Tombstone
Born: 1973 – Affiliation change from Hawaii Islanders to San Diego Padres
Moved: September 4, 1982 (Tri-Cities Triplets)
First Game: June 20, 1973 (W 12-1 vs. Tri-City Imperials)
Last Game: September 2, 1982 (L 6-5 @ Medford A’s)
Northwest League Champions: 1976
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1973-1975: Verne Russell
- 1975-1982: Jim Nelly & Patricia Nelly
Major League Affiliation: San Diego Padres
Attendance
Background
The Walla Walla Padres were the short-season Class A farm club of the San Diego Padres for ten summers from 1973 through 1982. Walla Walla is a city of approximately 30,000 in southeastern Washington state. Prior to the Padres arrival in 1973, the city hosted Northwest League baseball for four seasons under affiliations with the Philadelphia Phillies (1969-1971) and the Hawaii Islanders (1972) of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.
Peppermint Patty
The original owner of the Walla Walla Padres was Verne Russell, who broadcast the team’s games on his local easy listening radio station KUJ. In 1975, Russell sold both the station and the Padres to Jim Nelly. Nelly converted KUJ to a Top 40 station and handed off the Padres to his wife, Pat Nelly, who ran the ball club as General Manager. She erected a billboard on the outfield wall at Borleske Stadium that read “Peppermint Patty Loves Her Padres”.
Under Pat Nelly’s regime, the ball club had an unusually contentious relationship with the local newspaper, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin. When Nelly finally sold the club in 1982 after years of poor attendance, Sunday Sports Editor Ed Clendaniel opined:
“Never in my life have I seen nor ever hope to see again a shoddier or less professional operation than the Walla Walla Padres since Pat Nelly took over as owner in 1975.”
Clendaniel wasn’t alone in his opinion. Staff writer Skip Nichols regularly excoriated Nelly for her penny-pinching operation of the franchise, which included cancelling the team’s game broadcasts on KUJ in the late 1970’s.
Move to Richland
Pat Nelly sold the club during the 1982 season to a Piscataway, New Jersey group fronted by a long-time baseball manager, executive and scout named Mal Fichman. Fichman took control in September 1982. He immediately moved the franchise to Richland, Washington, where it became known as the Tri-Cities Triplets (1983-1986).
Upon the departure of the Padres, Walla Walla immediately got a new, unaffiliated expansion team in the Northwest League for the 1983 season. The new club was known as the Walla Walla Bears, but lasted only one season. Pro baseball has never returned to Walla Walla since the demise of the Bears in late 1983.
Key Walla Walla Padres players included future Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith (1977) and Tony Gwynn (1981). Other notables include the late Eric Show (1978), John Kruk (1981) and Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams (1982).
Walla Walla Padres Shop
In Memoriam
Pitcher Eric Show died on March 16, 1994 at age 37. (New York Times obituary).
Downloads
1978 Walla Walla Padres vs. Bellingham Mariners Roster Sheet
1978 Walla Walla Padres vs. Bellingham Mariners Game Notes
Links
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14 Responses
I played for the Walla Walla Padres in 1974. I was a starting pitcher. I went 9-5. Verne Russell seemed like a pretty good owner. On the road we stayed at some decent Motels or Hotels. Enjoy reading about the Walla Walla Padres. Thanks. Bill deLorimier #39.
Check my stats out at Baseball-Reference.com.
Bill, I just saw this info! I saw your name and had to respond although it’s years later. Hope you see this!
This is Randy Brown from Walla Walla days. I talk with Byron Burns and Rod Bovee quite often. Hope you are well! We should talk! Brownie
Hey, William. Don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but I looked up your stats. Looked like you had a good year. Why did you only play one season? Thanks, Mark.
It appears to me that the franchise that was in Walla Walla in 1983 was the same as 1982, simply changing nicknames because of losing its affiliation with the Padres (who indeed affiliated with Tri-Cities in ’83), and that this same franchise was purchased and moved to Everett in 1984. Please see this article: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150630/SPORTS/150639984.
