The renovated, reimagined Gallagher Square that was unveiled at Petco Park on Monday afternoon includes a matchup for the ages.
The Tony Gwynn statue, which captures the Hall of Famer’s classic swing, has been repositioned.
The statue is placed more prominently in a new, elevated space called the Tony Gwynn Terrace.
A walkway beneath the statue links it to that of Gwynn’s former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman.
The walkway that links the statues includes strips of crushed red tiles, representing the 108 stitches on a baseball.
“It’s pretty cool,” Hoffman said. “I like the stitching they did on the walkway.”
Looking out to the closer’s statue, with his trademark high leg kick depicted as he peers down at the plate, Hoffman is asked what he would be throwing Gwynn in this situation.
“Strike one, hopefully,” said Hoffman, adding. “I’m never going to let it go because I don’t want him to hit it.”
Hoffman re facing Gwynn once when he was still with the Florida Marlins before the 1993 trade that brought him to the Padres.
“He got a knock,” Hoffman said. “And I couldn’t get Anthony out, either.”
The second reference was to Tony Gwynn Jr., who famously — infamously? — tripled off Hoffman while a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Padres were one strike away from a 2007 playoff berth that never came.
“I’m 0-for-the Gwynn family,” Hoffman said.
No salt was rubbed in that old wound when Hoffman, Gwynn Jr., Gwynn’s wife Alicia and others gathered for the ribbon cutting of the new Gallagher Square.
The $20 million renovation of the space is the most visible change at the downtown ballpark as the Padres commemorate the 20th anniversary of Petco Park.
And the centerpiece of the renovation is a tribute to Tony Gwynn.
“Tony was truly exceptional and he deserves to be celebrated,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said during Monday’s ceremony. “That’s one of the aspects of this project that as an organization we are most excited about.”
The area around the Gwynn statue now includes a concession stand housed in a building which has his No. 19 on one wall and a video board on another wall overlooking a kids play area. Adjacent picnic tables have views into Petco Park.
Beneath the statue is an area called the Tony Gwynn Tunnel. It features three murals that highlight Gwynn’s career and community involvement.
“The idea in itself it’s clear there was a lot of thought put into it,” Tony Gwynn Jr. said. “It’s a testament to what my dad meant to this organization that it could be that long (since he played) and they’re making a point to keep his name uplifted.”
An added touch from an overhead speaker is a six-minute audio loop that includes highlights of the outfielder’s career, like the call from his 3,000th hit and Gwynn’s own voice from his Hall of Fame speech.
“I didn’t expect any of this,” Alicia Gwynn said. “This is awesome. Amazing. And to hear his voice, even better. … It captures everything about who he was.”
Greupner said it “will importantly educate a new generation of Padres fans about the truly incredible life, career, community impact and legacy that Tony had here in San Diego.”
Gwynn, who played for the Padres from 1982-2001, is pictured in various stages of his career in one mural that includes some of his major accomplishments, like eight National League batting titles, five Gold Gloves and being a 15-time All-Star.
It also lists what Greupner mentioned as one of his favorite statistics — “20 seasons, one team.”
A second mural includes three pictures of Gwynn with Padres fans and includes this quote from him: “ these two things: play hard and have fun.”
The third mural recognizes Gwynn’s 2007 election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It includes mention of his 3,141 career hits, which ranks 21st in baseball history, and his .338 career batting average, the highest since Ted Williams.
“One of the things discussed when this was in its early stages,” Gwynn Jr., said, “was that being a place where the generation that didn’t get to see my dad play and that may not know all of those numbers and get a chance to hear them and see them and absorb them.
“That’s how you keep a legacy really rolling, through teaching the history of who Tony Gwynn really was and what he meant to the organization and what he meant to the city.”
Other renovation elements
Tiered lawn seating has been redesigned and now includes some concrete sitting areas as well as the hillside space that now is comprised mostly of artificial turf rather than grass.
Ticket prices are lower here than they are for seats inside the ballpark.
Gallagher Square tickets for Thursday’s home opener against the Giants are $70 and $39.50 for the remainder of the series. Prices range from $19 to $34.50 during April home games against the Cardinals, Cubs, Blue Jays, Phillies and Reds.
Those with Gallagher Square tickets are allowed inside the ballpark to walk the concourse, visit concessions or areas like the Padres Team Store of Padres Hall of Fame, although they are restricted to standing areas to view games.
• A new gate to the ballpark, the Balboa Gate, is located at 9th Avenue and J Street, providing an expanded entry north of the ballpark.
• A new HD video board is located on the Sycuan Stage that spans the entire back of the batter’s eye. It measures 73 feet wide by 21 feet tall, three times larger than the previous version, and now has the capacity to include lineups and player statistics along with game action and replays.
There are two additional video boards, both measuring 16 feet by 9 feet, located at the Tony Gwynn Deck Tower and Play Ball Field.
• The kids ballfield has been relocated to the north edge of Gallagher Square and a kids play area has been added that includes a 35-foot tall bat constructed of steel and wood billed as “the tallest climbable bat in the world.”
• Gallagher Square is an increasingly popular concert space on non-game days. Eleven concerts so far have been announced between April and September.
• The redesign allows for certain areas of Gallagher Square to be open for public enjoyment when there are no games.
• There now is an off-leash dog park for fans who bring their pets. Greupner and his wife brought their dog, Teddy, for the occasion.
“He gave his paw of approval,” Greupner said.
• The Padres announced Monday afternoon that Gallagher Square will remain open after Thursday’s game against the Giants to serve as a watch party location for San Diego State’s Sweet 16 basketball game against UConn.
