History of the San Diego Padres facts for kids
The San Diego Padres are a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB). They are based in San Diego, California. Before joining MLB in 1969, the Padres were a minor league team in the Pacific Coast League. They even won the league title in 1937! The team's name, "Padres," is Spanish for "fathers." It honors the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769.
The Early Years: 1969–1999
Starting Out: 1969–1983 Challenges
The Padres got their name from the Pacific Coast League team that came to San Diego in 1936. That minor league team won the PCL title in 1937. A famous player named Ted Williams, who was only 18, led them.
In 1969, the San Diego Padres joined Major League Baseball. They were one of four new expansion teams. The others were the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals), the Kansas City Royals, and the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers). Their first owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a well-known San Diego businessman.
Even with excitement and new leaders, the team had a tough start. The Padres finished in last place in their division for their first six seasons. They lost 100 games or more four times. One of the few bright spots was first baseman Nate Colbert. He was a powerful hitter and still holds the Padres' career record for home runs.
Almost Moving: The Washington Stars
Before the 1974 season, the Padres were almost sold to a man named Joseph Danzansky. He planned to move the team to Washington, D.C. The team was going to be called the Washington Stars or Washington Nationals. However, the sale faced legal problems. Instead, Smith sold the team to McDonald's co-founder Ray Kroc for $12 million. Kroc was rich and wanted to keep the Padres in San Diego.
New Energy: Winfield, Jones, Fingers, and Ozzie
.svg)
In his first home game as owner in 1974, Ray Kroc spoke to the fans. He apologized for the team's poor play. The next season, 1975, was the first time the Padres did not finish last in their division. This brought hope that Kroc would make good changes.
Nate Colbert is one of only two MLB players to hit five home runs in a doubleheader. He did this as a Padre. He also had 13 RBIs in that doubleheader, which is still a major league record.
After Colbert left, the team still struggled. But they had a new star outfielder, Dave Winfield. He joined the Padres in 1973 directly from college. He had not played any games in the minor leagues. Winfield was also drafted by teams in football and basketball!
Winfield became a star from 1973 to 1980. He played 1,117 games for San Diego. He had 1,134 hits and 154 home runs. He helped the team move out of last place in 1975. This was under manager John McNamara.
A young pitcher named Randy Jones also improved greatly. After losing 22 games in 1974, Jones became the first San Diego pitcher to win 20 games in 1975. He went 20–12. The Padres finished fourth that year.
Jones won 22 games in 1976 and won the Cy Young Award. This was another first for the team. The club won a new high of 73 games that year.
In 1978, a young shortstop named Ozzie Smith joined the team. He amazed everyone with his acrobatic plays. That summer, the Padres hosted the All-Star Game.
Pitcher Gaylord Perry also joined the Padres at age 39. He had an amazing season, going 21–6. He won the Padres' second Cy Young Award in three seasons. San Diego also had its first winning season ever, finishing 84–78.
However, the good times did not last. The Padres had another losing season in 1979. Winfield was the only bright spot, leading the league with 118 RBIs. Winfield then left to play for the New York Yankees after the 1980 season.
1984: A Season to Remember
The 1984 season started with sad news: Ray Kroc died. His wife, Joan Kroc, took over ownership. The team wore Ray's initials, "RAK," on their jerseys for three seasons.
Fortunately, better times were ahead. The Padres finished 92–70 in 1984. They won the National League West championship! They were managed by Dick Williams. The team had veteran players like Steve Garvey, Garry Templeton, and Graig Nettles. They also had future Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn. Gwynn won his first of eight batting titles that year. He joined the Padres in 1982 after playing baseball and basketball in college.
In the 1984 NLCS, the Padres played the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs won the first two games. But the Padres came back to win the next three games at home. This won them the 1984 National League pennant! Fans wore "Cub-Busters" T-shirts, inspired by the Ghostbusters movie.
In the 1984 World Series, the Padres faced the powerful Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had a great season, winning 104 games. The Tigers won the Series 4-games-to-1. Even though they lost, the 1984 postseason was a very exciting time for baseball in San Diego.
After the Pennant: 1985–1995 Tough Times
After their amazing 1984 season, the Padres had some difficult years. Tony Gwynn continued to be a great hitter. He even batted .394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season. This was the highest batting average since 1941.
In 1987, rookie catcher Benito Santiago had a 34-game hitting streak. He won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. However, the Padres finished last that year. In 1989, the Padres finished with a winning record, 89–73. This was thanks to Cy Young Award-winning closer Mark Davis.
In 1990, owner Joan Kroc sold the team to television producer Tom Werner. Under Werner, the team's brown uniforms changed to navy blue. The team also made some big trades. One trade brought in pitcher Trevor Hoffman. He was not well-known then, but he would become a huge star for the Padres. Hoffman became the next key player for the team after Dave Winfield and Tony Gwynn.
In 1995, Kevin Towers became the general manager.
Building a Winner: 1996–1998
In 1996, under new owner John Moores and manager Bruce Bochy, the team won the NL West division. This was an exciting race! The 1996 team had Gwynn, who won his seventh batting title. It also had MVP Ken Caminiti, Rickey Henderson, and Steve Finley. The Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final series to win the division. However, they lost in the playoffs to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Padres had a tougher year in 1997. But Tony Gwynn won his eighth and final batting title. He also had a career high in home runs and RBIs.
1998: The Second Pennant
In 1998, the Padres had their best year ever! They finished 98–64 and won the NL West division crown. They had new pitcher Kevin Brown, who had a fantastic season. Outfielder Greg Vaughn hit 50 home runs. The team also had stars like Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti, and closer Trevor Hoffman, who had 53 saves.
