SD Padres #HungryForMore in 2021

While the shortened 2020 season was a good one for the San Diego Padres, the team and administration were not satisfied so they are #HungryForMore in 2021!  

We’re fortunate to have the most exciting players, team, venue, city in US Baseball right here in downtown San Diego. 

 

Exciting, Talented Players 

Most teams are thrilled to have one or two star players.  The Padres have nine! 

Padres Star Players.png

‘El Nino’ Fernando Tatis Jr 

The $300M 15 year contract keeps Tatis Jr in San Diego through 2024 – it’s one of the longest and richest contracts in sports history.  Dominican-born player is humble, down-to-earth, loves the game and is exciting to watch.  Not only an asset to the team, he’s a model to promote Padres, SD, baseball and beyond.  

‘No-No’ Joe Musgrove

Pitcher Joe Musgrove was raised in El Cajon, grew up going to see the Padres at PetCo Park and dreamed of being a Padre.  He was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020, and proceeded to throw the first no-hitter in Padre history!   A mural at Grossmont High School was painted the morning after his no-hitter – along with a quote from Joe ‘it was meant to be’.

Along with Musgrove, the Padres acquired two super stars in January, making their pitching staff one of the best in the game.  

Yu Darvish from Chicago Cubs

Blake Snell from Tampa bay Rays

 

Strong Pipeline 

The Padres have always been known for their strong minor league system.  Even with the trades, they still have 7 of top minor leaguers in their program.  Look out for future star power from these players. 

Off the Charts Ratings

The team’s fan base continues to grow locally, nationally and with the important 18-34 year demographic.   And the SoCal rivalry with the LA Dodgers is gaining a national following.

Many are tuning in, embracing the team and the sport, as evidenced by these stats: 

  • 2nd highest TV rating in MLB

  • 3x increase in Padres live game TV ratings since 2018, and the team has eclipsed St Louis as the largest viewers per capita market in the nation

  • 2 ESPN features in 2 months

    NOTE: However, some may find it a challenge to watch home games, especially on streaming platforms including the MLB App, due to broadcast rights issues from Fox Sports / Bally Sports / Sinclair Broadcasting.   

Unique experience

PetCo Park opened in 2004 and has been voted #1 Ballpark in America by USA TODAY.  Importantly, it provides a afe environment for fans and employees through the following programs:

  • Socially distanced pod seating and proper distancing

  • Strict mask requirements

  • Touchless ticketing and concessions

  • Robust and centrally administered testing and contact tracing program

  • Strict enforcement and visible signage 

PetCo Park Events (public and private) are held in-season during off-days and throughout the year during the off-season. Check out the coming attractions. 

Padres in the Community 

Making a positive impact in San Diego is important to the organization and the goal of the Padres Foundation.  Some of their recent initiatives include: 

  • San Diego Food Bank and Groceries4Good support

  • Black Chamber of Commerce funding through a gift in the name of Tony Gwynn and encouraging partner ecosystem to do same

  • COVID Vaccination Super Station in collaboration with UC San Diego Health, city and county officials.  A PetCo parking lot was contributed and 200,000+ San Diegans were vaccinated at the site.  The Padres developed the operational model, which declared a best practice and was exported to other sporting venues around the world.  

 

About our Speaker

Chris Connolly, Senior VP, Marketing for the San Diego Padres 

Chris Connolly joined the Padres in February 2021 as Senior Vice President, Marketing. In his new role with the organization, Connolly oversees all aspects of the Padres marketing, content, broadcast, entertainment and fan engagement. Prior to joining the Padres, Connolly spent 12 years working for Disney in a variety of roles throughout his tenure. 

A native of Southern California, Connolly has also held the titles of President of the Big Idea Marketing Group, LLC. and Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Hasbro during his career. The University of California, Los Angeles alum also serves as a guest lecturer at both UCLA and USC for their MBA programs on Leadership, Marketing and Innovation, and is a Member of the Board of Directors for Hands Together, a Haitian relief organization. Connolly and his wife Denise, a San Diego native, have two daughters: Olivia and Caroline

Friends of Downtown