Tag: padres

Playing baseball at the Gaslamp Fire Station!

The Padres and Braves aren’t the only ones playing baseball today in San Diego. Firefighters from the Gaslamp Quarter’s Fire Station No. 4 took to the street just north of Petco Park to take a few swings of the bat!

Visiting firefighters from downtown’s big San Diego Fire Station No. 1 joined the action. I asked if batting in front of the Gaslamp fire station is a tradition. It is during big games, I learned. Well, there’s certainly a big game now underway: Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series! (And as I type this, the Padres have taken the lead!)

Now here came families down the sidewalk, and before you know it kids were trying their hand at hitting the wiffle balls. What fun!

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Photos outside Petco Park during Padres 2024 Postseason!

The excitement outside Petco Park just before Game 1 of the Major League Baseball Wild Card Series in San Diego was off the charts!

Smiles everywhere. As fans streamed toward the ballpark, I noted every sort of Padres jersey, hat, shirt. There were lots of excited kids about to make lifelong memories. (And the excitement is only growing! As I type this, the Padres lead Atlanta 3-0, and Tatis has hit a towering home run!)

Before the game began, I walked around Petco Park searching for fun photographs.

This is what I captured… (The next photo is actually from early this morning.)

Steven Woods and Ben Higgins smile for a photo during a break in their 97.3 FM morning show.

Fans stream from a packed Green Line trolley at the Gaslamp station, an hour before the game.

Many Friar Faithful have gathered at Bub’s.

Keep Calm and Hate the Dodgers. (My supervisor at work might not like this!)

Hand in hand, Padres fans walk down the sidewalk.

Two cool Padres serapes!

A big smile, ready to help fans as they arrive at Petco Park!

Padres fans lean up against Padres players.

Somebody had some extra tickets.

Friendly reporters from FOX 5 and KUSI give me thumbs up!

Check out this Dead Head Padres shirt!

This guitarist had a very big audience!

That is a super cool bike!

And check out these shoes!

San Diego Padres shoes!

Heading toward Petco Park, anticipating a Padres victory against Atlanta!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Padres 2024 Postseason: For the Faithful and Peter Seidler.

2024 has been an amazing season for the San Diego Padres. 93 wins. 3,314,593 fans at Petco Park. 56 home sellouts.

This afternoon fans learned the Padres will be playing a home Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves, beginning tomorrow evening. Downtown San Diego and the Gaslamp will be going crazy.

Two themes are helping to motivate our team to victory in 2024. Fighting for the ever-patient, ever-hopeful, loudly cheering Friar Faithful. Winning for Peter Seidler.

You can see and feel it everywhere.

I walked around Petco Park late this afternoon with my camera. I noticed that anticipation is growing for the Padres Postseason at the ballpark and on the streets around it.

Do it for Seidler.

Let me share this downtown mural of Peter Seidler one more time. Fans can find it north of Santa Fe Depot…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Restoring the Tony Gwynn sculpture at Waterfront Park!

Did you know there’s a sculpture of Tony Gwynn in Waterfront Park, just south of San Diego’s County Administration Building?

The sculpture, created by world-famous artist Niki de Saint Phalle, is titled #19 Baseball Player. The mosaic sculpture debuted nine years ago, and I was there for the ceremony. You can see those photographs by clicking here.

When I walked through Waterfront Park early this morning, I noticed the fun sculpture depicting Mr. Padre holding a baseball bat was being restored.

According to a sign, the work is being done by Lech Juretko. He operates Art Mosaic Inc. in Santee. For eight years he was an assistant to Niki de Saint Phalle, helping to produce 100 of her works!

Lech now works with the Niki Charitable Art Foundation, and has done restoration work on Niki’s fun Nikigator (in front of the Mingei International Museum) and her epic, mind-blowing Queen Califia’s Magical Circle (at Kit Carson Park in Escondido).

To read a great article about Lech meeting Niki and his subsequent experiences, click here!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

A new Tony Gwynn mural in La Jolla!

Tony Gwynn, one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history, is quite possibly the most beloved person in all of San Diego. Even years after his passing, tributes continue to pop up in communities throughout the city and beyond. He was loved not only for his legendary on-the-field heroics, but for his always sunny personality.

