the new Public Address announcer for the San Diego Padres. Miniak was formerly the PA announcer for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, and is the current PA commentator for the MLB The Show series. The San Diego Padres were first portrayed in the 1979 NBC made-for-TV film The Kid from Left Field, starring Gary Coleman as Jackie Robinson "J.R." Cooper, a youngster who is passionate about baseball, and puts his knowledge to good use when he becomes the manager of the Padres and helps lead them to the World Series. In 2016, the San Diego Padres were portrayed once again in the one-season Fox television series Pitch, starring Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker, the first female to play in Major League Baseball. Educational involvement The San Diego Padres established The Padres Scholars program, the first of its kind among professional sports. Originally each Padres scholar was selected as a seventh-grader and received a $5,000 scholarship after graduation from high school to go towards higher education. This program has reached 389 students from its establishment in 1995 to now. Over the past few years the program has undergone a few changes to be effective from an education standpoint. This program focuses on creating a close relationship between the chosen scholars and the team. As of 2011, 3 high school seniors will be chosen to receive a $30,000 scholarship to be awarded through the course of their higher education. Maintaining this prestigious award is conditional on maintaining contact with the Padres and providing proof of good academic standing. The San Diego Padres are the sponsors of and heavily involved in most aspects of the Sports Business Management MBA degree program offered in conjunction with San Diego State University's College of Business Administration. SDSU's Sports MBA is the only program of its kind created in partnership with a professional sports franchise. The curriculum focuses on the entire sports business industry, not just baseball. The program includes an internship. Members of Padres senior management regularly participate, including work with the development and continued coordination of SDSU's International Case Competition, which annually attracts participation from top business schools. See also An American Journey: My Life on the Field, In the Air, and On the Air – Jerry Coleman's 2008 autobiography Notes References Further reading External links San Diego Padres Logos Major League Baseball teams Cactus League 1969