In late February, trucks haul in rolls of turf to resod the grass playing field at Petco Park!
I was walking past Petco Park this morning when I noticed a long line of trucks waiting next to the ballpark. Each of the trucks was transporting rolls of sod.
It must be that time of year–about a month before the start of the season–when the field receives its brand new turf!
Beautiful new grass fits perfectly with the promise of a brand new season. Not only do the Padres have a team full of talented, hungry young players, but they recently signed baseball phenom Eric Hosmer.
Many of the people I speak to are dreaming of a much improved year ahead. Is it possible that the Padres will contend in 2018?
I can’t wait to find out!
Rolls of sod are lifted up and brought into Petco Park. Spring can’t be far away now!I took this photo a couple weeks ago from the Park at the Park. Workers were busy preparing the baseball field for the Padres’ 2018 season.Numerous trucks were lined up all around Petco Park this morning. A promising new season is around the corner, and the ball field is getting some fresh new turf!
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Tours of Petco Park include a behind-the-scenes and on-the-field look at the home of the San Diego Padres.
Today I went on a very cool guided tour of Petco Park, baseball home of the San Diego Padres. The one and a half hour tour, which is offered to the public seven days a week, provided a behind-the-scenes look at parts of the ballpark that fans usually don’t see.
I was blown away!
A super knowledgeable and friendly tour guide showed our small group why Petco Park is regarded by many as the best ballpark in Major League Baseball. People in our group who were visiting San Diego, and who were fans of other teams, seemed to enjoy themselves just as much as me!
We saw several parts of the unique Western Metal Supply Co. Building, ventured into the Press Box, and got to briefly see the exclusive Lexus Home Plate Club. We walked out onto the field, and everyone took photos while sitting in the visiting team’s dugout. Then we entered a tunnel that led to the visiting team’s locker room. After passing through a service corridor used for Petco Park deliveries and maintenance, we emerged into daylight, entered the Padres Team Store, and finally ended up at the Padres Hall of Fame.
The following photos provide just a small taste of this awesome experience. If you find yourself in San Diego, take the tour! If you love baseball, it’s a must!
People wait by a ticket window for a fascinating ballpark tour at Petco Park in San Diego.Paty, our knowledgeable and super friendly tour guide, familiarizes everyone with the history of Petco Park.Personalized bricks in the Palm Court Plaza were purchased by more than 10,000 fans when the ballpark was built. The bricks sold out in 5 minutes!The Breitbard Hall of Fame was recently relocated from Balboa Park’s old Hall of Champions to the main concourse level of Petco Park. San Diego sports legends are honored with plaques.A view of the ball field in January from inside the Western Metal Supply Co. Building. Trucks are getting the field ready for an upcoming Monster Jam event.A Padres fan on the tour checks out the left field foul pole, which is attached to a corner of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building. The tolling of the nearby mission bell during every game reminds fans of San Diego’s history.An amazing view of the ballpark can be enjoyed from The Rail, an exclusive seating area high up in the Western Metal Supply Co. Building.The Loft at Petco Park contains pool tables, a fun vibe and cool elements of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building’s history that have been preserved.As we continue counterclockwise around the upper level of Petco Park, we learn more Padres facts. We hear stories about the players and relive special moments.A series of photo murals along the upper level depict Padres history. This one from March 24, 1951 shows Whitey Wietelmann out at first base.As we walk along, San Diego’s South Bay comes into view.We are about to go behind-the-scenes and check out the Press Box!Inside a lounge area for the press is a glass display case full of memories from Jerry Coleman’s life as baseball player, Marine aviator, and Padres broadcaster. The folded flag was presented to him by the military upon his retirement.We get to sit inside writer’s row, where the press watches each game and composes their stories! The official scorer has a special seat in one corner.Way to the left we can glimpse the control room for the music, lights and video boards, and the spot occupied by the public address announcer.A couple months before the 2018 season begins, some workers are doing a bit of gardening at the ballpark!Here’s another fun part of the Petco Park tour. Walking out onto the field!We head to the area behind home plate. In addition to other features, we are shown how Petco Park was built to provide intimate, direct views of the action from every seat.Hanging out in the visiting team’s dugout! How cool is this?If you find yourself in San Diego, you should take a cool tour of Petco Park!
