Candid comments about sports stories everywhere:

PADRES-TEAM FELICIANO…The resume of Jose and Kwanza off the sports fields is very impressive.  What they have done in philanthropy is stunning, their involvement in communities is amazing, and their contributions to medical research impressive.  They serve on the Organizing Committees  of the Special Olympics and LA Olympics.  They are on the boards of the Stanford Business School, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and the UCLA Medical Center.  They founded and funded the Feliciano Initiative- and have donated more than (250M) to build non-profit organizations for education, empowerment, and entrepreneur programs.  I’d say that is a (.444) batting average in life wouldn’t you?

PADRES-OWNERSHIP…So let’s hold off on the exciting news-that Joey-Jessie Buss are becoming (5%) owners of the team under the Feliciano flag.  No problem, they can invest their money where they want.  But stop the presses when they announced they expect to have input in things like Player Development and Payroll Management?  Last I checked, they were fired by Jeannie Buss from their figure head jobs, dad gave them.  Last I checked the Lakers franchise has not won much in the last decade since the passing of the legendary Jerry Buss, and the siblings all started having inpurt .  Coming in as decision makers?  Do not think so.

PADRES..Road trip…1-game lead in the battle for the last wildcard chase.  Stupid me thinking they could go 12-0 or 10-2 on this just concluded 12-game stretch against bad teams.  (7-5) does not impress me.  Struggling to hit is a problem again, even against an anemic Pirates team.  And now they go to 1st place Tampa, red-hot Cleveland, come home to face the Yankees and Dodgers.  A month to go and still games against good teams.  Checking the stat box, of their last 29-wins, 21-have come against bad teams.

DODGERS..What a week of fireworks-feuds about the ownership situation involving Mark Walters-Guggenheim, the funding and financing and the loans made for them to buy the Dodgers a decade plus ago out of Frank McCourt bankruptcy.  Now the SEC probe of (21B) in loans Walter used from his Delaware based insurance companies to finance the LA purchases.  So he raises (12B) instant cash by selling the Lakers.  Will likely net another (8B) when he moves Chelsea soccer.  The Dodgers are furious at the speculation that they will be sold.  They maintain the TWG-Global Holding Fund made a mistake transferring money.  No fraud. No theft.  No damages.  Money being put back into the Insurance Companies.  Raging on the media for creating a story (Dodgers Firesale?) that does not exist.  Stay tuned for more. 

ANGELS…Headed towards a 100-loss season again.  Not enough offense.  Too many young pitchers.  And by my count, a bullpen that has accounted for 33-failures this season in a (52-82) record with a month to go.  A most interesting off season coming, beyond the potential of a lockout-shutdown of the game.  The bigger story is the blueprint Owner Arte Moreno delivers to let GM-John Mozeliak fix a decade full of mistakes.

Check back often as we keep tabs on these stories.

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