Golfer Phil Mickelson said his investment in the Padres as part of the O'Malley group will be "substantial," according to a front-page piece by Nick Canepa of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Mickelson "is not in it for chump change." He "will not play an everyday role in franchise operations but does expect to be involved." Mickelson said, "It feels awesome. I'm passionate about the Padres and Chargers. Growing up in San Diego I loved both teams. What's exciting is the O'Malley and Seidler partnership; they're as passionate about baseball as I am and they've been around the game for a long time." He added, "There were a lot of complexities to the sale, a lot of parts that had to be negotiated above the price of the team. I can’t answer anything involving this as eloquently as Peter Seidler, and I know they don’t want to say much until it’s a done deal. I haven’t been involved in negotiations" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/8). In San Diego, Bill Center writes that "swift approval would give the Padres' new owners seven weeks to contemplate changes before the season ends." While it is "highly unlikely the Padres will become players in the bidding for major free agents, decisions might be made more with the eye on the won-loss column than the bottom line." The Padres also "have to find some way to exert pressure on all sides to get their games on Time Warner Cable, AT&T U-Verse and maybe even Dish Network as well as Cox and Direct TV." The fan experience at Petco Park "can [be] improved both on the field and off." Center: "Announce a date when the new video board will be in place. And make a decision on the dimensions at Petco Park. The question has been studied for eight years. Time to act" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/8).
FATHER KNOWS BEST: In California, Jay Paris writes of the O'Malley group's purchase of the Padres, "Baseball will wrap its arms around a name that is synonymous with baseball." O'Malley's sons, Kevin and Brian, and his nephews, Peter and Tom, "will handle much of the day-to-day operations." Padres manager Bud Black said, "The players are conditioned strongly to play. Their job description is to play, but there are a number of them in tune with the broader perspective. This sets a tone moving forward. It's exciting going forward." Former MLBer Don Newcombe, who played for the O'Malley-owned Dodgers in the '50s, "predicts the O'Malley group will interact with Padres fans as they once did Dodgers patrons." Newcombe: "To make grand things happen, you have to take care of people. That was such a great legacy from Walter O'Malley, for Peter and (his sister) Terry Seidler. So now they get to carry it on with their sons" (NORTH COUNTY TIMES, 8/8).
TOO RICH FOR TIGER'S BLOOD? Golfer Tiger Woods said of his interest in investing in a pro sports franchise, "Absolutely. I just need a lot more money. My teams are the Lakers, the Dodgers and the Raiders, so I've got to play really well." In Charlotte, Ron Green Jr. writes Woods' "buddy, Michael Jordan, might make a piece of the Charlotte Bobcats available." If rumors are true, Jordan "already has and Woods declined" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/8).
