The San Diego Padres playing in Mexico City this past weekend was not just about baseball.
Padre fans of course are thrilled the team won both games and are hoping that the success they had at that high elevation will help launch them toward a trip to the World Series this fall.
But the Mexico City Series also was an indicator of the ties between San Diego and Mexico. The Padres have had fans south of the border in the past, but not until this past weekend, with most of the fans in the 7-thousand feet in the sky stadium cheering for the Padres, it became clear that they are becoming Mexico’s favorite MLB team. Sorry, Dodgers.
But the ties that exist between San Diego and Mexico are far more than just about baseball.
San Diego’s economic relationship with Tijuana and Baja California has always been a strong and important one.
The San Diego Union this weekend pointed out this weekend that Mexico’s overall economy has become the 15th-largest in the world and is on its way to being the seventh-largest world economy by the year 2050 — ahead of Japan and Germany.
And while illegal crossings and drug smuggling from Mexico remain problems, Mexican immigrants have been and still are very much an important part of San Diego’s economy and culture.
That helps make us such a unique and attractive city. And hopefully in the not-too-distant future a World Series Championship city!
(Photo Getty Images)