PADRES FEVER

By Derek Carlyon

April 15, 2015 (San Diego)--For the first time in years, it appears that the Padres have taken over San Diego.  In years past, the successes of the Chargers and Aztecs basketball team have captured the sports heartbeat of the city.  But with the Chargers’ stadium issue and the uncertainty of where they will be in the coming years coupled with the Aztec’s ugly third round loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament, the Padres have the spotlight.

The Padres did their part to help get fans excited about the upcoming season with the most exciting offseason in team history. Many big moves were made to help bolster an already stout pitching staff, most notably signing James Shields from the American League champion Royals and also trading for closer Craig Kimbrel who is regarded as the best stopper in the game. The Padres had one of the worst offenses in league history last year, but with additions like Justin Upton, Derek Norris, Wil Myers and former MVP Matt Kemp, there looks to be greener pastures in 2015 for the Friar’s offense.

With all these new faces, there also comes more pressure to live up to the expectations of what could potentially be a great year. The Pads have not made the playoffs since 2006, and manager Bud Black has never been to the playoffs in his tenure with the team. If the Padres fail to meet expectations, Black might be in the hot seat. He has a tough task managing a group of new teammates in a division with last year’s World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants, and last year’s National League Western division champions in the Los Angeles Dodgers. A slow start will no doubt cause unrest among the Friar faithful. So far, Padres fans have done their part by setting opening week attendance records against the Giants last week, as the Pads took three of four from the defending champs.

The Padres have an opportunity to gain back the love of a city that needs a winner.  A championship stricken town, San Diego needs the Padres to win now more than ever. Instead of just being the team that people root for when the Chargers aren’t playing, the Padres can regain the love and support of San Diego with a successful year. Many can remember years like 1984 and 1998, when the Friars made the World Series and San Diego was bleeding brown, orange, and navy blue.

With a revamped roster and a fan base hungry for a potentially historical season, this might be the year where San Diego sports fans can forget about their past and current misfortunes and be a part of something that has never been done in America’s Finest City.