 |
2000-Present
2000 A major league record-tying 56 players, including an N.L. record
29 pitchers, appeared in at least one game for the 76-86 Padres.
The club endured 23 disabled players missing 1,408 games, creating
opportunities for numerous young players to make their mark. 17
rookies, 8 of them pitchers, appeared with 11 players making their
major league debuts.
Highlights: Team MVP Phil Nevin becomes the 3rd Padres to lead the
club in batting (.303), homers (31) and RBI (107) in a single season.
He's the 9th San Diego player to top 30 homers and 100 RBI in the
same year...Despite being limited to 36 games due to left knee problems,
Tony Gwynn bats .323, setting an N.L. record with his 18th straight
.300 season...With 43 saves, Trevor Hoffman ties Major League marks
with his 3rd straight 40-save season and his 6th consecutive 30-save
campaign.
1990-1999
1990 April 2: A group of 15 southern California businessmen, headed
by Tom Werner, signs a letter of intent to purchase the club from
Joan Kroc.
July 11: Greg Riddoch is named manager, replacing Jack McKeon, who
remains general manager.
September 21: McKeon is fired as general manager.
October 2: Joe McIlvaine is named Padres general manager.
1991 August 13-14: Fred McGriff becomes the 4th player in N.L. history
to blast grand slams in consecutive games.
September 11: The Braves' Kent Mercker, Mark Wohlers and Alejandro
Pena combine on a 1-0 no-hit victory in Atlanta.
1992 July 14: The Padres host the 63rd All-Star Game, a 13-6 A.L.
win. Tony Gwynn ties an All-Star Game record with 2 outfield assists.
September 23: Jim Riggleman is named manager replacing Greg Riddoch.
Highlights: Gary Sheffield leads the N.L. with a .330 batting average,
and Fred McGriff wins the home run crown with 35 roundtrippers.
1993 June 9: Randy Smith is named Vice President/Baseball Operations
& General Manager (at 29 Smith becomes the youngest GM in major
league history).
August 4: Tony Gwynn records a career-high 6 hits vs. San Francisco.
It is his 4th game of the season with 5 or more hits, tying a major
league record held by Willie Keeler (1897), Ty Cobb (1922) and Stan
Musial (1948).
1994 Highlight: Tony Gwynn wins his 5th batting title with a club
record .394 average, the highest in the majors since Ted Williams
hit .406 in 1941. Bruce Bochy is named manager, replacing Jim Riggleman.
December 21: The sale of the team to John Moores and Larry Lucchino
is finalized.
December 28: The Padres acquire infielders Ken Caminiti, Andujar
Cedeno and Roberto Petagine, outfielder Steve Finley, pitcher Brian
Williams and a player to be named (Sean Fesh) from the Houston Astros
in exchange for outfielders Derek Bell and Phil Plantier, infielders
Ricky Gutierrez and Craig Shipley and pitchers Doug Brocail and
Pedro Martinez. It is the biggest trade in team history and the
largest in Major League Baseball since 1957.
1995 May 28: The Padres tie a 20th Century N.L. record with 9 runs
in the 10th inning of a 13-5 victory at Philadelphia.
September 16-19: Ken Caminiti becomes the first player in M.L. history
to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game 3 times in
a season, the first 2 on consecutive nights.
November 17: Scouting Director Kevin Towers is named general manager,
replacing Randy Smith.
Highlights: The club's 9 grand slams tie the N.L. mark set in 1929
by Chicago. Tony Gwynn wins his 6th batting title with a .368 average.
The Padres are the most improved team in the National League (5th
in the majors), finishing with a .486 winning percentage (70-74),
an increase of .084 from their .402 percentage (47-70) in 1994.
1996 June 21-July 27: Newly acquired John Flaherty hits in 27 consecutive
games, the 2nd-longest streak in Padres history and, at the time,
the 2nd-longest ever by a catcher.
