Padres Offer Season Tickets to Anyone Who Can Hit Home Run at Petco Park

The San Diego Padres are running a promotion that will give two season tickets to anyone—within certain restrictions—who can hit a home run at Petco Park.

On Saturday, March 15, the Padres are offering fans a chance to win free season tickets in the upper infield section if they can hit a home run at the team's stadium. Fans can sign up on the team's website, but they will face a tough task.

According to the ESPN Home Run Tracker, Petco Park allowed only 146 home runs in 81 games—an average of 1.8 per game—in 2013. That number ranked ninth out of 15 National League stadiums and 22nd out of 30 major league ballparks.

If those numbers weren't daunting enough, the following restrictions will make it even harder for fans to win, via Padres.com:

1. Each participant will have the opportunity to swing at one pitch from the pitching machine set up by the Padres. Each participant may remain at the plate for no more than two pitches. If the participant does not swing at either pitch, participant's turn is over.

[...]

5. All participants must wear a batting helmet provided by the Padres and may only use a bat provided by the Padres.

6. A winning hit is one that passes over the outfield fence of Petco Park, in fair territory, without bouncing on the field (a home run). The ultimate determination of whether a hit constitutes a home run shall be made by the Padres, in its sole and absolute discretion.

7. Winners shall receive two (2) 2014 regular season tickets in the "Upper Infield" section (the "Prize").

8. Participants who played Division I collegiate or professional baseball (whether major, minor or independent league) are not eligible for the Prize.

Yeah, the Padres are offering people only one swing. It's going to be very difficult for anyone who is eligible to hit a home run.

One way to make this promotion better would be to let the participants hit off some of the team's pitchers. Even if nobody wins season tickets, the participants could at least say they got to face a major league pitcher.

As unlikely as it would be to win, it still sounds like a great promotion for baseball fans.

[San Diego Padres, h/t Big League Stew]