O'Malley Kin Looking to Buy Padres

A San Diego newspaper is reporting that the family that owned the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than four decades wants to buy the San Diego Padres.

Four grandchildren of Walter O'Malley are in negotiations to buy the baseball team, according to U-T San Diego. Walter O'Malley moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles back in 1958. He and he and his son Peter O'Malley owned the team for more than four decades.

The O'Malley family is reportedly now the leading contender to buy the Padres, although several other syndicates are also involved in the bidding effort.

The O'Malley family group includes pro golfer Phil Mickelson, Peter's sons, Keven and Brian, and his nephews Peter and Tom Seidler. The other major contender vying to buy the Padres is Gary Jabara, described by U-T San Diego as an Orange County mobile communications magnate.

The Lake Elsinore Storm is the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Padres. The minor league team is owned by Gary Jacobs, a San Diego-based businessman whose father is the co-founder and former chairman of Qualcomm. 

Saturday night the Storm grabbed a 7-6 win over the Lancaster JetHawks to retain the first-place spot in the South Division. --City News Service and Toni McAllister contributed to this report.