Couldn't have asked for a better day overall. Great weather, lots people and literally something for every fan. As I walked around Petco decked out in head to toe a 98 uniform (pants and cleats included), this is what I noticed.
The Good: The Garage Sale.
On point once again, the Padres were able to provide a large variety of game used items to go along with a treasure trove of unique Padres memorabilia that must have been stashed deep in a storage locker somewhere. If you walked out of the garage sale empty handed, you obviously weren't looking hard enough. Usually, I would rank the garage sale as the best thing about Fan Fest, but this year, the Padres Foundation must have been short on cash because many of the items skyrocketed in price compared to recent years.
On point once again, the Padres were able to provide a large variety of game used items to go along with a treasure trove of unique Padres memorabilia that must have been stashed deep in a storage locker somewhere. If you walked out of the garage sale empty handed, you obviously weren't looking hard enough. Usually, I would rank the garage sale as the best thing about Fan Fest, but this year, the Padres Foundation must have been short on cash because many of the items skyrocketed in price compared to recent years.
The Great: The Turnout
I am not just speaking of the Wednesday day game sized crowd, which was impressive, but the amount of players and major faces that turned up as well. With players, announcers, front office people with autograph and Q&A sessions, fans had full opportunity to get as close to any of these people as they will all year (unless, of course, you are heading to Peoria in the next month). We even got a Dick Enberg and Mark Grant signed poster and met Yasmani Grandal in the Padres store.
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| Yaz-$$$ |
The Awesome: Full Access
Literally anywhere you wanted to go, the Padres let you. Run the bases, pitch in the bullpen, catch in the outfield, clubhouse tours, social club, dugouts, and anything else I missed were all at the fans fingertips. Many dreams came true today I am sure for fans seeing what it is like for the 25 guys who are living out all our wildest baseball fantasies. Touching the outfield grass and knowing it's the same grass you see Will Venable making a game-saving diving catch or pitching off a mound that our closer Huston Street frequents before a great Padres victory is something that is very satisfying. Kudos to the Padres for allowing fans to have these once a year opportunities.
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| Got this photo on the first take, I kid you not |
As I lay in bed, typing this out on my iPhone with what I am sure is to be a rough read as it was done in one take, I can honestly say I am as optimistic as ever about this Padres season. The theme today I heard from the panels as I walked around Petco was that the Padres are a playoff ready team. I believe it. If healthy, the Pads have the bats and the arms to make a run into October and I am willing to take my chances in playoff baseball with Cashner, Johnson, Kennedy, Ross and Stults versus the rest of the league because when those guys are on, the Padres could potentially have a top-5 staff.
So sweet dreams, Padres fans, March 30 is just around the corner!
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| Happy 2014 Season Padres Fans! |
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