As late owner Peter Seidler predicted. It is happening. The Baseball Gods are finally shining on the San Diego Padres. Now, we just need the parade. 

For years and years, rooting for the San Diego Padres was a painful experience.

The successful years of the franchise were few and far between. Both the 1984 and 1998 seasons were amazing years, but there was no sustained success for the fans. The team was kind of just there. And for the most part, the Padres were the doormat of the league. Let’s not kid ourselves.

As the team moved to Petco Park, there were some exciting times, but honestly, most knew the Padres could not compete in the playoffs and go deep in the annual baseball tournament.

The small market mantra was blamed as the Padres spent at or around the bottom in terms of payroll. Ownership group after ownership group complained that the team was not generating enough income. Sure, Mike Piazza, Ray Lankford, Jim Edmonds, Greg Maddux, and others signed with the team, but each player was merely a shadow of themselves. Honestly, there was no hope.

To make it worse, reminiscent of the early 90’s firesales, the Padres traded away and failed to sign Adrian Gonzalez and Jake Peavy. Both men were simply not retained as they sought market-value contracts. Padres fans were up in arms. I canceled my season tickets the year after the Padres traded away Adrian Gonzalez, a native of San Diego and an obvious choice to build around. There was no sense in spending money to support a team with no vision—a franchise with no hope.

It took the hiring of A.J. Preller for me to rekindle my fandom.

The young G.M. energized my fanhood and brought in proven talent. Sure, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, and James Shields all fizzled out, but the Padres possessed multiple relevant major league players, and there were promises of more. The national media were actually talking about the Padres as well. The acquisition of players before the 2015 season was exciting. The Padres were relevant.

We all know that group didn’t work, and there were a few lean years after, but the free-agent signings of Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado again energized the fan base.

The Padres just needed to build around a core group of players and develop a philosophy. They needed to draw fans. With A.J. Preller pulling off dynamic trade after trade, the roster is full of relevant players, and they are fun to watch. Other team’s fanbases are taking notice of the Padres. And they like what they see.

Peter Seidler is sadly gone, but his group’s baseball knowledge and wisdom built Petco Park into the hip place to be in town. San Diegans flock to the downtown stadium and there is no end in sight. Petco Park is arguably the best ballpark in the nation, surrounded by the world’s best food court.

The Padres are generating money hand over fist right now. The franchise thinks outside the box between concerts, monster truck shows, rodeos, and turning Petco Park into a golf course. Instead of generating money six or seven months out of the year, the Padres continuously hold events in the home ballpark. It will never end.

With a supportive fan base and a roster full of superstars, the Padres are built to win now, and most importantly, they are built for long-term success. That is beautiful for a fan who has rooted for this team for decades. All we wanted was a competitive team we could be proud of every year.

It is 2024, and the Padres are poised to go deep into the postseason.

The Baseball Gods are finally smiling on San Diego, as Peter Seidler predicted. The fact that this organization is becoming one of the prized jewels of all of MLB is fascinating. It is a great thing for the overall status of the sport. If San Diego can do it, any city can. You just need vision.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.