For some of those radio broadcasts, Gwynn has joined longtime voice of the Padres Ted Leitner, and has had a somewhat pacifying effect on the controversial announcer. Padres’ fans fall into two camps on Leitner, either loving or hating him with very little middle ground on the subject.
In his lengthy partnership with Jerry Coleman in the broadcast booth, Leitner arguably did his best work. The two had a genuine chemistry, and Coleman’s knowledge of the game provided real insights. Leitner teased him gently about his frequent “Colemanisms,” verbal bloopers, like “Sunday is Senior Citizens’ Day. And if you want to become a senior citizen, just call the Padre ticket office,” for which he became known.