Padres owner Peter Seidler dead at 63 after battling illness

The San Diego Padres announced Tuesday that owner Peter Seidler died at the age of 63. 

Seidler has been ill for months, though it has not been disclosed what exactly he’d been dealing with. Seidler is a cancer survivor who had health issues for quite some time. 

Seidler’s family was by his side when he passed away “peacefully,” per The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

“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.”

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The Padres added in their statement that Petco Park’s Home Plate Gate will be open Tuesday afternoon for those that wish to pay their respects. Free parking in the Tailgate Lot will be available as well.

The organization is currently in search of a new manager, but anything business related will be stopped momentarily as they grieve the loss of Seidler. 

Seidler, founder of Seidler Equity Partners, was a key piece of the O’Malley Group that purchased the Padres from John Moores in 2012. Seidler’s uncle, Peter, as well as Ron Fowler, were a part of the group. 

The name of the group derives from Seidler’s grandfather, Walter O’Malley, who owned the Dodgers from 1950 to 1979, when they relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. 

In 2020, Fowler transferred the role of chairman to Seidler, which was approved by MLB. Seidler purchased part of Fowler’s stake in the organization to become the team’s largest stakeholder. 

And Seidler was very proactive in generating a better baseball product in San Diego, as he allowed for lucrative contracts on the payroll, whether it was Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Xander Bogaerts or Joe Musgrove. He was also paramount in an aggressive pursuit of Juan Soto prior to the 2022 MLB trade deadline. 

Seidler said in July that the Padres would stay within his family for generations after he passed away, and the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that remains the plan.