Everton takeover latest: Highs and lows of John Jay Moores' San Diego Padres ownership
- 12:34, 24 DEC 2015
- UPDATED 12:34, 24 DEC 2015
- BY PAUL SNOWDON
American sports expert Paul Snowdon gives the US perspective on former Padres owner Moore
John J Moores has his sights set on Goodison after his spell in charge of the San Diego Padres
Chequered could be one word to describe the era when John Jay Moores was the owner of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres franchise.
It was certainly a rollercoaster ride for the fans as they started off cheering for their team in one stadium and ended up in another.
And, in the end, it all concluded in a rather unhappy divorce - literally.
Not one of Major League Baseball's biggest teams in comparison to huge fishes like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, the Padres have bobbed along more or less at the bottom of the baseball pond since they played their first season back in 1969.
And their success has been extremely limited. They have won barely a handful of division titles (five) and in 46 seasons they have made just two appearances in the World Series - the sport's showpiece event - losing heavily on both occasions.
John Jay Moores
In fact, the last time the Padres competed in the 'Fall Classic' was almost two decades ago in October, 1998.
That was four years into Moores's ownership after he assumed majority control in December, 1994 from Tom Werner, who is now chairman of Liverpool Football Club.
There's little doubt that the early years of Moores's tenure with the Padres were successful.
Almost immediately a blockbuster deal was conducted between San Diego and the Houston Astros which saw the Padres acquire star players Steve Finley and Ken Caminiti.
San Diego Padres big signing Steve Finley
In Moores's second full season at the helm and with Finley and Caminiti to the fore, the Padres won their first National League West title since they went to their first World Series more than a decade earlier in 1984.
Team manager Bruce Bochy was named the National League Manager of the Year, Finley's brilliant contribution earned him a prestigious Gold Glove title while Caminiti was the National League's Most Valuable Player.
Two seasons later, Moores oversaw what many Padres fans would consider the greatest in their history. It saw the team claim another National League West crown with a franchise-best 98 victories before beating the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves in the play-offs en route to their second appearance in the World Series.
The Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York
Although the Series was to end in disappointment with defeat to the New York Yankees, the team was honoured by a parade through San Diego as thousands lined the streets to cheer their heroes. It was to be a significant moment in the franchise's history as just a fortnight later the people of San Diego voted to help pay towards a brand new stadium for the team.
Six years later, the Padres bid farewell to their original home - San Diego Stadium which they shared with the National Football League team the Chargers - and moved into their new $450m (£303m) stadium - PETCO Park - where they have played ever since.
At first, the move reaped rewards for the Padres. Consecutive division titles were won in 2005 and 2006 and while a dramatic loss to the Colorado Rockies ended hopes of reaching the post-season in 2007, the team appeared to be very much on the up.
And then it all went horribly wrong for Moores in his personal life - and that had a significant effect on the Padres.
Petco Park at night
In January, 2008, his marriage of more than 40 years to his high school sweetheart, Becky, began to fall apart. Moores was rarely seen at PETCO Park and daily operations were more or less led by the ballclub's CEO Sandy Alderson.
It was a dreadful mess for all parties.
Speaking at the time, attorney Judi S. Foley, a family law specialist and, coincidentally a Padres season ticket holder said: "Depending on how the couple allocated management of this large asset (the Padres), dividing it can wreak havoc in the future of the asset. As a San Diegan, and longtime Padres fan, I dread the consequences that could flow from a bitter, prolonged battle over the ownership and ultimate management of the franchise."
The 2008 season saw the Padres finish last in the National League West, a huge 21 games behind the victorious Los Angeles Dodgers. Things hardly improved a year later as San Diego ended 20 games adrift.
Shawn Green #15 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after being called out by home plate umpire Larry Vanover in the first inning against the San Diego Padres on September 15, 2004
With his divorce settlement taking up the majority of his time, 2009 also saw Moores decide to sell off the team to a number of investors led by Jeff Moorad.
Moorad officially became the team owner but Moores was still on the scene as the ballclub's majority owner and chairman.
Finally in August 2012, after protracted negotiations and with a divorce settlement reached with Becky, Moores sold the Padres franchise to a group led by well-known San Diegan businessman Ron Fowler for $800m (£538m) - some $720m (3484m) more than when he acquired an 80% share of the team from Werner some 18 years earlier.
Andy Murray swings a baseball bat whilst he poses for a photograph in a San Diego Padres baseball kit at the Petco Park stadium which Moores helped build
From a business point of view, this was a more than decent return. But for the long-suffering Padres' fans, the Moores era left many with a sour taste.
Yes, four of the club's five division titles came under his stewardship as well as an appearance in the World Series while PETCO Park was hailed as one of the finest new stadiums in all of American sports.
However, by the time he departed in 2012, many Padres fans had seen enough. The 1998 National League pennant was now a distant memory while the Moores' ugly divorce had cast a dark cloud over the usually sunny Southern Californian weather.
When the deal was officially sealed in the late summer of 2012, it was an amicable settlement for all concerned.
Sean O'Brien, the Dancing Man, throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres
Summing up the Moores era at the Padres, one fan wrote: "It's hard to badmouth the 1998 pennant and PETCO. But I never really thought of him as someone who was invested in baseball or San Diego long-term, as someone who was a fan. I understand it's a business, but I give more credit to Kevin Towers (General Manager who brokered the various players' deals) than I do him."
In contrast to that view, another San Diego supporter said: "John Moores was a great owner. He was very committed."
The next few weeks will determine whether another man named Moores will have involvement with Everton Football Club. It certainly promises to be enthralling watching for all Blues' fans - and perhaps some Padres' followers too.