San Diego Padres (1969-Present)

Manager: Bruce Bochy 1995-
Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium* 1969-
*-Known as San Diego Stadium 1969-1981
                   Jack Murphy Stadium 1982-1996

Address:
8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92112-2000
Phone: (619) 297-2373

Web:
http://www.padres.mlb.com

Nickname:
Named for the Padres (Spanish for Priest) of the Roman Catholic Mission San Diego de Alcala, which was founded in San Diego in the 1700's.

Team Logo:
Padres is written in a navy arch, with a white out line and an orange shadow, against a white hoop with a navy and orange out line. Written around the hoop is San Diego Baseball Club in navy, and inside the hoops center are a few navy pinstriped lines.

Team Colors:
Navy, White, and Orange

Managerial History:
Preston Gomez 1969-1972
Don Zimmer 1972-1973
John McNamara 1974-1977
Bob Skinner 1977
Alvin Dark 1977
Roger Craig 1978-1979
Jerry Coleman 1980
Frank Howard 1981
Dick Williams 1982-1985
Steve Boros 1986
Larry Bowa 1987-1988
Jack McKeon 1988-1990
Greg Riddoch 1990-1992
Jim Riggleman 1992-1994
Bruce Bochy 1995-Present

Stadium History:
Qualcomm Stadium* 1969-Present
*-Known as San Diego Stadium 1969-1981
                   Jack Murphy Stadium 1982-1996

All Star Games Hosted: (2)
1978, 1992

World Champions:
None

World Series: (2)
1984, 1998

Division Champs: (3)
1984, 1996, 1998

Wild Card:
None

Retired Numbers: (5)
   6 Steve Garvey 1B 1983-1987
19 Tony Gwynn OF 1982-2001
31 Dave Winfield OF 1973-1980
35 Randy Jones LHP 1973-1980
42 Jackie Robinson (Retired by MLB)

Hall of Famers: (5)
Rollie Fingers RHRP 1977-1980
Willie McCovey 1B 1974-1976
Gaylord Perry RHP 1978-1979
Ozzie Smith SS 1978-1981
Dave Winfield OF 1973-1980

All Star Game MVP: (1)
1985 LaMarr Hoyt RHP

Manager of the Year: (1)
1996 Bruce Bochy

Rookie of the Year: (2)
1976 Bruce Metzger RHP (co-winner)
1987 Benito Santiago C

Fireman Award: (5)
1977 Rollie Fingers RHP
1978 Rollie Fingers RHP
1980 Rollie Fingers RHP
1989 Mark Davis LHP*
1998 Trevor Hoffman RHP
*-Also won Cy Young

Hank Aaron Award:
None

Cy Young: (3)
1976 Randy Jones LHP
1978 Gaylord Perry RHP
1989 Mark Davis LHP*
*-Reliever

MVP: (1)
1996 Ken Caminiti 3B

LCS MVP:
1984 Steve Garvey 1B
1998 Sterling Hitchcock LHP

World Series MVP:
None

Cycle Hitters:
None

No Hitters:
None

Best Season: 1998 (98-64)
Worst Season: 1969 (52-110)

Historical Moments:
1936-1968: The San Diego Padres have a rich and glorious history in the Pacific Coast League. In fact it was with the Padres that Ted Williams began his pro career in that inaugural 1936 season. When it came time for San Diego to get a Major League franchise it was only natural to take the Padres name, and legacy.

1968: San Diego is granted an expansion team by the National League, and in keeping with tradition names the team after the old PCL team. In the November expansion draft the Padres select OF Ollie Brown as their very first player.

1969: The Padres make their Major League debut on April 8th with a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros in front of 23,370 fans at San Diego Stadium. Winning games did not come regularly in that first season, as the Padres finished with a 52-110 record. The expansion Padres finished not only 41 games out of first but also 29 games out of fifth. First baseman Nate Colbert, with 24 home runs, provided San Diego's brightest ray of hope, and would prove to be one of the Padres' standout performers through their early years.

1970: The Padres struggle in front of an empty stadium, finishing in last place again, and barely avoid another 100-loss season, with a 63-99 record.

