San Diego Padres: Pulse of the Fanbase, October 2016

Where do fans of the San Diego Padres stand as October comes to a close? Friars on Base reached out to some of the biggest fans on Twitter to find out.

It’s always difficult to gauge how fans of a baseball team feel about their ball club in the offseason. Fans are often disinterested, and moving on to their San Diego Chargers. While this is certainly understandable, as the Chargers and Aztecs are very exciting to watch, we wanted to find out where fans of the San Diego Padres stand on their baseball team.

So, we took our monthly pulse of the fanbase. On twitter, this is what some of our followers told us when we asked them about what they thought about the Padres.

As is evident, not all fans are confident.

"“I have an uneasy feeling about the Padres right now. They have the talent, but not the leadership. I don’t think Green is the answer and I’m nervous about what Preller is going to do this offseason. Looks like we’re in for another last place finish”"

– Randy Proust, San Clemente

Some aren’t even so sure about the talent. Maurice, for example, is a bit skeptical.

"“Where I stand on the Padres right now, I don’t think we have the pitching. And honestly, we’ve been struggling at the plate too. I mean, you got all these young guys, but then you got guys who just can’t play anymore like Norris. Myers is the one guy that I think can get us somewhere. But we just need to improve pretty much everywhere in my opinion.”"

– Maurice Zevitas, San Diego

Fans aren’t all down in the dumps though. Some recognize the young talent which just needs time to develop.

"“I think the Padres are on their way. I really do. I mean, they have young players like Schimpf and Margot who just got called up. How come everyone thinks they should be superstars or something already? They just need time and they’ll get there. Give them two seasons, and I think they will make the playoffs.”"

– Lisa Greene, San Bernardino

The most common well thought out response that we received though was hopeful, but not completely confident about the team’s direction just yet. Ryan is a perfect example of how we think the average Padre fan is feeling about their team right now.

"“I think we have some good young talent, but still need to improve in some areas. I like our young lineup, but we need to sign a veteran or two to solidify it. You know, our pitching is an area where we could improve, but I actually think Ross will be back and that Cosart may surprise this season. If that’s the case, we can contend in a couple years. But first, I think we’re gonna need to make some moves in the next couple of years to shape this roster. I’m hopeful, and will always root for my Padres no matter what.”"

-Ryan Levine, Denver

Most San Diego fans have hope, and feel optimistic based on what they have seen from their team in August and September. As is always the case, loyalty is a theme when it comes to fans and their thoughts on their team. But uniquely, there is also a sense of optimism this month, as well as a sense of urgency for the team to take action in an effort to improve.

Next: Team Gold Glove History as Myers Seeks to Join

We would like to thank all of our participants in this month’s “Pulse of the fanbase”. If you would like to contribute for a future month’s edition, please reach us by tweeting at us. If you have something to add to this month’s pulse, tweet at us or leave a comment below.