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The best things to do this week in San Diego: Dec. 15-19

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The best things to do this week in San Diego: Dec. 15-19


Here are some of the best things to do this week in San Diego, from Monday, Dec. 15 to Friday, Dec. 19.

Check back Wednesday for our guide to things to do this weekend.

Monday

Light Up Oceanside: Chabad Jewish Center of Oceanside/Vista holds its annual community-wide Hanukkah celebration, themed “Light Up Oceanside.” Highlights include lighting of a giant 16-foot menorah, donuts, latkes and hot cocoa along with live DJ, fire show and Gelt drop. 5:30 p.m. Monday. Regal Cinema Plaza, 401 Mission Ave. Admission is free. jewishoceanside.com

Hanukkah Festivities: Seaport Village is partnering with the Chabad of Downtown San Diego to host a family-friendly Hanukkah event from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 15 in the lighthouse district, including live music, festive performers and the traditional lighting of the menorah. Visit https://www.seaportvillage.com/events/hanukkah-25

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A guide to San Diego area community events for Hanukkah–the Festival of Lights

Silent Movie Mondays: As part of its silent movie series, the Balboa Theatre will play a double feature of “Old Scrooge” (1926) and “A Dog’s Life” (1918). Organist Ken Double will accompany the films, and there will be a post-film conversation with Double and Kristian Perez-Franco, exhibitions senior manager at Media Arts Center. 7 p.m. Monday. Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., San Diego. $28. sandiegotheatres.org/events/detail/old-scrooge-1913-and-a-dog-s-life-1918-2025

Derrick R. Cartwright author event: Derrick Cartwright is director of curatorial affairs at the Timken Museum of Art and an associate professor of art history at the University of San Diego. He will discuss his new book “Wayne Thiebaud: A Radical Realism.” 7:30 p.m. Monday. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free. $55 for book and reserved seats. warwicks.com/event/cartwright-2025

Holidays at LEGOLAND: Live entertainment, twinkling lights, holiday treats and some snowfall will be on display through Jan. 4.  Throughout the holidays, the park’s 30-foot LEGO tree decked with lights and LEGO ornaments built out of more than 350,000 LEGO and Duplo bricks. Photos can be taken with life-sized festive LEGO models or costumed characters such as a LEGO Santa, toy soldier, gingerbread man and elf characters. The annual Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party is Dec. 31. Activities inside the park are included with regular park admission. LEGOLAND California, One Legoland Drive. legoland.com/california.

SeaWorld Christmas Celebration: Holiday wonderland runs daily to Jan. 4 with live musical shows, faux snowfall, over a million lights, Santa and real reindeer, singing elves and the SkyTower decorated as San Diego’s largest Christmas tree along with festive food and beverages. One Million Twinkling lights, nightly snowfall and immersive holiday experiences. There’ll be a new Clyde & Seamore’s Christmas Special at Sea Lion Stadium and a new Mrs. Claus story time show. All included with park admission Tickets start at $61.99 during the Black Friday Sale. www.seaworldsandiego.com

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Belmont Park’s Winter Wonder: The  annual event at the beachside amusement park, 3146 Mission Blvd., runs through Jan. 4 with hundreds of twinkling lights, carolers, holiday-themed treats and drinks and special events on weekends. Attractions include the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, Peppermint Putt Putt at Tiki Wonderland and Candy Cane Lanes Go Karts and and Polar Plunge. Tickets and passes are at belmontpark.com.

