By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
May 4, 2012
As the Magic Johnson group formally closed its $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers, former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley began an aggressive push of his own to get back into Southern California baseball. O’Malley has strong interest in buying the San Diego Padres, and he wants to close the deal by the All-Star break. The Padres recently landed back on the open market after Jeff Moorad’s attempt to buy the team fell through.
The Moorad purchase falling through was one of the best things that could have happened to current Padres owner John Moores. On the heels of the Dodgers deal, the Padres suddenly are worth much more than the $500 million Moorad was willing pay. There’s no indication what O’Malley is willing to pay for the team.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ otherbaseball owner, Angels principal Arte Moreno, reportedly is considering moving the team from Anaheim to downtown L.A. The team has an option to terminate their Angel Stadium lease when the building turns 50 in 2016. However, if they don’t exercise the escape clause, they must stay until 2029.