Padres CEO Mike Dee's return to San Diego began with a bang. In his introductory press conference on Tuesday, the team's new president announced plans to invest more money in the club, focus on internal player development, and solve the TV crisis that has plagued San Diego residents for years, reports A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com.
Dee, who was an executive with the Padres from 1995-2002 before moving on to the NFL, believes that the foundation for a winning ball club has been set by enhancing the fan experience and immersing the organization in the local community. The final step -- which, obviously, is easier said than done -- is to put a winning product on the field:
"Philosophically, in a small market, it's very important to draft well and to develop your own talent," Dee said. "You can have success if you don't do it, but it's appreciably harder...
"Clearly, we're going to look to invest more in the team, moving forward," Dee said. "We're in a great condition to do that."
Dee didn't add any grand predictions about reaching the playoffs in a certain amount of time or bringing home the Friars' first World Series title, but that his return to the Padres was the "last move" of his sports career, and that he plans to remain in California for the "long haul."
The Padres are currently in last place in the NL West with a 56-70 record on the year. The club hasn't reached the playoffs since 2006.
Dee said that one of his first orders of business was solving media rift that has kept Padres games out of scores of San Diego homes for years. Time Warner Cable has been in a standoff with Fox Sports San Diego for at least two years now, meaning TWC is embroiled in a two-front war now that things with CBS have gone sour.
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