History of San Diego Padres in Timeline

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team established in 1969 and based in San Diego, California. They are members of the National League West Division, playing their home games at Petco Park. The team's name, "Padres," which means "fathers" in Spanish, originates from the Franciscan friars who founded the city's Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1769. The name was inherited from a Pacific Coast League team that played in San Diego beginning in 1936.

1936: San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League

In 1936, the Padres adopted their name from the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.

1936: Padres Adopted Name 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.

1937: PCL Title Won by San Diego Padres

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

1962: Swinging Friar appears 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 a member of the Pacific Coast League.

1969: Padres Franchise History

From 1969 through 2024, the Padres have an overall record of 4,127–4,717–2 (.467).

1969: John Demott the Padres' First Public Address Announcer

In 1969, John Demott was the Padres' first public address announcer when the team began.

1969: Padres Join Major League Baseball

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

1969: First Logo Depicted

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 Founded as Expansion Franchise

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

1969: Swinging Friar retained by MLB team

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

1969: The year of the team's first season

The year 1969 is the year of the team's first season, as depicted in one of the secondary logos launched in 2012.

1971: Second Tan Uniform

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

1972: Radical Uniform Change

In 1972, switching from flannel to polyester, the Padres radically changed their uniforms to all-gold uniforms and pants regardless of road or home games.

1974: Ray Kroc Ownership

In 1974, Ray Kroc owned the team for years. In 1984, the Padres added the initials "RAK" on the left sleeve in honor of him.

1974: Return to Traditional Uniforms

In 1974, the Padres returned to wearing traditional uniforms, with the home design having a script "Padres" lettering in front.

1975: Randy Jones All-Star

In 1975, Randy Jones was a two-time All-Star.

1976: Randy Jones Wins Cy Young Award

In 1976, Randy Jones was the club's first Cy Young Award winner. The same year Randy Jones's number 35 was retired by the Padres.

1976: Uniform Changes

In 1976, the Padres ditched the buttons in favor of pullovers for their home uniform and went with a brown uniform top for road games, featuring gold sleeves and gold letters.

1978: Brown Uniforms

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

1979: The Kid from Left Field Film

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

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1980: Orange Added to Palette

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

1984: Graig Nettles Joins the Padres

Gwynn, Winfield, Fingers, Gossage, Randy Jones, and Graig Nettles (3B, 1984–1987) are members of the San Diego Hall of Champions, which is open to athletes native to the San Diego area (such as Nettles) as well as to those who played for San Diego teams (such as Gwynn).

1984: Ray Kroc Honored

In 1984, Ray Kroc was honored with his initials displayed near the pressbox.

1984: Garvey's Home Run in NLCS Game 4

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

1984: RAK Initials Added

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: World Series Appearance as NL Pennant Winner

In 1984, the Padres made an appearance in the World Series as the National League Pennant winner.

1984: Padres Reach World Series

In 1984, the Padres reached the World Series for the first time, but lost.

1984: Padres Win NL Pennant, Lose World Series

In 1984, the Padres won a National League (NL) pennant but lost in the World Series.

1984: Padres Clinch First NL Pennant

In 1984, under manager Dick Williams, the Padres clinched their first National League (NL) pennant, but lost to the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.

1984: Garvey's Number Commemorated

Prior to moving to Petco, Steve Garvey's number was commemorated on the wall behind the spot in right-center field where his winning home run in the 1984 NLCS cleared the fence.

1985: Padres switch to script-like logo, change colors

In 1985, the San Diego Padres transitioned to a script-like logo with an upward slope, which would later become the standard script logo. The team's colors were also changed to brown and orange in 1985, which they kept until the 1990 season.

1986: Padres wear traditional buttoned uniforms

In 1986, the Padres returned to wearing traditional buttoned uniforms designed by Sidjakov Berman & Gomez. The home uniforms featured "Padres" in front, while the road uniforms displayed "SD" on the left chest. The "RAK" initials were removed, and an all-brown cap with the orange "SD" was used with the uniform.

