The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They are in the Western Division of the National League.

Founded: 1969 (National League expansion)
Home ballpark: PETCO Park (2004)
Former home ballpark: Qualcomm Stadium (formerly Jack Murphy Stadium) (1969-2003)
Uniform colors: Navy blue, "sand" (khaki), and white
Logo design: Gold "SAN DIEGO" in small capitals and large, stylized white "Padres" superimposed over an outline of home plate; blue background with wave design in bottom half of home plate.
Wild Card titles won (0): none
Division titles won (3): 1984, 1996, 1998
National League pennants won (2): 1984, 1998
World Series championships won (0): none
2005 Season Record: 33-20 as of June 2

Franchise history

The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diegan Ted Williams.

In 1969, San Diego joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as one of four new expansion teams. Despite initial excitement and a new playing field at San Diego (now Qualcomm) Stadium, the team struggled, finishing in last place in each of its first six seasons.

In 1974, with the team on the brink of relocating to Washington, D.C., Ray A. Kroc (founder of McDonald's restaurants) purchased the Padres and kept them in San Diego. He died just before he could see his team win their first National League pennant (after dramatically rallying from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS) in 1984. His wife, Joan, assumed control of the team until selling it in 1990.

The San Diego Chicken began performing for the team in 1974. Currently, their team mascot is the Swinging Friar.

Despite featuring such notable players as Randy Jones, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Tony Gwynn, and Trevor Hoffman, the Padres have had limited success, going to the playoffs only three times during their Major League tenure. The team marked its 36th year on a new playing field, PETCO Park, in 2004.

Country western singer Garth Brooks once tried out for the Padres, but was cut in spring training.

Jerry Coleman, former second-baseman for the New York Yankees in the 1950s, has been the Padres' play-by-play announcer since 1972, except in one year (1980) in which Coleman managed the team. Coleman is famous for his phrases "Oh Doctor!" and "Hang a star on that one!". In 2005, Coleman reduced his broadcast role, allowing longtime partner Ted Leitner to be the Padres' primary announcer. Coleman is also the 2005 recipient of the Ford Frick award and has been inducted into the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall Of Fame

* Site of the 1993 All-Star game.
* Camden Yards complex includes the Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse, the longest building on the East Coast (1,016 feet long by 51 feet wide).
* Warehouse contains Orioles' offices as well as a cafeteria, sports bar, gift shop, and the exclusive Camden Club.
* Banks of lights are mounted on the roof of warehouse.
* Each aisle seat in the park features an 1890s Orioles logo.
* Unique double-decked bullpens in left-center field.
* Playing field is 16 feet below street level.
* Located only two blocks from Babe Ruth's birthplace.
* Ruth's father operated Ruth's Cafe at 406 Conway Street, the site of which is now located in center field.
* Faced with brick to present a traditional appearance.
* Bronze baseballs imprinted in the cement of the Eutaw Street walkway commemorate home runs hit in the ballpark.
* The "H" in "The Sun" sign on top of the scoreboard will flash to show a scoring decision of a hit and the "E" will flash to show an error.
* Fans yell "O" (for Orioles) in unison when "The Star-Spangled Banner" reaches "O Say does that star-spangled banner yet wave..."
* Hideo Nomo threw the only no-hitter ever pitched here on April 4, 2001.
* Home plate was moved back seven feet for the 2001 season, but returned to its original spot the next season because, as team officials said, the new layout "adversely affected the viewing angle of the batter's eye." A significant drop in home runs had been observed in 2001.

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are in the Eastern Division of the American League. They are owned by attorney Peter Angelos.

Founded: 1893, as the Milwaukee, Wisconsin franchise in the minor Western League. In 1900 that league became the American League, which achieved major league status in 1901.
Formerly known as: Milwaukee Brewers, 1894-1901. St. Louis Browns, 1902-1953.
Home ballpark: Oriole Park at Camden Yards 1992-present
Prior home parks: Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) 1954-1991, Sportsman's Park (St. Louis)
Uniform colors: Black and Orange
Logo design: An oriole
World Series championships won (3): 1966, 1970, 1983
American League pennants won (7): 1944, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1983
Division titles won (8): 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1997
Wild Card titles won (1): 1996

From the Browns to the Orioles

The modern Orioles can trace their franchise link back to the Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, who in 1902 became the St. Louis Browns of the fledgling American League. Half a century of sub-par baseball and the existence of two major league teams in St. Louis - the AL Browns and the NL Cardinals - eventually forced Browns majority owner Bill Veeck to consider moving his franchise. Just before World War II, the Browns came close to moving to Los Angeles, nearly two decades before big league baseball eventually arrived in California.

During the war, the Browns won their only St. Louis based American League pennant in 1944, but they faced their local rivals, the more successful Cardinals, and lost the 1944 World Series, 4-2.

