If you have read several of my posts, they probably revealed my loyalties in sports. i follow Vanderbilt sports of any genre, San Diego State’s football and basketball, and the San Diego Padres. To a lesser degree, i root for Middle Tennessee, Texas A&M, and the Chattanooga Mocs (but oh, how i wish they had not cut it short and still were known as the “Moccasins”).

Last night, a bunch of those came together in a beautiful way. Of all those teams listed above, i have followed the Padres most frequently. We had full season and then half season tickets shares with friends for over a dozen years, and i retained 20-game season tickets for a couple of years until they priced me out. Maureen and i still watch almost every game they play. As previously noted, Maureen has become a knowledgeable fan.

Then there is Vanderbilt. i didn’t graduate, but i attended for two years back in the early 1960s. i graduated from MTSU in 1967 and am glad as i received an education and a learning experiencek that remains a highlight of my academic record. i am fortunate that Vandy considers me an alumnus. i am a huge Commodore fan.

The reason: i have become friends with Candice Lee and Andrew Maraniss, the Vice Chancellor for Athletics, i.e. Athletic Director, and the resident writer (an an excellent one) in the sports department. i have seen them operate and know without a doubt, they are “doing it the right way, the Vandy way.”

That quote was coined by David Williams, the former head of the athletic department who unfortunately passed away shortly after his retirement. What he meant and what Candice still believes as do all of her head coaches is Vanderbilt wants to excel while ensuring every athlete is truly a “student-athlete” and receives one of the finest degrees in this country along with well-rounded experiences that prepare them, as much as possible, to be successful and contributors to the good for society.

Other universities may seek to do the same. i don’t know. i suspect that many drop the “student” from that equation and seek athletes, period.

i am delighted with the Commodores recent successes in many sports, but my fandom is based on them working to make sure success is achieved in the right way…the Vandy way.

Now, back to last night: Walker Buehler was the Padres starting pitcher last night. He was a star at Vanderbilt, 2013-2015, with a 20-7 won lost record including being part of the Vandy Boys that won their first College World Series championship in 2014. He was a great starter for the Dodgers before suffering injuries and ended up in the Southwest corner this year. He is the first Vanderbilt player on the Padres since Joey Cora was a Padre, 1985-87 (Jonathan Vastine, Vandy 2022-25, is in the Padre minor league system.

Finally, one of my favorite Padres is Ty France. Ty played for San Diego State under Tony Gwynn, and has returned home this season after winning a gold glove last year.

The stage was set. The Dodgers seem to think they own the Padres and their record against San Diego indicates it’s close to accurate.

But not last night. Walker Buehler pitched three-hit ball over 5 1/3 innings, allowing only a home run by Mookie Betts. The Padres won, 7-1. Ty France was a major contributor with a 3-run homer and superb defensive play.

And fans, it doesn’t get much better than that.