1969 saw the introduction of four new teams into Major League Baseball. The two expansion teams added to the American League were the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots (later to become the Milwaukee Brewers.) The National League added the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) and the San Diego Padres. Success for these new teams was to be elusive. This was particularly true for the Pads.
The coming of the Padres filled the city with excitement. Fans were full of hope when it came to their new ball club. They had good reason to be. There was a brand new stadium, an experienced front office and a young team to look forward to. Their enthusiasm would turn out to be short lived. Frankly, the team was terrible. They came in last on their division for the first six years of play. In four of those last place finishes, they amassed 100 or more losses.
There were a few highlights along the way. First was Nate Colbert. This first baseman proved to be a power hitter who once hit five homeruns during a double header. Hall of Fame player Stan Musial was the only other player to have this accomplishment. During that double header, he also drove in thirteen runs, a record he still holds today.
The next glimmer was the new ownership of Ray Kroc. Kroc, owner of the world's largest fast food chain, wanted to win. He took many steps to achieve this, including a PA announcement during a game. He spoke directly to Padre fans, introducing himself and promising team improvement. He also apologized for the team's "stupid ball play." His speech may have been less impactful than it might have been, had his audience not been distracted by a streaker running across the field.
The club did begin to improve slowly but surely. They finished over . 500 (5 games over to be exact) for the first time ever in 1978. This accomplishment owes a lot to some of their better players like Gaylord Perry, Dave Winfield and Rollie Fingers. Sadly for the Pads, Winfield and Fingers both left as free agents.
San Diego did manage to see success with National League Pennants and World Series appearances in 1984 and 1998. Alas, they were facing a powerful force in 1984, the Detroit Tigers who had started the season 35-5 and did not look back. The Friars lost in five games.
The 1998 series proved to be another uphill battle against another premier American League foe - the Yankees. The Yankees had won 114 games during the regular season and were regarded by many as one of the best teams to ever take the field. But even though the Yanks swept the series, the Padres played with pluck. Three of the four games were nail biters.
The 2000s have seen unevenness of play. They were the division champs in 2005 and 2006 but other years turned out to be disappointments. Today, they remain decent, but not terrific. Time will tell what is in store for them.
The coming of the Padres filled the city with excitement. Fans were full of hope when it came to their new ball club. They had good reason to be. There was a brand new stadium, an experienced front office and a young team to look forward to. Their enthusiasm would turn out to be short lived. Frankly, the team was terrible. They came in last on their division for the first six years of play. In four of those last place finishes, they amassed 100 or more losses.
There were a few highlights along the way. First was Nate Colbert. This first baseman proved to be a power hitter who once hit five homeruns during a double header. Hall of Fame player Stan Musial was the only other player to have this accomplishment. During that double header, he also drove in thirteen runs, a record he still holds today.
The next glimmer was the new ownership of Ray Kroc. Kroc, owner of the world's largest fast food chain, wanted to win. He took many steps to achieve this, including a PA announcement during a game. He spoke directly to Padre fans, introducing himself and promising team improvement. He also apologized for the team's "stupid ball play." His speech may have been less impactful than it might have been, had his audience not been distracted by a streaker running across the field.
The club did begin to improve slowly but surely. They finished over . 500 (5 games over to be exact) for the first time ever in 1978. This accomplishment owes a lot to some of their better players like Gaylord Perry, Dave Winfield and Rollie Fingers. Sadly for the Pads, Winfield and Fingers both left as free agents.
San Diego did manage to see success with National League Pennants and World Series appearances in 1984 and 1998. Alas, they were facing a powerful force in 1984, the Detroit Tigers who had started the season 35-5 and did not look back. The Friars lost in five games.
The 1998 series proved to be another uphill battle against another premier American League foe - the Yankees. The Yankees had won 114 games during the regular season and were regarded by many as one of the best teams to ever take the field. But even though the Yanks swept the series, the Padres played with pluck. Three of the four games were nail biters.
The 2000s have seen unevenness of play. They were the division champs in 2005 and 2006 but other years turned out to be disappointments. Today, they remain decent, but not terrific. Time will tell what is in store for them.
About the Author:
Bobbie Barton is a fitness trainer She likes SportsFanTreasures.com and recommends you check out their info on Seattle Mariners Watch and Arizona Diamondbacks Bedding
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