I personally have a dream to be come true while I’m alive; to visit all home stadiums of 30 teams in major league baseball! In May 2023, I scheduled to visit three stadiums in California in one week; Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, and Petco Park.
This story is about Petco Park in San Diego.
Petco Park for one of baseball watchers in Japan
San Diego Padres & Yu Darvish
Petco Park is the home stadium of San Diego Padres. It is located in the center of San Diego city, and it’s so easy to access on foot or by tram. Even if the game gets over late at night, it is not so dangerous to come back to hotels in Gaslamp area. This is so different from Dodger stadium & Angel stadium in LA, and it’s helpful for travelers like me.
As the picture at the top of this article, the stadium is surrounded by high buildings. This stadium is comparatively new, which opened 2004. It was used for 1st World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2006. Japan won the world championship, so this stadium is known as the place by some Japanese baseball fans.
I knew about Padres only that Darvish Yu (from Japan, Osaka) belongs to the team since 2021. He is the same age as me, and all the time I’ve watched his great performances since I was young. I didn’t have opportunities to see him since he started his career in MLB in 2012, so I wanted to see Darvish pitching in this stadium with Padres fans.
It sounds difficult because he is a starting pitcher and plays once every 5 or 6 days, and sometimes the team is not in San Diego. I could stay here only for 3 days.
Consequently, I was so lucky that I could see his playing during my stay in San Diego. I’ll write this later in this story.
Ballpark Tours (2 hours)
I had enough time to stay in San Diego, and therefore I joined stadium tour of Petco Park. When I visited there, the tour was held twice a day. Less than 10 people joined the tour from 10am-, and everyone other than me was American.
Participants can go around the stadium with kind explanations by a tour guide, where general game-ticket holders cannot come in. For example, party room, press room.
Participants can walk inside the stadium with kind explanations by a tour guide, where general game-ticket holders cannot usually come into; for example, some luxury party rooms, a press room, and dugout for visitor team! We can stand at the same level as players.
I always like this moment so much, whenever I join this kind of stadium tour. The price of this tour is not reasonable, but it is worth paying and investing my time.
Starting pitcher will be…
By the way, I got important information during the tour. When I introduced myself to the tour guide and she knew I came from Japan, at first she started to talked about Shohei Ohtani, but soon she said to me about Darvish. “Are you going to watch today’s game? The starting pitcher will be Darvish. I know he’s from Japan”.
I answered to her: “No, I’ll see tomorrow. He’ll pitch tomorrow.” As long as I checked the information 2 days ago, he would play the next day’s game on 5 days’ rest from last game in Mexico City. I paid attentions and checked carefully over and over again. However… she was correct, because the original starting pitcher of this game postponed playing due to his sudden elbow pain right before this day. I didn’t know that.
If I hadn’t joined the tour and met her, I would have missed Darvish pitching! Furthermore, the starting pitcher of Dodgers, the opponent of the game for Padres, would be Clayton Kershaw! Still now, I remember well I was so excited when I knew this.
I was sure I had to watch the game in the stadium, no matter how much the ticket costs. After the tour gets over, I started to search for a ticket of this day’s game in a big hurry. I was really relieved I could get it. However, 118 USD is so expensive…
Game: Padres 5 - 2 Dodgers
This day’s game was going to start 6:40pm. I came back to the stadium of the entrance behind outfield seats before 6pm, but it was still bright. In spring, the day looks longer than in Japan.
I expected it would be difficult for Padres to win the game, because Dodger’s starting pitcher was Karshaw. However, the result was Karshaw was knocked out with two home runs in consecutive at-bats by Fernando Tatis Jr! Petco Park is said to be a pitcher’s paradise, so I didn’t imagine this development.
And… Darvish pitched well with two runs until the middle of 7th. Many of Padres fans wore Darvish uniform T-shirt, and everyone clapped with warm encouragements when he went to the pitcher’s mound and leave there. I was glad and proud that a star player coming from Japan has been recognized by fans.
Incidentally, the 2nd pitcher of Padres was Nick Martinez. Though he didn’t play the game, Robert Suarez also has experiences to play in Japan. As additional information, Luis Perdomo who played in Padres until 2020 is playing in Japan (Chiba Lotte Marines) in 2023 season. Padres and Japan may have any strange connections.
I didn’t know until I watch this game that games vs Dodgers are so special for Padres fans. Both Padres and Dodgers belong to National League West Division, and Dodgers is the biggest rival for Padres. Many Dodgers fans came from LA, and both fans disparage at each other with big voices during the game.
I will not forget the big chorus of “Beat LA!” in the game from Padres fans. Though I wondered how it went if Padres was behind…
Finally, Padres won the game with the score 5 - 2.
People in San Diego are upbeat. If I live here I will be so tired, but if I visit as a tourist this atmosphere is excellent! I want to come back to San Diego and Petco Park!
Even after the game gets over around 10pm, the downtown area named Gaslamp was crowded with many people and I didn’t feel any dangerous from the stadium. If you want you can enjoy drinking at bars after the game. I didn’t, but I had a lot of fun only by walking to my hostel with excited baseball fans.
This day was so long with stadium tour, searching for a ticket and watching a game, but it was perfect. I was so lucky that I could watch Darvish vs Karshaw in USA. I never forget this experience.
Additional Information
If you’re interested in other photos, please kindly to see my Instagram account.