A very cool mural depicting Mr. Padre was painted in La Jolla this summer. It decorates one side of the Mandarin House restaurant in La Jolla. It was created by Ground Floor Murals, who’ve already painted many outstanding Padres baseball player murals.

Taking photos around San Diego for the past 11 years, I’ve documented various artworks and events that honor Tony Gwynn. You can see many of them by clicking here.

And now a bonus photograph!

There’s a second cool mural on the opposite side of the Mandarin House’s building! It depicts an Asian dragon in a watery setting. When I walked by today, I didn’t notice an artist signature…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Little Italy mural honors Joe Musgrove’s grandmother!

Did you know that San Diego Padres star pitcher Joe Musgrove has a family connection to Little Italy?

His grandmother, Lucy Papitto, resided in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood for 30 years!

I didn’t know this until I saw a relatively new mural and plaque today. The beautiful mural can be found on India Street a little south of Grape Street. I’ve read that it was unveiled several months ago during Mother’s Day weekend.

When I walked by this morning, the San Diego sunshine was shining through nearby tree branches, perfectly framing Lucy Papitto’s smile.

IN HONOR OF PADRES PITCHER JOE MUSGROVE’S GRANDMOTHER LUCY PAPITTO, 1ST GENERATION SAN DIEGO NATIVE OF ITALIAN DESCENT WHO CALLED LITTLE ITALY HOME FROM 1928 TO 1958 RESIDING AT 1936 STATE STREET.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Photos of 12th Annual East Village Block Party!

The 12th Annual East Village Block Party is being held today along several blocks of J Street, just north of Petco Park. The event, usually held on the San Diego Padres opening weekend, was originally scheduled for March 20, but rainy weather that day caused a postponement. In 2024 it’s a summer block party!

I walked along J Street late this morning to absorb some of the festive atmosphere. Many of San Diego’s other sports teams were present. There was music and art and lots of smiling Padres fans. And there was a ton of food, too!

If you read this in time, you might head down to the East Village Block Party before it ends at 4:30 pm. It takes place on J Street between 7th and 10th Avenue.

A sunny day in San Diego’s East Village.

Kid has fun at San Diego Legion rugby challenge.

Special shout out to the San Diego Mojo professional volleyball team. I won a cool t-shirt!

One of many smiles! That Topo Chico sparkling mineral water was great!

Peter Seidler in an awesome Padres baseball spray paint mural created by @dyseoneclothing, @hasler.88 and @bigchill8825.

A blessed smile at the East Village Block Party in San Diego!

Providing block party music!

Lots of Padres merchandise could be found.

Larry Turner, candidate for San Diego Mayor, smiles for a photo!

More smiles!

A fine Saturday in downtown San Diego.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Giant videoboard in Gaslamp activated!

A gigantic videoboard, installed in Gaslamp Square, has been activated! Two huge LED walls are mounted high in the air, attracting the attention of people near the San Diego Convention Center, Petco Park and the Gaslamp Quarter!

When I walked past the videoboard this morning, at least one worker was still up a ladder finishing the installation.

Bright videos that were running included promos for the Padres, MTS, and our beautiful City of San Diego. Mixed in were several advertisements, including one for a popular baseball video game.

Gaslamp Square, located directly next to the Gaslamp trolley station, has become a hub for many downtown activities such as Comic-Con. Now this outdoor space will be even more lively!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Cool new Padres mural at Gallagher Square!

Have you seen the cool new mural next to the Gallagher Square playground? It features half a dozen prominent, fan favorite San Diego Padres baseball players!

From left to right, there are images of Joe Musgrove, Manny Machado, Ha-Seong Kim, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatís Jr., and Yu Darvish!

The mural covers both sides of the wall immediately east of the tall “baseball bat” play tower!

In case you can’t make it out to Petco Park, here are photos that I took today.

GO PADS!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Baseball bat playground coming to Petco Park!

A gigantic baseball bat tower has been installed inside Gallagher Square at Petco Park!

Check it out! That huge bat is actually part of a new, super cool playground, which, as I understand it, will feature a slide and bridge that connect to those other elevated structures!

Whoaa! To be a kid again! Families living in downtown San Diego and those attending Padres games are in for a treat!

While walking through East Village around Petco Park late this afternoon, I also noticed some Padres players street lamp banners are up for the new 2024 season!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!