 The San Diego Padres is a professional team based in San Diego , California . The team was founded in 1969 and joined the NL's West Division as an expansion team. The club struggled in its early years, placing last in the division for six consecutive seasons. The Padres registered a struggling period of the 1970s. Dave Winfield came in to the team as a part of the team in 1973 from the University of Minnesota . Randy Jones captivated the National League Cy Young Award in 1976. The 1978 season was the first in which the Padres posted a record above .500. The Padres made their first World Series appearances in 1984 under the jurisdiction of manager Dick Williams. He led the team to the National League to a 6-1 win over the American League in the All-Star Game at Minneapolis in 1985. La Marr Hoyt is named the game's MVP. They ended the season in 3 rd place with 83-79 record. After this season the manager Dick Williams was replaced by Steve Boros.
The team struggled during late 1980s and early 1990s. Benito Santiago was named NL rookie of the year and just two years later Mark Davis led the major league and won the NL Cy Young Award. The history of the team at this stage was stormy, they hosted the All –Star Game. In 1996 the manager Bruce Bochy turned the club as he governed the Padres to the division title while he achieved the NL Manager of the year award. In the same year Ken Caminiti (third baseman) was named as the NL most valuable player (MVP). Bochy directed the Padres to another divisional championship in 1998. The Padres won the NL pennant once again in 1998 unfortunately they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees. Gwynn entered the 2000 season with 3,067 hits, a .339 batting average, more than 500 doubles, 1,100 RBI, 1,300 runs, and 300 steals. He was a 15-time all-star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and eight-time batting champion. He was considered as the best hitter for his generation. The session 2001 was an exciting session but not a very successful session.
Dave Winfield became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Gwynn ended his career with 3,141 hits, and an impressive .338 average. The Padres ended the season in 3 rd place with awful record of 79-83. The Padres lost their valuable star Mike Darr due to excessive drinking and driving early in Spring Training. The team ended the 2002 season on last place with awful record of 66-96. In 2004 the team won the NL West division 45 games on the road. The team ended the season in 3 rd place with a record of 87-75. The 2005 Padres featured bright spots, however, including ace pitcher Jake Peavy, NL strikeout leader, and Trevor Hoffman, a great closer. The Padres did not win any World Championship. The Padres twice appeared in the World Series and appeared in the LCS in 1984 and 1998. The Padres won the division championship in 1984, 1996 and 1998. The Padres did not go in the Wild Card. The team hosted the All-Star Game in 1978 and 1992. |