Following the 1953 season, Veeck sold his controlling interest to Clarence Miles, and the American League owners approved the relocation of the team to Baltimore. The team immediately took on the nickname "Orioles", a name with a long and storied history in the city:

* In the 1890's, a powerful and innovative National League Orioles squad included several future Hall of Famers, such as "Wee" Willie Keeler, Wilbert Robinson, Hughie Jennings and John McGraw, and won three straight pennants. That team had started as a charter member of the American Association in 1882. Despite its on-field success, it was one of the four teams contracted by the National League after the 1899 season.
* In 1901, Baltimore and McGraw were awarded an expansion franchise in the growing American League, but the team was transferred to New York City in 1903 and, after some early struggles, eventually became baseball's most successful franchise - the New York Yankees.
* As a member of the high-minor league level International League, the Orioles competed at the AAA level from 1903-1953. Baltimore's own George Herman Ruth - nicknamed "Babe" - pitched for the Orioles before being sold to the AL Boston Red Sox in 1916. The Orioles of the IL won several league championships, including 1944 after they had lost their home field Oriole Park in a disastrous mid-season fire. The huge post-season crowds at their temporary home, Municipal Stadium, caught the attention of the big league brass and helped open the door to the return of major league baseball to Baltimore.

The Oriole Way

The new AL Orioles took about six years to become competitive. By the early 1960's, stars such as Brooks Robinson, John "Boog" Powell, and Dave McNally were being developed by a strong farm system.

In 1966, the Orioles traded with the Cincinnati Reds and acquired slugging outfielder Frank Robinson. Robinson went on to become the first player to win the Most Valuable Player award in each league while hitting for the Triple Crown (leading the American League in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.) The Orioles won their first ever American League championship in 1966, and in a major upset, swept the World Series by out-dueling the Los Angeles Dodgers aces Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

The Orioles farm system had begun to produce a number of high quality players and coaches who formed the core of winning teams; from 1966 to 1983, the Orioles won three World Series titles (1966, 1970, and 1983), six American League pennants, and five of the first six American League Eastern Division titles. They played baseball the "Oriole Way", an organizational ethic best described by acerbic manager Earl Weaver as "pitching, defense, and the three run home run."

As the Robinson boys grew older, newer stars emerged including multiple Cy Young Award winner Jim Palmer and switch-hitting first baseman Eddie Murray. With the decline and eventual departure of two local teams - the NFL's Baltimore Colts and baseball's Washington Senators, the Orioles' excellence paid off at the gate, as the team cultivated a large and rabid fan base at old Memorial Stadium.

The 21st Century

Going into the 2005 season, the Orioles have had seven consecutive sub-.500 seasons without a post-season visit - the combination of lackluster play of the team’s part and the ascent of the Yankees and Red Sox to the top of the game - each rival having a clear advantage in financial flexibility due to their larger media market size. Further complicating the situation for the Orioles is the relocation of the Montreal Expos franchise to nearby Washington, D.C. - for which Angelos has demanded compensation from Major League Baseball. The new Washington Nationals (who begin play in 2005) threaten to carve into the Orioles fan base and television dollars. There is some hope that having competition in the larger Baltimore-Washington metro market will spur the Orioles to field a better product to compete for fans with the Nationals; there may be some truth to this speculation as the retooled 2005 Orioles have been in first place since early in April.

Players of note

Baseball Hall of Famers

* Luis Aparicio
* Hugh Duffy (Milwaukee Brewers)
* Rick Ferrell
* Reggie Jackson
* George Kell
* Eddie Murray
* Jim Palmer
* Branch Rickey (St. Louis Browns)
* Robin Roberts
* Brooks Robinson
* Frank Robinson
* George Sisler (St. Louis Browns)
* Rube Waddell (St. Louis Browns)
* Earl Weaver
* Hoyt Wilhelm

Future addition

* Cal Ripken, Jr. (Expected to enter Hall of Fame in 2007 on first ballot)

Current 25-man roster (updated on June 20, 2005)

Pitchers

* 23 20px James Baldwin
* 35 20px Daniel Cabrera
* 27 20px Bruce Chen
* 50 20px Jorge Julio
* 41 20px Steve Kline
* 13 20px Rodrigo López
* 49 20px Hayden Penn
* 43 20px Sidney Ponson
* -- 20px Chris Ray
* 39 20px Steve Reed
* 52 20px B.J. Ryan
* 53 20px Todd Williams

Catchers

* 26 20px Sal Fasano
* 9 20px Gerónimo Gil

Infielders

* 14 20px Chris Gomez
* 6 20px Melvin Mora
* 25 20px Rafael Palmeiro
* 1 20px Brian Roberts
* 10 20px Miguel Tejada

Outfielders

* 3 20px Larry Bigbie
* 31 20px Jay Gibbons
* 16 20px Eli Marrero
* 32 20px Luis Matos
* 21 20px Sammy Sosa
* 17 20px B.J. Surhoff

Disabled list

* 29 20px Kurt Ainsworth (P, 60-day)
* 45 20px Erik Bedard (P, 15-day)
* 38 20px Jason Grimsley (P, 60-day)
* 18 20px Javy López (C, 15-day)
* 63 20px Val Majewski (OF, 60-day)

Manager

* 12 20px Lee Mazzilli

Coaches

* 24 20px Rick Dempsey (first base)
* 55 20px Tom Trebelhorn (third base)
* 2 20px Sam Perlozzo (bench)
* 34 20px Ray Miller (pitching)
* 48 20px Terry Crowley (hitting)
* 44 20px Elrod Hendricks (bullpen)
* 54 20px Sammy Snider (bullpen catcher)