John Moores (baseball)

Last updated

John Jay Moores
John J. Moores.jpeg
Moores in the early 1990s
Born (1944-07-09) July 9, 1944 (age 79)
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.S. Economics (1970)
J.D. (1975)
Honorary (1995)
Alma mater University of Houston
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, former San Diego Padres owner.
Board member of University of Houston System regent (1991–1994)
The Carter Center chairman, trustee (1994–present)
University of California chairman, regent (1999–2007)
Spouse(s)Rebecca Baas (m. 1963; div. 2008)
Dianne Rosenberg
(m. 2013)
ChildrenFour

John Jay Moores (born July 9, 1944, in San Antonio, Texas, as John Jay Broderick) is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the former owner of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Contents

Early life

Moores was born in San Antonio, Texas—the eldest son of Jack and Katherine Broderick. Jack Broderick abandoned his wife, son John, and two younger sons in 1948. In 1950, Katherine wed again, to Cyrus "Red" Moores, a photographer with the Corpus Christi Caller newspaper, and her sons were given their stepfather's name. Red Moores, by then in insurance, moved the family to Houston, Texas in 1960, and John spent his high school years there. [1] He left Texas A&M University before graduating and became a programmer for IBM. He later studied at the University of Houston where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in economics and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.

Career

Business

He founded BMC Software in Texas in 1980, and was the lead venture capital financier for Peregrine Systems in California starting in 1981, as well as ServiceNow, another California corporation founded in 2005. He served as a director of Peregrine from March 1989 to March 2003 and as chairman of the board from March 1990 through July 2000 and from May 2002 through March 2003, during which he cashed out between US$600 and US$630 million in Peregrine stock. [2] [3] He resigned as Peregrine chairman in February 2003 as part of the company's Chapter 11 reorganization. He also founded JMI Equity. In 1994, Moores purchased the San Diego Padres professional baseball team from Tom Werner. In 2009, he began the process of incrementally selling the Padres to a group of twelve investors, headed by Jeff Moorad (former sports agent and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks) for about $500 million. [4] [5] The deal fell through in 2012, and Moores instead sold the team for $800 million to a group led by Ron Fowler. [6] [7] Moores was voted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2023. [8]

He continues to operate in the IT service management market with continued investments through his venture capital firm JMI Equity.

Philanthropy and activism

Organizations that Moores has supported include the ACLU, the San Diego Zoo, San Diego State University, the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Center for Children, the Boys and Girls Clubs, St. Vincent de Paul Villages, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and The Scripps Research Institute, where Moores sits on the board.

His 1991 contribution of US$51 million to the University of Houston was the largest in U.S. history to a public university. He served on the University of Houston System Board of Regents from 1991 to 1994. Among many other philanthropic efforts, John and Becky Moores donated US$21 million to establish the John and Rebecca Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego, and over US$20 million to San Diego State University. [9] In 1999, he was appointed Regent of the University of California by Governor Gray Davis until he resigned for unknown reasons in 2007. As UC regent, he worked to make sure Proposition 209 (passed in 1996) was implemented. In 2005, he was elected chair of the Carter Center at Emory University, succeeding Jimmy Carter. Most recently, Moores is a member of the board of trustees for the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley. [10] The center is focused on finding solutions to address the crisis of extreme poverty and disease in the developing world.[ citation needed ]

Moores is also the founder of the River Blindness Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to research and treatment of Onchocerciasis, the second most common cause of infectious blindness. [11]

In 2016, Moores began negotiations to buy English soccer club Nottingham Forest, with a view to buying between 80% and 100% of the shares from Kuwaiti owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi for a reported $61.87 million. However, the deal unexpectedly collapsed at the eleventh hour, with no clear reason given by either party. [12]