1987: Graig Nettles Played His Last Year with the Padres

1988: Steve Garvey's Number Retired

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

1989: New Padres logo with "San Diego Baseball Club" ring

In 1989, the Padres introduced a new logo featuring the scripted Padres logo within a gray ring that read "San Diego Baseball Club" with a striped center.

1990: End of the brown and orange color scheme

The 1990 season marked the end of the brown and orange color scheme for the San Diego Padres, which had been in place since 1985.

1991: Padres logo updated to silver ring and blue script

In 1991, the Padres updated their logo by changing the ring color to silver and the Padres script from brown to blue. The team's colors were also changed to a combination of orange and navy blue that year.

1995: Kevin Towers Becomes General Manager

In 1995, Kevin Towers became the general manager for the Padres, and under his lead, Ken Caminiti became the first Padres player to win the MVP Award.

1995: Marine Recruits visit games en masse

Since 1995, Marine Recruits from the nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot often visit the games en masse during Military Appreciation Day, in uniform, often filling entire sections of the upper deck of Petco Park.

1996: Padres hold first military appreciation event

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

1996: Team logo added on the left sleeve

In 1996, the team logo of the San Diego Padres was added to the left sleeve of the home uniform.

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 No-Hitter Attempt

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

1997: Stadium Expansion

In 1997, Steve Garvey's number disappeared when the stadium was expanded and the location was masked by an overhang.

1997: Padres-Mariners rivalry designated a 'naturalized rivalry'

In 1997, the Padres' matchup against the Seattle Mariners was designated one of the 15 "naturalized rivalries" when interleague play began, and the teams have played every year since, except 2017.

1997: Padres unveil navy blue alternate uniform

In 1997, the San Diego Padres introduced a navy blue alternate uniform featuring the team name in front, orange numbers at the back, and white piping along the chest, neck, and sleeves.

1998: Swinging friar logo removed from alternate uniform

After the 1998 season, the swinging friar logo was removed from the left sleeve of the navy blue alternate uniform, replaced by the team's primary logo.

1998: Padres Achieve Second NL Pennant

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

1998: World Series Appearance as NL Pennant Winner

In 1998, the Padres made an appearance in the World Series as the National League Pennant winner.

1998: Padres Reach World Series

In 1998, the Padres reached the World Series for the second time, but lost.

1998: Padres Win NL Pennant, Lose World Series

In 1998, the Padres won a National League (NL) pennant but lost in the World Series.

1999: Padres fail to win a playoff series

Between 1999 and 2019, the Padres failed to win a single playoff series, contributing to the humorous nature of their rivalry with the Seattle Mariners.

1999: Bruce Binkowski Leaves as PA Announcer

Bruce Binkowski, the longest-serving public address announcer in the team's history, remained until the end of the 1999 season.

1999: White chest numbers added to alternate uniform

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

1999: San Diego Padres Hall of Fame Founded

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

2000: Padres begin wearing camouflage jerseys

In 2000, the San Diego Padres began wearing camouflage jerseys to honor the military.

2000: Primary logo lasts until the 2000 season

The team's primary logo that replaced the Swinging Friar in the 1998 season lasted until the 2000 season on the left sleeve of the alternate uniform.

2001: Dave Winfield's Number Retired

In 2001, Dave Winfield had his number, 31, retired and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, choosing to have his plaque depict him wearing a Padres cap.

2001: Jerry Coleman Honored

In 2001, Jerry Coleman was honored with a "star on the wall" in reference to his trademark phrase, and his memorial is near the pressbox.

2001: Alternate home white uniform becomes primary

In 2001, the Padres' alternate home white uniform became the primary uniform, leading to the retirement of the pinstriped uniforms after that season.

2001: Return of pinstripes on home jersey for first time since 2001

In January 2019 the San Diego Padres announced that original brown and gold colors would return for the 2020 season. The new uniform designs featured the brown and gold colors, including the return of pinstripes to the Padre home jersey for the first time since 2001.

