Now that the Padres-Dodgers rivalry has perked up, it’s time to dust off a piece of relevant history.
Decades ago it was the Dodgers, more so than any other opponent, who spurred the Padres to new heights.
The Padres overcame L.A. to win two National League West titles and a World Series berth between 1996 and 1998, while igniting public support that led to a new ballpark in downtown San Diego.
Back then, as holds true today, the Padres came to know that, to ever finish ahead of the Dodgers, they had to run a tight shop.