1. Art and Diseño

1974
EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR
He didn't exactly ride into town on a white horse with his six-shooter and his trusted companion.
Instead, he flew in on his private jet with his checkbook and his lawyers. If it wasn't for the fact that
some people had actually seen Ray Kroc, they would swear that Buzzie Bavasi made him up. The city
of San Diego could search the world over and not find a more perfect owner for the Padres.
Not only was the Chicago businessman crazy about baseball, but he was very wealthy. Kroc was
the founder, chairman, and largest stockholder of the McDonald's Corporation, a hamburger empire
that, in 1974, would gross $2 billion. His net worth was estimated at $500 million.
When the National League owners voted down Marjorie Everett, several potential buyers stepped
forward. There was Houston financier Reuben Askanase, a personal friend of Bavasi and Walter
O'Malley. He offered to purchase the team if no one else could. There was also a local group headed
by Malin Burnham and Bob Golden. But they could never get the financing in order to make a viable
offer.
Then there was Ray Kroc. One day while sitting in his Chicago apartment reading about the plight
of the Padres, he turned to his wife and asked, "Honey, what would you think if I bought the Padres?"
"I would say", she answered,” that
you are nuts." Although it wasn't the answer he was looking for, he had already made up his mind. He
flew into San Diego with his lawyers to look over the teams financial records. Satisfied with what he
saw, Kroc got together with the city and worked out a new lease for the use of the stadium.
What about financing? The only financing that needed to be worked out was who Kroc should
make the checks out to. The first one was made out to the troubled C.Arnholt Smith for $8.25 million.
He could certainly use the money. The second check for $750,000 went to the National League as final
payment on the original purchase of the team in 1969. The last check for $900,000, was made out to
Servomation to pay off the debt owed to them by the team.
With the financing ironed out, Kroc became sole owner of the team, lock, stock, and Mike Ivie. His
first move was to announce that the team would stay in San Diego, and the current front office staff of
Buzzie Bavasi and Bob Fontaine would be retained. They would concentrate on baseball, and as the
new owner, he would concentrate on the quality and cleanliness of the food at the ballpark. In his
words, "The hot would be hotter, and the cold colder."
Another formality that needed to be taken care of was approval by the National League owners. It
ended up being a mere formality. Kroc was their kind of owner. He had never done anything in his
life that he was ashamed of and he was
rich. The vote was so cut and dried that only two owners actually showed up for the emergency
meeting. On January 31, 1974, by a vote of 12-0, Ray Kroc officially became the new owner of the
San Diego Padres.
Bavasi and Mayor Pete Wilson could finally get a good night's sleep. Kroc, on the other hand, was
so excited that he couldn't sleep for days. "Baseball is my sport and I want to have fun with an
expensive hobby." He would be at spring training, in the clubhouse, in the dugout, and best of all, he
would be able to sit in on league meetings with men such as Walter O'Malley, Augie Busch, and Phil
Wrigley. This was his idea of heaven.
With the team’s future resolved for, hopefully, many years to come, it was time to get on with the
business of baseball. The team had been without a manager and coaches since last October. With
spring training less than two months away, Bavasi hired 41 year old John McNamara to manage the
team. McNamara had managed the Oakland A's to a second place finish in 1970, but because A's
owner Charlie Finley felt he should have done better, he was dismissed. He was the Giants third base
coach last season.
McNamara hired as his third base coach, former Giant third baseman, Jim Davenport. The 40 year
old Davenport had been managing the Giants AAA farm team in Phoenix for the past three years.
Former Padre scout, Jack Bloomfield was hired to coach first and to be the hitting instructor. This was
his first major league job.
The Padre pitching coach for 1974 would be 68 year old Bill Posedel. Lured out of retirement, "The
Chief" had been with McNamara in Oakland and had helped develop the staff that won the first of three
straight World Championships in 1972. He retired at the end of that season.
Last, but certainly not least, Whitey Wietelmann accepted an offer to join the staff after a short
retirement of less than five months. With a wealthy owner, there was little need to cut corners
anymore, something Wietelmann was very good at. But a man of Whitey's talent and experience
would always be an asset to the Padres.
In keeping with the "new" look, the team trashed their mustard yellow/mission gold uniforms for
some new threads. They would wear white double-knits with brown and gold trim and "Padres"
written across the front. On the road, the uniforms would be gray.
