The San Diego Padres is a professional team based in San Diego , California . The team was founded in 1969 and joined the NL's West Division as an expansion team. The club struggled in its early years, placing last in the division for six consecutive seasons. The Padres registered a struggling period of the 1970s. Dave Winfield came in to the team as a part of the team in 1973 from the University of Minnesota . Randy Jones captivated the National League Cy Young Award in 1976. The 1978 season was the first in which the Padres posted a record above .500. The Padres made their first World Series appearances in 1984 under the jurisdiction of manager Dick Williams. He led the team to the National League to a 6-1 win over the American League in the All-Star Game at Minneapolis in 1985. La Marr Hoyt is named the game's MVP. They ended the season in 3 rd place with 83-79 record.San Diego Padres Jerseys