SABR Digital Library: San Diego Padres: The First Half Century

San Diego Padres: The First Half Century
Edited by Tom Larwin and Bill Nowlin
Associate Editors: Carl Riechers and Len Levin
Foreword by Randy Jones | Afterword by Major Garrett

Publication Date: May 15, 2019
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9701-5905-9, $29.95
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9701-5904-2, $9.99
8.5″ x 11″, 358 pages

San Diego Padres: The First Half Century captures some of the great players to wear a Padres uniform and takes baseball fans through some of the more memorable dates in Padres history — not just dates that we always read about but the ones that truly tell the story of the franchise. If you’re a longtime Padres fan or baseball fan, you’ll enjoy the wonderful stories put together by SABR on the first 50 years of the Padres franchise. Includes a foreword by Padres Hall of Famer Randy Jones and an afterword by Major Garrett of CBS News.

San Diego Padres: The First Half Century is the collaborative work of 51 SABR members. It tells the stories of 25 Padres players—from Ashby to Winfield—several team executives and media members, the ballparks, and even a biography of The San Diego Chicken. There are more than 25 accounts of standout games in franchise history and a few other features as well.

“I’m proud to be in the Padres Hall of Fame and have my number, 35, retired but more proud of the friends I’ve made and people I’ve met with my association with the Padres. Reading these stories has certainly brought many of those memories and I can’t thank SABR enough for writing them.” — from the Foreword by Randy Jones

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Below: Find player biographies and memorable game stories from San Diego Padres: The First Half Century

Biographies


Game Recaps

April 8, 1969: San Diego Padres win inaugural major-league game

August 1, 1972: Nate Colbert’s record-setting day leads Padres to sweep over Braves

August 12, 1984: Braves-Padres brawl leaves 17 players ejected in one game

August 14, 2015: After 7,444 games, Matt Kemp becomes first Padre to hit for the cycle

August 16, 1996: Valenzuela, Padres enjoy a baseball fiesta in Mexico

August 18, 1996: The end of La Primera Serie: Padres win again in Mexico

August 6, 1999: Tony Gwynn reaches milestone with 3,000th career hit

July 18, 1972: One strike away, Padres’ Steve Arlin loses his no-hit bid

July 19, 1982: Tony Gwynn records two hits in his major-league debut for Padres

July 19, 2012: Padres’ Edinson Volquez one-hits the Astros

July 21, 1970: Padres’ Clay Kirby lifted in eighth inning during no-hit bid

June 10, 1974: Padres overcome 8-0 deficit in eighth inning to win

June 6, 2007: Padres’ Trevor Hoffman closes out Dodgers for 500th career save

May 25, 2008: Padres win on Adrian Gonzalez’s walk-off homer in 18th inning

October 1, 1978: Gaylord Perry records 3,000th career strikeout and Ozzie Smith performs his first pregame backflip

October 1, 1989: Padres’ Tony Gwynn edges Will Clark for NL batting crown on final day

October 1, 2006: Padres win NL West again on controversial call

October 1, 2007: Holliday leads Rockies to 13-inning win in Game 163

October 10, 1984: Bevacqua’s heroics lift Padres over Tigers in Game 2

October 14, 1998: Simply Sterling: On short rest, Hitchcock leads Padres to the World Series

October 17, 1998: Greg Vaughn homers twice and Tony Gwynn once, but Yankees rally to beat Padres in World Series opener

October 3, 2010: ‘Cinderella’ Padres come up a game short in playoff hunt

October 4, 2001: Rickey Henderson slides into record book with 2,245th career run scored to pass Ty Cobb

October 6, 1984: Steve Garvey’s walk-off home run lifts Padres in Game 4 of NLCS

October 7, 1984: Padres come from behind again to beat Cubs, secure first World Series berth

October 7, 2001: Rickey Henderson records 3,000th hit in Tony Gwynn’s final game

September 29, 1996: Padres complete sweep of Dodgers to claim NL West title


Contributors include: Eric Aron, Thomas J. Brown Jr., Frederick “Rick” Bush, Bob Chandler, Alan Cohen, Rory Costello, Lauren Cronin, Richard Cuicchi, Dan D’Addona, Paul E. Doutrich, Amy Essington, Charles F. Faber, Steve Ferenchick, Jeff Findley, Gregory Funk, Major Garrett, Mark Hodermarsky, Paul Hofmann, Mike Huber, Jay Hurd, Jorge Iber, Chuck Johnson, Gerard Kwilecki, Tom Larwin, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Mike Madigan, Max Mannis, Seth Moland-Kovash, Dave Nielsen, Bill Nowlin, Bill Parker, Jim Patrick, Carl Riechers, Joel Rippel, Fred O. Rodgers, C. Paul Rogers III, Michael See, David E. Skelton, Doug Skipper, Curt Smith, Mark Souder, John Stahl, Mark S. Sternman, Wayne Strumpfer, Alfonso Tusa, Nick Waddell, Bob Webster, Steve West, Gregory H. Wolf, Brian Wright, and Geoff Young.

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