Full History Of San Diego Padres In Timeline From 1936

1936: Padres Name Adopted from Pacific Coast League Team

In 1936, the San Diego Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League (PCL) team that arrived in San Diego.

1936: Arrival of PCL Padres in San Diego

In 1936, the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) arrived in San Diego.

1937: PCL Title Win Led by Ted Williams

In 1937, the Pacific Coast League (PCL) Padres won the league title, led by 18-year-old Ted Williams.

1962: Swinging Friar on Team Programs

In 1962, the Swinging Friar, designed by Carlos Hadaway, first appeared on team programs for the home opener when the Padres were still a member of the Pacific Coast League.

1969: First Logo Depicted Swinging Friar

In 1969, the Padres' first logo depicted a friar swinging a bat with Padres written at the top while standing in a sun-like figure with San Diego Padres on the exterior of it.

1969: Padres Inaugural Season

In 1969, the San Diego Padres began their inaugural season.

1969: Padres Join Major League Baseball

In 1969, the San Diego Padres joined Major League Baseball as one of four new expansion teams.

1969: Padres Founded as Expansion Franchise

In 1969, the San Diego Padres were founded as an expansion franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB).

1969: Swinging Friar Retained

In 1969, the Swinging Friar was retained as the mascot when the team joined Major League Baseball.

1969: First Season

The Padres' first season was in 1969.

1969: John Demott: First Public Address Announcer

When the team began in 1969, John Demott was the Padres' first public address announcer.

1971: Tan Uniform Introduced

In 1971, a second tan uniform, this time with the city name, was used as a road alternate before becoming the primary uniform.

1972: Switch to Polyester and All-Gold Uniforms

In 1972, switching from flannel to polyester, the Padres radically changed their uniforms to all-gold uniforms and pants, with the road uniform emblazoned with the city name and the home uniform with the team name.

1974: Return to Traditional Uniforms

In 1974, the Padres returned to wearing traditional uniforms with the script "Padres" lettering in front for home games.

1974: Ray Kroc Ownership

Ray Kroc owned the team since 1974.

1975: Randy Jones: Two-Time All-Star

Randy Jones named as a two-time All-Star (1975, 1976) .

1976: Randy Jones Wins Cy Young Award

In 1976, Randy Jones won the first Cy Young Award for the Padres.

1976: Pullovers and Brown Uniform Top

In 1976, the Padres switched to pullovers for their home uniform and introduced a brown uniform top with gold sleeves and letters for road games.

1976: Randy Jones's No. 35 Retired

In 1997, Randy Jones's No. 35 was retired by the Padres. He was a two-time All-Star (1975, 1976) and the club's first Cy Young Award winner in 1976.

1978: Brown Uniforms as Template

In 1978, the brown uniforms served as a template for the Padres' next uniform set. The home uniforms now featured brown sleeves and gold letters, and a gold alternate with brown sleeves and letters was also released.

1979: The Kid from Left Field Film

The San Diego Padres were first portrayed in the 1979 NBC made-for-TV film The Kid from Left Field, starring Gary Coleman.

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1980: Addition of Orange to Palette

In 1980, the Padres added orange to the palette, removing the contrasting colored sleeves and chest numbers and adding orange to the letters and striping of the home uniforms and trim and striping of the road uniforms.

1984: Graig Nettles Joins Padres

Graig Nettles joined the Padres and played between 1984 and 1987.

1984: Garvey's Game-Winning Home Run

In 1984, Steve Garvey hit the game-winning two-run home run in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Chicago Cubs.

1984: Garvey's Home Run Commemoration

In 1984, Steve Garvey's number was commemorated at San Diego Stadium instead on the wall behind the spot in right-center field where his winning home run in the 1984 NLCS cleared the fence.

1984: Padres Lost World Series

In 1984, The Padres made and lost their appearance as the National League Pennant winner

1984: Addition of RAK Initials

In 1984, the Padres added the initials "RAK" on the left sleeve in honor of Ray Kroc, who had owned the team since 1974.

1984: Padres Win First NL Pennant

In 1984, the Padres won their first National League (NL) pennant, losing in the World Series that year.

1984: Ray Kroc Honored

Ray Kroc was honored with the initials "RAK" on the left sleeve

1985: New Script Logo and Team Colors

In 1985, the Padres switched to using a script-like logo in which Padres was written sloped up, which would later become a script logo for the Padres. The team's colors were also changed to brown and orange during this year.

