(April 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the first major league game in Padres history. To commemorate the occasion, the Union-Tribune is producing a nine-part series on memorable debuts through the years. Today: Chapter Six ... Straight to the Majors)
The name on the ball is faded now, but not the memory.
It is the autograph of Dave Winfield. It was obtained by Brian Westre when Winfield made his major league debut for the Padres, a night that remains as vivid for Westre as if it happened last night.
In 1973, Westre was a 12-year-old boy living up the hill from San Diego Stadium in Serra Mesa.