Padres diehards prep for 'Tony Gwynn Opening Day'

SAN DIEGO -- Opening Day in San Diego is special. The streets in the Gaslamp shut down. The ballpark buzzes. The entire city celebrates.

But for a portion of Padres fans, and for Mr. Padre himself, there's always been a bigger draw to what comes next -- that return to normalcy, that love of baseball without the frills, that embrace of the grind.

That’s "Tony Gwynn Opening Day."

For years, Padres fans have referred to the second home game of the season as "Tony Gwynn Opening Day," citing Gwynn's affinity for the occasion. During his 20 seasons, the late Padres legend regularly noted that the second game was when the true fans showed up to the ballpark -- when the baseball season began to feel like, well, a baseball season.

"Tony Gwynn Opening Day" is not a formal event. It’s not officially recognized by the club. More than anything, it’s a vibe. Gwynn’s son, Tony Jr., an eight-year big league outfielder and now a Padres radio broadcaster, can relate.

"Opening Day happens, everybody's really excited, everybody fills the stadium up, comes through the turnstiles -- it's an event," said Tony Jr. "But that following day -- and I don't know that he felt like this early in his career, but certainly by the time I was of age to have this type of conversation with him -- I think by that time, he started to feel like that was where the true Padres fanbase was.

"That was the first thing. The second thing is, for a guy who liked a routine and consistency, Opening Day is probably the worst day for that. There's so much stuff going on; it's just not normal. ... That second day is when everything kind of returns to normal."

This was no knock on Opening Day, Tony Jr. says. Just a preference his father held -- and a preference embraced by many Padres fans.

Five years ago, Jodi Paranal wrote the blog "Attending the Tony Gwynn Opener has become my favorite tradition" for the site Gaslamp Ball.

"As exciting as the home opener always is, it can be a bit overwhelming," Paranal wrote in a message. "I find that the second game really does give me the same sense of excitement but with a slightly smaller crowd, which allows me to enjoy the game more.

"It's a bit silly," Paranal added. "But knowing that Tony held such appreciation for that game -- and the people who attended it -- makes me feel good. Like I'm making him proud."

As a kid, Tony Jr. heard his father talk about his reverence for that second game of the season. When his own career began, he didn't feel the same at first.

"When you're young, your first couple of years, you love everything about Opening Day," Gwynn Jr. said. "The first time you hear your name announced, get to trot out on that line -- there's nothing like it. You enjoy that in the early portion of your career.

"But at some point, it becomes about the game. You enjoy the festivities, but as you get older, you realize that the best version of you is being able to go through your routine and enjoy your routine. Opening Day just doesn't allow for it. As I got into my career, got through the early portion of it, Day 2 was a breath of fresh air."

Tony Jr. noted that things are changing. Opening Day in San Diego is increasingly for the diehards. The Padres routinely sell out their home games, and the support from the fanbase is evident nightly at Petco Park.

But in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, the disparity in the crowd from Day 1 to Day 2 could be jarring. If those fans could pack Jack Murphy Stadium on Opening Day, Gwynn must’ve thought, where were they for the rest of the season?

In any case, Gwynn may have been on to something with his love of Game 2. He played on "Tony Gwynn Opening Day" -- the Padres' second home game of the season -- 16 times in his Hall of Fame career. He batted .406.

Then again, for all the bells and whistles of Opening Day, his .373 average in Padres home openers wasn't too shabby either.

Which makes one thing clear: No matter the day, no matter the circumstances, man, Tony Gwynn could hit.