On April 4, 1999, the Rockies made history as they played their Opening Day game against the defending National League champion San Diego Padres at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico – marking the first time Major League Baseball opened the regular season outside the United States or Canada.

Osborne Earl " Ozzie " Smith ( born December 26, 1954 ) is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996.

Although the Padres continued to struggle after Colbert's departure via trade to the Detroit Tigers in 1974, they did feature star outfielder Dave Winfield, who came to the Padres in 1973 from the University of Minnesota without having played a single game in the minor leagues.

In the game played that day, Rickey Henderson, who in the meantime had rejoined the Padres, collected his 3, 000th major-league base hit, a double.

On April 17, 2008, during the series against the Colorado Rockies at PETCO Park, the Padres played the longest game in team history, in terms of innings ( 22 ), losing 2 – 1.

The following elected members of the Baseball Hall of Fame played and / or managed for the Padres.

Williams played back-up behind DiMaggio's brother Vince DiMaggio and Ivey Shiver on the ( then ) Pacific Coast League San Diego Padres.

As a result, the Padres played in Tucson for the 2012 season and, in July 2012, announced that they would remain in Tucson for the 2013 season as well.

He played for twenty seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to, most notably for the San Diego Padres.

Over his 22-year career, he played for six teams: the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Cleveland Indians.

He played one more season with the Padres before becoming a free agent.

He played for the Cleveland Indians from 1965 to 1966 and the San Diego Padres in 1969.

Valenzuela's son, Fernando Jr., played in the San Diego Padres organization as a first baseman.

After ten seasons in Hollywood, the team transferred again, to San Diego, where it played as the San Diego Padres from 1936 to 1968.

* Doug Mirabelli, MLB baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants

Tony Pérez was named as the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific Coast League in when he played for the San Diego Padres ( then a minor league club ).

He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics.

Doby fractured an ankle while sliding into third base after hitting a triple during a road game the Padres played against Sacramento, in which Doby was sent to a local hospital in Sacramento before going to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further evaluation.

Anthony Keith " Tony " Gwynn, Sr. ( born May 9, 1960 ), nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a retired American professional baseball player who played 20 seasons ( 1982 – 2001 ) in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the San Diego Padres.

Joe Carter, who played for the Padres in 1990, said, " It just involved one great guy, and that's Tony Gwynn, and anything they want to say about Tony Gwynn is going to be news.

He received an ovation at each stadium the Padres played on the road, and he was honored as a non-playing squad member at the 2001 All-Star Game.

Gene Tenace, who caught Gaylord Perry when they played for the San Diego Padres, said: " I can remember a couple of occasions when I couldn't throw the ball back to him because it was so greasy that it slipped out of my hands.

Fredric Michael " Fred " Lynn ( born February 3, 1952 ) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox ( 1974 – 1980 ), California Angels ( 1981 – 1984 ), Baltimore Orioles ( 1985 – 1988 ), Detroit Tigers ( 1988 – 1989 ) and San Diego Padres ( 1990 ).

The Padres playing host to the New York Mets at Jack Murphy Stadium during a 1990 home game.

* Ted Leitner, radio talk show host and play-by-play announcer for the San Diego Padres

Originally, Escondido wanted to host the AAA Tucson Padres of the Pacific Coast League, but the city did not approve a new stadium proposal and there's the San Diego County fairgrounds stadium.

It will play host to the Tucson Padres ( formerly the Portland Beavers ) of the Pacific Coast League for at least the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

However, each of these titles was followed by a first-round playoff elimination, in 1998 by the San Diego Padres and in 1997 and 1999 against the Atlanta Braves.

But despite the Giants ' great record, the Atlanta Braves — fueled by solid seasons from David Justice, Ron Gant, Deion Sanders and their midseason acquisition of Fred McGriff from the San Diego Padres — came back from a ten-game deficit to the Giants to win the NL West by a single game.

In the 1998 NLCS, the Padres faced the Atlanta Braves, who had won the National League East with an astonishing 106 – 56 record.

The San Diego Padres selected him as a pitcher with the fourth overall pick in the MLB draft and both the Atlanta Hawks ( NBA ) and the Utah Stars ( ABA ) drafted him.

On July 18, 1993, the Padres, seeking to unload their high-priced veterans, dealt McGriff to the Atlanta Braves for prospect Vince Moore, Donnie Elliott and Melvin Nieves.

