SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — For many Padres fans, it isn’t just about the game, it’s also about bringing families together, something Gerri Dodrill and her family know very well.
“My kids all played ball I have seven kids. I guess that’s why I got into the Padres,” says Gerri, 93.
She has been a Padres fan since the '60s.
The 93-year-old super fan fondly remembers going to the games at Jack Murphy Stadium, and following the team to Spring Training and away games with her family and other members of the nonprofit organization The San Diego Madres. ABC 10News has covered the Madres for years.
Over the decades, things have changed: The Padres logo, the colors and even their home stadium.
Gerri remembers being at Petco Park for the first game in 2004.
“You had to look around and see everything, there’s a lot of food," she says.
What hasn’t changed over the years is her love for the Friars — just ask her daughter Mary Shanks.
“It makes her happy. It keeps her going — she looks forward to the Padres season," Shanks says. "I hope this is the season we get that world series championship. San Diego deserves it.”
So much so, that Gerri made sure she wore her favorite Padres shirt during our visit, which reads “Just one before I die.”
And when we asked her what her expectations are for this Padres playoff push, her answer said it all.
“I think we’re going to the series, and I think we’re going to win it," she says. "It’s our year. They’re very good players and they play with heart, and they enjoy the game that’s important they like the game. It would be great; I would make them take me in a wheelchair to the parade.”
