SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A beautiful night at Petco Park is something that happens regularly, but Tuesday was a whole other ball game in the dugout and on the field.
The San Diego Padres honored the 1998 team and staff that took the Friars to the World Series that season.
“It was impressive in watching that video play on the scoreboard ... it was so fun,” said ABC 10News photojournalist Mike Howder.
Howder relived the moments live and in living color of that magical season when he was on the 1998 staff.
“Me and Mike Tompkins, my assistant at the time ... ‘Remember that? Remember when that happen? Remember afterwards they came in and they looked at?’ It’s just a blast,” Howder said.
A blast from the past.
But someone from that memorable ‘98 season who wasn’t there was Mike’s friend, Tony Gwynn.
“It couldn’t have been better unless Tony Gwynn had been there with us. But to have Alicia out there, Junior out there. We got to chat beforehand. We had a great time. Obviously, we wanted Tony out there, too,” Howder said.
Mr. Padre sadly passed away in 2014. Before then, Howder and Gwynn built the video replay system that helped Gwynn make it into Cooperstown and revolutionized baseball forever.
The system they constructed allowed Gwynn to adjust his swing in real time during games and identify what pitchers were attacking him at the plate. The system become synonymous with the Hall of Famer throughout his entire career along with an amazing approach at the plate.
“It was groundbreaking, that’s for sure. Tony was the integral part of it because he’s the one who made it happen. We both saw it as, ‘Hey, this is something that can work.’ We saw what it did for him,” Howder said.
Gwynn also brought Howder to San Diego State to set up cameras for games and practices after Gwynn retired and became the head baseball coach there. Howder said he left SDSU after Gwynn’s passing.
Plenty of hugs were had as memories a quarter-century old were remembered.
But photographs of new memories from this night with this team are ones Howder can relive and show to his family.
“Well, fortunately tonight I took a lot of pictures, which I never do as they know. Took a lot of pictures with my buddies. I’m gonna share those with some friends, too. Remember this as a great memory,” Howder said. “Hopefully, the Padres get a win. But we’re winning because we get to hang out with each other tonight.”
It probably wasn’t coincidence but just great planning by the Padres on Tuesday night.
The Padres faced off against the Atlanta Braves after the ceremony -- the same team they beat in 1998 to make it to the World Series.
