ESCONDIDO -- Bob Chandler said he always wanted to be a baseball player, but when he learned he wasn't very good at it, he thought he'd give the second-best job in sports a try.

Chandler made it a more than 30-year career calling games for the San Diego Padres. He delighted a crowd of more than 30 fans Saturday afternoon at the Escondido Public Library, telling light-hearted, humorous stories from his new book, "Bob Chandler's Tales From the San Diego Padres," about the players, managers and owners he met and befriended over the years.

The 68-year-old retired broadcaster said he moved to San Diego from Rhode Island shortly after graduating from high school to attend and play baseball at San Diego State University. While he was a good player in high school, he said he realized quickly that the other players at the college level were much better than he.

"I figured the next best thing to being a baseball player would be a baseball announcer," Chandler said. "So that's what I decided I was going to do, right then and there, a freshman at San Diego State."

Chandler said he came to write the book reluctantly. His friend, San Diego baseball historian Bill Swank, was first approached by a publishing company to write about the Padres. But after trading a few stories over lunch, Swank suggested Chandler write the book.

"I said, 'I don't really want to write a book,' " Chandler recalled telling his friend. " 'I'm just afraid that everyone will want juicy gossip, and that kind of stuff. And I just wouldn't do that to guys that I travelled for 30 years with.'"

Chandler said he agreed to write it when Swank, who co-authored the book, suggested all the stories would be lost if he didn't write them down.

At the library, Chandler drew loud laughs retelling some of those stories, including the one about McDonald's magnate Ray Kroc's purchase of the Padres in 1974. While in Florida, Kroc read a newspaper story about the team being for sale, Chandler said.

As Chandler told the story, Kroc turned to his wife, Joan, and said: "I think I might buy the Padres," and she replied: "Well, Ray, what would you want with a monastery?"

During the hour-long talk, several fans asked about recent baseball scandals, such as players' use of performance-enhancing drugs. Chandler recalled fondly his friendship with the late Padres third baseman Ken Caminiti, who admitted using steroids while playing for the team.

"Loved Ken Caminiti. He was a great guy, but I didn't know he was using steroids," he said. "Well, as much I love Caminiti, I'm disappointed in him; that really appalls me … I'm a baseball purist. Henry Aaron didn't take any steroids. Babe Ruth may have taken a lot of other things, but he didn't take any steroids."

In 1970, Chandler began covering the Padres as sports director at TV's Channel 39. He went to work for the team in 1972, just three years after its inaugural season in 1969. Attendance at the time was low and the team was among the worst in the major leagues, Chandler said.

As the team began to improve after Kroc purchased it, attendance increased, he said. Chandler retired in 2003, shortly before the Padres began playing at the new downtown stadium, Petco Park.

Longtime fan 78-year-old Larry Lasky of Vista said he has fond memories of listening to Chandler's play-by-play, and was glad to meet him to have his book autographed.

"For the fans, sometimes it's a friend that you listen to, and its nice to meet that friend," Lasky said.

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.