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An exhibit in Petco Park shows the History of the Ballpark Neighborhood, San Diego, California.
There’s a small but very cool exhibit at Petco Park that depicts the early history of East Village and nearby blocks in downtown San Diego. During the baseball stadium’s construction, a number of fascinating artifacts were recovered by archaeologists. Each object was carefully recorded in order to preserve aspects of our city’s diverse history.
Here are some of the old photographs and artifacts that are on public display. You can find this exhibit near the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame, just to the right of the north entrance to the Padres Team Store. I learned this exhibit used to be on the third floor of the Western Metal Supply building, at the top of the escalators. But the area was rather dark and so it was moved to its present location.
Please read the captions to learn more about what was unearthed during the grading of the ballpark, and what everyday life was like in San Diego over a century ago.
Photo taken during construction of Petco Park baseball stadium in East Village. Archaeologists excavate a feature discovered during grading activities at the ballpark.After researching the immediate area’s history, the grading of the future ballpark was environmentally monitored. Artifacts that were recovered reveal everyday life in San Diego’s past.Excavated objects include jars, bottles, glass stoppers and a bone toothbrush handle. Names of medical remedies on bottles include Hamlin’s Wizard Oil and Dr. J.H. McLean’s Volcanic Oil.1906 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map depicting Blocks 136 and 137, part of the footprint of today’s Petco Park, home of the baseball Padres.From the late 1800s to the 1930s, most residents of East Village appear to have been of moderate to lower economic status, employed at blue collar jobs downtown.Other artifacts recovered during Petco Park’s construction include dolls, toys, marbles and keys.Old photograph shows East Village as it was in 1914, looking west from the 10th Street terminal.Looking south down 5th Street (now Fifth Avenue) from the roof of the 1st National Bank, circa 1910. The area is heart of the Gaslamp Quarter.Two historical photos. To the left: Pacific Coast Steamship warehouse, circa 1913. To the right: looking north up 5th Street circa 1910.Old photo of Western Metal Supply building and foundry sometime prior to 1919. The preserved brick building is now a unique part Petco Park’s structure.Fragments of earthenware jars and Chinese and Japanese ceramic tableware show Asian culture thrived in the neighborhood’s past.
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Beloved, legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg has passed away in his La Jolla home. Many in San Diego and around the world are heartbroken.
On September 29, 2016, the final home game of that Padres baseball season, I was privileged to see retiring Dick Enberg’s public celebration at Petco Park.
If you’d like to see a few images from that day, here is that blog post.
Colorful graphics are now up at the Midnight, Texas 4D Experience for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con.
Downtown San Diego is a beehive of activity this morning! Everybody is getting ready for 2017 Comic-Con!
Check out these photos and experience a bit of the growing excitement!