1986: Traditional Buttoned Uniforms

In 1986, the Padres returned to wearing traditional buttoned uniforms designed by Sidjakov Berman & Gomez. The home uniforms featured the script "Padres" in front, while the road uniforms had the "SD" emblazoned on the left chest. Brown letters with orange trim and brown pinstripes adorned both uniforms, and an all-brown cap with the orange "SD" was used with the uniform.

1987: Graig Nettles Leaves Padres

Graig Nettles leaves the Padres after playing between 1984 and 1987.

1988: Steve Garvey's Number Retired

In 1988, Steve Garvey was the first player to have his number retired by the Padres.

1989: Scripted Padres Logo in Ring

In 1989, the Padres took the scripted Padres logo and put it in a gray ring that read "San Diego Baseball Club" with a striped center.

1990: Brown and Orange Colors Through 1990

The Padres' team colors of brown and orange, implemented in 1985, remained in use through the 1990 season.

1991: Updated Padres Logo and Color Change

In 1991, the Padres logo was updated with a silver ring and a blue Padres script. The team's colors were also changed to a combination of orange and navy blue.

1995: Kevin Towers Becomes General Manager, Ken Caminiti Wins MVP

In 1995, Kevin Towers became the general manager of the Padres. Also in 1995, Ken Caminiti became the first Padres player to win the MVP Award.

1995: Marine Recruits Visit Games

Since 1995, Marine Recruits from the nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot often visit the games en masse during Military Appreciation Day.

1996: First Military Appreciation Event

In 1996, the Padres became the first national sports team to have an annual military appreciation event.

1996: Team Logo Added to Sleeve

In 1996, the Padres team logo was added to the left sleeve of the uniforms.

April 15, 1997: Jackie Robinson's Number Retired

On April 15, 1997, exactly 50 years after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line, the No. 42 he wore with the Brooklyn Dodgers was retired throughout Major League Baseball.

September 5, 1997: Andy Ashby's Near No-Hitter

On September 5, 1997, Andy Ashby took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, the closest the Padres had previously come to achieving this feat.

1997: Stadium Expansion, Number Disappearance

In 1997, during the stadium expansion, Garvey's number disappeared.

1997: Navy Blue Alternate Uniform Unveiled

In 1997, the Padres unveiled a navy blue alternate uniform featuring the team name in navy blue with orange drop shadows, orange numbers at the back, and white piping along the chest, neck, and sleeves.

1997: Interleague Play Begins

The Padres' unusual rivalry against the American League's Seattle Mariners was designated one of the 15 "naturalized rivalries" when interleague play began in 1997.

1998: Swinging Friar Logo Removed

After the 1998 season, the swinging friar logo was removed from the left sleeve of the alternate uniform, in favor of the team's primary logo.

1998: Padres Lost World Series

In 1998, The Padres made and lost their appearance as the National League Pennant winner

1998: Padres Achieve Second NL Pennant

In 1998, the Padres achieved their second National League (NL) pennant alongside Trevor Hoffman, but they were swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series.

1999: Bruce Binkowski Ends Tenure as PA Announcer

By the late 1970s, Bruce Binkowski had taken over as PA announcer, and became the longest-serving public address announcer in the team's history, remaining until the end of the 1999 season.

1999: San Diego Padres Hall of Fame Founded

In 1999, the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame was founded.

1999: White Chest Numbers Added

In 1999, white chest numbers were added to the navy blue alternate uniform.

1999: Playoff Series Drought

The Padres failed to win a single playoff series between 1999 and 2019.

2000: Camouflage Jersey Debut

In 2000, the Padres began wearing a camouflage jersey to honor the military.

2000: Primary Logo on Sleeve

The team's primary logo lasted until the 2000 season on the sleeve of the alternate uniform.

2001: Dave Winfield's Number Retired

In 2001, Dave Winfield's number, 31, was retired, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2001: Jerry Coleman Honored

In 2001, Jerry Coleman was honored with a "star on the wall."

2001: Alternate Home Uniform Becomes Primary

In 2001, the Padres began wearing an alternate home white uniform which bore the same features as the primary home uniform minus the pinstripes and orange trim, navy blue piping was also added. After the 2001 season, the pinstriped uniforms were retired.

