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| A group headed by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter OMalley | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 9 2014, 01:36 AM (51 Views) | |
| xubb | Jan 9 2014, 01:36 AM Post #1 |
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A group headed by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter OMalley and including pro golfer Phil Mickelson reached agreement Monday to buy the San Diego Padres from John Moores. The purchase price is believed to be around US$800 million. OMalley is the son of Walter OMalley, who bought the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 and moved them to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. "An agreement has been confirmed but is not yet finalized. It has to be voted on," Padres senior vice-president, public affairs Sarah Farnsworth said after San Diego beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 Monday night. Major League Baseball owners must approve the agreement. They are scheduled to meet later this month. U-T San Diego first reported Monday night that a purchase agreement had been signed. The purchase price apparently includes the $200 million in upfront money the Padres received from Fox Sports San Diego in a $1.2 billion, 30-year TV deal. The agreement came months after Jeff Moorads attempt to buy the team on a layaway plan fell apart. Moores deal with Moorad, who began his attempted purchase of the club in 2009, was valued at about $500 million. The price for this sale was inflated thanks to the deal with Fox and the recent sale of the Dodgers for $2 billion. Moores divorce forced him to put the team on the market in 2009. Moores had owned 51 per cent of the team while a minority group, once controlled by Moorad and then by local businessman Ron Fowler, owned 49 per cent. Fowler is expected to join the OMalley group. Fans hope a change in owners can turn around the Padres, who regularly have had one of baseballs lowest payrolls and have largely struggled since reaching the 1998 World Series. The Padres are 47-64 this season. Moores, the owner since December 1994, slashed the player payroll both in 1999, while the club waited for voter-approved Petco Park to open, and again as he went through his divorce. Moores has distanced himself from the team in recent years, first as he went through the divorce and as Moorad took over as CEO from 2009 until his sudden resignation in March. Many fans felt Moores showed an increasing disinterest in the club. A big question is whether the OMalley group has the operating capital to make the Padres competitive. The new ownership group includes Peter OMalleys two sons, Kevin and Brian, and nephews Peter and Tom Seidler. Two of the four are expected to move to San Diego. Tom Seidler is president of the Class A Visalia Rawhide. Mickelson, whos from San Diego, said in late May that being involved with the OMalley group was a good investment opportunity and a chance to be involved in the community. Mickelson is a a four-time major champion who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May. After presiding over what had been baseballs oldest family dynasty, Peter OMalley sold the Dodgers to Rupert Murdochs Fox Group in March 1998 for about $311 million -- at the time the most ever paid for a U.S. sports franchise. Walter OMalley died in 1979. Under the OMalley ownership, the Dodgers won six World Series, 13 NL championships and finished first or second in their division 33 times in 48 years. By comparison, the Padres have been to two World Series, losing in 1984 and 1998. Moores proposed sale of the team to Moorad, a former player agent, collapsed earlier this year after baseball owners refused to approve to proposed transfer of controlling interest. Moores, who made a fortune in computer software, bought a majority stake in the Padres for approximately $80 million in December 1994 from a 15-member group headed by TV producer Tom Werner, who eight years later became chairman of the Boston Red Sox. Under Moores ownership, the Padres won four NL West titles and reached the 1998 World Series before being swept by the New York Yankees. While the Padres enjoyed success under Moores in the 1990s and for a stretch in the mid-2000s, the franchise also has struggled. In November 1998, voters overwhelmingly approved the construction of Petco Park. The downtown ballpark didnt open until 2004, however, due to lawsuits and a federal investigation into Moores dealings with a city councilwoman. The Padres had five straight losing seasons from 1999-2003 before going 87-75 in their first season in Petco Park. Some fans still believe the Padres failed to live up to their promise of using increased revenue from Petco Park to add free agents. In recent seasons, citing financial reasons, the Padres have dealt star players such as Jake Peavy, the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner, and All-Star slugger Adrian Gonzalez, choosing to stockpile prospects at