A wrap is going up on Petco Park promoting History’s new series Knightfall, concerning the Knights Templar.Local businesses in the Gaslamp are also getting ready for Comic-Con, which officially begins in less than three days!It looks like a cool Archangel wrap is now going up on the Hard Rock Hotel. Skydance Interactive’s first virtual reality offering should be popular at Comic-Con.Parking will be very difficult in downtown San Diego during Comic-Con. Take the trolley!Nearby businesses are looking forward to the crowds!This will be AMC’s Deadquarters. I expect there will be zombies.Some stuff in a pile that will probably be used as props at Deadquarters.At The Tick Takeover, the superhero and Arthur are accompanied by a worker. I’m told smoke will come out of this blasted hole once everything is completed!Two huge Tick antennae will also move about!Arthur seems to be in a bad situation at The Tick Takeover site at Comic-Con.A cool convergence near Harbor Drive. Dozens of trolley cars are now wrapped and ready.The People of Earth wrap on the Marriott Marquis is approaching completion.The front of the Blade Runner 2049 Experience hasn’t changed much in the past couple days. I’m sure lots of cool stuff is jammed inside the gigantic pavilion.Workers carry stuff into the Hilton Gaslamp, where Netflix is headquartered.Everybody is getting ready, including the police. Homeless are removed from the area before Comic-Con. A tragic, extremely sad truth that many visitors won’t see.The Midnight, Texas site promoting the new NBC show is starting to look interesting.The area near the Tin Fish has a Midnight, Texas theme this year.Banners now hang along the Tin Fish.There seems to be a room with video walls inside the Midnight, Texas 4D Experience.Lots of equipment to move, and work to be done!Some more graphics are up for Kong: Skull Island near the Omni Hotel.A closeup photo of one Skull Island graphic.Guys are putting up these long banners promoting HBO’s Game of Thrones.No wraps up yet on this corner of Petco Park.Construction has just commenced in the Petco Interactive Zone, now that the Padres have left for a road trip.Lots of canopies for long lines are up at the San Diego Convention Center. Looks to me like 2017 Comic-Con is almost here!The FXhibition outdoor site near the Hilton Bayfront is still under construction.I see there will be an X-Gene Screening Station in Fox Television’s outdoor area.A reminder that Syfy will provide live coverage of Comic-Con.Exhibitors large and small are unloading behind the convention center. I bet there’s a mad scramble inside as booths are prepared. (Check out all the comic book boxes! That’s a lot of reading material!)A cool Legion wrap is going up on the Hilton for 2017 San Diego Comic-Con!
UPDATE!
Here are more photos taken in the mid-afternoon…
The Knightfall wrap is now complete at Petco.More graphics have appeared at Kong: Skull Island.And so has a skull!And more huge bones!One of various Midnight, Texas posters up now at the Gaslamp trolley station.A wrap is going up on this section of Petco Park. I believe this will promote Once Upon a Time.I now see Archer graphics in the FX area near the Hilton.And more X-Gene Screening Station stuff in the FOX area.I see Adult Swim will give away free shirts again this year.The big Legion wrap is making progress as you can see beyond the Adult Swim site.The Legion wrap not quite complete on the Hilton, as seen from Embarcadero Marina Park South.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
It’s true! I have indisputable proof of what many in San Diego will never believe. I took the shocking photograph a couple days ago at Petco Park.
For the first time ever in recorded history, that outspoken, highly opinionated San Diego Padres and SDSU Aztecs play-by-play radio announcer Ted Leitner aka Uncle Teddy . . . was left . . . wordless!
For the first time ever in San Diego history, Padres and Aztecs play-by-play announcer Ted Leitner is left wordless!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Team USA fans in line to buy merchandise at Petco Park during the World Baseball Classic in San Diego.
Team USA beat Venezuela tonight in an exciting World Baseball Classic game in San Diego! The United States won 4-2 with an amazing come-from-behind victory! Today’s baseball game was the second in a round robin between four international teams– the Second Round’s Pool F.
I’ve got an assortment of fun photos! It was a perfect San Diego evening to take in the sights, sounds, pageantry and great play of what turned out to be classic baseball game!
Fans of the four different teams in the World Baseball Classic’s Second Round Pool F could be seen all around San Diego’s Petco Park.Baseball lovers of all ages were having fun before the game began in the Park at the Park.Some outrageous costumes and lots of patriotic clothing could be seen all about the baseball stadium. And many Padres fans, too!It’s approaching game time. Families walk up a ramp to the upper level.Fans at the World Baseball Classic in San Diego point to the outfield.Young supporters of Team USA watch their baseball heroes warm up on the field before the game.Players for Team USA come out of the dugout for the opening ceremony.Players for both Venezuela and the United States were given a rousing introduction.Team USA fans watching the opening ceremony hold up an American flag.The players for the United States and Venezuela shake hands at the end of the opening ceremony.The game has begun! It’s a beautiful evening for baseball in San Diego, of course! Even some Dodgers fans have come to Petco Park for the fun.Venezuela is at bat as the sun sets and Petco’s lights come on. Venezuela has a great team and was first to score.As I walked about Petco Park, which USA Today rated the finest stadium in Major League Baseball, I took a photo of the Chair of Honor. The empty chair represents Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action.Team USA loaded the bases in the early innings, but unfortunately failed to score.These fans of Team USA scored, however, on the Kiss Cam!George Washington was in attendance, rooting on Team USA during the World Baseball Classic in San Diego! And his team won!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Baseball fans check out cool historical exhibits inside the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame at Petco Park.
