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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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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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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The face of Dave Winfield, a past San Diego Padres superstar, now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, greets fans on the north side of Petco Park’s historic Western Metal Supply Co. building.
Just before the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in San Diego, a special section at Petco Park was readied to showcase our baseball team’s greatest players. In addition to large iconic images of four Padres favorites which had been added to the north end of the Western Metal Supply Co. building, an impressive “Padres In Cooperstown” wall of plaques was installed near the Padres Hall of Fame, which itself opened on July 1, 2016.
The faces you see in my photos bring back many memories. My fond memories include the magical 1984 season, which I followed closely when I was a young man. I hope any Padres fans visiting my blog might enjoy their own special memories.
Randy Jones as a starting pitcher won the Cy Young Award in 1976. Today he is in the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.The familiar face of Tony Gwynn, Mr. Padre, on the Western Metal Supply Co. building. One of the best Major League Baseball hitters of all time.The face of Trevor Hoffman, who pitched as a closer for over 15 years with the San Diego Padres. His 601 saves are presently the second most in MLB history.Legends who played baseball with the San Diego Padres who are now in Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame include Ted Williams and Willie McCovey.A wall at Petco Park is dedicated to Padres coaches and players who are now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Names include Rollie Fingers, Ozzie Smith, Rickey Henderson, Goose Gossage.National Baseball Hall of Fame players who spent time with the Padres also include Roberto Alomar, Greg Maddux and Mike Piazza.Dave Winfield played for the San Diego Padres from 1973 to 1980. A talented outfielder, he swung the bat with power. A special plaque for him now stands separately in front of the “Padres In Cooperstown” wall at Petco Park.Tony Gwynn was simply one of the best Major League Baseball players of all time. He spent his entire career as a San Diego Padre. He was a cheerful soul loved by the fans and everyone who knew him.The smiling face of Tony Gwynn on a very special plaque. It stands eternally in front of the “Padres In Cooperstown” wall at Petco Park.
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The finish at the MLB All-Star 5K Color Run this morning was a crazy scene! Different colored chalk was tossed and blown onto laughing, happy participants.
I walked a bit around downtown this weekend–both yesterday and today. Here are some fun photos that are (mostly) related to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game Week here in San Diego. The whole city seems to have gone into party mode. I’m sorry to say I didn’t get photos of the Soul Pose All-Star Yoga event yesterday. But, as you’ll see, I did stumble upon a number of other events and cool sights!
A young person checks out an All-Star Fanfest decal on the sidewalk behind the San Diego Convention Center. Promotional graphics have been placed in many popular downtown walking spots.Yesterday, Santa was hanging out by a Seaport Village sign that advertises All-Star Game merchandise. He told me he was there to spread smiles. Sounds good to me!These music lovers were heading toward Embarcadero Marina Park South on Saturday. They would enjoy one of the three huge MLB All-Star Concerts!When I walked by on Saturday morning, the San Francisco Giants had the only National League flag flapping wildly at Petco Park. Oh, oh. It’s an even-numbered year. Another omen, possibly…This morning, the All-Star 5K Color Run appeared to be extremely popular. People covered with brightly colored chalk were all over downtown! I caught a bit of the finish near the County Administration Building.Yes, you guessed it. The Color Run is mostly about different colored chalk being launched every which way. Even during the post-race concert! Getting your shirt splashed with color is part of the fun.And then, when you’re done and ready to go home, a couple of air blower guys blast the harmless chalk right off you!Friends posing for a photo on surfboards at Waterfront Park after the MLB All-Star 5K Color Run.This All-Star belongs to the Maritime Museum of San Diego. It’s their Spanish galleon replica, San Salvador. Walking along the water, I spotted it heading out toward the bay’s entrance. I was told she’s out on her 3rd or 4th test run. They’re learning how to steer her with a rudder, just like they did centuries ago! I was also told she bobs up and down like a cork when out on the open ocean!Festive All-Star graphics adorn a large stage on the Broadway Pier. I was told there will be some sort of big Major League Baseball VIP party here.Of course, I had to swing by PLAY BALL PARK once again. There were so many kids out having fun playing baseball this Sunday morning I couldn’t believe it!Right next to Petco Park, every imaginable type of 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game merchandise was for sale. Lots of fans seemed interested.And finally, late this morning about an hour before it officially opened, I strolled down J Street where the All-Star Week Block Party would be held.Pepsi is the main sponsor of the block party, as far as I can tell. They had balloons all over the place.Here’s something you don’t see every day. A guy is putting an All-Star Game cover on a trashcan!Just walking down J Street, adjacent to the Park at the Park, while vendors prepare for the All-Star Game block party.Pink Padres pennants and small All-Star Game commemorative bats are placed on a vendor’s table.Kudos to COX for creating this unique sculpture made of baseballs. It was cool enough that I posted a photo of it on my silly blog!And finally, I spotted a huge All-Star Game banner today near the front door of Alamo Flags in Seaport Village!
