is presently head coach of the San Diego State University
Aztecs, his alma mater. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
on July 29, 2007.
Also in 2001, Dave Winfield
became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
as a Padre.
(1999–2003), the Padres moved into newly built PETCO Park
. PETCO Park is situated in downtown near San Diego's Gaslamp District, the main entrance located just two blocks from the downtown terminal of the San Diego Trolley
light-rail system. With new amenities and a revitalization of the downtown neighborhood, fan interest renewed. Modeled after recent successes in downtown ballpark building (such as San Francisco's AT&T Park), and incorporating San Diego history in the form of the preservation of the facade of the historic Western Metals Company building (now the left-field corner, the corner of the building substituting for the left field foul pole), the new Petco Park is a sharp contrast to their previous home at Qualcomm (Jack Murphy) Stadium which was a cookie-cutter type football-baseball facility located in an outer, mostly commercial-industrial, area of the city near an interstate interchange.
With the ocean air prevalent and a sharp, clean park to play in, the Padres began to win again. The new stadium also acquired a reputation as a pitchers' park, with notable complaints from some of the Padres batters themselves (deep center field and evenings with dense foggy air). The Padres finished the 2004 season
with an 87–75 record, good enough for 3rd in the NL West.
on September 30 gave them their 81st victory. In the 2005 NLDS
, the reigning National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, who finished the season with the majors' best record, swept the Padres in three consecutive games. Thus the Padres finished the season with an overall regular-and-post-season record of 82–83, the first post-season qualifier in a normal-length season to lose more games than it won overall.
The 2005 Padres featured bright spots, however, including ace pitcher Jake Peavy
, the NL strikeout leader, and closer Trevor Hoffman
, who claimed his 400th save.
However, after going 19–10 in May, the club moved into first place in the division. Closer Trevor Hoffman
was elected to the 2006 MLB All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, threw one inning in that game and got the loss. On September 24 (the last home game of the regular season), Hoffman became the all-time saves leader when he recorded his 479th career save, breaking Lee Smith
's record of 478 (Hoffman's career total as of the end of the season was 482). Hoffman's 2006 campaign (2.14 ERA, 46 saves in 51 opportunities through 65 games pitched) was one of his best. The 2006 Padres would attribute their success largely to the team's pitching staff. Their ERA was 3.87, first in the NL and trailing only the Detroit Tigers
in all of MLB.
On September 30, 2006, the Padres clinched a playoff berth with a 3–1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks
. In the final game of the season, the Padres defeated the Diamondbacks 7–6 to win back to back division titles for the first time in team history (they were tied with the Dodgers for the division title, but because of winning the season series against them, the division title went to them and the wild card went to the Dodgers). The final out of the final game of the 2006 regular season — confirming the Padres as Division champions — was a highly unusual play. With Trevor Hoffman pitching the 9th, 2 out, Diamondback Chris Young was on first. Alberto Callaspo
hit a grounder past first. Second baseman Josh Barfield
fielded and threw wildly to first, forcing Gonzalez to come off the bag. However, Gonzalez then threw to Khalil Greene
at second, beating but not tagging Young. Second base umpire Larry Poncino initially called safe because of the no-tag, but Padres manager Bruce Bochy
successfully argued that the force play at second did not need a tag to be declared out. The game, and the season, ended with a changed call. TV replay, however, clearly showed that Greene was off the bag as well, so the original call may have been correct. This call, understandably, was greeted by a long and loud chorus of boos by the Diamondbacks fans who packed Chase Field
to bid farewell to Luis Gonzalez.
Only 53 teams in the modern era have posted sub-.500 records in April and survived to make the postseason. The San Diego Padres achieved the feat in both 2005 and 2006.
The Padres opened the 2006 National League Division Series
at home against the St. Louis Cardinals
on Tuesday, October 3, 2006. After losing the first two games at home (5–1 and 2–0 respectively), they won game 3 at Busch Stadium 3–1, but were eliminated with a 6–2 loss in Game 4, when the Cardinals, who trailed 2–0 before their first at-bat, scored six unanswered runs (two in the first, and four in the sixth) for the win.
, and the Texas Rangers
' General Manager, Jon Daniels
, would prove to have a dramatic impact on their 2006 season. The Padres dealt starting pitcher Adam Eaton
, middle reliever Akinori Otsuka
, and minor-league catcher Billy Killian in exchange for starting pitcher Chris Young, left fielder Terrmel Sledge
, and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez
. Gonzalez would take over the everyday duties at first base, batting .304 with a club-leading 24 home runs and 82 RBI in his first year as a full-time starter. Sledge would hit .229 in limited major league action. Chris Young proved to be the real story, however, as he would go 11–5 with a 3.46 ERA (6th best in the National League) and allowed just 6.72 hits per 9 innings pitched – best in the majors.
2006 also ended up being the last year of Bruce Bochy
's tenure as the manager of the Padres, taking the managerial position for their divisional rivals, the San Francisco Giants
. He was replaced by Bud Black
, a San Diego State University
alumni and former pitching coach of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
.
, keeping him in San Diego until 2010 with a club option for 2011. Prior to this contract agreement the Padres had offered to renew Gonzalez's contract during the offseason at $380,500, only $500 over the league minimum for the 2007 season.
The Padres' 2007 season began April 3 in an away game against the San Francisco Giants
, winning it 7–0 in front of a capacity crowd of 42,773 at AT&T Park
, defeating $126 million staff-ace Barry Zito
in his Giants debut. The Padres bullpen has continued to be the team's strength as in recent years, opening the season with 28 scoreless innings, a Major League record to start a season. At the start of the season the Padres starting rotation order was as follows: Jake Peavy
, Chris Young, Clay Hensley
(injured, replaced by Justin Germano
), Greg Maddux
, David Wells
.
On June 6, 2007, Trevor Hoffman
became the first pitcher in major league history to record 500 saves, 498 of them coming as a Padre (the first 2 were as a Florida Marlin
).
On September 23, 2007, Milton Bradley (baseball) tore his right ACL
while being restrained by Padres manager Bud Black
during an altercation with first base umpire
Mike Winters
. Home plate
umpire Brian Runge
reportedly told Bradley that Winters said that Bradley had tossed his bat in Runge's direction in a previous at-bat. After Bradley reached first base, he questioned Winters about the alleged bat throwing and subsequent communication with Runge. According to Bradley and Padres first base coach Bobby Meacham
, Winters used a profanity towards Bradley. Bradley then moved towards Winters. While restrained by Black, Bradley fell to the ground resulting in the injury. He missed the last week of the regular season in 2007, during which the Padres relinquished their wild card lead, ultimately losing to the eventual N.L. Champion Colorado Rockies
in a one game playoff.
The Padres ended the regular season in an 89–73 tie for the NL wild card with the Colorado Rockies
. In a cruel piece of irony, on September 29, 2007, the Padres were within one out and one strike of clinching the National League Wild Card berth, but Tony Gwynn, Jr.
, son of the longtime Padres legend, tripled against Hoffman to tie the game. The Padres went on to lose that game, and the one that followed, even though the Milwaukee Brewers
had been eliminated from the pennant race and had nothing left to play for. The Padres then met the Rockies on October 1, 2007 in Denver for a one-game playoff to decide the wild card winner. Despite having Jake Peavy
start the game and bringing in Trevor Hoffman in the bottom of the 13th inning to try to hold an 8–6 lead, the Padres' season ended when the Rockies rallied to win 9–8. It ended on a controversial call on a sacrifice fly where many questioned whether Matt Holliday
ever touched home plate, leaving Padre fans saying "Holliday never touched home!" The umpire of that game claimed that the catcher, Michael Barrett, was blocking the plate before he had possession of the ball. Therefore Holiday was ruled safe.
On November 15, Jake Peavy won the National League Cy Young Award
by unanimous ballot. He was the fourth Padre to capture the pitching award.
On April 17, 2008, during the series against the Colorado Rockies
at PETCO Park
, the Padres played the longest game in team history, in terms of innings (22), losing 2–1. The game was the second longest in team history, in terms of time, played in 6 hours, 16 minutes. Following that game, which sapped the team's bullpen strength, the Padres stumbled, dropping games at home, where they struggled to score runs, and on the road, where they committed uncharacteristic errors and failed to hold leads.
Following the All-Star break, the Padres continued to struggle, getting swept in a four-game series in St. Louis and losing two of three in Cincinnati. A trip to Pittsburgh proved to be the tonic the team needed. The Padres won three of four in the Steel City and during the series the Pirates traded former Padre underachiever Xavier Nady to the Yankees for prospects. Back home, the Padres won the first game of the series against the division-leading Diamondbacks. The win gave Greg Maddux
351 career wins and he tipped his hat to the crowd when he left with a lead. Late in August, the team parted ways with Greg Maddux by trading him to the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
The team finished off a 63–99 season on September 28 with a 10–6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, finishing 5th in the NL West, 21 games behind the division leader Los Angeles Dodgers.
.
to finish the season in last place in the NL West. On August 25, however, the Padres were 76–49 and in first place with a game lead. A 10–game losing streak immediately followed. With a 3–0 loss on October 3, the final game of the season, the Padres were officially eliminated from playoff contention and the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants
won the division. The Padres led the NL West for 148 days in 2010.
Adrian Gonzalez
would have been in the last year of his contract in 2011, but the Padres were not going to meet Gonzalez’s open market value especially with Jeff Moorad
’s purchase of the Padres from John Moores
not completing until around 2013. On December 6, 2010, Gonzalez was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for a package of right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly
, first baseman Anthony Rizzo
, outfielder Reymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later
, later determined to be Eric Patterson
.
