PADRE 1985 OUTLOOK : Here’s How to Select Your Seat at Jack Murphy Stadium

A new breed of Padre fan is evolving throughout San Diego.

Until last October, some thought the only Padres in town had something to do with the Mission San Diego de Alcala.

Now though, everyone is saying how they have been fans of the baseball Padres all their lives. And they wonder why they can’t get tickets for opening night.

For those who don’t know any better, opening night has always been a big attraction. It’s just that the Padres are a bigger attraction than ever now, so you can forget opening night tickets if you don’t have them.

So, what about the other home games?

It all depends on what kind of fan you really are.

If you want to be part of the bandwagon, get tickets for top promotional nights or when the Dodgers are in town. But if you are simply looking for the best possible seat location, try some weeknight when the Pittsburgh Pirates or San Francisco Giants are in town.

In my opinion, the best tickets are the ones closest to home plate. They are also the toughest to acquire because holdover season-ticket holders from the pre-bandwagon era have them.

Reserved seats cost $7.50 on the field, loge and press levels. They are $6.50 on the loge level.

Tickets above either first or third base are desirable, as long as the seats are not on the upper level. If you get up that high, the baseball is going to look like a ping-pong ball and each ball hit will appear to be a home run.

Other appealing seats include non-smoking sections on the plaza and loge levels. The plaza level seats are in section 37 above first base, the loge level seats in section 19 above third base.

For the budget-conscious, there are $3.50 general admission seats. These are located in the outfield or on the upper level above the fourth row. I’d suggest sitting in the outfield because you are much closer to the playing field. But be forewarned that the language is often X-rated in the general admission areas, and that’s where fights tend to break out the most.

If you could care less about location but want to see the major attractions, there are several for you.

The Dodgers begin a four-game series here April 18. Beach Towel Night is May 11, and a Beach Boy Concert follows the May 12 game. Cap Night is May 31 and Sports Bag Night is June 22.

The giveaway nights should all be sellouts. In fact, they used to be the only nights the Padres could sell out before they became the in-thing in town.

Should the promotional nights appeal to you, make sure to get to the stadium as early as possible. Tailgates that begin three hours before game time are fashionable for major sporting events in San Diego. And, anyhow, if you don’t get into the stadium’s vicinity until half an hour before game time, you may miss an inning or two.

How do you go about getting tickets for the big and not so big games?

The Padres have a ticket office at Gate C of San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. There is no service charge, and the ticket sellers can tell you the best locations available for each game.

There are also 25 Teleseat outlets in the county that offer the same seat selection as at the stadium. Ticket lines are much shorter at Teleseat, but there is a $1.25 service charge per ticket.

Tickets may also be purchased by mail order with a $2 handling charge per entire order. The disadvantage is that seat location cannot be guaranteed through the mail.

The best way to guarantee seat location is through season ticket packages. These plans also offer guaranteed tickets to all postseason games in San Diego.

But if you are in it for the social scene and not the baseball, there is one warning. The Padres may not make the playoffs this year, which means season tickets would be a gamble for you.