» August 5, 1921: The first radio broadcast of a ML game is heard over KDKA in Pittsburgh when Harold Arlin announces the Pirates-Phils game. The Pirates score three runs in the 8th inning, beating the Phils 8–5. Arlin broadcast the first football game between Pittsburgh and West Virginia. His grandson Steve Arlin will pitch for the future San Diego Padres.
» April 5, 1953:
In the 6th inning of a PCL game against Hollywood,
San Diego Padres OF Herb Gorman suffers a heart attack
and dies on the way to the hospital.
» April 8, 1969: Expansion teams Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Pilots make things look easy by winning their first regular-season games. The Expos win by scoring 11 runs against the Mets to win 11–10. Pitcher Dan McGinn cracks the Expos first homer to help keep the Mets winless for openers. The host Royals edge the Twins in 12 innings, 4–3.
» September 28, 1976: Cincy's Big Red Machine notches its 100th win, a 5–4 victory over the San Diego Padres. Jack Billingham (12–10) is the winner. Randy Jones takes the loss but sets a National League record with 112 errorless chances. The major-league record is held Frank Owen of the 1904 White Sox, who did not commit an error in 151 chances (121 assists, 30 PO). Jones finishes the year with 12 DPs, tying the NL record. He also finishes with the NL lead in wins (22), games started (40) and completed (25), IP (315.1) and hits allowed.
» December 14, 1976: Relief specialist Rollie Fingers signs with the San Diego Padres.
» April 19, 1979:
Starter Vide Blue allows ten runs against the San Diego Padres but is still the winning pitcher in the 14-10 game. Nine of the runs are earned. It is the most runs allowed in a win since Bob Friend allowed 10 runs, all earned, in 1954.
» August 4, 1980:
The Reds score eight runs in the 7th enroute to a 11–2 win over the San Diego Padres.
» October 5, 1980:
Jerry Coleman is fired as manager of the last-place San Diego Padres. He will return to the club's broadcasting booth, where he had spent the previous eight seasons, and will be replaced by former Senators slugger Frank Howard.
» December 21, 1982: Free-agent 1B Steve Garvey signs a 5-year contract with the San Diego Padres.
» January 12, 1984: Rich Gossage signs with the San Diego Padres.
» October 21, 1994: The Chicago Cubs name Jim Riggleman as manager and the San Diego Padres name Bruce Bochy as manager.
» April 22, 1997: After four months of on-and-off negotiations, the Yankees acquire the rights to Japanese P Hideki Irabu from the San Diego Padres for $3 million. New York sends injured OF Ruben Rivera and minor leaguer P Rafael Medina to San Diego. The Padres sweeten the deal by sending three minor leaguers to NY: 2B Homer Bush and outfielders Gordon Amerson and Vernon Maxwell. Irabu's team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, gave the San Diego exclusive rights to the 27-year-old righthander, but Irabu refused to sign with the Padres, saying he would only go with the Yankees.
» May 22, 1997:
San Diego P Joey Hamilton homers and Tony Gwynn has three hits off Hideo Nomo as the San Diego Padres top the Dodgers, 4-1. It is the Pads' seventh straight win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gwynn, whose wife, Alicia, is being sued by Nomo, goes 3-for-4 to raise his average to .387. Nomo sued Alicia Gwynn last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming the unauthorized use of his name and picture in a jigsaw puzzle.
» June 29, 1997:
Dodger pitcher Pedro Astacio wins for the first time in 11 starts and Eric Karros knocks in four runs as Los Angeles beats the San Diego Padres, 10–4. It is LA's first win in 11 games with the Pads. Danny Jackson loses and is now 0–4 since the Padres acquired him for Fernando Valenzuela.
» August 12, 1997:
Rickey Henderson leads off the 7th with his 250th career homer and Greg Vaughn adds a two-run double in the inning as the San Diego Padres rally to beat the Montreal Expos, 6-4.
» May 17, 2001: Desi Relaford of the New York Mets became the third position player this year to take the mound as he pitches the ninth inning of a 15-3 blowout by the San Diego Padres. Relaford displays a 91-mph fastball as he fires a perfect inning. Starter Steve Trachsel takes the loss and sets a club record by serving up four homers (to Alex Arias, Rickey Henderson, Ryan Klesko, and Bubba Trammell) in the 3rd inning. The Pads set a team record with 11 extra base hits.
» February 15, 2002: San Diego Padres OF Mike Darr is killed in an early morning accident when his car rolls over in Phoenix near the team's spring training camp. Surviving is pitcher Ben Howard, who was sitting in the back seat wearing a seatbelt.