After the 2011 season, general manager Jed Hoyer left the Padres to join the Chicago Cubs
. Josh Byrnes
was promoted from senior vice president of baseball operations to replace Hoyer.
in Peoria, Arizona
since 1994. They share the stadium with the Seattle Mariners
.
From 1969 to 1993, the Padres held Spring Training in Yuma, Arizona
at Desert Sun Stadium
. Due to the short driving distance and direct highway route (170 miles, all on Interstate 8
), Yuma was very popular with Padres fans, and many fans would travel by car from San Diego for Spring Training games. The move from Yuma to Peoria was very controversial, but was defended by the team as a reflection on the low quality of facilities in Yuma and the long travel necessary to play against other Arizona-based Spring Training teams (whose sites were all in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, both rather far from Yuma).
swinging a bat with Padres written at the top while standing in a sun-like figure with San Diego Padres on the exterior of it. The "Swinging Friar" has popped up on the uniform on and off ever since (he is currently on the left sleeve of the navy alternate jersey) although the head of the friar has been tweaked from the original in recent years, and it is currently the mascot
of the team. The original team colors were the brown and gold of the original logo.
In 1985, the Padres switched to using a script-like logo in which Padres was written sloped up. That would later become a script logo for the Padres. The team's colors were changed to brown and orange and remained this way through the 1990 season.
In 1989, the Padres took the scripted Padres logo that was used from 1985 to 1988 and put it in a tan ring that read "San Diego Baseball Club" with a striped center. In 1991, the logo was changed to a silver ring with the Padres script changed from brown to blue. The logo only lasted one year, as the Padres changed their logo for the third time in three years, again by switching colors of the ring. The logo became a white ring with fewer stripes in the center and a darker blue Padres script with orange shadows. In 1991, the team's colors were also changed, to a combination of orange and navy blue.
The logo was completely changed when the team changed stadiums between the 2003 and 2004 seasons, as the logo now looks like home plate at a baseball field with San Diego written in sand font at the top right corner and the Padres new script written completely across the center. Waves finish the bottom of the plate. Navy remains but a sandy beige replaces orange as a secondary color. The team's colors were also changed, to navy blue and sand brown. The San Diego has been removed from the top right corner of the logo for the 2011 season, and the away uniform changed from sand to gray.
For the 2012 season the Padres unveiled a new primary logo, featuring the cap logo inside a navy blue circle with the words "San Diego Padres Baseball Club" adorning the outer circle. The "swinging friar" logo was recolored to the current colors of navy blue and white. Another secondary logo features the Padres script carried over from the previous year's logo below the depiction of Petco Park
in sand and above the year of the team's first season (EST. 1969). The blue and sand version will be used in the home uniforms, with the blue and white version to be used on the away and alternate uniforms.
Starting in 1996 the Padres became the first national sports team to have an annual military appreciation event. Following in 2000 the Padres began wearing a camouflage
, to honor the military
; the jersey has since gone through three different versions. Starting in 2008, during every Sunday home games, the Padres wear camouflage jerseys. They also wear these uniforms on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Beginning in 2011, the Padres have changed the camouflage design to a more modern "digital" design, using the MARPAT
design after receiving permission from then-Commandant
Conway
, and dropped the green from the letting and logo of the jersey. Green has been replaced by a sand-olive color (also in the cap worn with the jersey). Since 1995 Marine Recruits from the nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot
often visit the games en masse, in uniform, often filling entire sections in the upper deck. When they are present, the team commemorates this with a special Fourth Inning Stretch featuring the Marine Hymn
. over sixty thousand marine recruits have been hosted by the Padres. This is part of an extensive military outreach program, which also includes a series of Military Appreciation Night games, and game tapes mailed to deployed United States Navy
ships of the Pacific Fleet for onboard viewing (a large portion of the Pacific Fleet
is homeported in San Diego).
The "Swinging Friar" is currently the mascot
of the team. Some in the past have confused The Famous Chicken as the mascot of the Padres. Although he does make appearances occasionally at San Diego sporting events, he has never been the official mascot of any San Diego sports team.
played and/or managed for the Padres.
Gwynn, Winfield, Fingers, Gossage, Randy Jones, and Graig Nettles
(3B, 1984–1987) are also members of the San Diego Hall of Champions
, which is open to athletes native to the San Diego area (such as Gwynn and Nettles) as well as to those who played for San Diego teams.
* Played as Padres
's number 42, which was retired by all of Major League Baseball.
The retired numbers are displayed in center field atop the batter's eye wall. They are free standing and mounted on poles. During the 2004 season, the first season in PETCO Park, there were only four retired numbers displayed. Gwynn's number 19 was not yet officially retired until late in the season and was added the following winter. Trevor Hoffman's
number 51 was retired on August 21, 2011.
The Padres also have a "star on the wall" in honor of broadcaster Jerry Coleman
, in reference to his trademark phrase "Oh Doctor! You can hang a star on that baby!" Nearby the initials of former owner Ray Kroc
are also displayed. Both the star and the initials are painted in gold on the front of the pressbox down the right field line accompanied by the name of the person in white.
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Florida Marlins
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1998
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
Atlanta Braves
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Philadelphia Phillies
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1984
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
St. Louis Cardinals
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League Western Division Champions
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 2005
& 2006
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
Arizona Diamondbacks
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
San Francisco Giants
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1998
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
Arizona Diamondbacks
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1996
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
San Francisco Giants
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1984
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers
|-
radio stations were XEPRS 1090AM and XHPRS
105.7FM, collectively known as "XX 1090" When XX was only on AM, the station was known as the "Mighty 1090." Ted Leitner
is the primary play-by-play announcer, with Andy Masur
working the middle innings of each game. Jerry Coleman
, former Yankee
second baseman and Padres manager and a Ford C. Frick Award
-winning longtime broadcaster, no longer does play-by-play; however, he does work as a color commentator
alongside Leitner and Masur, mostly during the middle part of the game. The games are also broadcast in Spanish
on XEMO
, "La Poderosa 860 AM", with Eduardo Ortega and Juan Angel Avila announcing. As of 2010, 105.7 has dropped the Padres broadcasts, and the games are now only broadcast on 1090AM.
Padres' games starting in 2012 will be televised by a new outlet of FSN West, to be tenatively called FSN San Diego upon the start of the spring training sessions. Prior to that, games were televised mostly on 4SD
, a cable-only channel controlled by Cox Communications. Dick Enberg
currently serves as play-by-play announcer, and Mark Grant
is the primary color commentator
(with Tony Gwynn
providing commentary for select telecasts). Previously, Matt Vasgersian
was the play-by-play announcer from 2002 to 2008. In 2006, the booth played host to a controversial guest appearance by Rick Sutcliffe, who had been Grant's predecessor before joining ESPN
. Sutcliffe appeared to be drunk and discussed topics other than baseball, even when Vasgersian tried to redirect the subject. After the appearance, ESPN suspended Sutcliffe for a week. For the 2009 season, Vasgersian left the Padres to join the MLB Network
and was replaced by veteran minor league announcer Mark Neely, who for the previous 13 years had been the voice of the Tulsa Drillers
of the Texas League
. Neely will continue to serve as a pre- and postgame reporter for FSN San Diego, and called play-by-play on a substitute basis when Enberg had network commitments with both ESPN or CBS Sports
. 4SD's contract with the Padres expired after the 2011 season.
Spanish language telecasts of Sunday games are seen XHAS-TV
channel 33. Until September 2007, Friday and Saturday Spanish games were seen on KBOP-CA channel 43, until that station changed to an all-infomercial format. This makes XHAS the only over-the-air-television station carrying Padres baseball. English-language Padres over-the-air broadcasts aired over the years on XETV
, KCST
, KUSI, KFMB-TV
and KSWB-TV
.
John Demott was the Padres' first public address announcer when the team began in 1969. By the late 1970s Bruce Binkowski had taken over as PA announcer, and became the longest-serving public address announcer in the team's history, remaining until the end of the 1999 season. First DeMott and then Binkowski also were responsible with PA announcing duties for the San Diego Chargers
and the San Diego State University
Aztecs, both of which were joint tenants at Qualcomm Stadium with the Padres until the Padres moved into Petco Park
. The current PA announcer is Frank Anthony, a radio host with 105.7 The Walrus.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team based in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. They play in the National League Western Division
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Pennant twice, in 1984
1984 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 21, 1983: Sandy Alomar, Jr. was signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent.* December 6, 1983: Joe Pittman and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the San Francisco Giants for Champ Summers...
and 1998
1998 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres season was a Major League Baseball season. The Padres won the National League championship and advanced to the World Series for the second time in franchise history....
, losing in the World Series both times. They and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
are the only MLB California teams to originate in California; the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
are originally from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and the Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
are originally from Philadelphia.
Pre 1970s: Beginnings
The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diegan Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
. The team's name, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friars who founded San Diego
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
in 1769.
In 1969, the San Diego Padres joined the ranks of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as one of four new expansion teams, along with the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(now the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
), the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
and the Seattle Pilots
Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington for one season, . The Pilots played home games at Sick's Stadium and were a member of the West Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
(now the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
). Their original owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. Despite initial excitement, the guidance of longtime baseball executives, Eddie Leishman and Buzzie Bavasi
Buzzie Bavasi
Emil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi was an American executive in Major League Baseball who played a major role in the operation of three franchises from the late 1940s through the mid-1980s....
as well as a new playing field
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
, the team struggled; the Padres finished in last place in each of its first six seasons in the NL West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
, losing 100 games or more four times. One of the few bright spots on the team during the early years was first baseman and slugger Nate Colbert
Nate Colbert
Nathan Colbert Jr. , is a former American Major League Baseball player who was a first baseman with the Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , Detroit Tigers , Montreal Expos and Oakland Athletics .Signed by his hometown St...
