I often look through photo albums of me as a child and I
can’t help but laugh. I’m not laughing at the terrible hairstyles my mom
allowed me to have (each funny in their own right) but instead, the odd
selection of clothing. I see a lot of sports clothing with a variety of teams
represented. There’s the mandatory Bears, Cubs, and White Sox gear from my
original home in Chicago, Illinois. But the weird things I see are the unusual
teams like the Oilers, Cowboys, and Eagles. Steelers. Red Sox. Yankees.
Yankees?!!! What was my dad thinking to allow such flip-flopping between sports
teams? I guess he was just letting me be a kid.
Now
that I have daughters I’m doing things a little differently. When it comes to
sports apparel I buy only Padres (or Chargers) related items and they agree to
wear them. We wear clothing and hats emblazoned with the letters “SD” and the
name Padres. We wear the stuff that lets people know that we live in one of the
best cities in the country.
My
daughters have no objections to my parenting because I am their father and they
still think I’m cool. It also helps that they have no idea how truly bad the
Padres have been during their short lifetimes. Some might argue that I’m a mean
person – to knowingly subject children, mine no less, to following a team with
such a losing tradition. If such accusations were levied against me I don’t
know that I could dispute them in any substantive way. To follow the San Diego
Padres, put quite simply, is an exercise in pain.
Following
the Padres can be difficult but it is not an experience without merit. Life is
a challenging endeavor, one in which human beings must be prepared to face
adversity at every corner. The ebb and flow of disappointment while following
the Padres prepares an individual for life. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bum you
out. It’s not like there aren’t some good
reasons to follow our local nine.
Following
the Padres is an excuse to meet up with your friends and talk for a few hours.
The leisurely pace of a ball game allows for discussions with friends and family,
as well as laughter about the most recent bit of craziness that Justin Bieber
is accused of this month. Talking and laughing help to build relationships and
that’s important in life.
Baseball
games also present an opportunity to learn. Whether you’re into the advanced
mathematics of the game, the literature produced by amazing writers, or a love
of American history, there’s something for nearly everyone.
As
a history teacher I’m partial to the history of the game and following the Padres
is a constant lesson. Throughout any broadcast you’ll be sure to hear references
to amazing hitters from San Diego like the great Tony Gwynn. Unfortunately, Mr.
Padre retired as most of you were entering this world, but his presence is a
constant whether it coaching the San Diego State Aztecs up on Montezuma Mesa or
his bronze statue out on the grassy hill in Petco Park. Tony Gwynn was the last
baseball player to seriously make a run at a .400 batting average when he
slugged .394 in 1994. He’s worth knowing about and he’s all ours.
When
the topic of great hitters is discussed in San Diego no discussion on the
airwaves would be complete without mention of Ted Williams, the Splendid
Splinter. Williams was the last hitter to hit over .400 (.406 in 1941) in the
Major Leagues. As a student at Hoover High School, a young Ted Williams played
for the Padres in 1936 when they were a part of the Pacific Coast League. Of Ted
Williams’ many impressive attributes perhaps his military service as a fighter
pilot during World War II and Korea is the most awe-inspiring. He missed two
years of his baseball career serving his country. We don’t see that from too
many athletes today.
When
I think of Ted Williams and military service, I can’t help but think of his old
buddy Jerry Coleman. We know Jerry Coleman as the radio voice of the San Diego
Padres. Coleman did radio for the Padres from 1972 through 2013 and even
managed the Padres for a season in 1980. We knew him as “The Colonel”. Before
he arrived in San Diego he starred for the New York Yankees, won World
Championships, and served his country in both World War II and Korea as a
Marine Corps pilot. Jerry Coleman is the only Major League ball player to see
active combat in both wars. And he was ours. “The Colonel” passed away in
January of 2014 and he will be missed. I look forward to seeking out his statue
when I take my girls to games this summer.
Maybe
history isn’t enough to sway your opinion. Perhaps the only thing that can put
you in a brown* retro Padres jersey is the most simple of acts: winning. Well I’m sorry but the Padres
are not winning right now. The Padres aren’t winning now and I’m not prepared
to sell you on a rosy future either – it
wouldn’t be fair. I can however, make you this promise right here and right
now: If you stick with this team through the lean years it will be all the more
rewarding when they finally do win a championship. Experience has shown me
(Living in Chicago during the Bears Super Bowl win in 1985 and seeing the
Padres get to the World Series in 1998) that there’s nothing quite like living
in a city overcome with the euphoria of winning.
*For those of you who
remember your 7th grade Medieval History class you know that Friars
and Padres wear robes and that those robes are not blue . . . they are brown!
We may have to wait a while for that elusive championship in
San Diego so enjoy the history lessons and friendships made as we bide our
time.
Go Padres!
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