San Diego Padres Tickets

San Diego Padres Tickets

San Diego Padres Through The Years

The San Diego Padres' history has not always been filled with success, but this team has certainly had its share of bright moments. For many, it is hard to believe that they have been a member of Major League Baseball's National League for more than 40 years. What started as an expansion franchise in 1969 is now a team with its own story.

The first several years there was not much to celebrate if one was a Padre fan. During the 1970's, this team was at or near the bottom of the National League's Western Division standings. Despite the generally poor teams, there were still a number of notable players that wore the Padre uniform during this decade. Nate Colbert, Dave Winfield, Randy Jones and Gaylord Perry are some of the more prominent names.

The first year that their fans had a real chance to celebrate was 1984. This was the year that they beat the Chicago Cubs in the National League Playoffs and participated in the World Series for the first time in team history. Though they lost to the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 1, times had changed dramatically from their humble beginnings. Among other team members, Tony Gwynn emerged as their first super star.

Gwynn won his first of 8 batting titles in 1984. He also became teams only member of the 3,000 hit club in 1999. He played his last game in 2001 and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2007.

The franchise has had its ups and downs. Shortly after the pennant winning season of 1984, the team struggle to be competitive for the decade that followed. It was not until 1998 that Padre fans were able to celebrate another pennant winner. The team made it all the way to the World Series again, only to lose to the New York Yankees 4 games to Zero.

Today, the San Diego Padres play in PETCO Park. They moved there from Jack Murphy Stadium where they celebrated their pennant winning years. Their new home opened in 2004 and is considered by many to be on the list of most beautiful stadiums in all of baseball.

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