Fans got to enjoy a day full of interactive activities and player meet-and-greets at the annual Padres FanFest. NBC 7’s M.G. Perez reports.
The annual San Diego Padres FanFest event draws thousands of people to Petco Park for a day of fun on the field.
"This is the number one Padres fan, and a future Padre," said Lisa Ramirez, nodding toward her 3-year-old son, Angel, whom she held in one arm. In her other arm, she had her 6-month-old daughter, Adeline, who has already been to two Padres games.
At the crack of dawn on Saturday, the Ramirez family joined hundreds of other season ticket holders waiting in long lines to be among the first people in the gates for this year's FanFest. She has followed the team since she was a child.
“(We've gone) up and down (with the team)," Ramirez said. "We are die-hard fans. We’re here for the good and bad."
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The annual event, sponsored by the Padres, is free but required reservations and a code to enter. Gates opened at 9 a.m. Saturday for season ticket holders. An hour later, hundreds of additional fans with reservations were allowed in to the festival.
Once inside, much of the stadium was open to the public, including the team dugout where fans took photos with their cellphones. The field was cordoned off, allowing anyone to run the bases and "score" at home plate.
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Chris Noveno of Chula Vista let his young daughter, Lillian, run the field.
Noveno said, “I was on the fence about coming today. I asked her, 'Do you want to go to FanFest?' And she was like, 'yeah!'"
Later in the afternoon, fans were able to meet players and some of the Padre management team in a community forum. Manny Machado, the third baseman, took time to thank the fans for being there.
“I think I’m ready to go out there and put on a uniform right now and go play (for the fans). It’s special to see how much they support us," Machado said.
Petco Park has always been considered a field of dreams come true for players who made it to the baseball major leagues. Many of their devoted fans got their chance to feel the thrill of victory for a moment, being on the field instead of in the stands.
“My dad was a Padre fan before and still is to this day," Matthew Naslund of La Mesa said. "While they (the Padres) can be frustrating at times, I’ve grown up watching them, and it’s just an amazing team."
Ari Ibarra brought his mother to FanFest from their home in Otay Mesa. They are both lifelong fans.
"(Baseball) brings the whole community together. Once the Chargers left, baseball is all we had. Of course, with the whole ownership thing going on, I just hope the team perseveres," Ibarra said.
The team and the field are important to Ramirez, who reflected on a possibility for the future of her young son.
“My wildest dreams are for him to be a Padre (someday). For us to stay season ticket holders and come watch him at Petco," she said.