2002: Mariners fail to make playoffs

From 2002 to 2021, the Seattle Mariners failed to make the playoffs, contributing to the humorous nature of their rivalry with the San Diego Padres.

2002: Retired Numbers Moved and Inscribed

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

2003: Logo change with stadium move

In 2003, the logo of the San Diego Padres was completely changed when the team changed stadiums, resembling a home plate with "San Diego" at the top right and the Padres script across the center, finished with waves at the bottom.

2004: Frank Anthony Becomes PA Announcer

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

2004: Move to Petco Park

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

2004: Tony Gwynn's Number Retired

In 2004, the Padres retired No. 19 in honor of Tony Gwynn, who played his entire 20-year career with San Diego and won an NL-record eight batting titles.

2004: Retired Numbers Unveiled Midseason

In 2004, the retired numbers were unveiled midseason at Petco Park after the park's opening.

2004: The script on the road uniform reverted to the San Diego wordmark style.

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

2004: Return to brown and gold colors

In January 2019, it was announced that the San Diego Padres would return to their original brown and gold colors for the 2020 season, with uniform designs unveiled on November 9. The new sand-colored road jersey is darker than the sand-colored road jerseys worn from 2004 to 2010.

2004: New logo introduced with stadium change.

The new logo, introduced between the 2003 and 2004 seasons, was implemented for the 2004 season and featured a home plate shape with "San Diego" written at the top right corner, Padres script across the center, and waves at the bottom. Navy and sandy beige became the team's colors.

April 2005: Padres host 60,000 marine recruits through April 2005

Through April 2005 over 60,000 marine recruits were hosted by the Padres.

2005: Padres Postseason Appearances

From 2005 to 2024, the Padres reached the postseason five times but have yet to return to the World Series.

2006: Padre Games Aired on XHPRS-FM

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

September 2007: KBOP-CA Changes to Infomercial 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 worn for every Sunday home game

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 words "San Diego" were removed from the top right corner of the team logo.

2010: Trevor Hoffman Retires

In 2010, Trevor Hoffman retired from playing after leaving the game as MLB's career leader in saves with 601, including 552 with the Padres.

2010: Return of a sand-colored road jersey with pinstripes

In January 2019 the San Diego Padres announced that original brown and gold colors would return for the 2020 season. The new uniform designs featured the brown and gold colors, including the return of a sand-colored road jersey with pinstripes for the first time since 2010.

2010: Padre Games Aired on XHPRS-FM

Padre games were aired on XHPRS-FM 105.7 until 2010.

2011: Padres change camouflage design to MARPAT

For 2011, the Padres changed their camouflage design to a more modern "digital" MARPAT design, using a sand-olive color instead of green for the lettering and logo.

2011: Trevor Hoffman's Number Retired

In 2011, Trevor Hoffman's No. 51 was retired. He had retired from playing after 2010, leaving the game as MLB's career leader in saves.

2011: Padres change road uniform and retire alternate navy cap

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

2011: The script on the road uniform reverted to the San Diego wordmark style.

In 2017, the wordmark style on the San Diego Padres road uniform reverted to the style used until 2011.

2012: Bally Sports Assumes Rights to the Team

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 begins Ownership of the Padres

In 2012, Peter Seidler began his ownership of the San Diego Padres.

2012: Padres unveil new primary logo and uniform changes

In 2012, the Padres unveiled a new primary logo featuring the cap logo inside a navy blue circle. The "swinging friar" logo was recolored and added to the home uniform's left sleeve. New secondary logos were introduced, and uniform piping was added.

2012: Peter Seidler Becomes Padres Owner

Since 2012, Peter Seidler owned the Padres until his death in 2023.

2013: Frank Anthony Leaves as PA Announcer

Frank Anthony served as PA announcer until 2013.

April 19, 2014: Alex Miniak Announced as Public Address Announcer

On April 19, 2014, Alex Miniak was announced as the new Public Address announcer for the San Diego Padres.

