The former home of the minor-league San Diego Padres was one of the nicest ballparks in the minors when it opened in 1957.
When it opened in 1957, Westgate Park was hailed as one of the nicest facilities in the minors, a 8,268-seat privately financed facility that featured covered, theater-style seating and extensive concession facilities that included a dedicated warming room for peanuts.
Westgate Park was the home of the minor-league San Diego Padres until the city joined the National Leagur as an expansion franchise. The replacement for downtown Lane Field — the1936 wooden facility that was seriously deteriorating — Westgate Park was home to three Pacific Coast League champions and almost became a major-league facility when San Diego was awarded an expansion franchise. Plans were drawn up to expand Westgate Park to 40,000, but in the end the team decided to play at San Diego Stadium (later Jack Murphy Stadium and then Qualcomm Stadium), and by 1968 the ballpark was torn down to make way for a shopping mall.
Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see articles before they’re posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!