Mike Dee’s “departure” a step in the right direction for the Padres

I feel like I can be a full-fledged Padres fan again after reading of the ”departure” of Mike Dee from his job as Padres President. His reign has left me as disenfranchised as I’ve ever been with the Padres organization and it happened from the get go. He came to us as a former employee with much arrogance about his knowledge of the Padres, baseball and the city of San Diego. He even installed himself as head of baseball operations with no experience in the realm. I always thought he never understood his customer base. Now I wonder if maybe he did have his thumb on the pulse of the fans but he pressed so hard that he cut off the circulation and killed our fandom.

I couldn’t have asked for better news for the Padres today. I feel like a weight has been lifted off the organization and I applaud owners Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler for their decision (albeit late). I kept hearing that Dee’s time was coming to an end but I feared with the team’s change in direction and the mid-summer vote of confidence that it would come too late to salvage my love of the team.

The reason for his firing is still unclear at present, which is kind of funny in a way because there are really so many reasons that would lead to his dismissal that it’s hard to pick just one. The going theory is that it was a conglomeration of everything that happened under his leadership.

Dennis Lin: San Diego Union Tribune

Dee’s departure is not directly related to the 30-game suspension that Major League Baseball levied on Padres General Manager A.J. Preller last month, sources said. However, industry sources suggested Wednesday’s move may be the accumulation of internal issues, with the suspension of Preller, who reported to Dee, perhaps being a tipping point.

If you feel bad that Dee lost his job, remember that he has a “a very long-term contract” that I’m sure the Padres had to swallow. I feel bad for the long-term Padres employees that he fired and those that may still lose employment because of his actions. I’m sure we can expect more departures from those connected with Dee in the future.

I didn’t start or drive the #FireMikeDee train but I blew the steam whistle a few times and now I’m happy to say that the train has arrived in the station.

Go Padres!