September 5, 2015: Ferrell Takes the Field Movie Premieres

In 2015, the San Diego Padres were also seen in an HBO original comedy/Documentary style movie, Ferrell Takes the Field starring Will Ferrell. The movie premiered in Petco Park after the Padres vs. Dodgers game on September 5, 2015.

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2016: Padres add a second camouflage jersey

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, alternating it with a Marines style.

2016: Garvey's Homer Ranked No. 1 Moment

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

2016: Padres adopt navy blue and gold color scheme

In 2016, the Padres adopted a navy blue and gold color scheme, similar to the one used on the 2016 All-Star Game logo. They introduced a new alternate brown and gold uniform for Friday home games.

2016: Padres Portrayed in the Television Series Pitch

In 2016, the San Diego Padres were portrayed in the one-season Fox television series "Pitch", starring Kylie Bunbury.

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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 and were previously atop the batter's eye in center field.

2017: Chargers relocate 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: Entercom Acquires Radio Rights

In 2017, Entercom acquired the radio rights to the Padres, and the broadcasts were carried by sister station 94.9 KBZT.

2017: Padres reveal new color scheme and jerseys

In 2017, the Padres revealed a new color scheme, scrapping gold from the home uniform and reverting to a navy blue-and-white combo. The word "Padres" returned to the home uniform with a new script, and the "SD" logo was added to the left sleeve of both uniforms. The brown and gold alternate uniform was retained.

2017: Padres and Mariners don't play each other

In 2017, the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners did not play against each other.

January 2019: Announcement of return to brown and gold colors

In January 2019, the San Diego Padres announced that they would return to their original brown and gold colors for the 2020 season.

2019: Padres fail to win a playoff series

Between 1999 and 2019, the Padres failed to win a single playoff series, contributing to the humorous nature of their rivalry with the Seattle Mariners.

2019: End of the Marines style camouflage jersey

The Padres alternated the navy camouflage jersey with a Marines style jersey, which were used through 2019.

August 20, 2020: Padres Hit Grand Slams in Four Consecutive Games

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: Brown and gold colors return for the 2020 season

For the 2020 season, the San Diego Padres returned to their original brown and gold colors, featuring these colors on three unveiled jerseys, including pinstripes on the home jersey for the first time since 2001.

2020: Padres wear two different 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: Dodgers win NLDS against Padres

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 NLDS against the San Diego Padres, continuing their historical rivalry.

April 9, 2021: Joe Musgrove Throws 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 by a team 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.

2021: Mariners fail to make playoffs

From 2002 to 2021, the Seattle Mariners failed to make the playoffs, contributing to the humorous nature of their rivalry with the San Diego Padres.

2022: Padres win against Dodgers in the post season

In 2022, the San Diego Padres won against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the post season.

2022: Padres wear Nike "City Connect" uniforms

In 2022, the San Diego Padres wore Nike's "City Connect" uniforms, which featured a primarily white uniform with pink, mint green, and yellow accents, and "San Diego" written in a graffiti style. The uniform intended to pay tribute to the San Diego–Tijuana bi-national metropolitan area.

2022: Padres rank in top 10 in MLB 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 2022 season.

May 2023: Bally Sports Misses Rights Payment

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

May 31, 2023: Padres' regional telecasts produced by MLB

As of May 31, 2023, the Padres' regional telecasts are produced by MLB's local media department and distributed via local origination channels and an over-the-top subscription service 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 Team Owner Peter Seidler

In November 2023, team owner Peter Seidler died; a public memorial was held in March 2024.

2023: Padres wear two different 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: Peter Seidler's Death

In 2023, Peter Seidler, the owner of the San Diego 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, who died in November 2023.

2024: Padres Season Update

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) since 1969.

2024: Nate Colbert's Home Run Record Overtaken

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

2024: Dylan Cease throws a no-hitter

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

2024: Dodgers win NLDS against Padres

In 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, continuing their historical rivalry.

February 6, 2025: John Seidler Approved as Control Person

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

2025: Vedder Cup becomes official

From the 2025 season, the rivalry between the Padres and Mariners will be officially designated as the Vedder Cup, with a trophy designed by Eddie Vedder.