, an expansion draftee from the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and still the Padres' career leader in home runs.
Washington Padres
Before the 1974 season began, the Padres were on the verge of being sold to Joseph Danzansky, who was planning to move the franchise to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
by the beginning of the 1974 season. People were so convinced the transfer would happen that new uniforms were designed. Even the baseball card companies were fooled. About half of the Padres' player cards printed by Topps
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
that season displayed "Washington National League" as the team name. But C. Arnholt Smith changed his mind, and instead sold the Padres to McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
co-founder Ray Kroc
Ray Kroc
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
, who was not interested in moving the team and kept the team in San Diego.
1970s: Winfield, Jones, Fingers and Ozzie
In his first home game as the Padres' new owner in 1974, Ray KrocRay Kroc
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
grabbed the public address system microphone and apologized to fans for the poor performance of the team, saying, "I've never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life." At the same time, a streaker
Streaking
Streaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
raced across the field, eluding security personnel. Kroc shouted, "Throw him in jail!" The following season, 1975, would be the first season that the Padres would not finish in the National League West cellar (finishing fourth), and brought the promise of an owner who would make the necessary changes to the organization.
Nate Colbert
Nate Colbert
Nathan Colbert Jr. , is a former American Major League Baseball player who was a first baseman with the Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , Detroit Tigers , Montreal Expos and Oakland Athletics .Signed by his hometown St...
is one of two major-league baseball players (Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
is the other) to have hit five home runs in a doubleheader, a feat he accomplished as a Padre. He collected 13 RBIs in that doubleheader, still a major league record. Although the Padres continued to struggle after Colbert's departure via trade to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in 1974, they did feature star outfielder Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
, who came to the Padres in 1973 from the University of Minnesota without having played a single game in the minor leagues. Winfield was also drafted by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
of the American Basketball Association.
Winfield took over where Colbert left off, starring in the Padres outfield from 1973 until 1980, when he joined the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. In seven seasons, Winfield played in 1,117 games for San Diego and collected 1,134 hits, 154 home runs and drove in 626 runs. But most importantly, he helped the team
1975 San Diego Padres season
The 1975 San Diego Padres season was the 7th in franchise history. It was the first season in which the Padres did not finish in the National League West cellar , and brought the promise of an owner who would make the necessary changes to the organization.- Offseason :* October 3, 1974: Horace...
out of the National League West basement for the first time in 1975
1975 Major League Baseball season
The 1975 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues.-News and notes:*Frank Robinson beacme the first black manager in the Major Leagues. He managed the Cleveland Indians....
, under the guidance of manager John McNamara
John McNamara (baseball)
John Francis McNamara is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He managed six major league teams, directing the 1986 Boston Red Sox to the American League pennant, only to experience an excruciating defeat in that season's World Series at the hands of the New York Mets.-Playing,...
, who took over the club at the start of the 1974 season.
Winfield's emergence as a legitimate star coincided with the turnaround of a promising young left-handed pitcher named Randy Jones, who had suffered through 22 losses in 1974. Jones became the first San Diego pitcher to win 20 games in 1975, going 20–12 in 37 outings as the Padres finished in fourth place with a 71–91 record, 37 games behind the Cincinnati Reds
1975 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1975 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League West with a record of 108-54, 20 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds went on to win the National League Championship Series by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in...
.
Jones won 22 games in 1976
1976 Major League Baseball season
The 1976 Major League Baseball season was the last season in which both the AL and the NL had the same number of teams until 1993. The season ended with the Cincinnati Reds taking the World Series Championship for the second consecutive season by sweeping the New York Yankees in four games...
, winning the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in the process, another franchise first. The club set a new high with 73 wins, but fell to fifth place.
Jones slipped to 6–12 in 1977
1977 Major League Baseball season
The American League had its third expansion as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays began play. However, the National League did not expand, thus they remained at twelve teams, to the AL's 14, until the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins joined in 1993....
, and not even the acquisition of Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
could help the Padres escape the bottom half of the division. Only Winfield and fellow outfielder George Hendrick
George Hendrick
George Andrew Hendrick Jr. is a former major league outfielder for the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels. However Hendrick is best remembered as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he played for from 1979–84. He was a...
cracked the 20-homer barrier, and the pitching staff was filled with a group of unknowns and youngsters, few of whom would enjoy much success at the major league level.
The 1978 season
1978 Major League Baseball season
The 1978 Major League Baseball season saw the New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their second consecutive World Series, and 22nd overall, in a rematch of the prior season's Fall Classic...
brought hope to baseball fans in San Diego, thanks to the arrival a young shortstop named Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
, who arrived on the scene and turned the baseball world on its ears with an acrobatic style that redefined how the position should be played in the field. The Padres hosted the All-Star Game
1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 49th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 11, 1978 at San Diego Stadium in San Diego, California, home of the...
that summer. The National League won the contest 7–3 thanks to an MVP performance by Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
, who would play a crucial role for San Diego in the not-too-distant future.
Winfield and Fingers represented the team at the game, but conspicuously absent was starting pitcher Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
, who joined the Padres after spending three years with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. At 39 years of age and coming off a 15–14 season with Texas, little was expected of him. All Perry did that summer was post a 21–6 record and a 2.73 earned run average, edging Montreal's Ross Grimsley
Ross Grimsley
Ross Albert Grimsley II is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Baltimore Orioles , Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians...
to earn the Padres' second Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in three seasons. San Diego also picked up another first that summer, compiling an 84–78 mark for manager Roger Craig
Roger Craig (baseball)
Roger Craig may refer to:*Roger Craig , former NFL running back*Roger Craig , former pitcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball...
, the only time in 10 seasons the team finished a season with a winning percentage above .500.
The good times did not last, as the Padres closed out the decade with another losing season in 1979
1979 Major League Baseball season
-Champions:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles ; Willie Stargell, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None.*National League Championship Series MVP: Willie Stargell...
, a 68–93 record that cost Craig his job. Winfield was the lone bright spot, leading the National League with 118 RBIs. The good times continued to fade out as Winfield signed a 10-year contract with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
after the 1980 season.
1984: The first pennant
The 1984 season began with a shock: Ray Kroc died of heart disease on January 14. Ownership of the team passed to his third wife, Joan Kroc. The team would wear Ray's initials, "RAK" on their jersey's left sleeve during the entire season, as well as the 1985 and 1986 seasons.Fortunately, happier times were ahead for the team. The Padres finished at 92–70 in 1984 and won the National League West championship, despite having no players with 100-RBI and only two batters with 20-HR. They were managed by Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
and had an offense that featured veterans Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
, Garry Templeton
Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton, nicknamed "Jumpsteady", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991...
, Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
, Alan Wiggins
Alan Wiggins
Alan Anthony Wiggins was a Major League Baseball second baseman and left fielder. He was the first baseball player known to die of AIDS.-Early career:Wiggins was born in 1958 in Los Angeles, California...
as well as Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
, who captured his first of what would be eight National League batting championships that year (he would also win in 1987–89 and from 1994–97; Gwynn shares the National League record with Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
). Gwynn, who also would win five National League Gold Gloves during his career, joined the Padres in 1982 following starring roles in both baseball and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
(he still holds the school record for career basketball assists), and after having been selected in the previous year by both the Padres in the baseball draft and by the then San Diego Clippers in the National Basketball Association
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
draft. The Padres pitching staff in 1984 featured Eric Show
Eric Show
Eric Vaughn Show was a Major League Baseball player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit...
(15–9), Ed Whitson
Ed Whitson
Eddie Lee Whitson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher best remembered for his short and turbulent stint with the New York Yankees in the mid 1980s. He batted and threw right-handed.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
(14–8), Mark Thurmond
Mark Thurmond
Mark Anthony Thurmond , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1983-1990...
(14–8), Tim Lollar
Tim Lollar
William Timothy Lollar is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1980-86 for the New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox , primarily as a starting pitcher.- Early career :Lollar played...
(11–13), and Rich "Goose" Gossage as their closer (10–6, 2.90 ERA and 25 saves).
Playoffs
In the 1984 NLCS1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
, the Padres faced the NL East champion Chicago Cubs
1984 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 1984 season was the 109th season for the Cubs. The team finished with a record of 96-65 in first place of the National League Eastern Division. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green...
, who were making their first post-season appearance since 1945 and featured NL Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
and Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Rick Sutcliffe. The Cubs would win the first two games at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, and were less than two innings away from a series sweep when their luck changed. The Padres swept the final three games at then San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium (the highlight arguably being Steve Garvey's dramatic, game winning home run off of Lee Smith in Game 4) to win the 1984 National League pennant. Gossage, a former New York Yankee, said the San Diego crowd at Game 3 was "the loudest crowd I've ever heard anywhere." Gwynn agreed as well. Jack Murphy Stadium played "Cub-Busters", a parody of the theme song
Ghostbusters (song)
"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11 in 1984, and stayed there for three weeks...
from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
. Cub-Busters T-shirts inspired from the movie were popular attire for Padres fans.
In the 1984 World Series
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
, the Padres faced the powerful Detroit Tigers
1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
, who steamrolled through the regular season with 104 victories (and had started out with a 35–5 record, the best ever through the first 40 games). The Tigers were managed by Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
and featured shortstop and native San Diegan Alan Trammell
Alan Trammell
Alan Stuart Trammell is a retired American baseball shortstop of the Detroit Tigers from to . Trammell, nicknamed "Tram", played his entire career with the Tigers, highlighted by a World Series championship in and an American League East division championship in . Although his arm was not...
and outfielder Kirk Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
, along with Lance Parrish and DH Darrell Evans. The pitching staff was bolstered by ace Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
(19–11, 3.60 ERA), Dan Petry (18–8), Milt Wilcox (17–8), and closer Willie Hernández
Willie Hernández
Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
(9–3, 1.92 ERA with 32 saves). Jack Morris would win games 1 and 4 and the Tigers would go on to win the Series 4-games-to-1.
