the story of the Washington Padres

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/padres-nearly-became-the-washington-stars?partnerId=mlbapp-ios_referral

Castrovince at MLB.com with a history article about how the Padres almost ended up here.  True story.  Not a Kroc

The owner of Giant supermarkets, Joseph Danzansky,  had a deal in place.

As a leading member of Washington’s business establishment Danzansky had, just a few years earlier, fought to keep baseball in the District prior to the departure of the AL franchise known as the Senators. Now, he had headed up a group intent on bringing it back by buying the struggling San Diego squad and moving it more than 2,000 miles away.

With what was, at the time, a record purchase price of $12 million -- $2 million more than a group headed by George Steinbrenner had paid to buy the Yankees just a few months earlier -- the deal was in place.

...

Padres owner C. Arnholt Smith had a deal in hand to receive $12 million from Danzansky’s group in exchange for his baseball team. But in late 1973, the City of San Diego threatened to sue the Padres for $84 million for breaking the San Diego Stadium lease and other damages.

When NL owners voted their approval of the D.C. sale on Dec. 6, 1973, San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson responded, “We’ll see you in court.”

It never got to that point. Danzansky lined up insurers to protect himself and the league from the lawsuit, but the arrangement required Smith to pay the steep premiums. That certainly wasn’t going to happen.

Entering the 1974 season, no buyer from San Diego had emerged. Then Ray Kroc was put in touch with the owner after Kroc couldn't buy the Cubs.  The owner named his price, same price as Danzansky would have paid, and the deal was cut right away. 

[Smithian]

I believe this post broke up the longest postless streak in a long, long time on Clubhouse

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I believe this post broke up the longest postless streak in a long, long time on Clubhouse

your moderator at work.  12/21 7:55 PM was the last post, so over 5 days.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

The hot stove is pretty cold.  There is about us much activity at the molecular level in the baseball world right now as there is on Pluto. Or somewhere like that.

[blue911]

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/padres-nearly-became-the-washington-stars?partnerId=mlbapp-ios_referral

Castrovince at MLB.com with a history article about how the Padres almost ended up here.  True story.  Not a Kroc

The owner of Giant supermarkets, Joseph Danzansky,  had a deal in place.
Entering the 1974 season, no buyer from San Diego had emerged. Then Ray Kroc was put in touch with the owner after Kroc couldn't buy the Cubs.  The owner named his price, same price as Danzansky would have paid, and the deal was cut right away.

My little brother had a Willie McCovey where he was identified as playing for Washington in the NL

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Funny thing about the Padres is I had heard their brown and yellow uniforms were to look like McDonald's colors, but I guess they had them before Kroc bought them.  The article relates that Smith was a cheap scam artist who was responsible for one of the biggest bank failures of the 1970s. 

[aspenbubba]

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/padres-nearly-became-the-washington-stars?partnerId=mlbapp-ios_referral

Castrovince at MLB.com with a history article about how the Padres almost ended up here.  True story.  Not a Kroc

The owner of Giant supermarkets, Joseph Danzansky,  had a deal in place.
Entering the 1974 season, no buyer from San Diego had emerged. Then Ray Kroc was put in touch with the owner after Kroc couldn't buy the Cubs.  The owner named his price, same price as Danzansky would have paid, and the deal was cut right away. 

If my memory is still intact Danzansky was not the owner of Giant but the President. He was a founding partner of Danzansky Dickey law firm on Connecticut Ave . The owners were the Cohen and Lehrman families until they sold out. I believe that Danzansky became President when the families were in disagreement about the direction of the company.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If my memory is still intact Danzansky was not the owner of Giant but the President. He was a founding partner of Danzansky Dickey law firm on Connecticut Ave . The owners were the Cohen and Lehrman families until they sold out. I believe that Danzansky became President when the families were in disagreement about the direction of the company.

you are right.  The article mentions that the team was to be sold to a "D.C. grocer" then mentions Danzansky was "President of Giant Food Inc." Didn't say owner of Giant.  I made the wrong connection when it said the bidder was a grocer, thinking he owned as well as was the President.

[Senatorswin]

I knew the Padres were close to coming to DC but it's great to hear the details. Funny the team that was the other expansion team the year San Diego was awarded a team ended up being the team that returned baseball to Washington.