When a failed marriage fails a fan base

So many things can affect the wins and losses of a baseball team. There's clubhouse chemistry, injuries, the marital status of their owner...

That last thing? That's a new one, but one that San Diego Padres fans are dealing with. Because of California's community property laws, Padres owner John Morres is being forced to sell the team because he's going through a divorce. And in this economy, selling anything worth a lot of money is problematic.

Luckily, Becky Moores is a fan of the team, and according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, they both want what's best for the Padres. MLB commissioner Bud Selig doesn't want a liquidation sale of the franchise, either. The Moores' bought controlling interest in the club in 1994 for a bargain $80 million, and the franchise is worth as much as four times that these days. California's laws make it inevitable that the club will have to be sold in order to divide the property in half, and Goldman Sachs has been hired to expedite a sale. However, the team also has a debt issue relative to the building of Petco Park, which opened in 2004.

And the Padres are in a fire-sale mode on players as well, which is why 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy is rumored to be traded any day now, although it appears the team hasn't found the right package yet.

“My strong desire is to stay involved because the last decade and a half has been a terrific experience,” John Moores told MLB.com. “But I have no idea how long this is going to take or how it's going to turn out. I don't know at this point what the combination will be and whether I'll be involved in it.”

The Padres have a great ballpark in one of the most beautiful cities in the country in a division without a dominant team. But one thing is almost certain: They won't be a contender in 2009, and probably not for a few years afterward, either.