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San Diego Padres
2024 San Diego Padres season
File:Padres.pngFile:NLPadresIcon.PNG
LogoCap insignia
Major league affiliations
Current uniform
File:NLW-Uniform-SD.PNG
Retired numbers6, 19, 31, 35, 42
Name
  • San Diego Padres (1969–present)
Other nicknames
  • Pads, Friars
Ballpark

Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003)

Major league titles
World Series titles (0)None
NL Pennants (2)1998 • 1984
West Division titles (5)2006 • 2005 • 1998 • 1996 • 1984
Wild card berths (0)None
Front office
Principal owner(s)John Moores
General managerKevin Towers
ManagerBud Black
"Padres" redirects here. For the Chicano priests' organization, see PADRES. For the minor league franchise in the Pacific Coast League, see San Diego Padres (PCL).

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California since their founding in 1969. They are in the National League Western Division and are the reigning back-to-back division champions.

Franchise history

Beginnings

Main article: San Diego Padres (PCL)

The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League 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.

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 executive Buzzie Bavasi and 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 (as of 2007) the Padres' career leader in home runs.

That 70s Show: Winfield, Jones, Fingers and Ozzie

File:San Diego Padres Cap (1974 - 1984).png

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 lefthanded 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 future hall-of-fame relief pitcher Rollie Fingers could help the Padres escape the second 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 the future hall-of-famer. 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 didn't 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.

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. 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 scuttled the planned move and kept the team in San Diego. The nation's capital would have to wait until after the 2004 season, when the Montreal Expos, the Padres' sister National League expansion team in 1969, transferred to the District of Columbia and became the Washington Nationals.

1984 season: In the World Series-The First Pennant

In 1984, the Padres finished at 92-70 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 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).[1]

In the 1984 NLCS, 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, but 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.[2]

In the 1984 World Series, they 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 Hernandez (9-3, 1.92 ERA with 32 saves). [3] Jack Morris would win games 1 and 4 and the Tigers would go on to win the Series 4-games-to-1.[4]

1985-95: Tough Times Following a Pennant

After the Padres won the pennant in 1984, they had some tough times. Tony Gwynn continued to win batting titles (including batting .394 in 1994). The Padres would come close in 1985. They would sport seven All-Stars. However, they collapsed at the end of the season.

In 1987, rookie catcher Benito Santiago hit in 34 straight games, earning him the NL Rookie of the Year Award. However, the Padres finished dead last in 1987. The next season, rookie second baseman Roberto Alomar would make his debut, forming a double play combination with veteran shortstop Garry Templeton. 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.

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 Werner. 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 1940's PCL franchise colors. In 1992, the Padres lineup featured the "Four Tops": Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, Tony Fernandez, 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. 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.

1996-97: Building a Winner

In 1996, under new owner John Moores (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 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.

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 Walker. Walker barely missed becoming the first Triple Crown winner in baseball since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

1998 season: Back in the World Series-The Second Pennant

In 1998, 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 52 saves), the Padres had their best year in history, finishing 98-64 and winning the NL West division crown.[5]

The Padres went on to defeat the Houston Astros 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).[6]

In the 1998 NLCS, the Padres faced the Atlanta Braves, who had won the National League East with an astonishing 106-56 record. The offense was paced by talent such as Andres Galarraga, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Javy Lopez. 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 complete game shutout in game 2 (winning 3-0).[7] Steve Finley caught a pop fly for the final out, as the Padres clinched the series.

In the 1998 World 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 1920's, or 1950's, but they had four players with 24+ and eight with 17+. Yankee pitching had been paced by David Cone (20-7, 3.55), Andy Pettite (16-11, 4.24), David Wells (18-4, 3.49), Hideki Irabu (13-9, 4.06) and Orlando Hernandez (12-4, 3.13). Mariano Rivera, their closer, was excellent once again (3-0, 1.91 ERA with 36 saves).[8]

The play of the game seemed to merely be a formality, as the Yankees swept the Padres 4 games to 0. 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, not normally a power hitter, 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. [9]

Military members take to the field prior to the National Anthem being sung during Military Appreciation Day at Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres.

1999-2003: Tough Times Following a Pennant Part II

The Padres opened their 1999 season in Monterrey, Mexico versus the Colorado Rockies. The Padres struggled after the 1998 season, but Tony Gwynn got his 3,000 hit in Montreal in 1999, and then retired as one of the greatest hitters of all time in 2001. After five straight losing seasons in Qualcomm Stadium (1999-2003), the Padres moved into newly built Petco Park.

2004 season: Petco Park and a New Era

PETCO Park, situated in downtown near San Diego's Gaslamp District. 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), 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.

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. The Padres finished the 2004 season with an 87-75 record, good enough for 3rd in the NL West.