Player contracts needed to be signed and Bavasi made it perfectly clear where the players stood in
relation to their new owner, "We propose to pay you what you have earned, not what Mr. Kroc has
earned”.
Willie McCovey signed for $110,000, the highest salary ever paid to a Padre. Slugger Nate Colbert
signed for $80,000 and agreed to switch to left field so McCovey could play first base. Clarence
Gaston became the first Padre to file for arbitration, and subsequently became the first Padre to lose his
arbitration case. Bob Barton, who had been inactive for almost two years, decided to make a comeback
and compete for the #1 catching job.
As the players gathered in Yuma, there was a new mood and high expectations. There were also a
lot of the old ballplayers. In their first exhibition game, the Padres committed 5 errors and allowed 5
home runs in a 13-3 loss to Oakland. They would lose 9 of their first 11 games of the spring and win 8
of their last 9 to finish the Cactus League with a 10-10 record.
Many "experiments" were tried. Because of a surplus of outfielders and a shortage of infielders,
Dave Winfield, who hit .400 in the spring, was tried at shortstop, a position he had played in high
school. The sight of a 6"6" shortstop was very strange and Big Dave was impressive, but as opening
day approached, it was decided the he would platoon in centerfield with John Grubb.
Third base was becoming a source of concern. Dave Roberts, who'd had a great year in 1973, was
recovering from a back injury. Dave Hilton, who was drafted as a third baseman, had also been
playing some shortstop and some second base. He would open the season at the hot corner. Speaking
of third basemen, the Padres #1 draft choice in the winter free agent draft was a 19 year old third
baseman from Memphis, Tennessee by the name of Tucker Ashford.
Injuries were an integral part of the spring. Newcomer Glenn Beckert was bothered by his recently
operated on foot and Nate Colbert was nursing a sore throwing arm.
Roster move during the spring included the release of Ivan Murrell and Leron Lee. Mike Ivie was
recalled from Phoenix and assigned to Hawaii. Trade talks centered around Clarence Gaston and Nate
Colbert. With the acquisition of McCovey and the emergence of Winfield, the two players who had
been the backbone of the franchise for the first five years, were now considered expendable.
When opening day arrived, the infield was in turmoil because of injuries and there were many
question marks regarding the pitching staff. But with a new owner and a new attitude, everyone was
looking forward to the new season.
The big news in baseball as the 1974 season began was Hank Aaron and his quest for Babe Ruth's
home run mark. Concluding the previous year just one homer short of the Babe's lifetime mark of 714,
Aaron began the new season amidst a whirlwind of controversy.
It all began when the Braves owner Bill Bartholomay announced plans to sit Aaron out of the first
three games of the season in Cincinnati. He felt that the fans in Atlanta deserved to see the record and
Aaron agreed. However, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn did not agree. He ordered Braves manager Eddie
Mathews to play his star or face serious consequences. A roar went up from the capacity crowd of
52,154 at Riverfront Stadium when Aaron's name was announced in the starting lineup. As the first
pitch of the new season was thrown, the crowd sat back and hoped that they would be in on a part of
history. They didn't have to wait long. In the top of the first inning, on his first swing of the season,
Aaron hit a 3-1 fastball off Jack Billingham over the left field fence for home run #714. He had tied
the Babe. Unable to break the mark in his remaining at bats, Hank would have to wait another day.
But his manager had other plans for him. In defiance of Commissioner Kuhn's edict, Mathews sat
Aaron out of game two of the series. When the commissioner threatened him with a fine and
suspension if Aaron didn't play in game three, Mathews inserted his super-star into the lineup for the
final game of the series. When Aaron went hitless, the stage was set for opening night in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, the Padres opened up their season on the road for the first time in their short history, on
April 5, 1974. The Dodgers, led by Don Sutton, routed San Diego by a score of 8-0 before a crowd of
31,566, including Padre owner Ray Kroc. The Padres starting lineup was; LF Bobby Tolan, 2B Glenn
Beckert, LF John Grubb, 1B Willie McCovey, LF Nate Colbert, C Fred Kendall, 3B Dave Hilton, SS
Enzo Hernandez, and P Bill Greif.
The next night, Dodger left-hander Tommy John shut them out again 8-0. Dave Winfield and Nate
Colbert collided in left-center field and Winfield had to be taken to the hospital for x-rays. When the
Dodgers blasted the Padres 9-2 to sweep the opening series, there were some early concerns. The
starting pitchers had been embarrassed, Nate Colbert was having his problems in the outfield, and Dave
Winfield would be out of action for 10-12 days. But the team was coming home and a record crowd
was anticipated. Things had to get better.
