Ron Fowler didn't hold any punches when assessing the performance of the San Diego Padres this season.
The club's executive chairman opened up on Monday about an "embarrassing" 2019 campaign, and he apologized to fans after the Padres finished below .500 for a ninth consecutive season.
"Heads will roll, beginning with mine," Fowler said regarding the consequences if the losing continues in 2020, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Fowler also vocalized his disappointment with Wil Myers’ offense and Eric Hosmer’s defense. Both players are under contract for several more seasons and aren't living up to expectations after combining to produce a 0.1 WAR.
"There was nothing I said today I didn’t say to the players after Andy (Green) was fired,” Fowler said. “And I was far more direct then."
"Why wouldn’t I be candid? We sucked," he added. "… It was a cathartic process to just sit down and say it was the worst 2 1/2 months of ownership for me. It was embarrassing for me. We sucked. There were some days, quite honestly, I didn’t want to get out of bed."
San Diego signed four-time All-Star Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300-million contract during the offseason. However, the move didn't pan out in the first year of the deal, as the 26-year-old posted a pedestrian .796 OPS, and acknowledged on Sunday that he "played like shit."
The Padres (70-92) finished last in the National League West, 36 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