Personal life

In February 2008, Moores' wife Becky filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Moores gave up ownership of the family home on a golf course at Pebble Beach, California. [9] The property overlooked the Pacific and the 18th fairway of the golf course. The divorce also prompted a major overhaul of the San Diego Padres roster, followed by the sale of Moores's majority ownership of the MLB team. During the divorce proceedings, Moores spent the majority of his time in Texas, and refused to attend Padres and San Diego State games, while his wife regularly attended Padres games. [13] [14] In 2013, Moores married Dianne Rosenberg. [15]

Honors and awards

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Padres</span> Major League Baseball franchise in San Diego, California

The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL pennants—in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both years. As of 2022, they have had 16 winning seasons in franchise history. The Padres are one of two Major League Baseball teams in California to originate from the state; the Athletics were originally from Philadelphia, and the Dodgers and Giants are originally from two New York City boroughs—Brooklyn and Manhattan, respectively. As of 2023, the Padres are the only team in California not to have won a World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petco Park</span> Baseball park in San Diego, CA, US

Petco Park is a baseball stadium in Downtown San Diego, California. It is the ballpark, home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, and has also been used as a venue for concerts, soccer, golf, football, and rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Caminiti</span> American baseball player

Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman who spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres (1995–1998), Texas Rangers (2001) and Atlanta Braves (2001). He was named the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) with San Diego in 1996, and is a member of the Padres Hall of Fame. He died of a cocaine and heroin drug overdose on October 10, 2004.

Peregrine Systems, Inc. was an enterprise software company, founded in 1981, that sold enterprise asset management, change management, and ITIL-based IT service management software. Following an accounting scandal and bankruptcy in 2003, Peregrine was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2005. Micro Focus which merged with the HP Software Division in 2017, now markets the Peregrine products as part of its IT Service Management solutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Hoffman</span> American baseball player (born 1967)

Trevor William Hoffman is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers, including more than 15 years for the Padres. Hoffman was the major leagues' first player to reach the 500- and 600-save milestones, and was the all-time saves leader from 2006 until 2011. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. Hoffman currently serves as senior advisor for baseball operations for the Padres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Ensberg</span> American baseball player

Morgan Paul Ensberg is an American former infielder in Major League Baseball. Ensberg bats and throws right-handed. He was previously a member of the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. From 2011-12 he was the co-host of MLB Roundtrip on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio. As of 2019, Ensberg is the manager of the Montgomery Biscuits in the Southern League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Loretta</span> American baseball player

Mark David Loretta is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1995 and 2009 for the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Blum</span> American baseball player and analyst (born 1973)

Geoffrey Edward Blum is an American former professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. He is currently the TV color analyst for the Houston Astros.

Jeffrey S. Moorad is an American businessman and investor. He began his career as a sports agent, before serving as General Partner and CEO of MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks, and Vice-Chairman and CEO of MLB's San Diego Padres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bush (baseball)</span> American baseball pitcher (born 1986)

Matthew Brian Bush is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres with the first overall draft pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Ready</span> American baseball player

Randall Max Ready is a former professional baseball player and former manager for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Ready played in the major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1983 to 1995. He also played one season in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1996. He was a minor league coach for the Detroit Tigers and served as a minor league coach for the Padres.

Below are lists of Rule 5 draft results since 1997. Players selected in the Major League Baseball (MLB) phase of the Rule 5 draft must be kept on their new team's active roster for the entire following MLB season, or they are placed on waivers and offered back to their original team if not claimed. Players chosen in the Minor League Baseball phase(s) of the Rule 5 draft remain with their new organization without restrictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Headley</span> American baseball player (born 1984)

Chase Jordan Headley is an American former professional baseball third baseman. A switch-hitter, Headley made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the San Diego Padres in 2007, and also played for the New York Yankees.

The 1992 Major League Baseball draft took place on June 1, 1992, through a conference call involving all 28 MLB teams of the time. Phil Nevin of Cal State Fullerton was the first overall selection, chosen by the Houston Astros. Derek Jeter, selected for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2020, was selected by the New York Yankees with the sixth selection. In addition to Nevin, Paul Shuey, B. J. Wallace, Jeffrey Hammonds, and Chad Mottola were selected ahead of Jeter.

