Padres Media Preview Night is always a good time. TV, Radio and Print media come together to see what the Padres have on tap for the Home Opener and the season that follows. This year the invitation to attend was opened to the fans in the form of a tweet. Fortunately I saw it just a few minutes after it was sent out and got my RSVP in early.
@Padres #ReplytoApply because I'm totally random.
— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) March 31, 2015
When Jonny Dub saw that I applied he was texting me like crazy insisting that I invite him. I always do, but for some reason he thinks I'll have a change of mind each year. When I found via direct message that we had been chosen I told Jon that I'd consider inviting him but he'd have to tweet me with a reason why he wants to attend.
Jon and I arrived about a half hour before the gates to Petco Park were opened, but we killed time by lending a hand to park employees that were rolling food displays down the sidewalk. That's just the type of guys we are, I guess. Then we stood and waited by the Gaslamp Gate as a small crowd of media folks grew into a large crowd.
Crazy Charisma was one of the other fans that was invited and she peppered us with questions about the signage at the ballpark. I told her I didn't know why the Padres had removed a team picture from under the Petco Park sign like 5 times before I asked her to stop asking me questions. No wonder she calls herself crazy. I kid, because we're friends.
The gates were opened and we were allowed into the park at 6 o'clock sharp. We took the elevators up to the upper deck and we were invited to look at the new seating areas underneath the new HD scoreboard. We rushed through this self guided tour in order to get on the field. The seats looked good, but they can wait.
The field was closed do to the Home Opener being just a few days away but we were allowed to walk through a row of tents serving food on each on the first and third base side. We were careful not to get caught up eating food too early in order to get in the slow moving line to hit off a pitching machine set up for us. We still grabbed a Hawaiian Hodad's slider on the way, we couldn't resist.
@gaslampball @jonnydubsd#PadresPreview pic.twitter.com/etZt2YozMF
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 8, 2015
The Padres weren't ready to start batting practice so we decided to give ourselves a tour of the food after all. We ate from the new Zenbu sushi bar, we drank margaritas, ate Cardiff Crack tri-tip and sipped on Hess Brewing beer. Oh the earthly delights!
While eating tri-tip, Padres CMO Wayne Partello said hello and we talked about Seaside Markets and their delicious meat. I told him I'd never been to the original location in North County and he explained how you can order meat there and it comes with cooking instructions. As he described the cooking process I kept excitedly interrupting him "...and then you put in the microwave..." he'd correct me and then I'd play along like I finally understood for a few moments then interrupt again "... oh, then you just plop it on the George Foreman Grill..." I always enjoy our conversations, I'm not sure if he does though.
Finally we found ourselves in line for the batting cages. While in line we watched as the Padres put Charisma on the HD scoreboard and we marveled at the clarity and size, it looked exactly like her only bigger. I told myself I wouldn't swing the bat due to ongoing back problems, but I couldn't resist a few swings.
Afterward we ate more food and talked to Brady from Lobshots, Jesse Agler from Padres Social Hour and watched the game on the big screen while eating Baked Bear ice cream sandwiches. It was a good night. Get your Twitter replies in super random next year, you'll love it.