San Diego Padres

About the Padres

In 1996, under new owner John Moores, and with a team managed by former Padres catcher Bruce Bochy (a member of the 1984 NL championship squad), the San Diego Padres won the NL West in an exciting race, sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in the final series of the regular season. The '96 team featured Gwynn, who won his seventh National League batting championship, National League MVP Ken Caminiti, premier leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, first baseman Wally Joyner and outfielder Steve Finley. The Padres had led the NL West early in the season only to falter in June, but came back in July and battled the Dodgers the rest of the way.

The Padres suffered an off-year in 1997, plagued by a pitching slump. The one silver lining was Tony Gwynn's eighth and final National League batting title, won in the final days of the season after a down-to-the wire duel with the Colorado Rockies' Larry Walker. Walker barely missed becoming the first Triple Crown winner in baseball since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

The 1998 World Series

In 1998, newly acquired (from the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins) pitcher Kevin Brown had a sensational year (his only one with the Padres) and outfielder/slugger Greg Vaughn hit 50 home runs. Managed by Bochy and aided by Gwynn, Caminiti, Joyner, Finley and premier closer Trevor Hoffman, the Padres had their best year in history, rampaging to the NL West division crown and defeating the Houston Astros in the NLDS, 3 games to 1, and outlasting the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, 4 games to 2. Rob Arra was there, and recorded the moment in "1998 National League Champs".

Move to PETCO Park

After five straight losing seasons in Jack Murphy (Qualcomm) Stadium, the Padres moved to PETCO Park in 2004. The Padres began to win again. and finished the 2004 season with an 87-75 record, taking 3rd place in the NL West.