1972: During an August 1st Double Header in Atlanta, 1B Nate Colbert hits 5 home runs and drives in 13 runs against the Braves. The RBI total establishes a double-header record that still stands today, while the 5 home runs tied Stan Musial's 1954 twin-bill mark Colbert would go to finish the season with 111 RBI becoming the first Padre to drive in 100 runs in a season. However, the Padres would still finish in last place with a 58-95 record.

1973: Fearing he would chose Basketball or Football over Baseball, the Padres sign draft pick Dave Winfield, and bring him directly to the majors, without him playing a single inning of minor league ball. Winfield would go to have a Hall of Fame career smacking over 400 HR, and delivering more than 3,000 hits.

1974: Big league baseball was not an instant hit in San Diego, attendance barely topped a 500,000 in the Padres' first year, and though it rose a little over the next few seasons, the increase was not enough to make the club viable. Owner C. Arnholt Smith decided early in 1974 to sell the franchise to a buyer who planned to move the team to Washington, DC. New uniforms had been manufactured and the club's files were packed for the move. However, the founder of McDonald's fast-food empire, and longtime baseball fan Ray Kroc, stepped in with an offer to buy the Padres for cash and keeping them in San Diego. Though Kroc's 1974 Padres finished last with the same 60-102 record they had posted the year before, his sense of showmanship drew spectators. Home attendance shot up 76 %, rising above a million for the first time.

1975: Randy Jones captures the League ERA title while becoming the first Padre to win 20 games in a season. While the Padres climb out of last place for the first time ever, and finishing in 4th Place with a 71-91 record.

1976: Two years after losing a league high 22 games Lefty Starter Randy Jones wins a league high 22 games, while posting a 2.74 ERA, which was good enough to earn him Cy Young Award. He would not be the only Padre to take home hardware rookie pitcher Butch Metzger earned a split of the NL Rookie of the Year with Pat Zachary of the Cincinnati Reds. However, the Padres would still finish with a losing record placing 5th with a 73-89 record.

1978: Gaylord Perry wins a league high 21 games en-route to the NL Cy Young. Perry, who won the award 6 years earlier with Cleveland, would become the 1st player ever to win the honor in both leagues. Perry's pitching along with bat of Dave Winfield who hit .308 and drove in 97 runs, and the spectacular plays at Short Stop by Rookie Ozzie Smith would spur the Padres to a 84-78 record earning them their first plus .500 season in their history.

1980: The Padres become the first NL club with three players having 50 stolen base seasons (Gene Richards 61; Ozzie Smith 57; and Jerry Mumphrey 52), as they lead the majors with 239. However, the Padres would finish in last place with a 73-89 record.

1981: After finishing in last place in both parts of the strike interrupted split season, Manager Frank Howard is fired, and replaced by Dick Williams.

1982: Home grown Legend Tony Gwynn makes his major league debut on July 19th, collecting 2 hits against the Philadelphia Phillies. Under the stern of Dick Williams, the Padres would show significant improvement finishing in 4th place with a .500 record.

1983: Steve Garvey acquired by the Padres in the off season dislocates his left thumb in a July 29th home plate collision vs. Atlanta, snapping his NL record streak of 1,027 consecutive games played, which is also the 3rd-longest in major league history. The Padres would go on to duplicate their 4th Place .500 season of the previous season.

1984: Six years after the San Diego's first winning season, the Padres recorded a second winning season with a new blend of experience and youth, as the team soared to new heights. Sparked by recently acquired veterans Steve Garvey at first, Craig Nettles at third, and Goose Gossage in the bullpen, and by a bevy of young stars like batting champ Tony Gwynn and hard-hitting OF Kevin McReynolds, the Padres moved into first place to stay in early June. Despite only playing .500 in the final 2 months, the Padres still won the NL West Title by 12 games with a 92-70 record. Sadly, Ray Kroc the man who saved the franchise 10 years earlier was not around to see it, after passing away on January 14th, the team would wear his initials on their sleeves for the next few seasons.

1984: The Padres enter the NLCS as heavy underdogs to the Chicago Cubs. In fact after the first two games the Pads look overmatched losing 13-0, and 4-2. If the Padres were going to win the series they would have to win the final 3 games fortunately they were to be played at Jack Murphy Stadium. The Padres used 7 runs in the 5th and 6th Innings come from behind to win game 3. In Game 4 Steve Garvey led the charge going 4 for 5 including a game winning 2-run homer in the 9th to force a 5th, and decisive game. The Padres fell behind early again in Game 5, but capitalized on Cubs mistakes to stage a 4-run 7th Inning rally, and earn a trip to their first World Series. However, in the World Series the Padres were simply over matched by a great Detroit Tigers team that steam rolled it's way through the American League all year. The Padres would manage to win Game 2 at frenzied Jack Murphy Stadium thanks to Kurt Bevacqua's 3-Run Homer, but in the end the Tigers were too strong taking the series in 5 games.