Reporter Barry Bloom of MLB.com
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
wrote in 2011 that "the postseason in ’84 is still the most exciting week of Major League Baseball ever played in San Diego."
1985
After the Padres won the pennant in 1984, they had some tough times. Tony GwynnTony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
continued to win batting titles (including batting .394 in 1994). The Padres would come close in 1985. They would field eight All-Stars (manager Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
, Tony Gwynn, Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
, Rich Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
, Terry Kennedy
Terry Kennedy
Terrence Edward Kennedy is a former All-Star Major League Baseball catcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , San Diego Padres , Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants . Kennedy batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He is the son of former major league player and manager Bob Kennedy...
, Garry Templeton
Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton, nicknamed "Jumpsteady", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991...
, Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
, and La Marr Hoyt) at the 1985 All-Star Game in Minnesota
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. However, they collapsed at the end of the season, finishing tied for third with the Houston Astros
1985 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1985 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.-Offseason:...
behind the Los Angeles Dodgers
1985 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1985 Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. Fernando Valenzuela set a major league record for most consecutive innings at the start of a season without allowing an earned run .-Offseason:*January 3,...
and Cincinnati Reds
1985 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1985 season consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League West. The Reds finished in second place, 5½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. This year, the Reds adopted an alternate uniform...
.
1986
Williams was let go as manager just before 1986 spring training. His record with the Padres was 337–311 over four seasons. He is the only manager in the team's history without a losing season. His difficulties with the Padres stemmed from a power struggle with team president Ballard Smith and general manager Jack McKeonJack McKeon
John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins...
. Late in the 1986 season, Gossage was suspended and then reinstated with a $25,000 fine for behavior not in the best interest of the team. Gossage said that Smith "wants choirboys and not winning players" and that Smith "just listens to what Mom says," a reference to Padres owner Kroc, Smith's mother-in-law. Gossage also said Kroc was "poisoning the world with her cheeseburgers." He later apologized to McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, which Gossage said his family would continue to frequent.
1987
In 1987, rookie catcher Benito SantiagoBenito Santiago
Benito Santiago Rivera is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played for twenty seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the San Diego Padres...
hit in 34 straight games, earning him the NL Rookie of the Year Award
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
. However, the Padres finished dead last in 1987, thanks to the managing of the tempestuous Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
. The next season, rookie second baseman Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
would make his debut, forming a double play combination with veteran shortstop Garry Templeton
Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton, nicknamed "Jumpsteady", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991...
.
1988-89
During the 1988 season1988 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the underdog Los Angeles Dodgers shocking the Oakland Athletics, who had won 104 games during the regular season, in the World Series. The most memorable moment of the series came in Game 1, when injured Dodger Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic pinch-hit...
, Bowa was replaced by Jack McKeon
Jack McKeon
John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins...
and the Padres won 83 games, finishing in third place. In 1989
1989 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers **Kevin Mitchell, San Francisco Giants *Cy Young Award**Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals **Mark Davis, San Diego Padres *Rookie of the Year...
, the Padres
1989 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 24, 1988: Lance McCullers, Jimmy Jones, and Stan Jefferson were traded by the Padres to the New York Yankees for Jack Clark and Pat Clements.* December 8, 1988: Bruce Hurst was signed as a free agent by the Padres....
finished 89–73 thanks to Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
-winning closer Mark Davis. Between 1989 and 1990, friction dominated the Padres' clubhouse as Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
had constant shouting matches with slugger Jack Clark
Jack Clark (baseball)
Jack Anthony Clark , also known as "Jack the Ripper," is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1975 through 1992, Clark played for the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox...
. But as the franchise player, Gwynn prevailed as Clark finished his career with the Red Sox.
1990-95
Midway through the 1990 season, Joan Kroc wanted to sell the team. But she wanted a commitment to San Diego. So Kroc sold it to television producer Tom WernerTom Werner
Thomas Charles "Tom" Werner is an American television producer and businessman who, via his investment in New England Sports Ventures, is chairman of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club....
. After the ownership change, the old brown that remained in Padres uniforms since their inception were supplanted by navy blue, a nod to the vintage 1940s PCL franchise colors. Shortly after the ownership change, a trade was made with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
where Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
and Roberto Alomar were traded for Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
and Tony Fernandez
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
.
In 1992
1992 Major League Baseball season
The 1992 MLB season saw a resergence in pitching dominance. On average, 1 out of every 7 games pitched that season was a shutout; in 2,106 MLB regular-season games, 298 shutouts were pitched . Two teams pitched at least 20 shutouts each; the Atlanta Braves led the Majors with 24 and the Pittsburgh...
, the Padres lineup featured the "Four Tops": Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
, Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
, Tony Fernández
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
, and Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
. However, Fernandez would go to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, McGriff went to the division-winning Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, and Sheffield would go to the expansion Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. Although extremely unpopular at the time, it was the Sheffield trade that brought in pitcher Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
, who was virtually unknown to Padres fans. While Sheffield led Florida to a World Championship in 1997, Hoffman would be the next franchise player behind Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
and Tony Gwynn.
The Padres would finish dead last in the strike-shortened 1994 season
1994 Major League Baseball season
The 1994 Major League Baseball season ended with the infamous players strike ending the season on August 11, 1994.-Strike:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason was played...
, but Gwynn hit .394 that year (the most since Ted Williams hit over .400 in 1941). After that season, the Padres made a mega-trade with Houston reeling in Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti
Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
, Steve Finley
Steve Finley
Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
, and others. In November 1995, Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
was promoted from scouting director to general manager.
1996
In 1996, under new owner John MooresJohn Moores (baseball)
John Jay Moores is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the owner of the San Diego Padres.-Early years:...
(a software tycoon who purchased controlling ownership in the team in 1994 from Tom Werner, who subsequently formed a syndicate that purchased the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
) and team president Larry Lucchino
Larry Lucchino
Lawrence Lucchino, is the current President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, and a member of John W...
, and with a team managed by former Padres catcher Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
(a member of the 1984 NL championship squad), the team won the NL West in an exciting race, sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers
1996 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1996 season saw the Dodgers remain atop the standings most of the season. However, long time manager Tommy Lasorda suffered a heart attack in mid-season and had to step down...
at Dodger Stadium in the final series of the regular season. The '96 team featured Gwynn, who won his seventh National League batting championship, National League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti
Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
, premier leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea is a Mexican former left-handed pitcher, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 1981, the 20-year-old Valenzuela took Los Angeles by storm, winning his first 8 decisions and leading the Dodgers to the World Championship...
, first baseman Wally Joyner
Wally Joyner
Wallace Keith "Wally" Joyner is a former first baseman and hitting coach in Major League Baseball. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Steve Finley
Steve Finley
Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
. The Padres had led the NL West early in the season only to falter in June, but came back in July and battled the Dodgers the rest of the way. However, they were defeated in the National League Division Series
1996 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 1:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Cardinals and Padres began their rivalry in this series. The Cardinals' first of three postseason victories against the Padres took place here. Their dominance is overwhelming to the tune of only one...
by the Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
-led St. Louis Cardinals
1996 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 1996 season was the team's 115th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 105th season in the National League. During the first year of the William DeWitt, Jr. era, the Cardinals went 88-74 during the season and won their first-ever National League Central division title by...
, 3 games to 0.
1997
The Padres suffered an off-year in 1997, plagued by a pitching slump. The one silver lining was Tony Gwynn's eighth and final National League batting title, won in the final days of the season after a down-to-the wire duel with the Colorado Rockies' Larry WalkerLarry Walker
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
. Walker barely missed becoming the first Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
winner in baseball since Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
in 1967.
1998: The second pennant
In 19981998 Major League Baseball season
*American League Championship Series MVP: David Wells**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Sterling Hitchcock**National League Division Series*All-Star Game, July 7 at Coors Field: American League, 13-8; Roberto Alomar, MVP...
, Henderson and Valenzuela were gone, but newly acquired (from the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
) pitcher Kevin Brown had a sensational year (his only one with the Padres) and outfielder/slugger Greg Vaughn
Greg Vaughn
Gregory Lamont Vaughn is a former Major League Baseball left fielder and right-handed batter who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , San Diego Padres , Cincinnati Reds , Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Colorado Rockies . He was born in Sacramento, California, where he attended Kennedy High School...
hit 50 home runs (overlooked in that season of the Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
-Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
race). Managed by Bruce Bochy and aided by the talents of players such as Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti, Wally Joyner, Steve Finley, pitcher Andy Ashby and premier closer Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
(4–2, 1.48 ERA and 53 saves), the Padres had their best year in history, finishing 98–64 and winning the NL West division crown.
1998 NLDS
The Padres went on to defeat the Houston Astros1998 Houston Astros season
The 1998 Houston Astros season marked their second consecutive trip to the postseason. It was the only time in history that the Astros had over 100 wins in a season...
in the 1998 NLDS
1998 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves faced the Chicago Cubs, who made it into the playoffs by beating the San Francisco Giants in a tiebreaker for the Wild Card spot. The Braves had sixteen more regular season wins and it showed in...
, 3 games to 1, behind solid pitching by Brown and Hoffman, and home runs by Greg Vaughn
Greg Vaughn
Gregory Lamont Vaughn is a former Major League Baseball left fielder and right-handed batter who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , San Diego Padres , Cincinnati Reds , Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Colorado Rockies . He was born in Sacramento, California, where he attended Kennedy High School...
