SAN DIEGO–The San Diego Padres kick off 2014 FanFest, presented by State Farm, on Saturday at Petco Park. The free event will include a complete schedule of clinics, forums and autograph signings.
Gates open to the general public at 10 a.m. Padres Platinum, Gold and Blue Members receive exclusive early access from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. with printable passes made available through their online account manager. Fans who are not Members can register at no cost at www.padres.com/fanfest for a special pass allowing them to enter at 9:30 a.m.
FanFest will run until 4 p.m. Free parking will be provided in four locations: the three surface lots along Imperial Ave. (southeast side of Petco Park) and the Padres Parkade (10th Ave at J St).
Approximately two dozen Padres players are scheduled to participate at FanFest, joined by alumni, broadcasters and members of the front office. Fans will have the opportunity to get autographs, tour the clubhouse, run the bases and catch fly balls in the outfield. Also featured will be a kids’ pitching clinic with Tyson Ross and a kids’ batting clinic with Yonder Alonso. The interactive Military and First Responder Zone at Park at the Park returns this year. Park at the Park will also feature the full KidsFest setup, including bounce houses, games, obstacle courses and face painting.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early at FanFest to get their first choice of autograph session vouchers and Garage Sale merchandise. The list of players tentatively scheduled to sign autographs includes Yonder Alonso, Joaquin Benoit, Kyle Blanks, Everth Cabrera, Andrew Cashner, Chris Denorfia, Robbie Erlin, Yasmani Grandal, Jedd Gyorko, Nick Hundley, Josh Johnson, Casey Kelly, Cory Luebke, Cameron Maybin, Tommy Medica, Xavier Nady, Carlos Quentin, Rene Rivera, Tyson Ross, Tim Stauffer, Huston Street, Eric Stults, Dale Thayer, Will Venable, Nick Vincent and Joe Wieland.
Fan favorite Eric Owens, whose gritty style of play inspired the replica dirty jersey t-shirt giveaway in 2000, returns to San Diego for FanFest. The former Padres outfielder (1999 and 2000) will sign autographs for fans at a special afternoon session.
Padres owners Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler, Padres executives Mike Dee, Josh Byrnes and AJ Hinch, manager Bud Black, players and broadcasters will take part in scheduled fan forums. The Padres’ flagship radio station, The Mighty 1090, will broadcast live from Petco Park for the duration of the event, with live player interviews scheduled throughout the day.
Fans are invited to visit the Jerry Coleman statue between 11 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to record their favorite story or special message about the beloved Coleman, which will be used during the 2014 season in tributes to the late broadcaster.
In addition, the Padres Foundation will host its annual Garage Sale inside the Park Blvd. gate. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase rare, one-of-a-kind Padres items, including game-used jerseys and batting helmets, with proceeds going to the Padres Foundation. The Padres Foundation prize wheel will make its 2014 debut at FanFest. For a suggested $5 donation, fans can spin the wheel and receive a Padres-themed prize, with proceeds benefitting the Foundation’s youth baseball and softball programs.
Social media headquarters for Fanfest will be located in Club 336 in left field. A different Padres player will be stopping by at the top of every hour to engage with fans through social platforms. Fans that have downloaded the MLB.com At the Ballpark application will receive a special padres.com giveaway when they provide proof of the app on their mobile device. The #SDFanFest conversation will be streamed live on TVs in the lounge. Fans will be able to see the full social coverage on padres.com/fanfest following the event.
Also at FanFest, candidates for Petco Park’s next public address announcer will showcase their skills live. Fans will then be invited to participate in the search process through an online vote at padres.com and on social media.
In addition, fans will have the opportunity to purchase Padres Packs on-site at #SDFanFest near the visitors’ dugout. The packs, with options for three, six or nine games, will be available in three levels of the seating bowl, with prices starting at $59. Fans will not have to commit to their choice of games right away. Instead, they will receive digital vouchers loaded to their Membership card (or MLB.com At the Ballpark mobile application) that can be redeemed for the game of their choosing (with the exception of Opening Night March 30 and Opening Day April 1). At the time of redemption the fan will secure the best remaining seats in the designated area of their purchase.
