A LIFELONG FAN, I’M READY TO HEAR THOSE MAGIC WORDS: ‘PLAY BALL’
I have been a Padres fan since I was a young girl watching the Pacific Coast League with my father and brothers at Westgate Park (where the Fashion Valley Mall is now). I still remember the sound of foul balls hitting the tin roof and playing in the grassy right field. I lived in Mission Village and, when I was older, I would walk down Mission Village Drive to watch the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium, aka “The Murph.” I remember the gates would be open after the seventh inning and we would go and watch the end of games. My brother Mike and I got season tickets in Loge section 31 in the late 1970s. I learned to keep score from another Padres fan and since then, I find it helps me keep my head in the game.
Marriage and a baby kept me busy and we gave up our seats in the early 1990s. I returned as a season ticket holder in 2000 for the last few years at “The Murph” and then at Petco Park in Downtown starting in 2004. For me, it was sad to see baseball leave Mission Valley with all its memories, including the 1984 and 1998 playoff and World Series runs.
I was one of the thousands of fans who waited in the parking lot in 1984 to show support for the Padres on the team’s return to San Diego from two losses at Wrigley Field to the Chicago Cubs before the team went on to win three straight at home to make its first World Series.
We were heading to spring training around the same time the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year. Spring training is always a time to size up the players and see the rookies and future players and we missed that. It was great to see Fernando Tatis Jr. pass out balls, bats and his hat to the kids as he left the field. Last year, we and other fans were unable to watch batting practice, take pictures with the players and collect autographs on balls.
When everything shut down, it was the first time in 27 years I would not be watching spring baseball in Phoenix. But we did get postseason baseball. In the fall, we went to the Petco Park parking lot to catch a playoff game, thanks to the Padres. It was not as great as being in the stands, but it was great to be among fans again.
Last year, instead of meeting at Petco Park, a group of us known as the “Madres” had Padres game watch parties at the house of one of our members, Judy McQuire, inside and on her patio on the warm nights and days. We were a pod of six to 10 persons socially distancing, first outside around the TV then inside when it got cooler. We all wore our favorite player’s shirt or jersey. We had potlucks, and everyone brought a dish to share and snacks. We cheered and urged on our players as if we were in the ballpark. After we won to reach the playoffs, two of us drove Downtown to be part of the celebration.
I became president of the San Diego Madres organization in 2018. It was founded in 1972. The San Diego Madres is an organization of women and men who love baseball, the Padres and their community. Our mission is to provide all children of San Diego County the opportunity to play baseball and softball. We also give back by volunteering in the community.
Before the pandemic, we used to hold many fundraising events. We held monthly brunches with guest speakers, “meet and greets” with Padres players such as Anthony Gwynn Jr., road trips, and dining for dollars at local restaurants. But all our special events ceased.
Instead, thanks to the efforts of our vice president, Debra Bralla, and the generosity of our members, we sold items at the swap meet, sold and raffled items online and, with donations from our membership, we managed to raise $19,000.
We are looking forward to resuming our regular fundraising efforts and helping youth sports such as Little League, softball and challenged leagues. We welcome more members for everyone who loves the Padres as much as we do.
I am so excited to be back in the ballpark this year. My husband, son and I spent the last week in Peoria watching live baseball. So much fun, drinking beers, eating hot dogs again and cheering for our Padres. We watched a total of four games. The two ballparks we visited had various distant seating configurations and asked that we wear our masks when not eating or drinking. I did observe fans wearing their masks more when moving about.
I felt completely safe in the stands and ballparks. I know firsthand that fans may be nervous about returning to Petco Park for Opening Day. I was diagnosed with COVID-19 around Christmas time. But I got my second vaccine last week, and now I feel comfortable returning to the ballpark with other fans. My hope is that we will be back to full capacity sooner than later.
As for the line up, I am most excited to see our infield players, Eric Hosmer, Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado, and of course I look forward to watching Tatis display his athletic abilities at shortstop. I hope Will Myers continues to hit the ball well. Lastly, I’m eager to see our new acquisitions, specifically pitcher Blake Snell, and to see infielder Ha-Seong Kim develop as a Padre.
Play ball! Go Padres!