SAN DIEGO -- With the Super Bowl making the transition from hype to highlights, the Padres jumped on the opportunity Monday to declare the baseball season officially open for business.

One could tell it's time for baseball again because team president and CEO Dick Freeman was at a press conference at the San Diego Hall of Champions, introducing the team's promotional schedule. One also could tell because GM Kevin Towers and manager Bruce Bochy were there as well to talk about the club's chances in 2005, the second season at PETCO Park.

"It's time to go to work," said Bochy, heading into his 11th season as skipper of the Padres.

But perhaps the surest sign that spring, or at least Spring Training, is on its way came from the San Diego Chicken, who also was in attendance and in full feather.

"I've come out from my hole underneath the grandstand, and I can report that I can see my shadow and there will be six more weeks without hockey, and then Opening Day for baseball," said the Chicken, known as Ted Giannoulas outside the chicken suit.

An appearance by the San Diego Chicken will be among the special Saturday night attractions at PETCO Park, with the international mascot star originally from San Diego making his debut at the Padres' new downtown ballpark. The Chicken, who when he started performed at all 81 Padres home games some years, makes his only San Diego appearance of the season May 14 against the Marlins.

Freeman also announced that all Saturday night games and the four Opening Weekend games April 7-10 against the Pittsburgh Pirates will go on sale this weekend. Freeman said this year's home schedule includes 30 giveaways and 20 special nights, including five fireworks nights.

As for the product on the field, Towers is confident the Padres will be right in the mix for a trip to the postseason despite a relatively short list of changes compared to San Diego's National League West brethren.

"We liked the everyday makeup of our club last year, and we really felt we could have won more games than we did last year," said Towers, who focused much of his efforts on shoring up the team's bullpen and bench after the Padres finished third in the division with an 87-75 mark.

While the Giants, Dodgers and Diamondbacks all hit the free agent market hard and often, the Padres' main moves were bringing back right-hander Woody Williams to fill a veteran void left by the loss of David Wells, and acquiring center fielder and leadoff man Dave Roberts from the Red Sox to add to speed at the top of the lineup.

The latter move was in reaction to the Padres' first season at PETCO, which proved to be a tough place for sluggers, but one that has plenty of outfield space for the motion game.

"We have a little bit better feel for how this ballpark plays," Towers said. "Last year, we had an idea, but once we got into it, we realized how spacious those gaps were and how difficult it was to hit the ball out of the ballpark. We were really a station-to-station club."

Heading into 2005, Bochy has made playing better at home one of the top priorities, and one of the ways he says he'll put the focus on that during Spring Training is with an extra emphasis on baserunning. While the addition of Roberts gives the Padres an element of speed they didn't have last year, his track record doesn't suggest he's coming in to turn the team an entirely different direction.

The Padres will just have to be a little smarter about how they go about their business at home and, simply put, be better than they were in going 42-39 at home in 2004, Bochy said.

The second year is already easier than the first.

"It takes away the unknown factor. Now we know what we have," Bochy said. "We learned from playing in it last year the importance to do some little things to get some runs across. Now players know how the ball carries. I don't think we'll be shocked by anything, and that's in our favor."

The Padres' pitchers and catchers are due to report to Peoria on Feb. 18 and conduct their first workout on Feb. 19. The full squad reports on Feb. 23 and the first full-squad workout is slated for Feb. 24.