2005 season: The Best of the Worst and the Worst of the Best

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 stronger Eastern Division finished with better records than San Diego but failed to qualify for the play-offs, 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 Dodgers on September 30 gave them their 81st victory. In the 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 Padres remain one of five National League teams (the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos, and the Milwaukee Brewers) to have never won a World Series.

The 2005 Padres featured bright spots, however, including ace pitcher Jake Peavy, the NL strikeout leader, and closer Trevor Hoffman, who saved his 400th.

2006 season: 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 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 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.

Overall the Padres have a post-season record of 12-22; they have lost 10 of their last 11 games since winning the National League pennant in 1998.

One key offseason trade between the San Diego Padres' General Manager, Kevin Towers, 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 (a star at Princeton University), 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.

Template:Future sport

2007 season: Going for a Division Title Three-Peat

Main article: 2007 San Diego Padres season

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 Gonzalez, 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 3rd 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 1/3 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 4, 2007, Jake Peavy was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 with a 0.79 ERA in May. The next day, Trevor Hoffman was named the “DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award” for May, 2007. The award recognizes the most outstanding relief pitcher during each month of the regular season.

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).

Notable Moments & Facts

  • The Padres are one of four teams to never have a pitcher toss a no-hit game (although several have come close). In one near-miss, on July 22, 1970, righthander Clay Kirby finished the eighth inning only three outs shy of a no-hitter. But because the Padres were trailing in the game 1-0, manager Preston Gomez sent Cito Gaston up to pinch hit for Kirby with two out in the bottom of the eighth. Gaston struck out. Gomez defended his decision by saying that his job was to win games, but was openly criticized by Bavasi, who lamented not having a no-hit pitcher as a drawing card for the team.
  • The Padres have been no-hit several times, most notably on June 20, 1970, by the Pittsburgh Pirates' Dock Ellis, who later claimed that he pitched the game while under the influence of the hallucinogenic drug LSD, a dose of which he ingested before drawing this pitching assignment.
  • 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 RBI's in that doubleheader, still a major league record.
  • In his first home game as the Padres' new owner in 1974, Ray Kroc 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.
  • Between games of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds on July 25, 1990, Roseanne series star Roseanne Arnold delivered a screeching rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, immediately after which she grabbed her crotch and spat on the ground. She was intending to parody those actions of ballplayers which are often caught on camera, but she picked the wrong time to do it, as it appeared to many that she was commenting on the flag and/or the anthem. Had it not been for those gestures, her performance likely would have been written off as simply a poor choice of singer on the ballclub's part, and probably soon forgotten. As it was, her act drew boos and catcalls from fans and then criticism from players (most notably Tony Gwynn) and even outside quarters, including then-President George Herbert Walker Bush, a former Yale University first baseman and the father of then-Texas Rangers owner and current President George W. Bush.
  • In the strike-shortened 1994 season, Tony Gwynn captured his fifth National League batting championship with a .394 batting average, the highest major-league batting average since native San Diegan and former PCL Padres star Ted Williams (the last player to hit over .400 in a regular season) hit .406 in 1941 while playing for the Boston Red Sox. In an amusing coincidence, the uniform number 19, which was worn by Gwynn throughout his Padres career, was also worn by Williams during his tenure with the PCL Padres.
  • On April 10, 1998, in a game that is considered by many Padre fans to be one of the greatest in the Ball Club's history, the Padres achieved one of the most thrilling comebacks in recent sports memory. Facing the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Padres rallied back from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning. With three on, and two out, Steve Finley ended the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off grandslam against reliever Felix Rodriguez; earning the Padres a 6-4 win and foreshadowing one of the club's best seasons in team history. Ironically, announcers Mark Grant and Rick Sutcliffe jokingly predicted a grand slam win earlier in that night's telecast. [1]
  • On August 6, 1999, in a game against the then Montreal Expos at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Tony Gwynn collected his 3,000th major-league base hit, a single. He stroked three base hits in that game. Six years earlier on that same date, in a game at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Gwynn collected his 2,000th major-league base hit.
  • In 2001, Dave Winfield became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Padre.
  • 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. He stroked his final major-league hit, a double, in the previous game. He is presently head coach of the San Diego State University Aztecs, his alma mater. He will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. 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. Earlier that year, Henderson eclipsed Babe Ruth's record for most career bases on balls and Ty Cobb's record for most career runs scored.
  • Jerry Coleman, former second baseman for the New York Yankees in the 1950s, has been the Padres' play-by-play announcer since 1972, except in one year, 1980, in which Coleman managed the team. He also worked for the Yankees (alongside legendary sportscaster Mel Allen) and the California Angels. Coleman is famous for his phrases "Oh Doctor!" and "You can hang a star on that one!" In 2005, Coleman reduced his broadcast role, allowing longtime partner Ted Leitner to be the Padres' primary announcer. Coleman is also the 2005 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, giving him entry into the broadcasters wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • Notable fans of the Padres have included comedian and film actor Jerry Lewis, singers Patti Page and Frankie Laine, former astronaut Wally Schirra, author and syndicated columnist George Will, and former San Diego mayor and California governor Pete Wilson, all of whom have maintained residences in the San Diego area. The fictional character of Finn DeTrolio from the show The Sopranos is also a Padres fan.
  • 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.
  • It should also be noted that they have had only winning seasons ever since Petco Park opened in 2004, posting records of 87-75, 82-80, & 88-74, winning the NL West crown in 2005 & 2006.
  • Author Nelson Papucci wrote "The San Diego Padres, 1969-2002: A Complete History". This was the first definitive history of the Padres as a major league franchise.
  • One of the bricks at the center plaza of Petco Park was secretly purchased by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights organization that has protested the breeding and purchasing of the animals sold at Petco stores. The brick reads, "Break out your cold ones. Toast the Padres. Enjoy this champion organization." The first letter of each word is really an acronym urging people to boycott the stores.
  • The Padres are one of just three teams to have never had a player hit for the cycle, an unusual feat for an organization which has existed since 1969.

