Boys of Summer - Documentary of the 1976 Padres

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The year was 1976, the United States celebrated its bicentennial, marking the 200th anniversary of its independence. Jimmy Carter was selected as the Democratic Party's nominee and elected to office over incumbent president Gerald Ford. Major League Baseball was in a resurgence. Expansion had gone to three cities in 1969, and two more the next year in 1977; and they were coming off a instant classic World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox.

In San Diego, the Padres were a fledgling team, just eight years in existence. They had just finished the 1975 season with a 71-91 record, their best in franchise history so far. This is the story of a ragtag group of veterans, and dynamic youngsters that came together for one magical season, giving the fans of San Diego a story they will never forget.

This, is the boys of summer.

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San Diego Padres Depth Chart - 1976

• Catcher
• Benny Martinez
• Randy Hundley

• First Base
• Floyd Valentine
• Mike Ivie

• Second Base
• Tito Fuentes
• Hector Torres

• Third Base
• Clark Holloway

• Shortstop
• Enzo Hernandez
• Bill Almon

• Left Field
• Jerry Turner
• Gene Locklear

• Center Field
• Billy Washington
• Johnny Grubb

• Right Field
• Dave Winfield

• Starting Pitcher
• Randy Jones
• James Tate
• A.J. Velazquez
• Brent Strom
• Joe McIntosh

• Relief Pitcher
• Keith Lawrence
• Danny Frisella
• Alan Foster
• Dave Tomlin
• Dan Spillner

• Closer
• Butch Metzger

[shanev]

Mike Smith, Channel 10 San Diego

Your San Diego Padres today reported to their spring training facility at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona. I spoke with manager John McNamara and he is excited about the chances for his ball team. "There's a lot of good energy this year from the veterans, and we have a few youngsters that I think can make a difference too. We'll see how things break in the next couple weeks, but I have a good feeling about this group."

That's the best part about spring training, every team is still a contender.

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James Tate, Hall of Fame pitcher

'When we came into camp that year, I remember thinking we were a pretty good team. We had me and Randy (Jones) in the rotation, and Billy (Washington) & Floyd (Valentine) in the lineup. I thought we could build on last year, maybe make a run at 500, and with some of the young guys like Winny (Dave Winfield), and Clark Holloway at third base, it seemed like we had a good chance to make that team a contender before I was old enough to retire.'

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April 5, 1976.

The San Diego Padres opened the season last night against the Los Angeles Dodgers and found themselves stymied by Dodgers starter Don Sutton in a 3-0 loss. James Tate pitched well for the Padres, allowing just two runs through 8 innings while striking out 10, but in the end the offense couldn't get him any support. The two teams will battle again tomorrow night.

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James Tate was born in Montgomery, Alabama in the winter of 1946, at a high water period of segregation in the Deep South. Ten years later a woman would become famous for refusing to give up her seat on the bus just a few miles down the road from the Tate household. But James wasn’t subject to that deep seeded racism for long, his parents would move the family to California in the summer of 1956. ‘We were fortunate our parents sheltered us from that as much as you can for your children,” said Tate, “I was able to grow up like most kids of that age, playing baseball and going to school and having fun.”

It was the summer of 1968 when the 21 year old Tate would be noticed by baseball scouts putting together an expansion team up the road in San Diego. “He was a relative unknown, he was pitching in independent leagues around the area, but a few of us had seen him. He had that pop on his fastball, like Ryan or Clemens, and he could throw a pretty good change.” Tate would join the Padres for their inaugural season, posting a 13-14 mark on a team that stumbled to a 52-110 record.

“He reminded me of Bobby Gibson,” said former San Diego manager Preston Gomez, “he had that lanky motion with that pop on his arm. I knew he had the potential to be something special.”