And now he can’t wait to do it again.

“I never even thought of not coming back” in 2011, Enberg said the other day.

He is, however, thinking about whether he wants to pursue any other broadcasting opportunities while also calling Padres games. This year, of course, he missed more than five weeks of baseball while he worked a pair of tennis tournaments, Wimbledon for ESPN and the U.S. Open for CBS.

“I really missed it. I really missed the games,” he said, noting how he followed the games on his iPad in the wee hours in London and New York. “As much as I was enjoying the tennis, I was missing the Padres.”

Enberg, 75, is under contract with Channel 4 San Diego for 2011. He also said he has a contract to work the Australian Open for ESPN in January, and he definitely will do that since it concludes before spring training. He said he has no deal right now to work Wimbledon and an “option either way” with CBS for the U.S. Open.

“From my point of view, it’s been so terrific for me that I’m going to have to wait until I spend a month or so after the season’s over to make sure that my head is clear. I’m making serious lifetime decisions based on how much I enjoyed this year. It’s been so fulfilling. … I’m already looking forward to next year.

“The whole experience has really surprised me. I never thought I’d even be ruminating over these possiblities. I’m seriously thinking about what do I want to do with the rest of my life. I know part of that answer is I want to continue to do baseball.”

Obviously Enberg’s enjoyment increased as the Padres went through a season he called “magical,” but he said the thrill would have been there regardless.

“We’re fortunate to be part of a terrific season, totally unexpected,” he said. “I braced like all of us that the pundits were right and we were 29th out of 30 teams.”

Of course, now the games mean more than ever and Enberg and Mark Grant will be on the sidelines again Saturday when Fox swoops in for the sixth straight week. (Chargers radio voice Josh Lewin will call the game.)

“We’ve gone through this whole season; we’re about to deliver this baby, and I’m going to sit up in the booth like a fan,” Enberg said. “That doesn’t feel very good. I want to do that game. I understand that; I’ve been on the other side as well.

“It just seems to me that when you get down to the final week of the season, shouldn’t local television be able to make the call? You can watch Fox in San Diego or you can watch us in San Diego. At least let us do the final series of the season! I’ll be watching that game, hopefully with a smile, but with tears coming down my cheeks.”