Padres owner Peter Seidler died Tuesday in San Diego. He was 63.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Seidler had been in ill health and that he was surrounded by his wife and children. The family requested that his cause of death not be revealed at this time, per the report.
Near the end of the 2023 season, the team announced he had undergone an medical procedure, which wasn’t specified.
“The Padres organization mourns the passing of our beloved Chairman and owner, Peter Seidler,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement. “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 a two-time cancer survivor. He told the Union-Tribune in July that, upon his death, the Padres would remain in his family.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of Peter’s passing,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Peter grew up in a baseball family, and his love of the game was evident throughout his life. He was passionate about owning the Padres and bringing the fans of San Diego a team in which they could always take pride. Peter made sure the Padres were part of community solutions in San Diego, particularly with the homeless community. He was an enthusiastic supporter of using the Padres and Major League Baseball to bring people together and help others.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to Peter’s wife Sheel and their family, his Padres colleagues and the fans of San Diego.”
The founder of a private equity firm, Seidler came from a baseball family. His grandfather, Walter O’Malley, was the longtime owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seidler was part of an ownership group that bought the Padres in August 2012, and he became majority owner in November 2020.
He gave the green light for the Padres to spend millions to sign players such as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Yu Darvish and Xander Bogaerts in a quest to bring the first World Series title to San Diego, but the Padres failed to reach the playoffs this season after advancing to the National League Championship Series in 2022.
–Field Level Media
