A lot to be thankful for with the Padres
Credit: Twitter
Happy Thanksgiving! There is a lot to be thankful for, San Diego Padres fans.
As the San Diego Padres blitzed the Los Angeles Dodgers with five runs to end their franchise-best season, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes blared at Petco Park during Jurickson Profar’s at bat in Game 4 of the 2022 National League Division Series. Over 40,000 Padres fans jumped and screamed along to the infamous drumbeat of the classic song.
It had been 24 years since that kind of moment happened in San Diego, one amidst a playoff atmosphere.
Padres fans are thankful for several moments like that throughout the playoffs and even the magical moments leading up to October.
The fanbase currently has a lot to be thankful for, but that has certainly not always been the case.
“These aren’t your father’s Padres” is a phrase spoken by some Padres fans, and it certainly applies. Prior to 2020, the Padres had only made the postseason five times in its first 50 years of existence. In the last three seasons, they’ve made it twice.
For the first time in 24 years, the @Padres are headed to the NLCS. #CLINCHED #postseason pic.twitter.com/0q4pA6Fqek
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2022
Here are a few of the things Padres fans are thankful for:
Peter Seidler
Padres owner Peter Seidler deserves just about all of the credit for the recent success of the Padres. Past owners weren’t willing to spend as much money and certainly weren’t as aggressive in doing so. Without him, superstars Manny Machado and Juan Soto might be wearing different uniforms right now, and Fernando Tatis Jr. could be a potential free agent following the 2024 season.
A.J. Preller
Crafting this exciting and talented roster, A.J. Preller deserves a ton of thanks. His intense scouting refreshed a once-depleted farm system that groomed Tatis Jr. and paved the way for several trades, including Soto and Yu Darvish. Preller also did not hesitate when given the green light from Seidler to pursue expensive free agents such as Machado.
After the three previous skippers all failed to make the postseason with the Padres, manager Bob Melvin guided the Friars to the playoffs and the National League Championship Series in his first year. His steadiness throughout the season played a massive part in keeping the Padres afloat. If any other manager was in charge, the Padres might have missed the playoffs again. Thankfully, Melvin was, and his efforts were underappreciated across baseball.
Manny Machado
What a season from the undeniable leader of the Padres. Machado finished as the runner-up for the NL MVP, and he did so with minimal lineup protection while playing on a hurt ankle. He was the MVP for San Diego. A player we are all thankful for.
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It is incredibly cool to have a hometown player on the Padres as one of the stars. The baseball history is rich in San Diego, and Joe Musgrove is going to have his own page in that history book of the city. His two most iconic starts, the first no-hitter in franchise history and seven shutout innings against the New York Mets to send the Padres to the NLDS, will live forever with the franchise he grew up adoring. Next up for Musgrove is to bring a World Series title to his hometown for the first time.
Dominic is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. He also is the producer and co-host of the “Padres EVT Podcast.”