SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The latest Padres mural to go up in town is just the latest in a series of art projects the team is commission throughout San Diego this season.
Tuesday, artists Paul Jimenez and Signe Ditona, of the group Ground Floor Murals, continued work on their mural of star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. in Ocean Beach. The artwork will grace the side of Apple Tree market's west wall near the corner of Newport Ave. and Bacon St.
The artists' work will span four days and shows Tatis during his, now, well-known "bat flip" that can be seen on the cover of this year's installment of the video game "MLB: The Show."
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"The more locations we have Padres stuff, the better," Hugo Solano told ABC 10News as he watched Jimenez and Ditona at work. "Whether it's here in Ocean Beach or City Heights, it doesn't matter. As long as our Padres are getting the recognition they're supposed to."
"I'm a huge sports fan, even though I'm not a baseball fan. But I see that and I know the Padres are doing well and a lot of it is because of this young phenom," another person walking by the mural said.
The mural comes about a month after the Padres unveiled another work of art depicting Joe Musgrove, the first Padre to throw a no-hitter for the team. Following Musgrove's historic performance on April 9, the team and Ground Floor Murals got to work on the mural at Musgrove's former high school, Grossmont High in El Cajon.
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The two murals are just the start.
According to Craig Hughner, vice president of communications for the Padres, the team is planning a series of murals throughout the community this season.
"We wanted to memorialize and celebrate iconic moments in Padres history with our fans all over the city," Hughner said in an email. "The Fernando Tatis Jr. mural in Ocean Beach is the next in the series and pays homage to his epic bat flip in the 2020 National League Division Series versus the St. Louis Cardinals."
What moment will next be plastered upon a wall is a mystery. But the team has many to choose from, like Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman's record-setting save in 2006, Randy Jones' Cy Young season in 1976, or Benito Santiago's 1987 Rookie of the Year season.
Of course, countless moments by Mr. Padre Tony Gwynn may find another wall around town. Ground Floor Murals has already completed a mural of Gwynn, in 1987 style, on the side of a gym at Marlborough Ave. and University Ave. in City Heights.
