A Strong To Quite Strong Night At Petco Park

Friday night was my first visit to Petco Park since June 2007, a span of nearly two years. While I am ashamed to admit that fact, I beg your pardon because I do live many many many miles away from San Diego. That's not a good excuse for missing Petco for nearly two full seasons of baseball, but it's the only excuse I have.

But Friday night was all that is good and true and great about Petco Park and downtown Drino baseball. Peavy threw a gem against a hated opponent, the Scubs, and a young man named Tony Gwynn, Jr. got on base three times, scoring twice. Also, the bullpen threw three shutout innings, Brian Giles knocked in two runs in classic Bri style and Adrian went yard with one of his patented opposite field bomb swings.

Not to mention, because this was 1984 NL Champions Weekend, they sprinkled videos of the '84 squad on the jumbtron throughout the game.

And there were fireworks after the game.

So choice.

So after my return to Petco for the first time in nearly two years, I had a few impressions/observations of the park. For those of you lucky enough to live in the Diego, this is not news. But here they are:

1. Petco Park is really coming into its own. The Padres are letting the hanging ivy grow in the concourses and it looks really choice. Kind of a like a botanical garden. It matches perfectly with the sand beach stucco of the Petco facade. Well played, Petco maintenance staff.

2. Downtown is really coming into its own. When I first went to Petco in April 2005, the view out to centerfield was a hodgepodge of cranes and half-built condos. That seemed to last even until 2007. Now, at least out to the centerfield view, most of the condos are finished and it seems that the views from the Park will be static for the foreseeable future. It's not as dramatic a view as PNC in Pittsburgh, but it is much better use of an urban stadium than, say, Natty Park in D.C. or the new Yankee Stadium, which has no views to nothin'.

3. Beers are 'spensive. Last week I went to the new Yanquis Stadium for the first time. Nine dollar beers. I expected that in the Bronx. Then I went to Petco on Friday and saw the price of a 16 oz. Coors Louie was $8.25. I almost spit up my Rubio's fish taco. And then proceeded to buy multiple Coors Louies.

4. Nate Kaeding. I'm pretty sure Nate Kaeding was sitting six rows ahead of me at the game with a few of his boys. Either it was Nate Kaeding or some mid-sized blonde dude. It's hard to tell with Nate. Given he went to Iowa, Nate is probably a Cub fan. I promise not to hold that against him as long as he is a beast kicker for the Chargers.

5. Tony Gwynn ... Jr.? Tony Gwynn, Jr. made his debut for the Padres on Thursday night. On Friday, the Padres were introducing Gwynn, Jr. as "Tony Gwynn" and the back of his jersey simply read "Gwynn." So shady.

More on Saturday night's game when I get the pictures downloaded.