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30 Teams in 30 Posts: #20

I'm ranking all 30 of the MLB teams in order of how much I like them at this moment in time.  As with most countdowns, I'm starting with the worst (Cardinals) and I'll eventually end up with the best (Reds).  The real question now is:  Where will the other MLB teams land in my countdown?

The Marlins rounded out the bottom third of the MLB teams as ranked by me.  Now we move into the middle third, a group that starts off with a bunch of teams that are sort of "meh" to me but then ends with some teams that I kind of actually like.  Before you know it, we'll be into the Top 10!

#20:  San Diego Padres
image source:  https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SDP/1980.shtml

If I had done a similar list to this one a decade or two ago, the Padres probably would have been in the Top 10.  I always like Tony Gwynn and the Padres themselves were almost always a "harmless" team to my Reds.  In fact, on the Reds' west coast trips, it was usually the series against the Padres where the Reds might have squeaked out a win or two.  The Giants and Dodgers always seemed to have Cincinnati's number, but not the Padres!  I don't have the same love or admiration for the Padres these days, but they remain safely "neutral" in terms of teams I like versus dislike.  Basically, they are the Switzerland of baseball teams.

I also like San Diego for their goofy chicken mascot.  I think the Phillie Phanatic is still better, but you west coasters will simply say that's my east coast bias talking.  I also love the old Friar logo of the Padres, they should bring that back more often!

Finally, San Diego gets some credit for being just about perfect weather wise.  I've been to San Diego exactly one time in my life (but I did get to catch a ballgame there at least at the old Petco Park - at least, I think that was the name of the park at the time).  Anyhow, I enjoyed my brief time in the city and the weather was lovely. 

All things considered, one could do a lot worse than root for (or visit) San Diego, that's all I'm saying here.

My list of favorite MLB teams (from worst to first):
#30:  St. Louis Cardinals
#29:  New York Yankees
#28:  San Francisco Giants
#27:  Washington Nationals
#26:  Boston Red Sox
#25:  Chicago Cubs
#24:  Atlanta Braves
#23:  Los Angeles Dodgers
#22:  Milwaukee Brewers
#21:  Miami Marlins
#20:  San Diego Padres
to be continued...

Comments

  1. I think the Padres would have been in m Top 10, but I have a thing for smaller market teams and San Diego in general.

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  2. Padres are #2 on my list ;)

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  3. Go Padres! Petco Park is the current stadium. Before that was Qualcomm, which had been renamed from Jack Murphy Stadium.

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  4. Ah, ok. It must have been Qualcomm that I was at. I don't really remember anything overly unique about the stadium - nothing particularly good or bad (kind of like how I view the Padres overall right now)!

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