Tuesday

“Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet”: Talmi Entertainment’s 34th annual holiday touring production is visiting 100 cities this fall. The production features Ukrainian dancers, puppetry and acrobatics. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Jacobs Music Center, 750 B St., downtown. $74.60-$135.75. sandiegosymphony.org/performances/nutcracker-2025

Menorah Lighting at One Paseo: A community menorah lighting celebration will include festive music, donuts, hot latkes, face painting and balloons along with traditional lighting ceremony. 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Koi Pond at One Paseo, 3725 Paseo Place. onepaseo.com/events/menorah-lighting/

Wednesday

‘Cygnet’s A Magical Holiday Celebration!’: Cygnet Theatre’s education and outreach director Carlos Mendoza presents this holiday song-and-dance show for all ages. Inspired by the annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, the high-energy show will feature performances of songs including “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “Feliz Navidad” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Through Dec. 28. The Dottie Studio Theatre, The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District, Liberty Station, San Diego. $83. 619-337-1525, cygnettheatre.org

Winter Wonderland at Lakehouse Resort: One of the most family-friendly pop-up experiences, Lakehouse Resort throws an annual holiday festival with candy cane cruises on Lake San Marcos as a highlight. Seasonal drinks will be for sale for all ages. Activities include a frozen fun zone, a train, a s’mores station, bounce houses and more. Groups of families and friends can rent out igloos with fire pits, s’mores, charcuterie, wine and family dinners. Early bird prices are available online through Nov. 26. Prices vary per activity. Nov. 28 to Dec. 26. 1025 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos. $10 admission for ages 10 or older, free for kids under age 10. events.thelakehouseresort.com/e/winter-wonderland-at-lakehouse-resort-2025

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“2 Pianos, 4 Hands”: North Coat Repertory Theatre presents Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt’s autobiographical comedy with music about two aspiring concert pianists who grow up as friends and then enemies before making their peace with music. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Dec. 31. 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. $70.50. 858-481-1055, northcoastrep.org

Burnout Paradise”: La Jolla Playhouse presents a return engagement of Australia’s Pony Cam troupe performing their audience-interactive treadmill-of life comedic show that was the hit of the 2025 WOW Festival. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Potiker Theatre,La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla. $49-$59. 858-550-1010, lajollaplayhouse.org

“A Christmas Carol”: Cygnet Theatre’s 10th anniversary production of Charles Dickens’ redemptive holiday tale about miserly Victorian money-lender Ebenezer Scrooge has debuted at Cygnet’s new home theater, The Joan. 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 24. Joseph Clayes III Theater, The Joan. $73. 619-337-1525. cygnettheatre.com

“A Christmas Story”: San Diego Musical Theatre brings back this holiday musical adaptation of the beloved 1983 film about Ralphie, a precocious boy in 1940 Indiana who dreams of getting a a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. This will be the second time the company will produce the popular show. 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. SDMT Stage, 4650 Mercury St., San Diego. $30-$75. 858-560-5740, sdmt.org

Thursday

Festival of Lights at the Highlands: The event, hosted by Congregation Beth Am, will feature the lighting of the 5th night candles, singing and donuts along with other treats. There will be a musical revue by San Diego’s Jewish theatrical company, Shayna Punims, titled “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah.” 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday. Outside the Cinepolis movie theater at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center, 12925 El Camino Real. betham.com/event/cbaevent121825

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Wine & Lecture — El Presidio de San Diego: SDSU lecturer, author and historian Richard Carrico will discuss El Presidio Real de San Diego. 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Coronado Historical Association Lecture Hall, 1100 Orange Ave., Coronado. $15 members, $20 nonmembers. coronadohistory.org/calendar/event/wine-lecture-el-presidio-de-san-diego/

Coastal Christmas at fairgrounds: The Del Mar Fairgrounds hosts Coastal Christmas, a festival with holiday light attractions. Highlights include a walk-through display of more than 1 million lights, “glice” skating, a holiday market, Frosty’s Fun Zone, Holiday Wine Walk and Santa and Friends. Igloos and fireside lounges can be reserved for cozying with some hot cocoa. S’mores kits, festive food and drinks will be sold. 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 18-23 and Dec. 26 at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Tickets start at $26.98 for adults and $20.61 for kids on select nights. Admission is free for kids 3 and younger. The Holiday Wine Walk is $54.99. Promotional nights include military, first responders and nurses, seniors and students. Also, the first 1,000 kids get in free Dec. 14 if they bring one unwrapped toy for children in need, and general admission tickets are buy one, get one free on Dec. 18. delmarfairgrounds.com/events/2025/coastal-christmas.

