What pleases Padres fans the most?

by Dex on Mar 19, 2008 2:13 PM PDT in News

We've been asked that by a major media outlet, and we don't have an answer. I know that I like to watch and root for the team that I grew up with. I love the players and I think the front office is full of some of the brightest minds in baseball. JBox really likes the idea of going to the game and knowing that Jenny Cavnar might be somewhere near by.

It's such a personal thing. What pleases you about the Padres? (And hurry, because we have to tell Major Media Outlet our answer soon)

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The class of the organization

With people like Gwynn, Winfield, Alderson, and Towers, all involved at some level it is hard to find a classier team in baseball. The Padres are not one of those teams that cater toward the mercenaries in the league. I also dig the support of the local military population.

by sacpadre on Mar 19, 2008 2:27 PM PDT reply actions

Similar to Sacpadre & Dex

I think we've been extraordinarily blessed as a fanbase to have some amazing players come through here. Especially given that we're NOT a major media town, we tend to develop really strong connections with guys like Hoffman, Gwynn, and now Peavy, who have scoffed at more money to stay here.

We've also had very few bad eggs in general. Sure, there was Jim Leyritz and Jack Clark, but even Milton Bradley was pretty well-behaved during his time here. We've got a group of guys who seem to really care about the team and the fans, which in turn makes us connect with them even more intensely.

I think part of what I love about the Padres so much is that we're the perennial underdogs. Nobody takes us seriously. We've got a gorgeous ballpark but people mock it because its named after a pet store. People always joke about the "San Diego Discount," which recent events have suggested might actually exist. Nobody expects anything of merit or interest to come out of our fair city. Those of us who love the team tend to be fiercely loyal and feisty. In a way, we're a lot like Marcus Giles (except we don't suck).

by Phantom on Mar 19, 2008 2:36 PM PDT reply actions

what he said

with emphasis on the marcus giles part.

"i kinda feel like nevin and klesko were some fling we (the padres) had in the past and now realize were a bad idea and are embarrassed about."

by freelunch on Mar 19, 2008 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Like others have said....

I enjoy rooting for a non-big-market team and I enjoy being the forgotten underdog. I tell people we Padres fans are like Marines: the few and the proud.

In a sick and twisted way, I even enjoyed rooting them through all of those losing seasons at Qualcomm/the Murph.

I also appreciate that they haven't let our marquee players (hoffy, peavy, tony, etc...) slip away in this game of free agency.

I also really like the telecasts with Matt and Mud. I know my father hates them, but I think their angle on the game is refreshing and something you wouldn't find in most cities.

by wait till next year on Mar 19, 2008 2:47 PM PDT reply actions

Nicely put

Especially that first line. Truly die-hard Padres fans are kind of hard to find out in the general population, but I'll put us up against any "real" fans of any other team. Just because we don't act like major league dilweeds (most of the time) and we don't wallow in self-pity when things don't go our way (most of the time) doesn't make us any less passionate.

Padres for life

by sdgaucho on Mar 19, 2008 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Ball players like to play here and it shows.

Kevin Towers, Sandy and the League of Sabremetric Gentlemen always cobble together a cohesive team of guys you've never heard of, except Jake and Trevor. Even the past-their-prime stars (Piazza, Park, Brocail, Maddux) seem to turn it on for the team in the year or two they are in San Diego.

The last 4 years, the Pads are always predicted to be back in the pack and they surprise everyone except for Padre fans. It's fun to be the underdog and stomp San Fran and LA.

Also, the new ballpark is a pleasure to visit and the Gaslamp is a perfect place to wind down (or up) after a game. Whenever I have friends visit from out of town, I take them to a game, and they always rave about the Pads, the park and the Gaslamp.

by planetjeffy on Mar 19, 2008 3:02 PM PDT reply actions

You read my mind

Exactly the points I would have highlighted.

My place Christina

by Christina on Mar 19, 2008 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions

The organization's identity

Several people have mentioned the small-market underdog thing and I agree with that - its fun to root for a team that ends up being more competitive than most people expect. If you throw out the Werner years, the organization has embraced that identity since 1969 and never really tried to change it. They've always felt like a small town team and the time that the players spend in the community has always connected them to the people of San Diego, win or lose.

by Winfield's Ghost on Mar 19, 2008 4:21 PM PDT reply actions

Loyalty

There is tremendous loyalty to the team. Likewise, the players are loyal to their fans. The fans also carry a huge chip on their shoulders about how we get 1/10th the respect of, say, the Tampa Rays.

Tony turned down more money from other teams to stick with the Padres. He reached the biggest milestone of his career in front of 237 people in Montreal and people who weren't San Diego fans didn't even notice. Whereas Wade Boggs and his 3000 booze, chicken, and Margo Adams fueled hits garner more national attention. Tony even had to play 2nd fiddle to a .276 lifetime hitter at the HoF ceremonies.

Also, we sometimes have difficulty accepting that the greatest moment in franchise history came at the hands of a player people usually identify as a Dodger.

by Pants on Mar 19, 2008 4:32 PM PDT reply actions

Leadership and vision

Along with what's been mentioned already, I think we have a vision and a plan, and I like it.

We look for players under-valued by other clubs who can help us win. Scott Hairston and Milton Bradley more recently, but also guys Chris Young, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Adrian Gonzalez have been steals because our front office can think outside the box. Let me tell you, lots of fans were pissed off about the guys in the latter group immediately after the trade.

So maybe what pleases padres fan is immedeiate displeasure?

My Padres Blog

by MelvinNieves on Mar 19, 2008 4:35 PM PDT reply actions

What pleases me is...

is the average padres fans' knowledge of the game. I think this is due to a combination of a)our organization not going after "marquee" players, and thus, our fans have to get to know the team and not just its superstars. b)the fact that most of us grew up in SD, which is one of the most talent rich areas in the country for baseball. So we get to see these players starting from highschool, especially if you played against them in highschool.

But the biggest thing that pleases me about watching the padres is that i get the feeling that everyone on the team genuinely WANTS to play here. Call it the San Diego discount or whatever but you KNOW that these guys are playing their hearts out everyday for a city and a fan base that they love. Especially the home grown players

by soulSD on Mar 19, 2008 7:15 PM PDT reply actions