San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler dead at 63 after surviving two bouts of cancer: Team release statement paying tribute to ‘a generous man devoted to his wife and children’
San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to bring a long-elusive World Series championship to town, died Tuesday at the age of 63.
A cause of death was not announced. Seidler, a third-generation member of the O’Malley family that owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, was a two-time cancer survivor.
The team announced in mid-September that Seidler had undergone an unspecified medical procedure in August and would not return to the ballpark for the rest of the year.
Seidler was part of a group that bought the Padres in 2012 and purchased majority ownership from Ron Fowler in November 2020. Seidler also acquired Rawlings in 2018 in partnership with MLB.
It was with Seidler’s blessing that the Padres boosted their opening day payroll to about $258 million, the third highest in the majors, after making an exciting run to the NL Championship Series last fall.
Seidler often sidestepped questions about whether the Padres’ big spending on players like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts was sustainable, saying how much he wanted a championship parade for a city that has never had one.
“Do I believe our parade will be on land or water, or both?” he said.
In a statement, Padres CEO Erik Greupner said, “The Padres organization mourns the passing of our beloved chairman and owner, Peter Seidler.
“Today our love and prayers surround Peter’s family as they mourn the loss of a special 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 showed genuine 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 ingrained in the fabric of the Padres.
“Although he was our chairman and owner, Peter was a Padres fan at heart. He will be greatly missed.”