2001: Return of Pinstripes

The club announced in January 2019 that the original brown and gold colors would return for the 2020 season. The new uniform designs featuring the brown and gold colors were officially unveiled on November 9. The team featured brown and gold on each of the three unveiled jerseys, including the return of pinstripes to the Padre home jersey for the first time since 2001.

2002: Retired Numbers Moved and Inscribed

In 2002, all the retired numbers were moved and inscribed on the outfield fence.

2002: Mariners Miss Playoffs

The Seattle Mariners failed to make the playoffs from 2002 to 2021.

2003: Logo Change

In 2003, the logo was completely changed when the team changed stadiums between the 2003 and 2004 seasons, with the new logo looking similar to home plate with San Diego written in sand font at the top right corner and the Padres new script written completely across the center. Waves finished the bottom of the plate. Navy remained but a sandy beige replaced orange as a secondary color.

2004: Stadium Change and New Logo Introduction

Between the 2003 and 2004 seasons, the team changed stadiums and introduced a new logo that looked similar to home plate with "San Diego" written in sand font at the top right corner and the "Padres" new script written completely across the center with waves finishing the bottom of the plate. The team also changed their colors to navy blue and sand brown.

2004: Frank Anthony Becomes PA Announcer

From Petco Park's opening in 2004 until 2013, the PA announcer was Frank Anthony, a radio host with 105.7 XHPRS-FM.

2004: Move to Petco Park

In 2004, the Padres moved into their current stadium, Petco Park.

2004: Tony Gwynn's No. 19 Retired

In 2004, the Padres retired No. 19 in honor of Tony Gwynn, widely considered the greatest Padres player ever.

2004: Retired Numbers Displayed Midseason

In 2004, the retired numbers were unveiled midseason at Petco Park.

2004: Return to San Diego Wordmark

In 2017, the script on the road uniform reverted to the San Diego wordmark style it used from 2004 to 2011.

2004: Sand-Colored Road Jersey since 2004

The club announced in January 2019 that the original brown and gold colors would return for the 2020 season. The new uniform designs featuring the brown and gold colors were officially unveiled on November 9. The team featured brown and gold on each of the three unveiled jerseys, including the return of a sand-colored road jersey (also with pinstripes) for the first time since 2010. Alternate non-pinstriped sand pants are paired with the brown alternate jersey. The shade of the sand color is noticeably darker than the sand-colored road jerseys worn from 2004 to 2010.

April 2005: Marine Recruits Hosted

Through April 2005, over 60,000 marine recruits were hosted by the Padres as part of an extensive military outreach program.

2005: Padres Postseason Appearances

From 2005 to 2024, the Padres reached the postseason five times but did not return to the World Series.

2006: Padres Games Aired on XHPRS-FM 105.7

From 2006 to 2010, Padre games were aired on XHPRS-FM 105.7.

September 2007: KBOP-CA Changes Format

Until September 2007, Friday and Saturday games were seen in Spanish on KBOP-CA channel 43, until that station changed to an all-infomercial format.

2008: Camouflage Jerseys for Sunday Home Games

Starting in 2008, the Padres began wearing camouflage jerseys for every Sunday home game, as well as on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

2009: San Diego Removed from Logo

In 2009, the San Diego was removed from the top right corner of the Padres' logo.

2010: Trevor Hoffman Retires

In 2010, Trevor Hoffman retired from playing.

2010: End of Padres Games on XHPRS-FM 105.7

Padre games were also aired from 2006 to 2010 on XHPRS-FM 105.7.

2010: Sand-Colored Road Jersey since 2004

The club announced in January 2019 that the original brown and gold colors would return for the 2020 season. The new uniform designs featuring the brown and gold colors were officially unveiled on November 9. The team featured brown and gold on each of the three unveiled jerseys, including the return of a sand-colored road jersey (also with pinstripes) for the first time since 2010. Alternate non-pinstriped sand pants are paired with the brown alternate jersey. The shade of the sand color is noticeably darker than the sand-colored road jerseys worn from 2004 to 2010.

2011: Camouflage Design Change

For 2011, the Padres changed the camouflage design to a more modern "digital" design, using the MARPAT design after receiving permission from then-Commandant James Conway, and dropped the green from the lettering and logo of the jersey.

2011: Trevor Hoffman's No. 51 Retired

In 2011, Trevor Hoffman's No. 51 was retired. He retired from playing after 2010.