Jingle Jets: The USS Midway Museum will be decked with more than a million lights as part of its “Jingle Jets” holiday light show and festivities from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on select nights from Nov. 28 to Dec. 30. Highlights include Holiday Dancing Light Show, Midway’s Magical Penguin Search, Christmas Carol Karaoke, Bring Your Dog Night, Santa’s Christmas Rush Virtual Reality Ride and expanded Reindeer Games, among other festivities. Holiday eats & treats will be sold. Tickets are $20-$30 and sold only online; discounts for museum members; free for children 3 and younger. Visit midway.org/event/jingle-jets-2025

“Rent”: New Village Arts presents an intimate staging of Jonathan Larson’s musical about one year in the life of a group of friends in 1990 struggling to create art and survive in AIDS-plagued New York. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 24. 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $35-$80. 760-433-3245, newvillagearts.org

Friday

Bingo Loco: What started in Ireland is now arriving in San Diego. Bingo Loco is an interactive game night filled with dance competitions, lip sync battles, prizes, comedy hosts and DJs playing throwback anthems from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Bingo Loco is for individuals 21 years of age and older. 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 19 and 27. Quartyard, 1301 Market St., San Diego. us.bingoloco.com/san-diego 

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Camarada presents “Charlie Brown Jingles & Jazz”: Camarada’s annual all-star concert is a consistent crowd-pleaser, thanks to a musical lineup that features some of San Diego’s leading jazz and classical musicians. This year’s lineup features flutist and Camarada co-founder Beth Ross Buckley, guitarist Peter Sprague, multi-lingual singer Allison Adams Tucker, pianist Danny Green, flutist and saxophonist Tripp Sprague, bassist Mackenzie Leighton and percussion mainstay Duncan Moore. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Faye Ave., La Jolla. $28-$98. camarada.org

Family Hanukkah Party: Congregation B’nai Tikvah will hold its annual community Hanukkah Party and Latke Contest on the sixth night of Hanukkah at 6 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Masonic Center, 1331 S. Escondido Blvd. There will be latkes and donuts for dinner. Bring your menorah and seven candles to light. There will be Hanukkah songs led by Cantor Larry Kornit and retelling of the Hanukkah story. Free. Bring something dairy to share at the party and non-perishable food for Interfaith Community Services along with gently used coats, hoodies, shirts to donate to Sharia’s Closet that provides emergency clothing in the San Diego State area. For more information, call 760-650-2262 or visit bnaitikvahsd.org.

San Diego Civic Youth Ballet presents “The Nutcracker”: Celebrate the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet’s 80th Anniversary Season with a trip to the Enchanted Land of Sweets. Danika Pramik-Holdaway directs the students of the Balboa Park-based company in the annual “Nutcracker” production. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Casa del Prado Theater, Balboa Park $27. 619-259-0220, sdcyb.org

“Mistletoe Melodies” with Erica Marie!: San Diego musical theater performer Erica Marie Weisz presents her jazz-and-classics holiday cabaret show at two local theaters in December. 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. White Family Stage, New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $28-$33. 760-433-3245, newvillagearts.org

“La Pastorela: A Shepherd’s Tale”: Teatro Máscara Mágica will present Timothy Paul Evans’ 37th anniversary pastorela play about the shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem on the first Christmas. The bilingual faith-based play will be performed mostly in English with Christmas carols sung in Spanish in two locations. 7 p.m. Friday through Tuesday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. at Southwestern College Performing Arts Center, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista. $10-$25. 619-987-5616, tickettailor.com/events/teatromscaramgica.