Logos

The San Diego Padres have used six different logos throughout their history. The first resembles a man with a crown. Their first logo depicts a friar 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 jersey), and is currently the mascot of the team.

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.

In 1989, the Padres took the scripted Padres logo that was used from 1985-1988 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.

The logo was completely changed after the 2003 season, as the logo now looks like home plate at a baseball field with San Diego written in gold font at the top right corner and the Padres new script written completely across the center. Waves finish the bottom of the plate.

Season records

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses

Season W L Finish Postseason
1969
 52 110 6th in NL West --
1970
 63 99 6th in NL West --
1971
 61 100 6th in NL West --
1972
 58 95 6th in NL West --
1973
 60 102 6th in NL West --
1974
 60 102 6th in NL West --
1975
 71 91 4th in NL West --
1976
 73 89 5th in NL West --
1977
 69 93 5th in NL West --
1978
 84 78 4th in NL West --
1979
 69 93 5th in NL West --
1980
 73 89 6th in NL West --
1981
 41 69 6th in NL West --
1982
 81 81 4th in NL West --
1983
 81 81 4th in NL West --
1984
 92 70 1st in NL West Won NLCS vs Chicago Cubs 3-2
Lost World Series vs Detroit Tigers 1-4
1985
 83 79 3rd in NL West --
1986
 74 88 4th in NL West --
1987
 65 97 6th in NL West --
1988
 83 78 3rd in NL West --
1989
 89 73 2nd in NL West --
1990
 75 87 4th in NL West --
1991
 84 78 3rd in NL West --
1992
 82 80 3rd in NL West --
1993
 61 101 6th in NL West --
1994
 47 70 4th in NL West No Postseason Due To Player's Strike
1995
 70 74 3rd in NL West --
1996
 91 71 1st in NL West Lost NLDS vs St. Louis Cardinals 0-3
1997
 76 86 4th in NL West --
1998
 98 64 1st in NL West Won NLDS vs Houston Astros 3-1
Won NLCS vs Atlanta Braves 4-2
Lost World Series vs New York Yankees 0-4
1999
 74 88 4th in NL West --
2000
 76 86 5th in NL West --
2001
 79 83 4th in NL West --
2002
 66 96 5th in NL West --
2003
 64 98 5th in NL West --
2004
 87 75 3rd in NL West --
2005
 82 80 1st in NL West Lost NLDS vs St. Louis Cardinals 0-3
2006
 88 74 1st in NL West Lost NLDS vs St. Louis Cardinals 1-3
63 54 2nd in NL West Updated August 13
Totals (without 2007) 2786 3250 5 Postseason Appearances
Playoffs 12 22 5 Division Titles, 2 League Pennants
Playoff Series 3 5 0 World Series Championships

Quick facts

PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres (2004-Present)
Founded: 1969 (National League expansion)
Current uniform colors: Dark blue, Sand, and White
Logo design: White interlocking 'S' and 'D'
TV Play by Play: Mark Grant, Matt Vasgersian, Tony Gwynn (Occasionally)
Team motto: 2007:"Experience It"
Nicknames: The Friars, Say May Kids (named from 2 consecutive amazing runs in May during the 2005-2006 seasons; nickname by Matt Vasgersian.)
Playoff appearances (5): 1984, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2006
Closest to World Series Title: (1984) Needed to go 3-2 in World Series after Game 2 victory.
Most Winning Season: (1998) 98-64
Most Losing Season: (1969) 52-110
Local Television: Channel 4 San Diego (4SD)
Local Radio: 1090 AM / 105.7 FM XX Sports Radio (pronounced "Double X"), La Poderosa 860 AM (en español).
Spring Training Facility: Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria, AZ
Rivals: Los Angeles Dodgers (Division), San Francisco Giants (Division), Arizona Diamondbacks (Division), St. Louis Cardinals (Post-Season), Seattle Mariners (Interleague).