1985: Seven Padres and manager Dick Williams lead the National League to a 6-1 win over the American League in the All-Star Game at Minneapolis. Padres Pitcher LaMarr Hoyt is even named the game's MVP. However, the Padres would fade in the second half, and finish in 3rd Place with a 83-79 record. Following the season, Manager Dick Williams would be replaced by Steve Boros.

1987: Benito Santiago closes out his first big league campaign with a club and Major League rookie record-setting 34-game hitting streak, which is also the longest by a catcher. Santiago would go on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in a unanimous vote. Despites Benny's spectacular debut, the Padres lose 97 games finishing last for the 9th time in the club's 19-year history.

1988: After a slow start Manager Larry Bowa is replaced by Jack McKeon, giving the team its 4th manager in 4 years. The move would work, as the team would play solid baseball down stretch finishing in 3rd Place with an 83-78 record.

1989: After meandering through the most of the season around the .500 mark, the Padres go 29-10 in the last 6 weeks to get back into the pennant race, but finish, 3 games behind the San Francisco Giants with an 89-73 record. Tony Gwynn records 6 hits in his final 8 at-bats to capture his 4th N.L. batting title, while Reliever Mark Davis notches a then-Padres record 44 saves, one shy of the NL Record, en route to winning the Cy Young Award.

1990: The Padres are sold to a 15-member investment group headed by Hollywood Produce Tom Werner. The team would struggle in a year of transition changing their Manager and GM, and finishing tied for 4th with a 75-87 record. The Padres also are involved in a controversy when Comedienne Roseanne, performs the National Anthem, before a Padres game.

1991: The Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays pull off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in baseball history prior to the season. The Padres would ship away OF Joe Carter, and 2B Roberto Alomar, in exchange for SS Tony Fernandez, and 1B Fred McGriff. On August 13th and 14th McGriff becomes the 4th player in NL history to blast grand slams in consecutive games. The new players would help the Padres finish in 3rd Place with an 84-78 record.

1992: Gary Sheffield leads the NL with a .330 batting average, and Fred McGriff wins the home run crown with 35 round trippers. Despite the spectacular league leading performances the Padres finish a distant 3rd with an 82-80 record.

1993: In a nightmarish 101-loss last place season that sees the Padres trade off fan favorites Gary Sheffield, and Fred McGriff, Tony Gwynn remains a Padre and seems to get better with age. In a game on August 4th Gwynn records a career-high 6 hits vs. the San Francisco Giants. It is his 4th game of the season with 5 or more hits, tying a major league record held by Wee Willie Keeler(1897), Ty Cobb (1922) and Stan Musial (1948).

1994: In a season cut short on August 12th by a player's strike, the Padres 47-70 record was the worst in the majors. However, San Diego still had reason to cheer, thanks to the hitting of Tony Gwynn, whose .394 batting average was the best in the NL since Bill Terry's .401 64 years earlier. In fact many believe Gwynn might have had a shot a batting .400 if the season been allowed to continue.

1995: The Padres are sold to John Moores and Larry Lucchino. In a move that singled the team would spend money to compete the Padres acquire Ken Caminiti, and Steve Finley in a blockbuster multi-player trade with Houston Astros. Caminiti becomes the first player in baseball history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game 3 times in a season, the first 2 come on consecutive nights. The Padres hit 9 grand slams, and to tie the NL mark set in 1929 by the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, Tony Gwynn wins his 6th batting title with a .368 average. With all the impressive offensive help, the Padres are the most improved team in the National League finishing with a 70-74 record.

1996: The Padres make baseball history in Monterrey, Mexico by hosting the New York Mets in La Primera Serie, the first major league regular season games played outside the United States or Canada on the weekend of August 16-18th, as the Padres would take 2 of the 3 games in the series.