The Dodgers headed for Atlanta and a date with destiny. Fulton County Stadium was alive with
excitement. A capacity crowd of 53,775 and a national television audience in the millions was hoping
to watch baseball history be made. The question was not would Hank Aaron break Babe Ruth's record,
but when he would do it. Everyone was hoping it would be this night, April 8, 1974. Once again,
Aaron did not disappoint. In the fourth inning against Dodger lefty Al Downing, he connected and sent
the ball sailing into the Braves bullpen where it was caught by reliever Tom House. He had done it.
Home run #715 put him at the top. Hank Aaron was now the most prolific home run hitter in the game
of baseball.
Back in San Diego, a record crowd of 39,083 watched the Padres open their sixth season at home
against the Houston Astros. Mayor Pete Wilson, who was so instrumental in keeping the team in San
Diego, threw out the first ball and when Ray Kroc was introduced, the crowd gave him a standing
ovation. It was their way of saying "Thanks Ray" for saving baseball in San Diego.
The game was another disaster. Steve Arlin became the fourth starter to get bombed, going only
one inning and allowing 5 runs and 6 hits. By the eighth inning, the score was 9-2, and the Padres were
six outs away from an 0-4 start. Ray Kroc chose that moment to enter the press-box and ask the public
address announcer John DeMott, to let him speak to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Kroc
extolled, "I suffer with you." At that precise moment, a man dressed only in the mischief on his face,
jumped from the left field stands and sprinted towards the middle of the infield. As the crowd laughed,
the streaker kicked his heels and did a half twist behind second base. He then raced towards the right
field stands, leaped over a railing, and ran up an aisle with a battery of security guards chasing him.
Kroc was later to admit that the sight of the streaker riled him just a bit. As the man was performing
his antics, the Padre owner yelled over the loudspeaker, "Get that streaker out of here. Throw him in
jail!" Once the man disappeared, Kroc continued the speech he had begun earlier. "I have good news
and bad news.” The good news was that the first night attendance was larger than in L.A. The bad
news, "I've never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life!"
The reaction to his words was mixed. The fans seemed to agree with him, but the players were quite
miffed. Willie McCovey said he had never heard anything like that in his 19 year career. Astro
infielder Doug Rader was quoted as saying, "He's not talking to a bunch of short-order cooks."
Teammate Denis Menke vowed to call Marvin Miller, head of the Player's Association. Kroc's wife
Joan even chastised her husband for his remarks. It seemed to shake the team up momentarily. They
scored three runs in the 8th, but ended up losing their fourth straight game of the season, 9-5.
The next day, Commissioner Kuhn and Marvin Miller demanded that Kroc apologize to the team.
He did and then he flew to Florida to be with his wife, who was ill. Chub Feeney, National League
President, seized the opportunity to issue a new directive. From this day on, only the public address
announcer would be authorized to speak on the stadium microphone.
Anyway, it was all just a momentary distraction for what was quickly becoming the worst start ever
for the Padres. After losing their home opener, they were swept by the Astros, losing by identical
scores of 9-1. Through the first six games of the new season, the Padres were 0-6 and had been outscored 52-9. They finally won a game and finished the month of April by winning seven out of eight
for a 10-14 record.
When Winfield was able to play, he was inserted in left field and Colbert, who was hitting an
anemic .186, was benched. Glenn Beckert had his foot put in a cast and pitchers Joe McIntosh (0-4)
and Ralph Garcia (7.20 ERA) were sent to Hawaii. Rookies Larry Hardy and Dave Freisleben were
brought up to replace them. In his first two major league outings, Freisleben pitched back-to-back 4hitters, beating the Phillies 6-2, and then the Expos 4-2. When the young right-hander won his third
straight game, it was the teams’ fifth victory in a row and their 11th in 14 games. They vacated the
cellar and were only five and a half games out of first.
Unaccustomed to such lofty heights, they proceeded to lose two straight to the Dodgers in Los
Angeles, including a one-hitter thrown by Don Sutton. The team then headed back to San Diego to
begin what was advertised as the "biggest" series in Padre history against the league leading Dodgers.
