Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
The events leading up to Tuesday's 87th All-Star Game are in full swing Saturday at venues throughout San Diego.
In addition to FanFest being open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Convention Center, there will be youth baseball games throughout the day at Robb Field in Ocean Beach and at Play Ball Park in front of the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.
Plus, there are two concerts and two sessions of the Soul Pose MLB All-Star Yoga and the dedication of two youth baseball fields.
Saturday's first concert at the Embarcadero Marina Park South starts at noon and features Tori Kelly. The second is at 7 p.m.with Gwen Stefani the headliner.
The yoga sessions start at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. at Waterfront Park at the Civic Center.
Meanwhile, Petco Park is hosting the Junior Home Run Derby starting at 8 a.m. with the Wiffle Ball Series continuing throughout the day.
FanFest will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday through Monday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for senior citizens and kids 2-12. On Saturday and Sunday, military tickets are $12.
FanFest features interactive exhibits - skill areas for running, throwing and hitting -- as well as displays from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame in Kansas City. The history of the San Diego Padres is also chronicled.
Each day of FanFest will feature former Padres and other Major League greats signing autographs and appearing in question-and-answer sessions as well as clinics.
Trevor Hoffman, Rollie Fingers, Mark Loretta, Chris Gwynn, Garry Templeton Steve Finley, David Wells, Fred Lynn, Dave Dravecky, Luis Tiant, Kevin Mitchell and Jesse Orosco are among Saturday's featured guests.
Games at the All-Star Youth Classic start daily at 10:30 a.m. and features eight baseball and four softball teams. The local baseball teams in the field represent the Jackie Robinson YMCA and San Diego Military while the local softball team is from the Peninsula Youth Softball Association. Other teams are from Tijuana, Queens, N.Y., Mississippi, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Indiana, Anaheim and Texas.