the expense of a lack of star power. The Padres have won only one post-season game since their 1998 World Series appearance. The Padres won the NL West in 2005 and 2006 before losing an epic 13-inning, wild-card tiebreaker game at Colorado in 2007. Since then, theyve been mostly dismal. They lost 99 games in 2008, 87 games in 2009 and 91 games last year. The Padres were surprise contenders in 2010 before collapsing down the stretch. Another stain on Moores legacy was his urging the front office to take local high school shortstop Matt Bush with the top pick of the 2004 amateur draft because he came much cheaper than star players in that draft class such as Justin Verlander and Jered Weaver. Bush was a bust after off-field trouble and elbow surgery derailed his career. Hes jailed in Florida in a DUI hit-and-run case. Verlander, last years AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, has thrown two no-hitters for the Detroit Tigers and came within two outs of a third earlier this year. Weaver threw his first career no-hitter earlier this season for the Los Angeles Angels. The Padres are on their third general manager since 2009. Moorad fired Kevin Towers at the end of the 2009 season and replaced him with Jed Hoyer. Hoyer left after the 2011 season to take the same job with the Cubs. He was replaced by Josh Byrnes, who was GM with the Diamondbacks when Moorad was part of the ownership group in Arizona. Joique Bell Jersey . The Steelers re-signed tackle Max Starks to a one-year deal on Tuesday, hoping his surgically repaired knee is healed and his leadership can help one of the NFLs youngest lines provide better protection for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. cheap Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . Pierce was injured with three minutes left in the first quarter when defensive tackle Ted Laurent grabbed him by the ankles. Its the second time in three weeks Pierce hasnt been able to finish a game. http://www.officialpanthersteamshop.com/autographed-joe-adams-jersey-cg-92.html . The crowd got a show from the All Blacks, who scored three of their five tries in the last 12 minutes, and the Azzurri were in the game for longer than most expected. For more than an hour, the Italians frustrated New Zealand with a robust defence that also didnt give the visitors the width they enjoyed in thrashing Scotland 51-22 the previous weekend. NFL Adam Joseph Duhe Dolphins Jersey . Watch it all unfold LIVE NOW with the pre-game show on TSN. Also available on TSN Mobile TV. In a tradition that dates back to 1949 when the Stamps captured a 20-6 win over Edmonton, this is the most heavily played matchup during rivalry week, with the Eskimos delivering 29 wins in 51 games over the years. Marcus Dixon Jerseyfree shipping . Manziel, the redshirt freshman quarterback from Texas A&M, and Teo, Notre Dames star linebacker, along with Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, were invited Monday to attend the Heisman presentation ceremony. DETROIT -- Justin Verlander threw a fastball that caught a bit too much of the plate, allowing Oaklands Coco Crisp to lead off the game with a stunning home run. For the first few innings, Verlander laboured, his pitch count rising while his control deserted him. But the Athletics could manage only that one run, missing their best chance of the night to break through against Detroits hard-throwing ace. Verlander held Oakland scoreless after his early slip, and Alex Avila homered in the fifth inning to lift the Tigers over the Athletics 3-1 Saturday night in the opener of their best-of-five AL playoff. Verlander allowed three hits in seven innings and matched his post-season high with 11 strikeouts. "Early on was kind of a bit of a battle for me," Verlander said. "Just kind of found my rhythm a little bit and was able to hit my spots better, and I started throwing my breaking ball for strikes a little bit better too." As usual, he seemed stronger in the later innings, striking out the side in the sixth and the first two hitters of the seventh. "Early on, didnt have great control of any of my pitches," Verlander said. "But I was able to get myself out of jams that I created." Joaquin Benoit pitched the eighth and Jose Valverde struck out two in a perfect ninth for the save. Oaklands Jarrod Parker allowed two earned runs in 6 1-3 innings and took the loss. Game 2 is Sunday, with Doug Fister taking the mound for Detroit and left-hander Tommy Milone for Oakland. Then the series shifts to the West Coast. "Its always important to get Game 1. The way it is now, obviously, its nice starting here but to play the last three games in Oakland is definitely tough," Avila said. "Every games important, but it felt real good to get one out of the way." It was only the second victory for Detroit in its last seven post-season series openers. The Tigers lost Game 1 to the Yankees in the division series last year before winning in five. Detroit then lost the opener of the AL championship series to Texas. After