, Wally Joyner
Wally Joyner
Wallace Keith "Wally" Joyner is a former first baseman and hitting coach in Major League Baseball. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star...
and Jim Leyritz
Jim Leyritz
James Joseph Leyritz is a former catcher and infielder in Major League Baseball.-Early years:Leyritz attended Turpin High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Middle Georgia Jr...
(who homered in 3 of the 4 games).
1998 NLCS
In the 1998 NLCS, the Padres faced the Atlanta Braves1988 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:* November 13, 1987: Ken Griffey, Sr. was signed as a free agent by the Braves.* December 6, 1987: Graig Nettles was signed as a free agent by the Braves.* March 24, 1988: Graig Nettles was purchased from the Braves by the Montreal Expos....
, who had won the National League East with an astonishing 106–56 record. The offense was paced by talent such as Andrés Galarraga
Andrés Galarraga
Andrés José Padovani Galarraga is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Atlanta Braves , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels...
, Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
, Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
and Javy López
Javy López
Javier López Torres is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
. Their pitching staff had the perennial big-3 of Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
(18–9, 2.22 ERA), Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
(20–6, 2.47 ERA), and John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
(17–3, 2.90 ERA), as well as Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
(17–8, 4.08 ERA) and Denny Neagle
Denny Neagle
Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was last under contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during the season, but he did not play due to injury...
(16–11, 3.55 ERA). However, it was the Padres that would prevail, 4 games to 2, with ace Kevin Brown pitching a shutout in game 2 (winning 3–0). Steve Finley caught a pop fly for the final out, as the Padres clinched the series.
1998 World Series
In the 1998 World Series1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
the Padres faced the powerhouse New York Yankees
1998 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1998 season was the 96th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a franchise record regular-season standing of 114-48, 22 games ahead of the second-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East...
, who had steamrolled through the season with a 114–48 record and drew acclaim as one their greatest teams of all time. There was no offensive player with more than 30 home runs, in contrast to the teams of the 1920s, or 1950s, but they had four players with 24+ and eight with 17+. Yankee pitching had been paced by David Cone
David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
(20–7, 3.55), Andy Pettitte
Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...
(16–11, 4.24), David Wells
David Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
(18–4, 3.49), Hideki Irabu
Hideki Irabu
was a professional baseball player of Okinawan and American mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States.-Early life:...
(13–9, 4.06) and Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
(12–4, 3.13). Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
, their closer, was excellent once again (3–0, 1.91 ERA with 36 saves).
The Yankees swept the Padres in four games. Mariano Rivera closed out 3 of the 4 games. One of the few bright spots of the series for the Padres was a home run by Tony Gwynn, in Game 1 that hit the facing of the right-field upper deck at Yankee Stadium and put the Padres ahead briefly, 5–2. But the Yankees would score 7 runs in the 7th inning en route to a 9–6 victory.
1999–2003: Tough times following a pennant, again
Entering the 1999 season, some instrumental players to the 1998 World Series team were gone. Brown, a free agent, signed the biggest contract in baseball history with the Dodgers. Finley, a free agent, signed with the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. Caminiti, a free agent went to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. Vaughn and utilityman Mark Sweeney
Mark Sweeney
Mark Patrick Sweeney is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. He is best known for his skill as a pinch hitter, where he ranks second in career pinch hits with 175 and first in career pinch hit runs batted in with 102....
were traded to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for left fielder Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
, infielder Damian Jackson
Damian Jackson
Damian Jacques Jackson is a major league second baseman who currently plays for the Orange County Flyers of the independent Golden Baseball League. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life:...
and pitching prospect Josh Harris. Starting pitcher Joey Hamilton
Joey Hamilton
Johns Joseph "Joey" Hamilton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played professionally for nine seasons, recording a 74–73 win–loss record, a 4.44 earned run average and 894 strikeouts. He attended Statesboro High School in Georgia...
was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for pitchers Woody Williams
Woody Williams
Gregory Scott "Woody" Williams is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He made his major league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 14, 1993.-Baseball career:...
and Carlos Almanzar
Carlos Almanzar
Carlos Manuel Almanzar Girón is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He has pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers...
. The Padres opened their 1999 season
1999 Major League Baseball season
The previous record of most home runs hit in a season, set at 5,064 in 1998, was broken once again as the American League and National League combined to hit 5,528 home runs. Moreover, it was the first season in 61 years to feature a team that scored 1,000 runs in a season, as the Cleveland Indians...
in Monterrey, Mexico versus the Colorado Rockies
1999 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 1999 season was the seventh overall for the team. Jim Leyland debuted as the Rockies' new manager, although, he resigned following the end of the season. Colorado finished with a record of 72-90, last in the National League West....
. On August 6, 1999, Tony Gwynn got his 3,000th hit (a single) against the Montreal Expos
1999 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:Future Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams was taken by the Montreal Expos in the 1998 Rule V Draft. The Expos sold his rights to the Texas Rangers.-Opening Day starters:* Shane Andrews* Miguel Batista* Orlando Cabrera* Brad Fullmer...
at Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
.
On October 7, 2001, in a post-game ceremony at Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
, Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
made an emotional farewell to the team that had been his only major-league home. In the game played that day, Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
, who in the meantime had rejoined the Padres, collected his 3,000th major-league base hit, a double. Gwynn struck his final major-league hit, also a double, in the previous game. He is presently head coach of the San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
Aztecs, his alma mater. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
on July 29, 2007.
Also in 2001, Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
as a Padre.
2004: PETCO Park opens
After five straight losing seasons in Qualcomm StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
(1999–2003), the Padres moved into newly built PETCO Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
. PETCO Park is situated in downtown near San Diego's Gaslamp District, the main entrance located just two blocks from the downtown terminal of the San Diego Trolley
San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
light-rail system. With new amenities and a revitalization of the downtown neighborhood, fan interest renewed. Modeled after recent successes in downtown ballpark building (such as San Francisco's AT&T Park), and incorporating San Diego history in the form of the preservation of the facade of the historic Western Metals Company building (now the left-field corner, the corner of the building substituting for the left field foul pole), the new Petco Park is a sharp contrast to their previous home at Qualcomm (Jack Murphy) Stadium which was a cookie-cutter type football-baseball facility located in an outer, mostly commercial-industrial, area of the city near an interstate interchange.
With the ocean air prevalent and a sharp, clean park to play in, the Padres began to win again. The new stadium also acquired a reputation as a pitchers' park, with notable complaints from some of the Padres batters themselves (deep center field and evenings with dense foggy air). The Padres finished the 2004 season
2004 Major League Baseball season
* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...
with an 87–75 record, good enough for 3rd in the NL West.
2005: The worst division winner ever
In 2005, the Western Division Champion Padres finished with the lowest-ever winning percentage for a division champion (or for that matter, a postseason qualifier) in a non-strike season, 82–80. Three teams in the Eastern Division finished with better records than San Diego but failed to qualify for the playoffs, including second-place Philadelphia, which won 88 games and all six of its contests with the Padres. There had been some speculation that the Padres would be the first team in history to win a division and finish below .500, but their victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers2005 Los Angeles Dodgers season
In 2005, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered from a rash of injuries to key players such as closer Eric Gagné, shortstop Cesar Izturis and outfielder J.D. Drew and fell to their second worst record in Los Angeles history, finishing in fourth place in the Western Division of the National League...
on September 30 gave them their 81st victory. In the 2005 NLDS
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
, the reigning National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, who finished the season with the majors' best record, swept the Padres in three consecutive games. Thus the Padres finished the season with an overall regular-and-post-season record of 82–83, the first post-season qualifier in a normal-length season to lose more games than it won overall.
The 2005 Padres featured bright spots, however, including ace pitcher Jake Peavy
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed...
, the NL strikeout leader, and closer Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
, who claimed his 400th save.
2006: Another division title
The Padres started April 2006 with a 9–15 record and were stuck in the cellar of the NL West.However, after going 19–10 in May, the club moved into first place in the division. Closer Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
was elected to the 2006 MLB All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, threw one inning in that game and got the loss. On September 24 (the last home game of the regular season), Hoffman became the all-time saves leader when he recorded his 479th career save, breaking Lee Smith
Lee Smith (baseball)
Lee Arthur Smith is an American right-handed former baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher during his career...
's record of 478 (Hoffman's career total as of the end of the season was 482). Hoffman's 2006 campaign (2.14 ERA, 46 saves in 51 opportunities through 65 games pitched) was one of his best. The 2006 Padres would attribute their success largely to the team's pitching staff. Their ERA was 3.87, first in the NL and trailing only the Detroit Tigers
2006 Detroit Tigers season
The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901.- Regular season :...
in all of MLB.
On September 30, 2006, the Padres clinched a playoff berth with a 3–1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks
2006 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The 2006 Arizona Diamondbacks looked to improve on their 77-85 record from 2005. They looked to contend in what was once again a weak National League West Division...
. In the final game of the season, the Padres defeated the Diamondbacks 7–6 to win back to back division titles for the first time in team history (they were tied with the Dodgers for the division title, but because of winning the season series against them, the division title went to them and the wild card went to the Dodgers). The final out of the final game of the 2006 regular season — confirming the Padres as Division champions — was a highly unusual play. With Trevor Hoffman pitching the 9th, 2 out, Diamondback Chris Young was on first. Alberto Callaspo
Alberto Callaspo
Alberto José Callaspo is a baseball second baseman and third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Career:Callaspo was originally signed by the then-Anaheim Angels in , playing for the Aguilas Cibaeñas of Dominican Summer League...
hit a grounder past first. Second baseman Josh Barfield
Josh Barfield
Joshua LaRoy Barfield is a second baseman who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He is the son of former major league outfielder Jesse Barfield. Barfield was born in Venezuela during his mother's two-week winterball visit with his father...
fielded and threw wildly to first, forcing Gonzalez to come off the bag. However, Gonzalez then threw to Khalil Greene
Khalil Greene
Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
at second, beating but not tagging Young. Second base umpire Larry Poncino initially called safe because of the no-tag, but Padres manager Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
successfully argued that the force play at second did not need a tag to be declared out. The game, and the season, ended with a changed call. TV replay, however, clearly showed that Greene was off the bag as well, so the original call may have been correct. This call, understandably, was greeted by a long and loud chorus of boos by the Diamondbacks fans who packed Chase Field
Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
to bid farewell to Luis Gonzalez.
