Counting since their first MLB game, April 8, 1969. Dick Selma struck out 12 in a 2–1 win over Houston; the Padres then lost 110 games that season and have been chasing that opening high ever since.
IN THE MEANTIME…
The Padres have never won it all. This clock has been running since their first MLB game.
Closest calls: World Series losses in 1984 and 1998.
That's 57 MLB seasons of waiting.
Since then: humans walked on the Moon, Facebook launched, and ChatGPT launched.