winning their final six games to take the AL West in shocking fashion, the As made their presence felt right away in Detroit. The home crowd at Comerica Park greeted Verlander with a roar and a sea of twirling white towels when he popped out of the dugout and headed to the mound to start the game, but Crisp was unfazed. He pulled Verlanders two-strike pitch just inside the pole in right field to put Oakland on top. "He made a mistake to the first batter of the game, and then he didnt make another one all night," As first baseman Brandon Moss said, exaggerating only slightly. Verlander had two starts cut short early by bad weather in last years post-season. It was 49 degrees -- but dry -- at game time Saturday. The AL Central-champion Tigers, in consecutive postseasons for the first time since 1934-35, tied it in their half of the first. Austin Jacksons hard-hit ball deflected off diving shortstop Stephen Drew and into short left field. The Detroit leadoff man ended up with a double and went to third when Quintin Berry slapped a single to third off Josh Donaldson, who also could only get a piece of the ball while diving for it. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, who went 0 for 3 with a walk, grounded into a double play, but Jackson came home to make it 1-all. Drew finally made a diving play in the second, sprawling to his right on Delmon Youngs grounder and then throwing to first for the out. At the plate, the As made Verlander work, forcing him to thhrow 61 pitches in the first three innings.dddddddddddd Verlander struck out Moss to end the Oakland third with a 99 mph fastball -- but Verlander was having to reach back for extra velocity early. "Most good starters, you try to get to them before they get into their rhythm," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "He got better as the game went along. A lot of times your best opportunity is early in the game." The Athletics tied a post-season record by starting four rookies -- Parker, Donaldson, Yoenis Cespedes and Derek Norris. Parker looked sharp early but allowed another run in the third because of a fielding mishap. With two out and a man on second, Berry chopped a soft grounder to the right side. Parker came off the mound to field it, but with the speedy Berry hustling to first, Parker lost control of the ball while scooping at it with his glove for an error that allowed Omar Infante to score. "He wasnt trying to flip it, because he was closer to the bag than I was," first baseman Brandon Moss said. "He was just trying to grab it and it came out of his glove." Avilas solo shot made it 3-1, and the As couldnt take advantage of Verlanders rising pitch count. "In the post-season you dont go out there and think about pitch count and keeping it low," Verlander said. "Im just going to be aggressive, try to find the strike zone and throw quality strikes, and the pitch count will take care of itself." Verlander led the majors in strikeouts for the second straight year, and Oakland was baseballs most strikeout-prone team. It showed toward the end of Verlanders outing. After taking a called third strike for the third out of the sixth -- Verlanders fourth strikeout in a five-hitter span -- Donaldson chirped a bit at plate umpire Jim Reynolds. Verlander was done after one more inning, finishing with 121 pitches and his fourth career post-season win. Verlander walked four. "We battled him hard, but it doesnt even seem to matter how many pitches that guy throws," Oakland outfielder Josh Reddick said. "He just keeps coming after you with all of those pitches." Benoit allowed a single in the eighth, followed by a flyout by Moss that Andy Dirks caught at the wall in right field. "I didnt think it was gone," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I thought he just missed it. And he did just miss it." Oakland right-hander Pat Neshek, whose newborn son died 23 hours after his birth, came on to relieve Parker in the seventh. He entered with two on and one out but got out of the inning without any scoring. Oakland wore patches with the initials GJN. Nesheks sons name was Gehrig John Neshek. "It was really tough warming up, and I thought about him the entire time. I said yesterday that baseball would be a way to clear my mind, but that didnt happen. He was always there," Neshek said. "I know it is a cliche, but I really felt like I had someone watching me and helping with that last pitch. That was my best slider of the year." NOTES: Parker allowed seven hits. He struck out five and walked one. ... Crisp was 8 for 22 off Verlander entering but with no homers. ... Cabrera received chants of "MVP" from the fans when he was announced before the game. Oakland 3B Brandon Inge -- a former Tiger -- was also cheered. ... Moss struck out three times. ... Arizona started four rookies three times in the 2007 post-season, according to STATS, LLC. ... Verlander also struck out 11 against the Yankees in last years division series. |
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1:39 AM Jul 11