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San Diego Padres: Franchise History Trivia

1. In what year did the San Diego Padres join Major League Baseball as an expansion team?

• A) 1962
• B) 1969
• C) 1972
• D) 1977

Correct Answer: B) 1969

The Story Behind the Stat: The Padres entered the league during the 1969 expansion, which also introduced the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, and Seattle Pilots.

2. Which legendary hitter spent his entire 20-year career with the Padres, racking up 3,141 hits?

• A) Dave Winfield
• B) Steve Garvey
• C) Tony Gwynn
• D) Garry Templeton

Correct Answer: C) Tony Gwynn

The Story Behind the Stat: Known as "Mr. Padre," Gwynn is widely considered one of the best pure hitters in baseball history, finishing with a career .338 batting average.

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3. Who was the first San Diego Padre to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Padres cap on his plaque?

• A) Trevor Hoffman
• B) Dave Winfield
• C) Tony Gwynn
• D) Gaylord Perry

Correct Answer: B) Dave Winfield

The Story Behind the Stat: Winfield was inducted in 2001. While Tony Gwynn followed in 2007, Winfield was the first to officially represent the franchise in Cooperstown.

4. Against which team did the Padres play in their first-ever World Series appearance in 1984?

• A) New York Yankees
• B) Detroit Tigers
• C) Boston Red Sox
• D) Toronto Blue Jays

Correct Answer: B) Detroit Tigers

The Story Behind the Stat: The 1984 Tigers were a juggernaut, starting the season 35-5. The Padres fell in five games despite a valiant effort.

5. Which Padres pitcher holds the franchise record for the most career saves with 552?

• A) Rollie Fingers
• B) Goose Gossage
• C) Trevor Hoffman
• D) Heath Bell

Correct Answer: C) Trevor Hoffman

The Story Behind the Stat: Hoffman’s entrance to AC/DC’s "Hells Bells" became a legendary tradition at Jack Murphy and Petco Park.

6. Who is the only Padre to win the National League MVP award?

• A) Tony Gwynn
• B) Ken Caminiti
• C) Manny Machado
• D) Adrian Gonzalez

Correct Answer: B) Ken Caminiti

The Story Behind the Stat: Caminiti won the award unanimously in 1996 after hitting .326 with 40 home runs and 130 RBIs.

7. In 2021, which pitcher threw the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres franchise history?

• A) Blake Snell
• B) Yu Darvish
• C) Joe Musgrove
• D) Chris Paddack

Correct Answer: C) Joe Musgrove

The Story Behind the Stat: A San Diego native, Musgrove ended the longest no-hitter drought in MLB history (8,206 games) against the Texas Rangers.

8. Which manager led the Padres to the 1998 World Series?

• A) Dick Williams
• B) Bruce Bochy
• C) Bud Black
• D) Andy Green

Correct Answer: B) Bruce Bochy

The Story Behind the Stat: Bochy is the winningest manager in franchise history, totaling 951 wins over 12 seasons.

9. What was the name of the Padres' home stadium before they moved to Petco Park in 2004?

• A) Jack Murphy Stadium
• B) Balboa Stadium
• C) Sports Arena
• D) Lane Field

Correct Answer: A) Jack Murphy Stadium

The Story Behind the Stat: Also known as Qualcomm Stadium, it was a multi-purpose venue shared with the San Diego Chargers.

10. How many National League Batting Titles did Tony Gwynn win during his career?

• A) 4
• B) 6
• C) 8
• D) 10

Correct Answer: C) 8

The Story Behind the Stat: Gwynn is tied with Honus Wagner for the most batting titles in National League history.

11. Which Padres player holds the single-season franchise record for home runs with 50?

• A) Greg Vaughn
• B) Ken Caminiti
• C) Phil Nevin
• D) Fernando Tatis Jr.

Correct Answer: A) Greg Vaughn

The Story Behind the Stat: Vaughn reached the 50-HR milestone during the magical 1998 season, helping propel the team to the NL Pennant.

12. In the 1984 NLCS, the Padres made a historic comeback against which team to reach the World Series?

• A) Chicago Cubs
• B) Los Angeles Dodgers
• C) St. Louis Cardinals
• D) New York Mets

Correct Answer: A) Chicago Cubs

The Story Behind the Stat: After losing the first two games in Chicago, the Padres won three straight in San Diego to clinch their first pennant.

13. Who was the first Padres pitcher to win the Cy Young Award?

• A) Randy Jones
• B) Gaylord Perry
• C) Mark Davis
• D) Jake Peavy

Correct Answer: A) Randy Jones

The Story Behind the Stat: Jones won the award in 1976 after leading the league with 22 wins and 25 complete games.

14. Which iconic mascot, though not officially owned by the team, became synonymous with Padres baseball in the 1970s and 80s?

• A) The Friar
• B) The San Diego Chicken
• C) Swinging Friar
• D) Orbit

Correct Answer: B) The San Diego Chicken

The Story Behind the Stat: Originally a radio station promotion (KGB-FM), Ted Giannoulas's "Chicken" became a global pop culture phenomenon.

15. Which player won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1987 after a 34-game hitting streak?

• A) Roberto Alomar
• B) Benito Santiago
• C) Ozzie Smith
• D) Bip Roberts

Correct Answer: B) Benito Santiago

The Story Behind the Stat: Santiago’s 34-game streak remains a Major League record for a rookie and for a catcher.

16. What is the nickname given to the Padres' 2020 season feat of hitting grand slams in four consecutive games?

• A) Friar Power
• B) Slam Diego
• C) The Bash Brothers
• D) Mission Bay Bombers

Correct Answer: B) Slam Diego

The Story Behind the Stat: Fernando Tatis Jr., Wil Myers, Manny Machado, and Eric Hosmer all homered with the bases loaded in four straight games.

17. Which Padres closer was the first in MLB history to reach 600 career saves?

• A) Mariano Rivera
• B) Trevor Hoffman
• C) Lee Smith
• D) Billy Wagner

Correct Answer: B) Trevor Hoffman

The Story Behind the Stat: Hoffman reached the 600-save milestone in 2010 while playing for the Brewers, but the vast majority (552) were earned in San Diego.

18. Who was the owner of the Padres who famously took over the PA system in 1974 to apologize for the team's poor play?

• A) C. Arnholt Smith
• B) Ray Kroc
• C) Joan Kroc
• D) John Moores

Correct Answer: B) Ray Kroc

The Story Behind the Stat: The McDonald's founder grabbed the microphone during the 1974 home opener and shouted, "I’ve never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life!"

19. In 1992, the Padres hosted the MLB All-Star Game. Which Padre won the All-Star Game MVP that year?

• A) Tony Gwynn
• B) Gary Sheffield
• C) Fred McGriff
• D) Tony Fernandez

Correct Answer: C) Fred McGriff

The Story Behind the Stat: "The Crime Dog" went 2-for-3 with a home run to help the National League, though the AL ultimately won the game.

20. Which Padres pitcher won the Triple Crown of pitching (leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts) in 2007?

• A) Jake Peavy
• B) Chris Young
• C) Greg Maddux
• D) David Wells

Correct Answer: A) Jake Peavy

The Story Behind the Stat: Peavy’s 2007 season was one of the most dominant in franchise history, earning him a unanimous Cy Young Award.