It’s the time of year when many Padres fans pack up their cars with their jerseys, shirts, and hats hitting the road to spring training in Peoria.
While this is the official start of the baseball season for many families like mine – it’s a season that never ends.
For Brian Smith and his family, the start of the Padres baseball season is something they look forward to. While it means getting to watch games for them, it’s much more than that.
Smith says, “It's what we do every day. There's work school and baseball. So our lives revolve around it.”
And it’s a love that started when Brian was a kid growing up in the South Bay, playing Little League and going to games with his Dad.
A tradition he’s passed on to his two sons.
Smith says, “If there's no practice or game that day, we're watching the game on tv if the padres aren't playing that day we're watching a different game. We have season tickets. we got to a lot of games.”
And over the years they’ve collected quite a bit of memorabilia.
They bought Jake Cronenworth’s helmet, celebration goggles, and a Will Myers broken bat.
Adding to the experience packing up their car and taking the family to Peoria for Spring Training, which gives fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite players.
"You almost have full access to the coaches and the players. And the games and the atmosphere around Arizona," Smith says.
And while it’s just the start of the season like many fans, The Smiths are hoping this will be the year the Padres finally bring a championship to San Diego.
The Padres will be back at Petco Park for Opening Day on March 28.
