Let’s face it ! The game of baseball relies on it’s fan base. It is the Fans who can have a profound affect on the game of baseball. If the fans don’t buy tickets, no one makes a profit. Why is the game of baseball allowing potential owners to purchase a franchise without deep financial pockets. Secondly, why was the San Diego Padres franchise not put up for a public auction for potential owners outside of baseball to place a bid for the franchise ? Isn’t this America, where opportunities exist for anyone such as Mark Cuban. Public perception of the San Diego Padres franchise is reaching the lowest point in history, and baseball needs to address this quickly. The loyal fans of San Diego has seen 1b Adrian Gonzalez, P Jake Peavy, RHP Health Bell, and RHP Mike Adams all leave due to financial reasons within the last 36 months. I do not subscribe to the philosophy things will change by building through the farm system. Why? You may ask. Simple, once a few players establish themselves as the upper tier players in the league as with Gonzalez, Peavy, Bell and Adams. The Padres will send them out for yet around round of prospect packages. Don’t get me wrong, this type of business model can be very successful provided, the franchise has a stable baseball operations and ownership. Ahhh ! which we all know in San Diego has not been the case ever since Larry Lucchino left San Diego. What I like to see is MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to place the San Diego Padres up for public auction and if Moorad can win the bid through a formal and organized bidding process so be it. Otherwise, this all seems like a shaddy business transaction and public perception can have a huge negative impact on the franchise.
The orchestrated trade of All-Star 1b Adrian Gonzalez to Boston Red Sox and the migration of ex GM Jed Hoyer and Assistant Jason McLeod to Chicago Cubs within 12 months has many Padres Fans wondering if Moorad can actually run a franchise. Remember, Moorad has fired several good baseball operations personnel from Sandy Alderson, Grady Fuson, Kevin Towers and has let others walk away Hoyer and McCleod. You wonder why Chris Gywnn just recently left for a lateral position with the Seattle Mariners as Player Personnel Director. As I said, public perception is critical not only the fans have been watching but apparently other owners in MLB have been as well. It’s time MLB to put the San Diego Padres franchise up for public auction. Let the formal process decide who has the deep pockets to buy the Padres. MLB is doing this with the Los Angeles Dodgers, shouldn’t the Padres Franchise be treated the same way ? Both franchises were literally taken down by similar circumstances.
Time for some blues mojo and here’s Blues Band named Dicky James and the Blue Flames with a song titled “Everybody Got To Pay”. Yes, that is right MLB, everybody got to pay and have deep pockets to own a baseball franchise.