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As the San Diego Padres and their fans commemorate their 40th season as a Major League franchise, the fans are enjoying sunny days and ocean breezes at Petco Park, the players frequently sport camouflage uniforms to honor their ties to the nearby servicemen and women and their families. Emerging stars like recent Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, slugging sensation and All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzales, and a bullpen that features the likes of Greg Maddux, David wells, and Chris Young are beginning to show promise and, despite a lackluster season so far, are giving at least a glimmer of hope and excitement to ardent fans of the Padres. The recent draft activity, as well as the Padres' pretty strong farm system seem to be bringing even more talent and promise to this proud organization. For example, in a recent interview, Padres GM Kevin Towers insisted that some of the best talent in the Padres minor league system is at nearby Lake Elsinore. The Storm sent an unprecedented six players to this year's triple-A All-Star Game where they made huge contributions to the California League's victory. This is also good news for Padres fans, as they sit in the sun and watch their beloved team attempt a very feasible late-season comeback.

The days weren't always so sunny in the beginning, however, as the fledgling upstart expansion franchise faltered for the first few years of its existence. The Padres' inaugural season in 1969 was inauspicious at best, as the new team struggled through a 52-110 season that landed them not only 41 games out of first place in the National League West, but 29 games out of fifth. Despite outstanding performances by great players such as Nate Colbert, Hall-of-Famers Rollie Fingers, Willie McCovey and Dave Winfield, and Cy Young winners Randy Jones and Gaylord Perry, the Padres suffered eight seasons with over 90 losses during the 1970's. Their first winning season finally came in 1978 when pitcher Gaylord Perry led the league with 21 wins, earning him his second Cy Young award. Dave Winfield's .308 batting average, along with the outstanding play of then rookie sensation shortstop Ozzie Smith, helped to propel the Padres to their first season above .500.

As they entered the 1980's, the Padres gradually began to acquire legendary players like Tony Gwynn, Steve Garvey, Goose Gossage, and Craig Nettles, creating a nice combination of young talent and veteran savvy. In 1984 this legendary lineup would go on to bring San Diego

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