Eighteen teams have all hosted an all-star game at least twice since the Mets last did: Atlanta Braves ( 1972 and 2000 ), Chicago White Sox ( 1983 and 2003 ), Cincinnati Reds ( 1970 and 1988 ), Cleveland Indians ( 1981 and 1997 ), Detroit Tigers ( 1971 and 2005 ), Houston Astros ( 1968, 1986, and 2004 ), Kansas City Royals ( 1973 and 2012 ), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ( 1967, 1989, and 2010 ), Milwaukee Brewers ( 1975 and 2002 ), Minnesota Twins ( 1965, 1985, and 2014 ), New York Yankees ( 1977 and 2008 ), Philadelphia Phillies ( 1976 and 1996 ), Pittsburgh Pirates ( 1974, 1994, and 2006 ), San Diego Padres ( 1978 and 1992 ), San Francisco Giants ( 1984 and 2007 ), Seattle Mariners ( 1979 and 2001 ), and St. Louis Cardinals ( 1966 and 2009 ), and Washington Senators / Texas Rangers ( 1969 and 1995 ).

The Padres reached the World Series in 1998 after defeating the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves in the playoffs.

Perry retired in 1983 after pitching for eight teams ( the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers ( twice ), San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals ).

Niekro pitched for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers with occasional success before joining Phil with the Atlanta Braves in 1973.

In 2004, Matsui homered on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz of the Atlanta Braves leading off the first inning, in 2005, on the sixth pitch from Paul Wilson of the Cincinnati Reds with one out in the first inning, and in 2006, on the fourth pitch from Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres with no outs in the top of the third.

Years later, after Glavine joined the Mets and Maddux played for the San Diego Padres, the three ( along with Smoltz who still pitched for Atlanta ) all recorded wins on the same day, June 27, 2007.

" However, Knoblauch recovered and was an important factor in the World Series victory over the San Diego Padres, and the 1999 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Patrick Edward Dobson, Jr. ( February 12, 1942 – November 22, 2006 ) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers ( 1967 – 69 ), San Diego Padres ( 1970 ), Baltimore Orioles ( 1971 – 72 ), Atlanta Braves ( 1973 ), New York Yankees ( 1973 – 75 ) and Cleveland Indians ( 1976 – 77 ).

He has previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Embree played for the Cleveland Indians ( 1992 – 1996 ), Atlanta Braves ( 1997 – 1998 ), Arizona Diamondbacks ( 1998 ), San Francisco Giants ( 1999 – 2001 ), Chicago White Sox ( 2001 ), San Diego Padres ( 2002 & 2006 ), Boston Red Sox ( 2002 – 2005 ), New York Yankees ( 2005 ), Oakland Athletics ( 2007 – 2008 ), and the Colorado Rockies ( 2009 ).

* On August 12, 1984, during a game between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres that degenerated into a beanball war:

* On August 12, 1984, a game between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres turned into what writers Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo later called " one of the worst beanball wars of modern times ", starting with Braves pitcher Pascual Pérez hitting Alan Wiggins with the game's first pitch, followed by four attempts by Padres pitchers to hit Pérez in retaliation, and ending in Braves reliever Donnie Moore hitting Graig Nettles.

Kenneth Gene Caminiti ( April 21, 1963 – October 10, 2004 ) was an American third baseman who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) with the Houston Astros ( 1987 – 1994, 1999 – 2000 ), San Diego Padres ( 1995 – 1998 ), Texas Rangers ( 2001 ) and Atlanta Braves ( 2001 ).

Previously, he played with the Atlanta Braves ( 1991 – 1992, 2002 – 2003 ), Colorado Rockies ( 1993 – 1999, 2004, 2006 ), Tampa Bay Devil Rays ( 2000 – 2001 ), Houston Astros ( 2001 ), Washington Nationals ( 2005 ), and San Diego Padres ( 2006 ).

During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins ( 1967 – 1969 ), Cleveland Indians ( 1970 – 1972 ), New York Yankees ( 1973 – 1983 ), San Diego Padres ( 1984 – 1986 ), Atlanta Braves ( 1987 ) and Montreal Expos ( 1988 ).

He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and the New York Mets.

After the 1999 season, Joyner was traded to the Atlanta Braves in a deal that also sent Reggie Sanders to the Braves and Bret Boone and Ryan Klesko to the Padres.

The San Diego Padres won the National League West division by twelve games over both the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros, then defeated the Chicago Cubs, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series.