The Padres beat the Houston Astros in the first round of the playoffs. Then, in the 1998 NLCS, the Padres faced the Atlanta Braves. The Braves had a great record of 106–56. But the Padres won the series 4 games to 2! Ace pitcher Kevin Brown pitched a shutout in Game 2.
In the 1998 World Series, the Padres faced the powerful New York Yankees. The Yankees had an amazing season, winning 114 games. They were considered one of the greatest teams of all time. The Yankees swept the Padres in four games. One bright spot for the Padres was a home run by Tony Gwynn in Game 1. It gave the Padres a brief lead.
The 21st Century: 1999–Present
Saying Goodbye to Qualcomm: 1999–2003
After the 1998 World Series, many key players left the team. Kevin Brown, Steve Finley, and Ken Caminiti all signed with other teams. The Padres traded Greg Vaughn for Reggie Sanders.
On August 6, 1999, Tony Gwynn got his 3,000th career hit. This was a single against the Montreal Expos.
On October 7, 2001, Tony Gwynn said an emotional farewell to the team. He had played his entire career with the Padres. In the same game, Rickey Henderson, who had rejoined the Padres, got his 3,000th career hit. Gwynn was later inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. He passed away in 2014.
In 2001, Dave Winfield became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Padre.
New Home: Petco Park and Division Titles (2004–2010)
After five losing seasons, the Padres moved into their new stadium, Petco Park, in 2004. Petco Park is located in downtown San Diego. It has a modern design and includes parts of San Diego's history. The new park helped bring back fan interest.
The Padres started winning again in their new home. Petco Park also became known as a "pitchers' park" because it was harder to hit home runs there. The Padres finished the 2004 season with a winning record of 87–75. They also changed their team colors to navy blue and sand brown.
In 2005, the Padres won their division with an 82–80 record. This was the lowest winning percentage for a division champion in a full season. They had bright spots like pitcher Jake Peavy, who led the league in strikeouts, and closer Trevor Hoffman, who got his 400th save. However, they were swept in the playoffs by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Padres started the 2006 season slowly. But they improved and moved into first place. Closer Trevor Hoffman became the all-time saves leader in MLB history that year. He recorded his 479th career save. The 2006 Padres' success was largely due to their strong pitching staff.
On September 30, 2006, the Padres clinched a playoff spot. They won back-to-back division titles for the first time in team history! They were tied with the Dodgers, but won the division because they had a better record against them. However, they were eliminated in the playoffs by the St. Louis Cardinals again.
After the 2006 season, Bruce Bochy left as manager. He was replaced by Bud Black.
On June 6, 2007, Trevor Hoffman became the first pitcher in major league history to record 500 saves. Most of them were as a Padre.
The Padres ended the 2007 season tied for a playoff spot with the Colorado Rockies. They played a special one-game playoff to decide who would go to the playoffs. Despite a strong effort, the Padres lost in extra innings. Their season ended in a very close game.
After the season, Jake Peavy won the National League Cy Young Award. He was the fourth Padres pitcher to win this award.
The Padres had a tough 2008 season. They struggled to score runs and lost many games. They finished with a 63–99 record, last in their division.
In 2009, the Padres started strong. They swept the Giants and won a series against the Mets. But they struggled later in the season, finishing fourth in their division.
Many people thought the Padres would finish last in 2010. But they surprised everyone! They were in first place for much of the season. However, a 10-game losing streak at the end of the year caused them to miss the playoffs. The San Francisco Giants won the division and later the World Series.
A Difficult Decade: 2011–2019
In 2010, star player Adrián González was traded to the Boston Red Sox. This was a big change for the team.
The Padres did not have a winning record for the rest of the decade. Manager Bud Black was fired in 2015 and replaced by Andy Green.
On February 21, 2019, the Padres signed Manny Machado to a huge 10-year, $300 million contract. Top young player Fernando Tatís Jr. also joined the team. However, even with these stars, the Padres finished last in their division in 2019. The Padres were one of only four teams that did not make the playoffs at all during the 2010s.
New Hope: 2020–Present
Jayce Tingler became the team's manager for the 2020 season. In the shortened season due to the pandemic, the Padres had a good record of 37–23. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2006! They won their first playoff series against the St. Louis Cardinals. But they were then swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who went on to win the World Series.
.jpg)
On April 9, 2021, Joe Musgrove pitched the first no-hitter in Padres history! This was a huge moment for the team. It broke the Padres' long streak of never having a no-hitter. The Padres hoped to compete for the World Series in 2021. They were in a playoff spot for most of the season. But they struggled at the end and missed the playoffs.
In 2022, even with Fernando Tatís Jr. missing the season due to injury, the Padres won 89 games and made the playoffs. They added young superstar Juan Soto and veteran Josh Bell during the season. They upset the 101-win New York Mets in the first round of the playoffs. Then, they faced their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the next round. The Padres won three games in a row to reach the National League Championship Series for the first time since 1998! However, they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.
In 2023, the Padres had high expectations. They signed star player Xander Bogaerts. Fernando Tatís Jr. also returned from injury. Many experts thought the Padres would win their division. But the team struggled and stayed around a .500 winning record for most of the season. Despite a strong finish, the Padres missed the playoffs.
On November 14, 2023, Padres Chairman and owner Peter Seidler passed away. Eric Kutsenda is now the interim primary owner.
The Padres started their 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea, playing against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
