Kwanza Jones, newly introduced as a co-owner of the San Diego Padres, expressed her ambition for the team to win a World Series, punctuated by a spirited chant during her introductory press conference on Monday. Jones and her husband, Jose E. Feliciano, finalized their $3.9 billion acquisition of the Major League Baseball franchise from the Seidler family earlier this month.
"We gonna win. We gonna win. We’re going to win, win it all," Jones declared, accompanied by hand gestures, signaling her immediate expectations for the team. "We hope it’s sooner rather than later."
The Padres have reached the World Series twice in their history, most recently in 1998, but have yet to secure a championship.
Feliciano, an investor and the co-founder and managing partner of the private equity firm Clearlake Capital, brings prior sports ownership experience. Clearlake co-led the group that acquired Chelsea Football Club in the Premier League in May 2022. His personal net worth is reported by Forbes to be $3.9 billion.
As of the press conference, the Padres held a 71-61 record, placing them in third place in the National League Wild Card standings and holding a two-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks with 30 regular-season games remaining. Their current performance suggests a potential postseason appearance this year.