1978 Padres: A Team of ... 1978

I don't mean to make light with the headline of this post because the 1978 Padres are a very important team in the history of the San Diego Padres. It's just that no one will ever consider them a Team of Destiny or a Team for the Ages. They finished in fourth place in the NL West, 11 games back of the first place Dodgers and a bit behind the Reds and Giants. But that doesn't tell the whole story. The '78 Padres' 84-78 record marked the first time in franchise history the Padres finished with a record above .500, and the only time they would do so until their first World Series year of 1984.

That's big important stuff as far as this blog is concerned.

But more than their record, the intrigue of the '78 Padres - at least to me - lies with the players and coaches who made up the team. The roster was filled with Hall of Famers and other solid, quality players that looks like a Who's Who of Baseball from the '70s and '80s. The manager, Roger Craig, would later go on to manage the stellar Gints teams of the late 80s. Ray Kroc, Mickey D's magnate and the man who saved baseball in San Diego, was well ensconced in his fourth year as the owner. Players by the name of Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Gaylord Perry and Rollie Fingers plied the dugout and bullpen.

Not to mention that Jack Murphy Stadium - aka The Murph - hosted the All Star Game that Summer.

High times, indeed.

I was only a year-and-a-half old on Opening Day 1978. It may therefore surprise you to learn that I have no memories of my own from that year. My family tells me that by Opening Day they had either already moved or were planning to move from my iconic birthplace, La Mesa, to a gallant town in Central Illinois that goes by the name of Peoria. Moving away from San Diego is a big deal and not a decision one makes lightly. Even when one is 1.5 years old. I assume my parents allowed me to weigh in on the decision but, as I said above, I have no recollection on the matter.

But this isn't about me. It's about the 1978 Padres. What I want to do this season - the hopefully-glorious-but-likely-mundane 2009 season - is post regularly about the '78 Drinos: who was on the team, how those players were acquired, how they performed, and what happened in specific games using the awesome box scores on Baseball-Reference.com. Overall it should be really exciting and choice.

Perhaps even spectacular.