SAN DIEGO (AP) — New San Diego Padres owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones entered their introductory news conference Monday to the rhythm of an upbeat song about the team written and performed by
Jones herself, a professional singer.
That might be a baseball first, but Feliciano and Jones are much more focused on accomplishing another historic first — a championship for a team that has never won it all.
“We need to win a World Series,” Feliciano said. “It’s that simple, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Feliciano and Jones, who are married, exuded energy and excitement in their first public appearance since securing their purchase of controlling ownership in the Padres earlier this month at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. Feliciano is a private equity billionaire whose investment firm owns English soccer club Chelsea, but the Padres are his team alongside Jones, his partner in business, philanthropy and life.
Jones said the couple will throw all of its considerable passion into consistent success for the Padres, but also into the improvement of life for people and communities across San Diego and in nearby Baja California.
“José and I have built a life on understanding (how to work) together, and we are all in," Jones said. "It’s not lip service. We take it as a baseline that in everything we do, we’re all in. We’re absolutely committed to this organization, and we are absolutely overjoyed. If you heard (the lyrics in the song), we’re gonna win. We’re gonna win it all! We hope it’s sooner rather than later.”
Feliciano and Jones are taking over the Padres during the most successful stretch in the history of a franchise that has never won it all. General manager A.J. Preller's teams have made the playoffs four times in the past six seasons, and the current group has streaked into playoff position again by winning 21 of its last 28 games.
The new owners praised the lively fan base that packs Petco Park for every home game, and they paid tribute to former owner Peter Seidler, whose aggressive pursuit of winning is still energizing San Diego even after his death in 2023.
“We want to continue that legacy that Peter left — to dream big, to do the impossible, right?” Feliciano said. “The impossible becomes possible when somebody does it, so let's do it. ... We are taking on this legacy at a great time, but I think there’s always more that you can do. You can always leave the world a slightly better place than you found it. That’s our aim.”
The new owners also are aware of the obstacles to building a contender in a division and a sport currently dominated by the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers and their seemingly bottomless budget. Dodgers owner Mark Walter joined Feliciano's company in its purchase of Chelsea in 2022.
San Diego is considered a smaller market in the majors despite a local population topping 3 million, and the Padres are currently without a local media-rights deal.
Feliciano indicated his support for CEO Erik Greupner and Preller, who has long used his top prospects as currency to acquire veterans for immediate success. Feliciano also didn't say whether he wanted to emulate Seidler's ultra-aggressive spending, which has left San Diego with several veterans locked into massive long-term contracts.
“We have been blessed with a team in a city that is supporting us in a way that is allowing us to invest back in that team, in the stadium and in the city,” Feliciano said. “And we're committed to doing that. We are going to live within our means, and that could mean different things in different years. But again, we want to win, and we're going to continue supporting that goal in many different ways, and that means at some moments we're going to be aggressive, but we're always going to do it with the long-term health of the team in mind.”
The new owners later took the field at Petco Park during batting practice before the Padres hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates — an appropriate opponent for lifelong baseball fan Feliciano, who chose No. 21 for his new Padres jersey in honor of Roberto Clemente, a personal hero and fellow Puerto Rican.
“The Padres are one of the pillars of this city and this community,” Feliciano said. “We’re looking forward to engaging in many ways.”
Jones spoke extensively about her desire to make the Padres even more important to the greater San Diego community. She also said her song was partly inspired by Fernando Tatis Jr.’s sensational, grand slam-denying catch against the Mets last week.
She asked Feliciano to provide backing vocals, but he declined.
“My only musical talent is my name,” said a grinning Feliciano, who uses his middle initial to distinguish himself from the famous Puerto Rican singer.
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