2011: Road Uniform Change and Cap Usage

In 2011, the Padres' road uniform was changed to a grey base, and the navy and sand caps were used exclusively with the navy alternates. After the season, the alternate navy cap was retired.

2011: Return to San Diego Wordmark

In 2017, the script on the road uniform reverted to the San Diego wordmark style it used from 2004 to 2011.

2012: New Primary Logo Unveiled

For the 2012 season, the Padres unveiled a new primary logo, featuring the cap logo inside a navy blue circle with the words "San Diego Padres Baseball Club" adorning the outer circle. The "swinging friar" logo was recolored navy blue and white and was added to the left sleeve of the home uniform. All uniforms also added piping around the chest, neck and sleeves.

2012: Bally Sports San Diego Assumes Rights

In 2012, Bally Sports San Diego (formerly Fox Sports San Diego) assumed the rights to the team under a 20-year deal, replacing Cox Cable's 4SD.

2012: Peter Seidler Ownership

In 2012, Peter Seidler became the owner of the San Diego Padres.

2012: Peter Seidler becomes Padres Owner

In 2012, Peter Seidler became the owner of the San Diego Padres.

2013: End of Frank Anthony's Tenure as PA Announcer

From Petco Park's opening in 2004 until 2013, the PA announcer was Frank Anthony.

April 19, 2014: Alex Miniak Announced as PA Announcer

On April 19, 2014, Alex Miniak was announced as the new Public Address announcer for the San Diego Padres. Miniak was formerly the PA announcer for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

September 5, 2015: Ferrell Takes the Field Movie Premieres

On September 5, 2015, the San Diego Padres were seen in an HBO original comedy/Documentary style movie, Ferrell Takes the Field starring Will Ferrell, where he plays ten major league baseball Spring-training games. The movie premiered in Petco Park after the Padres vs. Dodgers game.

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2016: Second Camouflage Jersey Added

For 2016, to coincide with hosting the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Padres added a second camouflage jersey, this time in navy blue. The Padres alternated the navy camouflage jersey with a Marines style.

2016: Garvey's Homer Ranked No. 1

In 2016, The San Diego Union-Tribune ranked Garvey's Game 4 homer as the No. 1 moment in San Diego sports history.

2016: Padres Portrayed in 'Pitch' TV Series

In 2016, the San Diego Padres were portrayed in the one-season Fox television series Pitch, starring Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker, the first female to play in Major League Baseball.

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2016: Retired Numbers Relocated

In 2016, the retired numbers were relocated to the Ring of Honor on the upper deck façade at Petco Park, after previously being atop the batter's eye in center field.

2016: Navy Blue and Gold Color Scheme

In the 2016 season, the Padres wore a navy blue and gold color scheme, similar to the one used on the 2016 All-Star Game logo. An alternate navy cap with the "S" in white and "D" in gold was also used with the uniform. The Padres also added a new brown and gold alternate uniform to be worn mostly during Friday home games, along with an updated gold-paneled brown cap.

2017: Relocation of Chargers to Los Angeles

Following the relocation of the Chargers to Los Angeles in 2017, the Padres became the only franchise in the four major American professional sports leagues in the San Diego sports market, strengthening the rivalry and San Diego's animosity to Los Angeles sports in general.

2017: New Color Scheme and Jerseys

For the 2017 season, the Padres revealed a new color scheme and new jerseys for the second straight year. The gold was scrapped from the home uniform, and the team reverted to a navy blue-and-white combo. The word Padres returned to the front of the home uniform with a new script, and both uniforms added the "SD" logo on the left sleeve. The brown and gold alternate uniform from the previous set was retained, with the addition of the "SD" on the left sleeve.

2017: Entercom Acquires Radio Rights

In 2017, Entercom acquired the radio rights for Padres games, which were then carried by sister station 94.9 KBZT.

2017: No Game Played

The Padres and the American League's Seattle Mariners have played every year since interleague play began in 1997, except 2017.

January 2019: Announcement of Brown and Gold Colors Return

In January 2019, the club announced that the original brown and gold colors would return for the 2020 season.

2019: Playoff Series Drought

The Padres failed to win a single playoff series between 1999 and 2019.

2019: Marines Style Used

Through 2019 the Padres alternated the navy camouflage jersey with a Marines style.