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A huge MLB All-Star Game building wrap has appeared on the Marriott Marquis hotel in downtown San Diego! Promoted is the sports talk show on FS1 called Speak For Yourself, with Colin Cowherd and Jason Whitlock.
Preparation for the Major League All-Star Game in San Diego is picking up steam around Petco Park. I was excited during my walk around downtown to see a brand new building wrap on the Marriott Marquis waterfront hotel. It must have gone up almost overnight! It promotes a talk show on FS1 called Speak For Yourself, with Colin Cowherd and Jason Whitlock. As I walked around Petco Park and around the San Diego Convention Center, I spotted a number of other cool sights! Check them out!
Major League Baseball All-Star Game banners line Harbor Drive, near Petco Park. These now appear all over downtown San Diego, temporarily replacing the Doctor Strange Comic-Con banners.All-Star Game sign not far from the grass where a special MLB outdoor event will begin Thursday, called PLAY BALL PARK. The multi-day event will entice youth to have fun playing baseball. Inside the Hilton San Diego Bayfront is the Fox Sports Grill, which should also be a hub of activity during All-Star Game weekend.Another photo of the huge Speak For Yourself building wrap on the Marriott Marquis, just beyond the San Diego Convention Center with its blue umbrellas.MLB All-Star Summer banners along the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade and the Green Line of the San Diego Trolley. The big game is Tuesday, July 12, on FOX, but there will be many other cool events all weekend leading up to the big game.Here’s a banner in the Gaslamp Quarter that advertises the All-Star Red Carpet Show! I’ll be there and share photos if I’m lucky!A bonus pic. Padres faithful hope to sweep the Yankees today. This is my first photo of the outside of the new Padres Hall of Fame, which plays tribute to Padres history and its most notable players.And one more bonus pic from today’s walk! An MCRD San Diego drill instructor keeps a steady eye on new Marine Corps recruits filing in to watch a Sunday Padres game, a proud tradition San Diego.The countdown clock in back of the Padres scoreboard keeps on ticking down the seconds. It’s now only 9 days until the Major League Baseball All-Star Game!
UPDATE!
Here are two pics I took on July 7 . . .
All-Star Game sign above the entrance to San Diego’s historic Santa Fe Depot.A large banner on the San Diego County Administration Building celebrates All-Star Week in 2016.
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Stay tuned for fun photos of All-Star Game events, then of San Diego Comic-Con the following week!
Workers plant fresh new flowers around Petco Park in preparation for the fast approaching 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Preparation for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game has gone into high gear in San Diego!
During my walks the past few days, I’ve deliberately wandered past Petco Park, watching workers beautify and modify the stadium for the upcoming Midsummer Classic. I’ve also noted that signs of the All-Star Game have begun to spring up all around San Diego, as you can see in these photos!
Construction along the walkway behind left field’s videoboard. San Diego’s Petco Park is being readied for baseball’s Midsummer Classic.The grass in the Park at the Park is becoming lush and green. The statue of beloved Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn, will have a great view of fans enjoying the 2016 All-Star game.The Petco Park grounds crew has been busy. The field is looking just about perfect.All-Star Game posters and advertisements have begun to appear in windows around Petco Park and San Diego.2016 MLB All-Star Game merchandise is now available in stores all over San Diego, especially in the Gaslamp Quarter.Some wacky cartoon art inside the window of the Gaslamp’s famous Chuck Jones Gallery. A baseball game is being played by favorite animated characters, including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck!The Western Metal Supply Company building, a historic part of Petco Park, appears ready to go for the All-Star Game–now a little over two weeks away!An impressive 2016 All-Star Game logo on steps leading up into Petco Park. Fans heading to the big game will be welcomed in a big way!
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Kids check out the large USS Midway model inside the Power Alley at Petco Park during a Padres game.
I remember first seeing this impressive model of the USS Midway aircraft carrier many, many years ago. It was located inside the enormous passenger waiting room of the Santa Fe Depot, which is downtown San Diego’s historic train station. I’m not sure exactly when the model was moved into Petco Park’s Power Alley. It has been many years.
I like to check out this cool sight whenever I’m at a Padres baseball game or some other event at Petco Park. (It reminds me of when I was a kid, assembling a variety of small airplane models, gluing together the plastic pieces, carefully applying daubs of paint.) Young people today who wander through the stadium’s Power Alley can test their arm at a fast pitch game, enjoy a hot dog, then perhaps peer through the glass at the many aircraft arranged on the Midway’s flight deck.
In case you don’t have a chance to see this fantastic USS Midway model for yourself, here are a few photos.
