He was the head of a fast food empire. She was a philanthropist. Between them they led the Padres to their first pennant.
by Rich Watson
McDonald’s is a burger restaurant universally known because of businessman Ray Kroc. Though it was created by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, it was Kroc who developed their concept of assembly line-made hamburgers and french fries and shakes and turned it into a model for the food services industry worldwide.
After retiring from McDonald’s in 1974, Kroc chose to get into baseball, his favorite sport. He bought the Padres that same year for $12 million, when it was in danger of leaving San Diego. It was a passion he clung to until his death in 1984–and then passed on to his third wife, Joan Kroc.
The names of those players took me back. If I don't look in the mirror, I'm young again.
ReplyDeleteI was vaguely aware of Joan's philanthropy but her list of causes and her commitment to good is most impressive. Beyond the "chicken" I think fans were drawn to the Padres because of the good weather and the chance to sit outdoors. One of my old bosses retired to San Diego after a visit. He described it as paradise.
He is correct. When I visited there in 2007, it was summer and I couldn’t believe how excellent the weather was. That’s actually a not bad rationale for the early attendance success of the Padres in those years.
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