Lovers of baseball history and fans of the San Diego Padres would definitely enjoy visiting the new Padres Hall of Fame at Petco Park. Inside, one can see many great exhibits concerning baseball in San Diego.
I checked out the Padres Hall of Fame last weekend during the Celebrate San Diego event. Here’s just a small preview of what you’ll see…
Historical photo shows first recorded game of baseball in San Diego. It took place on May 6, 1871.The first box score in the San Diego Union in 1874, and a 1907 photo showing local team posing in front of the Pickwick Theatre in downtown San Diego.Old photo of baseball game being played in 1910 at Athletic Park near the shipyards.Babe Ruth poses with a bat during an exhibition tour at Balboa Stadium in 1927.Padres fans check out lots of photos and cool artifacts which recall the history of baseball in San Diego. On the left are photos of the first Padres team in 1936, and Lane Field.Photo of young Ted Williams, who joined the Padres after graduating from Hoover High School. He helped the Padres win the Pacific Coast League title in 1937.Souvenir program for the opening game of the 1939 season in the Pacific Coast League. San Diego Padres versus Oakland Oaks.1954 photo of big celebration parade along Broadway in downtown San Diego. The Padres finished first that year in the Pacific Coast League.Autographed Padres team ball from 1954, and the home run ball smashed by Bill Elliot in the one game playoff to win the PCL championship.Old baseball program from the 1959 Pacific Coast League All Star Game.Photos of legendary radio broadcaster Jerry Coleman, who began a 42-year career in 1972, and Nate Colbert who that year hit five home runs in a Padres baseball double header.The National League Cy Young Award, presented to Padres pitcher Randy Jones in 1976.Souvenir program for the 1978 All-Star Game played in San Diego Stadium.It’s the world famous mascot, the San Diego Chicken!1981 photo shows future superstar Tony Gwynn signing with the San Diego Padres.Memories from the 1984 season. I was a young man, who was very excited watching the Padres defeat the Chicago Cubs to win the National League pennant.Tony Gwynn baseball jersey that honored Ray Krok, beloved Padres owner, who passed away in 1984.1987 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, presented to Tony Gwynn, The Finest in the Field.In 1994 Tony Gwynn won the Silver Slugger Award. He batted .394 in a season cut short by a player strike.In 1996 Ken Caminiti was voted National League MVP and Gwynn hit .353 to win a seventh batting title.Legendary reliever Trevor Hoffman’s jersey on display in the Padres Hall of Fame at Petco Park. He helped the Padres win the 1998 National League pennant.Trevor Hoffman becomes the all-time Major League Baseball saves leader in 2006.Photo of Ted Williams, member of the PCL San Diego Padres.Photos of two Padres legends. Dave Winfield and Jerry Coleman.A display board inside the Padres Hall of Fame shows the team’s all-time leaders in various categories.The San Diego Padres Hall of Fame at Petco Park will rekindle warm memories for dedicated hometown baseball fans.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Fans of local sports teams pose with favorite mascots during the big Celebrate San Diego event at Petco Park!
Check out these fun photos! This morning I headed down to Petco Park to enjoy Celebrate San Diego, a big event today that thanks and promotes local sports teams, both professional and college. I believe the special event was designed to give a boost to local teams, now that the NFL Chargers have left San Diego. A great idea!
We’ve got lots of exciting sports action in San Diego, from baseball to hockey to soccer to college football and basketball . . . you name it! Teams strutting their stuff at the big event today included the San Diego Padres, the San Diego Gulls, the San Diego Sockers, and the athletic programs of local colleges SDSU, UCSD, USD, Point Loma Nazarene University, and California State University San Marcos. I hope I didn’t forget anybody!
The event was so cool and uplifting, why not do this every year?
Now, I suppose I need to go watch some of these teams play!
