This year’s Padres promotional schedule finally gets it right

It’s that time of year. The time of year when all of us Padres fans take our disappointment and bitterness toward Trevor Hoffman getting denied induction into the Hall of Fame, then channel that into trashing the team’s newly announced promotional schedule, sneering at its fedoras and bemoaning the lack of any bobblehead whatsoever.

But... but somehow it isn’t like that at all. Trevor finally got elected, and on top of that, the Padres released a promotional schedule that is not only not bad, but in fact extremely good. Not just extremely good in comparison to the recent run of years that were yawnworthy and rightfully mocked, either.

In addition to a series of Hoffman-themed giveaways, the Padres crammed their schedule with good, quality giveaways that will actually see a lot of use, unlike much of the stuff from years past that found its way into many a Petco Park trash can, best represented by those loathsome fedoras. One of the highlights is a series of bobbleheads commemorating the 1998 National League Champions, and the best part is that these are for everyone, not just those who buy a theme ticket. There are still theme games, but they don’t seem to come at the expense of days with killer giveaways for everyone.

Other items I liked in particular include the beach towel, hoodie, reusable grocery bag, fleece blanket, and updated Cubbusters shirt. I would have preferred it in brown, but I get it. I’m also intrigued by the Hawaiian shirt; I would absolutely never wear it, but I would totally use the fabric to sew a sweet throw pillow.