1984 San Diego Padres Season

1984 San Diego Padres Season

Team owner Ray Kroc died of heart disease on January 14. Ownership of the team passed to his wife, Joan B. Kroc. The team would wear Ray's initials, "RAK" on their jersey's left sleeve during the entire season.

The Padres started the season 18–11 before losing seven in a row. They finished the season with a 92-70 record, winning the NL the National League West division by 12 games despite having no players with 100-RBI and only two batters with 20-HR. They were managed by Dick Williams and had an offense that featured veterans Steve Garvey, Garry Templeton, Graig Nettles, Alan Wiggins as well as future Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn, who captured his first his eight National League batting championships that year. The Padres pitching staff in 1984 featured Eric Show (15-9), Ed Whitson (14-8), Mark Thurmond (14-8), Tim Lollar (11-13), and Goose Gossage as their closer (10-6, 2.90 ERA and 25 saves).

Though he wasn't even in the line-up for the day's game against the Atlanta Braves, Kurt Bevacqua became the centerpiece of an August 12 brawl. Braves pitcher Pascual Perez hit Alan Wiggins with the very first pitch of the game. Padres pitcher Ed Whitson responded by pitching inside to Perez when he came to bat in the second inning. Home plate umpire Steve Rippley warned Whitson, but Whitson threw at him again in the fourth, regardless, causing both benches to clear and Whitson and Padres manager Dick Williams to get ejected. Eventually, Perez was hit by a pitch from Craig Lefferts, causing benches to again clear. The final brawl of the evening occurred in the ninth, when Graig Nettles, who'd homered in his previous at-bat, was hit by Donnie Moore leading off the inning. In total, both managers, both replacement managers, four pitchers and five position players were ejected from the game. After the ninth inning melee, a fan at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium threw a beer at Bevacqua, causing Bevacqua to go into the stands after the fan. He was restained by security guards.