When it was over, the Padres were back in the cellar, nine and a half games out, having been swept. In
game one, Jimmy Wynn hit three homeruns to power the Dodgers to a 9-6 victory. In game two, the
Padres erased a 9-2 deficit with a 6-run seventh inning to send the game into extra innings. The
Dodgers then scored six runs in the 13th inning to win 15-9. Game three saw Willie McCovey and
Dave Roberts hit their first homeruns of the season in a losing effort. They ended the short homestand
0-8.
If there was a silver lining to the debacle, it was the attendance. The four games against the
Dodgers drew in excess of 90,000 fans and total attendance for the year was up more than 150,000
from 1973. This in a little over a month into the season. All of a sudden San Diego Stadium was the
place to be, and the entertainment wasn't confined to the playing field.
Two energetic Marines who had began serenading the fans with their music last season were quickly
becoming a hit with the big crowds. Calling themselves "McNamara's Band", in honor of the Padre
skipper, tuba man Jim Eakle, who wore a straw hat and a Padre jersey with the number 44 on it, and
base drummer Dennis Thomasson, were joined by a variety of characters that provided the fans with
some hand-clapping, foot-stomping entertainment that made the stadium come alive. By mid season,
the entourage included, at various times, Bell Lady, Uncle Joe, Pom Pon Ladies in hot pants, Flute
Lady, Sign Lady, and later, Sign Man. The latter had a collection of some 26 signs that he would
display at appropriate times during the game. Signs such as AW SCHLITZ, ITS A HIT, and BOOOOO
HISSSSS delighted the crowds. The band would arrive from the bowels of the stadium playing their
hand-clapping beat and march up and down the aisles to the cheers of the crowd. They would stay in
the parking lot long after the ball players had departed. Next to Ray Kroc, Jim Eakle was the most
popular person in San Diego.
As the month of May pressed onward, both Nate Colbert and Willie McCovey began to hit. Colbert
hit a grand-slam homer to win a ball game and McCovey connected for his 15th career grand-slam at
Candlestick Park to help beat his old mates 16-7. The Padres lost a game to the Reds 12-4 in front of
44,504, the largest crowd ever at the stadium, and two nights later, Pirate pitcher Ken Brett entered the
9th inning with a perfect game, only to see it broken up by catcher Fred Kendall's lead-off single. The
Padres record in May was a dismal 8-22.
Dave Roberts, who was hitting .183, was benched in favor of John Grubb. For Grubb, it was the first
time in his career he had played third base. Glenn Beckert was activated off the disabled list and then
put back on when his foot continued to bother him. While he was out, Beckert provided color
commentary in the radio booth alongside Jerry Coleman and Bob Chandler. In an effort to bolster
several weak spots, the Padres acquired pitcher Lowell Palmer and second baseman Horace Clarke
from the Yankees.
In the June free agent draft, the Padres again had the number one pick. With it they chose Brown
University short-stop Bill Almon. Almon had been drafted by the Padres in 1971, but chose to go on to
college instead.
The 1974 season had its share of rousing comebacks by the Padres. In April, they scored five runs
in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Phillies 5-4. But the one they made on June 9 had to rank as
one of the all-time greats. Playing the Pirates at the stadium, the Padres went into the bottom of the 8th
inning down 8-0. When Clarence Gaston hit a 3-run homer to help cut into the Pirate lead, San Diego
entered the last inning down 8-4. Dave Winfield opened the 9th with a homerun to cut the gap to 8-5.
Dave Giusti relieved Ramon Hernandez and, with one out, walked Nate Colbert and Gaston. Exit
Giusti and enter Kent Tekulve. Fred Kendall greeted Tekulve with a single to load the bases. When
Dave Roberts grounder forced Colbert at the plate for the second out, it didn't look good. But the
never-say-die Padres battled on. Derrel Thomas pinch hit a single to make the score 8-6, and when
Bob Barton pinch hit another single to drive in two runs, the score was knotted at 8. Newcomer Horace
Clarke was next up and on a 2-2 pitch, he lined a single to center to win the game. The crowd, what
few had stayed, went wild.
In the month of June, the Padres had their best record ever, 17-11. Dave Freisleben (6-3) was
pitching well, as was reliever Larry Hardy (6-2). Randy Jones (4-12) was pitching in tough luck and
Bill Greif (3-10) was told he needed to relax out on the mound. Dan Spillner (4-2) pitched a one-hitter
to beat the Cubs 1-0. The only Chicago hit was a single by Rick Monday in the third inning. Steve
Arlin, once a promising young hurler, was traded to the Cleveland Indians. Arlin responded to the
move by saying that leaving San Diego was like "leaving jail". Veteran Matty Alou, who appeared in
only 48 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter, was released so he could sign with a Japanese team.
