PETCO Park Stadium Secrets: Monument Park

In 2005 the National Baseball Hall of Fame forged bronze replica plaques for every player who entered the Hall and at some point in their career played for the Padres They sent the plaques to the Padres, where they were quickly installed at the base of the batter's eye, off limits to the public and hidden from sight. It was the consensus of John Moores' evil regime that Padres fans didn't deserve to look upon such greatness and so it has been for the past 6 years.

They sit there still, a secret of a bygone era, unknown or forgotten by Padres fans. Only visible by satellite, but still protected by a metallic coverings so that Chinese spy satellites can't read their inscriptions and the sun can't fade the bronze.

Here's a picture of Dex with the plaques in the background. He has no idea that behind him are the plaques of other team's legends and Padres immortals. He is clueless to the fact that only a few feet behind him are Dave Winfield , Ozzie Smith, Gaylord Perry, Willie McCovey, Rollie Fingers, Sparky Anderson and Billy Herman. If only he knew he could lift up the plaque's outerwear and trace the raised lettering with his fingers, make a rubbing with a crayon and taste the aging bronze with the tip of his tongue.

Notice how the plaques are separated in sets of 5 and 2. Maybe one day the plaques of Tony Gwynn, Dick Williams and Jerry Coleman will fill the void. Maybe one day our children's children will be able to see the plaques on public display where they belong.