SAN DIEGO.- It wasn't the first Major League of Baseball (MLB) team to catch his eye but it definitely was the one he fell for, having a solid proposal and a squad that met his expectations.

Last Tuesday night, businessman Alfredo Harp Helú became the first Mexican to be a part owner of a MLB team when he acquired 10 percent of the San Diego Padres' shares.

After a long process, the transactions finally closed this week and the friars were sold for 800 million dollars to a group of shareholders, one of them being Harp Helú; Ron Fowler and the Seidler/O'Malley families are the major partners.

During a phone interview with SanDiegoRed, the also owner of Diablos Rojos and the Oaxaca Guerreros Mexican baseball teams, mentioned that his friendship with the O'Malley family was the main reason he invested in the US league.

Harp Helu had previously had encounters with teams like the Texas Rangers, the Milwaukee Brewers and even the LA Dodgers, but the Padres was the first project to formally approach him; he qualified the purchase as a "homerun with a full house on the first turn at the bat" on Wednesday.

"I've known Peter (O'Malley) for over 20 years, we think alike, both about baseball and philanthropy, he comes to Mexico constantly," commented Harp Helú, who lives in Oaxaca.

"He convinced me the minute he told me that this was a project I could leave to my children and grandchildren."

To close negotiations, he was in San Diego Monday and Tuesday where he had the opportunity of going to Petco Park. Due to previous commitments he had to go back to Mexico but he expects to meet with players and coaches in a few weeks.

He only had optimistic words about the city and he hopes from the next season onward to be at the stadium to enjoy the games. "As the baseball fan that I am I hope to be over there very regularly," he said.

Sports-wise, he sees a lot of potential in the Padres although he recognizes that it will be something that will take a while.

"The goal is to organize a competitive team," he explained. "Changes won't happen overnight, hopefully it will be soon but we need to make an analysis, we have a lot of young players that have given a good season, we don't necessarily have to buy expensive players to have results."

The San Diego Padres are currently ranked in the 4th position of the National League West Division with a 61-71 record, although they are on a streak of nine wins and one loss out of the last ten games, something that motivates the now part owner of the team.

"I like the team as it is right now, I think we have a great base of players."

As a Mexican, he hopes to promote the talent south of the border and go back to the Padres with 'Aztec' players that appeal to the fans of the surrounding cities, especially those in Baja California.

"We have the closest Big League stadium to the border; I hope a lot of Mexican fans come, especially from Ensenada, Tijuana, Rosarito, Tecate and Mexicali."

Owner of the Alfredo Harp Helú Baseball Academy located in Oaxaca, he hopes to promote visits to that and other sports centers in Mexico to scout for young talents.

From the start he is already familiar with the San Diego division and even spoke about the arrival of Adrián González to their mortal enemy, the LA Dodgers. The "Titan" who grew up playing for the Padres will return to Petco until September 25, but Harp Helú is already talking about what is to come.

"It's going to be weird seeing him go against San Diego but that's baseball," he said. "Regarding sports there will be people who applaud all he did for the Padres and people who see him as a rival, but that is just sports-wise; he is a wonderful person."

Alfredo Harp Helú is the cousin of Carlos Slim, considered to be "the richest man in the world," according to Forbes. Aside from owning baseball teams, he is the president of Grupo Martí, a company dedicated to selling sports equipment with over 200 stores in Mexico.

He also established the Alfredo Harp Helú foundation that has donated over $500 million dollars to support education, culture, health, the environment and sports.

Original text by Alexandra Mendoza (alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com)

Translation by karen.balderas@sandiegored.com