Only 53 teams in the modern era have posted sub-.500 records in April and survived to make the postseason. The San Diego Padres achieved the feat in both 2005 and 2006.
The Padres opened the 2006 National League Division Series
2006 National League Division Series
-San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-New York vs. Los Angeles:The series seemed over for the Mets before it even started, first by losing ace Pedro Martínez for the postseason and then losing probable Game 1 starter Orlando Hernández. Despite having a potent offense, many people didn't seem...
at home against the St. Louis Cardinals
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
on Tuesday, October 3, 2006. After losing the first two games at home (5–1 and 2–0 respectively), they won game 3 at Busch Stadium 3–1, but were eliminated with a 6–2 loss in Game 4, when the Cardinals, who trailed 2–0 before their first at-bat, scored six unanswered runs (two in the first, and four in the sixth) for the win.
2006-07 offseason
One key offseason trade between the San Diego Padres' General Manager, Kevin TowersKevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
, and the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
' General Manager, Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels is the current General Manager of the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball. When hired, at age 28, he was the youngest GM in Major League Baseball history. And as of 2011 was still the youngest GM.-Biography:...
, would prove to have a dramatic impact on their 2006 season. The Padres dealt starting pitcher Adam Eaton
Adam Eaton
Adam Thomas Eaton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school:Eaton graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67 earned run average as a senior, and earned second team High School All-America honors from Baseball America. Ranked the No...
, middle reliever Akinori Otsuka
Akinori Otsuka
is a currently inactive Japanese Major League Baseball player. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers...
, and minor-league catcher Billy Killian in exchange for starting pitcher Chris Young, left fielder Terrmel Sledge
Terrmel Sledge
Terrmel Sledge is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball, who currently plays for the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Sledge's career began in with the Montreal Expos. He moved with the team to Washington, D.C...
, and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez
Adrián González
Adrian Gonzalez is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.Gonzalez was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he...
. Gonzalez would take over the everyday duties at first base, batting .304 with a club-leading 24 home runs and 82 RBI in his first year as a full-time starter. Sledge would hit .229 in limited major league action. Chris Young proved to be the real story, however, as he would go 11–5 with a 3.46 ERA (6th best in the National League) and allowed just 6.72 hits per 9 innings pitched – best in the majors.
2006 also ended up being the last year of Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
's tenure as the manager of the Padres, taking the managerial position for their divisional rivals, the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. He was replaced by Bud Black
Bud Black
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current manager of the San Diego Padres.-College:Black played two years at Lower Columbia College in Longview...
, a San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
alumni and former pitching coach of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
.
2007: Falling short
On Sunday, April 1, 2007, Major League Baseball's 2007 Opening Night, the Padres announced that they had agreed to terms on a four-year contract with 1B Adrian GonzalezAdrián González
Adrian Gonzalez is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.Gonzalez was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he...
, keeping him in San Diego until 2010 with a club option for 2011. Prior to this contract agreement the Padres had offered to renew Gonzalez's contract during the offseason at $380,500, only $500 over the league minimum for the 2007 season.
The Padres' 2007 season began April 3 in an away game against the San Francisco Giants
2007 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants are an American baseball team. Their 2007 season began with the team attempting to return to the post-season for the first time since 2003. New manager Bruce Bochy was hired to help the club improve on a 76 win season in 2006. Giants left fielder Barry Bonds entered 2007...
, winning it 7–0 in front of a capacity crowd of 42,773 at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
, defeating $126 million staff-ace Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
in his Giants debut. The Padres bullpen has continued to be the team's strength as in recent years, opening the season with 28 scoreless innings, a Major League record to start a season. At the start of the season the Padres starting rotation order was as follows: Jake Peavy
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed...
, Chris Young, Clay Hensley
Clay Hensley
Clayton Allen Hensley is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins.-Early life:Hensley attended Lamar University in Beaumont, where he set a single season record with 127 strikeouts in 100 innings....
(injured, replaced by Justin Germano
Justin Germano
Justin William Germano is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization.-Early life:...
), Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
, David Wells
David Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
.
On June 6, 2007, Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
became the first pitcher in major league history to record 500 saves, 498 of them coming as a Padre (the first 2 were as a Florida Marlin
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
).
On September 23, 2007, Milton Bradley (baseball) tore his right ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
while being restrained by Padres manager Bud Black
Bud Black
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current manager of the San Diego Padres.-College:Black played two years at Lower Columbia College in Longview...
during an altercation with first base umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
Mike Winters
Mike Winters
Michael John Winters is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1988 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He umpired in the minor leagues from 1982 to 1989 before joining the NL's regular staff in 1990...
. Home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
umpire Brian Runge
Brian Runge
Brian Edward Runge is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League in 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He wears uniform number 18. He has worked in the 2004 and 2007 American League Division Series...
reportedly told Bradley that Winters said that Bradley had tossed his bat in Runge's direction in a previous at-bat. After Bradley reached first base, he questioned Winters about the alleged bat throwing and subsequent communication with Runge. According to Bradley and Padres first base coach Bobby Meacham
Bobby Meacham
Robert Andrew Meacham is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who spent his entire six year career with the New York Yankees...
, Winters used a profanity towards Bradley. Bradley then moved towards Winters. While restrained by Black, Bradley fell to the ground resulting in the injury. He missed the last week of the regular season in 2007, during which the Padres relinquished their wild card lead, ultimately losing to the eventual N.L. Champion Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in a one game playoff.
The Padres ended the regular season in an 89–73 tie for the NL wild card with the Colorado Rockies
2007 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2007 season started off with the team trying to improve on their 2006 record . They finished with a franchise record of 90 wins in 163 games and earned a playoff berth as the National League Wild Card team. The Rockies swept their first seven playoff games en route to winning...
. In a cruel piece of irony, on September 29, 2007, the Padres were within one out and one strike of clinching the National League Wild Card berth, but Tony Gwynn, Jr.
Tony Gwynn, Jr.
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Jr. is a Major League Baseball player, who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.-Amateur career:...
, son of the longtime Padres legend, tripled against Hoffman to tie the game. The Padres went on to lose that game, and the one that followed, even though the Milwaukee Brewers
2007 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 2007 Milwaukee Brewers season marked the 25th anniversary of the Milwaukee Brewers winning the American League Championship and the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Braves winning the World Series. During the offseason, the Brewers re-signed free agents Bill Hall and Chris Capuano...
had been eliminated from the pennant race and had nothing left to play for. The Padres then met the Rockies on October 1, 2007 in Denver for a one-game playoff to decide the wild card winner. Despite having Jake Peavy
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed...
start the game and bringing in Trevor Hoffman in the bottom of the 13th inning to try to hold an 8–6 lead, the Padres' season ended when the Rockies rallied to win 9–8. It ended on a controversial call on a sacrifice fly where many questioned whether Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
ever touched home plate, leaving Padre fans saying "Holliday never touched home!" The umpire of that game claimed that the catcher, Michael Barrett, was blocking the plate before he had possession of the ball. Therefore Holiday was ruled safe.
On November 15, Jake Peavy won the National League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
by unanimous ballot. He was the fourth Padre to capture the pitching award.
2008
On April 17, 2008, during the series against the Colorado Rockies
2008 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2008 season was the team's 16th season overall. The Rockies attempted to repeat their previous season's success after making it to the World Series; however, they ended up finishing third place in the National League West with a record of 74-88. The Rockies drew 2,650,218...
at PETCO Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
, the Padres played the longest game in team history, in terms of innings (22), losing 2–1. The game was the second longest in team history, in terms of time, played in 6 hours, 16 minutes. Following that game, which sapped the team's bullpen strength, the Padres stumbled, dropping games at home, where they struggled to score runs, and on the road, where they committed uncharacteristic errors and failed to hold leads.
Following the All-Star break, the Padres continued to struggle, getting swept in a four-game series in St. Louis and losing two of three in Cincinnati. A trip to Pittsburgh proved to be the tonic the team needed. The Padres won three of four in the Steel City and during the series the Pirates traded former Padre underachiever Xavier Nady to the Yankees for prospects. Back home, the Padres won the first game of the series against the division-leading Diamondbacks. The win gave Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
351 career wins and he tipped his hat to the crowd when he left with a lead. Late in August, the team parted ways with Greg Maddux by trading him to the Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season features the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. They swept the...
.
The team finished off a 63–99 season on September 28 with a 10–6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, finishing 5th in the NL West, 21 games behind the division leader Los Angeles Dodgers.
2009
San Diego finished 75–87, fourth in the NL West, only ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks2009 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The Arizona Diamondbacks' 2009 season is the franchise's twelfth season in Major League Baseball.-Game log: -Roster:-Batting:Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen...
.