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San Diego Symphony: “Noel, Noel”: Conductor Christopher Dragon leads the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Master Chorale, Children’s Choir and Musical Theatre Academy in this annual musical tale of Noel the Elf’s music-filled journey to find Santa. Jonathan Gilmer directs. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 6 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way, downtown. $55-$125. 619-235-0804, theshell.org

“Amahl and the Night Visitors”: Genesis Opera Theatre presents Gian-Carlo Menotti’s 1951 one-act, English-language Christmas opera inspired by the story of a poor disabled boy who meets three wise kings on their way to meet the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The production is directed by Cynthia Leigh with musical direction by Abraham Fabella. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Trinity Episcopal Church, 845 Chestnut St., Escondido. $30.95-$41.95. genesisoperatheatre.com

Golden State Ballet presents “The Nutcracker”: Choreographed by artistic director Raul Salamanca, the downtown production includes spectacular sets, elaborate costumes, and professional dancers and students from the award-winning academy. John Stubbs conducts a live orchestra from the San Diego Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Fiday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $58.40-$199.75. Youth discounts available. goldenstateballet.org



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Terrifying moment huge sea lions chase tourists off popular California beach

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Terrifying moment huge sea lions chase tourists off popular California beach


Beachgoers in one Southern California town had to run for their lives after two massive sea lions came out of the ocean and onto the beach in San Diego.

In a video posted July 7 on Instagram, Dion Ruzicka captured the terrifying moment the two giant sea creatures hit the shore and began chasing people at the beach on a sunny California day.

One sea lion suddenly charged at stunned beachgoers, barreling across the sand as terrified visitors shrieked and sprinted away while the barking beast gave chase.

Beachgoers in one Southern California town had to run for their lives after two massive sea lions came out of the ocean and onto the beach in San Diego. Instagram/@dionruzicka77

Moments later, a second sea lion joined the chaos, sending panicked crowds scrambling for higher ground — and even into the surf — to escape the pair’s path.

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The more people ran, the more determined the hefty marine mammals seemed, waddling after the fleeing beachgoers in a bizarre game of chase.

“Oh my God,” one person could be heard saying, in the midst of the chaotic scramble.

Video posted on July 7 captured the terrifying moment not one but two giant sea creatures hit the shore and began chasing people. Instagram/@dionruzicka77
San Diego has provided ample warnings to the public alerting them of the dangers they risk going near the wildlife living in the area. Instagram/@dionruzicka77

It didn’t matter whether the visitor was young or old, the sea lion just kept chasing them.  Finally, both animals dived back into the ocean and swam away at a quick pace.

It is not the first time such an encounter has happened in the popular La Jolla spot. A year ago, a video showed a pair of sea lions chasing beachgoers around before finally leaving.


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San Diego has warned the public about the potential dangers of going near wildlife living in the area.

“With the increase in the sea lion population, Point La Jolla has become a popular tourist destination for the public to view these wild animals close up,” a message on the city’s website read.

Officials suggest people watch the animals from the boardwalk and keep their distance from the sea lions. Instagram/@dionruzicka77

As a result, interactions between sea lions and the public have increased.

“Members of the public have been observed trying to touch, take selfies, and get as close to sea lions as possible which is a dangerous situation for both the public and the animals,” it added.

Officials suggest people watch the animals from the boardwalk and keep their distance from the sea lions.

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The summer months are pupping season for these ocean animals. Instagram/@dionruzicka77

While it is unclear what lead to Tuesday’s chase, the summer months are pupping season for these ocean animals. Mothers and fathers become protective of their young ones, and will display aggressive behavior, if they sense a threat, per officials.

“These interactions are not only dangerous for both humans and wildlife, it may be a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act which helps to safeguard these animals,” the city said.

The California Post has reached out to the La Jolla Parks and Beaches group for further comment. 





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Opinion: More apartments eased rents. Townhomes could aid buyers.