July 9: In Philadelphia, Ken Caminiti becomes the first Padre to
hit a home run in the All-Star Game.
July 27: The visiting Padres score a club-record 20 runs to defeat
Florida 20-12 in a 4-hour, 10-minute marathon, the longest 9-inning
night game in N.L. history.
August 3: A then club-record and 1996 N.L.-high 55,412 fans attend
the Padres-Marlins game at Jack Murphy Stadium.
August 16-18: The Padres make baseball history in Monterrey, Mexico
by hosting the New York Mets in La Primera Serie, the first major
league regular season games played outside the United States or
Canada.
September 19-22: A 4-game series at the Murph with Los Angeles draws
a club-record 197,225 fans, including 3 advance sellouts (the first
non-Opening Day sellouts in club history)
September 27-29: Down 2 games with 3 to play, the Padres sweep the
Dodgers in Los Angeles to win the 2nd division title in club history.
October 1-5: The Cardinals sweep 3 games from the Padres in the
N.L. Division Series. Highlights: Ken Caminiti sets club records
with 40 home runs and 130 RBI and becomes the 4th player to win
the N.L. Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote. Bruce Bochy
becomes the first Padre to win the N.L. Manager of the Year Award.
Tony Gwynn hits .353 to win his 7th batting title. The Padres' 91-71
record is, at the time, 2nd-best in team history. Their 46-35 mark
on the road is the best in franchise history.
1997 April 1: In front of the earliest Opening Day sellout crowd
since 1985, the Padres explode for an 11-run 6th inning en route
to a 12-5 win over the Mets. The inning established a 20th Century
N.L. record for runs scored in an inning on Opening Day. Chris Gomez,
Rickey Henderson and Quilvio Veras slug consecutive home runs to
highlight the inning.
April 19-20: The Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals in the Padres
Paradise Series at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI, dropping 2 of
3 games.
June 23: Trevor Hoffman slams the door on the Giants to pass Rollie
Fingers and become the Padres all-time save leader with 109.
August 29: 60,230 fans, the largest crowd in the majors in 1997,
watch a 3-1 loss to the Angels.
September 5: Andy Ashby's bid for the first no-hitter in Padres
history ends when Atlanta's Kenny Lofton leads off the 9th with
a fly ball single to right.
December 15: Padres acquire All-Star right-hander Kevin Brown from
the Marlins in a 4-player trade.
Highlights: Tony Gwynn bats .372 to win his 8th batting title, tying
Honus Wagner's N.L. record. Gwynn's 220 hits and 49 doubles establish
Padres records. The Friars set club records with 795 runs scored,
1,519 hits, 761 RBI, 2,282 total bases and 604 bases on balls.
1998 The Padres win a club-record 98 regular season games en route
to their 2nd National League championship. San Diego beats the Astros
and Braves in a pair of thrilling N.L. playoff series before falling
to the Yankees in the World Series.
July 25: Trevor Hoffman closes out the Astros to convert his M.L.
record-tying 41st consecutive save.
September 10: With a 4th-inning strikeout of the Dodgers' Trenidad
Hubbard, his 232nd of the year, Kevin Brown becomes the Padres'
single-season K King. He'd go on to fan 257, 2nd-most in the N.L.
September 12: In front of 60,823 at The Q, the Padres overcome a
7-0 deficit in an 8-7 win over the Dodgers, clinching their 2nd
division title in 3 seasons.
September 27: On the season's final day, Greg Vaughn becomes the
28th player in history to hit 50 home runs in a season when he goes
deep in his final regular season at-bat at Arizona.
September 29: Kevin Brown fans a Division Series-record 16 to outduel
Randy Johnson for a 2-1 series-opening win against the Astros.
October 4: Sterling Hitchcock fans 11 in 6.0 innings, leading the
Padres to a 6-1 win over Johnson and the Astros, wrapping up the
best-of-5 Division Series, 3 games to 1.
