Surf, Sand, and Petco Park
The San Diego Padres joined the National League in 1968 as a franchise team conceived at an owners meeting in the Windy City. During the expansion draft, the SoCal-based squad constructed a 30-player roster with Ollie “Downtown” Brown as their first choice. The Friars have appeared in two World Series but have yet to bring the Commissioner’s Trophy home.
Last season, the club embarked on a “youth movement,” which resulted in trading seasoned sluggers like Matt Kemp and Melvin Upton Jr. to accommodate for rising rookies Ryan Schimpf, Alex Dickerson, and Travis Jankowski. The transition delivered phenomenal results, as the Padres streak of 25 consecutive wins led to the tying of a National League record.
The Padres’ current roster boasts heavy hitters Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe, who both step up to the plate at Petco Park to belt long balls into the bleachers.
In “America’s Finest City,” one can find a whole lot of surf, sand, and sunsets. Nestled on the edge of the East Village neighborhood, Petco Park features a jaw-dropping panoramic view of the downtown skyline, the Bay, Balboa Park, and the mountainous terrain stretched along the horizon.
The scenic ballpark is capable of hosting just over 42,000 Friars fans and celebrates the spirit of the region through its contemporary design, state-of-the-art amenities, and lavish architecture. (There’s even a sandbox!)
Petco Park is a direct reflection of San Diego’s laidback persona, offering serene elements such as a natural stone exterior and picture-worthy landscaping (don’t forget to tag your location on Instagram)! Another creative aspect is the Park at the Park situated just beyond the fence. Spectators are allowed to enter the garden of baseball on game days to enjoy the live showdown on a gigantic TV display next to a statue of “Mr. Padre” himself – Tony Gwynn.
To show our appreciation for the San Diego ballpark and all Padres fans, we generated a heat map to identify the landing spots of round-trippers blasted out by their Padres.
Petco Park, San Diego Padres, San Diego, CA
If you have high hopes for catching that souvenir home run ball, be sure to situate yourself in the hot spots indicated in our heat map above. There’s no guarantee a long ball will land in your lap, but any along the outfield fencing is sure to boost the odds.
Find a comfy seat in sections 132 or 134 down by the home and visitor bullpens, as our map marks these areas as home run hot spots – though you may have to run for a ball. The other dominant area in the stadium is just beyond right field along the T-Mobile Home Run Deck, or sections 131, 133, and 135.
Whether you’re going for the dynamic atmosphere, the unique experience, or the chance to catch a dinger for yourself, be sure to check out Fanatics to gear up in the latest white and midnight blue fan gear before heading down to the park!
Sources
- http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brownol02.shtml
- http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/batting/_/name/sd
- http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/ballpark/history.jsp
- http://www.petcoparkinsider.com/park-at-the-park
- http://www.petcoparkinsider.com/jack-daniels-seats
- http://www.espn.com/mlb/worldseries/history/winners