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Opinion: More apartments eased rents. Townhomes could aid buyers.


San Diego’s most beloved neighborhoods, like North Park, Golden Hill and Sherman Heights, were built by people who needed a place to live and found one. But the bungalows, fourplexes and cottages that gave working San Diegans a foothold in those neighborhoods can hardly be built anywhere else in the city.

Rules written decades ago banned them. For 70 years, San Diego has been paying for that mistake in the form of a city its own workforce can no longer afford to live in.

Neighborhood Homes for All of Us is the city’s plan to fix that: family-sized townhomes, rowhouses and small duplexes built in the neighborhoods where San Diegans most want to live.

While San Diego rents are softening as new apartments are built, the cost of buying a home is not moving, and it won’t, because the rental and ownership markets run on entirely separate tracks. Renters benefit when more rentals are built, forcing landlords to compete for them.

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However, a family trying to buy a home benefits only if more homes are available for sale. San Diego home prices now exceed nine times the median household income, among the worst ratios in the nation, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Building rental housing is important, but it does not change the math for a buyer.

The homes that would change it — family-sized, on the ownership track, in the neighborhoods where people most want to raise children — have been illegal to build for decades. San Diego produced roughly 7,000 condos and townhomes a year in 2005. By 2022, that number had collapsed below 500. Part of that drop is because of litigation rules that drove up insurance costs for builders, caps on pre-sales that finance these projects and high fees. Another major reason is that we simply do not allow starter homes on smaller lots. So, instead, builders default to rentals because that’s what current rules allow them to build profitably.

London Moeder Advisors, a San Diego real estate economics firm, finds that eliminating the city’s large-lot-size mandates could produce new townhomes at 42% less cost than surrounding single-family homes without taxpayer subsidies. While this price point is still high for many, it’s more attainable for young families starting out. And importantly, the price could drop further if the state advances reforms to address litigation rules and pre-sale caps that drive up costs.

The city’s program is also focused on adding homes in San Diego’s neighborhoods with the best-performing schools and most accessible jobs. These are also the neighborhoods with the most restrictive regulations on smaller starter homes. A teacher whose classroom is in La Jolla cannot afford to live there. A firefighter stationed in Mission Hills commutes from Santee. The homes that would let them stay are currently illegal to build in much of these areas. Neighborhood Homes changes that.

While critics may say San Diego already has the tools for adding homes to neighborhoods, why add another program? Because each of those tools was for a different purpose. None were designed to add more for-sale housing.

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ADUs, the backyard homes now common across the city, typically top out at 750 square feet (because of fee cliffs) and entail intricacies when selling to own. Other tools, like Senate Bill 9, have been layered with requirements that make it far too complicated and expensive for many homeowners to split their lots to add homes. Laws like Senate Bill 79 are important for adding more housing near transit. But none of these tools focuses on family-sized, ownership-track townhomes in an established neighborhood.

The Neighborhood Homes initiative asks a simple question: Where do the families who can’t afford a million-dollar home but don’t want an apartment go? We can continue to say certain neighborhoods are off-limits to the teachers, trades workers and young families who want to live there, or San Diego can set its own terms for how they grow, with local standards in a form the city controls.

San Diego’s most beloved streets were not preserved into existence. They were built — a duplex here, a rowhouse there — by people who needed a place to live in the city they loved and found one. That is what Neighborhood Homes makes possible again.

Asad is a former board member of the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County. He resides in Mid-City.

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Tom Krasovic: Justin Verlander’s announcement recalls Padres’ 2004 draft blunder

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Tom Krasovic: Justin Verlander’s announcement recalls Padres’ 2004 draft blunder


So Justin Verlander is calling it quits, effective at the season’s end.

There’s Padres-related history to explore with Verlander, 43.

With it comes many groans.

San Diego passed on Verlander as part of the infamous, franchise-rocking decision to draft Mission Bay High School’s Matt Bush with the first overall pick in 2004.