October 7-14: The Padres race out to a 3 games to none lead en route
to beating the Braves in 6 games in the N.L.C.S. Hitchcock wins
Games 3 and 6, allowing one run on 5 hits in the 2 starts to earn
series MVP honors.
October 17-21: Playing in their 2nd World Series, the Padres drop
4 straight to the Yankees, winners of a record 125 regular and post-season
games. Tony Gwynn bats .500 (8-for-16) with a homer and 3 RBI in
the series. Greg Vaughn homers twice and drives in 4 runs.
Highlights: Trevor Hoffman ties an N.L. record with 53 saves in
54 chances, 2nd-most in M.L. history. Greg Vaughn slugs a club-record
50 home runs and drives in 119.
1999 En route to a 74-88 finish, the Padres topped 2.5 million in
home attendance for the 2nd consecutive season and celebrated the
greatest individual career milestone in franchise history, when
Tony Gwynn collected his 3,000th career hit August 6 in Montreal.
With 18 players making their Padres debut and 13 rookies wearing
a Padres uniform at one time or another, fans previewed the club's
future with their first extended looks at Matt Clement, Ben Davis
and others.
March 29: Only days before breaking spring camp, General Manager
Kevin Towers acquires third baseman Phil Nevin from Anaheim. Nevin
will take over at third base at mid-season en route to slamming
24 homers and leading the club with 85 RBI.
June 10: Trevor Hoffman strikes out all 3 men he faces to preserve
a 2-1 win over Oakland at The Q, the 200th save of his major league
career. Hoffman, who led the majors by converting 40 of 43 save
chances, became the franchise's all-time appearance leader 12 days
later.
June 18-July 2: The Padres establish a club record by winning 14
consecutive games, climbing from 25-38 to 39-38 in the process.
June 28: In an 8-7 win over the Rockies at The Q, San Diego steals
a club-record 9 bases, 5 by Damian Jackson to equal the franchise
best.
August 6: Tony Gwynn becomes the 22nd player in history to reach
3,000 career hits with a first-inning single to right-center on
a 1-2 pitch from Montreal's Dan Smith at Olympic Stadium. He finishes
the milestone night 4-for-5, igniting a 12-10 win.
Highlights: Led by Reggie Sanders (36), Damian Jackson (34), Eric
Owens (32) and Quilvio Veras (30)--the first quartet of 30-stolen
base players in club history--the Padres lead the majors with 174
steals.
1980-1989
1980 Highlights: The Padres become the first N.L. club with 3 50-stolen
base men (Gene Richards, 61; Ozzie Smith, 57; and Jerry Mumphrey,
52), as they lead the majors with 239. Rollie Fingers becomes the
first reliever to win 3 Fireman of the Year awards.
September 23: Jack McKeon is named Vice President of Baseball Operations.
October 6: Frank Howard named manager, as Jerry Coleman returns
to the broadcast booth.
1981 November 18: Dick Williams is named manager, replacing Frank
Howard.
1982 July 19: Tony Gwynn makes his major league debut, collecting
2 hits against the Phillies.
December 21: The Padres sign free agent first baseman Steve Garvey.
1983 July 29: Steve Garvey dislocates his left thumb in a home plate
collision vs. Atlanta, snapping his N.L. record streak of 1,027
consecutive games played, 3rd-longest in major league history.
1984 January 14: Owner Ray Kroc dies. Mrs. Joan Kroc succeeds as
owner and chairwoman of the board. Ballard Smith is named President.
September 20: A 5-4 win over San Francisco gives the Padres their
first division crown.
October 6: Steve Garvey snaps a 5-5 tie with a 2-run homer in the
9th inning to send the N.L.C.S. vs. Chicago to a decisive 5th game.
October 7: The Padres come back from an early 3-0 deficit to beat
the Cubs, 6-3, and win the N.L. pennant.