August 20, 2020: "Slam Diego Padres"

On August 20, 2020, the Padres became the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games, earning the nickname "Slam Diego Padres".

2020: Camouflage Jersey Colors

From 2020 to 2023, the Padres used two different camouflage jersey colors: green and sand-olive, both with the current Padres logo.

2020: Return to Brown and Gold Uniforms

In 2020, the Padres returned to brown and gold uniforms, featuring brown and gold on each of the three unveiled jerseys, including the return of pinstripes to the Padre home jersey for the first time since 2001 and a sand-colored road jersey (also with pinstripes) for the first time since 2010.

2020: Dodgers win NLDS

The Dodgers beat the Padres in the 2020 NLDS as part of the Padres' historical rivalry against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

April 9, 2021: Joe Musgrove Throws First No-Hitter

On April 9, 2021, Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in Padres history against the Texas Rangers, ending the longest no-hit drought in MLB.

2021: Padres Radio Broadcasts on KWFN 97.3 The Fan

As of the 2021 season, Padres radio broadcasts in English are carried by KWFN 97.3 The Fan, with Jesse Agler as the primary play-by-play announcer, and Tony Gwynn Jr. serving as color analyst.

2021: Mariners Miss Playoffs

The Seattle Mariners failed to make the playoffs from 2002 to 2021.

2022: Padres win against Dodgers

In 2022 San Diego won against the Los Angeles Dodgers

2022: City Connect Uniforms

In 2022, the Padres joined 13 other teams in wearing Nike's "City Connect" uniforms. The primarily white uniform featured pink, mint green and yellow accents on the letters and sleeves, and has "San Diego" written in a graffiti style. The left mint sleeve contained a recolored version of the "swinging friar" logo in pink and yellow. The all-mint cap featured the pink interlocking "SD" in front. The uniform intended to pay tribute to the San Diego–Tijuana bi-national metropolitan area, highlighting San Diego's long-standing relations with Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico.

2022: Increase in Team Merchandise Sales

In 2022, the return to brown and gold uniforms coincided with an increase in team merchandise sales, with the Padres ranking in the top 10 in MLB team merchandise sales at U.S. sports retailer Lids during the season.

May 2023: Bally Sports Misses Rights Payment

In May 2023, Bally Sports, the parent company Diamond Sports Group, missed a rights payment to the Padres due to chapter 11 bankruptcy, causing the rights to revert to the team. MLB subsequently took over production of the Padres' regional broadcasts, retaining the commentators and contracted employees.

May 31, 2023: PADRES.TV Telecasts

As of May 31, 2023, the Padres' regional telecasts are produced by MLB's local media department and distributed via local origination channels on television providers in the team's regional market, as well as an over-the-top subscription service distributed by MLB.tv. These telecasts are branded as PADRES.TV.

November 14, 2023: Death of Peter Seidler

On November 14, 2023, Peter Seidler, who owned the Padres since 2012, died at the age of 63.

November 2023: Death of Peter Seidler

In November 2023, team owner Peter Seidler died.

2023: Camouflage Jersey Colors

From 2020 to 2023, the Padres used two different camouflage jersey colors: green and sand-olive, both with the current Padres logo.

2023: Death of Peter Seidler

In 2023, Peter Seidler, the owner of the Padres, passed away.

March 23, 2024: Public Memorial for Peter Seidler

On March 23, 2024, the team held a public memorial and celebration of life for team owner Peter Seidler.

2024: Padres Season Record

As of the 2024 season, the Padres have had 18 winning seasons in franchise history and an overall record of 4,127–4,717–2 (.467) from 1969 through 2024.

2024: Dylan Cease Throws No-Hitter

In 2024, Dylan Cease threw a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals on July 25th.

2024: Manny Machado Overtakes Nate Colbert as Home Run Leader

In 2024, Manny Machado overtook Nate Colbert as the long-time home run leader for the Padres.

2024: Dodgers win NLDS

The Dodgers beat the Padres in the 2024 NLDS as part of the Padres' historical rivalry against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

February 6, 2025: John Seidler Approved as Padres' Control Person

On February 6, 2025, MLB owners approved of John Seidler as the Padres' control person.

2025: "The Vedder Cup" Officially Recognized

Starting in 2025, the rivalry between the Padres and the Seattle Mariners was officially recognized as "The Vedder Cup", with the winner of the series being awarded a trophy designed by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.