Public Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Arian Collins

Tuesday, January 14, 2003 619-236-5848

Library Receives Donation of Scrapbooks

of Padres Baseball Box Scores

34-Volume Set Includes Every Box Score of Team’s Major League History

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego Public Library has received a 34-volume set of scrapbooks containing every box score in San Diego Padres’ major league history. The collection will become part of the San Diego SABR Baseball Research Center at the City’s Central Library.

“The collection of scrapbooks is an extremely impressive project,” said Library Director Anna Tatár. “We are very thankful for this generous donation to the Library and its growing collection of baseball research information.”

The scrapbooks were begun by William “Whitey” Wietelmann (1919-2002). He played for the San Diego Padres in the Pacific Coast League from 1949-53 and coached for the Padres from 1960-66 and again from 1969-80. He also served the Padres in a variety of jobs for the next 14 years. As a result of his close connection to the team, Wietelmann became known by fans as “Mr. San Diego Baseball.” The Padres called him “Mr. Indispensable.”

Wietelmann created the first scrapbook in 1969, the Padres’ first year as a major league franchise, and continued making a scrapbook each year through 1993. Following his death last year, Bill Swank, Bob Boynton, Andy Aguinaldo and Bob Diaz undertook the daunting task of reorganizing the deteriorating books and updating them with box scores from 1994-2002. The result is 34 binders with laminated pages containing every Padres box score from 1969-2002. Also included are various newspaper clippings, season program covers, and copies of Padres baseball cards.

“I don’t think any other major league baseball team has a complete box score collection,” said Bill Swank. “That makes this is really a unique resource for Padres fans, baseball enthusiasts and anyone else with an interest in San Diego sports history.”

Among those at today’s presentation at the Central Library were former Padres players Randy Jones and Broderick Perkins, and former Padres broadcaster Jerry Gross, and former team trainer Doc Mattei.

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