Baseball Hall of Famers

Players inducted as a Padre in bold.

Gwynn, Winfield, Fingers, Randy Jones, and Graig Nettles (3B, 1984-87) 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. David Wells, an area native who pitched for the Padres in 2004 and the end of 2006, will likely be inducted upon his retirement from baseball, as has Don Larsen, who, like Wells, attended Point Loma High School and pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees.

Retired numbers

These numbers are displayed as freestanding numbers mounted across the top of the batter's eye wall in center field at Petco Park. The Padres also have a star on the wall in honor of broadcaster Jerry Coleman, for his trademark line "You can hang a star on that one!" Along with the star they have RAK for former owner Ray Kroc. (The star and RAK are in gold paint on the front of the navy blue press boxes behind home plate on the second deck, accompanied by the relevant names in white.)

Team Hall of Fame

People inducted into the San Diego Padres Team Hall of Fame which was founded in 1999.

Current roster

San Diego Padres 2025 spring training roster
40-man roster Non-roster invitees Coaches/Other

Pitchers


Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders







Manager

Coaches

  • 47 Vic Rodriguez (hitting)
  • 89 Mike McCoy (assistant hitting)
  • 85 Pat O'Sullivan (assistant hitting)
  • 53 Ben Fritz (bullpen)
  • 46 David Macias (first base/outfield instructor)
  • 33 Tim Leiper (third base/infield instructor)
  • 57 Ruben Niebla (pitching)
  • 83 Peter Summerville (game planning/coaching assistant)
  • 82 Brian Esposito (catching)
  • 81 Morgan Burkhart (major league coaching assistant)
  • 66 Ryan Barba (major league field coordinator/bench coach)
  • 86 Heberto Andrade (bullpen catcher/coaching assistant)

60-day injured list

Restricted list

31 active, 0 inactive, 0 non-roster invitees

7-, 10-, or 15-day injured list
 * Not on active roster
 † Suspended list
 Roster, coaches, and NRIs updated November 2, 2024
 Transactions • Depth chart
 → All MLB rosters

Championships

National League Champions
Preceded by:
Florida Marlins (1997) 		1998 Succeeded by :
Atlanta Braves (1999)
Preceded by:
Philadelphia Phillies (1983) 		1984 Succeeded by :
St. Louis Cardinals (1985)
National League Western Division Champions
Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers (2004) 		2005 & 2006 Succeeded by :
Current
Preceded by:
San Francisco Giants (1997) 		1998 Succeeded by:
Arizona Diamondbacks (1999)
Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers (1995) 		1996 Succeeded by :
San Francisco Giants (1997)
Preceded by:
Los Angeles Dodgers (1983) 		1984 Succeeded by :
Los Angeles Dodgers (1985)

Minor league affiliations

Radio and television

As of 2006, the Padres' flagship radio stations were XEPRS 1090AM and XHBCE 105.7FM, collectively known as "XX Sports Radio" (pronounced "Double X".) When XX was only on AM, the station was know as the "Mighty 1090." Jerry Coleman, Ford C. Frick Award winner, and a former Yankee second baseman and Padres manager, and Ted Leitner take turns on the play-by-play. Andy Masur will fill in when Coleman is not available. The games are also broadcast in Spanish on La Poderosa 860 AM.

Padres' games are shown mostly on 4SD, a cable-only network controlled by Cox Communications. Matt Vasgersian is the play-by-play announcer and Mark Grant is the color commentator. In 2006, the booth played host to a controversial guest appearance by Rick Sutcliffe, who had been Davis' 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.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Diego Padres.

Education/MBA program

References

  1. ^ Baseball-reference.com San Diego Padres 1984
  2. ^ Baseball-Reference.com 1984 NLCS
  3. ^ Baseball-reference.com Detroit Tigers 1984 season
  4. ^ Baseball-reference.com 1984 World Series stats
  5. ^ Baseball-reference.com San Diego Padres 1998 season stats
  6. ^ Baseball-reference.com 1998 NLDS stats
  7. ^ Baseball-reference.com 1998 NLDS
  8. ^ Baseball-reference.com New York Yankees 1998 season stats
  9. ^ Baseball-reference.com 1998 World Series

Template:MLB Team San Diego Padres

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