2010–11: The Jed Hoyer era
Many preseason predictions picked the Padres in 20102010 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres' 2010 season is their 42nd season in MLB. On August 27, the Padres had a 6.5 game lead over 2nd-place San Francisco, and wound up missing the playoffs as the Giants passed them in September.-Regular season:...
to finish the season in last place in the NL West. On August 25, however, the Padres were 76–49 and in first place with a game lead. A 10–game losing streak immediately followed. With a 3–0 loss on October 3, the final game of the season, the Padres were officially eliminated from playoff contention and the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants
2010 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants are an American Major League Baseball team. Their 2010 season marked their 128th year in Major League Baseball, and their fifty-third year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season...
won the division. The Padres led the NL West for 148 days in 2010.
Adrian Gonzalez
Adrián González
Adrian Gonzalez is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.Gonzalez was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he...
would have been in the last year of his contract in 2011, but the Padres were not going to meet Gonzalez’s open market value especially with Jeff Moorad
Jeff Moorad
Jeff Moorad is a former sports agent and is currently lead owner of the San Diego Padres and part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.He is an Assyrian American...
’s purchase of the Padres from John Moores
John Moores (baseball)
John Jay Moores is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the owner of the San Diego Padres.-Early years:...
not completing until around 2013. On December 6, 2010, Gonzalez was traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for a package of right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly
Casey Kelly
Casey Kelly is an American minor league baseball player in the San Diego Padres organization. He was a first round draft choice, 30th overall, in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox...
, first baseman Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo (baseball)
Anthony Rizzo is an American professional baseball first baseman for the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball...
, outfielder Reymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
, later determined to be Eric Patterson
Eric Patterson
Eric Scott Patterson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. He has also played second base in the majors, which he predominantly played in the minor leagues...
.
After the 2011 season, general manager Jed Hoyer left the Padres to join the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Josh Byrnes
Josh Byrnes
Josh Byrnes is the general manager of the San Diego Padres. Previously, he served as General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball from November 2005 to July 2010.-Biography:...
was promoted from senior vice president of baseball operations to replace Hoyer.
Spring training
The team has played its spring training games at the Peoria Sports ComplexPeoria Sports Complex
The Peoria Sports Complex is a baseball complex located in Peoria, Arizona, near Peoria's main shopping district on Bell Road. It consists of the main baseball stadium and twelve practice fields. It is one of five facilities to host Arizona Fall League games...
in Peoria, Arizona
Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land...
since 1994. They share the stadium with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
From 1969 to 1993, the Padres held Spring Training in Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
at Desert Sun Stadium
Desert Sun Stadium
Desert Sun Stadium is a stadium in Yuma, Arizona. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the North American League's Yuma Scorpions minor league baseball team and plays host to the Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League. The stadium, which originally opened in 1969,...
. Due to the short driving distance and direct highway route (170 miles, all on Interstate 8
Interstate 8
Interstate 8 is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Blvd, in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with Interstate 10, just southeast of Casa Grande, Arizona...
), Yuma was very popular with Padres fans, and many fans would travel by car from San Diego for Spring Training games. The move from Yuma to Peoria was very controversial, but was defended by the team as a reflection on the low quality of facilities in Yuma and the long travel necessary to play against other Arizona-based Spring Training teams (whose sites were all in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, both rather far from Yuma).
Logos and colors
The San Diego Padres have used six different logos and four different color combinations throughout their history. Their first logo depicts a friarFriar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
swinging a bat with Padres written at the top while standing in a sun-like figure with San Diego Padres on the exterior of it. The "Swinging Friar" has popped up on the uniform on and off ever since (he is currently on the left sleeve of the navy alternate jersey) although the head of the friar has been tweaked from the original in recent years, and it is currently the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the team. The original team colors were the brown and gold of the original logo.
In 1985, the Padres switched to using a script-like logo in which Padres was written sloped up. That would later become a script logo for the Padres. The team's colors were changed to brown and orange and remained this way through the 1990 season.
In 1989, the Padres took the scripted Padres logo that was used from 1985 to 1988 and put it in a tan ring that read "San Diego Baseball Club" with a striped center. In 1991, the logo was changed to a silver ring with the Padres script changed from brown to blue. The logo only lasted one year, as the Padres changed their logo for the third time in three years, again by switching colors of the ring. The logo became a white ring with fewer stripes in the center and a darker blue Padres script with orange shadows. In 1991, the team's colors were also changed, to a combination of orange and navy blue.
The logo was completely changed when the team changed stadiums between the 2003 and 2004 seasons, as the logo now looks like home plate at a baseball field with San Diego written in sand font at the top right corner and the Padres new script written completely across the center. Waves finish the bottom of the plate. Navy remains but a sandy beige replaces orange as a secondary color. The team's colors were also changed, to navy blue and sand brown. The San Diego has been removed from the top right corner of the logo for the 2011 season, and the away uniform changed from sand to gray.
For the 2012 season the Padres unveiled a new primary logo, featuring the cap logo inside a navy blue circle with the words "San Diego Padres Baseball Club" adorning the outer circle. The "swinging friar" logo was recolored to the current colors of navy blue and white. Another secondary logo features the Padres script carried over from the previous year's logo below the depiction of Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
in sand and above the year of the team's first season (EST. 1969). The blue and sand version will be used in the home uniforms, with the blue and white version to be used on the away and alternate uniforms.
Military appreciation
Military camouflage
Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
, to honor the military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
; the jersey has since gone through three different versions. Starting in 2008, during every Sunday home games, the Padres wear camouflage jerseys. They also wear these uniforms on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Beginning in 2011, the Padres have changed the camouflage design to a more modern "digital" design, using the MARPAT
MARPAT
MARPAT is a digital camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, introduced with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform , which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform. The pattern is formed by a number of small rectangular pixels of color...
design after receiving permission from then-Commandant
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
Conway
James T. Conway
James Terry Conway is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who was the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps...
, and dropped the green from the letting and logo of the jersey. Green has been replaced by a sand-olive color (also in the cap worn with the jersey). Since 1995 Marine Recruits from the nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...
often visit the games en masse, in uniform, often filling entire sections in the upper deck. When they are present, the team commemorates this with a special Fourth Inning Stretch featuring the Marine Hymn
Marines' Hymn
The "Marines' Hymn" is the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. It is the oldest official song in the United States military. The "Marines' Hymn" is typically sung at the position of attention as a gesture of respect...
. over sixty thousand marine recruits have been hosted by the Padres. This is part of an extensive military outreach program, which also includes a series of Military Appreciation Night games, and game tapes mailed to deployed United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ships of the Pacific Fleet for onboard viewing (a large portion of the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
is homeported in San Diego).
Mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the team. Some in the past have confused The Famous Chicken as the mascot of the Padres. Although he does make appearances occasionally at San Diego sporting events, he has never been the official mascot of any San Diego sports team.
Quick facts
- Founded: 1969 (National LeagueNational LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
expansion) - Current uniform colors: Dark blue, Sand, and WhiteWhiteWhite is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
- Logo design: White interlocking 'S' and 'D'
- Hometown HeroDHL Hometown HeroesOn September 27, 2006, Major League Baseball announced a list of players, one from each team, voted by MLB fans. Fans were asked to vote for the most outstanding player in the history of each MLB franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value.The candidates for...
: Tony GwynnTony GwynnAnthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres... - Nicknames: The Friars, the "Pads"
- Most winning season: (1998) 98–64. Western Division Title and National League Pennant Winners.
- Most losing season: (1969) 52–110
- Local television: Channel 4 San Diego (4SD4SD4SD, commonly referred to as Channel 4 San Diego is a local origination cable TV channel based in San Diego, California, United States, and is owned and operated by Cox Communications, through its San Diego-based cable television system. In addition to Cox...
) (Cable TV only; not available over the air.) - TV announcers: Dick EnbergDick EnbergRichard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, Mark GrantMark GrantMark Andrew Grant is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and is the current color commentator for the San Diego Padres' television broadcasts.-Career:...
, Tony GwynnTony GwynnAnthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
(occasionally), Mark Neely (substitute). - Local radio: 1090 AM XX 1090 , La Poderosa 860 AM (en español).
- Radio announcers: Ted LeitnerTed LeitnerTed Leitner is a former KFMB News 8 sportscaster and current radio play-by-play announcer for the San Diego Padres and San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball. He is also a former host on KFMB radio in San Diego. Due to a hectic schedule, he left KFMB just three days shy of his 25th anniversary at...
, Andy MasurAndy MasurAndy Masur is an American sportscaster, announcing San Diego Padres baseball and University of San Diego men's basketball games over XEPRS-AM in Tijuana near San Diego....
, Jerry ColemanJerry ColemanGerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
(home day games). - Spring training facility: Peoria Sports ComplexPeoria Sports ComplexThe Peoria Sports Complex is a baseball complex located in Peoria, Arizona, near Peoria's main shopping district on Bell Road. It consists of the main baseball stadium and twelve practice fields. It is one of five facilities to host Arizona Fall League games...
, Peoria, AZ - Rivals: Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
(Division), Colorado RockiesColorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
(Division), Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(Division, geographical), San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(Division), St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(Post-Season), Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(Inter-league)
Baseball Hall of Famers
The following elected members of the Baseball Hall of FameNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
played and/or managed for the Padres.
Gwynn, Winfield, Fingers, Gossage, Randy Jones, and Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
(3B, 1984–1987) are also members of the San Diego Hall of Champions
San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
, which is open to athletes native to the San Diego area (such as Gwynn and Nettles) as well as to those who played for San Diego teams.
Ford C. Frick Award recipients (broadcasters)
Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as Padres broadcasters.- Jerry ColemanJerry ColemanGerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
Retired numbers
The Padres have retired six numbers. Five were in honor of Padre players and one was Jackie RobinsonJackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
's number 42, which was retired by all of Major League Baseball.
