Swing Twitter, Twitter

Baseball in 2020 has been interesting, to say the least. The shortened schedule, the introduction of new rules, and the inability to attend games in person has made this year one that both players and fans are unlikely to forget. However, despite a somewhat lackluster environment to watch games — the couch isn’t exactly ideal in comparison to cheering on your team amongst thousands of other fans from the stands, but that’s just me — there is one thing that has proven to hype up fans across the country: social media. 

More specifically: Twitter. 

Even more specifically: Padres Twitter. 

Whether or not you’re a Padres fan, it’s likely that you’ve heard of Padres Twitter in some capacity. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. 

From the bits and bytes that are Twitter comes a flourishing community, one made up of individuals cheering on the Brown and Gold from their own respective homes. It’s a place where fans can come together and interact with one another, and, if you’re lucky, with the players. It’s a family, a news outlet, and an undisputed source of entertainment all in one cohesive space. It’s the three-in-one shampoo of Twitter in the absolute best way possible. 

It’s also generated some pretty fantastic memes. 

Padres Twitter has drawn the attention of two big-name individuals, both of whom have recently come to call Petco Park home: SP Mike Clevinger and RHP Trevor Rosenthal. 

The two have made themselves known throughout the Padres community since their arrival to San Diego, most notably via their Twitters. Here are some of their shining moments on Padres Twitter in the two weeks since they’ve joined the team. 

From the mound to the skate park 

On Sept. 7, skateboarding legend and San Diego native Tony Hawk took to Twitter to express his fondness of the pitcher when he posted a photo of himself skating while rocking a Clevinger jersey. Hawk then proceeded to invite Clevinger on a tour of all the best skate parks that San Diego has to offer. 

The result? A very happy Sunshine. 

Clevinger tweeted back at Hawk, accepting his offer and planning a celebratory “victory skate session after the World Series.” 

This beautiful bromance continued with the official Padres account tweeting a video of Clevinger receiving a customized skateboard, courtesy of — you guessed it — Hawk. 

Rosenthal spitting absolute bars 

On Sept. 10, Trevor Rosenthal made it clear that aside from being a major league pitcher, he also has a promising career as a professional rapper. 

Don’t believe me? Check out his tweet. 

Rosenthal dished it out on Twitter, dropping lines about his newfound love of San Diego, and even alluding to the aforementioned budding friendship between “Clev and Hawk.” 

Clevinger reacted to Rosenthal’s verses, replying with a GIF of a winking Shakespeare, who would probably be as awestruck by the profundity of Rosenthal’s words as the rest of Padres Twitter. 

However, that wasn’t his only contribution. Rosenthal has established himself as a Mexican food aficionado, especially when it comes to Lolita’s. He’s even started using it as a means of connecting with his fanbase, tweeting out mini contests regarding who has the best Lolita’s order.

Do yourself a favor and read the replies. If you get anything out of Padres Twitter, at least let it be some good Mexican cuisine.  

But wait! There’s more  

Padres Twitter is recognized not just by the players, but by other teams as well. 

After the loss of their series to the Padres in early September, the Rockies tweeted a photo of a hat, bat, and two baseballs with the caption: “Have at it, #PadresTwitter.” 

And have at it they did, with the tweet generating 565 replies — many of which were, as I mentioned earlier, really REALLY great memes. 

Talk about content. 

Speaking of content — the quality of which is at the absolute highest caliber — Padres Twitter has facilitated some very memorable experiences. The first one that comes to mind: a grown man running around the state capitol in a diaper. 

Yes, you read that correctly. 

When the Slam Diego Padres were hitting grand slams like it was nothing, CBS Sports writer Danny Vietti posted a tweet Aug. 20 promising to “run around the state capitol building in downtown Sacramento in a diaper while holding a Fernando Tatis Jr. sign.” 

Cue Hosmer, who later hit one to right field. 

Then ensued a series of tweets detailing Vietti’s reaction to Hosmer’s bomb (“NO FREAKIN WAY…”), his journey to purchasing the undergarments, and his ultimate debut in front of the State Capitol wearing nothing but a Signature Care diaper at 10 p.m. 

Security was thrilled, I’m sure. 

From this, Vietti started a campaign called Dingers 4 Diapers and used his previous night’s endeavors to help raise money for Rady Children’s Hospital by selling T-shirts boasting the slogan alongside Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Wil Myers, and Eric Hosmer. The operation took off and $250 was donated to Rady’s.

“Is it a lot? No. But at the end of the day, we turned a grown man running around in a diaper into $250 for sick children. That’s powerful,” Vietti tweeted.

Without a stadium to cheer from, there’s no denying that the 2020 baseball season has felt a bit lonely. Twitter makes that more bearable. 

And Padres Twitter? Incomparable.