The following is a franchise history of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Prior to joining Major League Baseball as one of four expansion teams in 1969, the San Diego Padres were a Minor League franchise in the Pacific Coast League. The team won the Pacific Coast League title in 1937. The team's name, Spanish for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Kelly</span> American baseball player (born 1989)

Casey Patrick Kelly is an American professional baseball pitcher for the LG Twins of the KBO League. He was a first-round draft choice, 30th overall, in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Kelly was the top minor league prospect in the Red Sox organization when he was acquired by the San Diego Padres after the 2010 season, along with three other prospects, in exchange for All-Star player Adrián González. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with San Diego in 2012, but underwent Tommy John surgery the following year. Kelly was traded to the Atlanta Braves after the 2015 season. He has also pitched for the San Francisco Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Padres Hall of Fame</span>

The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB) based in San Diego, California. The club was founded in 1969 as part of the league's expansion. The team's hall of fame, created in 1999 to honor the club's 30th anniversary, recognizes players, coaches, and executives who have made key contributions to the franchise. Voting is conducted by a 35-member committee. Candidates typically must wait at least two years after retiring to be eligible for induction, though Tony Gwynn was selected during his final season in 2001 before the last game of the year. He was also the Hall of Fame's first ever unanimous selection. There are 19 members in the team's Hall of Fame, the most recent inductees being John Moores and Jake Peavy in 2023. The inductees are featured in an exhibit at the team's home stadium, Petco Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports San Diego</span> American regional sports network

Bally Sports San Diego is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. Prior to the team parting ways with the network in 2023, the San Diego Padres owned a 20% stake. It was launched on March 17, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Mikolas</span> American baseball player (born 1988)

Miles Tice Mikolas, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants. He was an All-Star in 2018, led the National League in wins that season, and finished sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting that year. He was also an All-Star in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Fowler</span> American businessman

Ronald Lee Fowler is an American businessman. He was the vice chairman of the ownership group of the San Diego Padres franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB) and CEO of Liquid Investments Inc., a San Diego beer distributorship.

References

  1. Tim Fleck (June 6, 1996). "The Passionate Pilgrim". The Houston Press. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  2. Staff writers (November 7, 2005). "Profiles of S.D.'s Wealthiest People". San Diego Business Journal. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  3. Arlene Weintraub (October 14, 2002). "Just How Much Did John Moores Know?". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on February 10, 2003. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  4. Powers, Jeff (March 27, 2009). "A Padres Dozen: New Ownership Group Introduced". SanDiego6.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009.
  5. "Padres sale agreement in place". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 7, 2012. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013.
  6. "John Moores hires bankers". ESPN.com. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012.
  7. Center, Bill (August 16, 2012). "MLB approves sale of Padres". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014.
  8. Cassavell, AJ (March 22, 2023). "Peavy, Moores to be inducted into Padres HOF". Major League Baseball . Archived from the original on March 31, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Brent Schrotenboer (February 6, 2008). "Wife of Moores Files for Divorce". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  10. "Trustees of the Blum Center for Developing Economies". Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  11. "Visions Fulfilled: How individual philanthropists influenced global treatment of river blindness". Global Giving Matters. December 2001. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  12. Thomas, Lyall (January 13, 2017). "Nottingham Forest's proposed takeover by John Jay Moores collapses at 11th hour". www.skysports.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  13. Tim Sullivan (June 22, 2008). "Who Will Get Custody of Padres Organization in Moores Divorce?". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  14. Bill Center (August 7, 2012). "Padres sold to group headed by O'Malley heirs, Fowler, Mickelson". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  15. Potter, Matt (June 3, 2016). "Rancho Santa Fe's devilish covenant with John Moores". San Diego Reader. Retrieved February 3, 2019.