20 Fun Facts about the Padres’ Petco Park

Fascinating finds at the San Diego ballpark

From a giant baseball bat to a pesky swarm of bees, Petco Park’s past and present make for fascinating folklore and explorations. In honor of the Padres ballpark’s 20th anniversary, here’s a roundup of fun and often surprising facts about Petco Park and its history.

Look to the top of Petco Park's right-field foul pole and you’ll see a curious sight: An 8-foot-tall replica of a Jack-in-the-Box antenna ball. The giant head celebrates the longtime partnership between the Pads and the San Diego-born fast food company.
The playground in the ballpark’s Gallagher Square features a baseball bat made of steel and wood that kids can scale to the top. At more than 35 feet, it is the tallest climbable bat in the world.
Located behind the left-field stands, the Padres Hall of Fame is a great place to explore team history, with tributes to numerous pivotal figures, including MLB Hall of Fame inductees Trevor Hoffman, Dave Winfield and Tony Gwynn.
Speaking of that last Padres legend: The beloved Tony Gwynn Statue in Petco Park’s Gallagher Square is now augmented by the Tony Gwynn Tunnel, where fans can see and hear all about the late “Mr. Padre” as they walk through. The statue is also now placed in a direct line from that of star reliever Hoffman, so that it appears Hoffman is pitching to Gwynn, who is depicted in mid-swing.
Rare among MLB stadiums, Petco Park’s food vendors are all local businesses.
The 2004 opening of Petco Park marked the Padres’ return to Downtown San Diego for the first time in nearly 50 years. From 1936 through 1957, the team (then in the minor-league Pacific Coast League) played at Lane Field on San Diego’s Embarcadero, near where the historic Star of India sailing ship now resides.
The light sandstone exterior of the ballpark is meant to evoke the dramatic seaside bluffs of such San Diego landmarks as Torrey Pines and Sunset Cliffs, while the white marine finish of the park's exposed steel structures evokes San Diego's nautical history.
The park's left-field boundary incorporates the historic Western Metal Supply building, which was designed in 1909. It now houses seating areas, a bar and event spaces.
The very first baseball game at Petco didn't involve the Padres: It was a matchup between the San Diego State Aztecs and the University of Houston on March 11, 2004. SDSU won 4-0, and the attendance of 40,106 set a record for a college baseball game. SDSU’s head coach at the time? Tony Gwynn.
The first Padres regular-season game at Petco Park took place on April 8, 2004 — a 4-3 Padres win over the San Francisco Giants.
Petco Park also hosted a basketball game between SDSU and the University of San Diego in 2015, and hosted college football’s Holiday Bowl for several years.
Petco Park was the site of the first World Baseball Classic championship (in 2006); 10 years later the ballpark hosted the MLB All-Star Game for the first time.
The Rolling Stones performed the very first concert at Petco Park in November 2005.
The hit TV show "American Idol" held singing auditions at the ballpark in 2011.
In early 2014, Petco Park's left-center field was temporarily converted into a red clay tennis court for a Davis Cup tennis match between the United States and Great Britain.
On April 17, 2008, the Padres and the Colorado Rockies played a 22-inning game at Petco Park — the longest MLB game in nearly 15 years up to that time, and still the longest in ballpark history. (The Rockies won, 2-1.)
The Padres' deep kinship with Mexico is celebrated with the team's colorful City Connect uniforms, inspired by cross-border culture. The team wears the distinctive uniforms during every Friday game at Petco Park.
And talk about buzz: On July 2, 2009, Petco Park was the site of the first MLB game to be delayed by a swarm of bees. A gathering of honeybees amassed around a chair in left field, causing the game to be held up for 52 minutes until a beekeeper arrived.
One of the most beloved features of the ballpark is the star on the wall of the press box down the right field line. It honors the late Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman, whose trademark phrase, uttered after an impressive play, was: "Oh Doctor! You can hang a star on that baby!"
Next to the Coleman tribute, a gold heart containing the initials “PS” honors the memory of Peter Seidler, the Padres chairman who died in 2023.

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20 Fun Facts about the Padres’ Petco Park

Fascinating finds at the San Diego ballpark

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Fascinating finds at the San Diego ballpark

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