Padres Chairman Ron Fowler: "2014 sucks"

Ron Fowler interview with Kevin Acee and BR (MP3)

• Padres President Mike Dee has learned a lot about baseball through osmosis from executives like Larry Lucchino and Theo Epstein.  "Mike is a guy that has hundreds of questions and likes to understand the way things are."  He's very well connected in baseball.  He uses his network and isn't afraid to steal ideas from other people.
• Fowler has been impressed with the Padres' GM candidates so far.  The candidates have philosophies and approach that would serve the Padres well.  Fowler learned a lot from the candidates.  Every candidate is going to get a fair shake.  The initial interview will be about 5 hours long.  They are looking for someone with experience and is unafraid of the challenge ahead.
• Logan White was with the Dodgers before the "hedge fund money".  He understands how to build an organization from the bottom up.
• One of the internal candidates, Omar Minaya, says that he isn't available for the GM for family reasons, but still wants to be a part of the organization.
• Fowler has been in San Diego since 1974. He sticks with things until they're done. 
  
• "Mike [Dee] has an incredible number of ideas."
• The ownership group and the executives are very methodical and very thorough.  They keep working to find the best solution in the long term (2-5 years).  They are not emotional.  They do not have an agenda other than baseball.  They know they have to do it the right way.  "Trust us by our deeds and not by our comments."  They've spent the first year focusing on the business side of the organization. Now they are going to focus and commitment on the baseball side.
  
• 2014 Sucks -Ron Fowler
  "Is 2014 a disappointment? Yeah, 2014 sucks, let's be honest about it.  The pitching is good, our offense is absolutely terrible.  Being at the bottom in anything is not very appealing but that's where we are."
• "If we weren't led to believe that we were going to be a better team than last year and we had the ability to compete, any sane person wouldn't invest another $22 million. That's all I'll say on the subject."