The San Diego Padres have come a long way from that team that underachieved last year and was left with no playoff baseball.
This year, they earned the fifth seed and were able to sneak in the Wild Card round: once there, they eliminated the favored New York Mets.
After that, they took down their Goliath: the Los Angeles Dodgers, in four games (3-1).
Now, they are vying for a place in the 2022 World Series in a thrilling series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
What started off being a best-of-seven affair is now virtually a best-of-five matchup, since the teams split the first two contests at Petco Park.
One of the reasons why this team has taken the next step is because the dugout seems closer.
Everyone is together, pursuing the same goal and sharing the same dream: to become World Series champions.
An Incredibly Wholesome Tradition
One of the cool things that have brought this team together was initiated by pitcher Joe Musgrove.
“Joe Musgrove bought a Polaroid camera, started a unique dugout celebration and sprouted a massive mural. Some day it’ll make for a good coffee-table book — but it isn’t finished. The Padres’ season, told through their favorite photos,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez tweeted, with a link to the incredibly wholesome story.
Joe Musgrove bought a Polaroid camera, started a unique dugout celebration and sprouted a massive mural. Some day it’ll make for a good coffee-table book — but it isn’t finished.
The Padres’ season, told through their favorite photos: https://t.co/nIPBGOzNpi pic.twitter.com/oiNQ8kPPli
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) October 21, 2022
The team captures every moment worth keeping forever in a picture, then sends it to the mural.
According to Gonzlaez, the mural currently has 163 photographs, organized within 11 rows, and it’s like a highlight reel of the Padres phenomenal season.
Players have grown fond and proud of the mural.
They hope it can be capped with several pictures of the team celebrating the Fall Classic.
After all, an image is worth a thousand words.
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