The Dodgers are reminding the upstart Padres who’s in charge of the National League West, while bringing to mind a chat in the mid-1990s between Padres stars Tony Gwynn and Ken Caminiti.
Back then, like now, the Padres were on the rise. But teams like the Dodgers and Braves were ahead of them.
Gwynn said the Padres could prevail, but only if their hitters matured throughout the lineup. Caminiti sounded the same theme, though he expressed frustration with the collective growing pains.
Ultimately the Padres would topple the Dodgers to win the 1996 West title and overcome both the Dodgers and the league’s dynasty, the Braves, to reach the 1998 World Series.