In 1968 the San Diego Padres came to life as the city received a National League franchise during owners meetings in Chicago As expected the first five years of the San Diego Padres existence are tough on the win-loss column, but things gradually start to work out in 1974 when Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, buys the San Diego Padres in a move that prevents the team from moving to Washington DC, from there San Diego begins to be built with Randy Jones of the San Diego Padres as their first true superstar as he was selected to the All-Star team in the National League in 1975 and 1976 and was voted the winner of the National League Cy Young Award in 1976 when Randy Jones for the San Diego Padres won 22 games.
In 1978, the San Diego Padres had their first winning season going 84-78 in the National League West before the San Diego Padres sold out when Hall of Famers P Rollie Fingers and OF Dave Winfield of the San Diego Padres led the and are National League stars.
It would not be until 1984 that the San Diego Padres, who had never finished higher than fourth in their 16-year history, would earn their first playoff berth, and it would be memorable when they faced the Chicago Cubs in the Series. National League Championship Led by newcomers 1B Steve Garvey, closer Rich Gossage and perennial OF star Tony Gwynn, the San Diego Padres faced a Chicago Cubs team that won 96 games on the year and he had NL Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe who was 16-1 on the mound for game 1.
It was a forgettable playoff debut for the San Diego Padres as they were beaten 13-0 and although their Game 2 performance was slightly better, the San Diego Padres lost 4-2 and fell behind 2- 0 in the best-of-five series. he returned to San Diego knowing that no NL team had fallen behind 2-0 and rallied to win the series, but the San Diego Padres refused to give up winning the next two and force the decisive fifth game, after falling behind 3-0 entering the bottom half of the sixth inning, the San Diego Padres threw in two runs and one more in the seventh to tie the score at 3, from there all of San Diego as the Padres’ Tony Gwynn of San Diego and Steve Garvey of the San Diego Padres (NLCS MVP) had run scoring hits to put the San Diego Padres up 6-3 where Rich Gossage of the San Diego Padres shut down the Chicago Cubs and San Diego was on its way to the World Series to face the Detroit Tigers who had won 104 games during the regular season and mocked the American League Championship Series with the Kansas City Royals as they won in three games. in a row.
In the 1984 World Series no San Diego Padres pitcher lasted more than five innings and the Detroit Tigers did to the San Diego Padres what they had done to everyone in their path, simply crush them although it was a disappointment for the Tigers. San Diego Padres that no one could stand. away the National League pennant and the excitement it brought to the city. It would be 12 long years before the San Diego Padres once again entered the postseason, in 1996 led by NL 3B MVP Ken Caminiti, the San Diego Padres won the NL West in the last day of the regular season and they met the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series, every game in the series was very close and could have gone either way, but the St. Louis Cardinals made the big plays when it mattered most and swept the 1996 playoff San Diego Padres three straight. The 1998 edition of the San Diego Padres was the best team in the franchise to win 98 games for the season and featured four stars.
In the playoffs they faced the Houston Astros in the divisional round, the Houston Astros had won 102 games and had late season acquisition P Randy Johnson, but the San Diego Padres found a way to beat Johnson two times in the series as P Kevin Brown of the San Diego Padres were incredible going 2-0 in the series as the San Diego Padres defeated the Houston Astros in four games.
The 106-win Atlanta Braves awaited the San Diego Padres, but once again the San Diego Padres rose to the occasion by defeating the Atlanta Braves four games to two, when Kevin Brown and Sterling Hitchcock combined to win 3 games in the NLCS and lead the San Diego Padres to the World Series against the New York Yankees who were 114-48 on the year and were being regarded as one of the best teams ever assembled.
Immediately, the New York Yankees showed why they were held in such high regard by defeating the San Diego Padres 9-6, on the strength of a seven-run seventh inning capped by the New York Yankees’ Tino Martinez who he hit a grand slam at home. run, the reminder of the series was a runaway when the New York Yankees swept the San Diego Padres 4-0 in the 1998 World Series leaving no question as to who was the better team.
The San Dieagans and the Padres themselves had nothing to think about, having just wrapped up the best season in franchise history. The San Diego Padres have had some down years due to injuries and defections, including the retirement of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and P Kevin Brown, numerous ailments.
But in 2005, the San Diego Padres rallied to win the NL West in something of an upset behind P Jake Peavy, OF Brian Giles and closer Trevor Hoffmann, but were easily beaten by the St. Louis Cardinals. in the Playoffs in three consecutive games. but the future looks bright for the San Diego Padres as C Mike Piazza now joins the team to bolster the batting lineup along with Gold Glove OF Mike Cameron.
Great moment in team history.
Game 4 NLCS vs Chicago, Steve Garvey of the San Diego Padres, who had already driven in three runs on the night, comes to the plate in the bottom half of the ninth with the score tied at 5, down one and the Padres of San Diego down two games to one and facing possible elimination, Chicago Cubs star closer Lee Smith fires a fastball and San Diego’s Steve Garvey anticipates it, lobbing it right to center where Cubs OF Henry Cotto Chicago unsuccessfully jumps out giving Steve Garvey of the game the San Diego Padres winning a two-run home run and the San Diego Padres a dramatic win that forces a decisive game 5.
