The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The team plays its home games at Petco Park in downtown San Diego. Founded in 1969 as an expansion franchise, the Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League (PCL) team that arrived in San Diego in 1936. The team's name, Spanish for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded Mission San Diego in 1769.
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is the oldest higher education institution in San Diego; its academic roots were established as a normal school in University Heights, then known as the San Diego Normal School. In the fall of 2024, the university enrolled over 38,000 students.
Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr., nicknamed "Mr. Padre," was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. Gwynn, who hit left-handed, won eight batting titles in his career, tied for the most in National League (NL) history. He was a 15-time All-Star and won seven Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards. Gwynn stayed with the Padres his entire career, and played in the only two World Series appearances in San Diego franchise history. Having hit over .300 for 19 straight seasons, Gwynn retired with a .338 career batting average, the highest mark since Ted Williams retired in 1960. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 in his first year of eligibility.
San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California. Opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium; it was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium for sportswriter Jack Murphy from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadium's naming rights were owned by Qualcomm; it was known as Qualcomm Stadium. The naming rights expired on June 14, 2017, and were purchased by San Diego County Credit Union, renaming the stadium to SDCCU Stadium on September 19, 2017; those naming rights expired in December 2020. Demolition of San Diego Stadium began in December 2020; its last freestanding section was felled on March 22, 2021.
Petco Park is a ballpark in San Diego, California. It is the home of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). The ballpark is located in the East Village neighborhood of downtown San Diego, adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter. Petco Park opened in 2004, replacing San Diego Stadium as the Padres' home venue, where the team played from their inception in 1969 to 2003.
Christopher Karlton Gwynn is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the younger brother of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and the uncle of former Major League Baseball outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr.
Robert Andrew Meacham is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who spent his entire six-year big league playing career with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since retiring from active play, Meacham has managed and coached for several organizations in the majors and minors.
The San Diego State Aztecs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW); they will become a member of the Pac-12 Conference in 2026. The Aztec nickname was chosen by students in 1925; team colors are scarlet (red) and black. The university currently fields 17 varsity teams.
The San Diego State Aztecs football team is the college football program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Snapdragon Stadium.
David "Smokey" Gaines was an American basketball player and coach.
The 1997 San Diego Padres season was the 29th season in franchise history. The Padres finished last in the National League West. Right fielder Tony Gwynn had the highest batting average in the majors, at .372.
The Aztec Aquaplex is an aquatic complex in San Diego, California, located on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU). Opened in 2007, the complex comprises two large outdoor pools, a spa and locker rooms. It is the home of the San Diego State Aztecs women's swimming & diving and women's water polo teams. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) for swimming & diving and the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) for water polo.
The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Viejas Arena.
The San Diego State Aztecs baseball team is the college baseball program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
James Clyde Dietz was an American former baseball player and coach. He served as the head baseball coach at San Diego State University from 1972 to 2002, compiling a record of 1,230–751–18. After coaching the freshman basketball team and the junior varsity baseball team at the University of Oregon, Dietz was appointed as the head basketball coach at Lewis–Clark Normal School—now Lewis–Clark State College—in May 1971, but turned down that offer a week later to take the head baseball coaching position at San Diego State.
Charles R. Smith was an American football, basketball and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head baseball coach at San Diego State University from 1936 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1964, compiling a record of 555–289–10. Smith was also the head basketball coach at San Diego State from 1945 to 1948, tallying a mark of 45–36, and the school's athletic director from 1947 to 1954. In addition, he served as the president of the California Collegiate Athletic Association and as a district representative to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Smith was also a Brooklyn Dodgers scout for Southern California.
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB) based in San Diego, California. The club was founded in 1969 as part of the league's expansion. The team's hall of fame, created in 1999 to honor the club's 30th anniversary, recognizes players, coaches, and executives who have made key contributions to the franchise. Voting is conducted by a 35-member committee. Candidates typically must wait at least two years after retiring to be eligible for induction, though Tony Gwynn was selected during his final season in 2001 before the last game of the year. He was also the Hall of Fame's first ever unanimous selection. There are 19 members in the team's Hall of Fame, the most recent inductees being John Moores and Jake Peavy in 2023. The inductees are featured in an exhibit at the team's home stadium, Petco Park.
The 2018 San Diego State Aztecs baseball team represented San Diego State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The team was coached by Mark Martinez and played their home games at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
ENS 700 Field is a multipurpose athletic and recreation field in San Diego, California, located on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU). Opened in 2019, it is the home of the San Diego State Aztecs Rugby Club teams. The men's team competes in Division 1-A in the California Conference; the women's team competes in Division II in the Pacific Desert Conference.
