Hi everybody, I'm Dr. Nick...

...actually I'm Shane, a born-and-raised San Diegan, died-in-the-wool Padres fan, and longtime FOR&S (Friend of Ryan and Scott) who has been given the green light to chime in with a few posts. The Friar Forum is a top-tier operation, and between you and me, the pay is terrific, so I'm honored to contribute. To get caught up in the proper Padres spirit, I thought I'd conjure some of my most poignant Padres memories from my 25 years of humble fanhood.

Some of the best moments involve the Padres personalities, of course. There were players like John Kruk, Carmelo Martinez, and Garry Templeton. There were the Four Tops. The classy Ray A. Kroc, and his equally classy wife, Joan.

That one year Greg Vaughn hit all those homers. That one year Mark Davis got all those saves. And of course all those years that Tony Gwynn did dozens and dozens of awesome things, often in the same game.

Like any family, we've experienced some tough times. The Roseanne national anthem incident. The '98 World Series sweep. Ken Caminiti, we miss you. Alan Wiggins, RIP.

The high notes seem more common, though, and seem to resonate much clearer years later. There's Jerry Coleman's "Oh doctor" and "you can hang a star on that one," which play well in any baseball or softball game, and are also funny at bars.

There's the '84 World Series run, which is hazy in my mind's eye. The '98 Divisional Playoffs and League Championship Series, which are much sharper. The 82-80 first place finish in 2005. And another NL West title in 2006.

The city of San Diego has been unusually hot and humid for weeks now, and I like the tropical style, so I'm hoping it develops into a full Indian Summer, where things stay warm and summery into late October. And if the sun lets up a little bit, that'll be all the more room for the Padres to keep things heated.