UPDATE! Wow! I just now saw that a summer Padres Blood Drive was announced during the event after I left! (Maybe somebody read my earlier blog post concerning the idea, or the Padres employee I spoke to while waiting for the gate to open relayed the idea. In any event–hooray! Lives will be saved!)
Heading toward Petco Park, where the San Diego Padres play major league baseball. An event today promoted many local pro and college teams, now that the NFL Chargers have left our city.A big crowd waits to enter the gates at Petco Park.Thousands came out today to Celebrate San Diego! We have some awesome sports teams!Many tents were set up in Petco’s Park at the Park by local radio stations and broadcasters. Lots of free stuff was given out. I got a cool MLB Padres cap!Lots of photos and selfies were being taken!The event had barely begun and already the Park at the Park was getting packed!I liked this fun balloon guy on stilts. It was hard to miss him!A table promoted the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, which takes place March 14 – 19 at Petco Park in San Diego.The ball field is seriously messed up with mounds of dirt and bulldozers. Oh–now I remember–Monster Jam is coming next weekend to Petco Park.The San Diego Padres happy mascot, the Swinging Friar, greets visitors to the popular local sports teams event.A city firetruck had a Padres flag flying from their ladder behind the Tony Gwynn statue.Kids were enjoying various sport-related activities at Park at the Park, including shooting hoops.A player from the legendary San Diego Sockers indoor soccer team defends a tiny goal as a young man prepares to shoot.Local colleges had tents up promoting their teams and schools. All sorts of games were scattered around the grass including table football.The small baseball diamond at Park at the Park was alive with excitement. This young fan smashed a line drive.Running the bases wearing an old Chargers team shirt. Now that those guys have “bolted” we can boost our support for other local teams!Posing for photos with Gulliver, the San Diego Gulls hockey mascot, and Sunny the Socker, the new mascot of the San Diego Sockers!According to a countdown clock on the Western Metal Supply Co. building, there are 55 days until baseball’s Opening Day!A family descends stairs near a thank you to Padres members.Diego Torero, mascot for the University of San Diego, hangs out with the crowd at Celebrate San Diego!Cheerleaders get the crowd pumped as free swag is thrown from the stage to the gathered sports fans!Cheer squads performed from UCSD, SDSU, USD, Point Loma Nazarene University and California State University San Marcos. I hope I didn’t forget anybody!King Triton, mascot of University of California San Diego, gives me a hearty greeting!Just good fun. The way sports is supposed to be.These kids seems a bit unimpressed by the Aztec Warrior, mascot of San Diego State University.UCSD cheerleaders start an energetic routine!What a perfect day. It’s a fine city with lots of great sports fans.San Diego came out today to celebrate and root on their local sports teams!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
OH MY! Dick Enberg was congratulated and celebrated at the final 2016 home game of the San Diego Padres.
Dick Enberg, sports broadcasting legend and beloved Padres television broadcaster for the past seven years, was celebrated tonight by his colleagues and thousands of fans. 2016 is Dick Enberg’s final season broadcasting for the San Diego Padres. And tonight was the final home game of the Padres’ season.
I was at the game. I wasn’t able to take good photos of the ceremony at home plate, but I did capture some memorable images from the videoboard.
I remember watching Dick Enberg when I was a child. He has become a part of the American culture. The Olympics, Super Bowls, Wimbledon, the Masters–his voice has been attached to so many sporting events and championships. Like many San Diego Padres fans, I will miss seeing him and hearing his voice.
Remembering a sports broadcasting legend. A photo of a young Dick Enberg is flashed on the Petco Park videoboard, celebrating the Padres broadcaster during the 2016 season’s final home game.Dick Enberg addresses the crowd. He loved doing television broadcasts for the Padres, and San Diego fans loved him in return.Dick Enberg’s famous expression OH MY! was emblazoned on the field during the game.Dick Enberg receives honors during a ceremony on the field before his final Padres home game. Here he is seen with his family.Dick Enberg sports cool sunglasses during a Padres baseball broadcast alongside Mark Grant.Having a great time in the broadcast booth, making great memories.Image of Dick Enberg at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, where he was awarded the 2015 Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting.Congratulations Dick Enberg. And thank you!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
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