San Diego Padres: Was Sale of the Franchise a Step in the Right Direction?

When John Moores sold the San Diego Padres to a group headed by California beer distributor Ron Fowler, many fans were happy. However, was the sale of the franchise a step in the right direction for the team?

In simple terms—yes.

While the teams saw some success under the ownership of Moores, the last few years have been miserable. And, it didn't look like it was going to get any better until Moores was out of the picture.

Step in Fowler, professional golfer Phil Mickelson and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, and you have an ownership group you can get behind.

Here's a look at four reasons why the sale of the Padres was a step in the right direction.

More Money to Spend

Over the last few years, the Padres have ranked at or near the bottom on MLB payroll.

This year, the team ranked last with $55.244 million, while 2011 saw them rank 28th with $45.869 million. In fact, the last time the Padres didn't rank in the bottom five of the league was 2008.

Money wasn't spent on bringing players to San Diego. Instead, a player like Adrian Gonzalez was traded away to avoid paying him the big bucks he was due.

The Gonzalez trade hurt the team more because he showed he could still hit in a place like Petco Park. It's just the Padres couldn't afford him, or Moores was too cheap to pay for him.

Prior to approval of the sale by the other MLB owners, the new ownership group gave general manager Josh Byrnes the go-ahead to re-sign Huston Street and Carlos Quentin.

That's a start. Now, we'll just have to see what the team does this offseason.

My guess is that the payroll won't increase by leaps and bounds, but should see an increase to around $65-70 million.

Petco Park Dimensions Moved In?

Petco Park has never been a hitter-friendly park.

According to ESPN's MLB Park Factors, Petco Park ranks 29th in home runs (0.532) and 27th in runs (0.797).

There may be some relief in the offseason, however.

In an article written by San Diego Union-Times writer Bill Center, the Padres may shorten the fences prior to the start of the 2013 season.

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We’re open-minded and we’re seriously considering it, Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel said Tuesday.

I do believe it is too extreme right now. It will still be a pitcher’s ballpark. But a hitter should be rewarded if he crushes it. And if a team is down 4-0, they should feel there is some hope. It’s just too extreme.

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The story may have run in April, but those feelings shouldn't change with a new ownership.

While it was considered prior to the new ownership group taking over, talk was cheap by previous owners. The new owners have already shown they're willing to take action in terms of re-signing players. Now, let's see if they can do that with the ballpark dimensions.

O'Malleys Will Bring Baseball Pedigree

When you think of baseball ownership, George Steinbrenner is the first person that comes to mind.

After that, the O'Malley family comes to the forefront.

Having been owners of the Dodgers from 1950-1998, the O'Malley family is credited with having helped make the Dodgers into a first-class organization.

From their days in Brooklyn in the '50s to when Peter's father Walter moved the team to Los Angeles in 1958, the O'Malleys made baseball in Los Angeles.

O'Malley, his two sons (Kevin and Brian) and two nephews (Peter and Tom Seidler) now bring the family pedigree south to San Diego.

Kevin O'Malley said in an interview with the Associated Press that he and his family were excited about becoming part-owners of the Padres:

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This is a special moment for us, Kevin O'Malley said at a news conference to announce the closing of the $800 million deal and introduce the new ownership group. Our grandfather, Walter O'Malley, our father, Peter O'Malley, for close to 50 years ran a first-class baseball organization. We feel a great responsibility being here today to carry on that legacy. We have high expectations for a first-class product on and off the field and we look forward to working with the team here to make it happen.

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When an O'Malley says they're going to work to make it happen, you can take it to the bank.

Ron Fowler Is from San Diego

Some may not think it's a big deal, but fans want a team's owner to feel as much passion as they do about their team.

For fans of the Padres, knowing that majority owner Ron Fowler has been a part of the San Diego community since 1974 makes a huge difference:

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I've got probably a longer history in San Diego than the other people, Fowler said. I think I understand what San Diego means to people...I think I understand this community and I think we can make a difference here. That's why we're all in.

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There's a reason why the New York Yankees have been successful since George Steinbrenner bought the team. He lived in New York and was just as passionate about the team as the fans were. Now, his sons are following suit.

Of course there is the occasional owner who doesn't live in the same city, but is just as passionate.

For the most part, however, fans want to know their owner is just as vested in the team as they are. They don't want to see someone consider the team as just a way to make money.