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The Great Ballpark Chase: Brotherly Love in the Land of Padres

timothynrussell
Petco Park
The San Diego skyline is visible beyond centerfield at Petco Park.

Today, it’s time to do a little remembering.

During these ballpark adventure stories, I try to introduce you to people on the tour, putting you into the seat next to me as we travel the country via bus.

Time for a little detour.

I had waited for this tour stop both anxiously and with apprehension or uneasiness. The next stop on the west coast swing tour with Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours was San Diego’s Petco Park. It was a park that I had already been to, but also one of my favorites.

It was also the last Major League ballpark I was able to visit with my brother, Todd, who passed away suddenly in November 2017. I never got to do a bus tour with him. All of our travels were done with our own planning.

Our travels started in 2015 when we visited Detroit Tigers’ spring training in Lakeland, FL. The next year, we saw the Tigers were going to be in Washington D.C. and Baltimore for a week, so we made a trip there. Finally, in 2017, we spent a long weekend in San Diego.

There were other non-baseball trips during that time, especially Garth Brooks concerts (we went to six) as well as Eastern Michigan University football games.

But the trips I will remember most are the baseball ones.

The author’s brother, Todd, aboard the USS Midway in San Diego.

Todd lived in Nashville, TN, while I lived in Michigan, so it was also a chance to spend time together. It also helped that since Todd worked in the hotel industry, he was able to get highly discounted employee rates for the hotels.

Even though we were seven years apart in age, we were still pretty close. From playing baseball in the front yard to chasing ballparks or concerts, he was a joy to be around and I miss him every day.

A few times during the baseball chase, my emotions have gotten to me. The first time was walking into Coors Field, being the first stadium visited since he passed. Walking through Fenway Park last year affected me some. And standing outside Petco last month was a little tough.

But it helped that my mother was able to take my brother’s place. She’s not as a big of a baseball fan as me, but enjoys the travel and meeting the people on these trips.

Given the circumstances, it could be why Petco Park is one of my favorites. But even without the sentimental feelings, there is plenty to like about it.

The Wiffle ball diamond sits in Gallagher Square (also seen top right) and the former Western Metal Supply Co. building factors into the architecture of Petco Park.

Two eye-catching parts of the stadium are the Western Metal Supply Co. building. It’s an historic warehouse that serves as the left field foul pole. The 100-year-old building had been scheduled for demolition to make room for Petco, before architects decided to save it. The building houses the team store, private suites, a restaurant, and rooftop seating.

Gallagher Square is located beyond the outfield wall. It includes a community park and viewing area. It also has areas that is open to the public during stadium off-hours.

It is a grassy area of about 2.8 acres, and contains a Wiffle ball infield, a statue of Tony Gwynn, and lots of grass to spread out. A game ticket is needed to access the area during game days, but it is open to the public on non-game days.

The Padres highlight two of their Baseball Hall of Famers with statues at Petco Park.

The Padres also have one of the nicer halls of fame areas, commemorating past players. In addition to the Gwynn statue, there is one of former pitching great Trevor Hoffman.

Inside the museum, which is located just inside the left field gates in the Western Metal Supply building, you will see Padres’ memorabilia along with recognition of its former greats.

Plaques of Baseball Hall of Famers with past-connections to the San Diego Padres.

Of note to Tiger fans, former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell is inducted into the Padre Hall of Fame along with former manager Sparky Anderson. Trammell was the first base coach from 2000-2002. Trammell also is a San Diego native. Anderson was the third base coach for the Padres in 1969, their first season in the National League.

Petco Park has a seating capacity of 39,860. The dimensions of the park are: 334 feet down the left field line, 357 feet to left field, 390 feet to left center, 396 feet to center field, 391 feet to right center, 382 feet to right field and 322 feet down the right field line.

There are plenty of places to eat and drink around the park, especially in the Gaslamp Quarter. It is also known as the “Historic Heart of San Diego.” Some non-baseball sites around the city are the USS Midway Museum on the waterfront, SeaWorld, and La Jolla Cove. The cove is about a 20-minute drive from San Diego.

Inside the park, the barrio dog, carnitas snack shack, and elote street corn would be my choices to eat.

The author’s view during the Diamondbacks at Padres’ game in July.

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