In honor of a statement made by Astro infielder Doug Rader regarding Kroc's opening night
statements, the Padres held a Short-Order Cook Night. All short-order cooks attending the game would
get in absolutely free. Houston third baseman Doug Rader got into the spirit of the event by delivering
the starting lineup at home plate wearing a tall chef's hat.
Another special night was held on July 12. To celebrate breaking the Padres single season
attendance mark (in July no less), Ray Kroc had a Cash Give Away Night. Twenty people were
selected to go down on the field after the game and scramble for $10,000 in play money that was
scattered on the infield lawn. They could then exchange the monopoly money for the real thing. One
fan nabbed $1,521. It was Mr. Kroc's way of saying "thanks" to the fans of San Diego.
On the night of July 16, the Padres staged another one of their stirring comebacks, this one against
the Phillies again. Down 4-1 in the bottom of the 9th inning, consecutive homeruns by Nate Colbert,
Willie McCovey, and Dave Winfield tied the score, and Bobby Tolan's single eventually won it 5-4.
The next night Tolan hit a pair of 3-run homers to help San Diego demolish the Phillies 15-1. In the
final game of the series, Padre pitchers were racked for 18 hits in an 8-5 loss. Tolan and Derrel
Thomas were both injured. Tolan's injury was the most serious. He tore ligaments in his knee and
would require surgery. He would probably be lost for the rest of the season. When he went down, he
was hitting .282, with eight homeruns and 38 RBI's. He too, would join Jerry and Bob in the radio
booth. Gene Locklear was recalled from Hawaii to replace him.
The All-Star Game was played in Pittsburgh, and for the llth time in the last 12 meetings, the
National League won, 7-2. Padre representative John Grubb popped up in his only appearance in the
7th inning. Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey, who was the only player selected to the game by a
write-in vote, was chosen the game's MVP.
The Western Division pennant race was heating up as the month of July drew to a close. The
Dodgers, once up by 10.5 games, saw their lead shrink to 3.5 by the onrushing Reds. The Padres,
hoping to have a say in who would eventually win it, were losing to both teams, and they were losing
big. In one game against the Reds, they lost 14-1, giving up ten walks and committing four errors.
Dodger scouts in the stands were upset with what they called the Padres AAA line-up. With Winfield,
Thomas, Tolan, and Colbert all nursing injuries, it basically was a AAA line-up they were putting on
the field. But the Dodgers didn't have anything to complain about. They played the Padres five times
in late July, and won all five by scores of 8-0, 15-4, 8-1, 2-1, and 11-0. They had beaten San Diego
twelve straight times dating back to last season and they had outscored them in 1974 by a 95-28
margin.
In August, Willie McCovey went on a tear, hitting seven homeruns in twelve games. One of the
round-trippers was a 450' blast off Steve Rogers of the Expos. Big Mac also broke the Padre record for
walks in one season.
Injuries continued to plague the club throughout the summer. Bob Barton was put on the disabled
list and Chris Cannizzaro, one time Padre catcher who was coaching for Houston's Denver farm team,
was signed to a contract. Derrel Thomas got hurt again and Dave Hilton was brought up from Hawaii
to fill in at second base, a position he was learning in the minors. Reliever Vicente Romo hurt his arm
just as he was about to be given a starting assignment, Willie McCovey missed a couple of days, and
Nate Colbert was hospitalized with a congested lung. Even tuba man Jim Eakle was roughed up a bit
in Los Angeles. A misunderstanding with Dodger security resulted in his being pushed to the concrete
pavement. His tuba escaped unscathed. The team was 6-20 in the month of August. Without Bobby
Tolan in the line-up, they were 7-28.
September was rookie call-up time. Brought up from Alexandria were outfielder Jerry Turner,
shortstop Bill Almon, and Mike Ivie (remember him?). Recalled from Hawaii were John Scott, Randy
Elliott, and Joe McIntosh.
On September 4, in the Houston Astrodome, it was déjà vu all over again for two ex-Padres.
Houston starter Don Wilson was pitching a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds through 8 innings, but
he was losing 2-1. When he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the home half of the 8th inning, the crowd
booed lustily. In the 9th, relieve Mike Cosgrove gave up a hit. The manager for the Astros? None
other than Preston Gomez. In the Reds dugout was former Padre, Clay Kirby, the same Clay Kirby that
Gomez removed in a similar situation in San Diego Stadium back in 1970.
