San Diego Sports Curse - Results of The "curse" - San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres

As of 2011 the Padres are one of only two teams in Major League Baseball to win at least two league championships and never win the World Series (the other team being the Texas Rangers).

• As a side effect to the curse, the Padres are the only MLB team to have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter and are one of two teams to have never had a player hit for the cycle (the other team being the Miami Marlins). The Padres are the only MLB team with both of those distinctions.
• On July 21, 1970, the Padres' Clay Kirby pitched a no-hitter for eight innings. However, manager Preston Gómez decided to relieve Kirby and as a result, the Padres lost the no-hitter and the game.
• In 1984, the Padres appeared in their first World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Unfortunately for the Padres, the Tigers would win the series 4-1, with the Padres only winning Game 2; this is the only World Series win in Padres history to date. In Game 5, San Diego closer Goose Gossage talked manager Dick Williams into letting him pitch to Kirk Gibson. Gibson went on to hit a three-run home run into the upper deck of Tiger Stadium which led to the Tigers clinching the championship.
• In 1990, television producer Tom Werner bought the Padres from Joan Kroc. Werner made many controversial decisions during his ownership, such as inviting Roseanne Barr to perform the national anthem and numerous fire sales. He eventually sold the Padres to John Moores in 1994. In 2002, however, Werner became co-owner of the Boston Red Sox and saw success, as the team broke the Curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series in 2004 and followed it up with another championship in 2007.
• Pitcher Hideki Irabu spurned the Padres when they purchased his contract from the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1997. He desired instead to play for the New York Yankees, refusing to sign with the Padres. Ironically, in 1998, the Padres returned to the World Series, facing the Yankees. In Game 1, Padres pitcher Mark Langston threw what appeared to be a third strike against Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez in a 2-2 count, bases-loaded, two-out, tie-game situation. To the surprise of many in attendance, home plate umpire Rich Garcia called the pitch a ball, and Martinez hit the next pitch for a grand slam, putting the Yankees ahead in what would become a 9-5 win. In Game 3, the Padres led 3-2 going into the top of the eighth, but closer Trevor Hoffman gave up a three-run home run to eventual Series MVP Scott Brosius for the go-ahead score. The Padres lost that game 5-4 and eventually got swept in the series 4-0.
• In 2004, the Padres had the first pick in the draft, but instead of picking prospects such as Justin Verlander, Jeff Niemann, Stephen Drew, and Jered Weaver for financial reasons, they drafted Matt Bush who, notwithstanding his high draft position, turned out to be a bust. The Padres were heavily criticized for the decision.
• In 2005 and 2006, the Padres earned two consecutive National League West championships, only to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals both times in the National League Division Series. In 2006, the Cardinals went on to win the World Series.
• On April 25, 2007, Padres starting pitcher Jake Peavy was on the verge of tying Tom Seaver's consecutive strikeout record of 10 when umpire Jeff Kellogg missed Eric Byrnes' go-around on what would have been the third strike. Byrnes would eventually walk.
• In 2007, with two games left in the season, the Padres played their last series against the Milwaukee Brewers and were one out away from clinching the NL Wild Card, when the Brewers' Tony Gwynn, Jr. (the son of former Padres great Tony Gwynn), hit an RBI triple down the line off Trevor Hoffman, preventing the Padres from clinching the Wild Card. The Padres would also lose the last game of the season, forcing a tie-breaking game against the divisional rival Colorado Rockies. In the top of the 13th inning, Scott Hairston blasted a two-run home run, but Trevor Hoffman blew the save again in the bottom half of the inning and allowed the winning run on a controversial call by home plate umpire Tim McClelland. Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday appeared to have scored on a sacrifice fly by Jamey Carroll when Padres catcher Michael Barrett dropped the ball. However, replays were inconclusive as to whether Holliday ever touched the plate, and Barrett picked up the ball and tagged him afterwards. Regardless, McClelland's call stood, the Rockies won the game, and went on to win the National League Championship. The Padres have not returned to the playoffs since.
• In the 2010 season, the Padres were considered to be surprising contenders and led the division until August 25, when they went on a 10-game losing streak that helped the divisional rival San Francisco Giants close in on the division lead. Throughout the remainder of the season, the Padres and Giants were in a close pennant race, with the team that was in second place also competing with the Atlanta Braves for the Wild Card. However, on September 30, the Padres fell three games behind the Giants for the divisional lead and two games behind the Braves for the Wild Card, putting them on the brink of elimination with only three games to go in the season and the Giants being the opponent for those last three games. The Padres managed to win the first two games and tie for the Wild Card and close to one game behind for the division, thus having a chance to at least force a tiebreaker game. The Padres, though, lost the last game, giving the Giants the division, and with the Braves winning on the same day, the Padres were eliminated from playoff contention. To the chagrin of many Padres fans, the Giants, ironically under the leadership of former San Diego manager Bruce Bochy, went on to win the World Series (as well as another on in 2012), while in the off-season, Padres star Adrian Gonzalez was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
• In the 2011 season, a down season for the Padres, they had another no-hit bid spoiled late in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 9. Aaron Harang (in his first start returning from an injury), Josh Spence, Chad Qualls, Mike Adams, and Luke Gregerson combined on a no-hitter until the final out of the game, when noted Padre nemesis Juan Uribe doubled to end the no-hit bid and Dioner Navarro followed with a single to score the game's only run, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 win despite having been held hitless for 8 2/3 innings.
• In the 2012 season, another down season for the Padres, they once again had another no-hit bid spoiled late in the game against the Houston Astros on July 19th. Edison Volquez pitched a complete game one-hitter in a 1-0 victory with the only hit, a ground ball single off the bat of Matt Downs. Volquez otherwise had 5 strikeouts and earned the victory.