Padres Chairman and owner Peter Seidler died Tuesday, the team announced in a statement. He was 63.
Seidler was beloved by fans and a major proponent of the Padres’ growth over the last several years, as the team inked massive deals with players like Manny Machado and Joe Musgrove, and orchestrated a landmark trade for Juan Soto. It was with Seidler’s blessing that the Padres boosted their payroll to about $258 million on opening day, third-highest in the majors, after making a stirring run to the NL Championship Series the previous fall.
“One year soon, the baseball gods will shine on the San Diego Padres and we will have a parade,” Seidler said the day they signed Machado.
A cause of death wasn't disclosed. Seidler, a third-generation member of the O'Malley family that used to own the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, was a two-time cancer survivor. The team announced in mid-September that Seidler had an unspecified medical procedure in August and wouldn't be back at the ballpark the rest of the year.
In a statement, Padres CEO said, “Today, our love and prayers encircle Peter’s family as they grieve the loss of an extraordinary husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. Peter was a kind and generous man who was devoted to his wife, children and extended family. He also consistently exhibited heartfelt compassion for others, especially those less fortunate. His impact on the city of San Diego and the baseball world will be felt for generations. His generous spirit is now firmly embedded in the fabric of the Padres. Although he was our Chairman and owner, Peter was at his core a Padres fan. He will be dearly missed.”
Seidler was part of a group that purchased the Padres in 2012, and he bought out Ron Fowler’s majority stake in November 2020. Seidler also bought Rawlings Sporting Goods Company Inc. in conjunction with MLB in 2018 and was founder and managing partner of Seidler Equity Partners.
Seidler was also on the board of the Lucky Duck Foundation, which funds and implements programs to alleviate homelessness. He leveraged the Padres to help San Diego’s homeless population.
“The ballpark is a place for joy,” he said. ”People come out here and they want to forget their worries. And for a long time, I thought, this is my personal endeavor. And so there was a degree of separation. But I think now that the homeless population has grown and currently is growing with real visibility, to bring it back on the decline, we've decided to really put our foot to the accelerator and see what the Padres can do to help.”
In a statement, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called Seidler a "true visionary leader."
"As Chairman of the Padres, he made the organization about so much more than baseball; he made the team an incredible community partner," Gloria said. "Peter was perhaps best known for his great compassion for people experiencing homelessness, and everyone who worked with him will remember him for his kind and humble spirit."
The Padres will keep the Home Plate Gate at Petco Park open until midnight Tuesday for those who wish to gather to pay their respects. The gate will reopen tomorrow as well from 6:00 a.m. to midnight Wednesday. Free parking will be available at Tailgate Lot on Imperial Avenue.