1996: In a magical season lead by Ken Caminiti who sets club records with 40 home runs and 130 RBI and becomes the 4th player to win the N.L. MVP in an unanimous vote, the Padres with the NL West Title with a 91-71 record. Bruce Bochy becomes the first Padre to win the Manager of the Year Award, while Tony Gwynn hits .353 to win his 7th batting title. However, the magical season ends quickly in the NLDS as the Padres are swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in 3 straight.

1997: On April 1st in front of the first Opening Day sellout crowd since 1985, the Padres explode for an 11-run 6th inning en route to a 12-5 win over the New York Mets. The inning established a 20th Century record for runs scored in an inning on Opening Day. Chris Gomez, Rickey Henderson and Quilvio Veras slugged consecutive home runs to highlight the inning. However, the season does not go as smoothly for the Padres, who struggle all season and finish in last place with a 76-86 record. However, Tony Gwynn bats .372 to win his 8th batting title, tying Honus Wagner's NL record.

1997: On April 19 & 20th, while renovations are made to the newly renamed Qualcomm Stadium, the Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals in the Padres Paradise Series at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii the Padres would end up dropping 2 of the 3 games.

1998: Like a yo-yo the Padres rise to the top of the division again led by Trevor Hoffman who ties an NL record with 53 saves in 54 chances, 2nd-most in baseball history. Meanwhile Greg Vaughn slugs a club-record 50 HR and drives in 119 runs. The Padres win a club record 98 games en-route to their 2nd Division title in 3 years.

1998: The Padres get off to a good start in the NLDS thanks to Kevin Brown who fans a Division Series-record 16 to out duel Randy Johnson for a 2-1 series-opening win against the Houston Astros. The Padres would go onto win the series defeating the Big Unit twice in 4 games. In the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, the Padres race out to a 3 games to none lead. The Braves would go on to win the next 2 at Qualcomm to send the series back to Atlanta. However, Sterling Hitchcock would shut down the Braves for the 2nd time in the series to win the NLCS MVP and send the Padres on to a World Series match up against the New York Yankees. The Padres find themselves in the same position as 1984, overmatched. This time the Padres face a Yankees team who won a record 125 regular and post-season games. The Yankees would go on to sweep the Padres, but Tony Gwynn would bat .500 (8-for-16) with a homer and 3 RBI in the series.

1999: Three years after playing the first series in Mexico the Padres open the season in Monterey Mexico with an 8-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. While the Padres struggled to a 4th Place 74-88 season, Tony Gwynn becomes the 22nd player in history to reach 3,000 career hits with a first-inning single to right-center on a 1-2 pitch from Montreal's Dan Smith at Olympic Stadium on August 6th. He would go on to finish the milestone night 4-for-5, igniting a 12-10 win.

2000: Trevor Hoffman ties Major League marks with his 3rd straight 40-save season and his 6th consecutive 30-save campaign. However, the Padres would struggle with an injury-plagued season to finish in 4th Place with a 76-86 record.

2001: The end of an era comes for the Padres as Tony Gwynn retires after 20 season in San Diego. Injuries would only allow Gwynn to pinch hit in the final months of his career, but he would still manage to hit .324 collecting 33 hits in 102 at Bats. Gwynn would finish his career with 3,141 hits, and an impressive .338 average.

2001: While Gwynn was finishing his career the Padres brought in Rickey Henderson to chase some of baseball's most elite career records. Henderson would quickly walked his way into history by breaking the career walks record held by Babe Ruth on April 29th. However, the record Henderson eyed was the all-time runs scored record held by Ty Cobb. In the final weekend of the season Henderson would smack a HR to score his 2,248 run to break the record. Henderson would make history again 1 day later by collecting his 3000th hit on the final day of the regular season.

Odds and Ends:
Team Mascot: Friar John

On The Air:
Television: KUSI (Channel 9), Channel 4 Padres-TV
Radio: KOGO 600 AM, KURS 1040 AM (Spanish)
Broadcasters: Mark Grant, Mel Proctor, and Rick Sutcliffe-TV Jerry Coleman, and Ted Leitner-Radio

Spring Training History:
Yuma, AZ 1969-1993
Peoria, AZ 1994-Present

On The Farm:
AAA: Portland Beavers
AA: Mobile BayBears
A:Lake Elsinore Storm
A:Ft. Wayne Wizards
A:Eugene Emeralds
Rookie: Idaho Falls Padres