Along the wall behind the large model you’ll find a moving tribute to our country’s military heroes, including the many professional baseball players who have served. I’ll blog about that one day, too!
The USS Midway was commissioned one week after World War II. It became the largest ship in the world for a decade and the first U.S. Navy ship too wide for the Panama Canal.Many different model aircraft are parked on the flight deck of the small scale aircraft carrier.The USS Midway was active longer than any other carrier in the 20th century. It served during the Cold War, international crises and humanitarian missions…in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.A closer photo of the USS Midway model which is displayed inside Petco Park’s Power Alley. I even see some tiny sailors!After decommissioning in 1992, the USS Midway returned to San Diego in 2004 to open as a nonprofit museum. It is now the most visited floating ship museum in the nation.Padres fans eat at tables near an impressive model of the USS Midway, a cool sight inside San Diego’s Petco Park.
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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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A booth anticipating this year’s 2016 MLB All-Star Game sells official merchandise at Padres FanFest, the weekend before Opening Day.
I’ve taken more photos anticipating baseball’s Midsummer Classic!
San Diego will host the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July, just one week separated from the internationally famous and wildly popular San Diego Comic-Con. Things are going to get crazy!
I live downtown, and I’ll be taking most of those two weeks off from work, so I promise to walk around and take loads of fun photos! Even though both events are several months away, I’m already getting excited!
2016 All-Star Game merchandise includes clothing, keychains, pins, commemorative baseballs and other collectible items. Major League Baseball will put on a big show this summer in San Diego!2016 San Diego All-Star Game logo at end of pedestrian ramp inside Petco Park, cool stadium home of the MLB Padres.This large sign at the top of Petco Park announces that San Diego is home of the 2016 All-Star Game.The upcoming All-Star Game appears on a street lamp near Petco Park. These banners can now be seen around East Village.Vintage baseball photo at entrance to DiamondView Tower overlooking Petco Park. More history will be made in San Diego this year.Guy attending 2016 Padres FanFest wears an old 1992 San Diego All-Star Game jacket, reminding everyone that the Midsummer Classic is returning this year!
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This year I’ll be covering some huge events! Stand by for excitement!
Padres fans have a ball at today’s big FanFest at Petco Park. An exhibition game was played in the afternoon against the Chicago White Sox.
This morning I walked across downtown to check out Padres FanFest! The big annual event is held at Petco Park just prior to baseball’s Opening Day. It provides fans a taste of the upcoming Padres season. This is the third year in a row I’ve attended, and I really enjoyed it! Here are some pics! Go Pads!
Thousands of fans turn out to get a preview of the Padres’ 2016 baseball season. There were many family activities throughout Petco Park.Young Padres fans test their batting ability at a special KidsFest area.Photo of the busy children’s baseball field, an awesome feature of the public park situated beyond Petco Park’s outfield.Young batter smashes a hit in the tiny ball field at Park at the Park. Baseball is fun for everyone!Kid infielders charge a batted wiffle ball at the miniature baseball field in Park at the Park.A friendly Coast Guard mascot attracts as much attention from kids as the nearby inflatable batting cage.The San Diego Padres pulled out all the stops for this year’s Fan Fest. It appeared that many people were buying tickets for the upcoming season.Phil’s BBQ is a local favorite. Lots of tasty stuff was available at concessions inside and outside the stadium, including old classics like hot dogs.Many popular Major League Baseball players were signing autographs for lined up fans.Sign on back of the huge videoboard highlights the team’s past accomplishments. This year Petco Park will host the 2016 MLB All-Star Game!Some graphics at Petco Park commemorate Padres Hall of Famers.2016 FanFest allowed people to watch batting practice for the afternoon’s exhibition game. Another sunny spring day in San Diego. The Pads will soon Play Ball!Fans watch and hope to catch a ball during White Sox batting practice. The field looks green and ready for the coming season!I hope lots of Padres batters hit this bullseye on the Western Metal Supply building during the 2016 season. Hope springs eternal!A lucky somebody in the stands gets an unexpected autograph from the Padres bullpen!Padres starting pitcher James Shields stretches and warms up in the bullpen.Padres FanFest is an exciting annual sports event at Petco Park!A player smashed a line drive over the wall during batting practice. If someone can catch the ball, they might possibly win a cool prize: tickets to the Homerun Derby before this year’s All-Star Game!A busy vendor walks about with drinks and snacks.Padres fans rest behind the Tony Gwynn statue atop the hill in the grassy Park at the Park.Padres faithful kick back in the stands and absorb the sights and sounds of San Diego baseball.Superstar pitcher James Shields signs autographs for lots of excited fans during 2016 FanFest at Petco Park.
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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!
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 enjoy!
Cool San Diego Sights! 