October 9-14: San Diego participates in its first World Series,
falling 4 games to 1 to the Detroit Tigers.
Highlights: Tony Gwynn bats .351 to win his first N.L. batting title.
Alan Wiggins establishes a club record with 70 stolen bases.
1985 July 16: Seven Padres and manager Dick Williams lead the N.L.
to a 6-1 win over the A.L. in the All-Star Game in Minneapolis.
LaMarr Hoyt is named the game's MVP.
1986 September 21: Jimmy Jones tosses a one-hitter in his major
league debut to defeat Houston.
Highlights: Craig Lefferts makes a club-record 83 appearances.
1987 June 10: Charles S. (Chub) Feeney, former N.L. president, is
named Padres president.
Highlights: Benito Santiago closes out his first big league campaign
with a club and M.L. rookie record-setting 34-game hitting streak,
longest by a M.L. catcher, and wins the Rookie of the Year Award
in a unanimous vote.
1988 May 28: Jack McKeon is named manager replacing Larry Bowa.
Highlights: Tony Gwynn wins his 3rd N.L. batting title with a .313
mark.
1989 March 14: Dick Freeman is named Padres president.
Highlights: The Padres go 29-10 in the last 6 weeks to get back
into the pennant race, but finish 2nd, 3 games behind the Giants.
Tony Gwynn records 6 hits in his final 8 at-bats to capture his
4th N.L. batting title. Mark Davis notches a then-Padres record
44 saves, one shy of the then-N.L. record, en route to winning the
Cy Young Award.
1968-1979
1968 May 27: San Diego is awarded a National League franchise during
owners meetings in Chicago.
August 29: Preston Gomez is named the first Padres manager.
October 14: Padres select 30 players in the expansion draft, with
Ollie Brown the first choice.
1969 April 8: The Padres make their major league debut with a 2-1
victory over Houston in front of 23,370 fans at San Diego Stadium.
1970 June 12: The only no-hitter in San Diego Stadium history is
thrown by the Pirates' Dock Ellis as he blanks the Padres, 2-0.
1971 September 18: Clay Kirby retires the first 21 in a row before
Willie McCovey homers for San Francisco's only hit in a 2-1 Padres
victory.
1972 July 18: Steve Arlin hurls 8.2 no-hit innings against Philadelphia
before giving up a 9th-inning single to Denny Doyle.
August 1: Nate Colbert hits 5 home runs and drives in 13 runs in
a doubleheader at Atlanta. The RBI total establishes a record that
still stands, while the 5 home runs tie Stan Musial's 1954 major
league mark.
September 2: Chicago's Milt Pappas no-hits the Padres in an 8-0
win at Wrigley Field.
1973 August 5: Phil Niekro tosses a no-hitter against the Padres
in Atlanta, winning 9-0.
1974 January 25: Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's, prevents the Padres
from moving to Washington, D.C., by purchasing the club from C.
Arnholt Smith.
1975 September 23: Randy Jones becomes the Padres' first 20-game
winner with a 6-5 win over Los Angeles.
1976 December 16: Randy Jones wins San Diego's first Cy Young Award
after a 22-14 season in which he sets club records for wins, innings
pitched and complete games. Butch Metzger is N.L. Rookie Pitcher
of the Year.
1977 December 17: Rollie Fingers is named N.L. Fireman of the Year,
and Bob Owchinko is honored as Rookie Pitcher of the Year.
Highlights: Gene Richards steals 56 bases, setting a M.L. rookie
record.
1978 March 21: Roger Craig is named manager, replacing Alvin Dark.
July 11: The Padres host the All-Star Game, a 7-3 N.L. win. Steve
Garvey is named the game's MVP.
Highlights: Gaylord Perry earns the N.L. Cy Young Award, the first
time a pitcher has won the honor in each league.
1979 October 1: Jerry Coleman leaves the broadcast booth to become
manager, replacing Roger Craig.
Back to Team History
Index |