Hello. My name is Chuck Wilborn there in 1976 & 1977. Anybody out there!
I was the “Assistant to the GM and Sales Executive” for the Walla Walla Padres in 1980. I love(d) Walla Walla. What a great town! What great memories! I developed some great friendships and really enjoyed my time there.
This was my first year in Professional Baseball. Looking back, yes, Pat Nelly, while a very nice person, However, was not a great business person or baseball management person and we could have done things better. Poor marketing. Unfortunately, Pat and Jim Nelly’s reputation in town were not good. Too many personal scenarios, in a small town are not good. No concessions or souvenirs to speak off.
People in town loved the Padres and their players, but definitely NOT the owner. I was the team photographer and did some PA announcing. The team was a very cohesive group. There ultimately were a couple of guys that made the majors: Gerry Davis, George Hinshaw, John White, Jim Thomas and of course Bob Geren.
I would LOVE to own a team that represented Walla Walla. While I only spent 3 years in professional baseball, my favorite and best memories are with the 1980 Walla Walla Padres!!!
Hellow Larry, How are you? I own a larger Tony Gwynn Collection including Items from his Walla Walla Days! DO you have any pics of Gwynn from his Walla walla days or Items? If you want to see any pics you can of my items! Please email me….or any other people! Thanks! [email protected]
The Nelly’s were my neighbors when I was a kid and Pat gave me my first job when I was 11 years old selling peanuts, popcorn, and Pepsi in the stands. I led the crowd in “Take me out to the ballgame,” during the 7th inning stretch and we housed a ball player at our house for 2 seasons. I met Bill Murray from SNL at Berlesky as he was doing a promotion and traveling with a western Washington farm team in 1979. Great memories of hot Walla Walla summer nights, a decent fireworks display on July 4th and making enough money to buy comic books and baseball cards.
I was the Athletic Trainer for the Walla Walla Padres in 1978, and 79. In 78 our manager was Cliff Ditto. Perfect name for a team in Walla “.
My name is Doug Bridges and I helped run the scoreboard at Borleske in 1978. Also I used to go to numerous Padre games in the mid 70’s. I am friends with the Ditto’s (Cliff Ditto was the manager for years). Those were great times going to the ballpark. I’m glad I have photos and all my game programs from back then. I too got to meet Bill Murray in 1978 when he came to Borleske and got a great photo of him. I was sad to see the Padres leave WW.
Hi Doug,
Do you have any photos from those years that you would be able to share?
Great memories of the Padres in Walla Walla! I wish I had told my dad thank you for the season tickets every year! Nice memories of meeting Frank Howard, Jack Mckeon and Bobby Tolan during the 1981 MLB strike, as they visited Walla Walla. It was nice to meet Warren Spahn, a roving minor league instructor for the Angels. i miss professional baseball in Walla Walla. I think Joe Mccintosh was the first Walla Walla Padre to make it to San Diego. He was a pitcher. Nice memories of Padres indeed!
I recently purchased a jersey on eBay I believe to be a 1979 Walla Walla Padres home jersey. It is number 14. Though I believe I see the player who wore 14 in one of the pictures above, I cannot find any roster information for that year which lists names AND uniform numbers. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Philip Goldstine
My name is Jonathan Grant and I was born and raised in Walla Walla and have lived here most of my life. I am actually one of the managers of the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel in downtown Walla Walla. I am trying to start possibly a baseball exhibit or museum in Walla Walla to show the history of the Walla Walla Islanders (Kurt Russell), Walla Walla Bears, Walla Walla Padres, etc. Would love if you all might be able to share any photos you have during this time to my email address: [email protected] Would give you credit for each photo that might be displayed. Also if anyone is willing to possibly sell any old programs or memoribillia I would definitely be interested. I really want to show the history of this great sport in a town that we love…WALLA WALLA. Thank you all so much in advance.