What the Padres Mean to Me

I was asked last week why I was writing a blog about the San Diego Padres. When I first heard this question I thought it would be an easy question to answer. But the more that I thought about the answer to that question I found it hard to answer. Not because I am not a loyal fan, but because whenever I think about the Padres and baseball season starting, it makes me get the warm fuzzy feeling inside and it almost is like I become speechless. It honestly is hard for me to describe how much the Padres mean to me because it is much more than just me being a fan, it’s a full time devoted passion, dedication, and commitment in wanting the team to succeed and win.

            My Padre roots go back to when I was a little kid and growing up in San Diego. I could not think of a better place to grow up because the city of San Diego is known throughout the country; it is not a giant city like Los Angeles or New York City. San Diego only has a population of a little over 1 million people so you don’t necessary feel like you are crowded or have people breathing down your neck. Not to mention the perfect year round weather that San Diego has which allows kids to play outside year round which is something that kids growing up on the east coast do not experience unfortunately.

            I was a kid that enjoyed being outside and participating in activities, the majority of my activities revolved around sports and more specifically baseball. At a very young age, the sport of baseball became my passion and I was addicted. I first became a fan of the sport and then I found out who the local team was and that was the San Diego Padres. My mother being the smart woman that she is recognized my passion early on and would take me to Qualcomm Stadium to see the Padres play. The Padres moved into Petco Park in 2004 which is located in downtown San Diego. Since 2004, my mother and I have been season ticket holders with our seats being in the first row in right field. Out of 162 games during the regular season, I would say that I watch about 130-140 of those games about 30-40 of those games are seen in person. In a way I look at being a Padre fan as a job, I have to do my job by watching the team every time that they play, and I have to stay current with the latest news that his happening with the team.

            The sport of baseball and the San Diego Padres are both passions that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It gives me something to look forward to and look back on with great emotion. The beauty of the sport and watching it with my mother is something that I would never trade for anything.