2009 San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres’ dismal performance in the 2008 season landed them at the bottom of the NL West, but owner John Moores is selling the team to a group led by Jeff Moorad, which promises to turn the entire franchise around. Due to the sale, the offseason was relatively quiet, though the Padres did pick up David Eckstein, 2-time All-Star and 2006 World Series MVP. The team has a solid lineup, including Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Heath Bell, that should give them a good chance at winning the NL West, but the team will need your support. Get your tickets to PETCO Park and help cheer the San Diego Padres on to a winning season in 2009!

Early Years

The San Diego Padres were established in 1969 and quickly established themselves as one of the weaker teams in baseball. They had a lock on last place until 1975, when thanks to new All Star and future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield the Padres finally finished higher than 6th. The team struggled to reach .500 until 1984 when led by newly acquired free agents Craig Nettles, Goose Gossage, and Steve Garvey they reached the post season for the first time. After beating the Chicago Cubs in a thrilling 5 game series the Padres lost to the Detroit Tigers in 5 games.

Great Players

Despite their lack of success, the Padres have had their share of great players. Tony Gwynn spent his entire career with the team, getting over 3,000 hits as a Padre. He also shares the record for most National League batting titles with 8. He is one of 6 former Padres to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He will probably be joined there one day by current Padre and All time save leader Trevor Hoffman.

New Park

The Padres currently play in the new PETCO Park. With one of the larger fields in baseball the Padres have formed a team with a strong pitching staff. With Cy Young winner Jake Peavy heading up the staff, the Padres expect to rebound from narrowly missing the Playoffs last year.