Padres 2022 Season: Better Late Than Never 

Padres 2022 Season: Better Late Than Never 

The Padres baseball franchise is San Diego’s only professional sports team since the Chargers football team left in 2017, and one of the only baseball teams in California that originated in the Golden State. 

The history of the Padres dates back to 1969 when they adopted their name from the existing San Diego baseball team, the Pacific Coast League. The name Padres pays homage to San Diego being home to the first Spanish Mission in California. In 1969, San Diego built the Padres baseball team a brand new multi-purpose stadium called Jack Murphy Stadium in Mission Valley, which seated 50,000 spectators who enjoyed a professional game in unbeatable weather conditions. 

The Padres hit the major leagues when in 2004 they began playing at a brand new, gorgeous stadium in downtown San Diego. Petco Park was developed at a price tag of nearly $500 million and seats 42,000 spectators who are treated to a view of the San Diego skyline as they watch balls fly and players round the bases. 

USA Today Sports ranked the 30 MLB stadiums in the United States and Petco Park ranked number one for its beauty and food. This is what they said: “Petco Park is For The Win’s undisputed best ballpark in baseball. Really, it’s great. From the expansive views of the downtown San Diego skyline, to the vast local beer and food options, to the perfect weather, Petco Park is everything MLB teams should want for their ballparks.”

The Padres have won the NL pennant twice: in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times. As of 2020, they have had 15 winning seasons in franchise history. On August 20, 2020, the Padres became the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games. 

The 2022 Baseball Season

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the 2022 season, marking the first time in league history that an owner-imposed lockout will compromise the regular season schedule. 

The agreement between major league baseball team owners and players, known as the Collective Bargaining Agreement, expired and each side has raised issues that prevent them from agreeing on a new one. Some requests include a shorter 154 game season and an expanded playoff schedule. As of now, the San Diego Padres 2022 baseball season is scheduled to begin on April 14th. 

What’s New This Season

In big news, the Padres home games at Petco Park on weeknights will start at 6:40 p.m. instead of 7:10 p.m. and weekend games will remain the same starting at 5:40 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:10 p.m. The Padres 2022 home opener will be played against the Atlanta Braves on April 14th. 

Also a big change for the Padres this year is a change in ticket prices. Save some extra money in your piggy bank because for the first time since 2016, ticket prices are set to increase by 20% this year.

Taking advantage of 300 days of sunshine a year in America’s Finest City, a big solar installation project was completed at Petco Park. In a big win for energy sustainability, the Padres partnered with Sullivan Solar Power to install a 336,520-watt solar power system, the largest of its kind in Major League Baseball. The system will generate 330 kilowatts of solar power, enough energy to power the entire Padres front office.  The solar power will save the organization $4 million each year. 

This Isn’t Your Average Baseball Dining Experience 

Remember when you went to a ballgame as a kid and the only food items on the menu were quintessentially American without a hint of gourmet? There were vendors walking around with hot dogs and cracker jacks, roasted peanuts in the shell and ice cream, popcorn and cotton candy.

Petco Park has raised the bar on MLB food and given us another reason to take three hours out of our day to watch a live baseball game. Walking around Petco Park is a sensory sensation with the savory smells of delicious pizzas, smoking meats, and juicy burgers. Feast on the famous San Diego Cardiff Tri-Tip (nicknamed Cardiff Crack), served atop nachos and drizzled with BBQ sauce and sour cream for a home run meal. Board & Brew serves up delicious sandwiches along with their tasty Secret Sauce. But nothing screams San Diego more than fish tacos. Sink your teeth into grilled fish tacos with homemade white sauce. 

For the love of the game, we hope to see you out there at Petco Park in support of our Padres this year. The Padres 2022 baseball game schedule is up now on the website: https://www.mlb.com/padres.