The San Diego Padres have wasted no time finding a new president and CEO following last week's resignation of Tom Garfinkel. The club's owners announced Wednesday morning that long-time baseball exec Mike Dee will be rejoining the Padres' front office to take over the position.
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Dee spent the last four years as the CEO of the Miami Dolphins, but will be vacating the post (obviously) to join the Padres organization.
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This is our gift to you.Dee worked in various capacities the Friars' front office from 1995-2002, eventually making his way up to vice president of business affairs before moving on to the Boston Red Sox. In all, he's spent 15 years working in baseball and nearly two decades in professional sports.
Dee went to Twitter to express his excitement at rejoining the Padres:
I’m excited to announce that I’m returning to San Diego as President & CEO of the @Padres. It’s not easy to make this move... (1/2)
— Mike Dee (@MikeDeeFins) July 17, 2013
at such an exciting time for the franchise, but I could not turn down this incredible opportunity to return my roots...
— Mike Dee (@MikeDeeFins) July 17, 2013
Not sure about the "exciting time for the franchise" part -- unless he really likes selling at the trade deadline -- but he seems to be genuinely elated about coming back to baseball.
While Dee's first go-round with San Diego was under different ownership, he's not without his ties to the current front office. He has a long-standing relationship with the Padres' newish executive chairman, Ron Fowler, and worked for three years with the club's general manager, Josh Byrnes, when they were both in the Red Sox front office.
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