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Had the Padres chosen Verlander and tweaked the Old Dominion alum’s delivery, as the Tigers did soon after selecting him No. 2 overall, the best innings-eater of his generation could’ve headed San Diego’s rotation for many years.

As a National Leaguer, Verlander would’ve pitched against pitchers, rather than designated hitters. His annual ERA would’ve fallen by about a half run, per DH and no-DH data of that time.

The Padres would’ve boasted a generational monster atop their rotation as soon as 2006, when Verlander won the American League rookie of the year award with Detroit, while the San Diego rotation featured next year’s NL Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy.

Recall also that Petco Park, from its opening in 2004 until its remodel in 2012, played as big as Yellowstone National Park.

Not that the DH rule greatly impeded Verlander, a nine-time All-Star.

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Many times over, the ace rewarded Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski and scouting director Greg Smith for drafting him one spot after Kevin Towers and Bill Gayton — their options reduced by Padres owner John Moores’ stated opposition to drafting Scott Boras-assisted prospects Jered Weaver and Stephen Drew — selected Bush, the easy-to-sign but troubled shortstop turned pitcher.

Verlander helped Detroit reach its first two World Series in decades. He led the league in innings three times as part of chewing up 200-plus innings in eight consecutive seasons.

Dombrowski had displayed an unwavering faith in betting big on hard throwers.

Unfazed by power-righty Kyle Sleeth breaking down soon after he took him third overall in 2003, Dombrowski and Smith, a former Padres scout, became dead set on taking Verlander if the Padres didn’t.

Why didn’t Towers and Gayton choose Verlander?

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Foremost, the Padres generally didn’t like him as much as the Tigers did.

In fact, they preferred Weaver and Drew.

But Moores all but blocked his scouts there. He was openly critical of their adviser, Boras, saying he didn’t trust him. The two had clashed in the Kevin Brown talks that ended with Brown joining the Dodgers, months after Brown had led the Padres to the 1998 World Series.

Moores was subjected to other kinds of pressure, too. Legal complaints had delayed Petco’s construction. Those complaints all failed in court. But in the interim, the price of steel rose. Padres ownership bore that cost.

Even though Moores’ baseball staffers whiffed on Verlander and failed miserably in choosing Bush, Moores put them in a tough spot. He in effect removed two players who would both pan out as big leaguers.

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Someone with the Tigers correctly foresaw that shortening Verlander’s stride would sharpen his control. Untroubled by his 21-18 college record and bursts of subpar accuracy, the Tigers’ duo touted the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder’s “electric” combination of size, velocity and a powerful curveball.

Signing Verlander wasn’t easy.

David Verlander, the pitcher’s father and a union organizer with experience in sticky negotiations, said a contractual impasse led him to negotiate directly with Smith, leading to a deal, per CWA-Union.org.

The sides agreed on a $3.12 million signing bonus, which was less than the $3.15 million bonus the Padres paid to Bush, who was advised by Jeff Moorad.

The Boras-advised Weaver and Drew, who went 12th and 15th to the Angels and Diamondbacks, respectively, got $4 million apiece — but they and Verlander each got major league contracts, increasing the value of all three deals.

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It wasn’t until close to the 2005 draft that Weaver was signed. He nonetheless returned great value to the Angels.

Verlander went on to pitch for the Astros after GM Jeff Luhnow obtained him at age 34 from Detroit.

Verlander became a better pitcher with Houston, benefiting from the tech-and-data-driven edges the Astros provided him. Verlander embraced high-speed camera data, eventually dropping his two-seam fastball and limiting his rising fastball to high in the zone. Prodded by high-speed imagery, he adjusted his slider grip.

He won his second and third Cy Youngs with the Astros, and now stands 266-159 with a 3.33 career ERA in nearly 3,600 innings.

For baseball’s hungriest fanbase, he represents a case of what might have been.

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