Tombstone
Born: 1979 – California League expansion franchise
Moved: November 1979 (Redwood Pioneers)
First Game: April 12, 1979 (L 5-3 against Lodi Dodgers)
Last Game: August 31, 1979 (L 12-9 vs. Stockton Ports)
California League Championships: None
Stadia
1979: Washington Park (1,200)11979 San Jose Missions Program
1979: San Jose Municipal Stadium (5,042)21979 San Jose Missions Program
Ownership & Affiliation
Owner: Thomas Leonard
Major League Affiliation: Co-Op
Attendance
Background
In the spring of 1979, the Class A California League expanded by two teams. The league eagerly expanded to San Jose, where experienced operator Joe Gagliardi was prepared to become the league’s 9th franchise. Finding a 10th club to balance the schedule proved difficult. Gagliardi persuaded an acquaintance, Vallejo cardiologist Dr. Thomas Leonard, to back an expansion club. But Leonard could find neither a Major League parent club to provide players nor a suitable ballpark to call home.
Leonard eventually ended up with bad situations on both fronts.
After failing to land a Player Development Contract with a Major League club at the 1979 winter meetings, Leonard’s team became a dreaded “co-op” team, accepting leftover, low-priority players from six different teams. The California Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A’s, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres loaned players. The Padres also lended their name although Dr. Leonard’s team was not formally a Padres farm club and notably did not use the Padres team colors (more on that below).
After striking out in Santa Rose and Vallejo, Leonard settled on Santa Clara to host the team. But the city’s ancient Washington Park was only available for 20 home dates in 1979. Leonard’s team would have to play most of its “home” schedule at San Jose Municipal Stadium, the home park of Gagliardi’s San Jose Missions club. The team didn’t have a single home date in Santa Clara in June or July. The front office staff of the Missions administered the operations of the club.
The “Bad News Padres”
Shortly after the Santa Clara Padres lost 21 of their first 22 games in the spring of 1979, the Los Angeles Times (5/22/1979) ran a lengthy feature on the team’s travails by columnist Scott Ostler. Ostler dubbed the team the “Bad News Padres” and had particular fun with the club’s bright red, green & white uniforms. The color scheme was reportedly intended to represent Santa Clara’s Italian, Mexican and Portuguese communities, all of whom have a red, green & white national flag. 23-year old pitcher Mark Wulfemeyer had a different take:
“The problem is no one wants to be here. Everyone is a little bitter. The uniforms are ridiculous. It’s like a circus,” Wulfemeyer told Ostler (Los Angeles Times 5/22/1979). “If you had a nigthmare that your career was ending, this would be the place you’d end it.”
The End
After the 1979 season, Padres owner Thomas Leonard moved the club to Rohnert Park, California where it became known as the Redwood Pioneers in 1980. Leonard, interviewed by Rich Mellott of The Santa Rose Press-Democrat (10/7/1979) on the eve of the move struck a philosophical tone about his first summer in pro baseball:
“I guess if you thought about (owning a professional team) would be somebody’s boyhood dream. I have to say it wasn’t mine, but I’m the guy who got it.”
Two members of the 1979 Santa Clara Padres eventually went on to play in the Major Leagues. Pitcher John Hobbs appeared in four games for the 1981 Minnesota Twins as a September call-up. Catcher Ron Tingley played for six Major League teams between 1982 and 1995. Tingley was the last active player from the 1979 Santa Clara club when his career ended in 1995.
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