Starkville | Tony Gwynn Jr. and Mark Grant on How the Padres Became a Baseball Powerhouse

From Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball The Athletic

Tony Gwynn Jr. and Mark Grant, the voices of the San Diego Padres, join Starkville!

This week, Jayson and Doug sit down with Tony and Mark to break down how the Padres went from losing a bunch of games to becoming one of the best teams in baseball, whether San Diego fans are getting spoiled by AJ Preller’s annual wheeling and dealing, and the teams that have stood out most to them this season.

Plus, the guys discuss the Padres’ massive sale, what the new ownership group has in mind, the atmosphere at Petco Park, and why other small market teams can’t seem to replicate San Diego’s success.

Later, the guys head to Strange But True for an unbelievable minor league twist, where Hickory Crawdads teammates Brady Ebel and his brother Trey somehow combine to finish the same at bat.

Rundown:

0:00 Today’s Lineup

00:37 Welcome to Starkville

8:33 UP NEXT: TONY GWYNN JR. AND MARK GRANT

5:33 Padres - What Happened?

17:05 Are San Diego Fans Spoiled By AJ?

23:26 Stand out Teams for Mark and Tony

25:09 SD Team Sold for 3.9 Billion!

27:53 Can Other Small Markets Copy SD?

31:03 New Manager, New Process?

34:05 Mark Grant Makes Good Impression

38:39 UP NEXT: STRANGE BUT TRUE