San Diego Stadium

The outside of San Diego Stadium, Aug-1997.

The new name of the ballpark is clearly visible on the scoreboard.

• Location: Friars Road and I-15, San Diego, Calif.
• Opened: 1967 as San Diego Stadium (1968 for baseball)
• Additional names: Jack Murphy Stadium (1979), Qualcomm Stadium (1997)
• Closed: 2003 for baseball
• Home team: San Diego Padres, Pacific Coast League (1968), National League (1969-2003); San Diego Chargers, National Football League (1967-present)
• Capacity: 46,510 for baseball

Rating: 2 baseballs

The park was originally named for its city and county. In 1979, the sportswriter Jack Murphy, who was instrumental in bringing Major League Baseball to San Diego, got his name on the park. Alas, the march of progress could not be stopped, and cell phone manufacturer Qualcomm bought the naming rights in 1997, anticipating a blitz of media coverage when the National Football League brought its championship game into town the next January.

The Mission Valley stadium was the first to have Internet terminals available at select box seats. They were first in operation the day I showed up for a Thursday matinee.

Today, the facility continues to be used for football’s San Diego Chargers, but the Padres have moved into a downtown stadium known as Petco Park. It opened in 2004.