Steve Garvey Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman... 1B Retired 1989 |
Tony Gwynn Tony Gwynn Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres... RF Retired 2004 |
Dave Winfield Dave Winfield David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight... RF Retired 2001 |
Randy Jones SP Retired 1997 |
Trevor Hoffman Trevor Hoffman Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major... RP Retired 2011 |
Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947... — Retired 1997 |
Jerry Coleman Jerry Coleman Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres... Broadcaster Honored 2004 |
Ray Kroc Ray Kroc Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime... Owner Honored 2004 |
The retired numbers are displayed in center field atop the batter's eye wall. They are free standing and mounted on poles. During the 2004 season, the first season in PETCO Park, there were only four retired numbers displayed. Gwynn's number 19 was not yet officially retired until late in the season and was added the following winter. Trevor Hoffman's
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
number 51 was retired on August 21, 2011.
The Padres also have a "star on the wall" in honor of broadcaster Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
, in reference to his trademark phrase "Oh Doctor! You can hang a star on that baby!" Nearby the initials of former owner Ray Kroc
Ray Kroc
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
are also displayed. Both the star and the initials are painted in gold on the front of the pressbox down the right field line accompanied by the name of the person in white.
Team Hall of Fame
People inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame which was founded in 1999.- Buzzie BavasiBuzzie BavasiEmil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi was an American executive in Major League Baseball who played a major role in the operation of three franchises from the late 1940s through the mid-1980s....
, Team President, 1969–1977. Inducted 2001. - Nate ColbertNate ColbertNathan Colbert Jr. , is a former American Major League Baseball player who was a first baseman with the Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , Detroit Tigers , Montreal Expos and Oakland Athletics .Signed by his hometown St...
, 1B, 1969–1974. Inducted 1999. - Jerry ColemanJerry ColemanGerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
, Manager, 1980, Announcer, 1972–1979, 1981–present. Inducted 2001. - Tony GwynnTony GwynnAnthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
, OF, 1982–2001. Inducted 2002. - Randy Jones, P, 1973–1980. Inducted 1999.
- Ray KrocRay KrocRaymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
, Owner, 1974–1984. Inducted 1999. - Dick WilliamsDick WilliamsRichard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
, Manager, 1982–1985. Inducted 2009. - Dave WinfieldDave WinfieldDavid Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
, OF, 1973–1980. Inducted 2000.
Championships
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League ChampionsNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1998
1998 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1998 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaWith John Smoltz on the mound, the Braves were staked out to a 1–0 lead when Andruw Jones hit a solo home run to lead off the third inning off Andy Ashby. The Padres tied the game in the fifth when Tony Gwynn, appearing in his...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1984
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| National League Western Division Champions
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 2005
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
& 2006
2006 National League Division Series
-San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-New York vs. Los Angeles:The series seemed over for the Mets before it even started, first by losing ace Pedro Martínez for the postseason and then losing probable Game 1 starter Orlando Hernández. Despite having a potent offense, many people didn't seem...
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Succeeded by:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
|-
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Preceded by:
San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1998
1998 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves faced the Chicago Cubs, who made it into the playoffs by beating the San Francisco Giants in a tiebreaker for the Wild Card spot. The Braves had sixteen more regular season wins and it showed in...
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Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
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Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1996
1996 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 1:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Cardinals and Padres began their rivalry in this series. The Cardinals' first of three postseason victories against the Padres took place here. Their dominance is overwhelming to the tune of only one...
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San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
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Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
| style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| 1984
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
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Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
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Minor league affiliations
| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Tucson Padres | Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
Tucson, AZ Tucson, Arizona Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200... |
| AA | San Antonio Missions San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio... |
Texas League Texas League The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892... |
San Antonio, TX San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... |
| Advanced A | Lake Elsinore Storm Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond... |
California League California League The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
Lake Elsinore, CA Lake Elsinore, California For the lake see Lake Elsinore.Lake Elsinore or LE is a city in western Riverside County, California. The population was 51,821 at the 2010 census... |
| A | Fort Wayne TinCaps | Midwest League Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort... |
Fort Wayne, IN Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana... |
| Short Season A | Eugene Emeralds Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001.... |
Northwest League Northwest League The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954... |
Eugene, OR Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... |
| Rookie | AZL Padres | Arizona League Arizona League The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the... |
Peoria, AZ Peoria, Arizona Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land... |
| DSL Padres | Dominican Summer League Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20... |
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
Radio and television
As of 2008, the Padres' flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
radio stations were XEPRS 1090AM and XHPRS
XHPRS-FM
XHPRS-FM or 105.7 The Walrus is a commercial oldies radio station in Tecate, Baja California, broadcasting to the Tijuana-San Diego metropolitan area on 105.7 FM....
105.7FM, collectively known as "XX 1090" When XX was only on AM, the station was known as the "Mighty 1090." Ted Leitner
Ted Leitner
Ted Leitner is a former KFMB News 8 sportscaster and current radio play-by-play announcer for the San Diego Padres and San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball. He is also a former host on KFMB radio in San Diego. Due to a hectic schedule, he left KFMB just three days shy of his 25th anniversary at...
is the primary play-by-play announcer, with Andy Masur
Andy Masur
Andy Masur is an American sportscaster, announcing San Diego Padres baseball and University of San Diego men's basketball games over XEPRS-AM in Tijuana near San Diego....
working the middle innings of each game. Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
, former Yankee
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
second baseman and Padres manager and a Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
-winning longtime broadcaster, no longer does play-by-play; however, he does work as a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
alongside Leitner and Masur, mostly during the middle part of the game. The games are also broadcast in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
on XEMO
XEMO
XEMO or La Poderosa 860 AM is a Spanish language radio station that is based in Tijuana, but on a clear day, the signal can be heard as far away as Los Angeles. The station plays tropical music and is the only Spanish language AM station in San Diego that broadcasts music that reaches a far distance...
, "La Poderosa 860 AM", with Eduardo Ortega and Juan Angel Avila announcing. As of 2010, 105.7 has dropped the Padres broadcasts, and the games are now only broadcast on 1090AM.
Padres' games starting in 2012 will be televised by a new outlet of FSN West, to be tenatively called FSN San Diego upon the start of the spring training sessions. Prior to that, games were televised mostly on 4SD
4SD
4SD, commonly referred to as Channel 4 San Diego is a local origination cable TV channel based in San Diego, California, United States, and is owned and operated by Cox Communications, through its San Diego-based cable television system. In addition to Cox...
, a cable-only channel controlled by Cox Communications. Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
currently serves as play-by-play announcer, and Mark Grant
Mark Grant
Mark Andrew Grant is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and is the current color commentator for the San Diego Padres' television broadcasts.-Career:...
is the primary color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
(with Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
providing commentary for select telecasts). Previously, Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
was the play-by-play announcer from 2002 to 2008. In 2006, the booth played host to a controversial guest appearance by Rick Sutcliffe, who had been Grant's predecessor before joining ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Sutcliffe appeared to be drunk and discussed topics other than baseball, even when Vasgersian tried to redirect the subject. After the appearance, ESPN suspended Sutcliffe for a week. For the 2009 season, Vasgersian left the Padres to join the MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
and was replaced by veteran minor league announcer Mark Neely, who for the previous 13 years had been the voice of the Tulsa Drillers
Tulsa Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies major-league club.-Stadium:...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. Neely will continue to serve as a pre- and postgame reporter for FSN San Diego, and called play-by-play on a substitute basis when Enberg had network commitments with both ESPN or CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. 4SD's contract with the Padres expired after the 2011 season.
Spanish language telecasts of Sunday games are seen XHAS-TV
XHAS-TV
XHAS-TV, channel 33, is the Telemundo-affiliated television station for San Diego, California, licensed to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, with studios and offices in San Diego, shared with KBNT-CA and XHDTV-TV...
channel 33. Until September 2007, Friday and Saturday Spanish games were seen on KBOP-CA channel 43, until that station changed to an all-infomercial format. This makes XHAS the only over-the-air-television station carrying Padres baseball. English-language Padres over-the-air broadcasts aired over the years on XETV
XETV
XETV is a television station licensed to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, serving as the CW Television Network affiliate for the San Diego, California area across the international border in the United States...
, KCST
KNSD
KNSD is the NBC television station based in San Diego, California. It is owned by a joint venture of NBCUniversal and LIN TV . However, because NBCUniversal has majority control, KNSD is run as an NBC owned and operated station...
, KUSI, KFMB-TV
KFMB-TV
KFMB-TV is the local CBS television affiliate in San Diego, California. Its studios are located on Engineer Road in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego along with its sister radio stations, AM 760 and FM 100.7...
and KSWB-TV
KSWB-TV
KSWB-TV, virtual channel 69, is a Fox-affiliated television station in San Diego, California. It broadcasts a 720p high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter southeast of Spring Valley...
.
John Demott was the Padres' first public address announcer when the team began in 1969. By the late 1970s Bruce Binkowski had taken over as PA announcer, and became the longest-serving public address announcer in the team's history, remaining until the end of the 1999 season. First DeMott and then Binkowski also were responsible with PA announcing duties for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
Aztecs, both of which were joint tenants at Qualcomm Stadium with the Padres until the Padres moved into Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
. The current PA announcer is Frank Anthony, a radio host with 105.7 The Walrus.
Education/MBA program
- The San Diego Padres are the sponsors of and heavily involved in most aspects of the Sports Business Management MBA degree program offered in conjunction with San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
's College of Business AdministrationSan Diego State University College of Business AdministrationThe San Diego State University College of Business Administration is a business school in San Diego, California, United States. The school offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.-History:...
. SDSU's Sports MBA is the only program of its kind created in partnership with a professional sports franchise. The curriculum focuses on the entire sports business industry, not just baseball. The program includes an internship. Members of Padres senior management regularly participate, including work with the development and continued coordination of SDSU's International Case Competition, which annually attracts participation from top business schools.