Moving out? What a Kroc …
Ray Kroc (San Diego Union photo)
With the Padres planning to relocate to Washington D.C. after only five seasons in San Diego, the big cheese of the Big Mac – McDonald’s owner Ray Kroc – announces 50 years ago today that he will purchase the Padres for $12 million and keep the team in southern California.
C. Arnholt Smith
Before Kroc steps in, then-Padres owner C. Arnholt Smith agrees to sell his team for the same $12 million to Joseph Danzansky, the Washington-based owner of Giant Food Inc.
Danzansky, who reaches his agreement with Smith early in the 1973 season to buy the Padres, openly talks about moving the franchise to D.C. and playing in RFK Stadium, where the Washington Senators play before abandoning the city after the 1971 season and move to Texas and become the Rangers.
Danzansky begins promoting the soon-to-be-relocated team. He sets up a photo op with a pitching prospect named Dave Freisleben wearing a prototype Washington jersey. He also reportedly has a say in the Padres selecting future Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield with the fourth overall pick of the 1974 amateur draft.
Dave Freisleben
Not surprisingly, Danzansky’s receives the support of the National League’s 11 other owners, who before the end of 1973 greenlight the Padres’ relocation to Washington.
The National League’s schedule makers go ahead and draw up the 1974 schedule that shows the new Washington team opening that season against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 4, 1974 at RFK Stadium.
First pitch already is set for 2:30 p.m. Be there!
Only one not-so-small glitch: the city of San Diego is not ready to let go of the Padres only five seasons after their modest start as a 1969 expansion team.
There are meetings, phone calls, cuss words, threats. Real drama.
After the National League owners formally OK Danzansky’s purchase on Dec. 6, 1973, San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson issues a terse response, saying, “We’ll see you in court.”
Wilson and the city’s attorneys point out the Padres still have 15 years remaining on their stadium lease in San Diego, and they insist the Padres honor that lease.
The pending, breach-of-contract lawsuit never gets that far, though, as Smith – running out of money and in no fiscal condition to fight a lawsuit – decides that $12 million from Ray Kroc is as good as $12 million from Joseph Danzansky.
Kroc then commits to keeping the Padres in San Diego, where of course they remain today.
Back in the early weeks of 1974, though, and not knowing what to do, trading card giant Topps issues two variations of the team’s cards for 1974.
One variation depicts the players representing San Diego, the other with Washington.
As for the fans in D.C. who have been trying to get another team after the Senator bolt town following the 1971 season, they will need to wait another 30 years before finally getting their wish.
That wish turns out to be the Montreal Expos after Major League Baseball forces their exodus from Canada following the 2004 season, ending an existence that coincidentally begins in 1969 as the other expansion team to join the Padres in the National League.
“Baseball is my sport,” Kroc tells San Diego Union sports writer Jack Murphy in 1974 as he swoops in to buy the team before Danzansky can complete the purchase.
“I want to have fun with an expensive hobby,” Kroc says, “and I can afford this expensive hobby.”