On September 8, Randy Jones lost his 20th game, 3-2. To say he pitched in tough luck most of the
season would be an understatement. In seven of his losses, the Padres were shut out and in seven other
defeats, the team scored only one run for him. He was also tried as a reliever, mainly because there
was not a left hander in the bullpen. He was fairly effective coming out of the pen, but his future with
the team would be as a starter.
On September 18, the Padres beat the Reds 6-5 in front of 33,237 fans. The big crowd put the team
over the one
million mark in attendance (1,004,573), for the first time in their history. Ray Kroc celebrated the
occasion by giving away 5 new cars and 20 televisions.
In the final home game of the season, the Padres lost to the Dodgers for the 16th time in 18
meetings. It was also the team's 100th defeat of the season. Andy Messersmith won his 20th game,
and the victory clinched a divisional tie for the Dodgers. Three days later the Dodgers clinched their
first championship. The fan appreciation night crowd of 41,055 was the second largest crowd ever in
Padre history and it gave the team a final attendance figure of 1,075,399, up almost 500,000 from 1973.
The Padres finished the year with a record of 60-102, the same as in 1973. Before Bobby Tolan
went down with a knee injury, they had played well, posting a record of 42-56. Playing without Tolan
until late in September, their record was 18-46. They scored the fewest runs in the majors for the
fourth year in a row. The team batting average of .229 was the lowest in baseball and the team ERA of
4.61 was the highest in the majors. Their head-to-head record against Atlanta and Los Angeles was
horrendous. Against the Dodgers, they were 2-16 and were outscored 124-44. Against Atlanta they
were 1-17, including the last 15 in a row, and the Braves outscored them 100-38.
In the NLCS, Los Angeles beat the Pirates 3 games to 1, and in the ALCS, Oakland beat the Orioles
3 games to 1. The
1974 World Series saw the A's win their third straight title by whipping the Dodgers 4 games to 1.
Rollie Fingers was the star, relieving in all four Oakland wins.
The Padres stayed busy in the off-season. On November 6, John McNamara was rehired as
manager and two new coaches were hired. Dick Sisler, who was best remembered for the 3-run
homerun he hit on the last day of the 1950 season to propel the Whiz Kids into the World Series,
replaced Jack Bloomfield, who was dismissed. Tom Morgan was hired to replace Bill Posedel, who
retired. The 44 year old Morgan pitched in the majors for 12 seasons from 1951 to 1963, compiling a
record of 67-47 with the Yankees, Athletics, Tigers, Senators, and Angels. Jim Davenport and Whitey
Wietelmann were both re-signed for the 1975 season.
Two players who had been with the team since its beginning in 1969 were traded. First, Clarence
Gaston was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Danny Frisella. Cito had his best season in 1970
when he hit .318 and was selected to the All-Star team. He was going back to the organization that he
was originally drafted from by the Padres.
Next to go was Nate Colbert. The Padre slugger was traded to the Detroit Tigers for shortstop Ed
Brinkman, outfielder Dick Sharon, and pitcher Bob Strange. San Diego then sent Brinkman to St.Louis
for pitchers Rich Folkers, Sonny Siebert, and Alan Foster. For Colbert, it was the culmination of his
most disappointing season as a Padre. In and out of the lineup because of various injuries, he battled a
season long slump that saw him hit only .207 with 14 homeruns and 54 RBI's. For five years, Big Nate
was the franchise, but his relationship with the fans was platonic at best. He never really felt
appreciated in San Diego and when he was shifted to left field to accommodate Willie McCovey, he
felt as if he had been put out to pasture.
With Gaston and Colbert gone, there were now only two players from the original thirty that were
drafted in 1969, Fred Kendall and Mike Corkins.
On December 6, Derrel Thomas was traded to the San Francisco Giants for second baseman Tito
Fuentes and pitcher Butch Metzger. According to manager John McNamara, the off-season
acquisitions greatly improved the pitching staff and the middle of the infield. There certainly would be
plenty of new faces in 1975.
But the most pleasant change of all would be that, for the first time in their short history, the Padres
would not be worrying about a franchise move or figuring out how to put people in the stands. With
Ray Kroc firmly in control, over one million Padre fans would have a peaceful winter.