Padres Owner Peter Seidler Dies At 63

SAN DIEGO, CA — Peter Seidler, the beloved chairman, owner and tireless advocate for the Padres, died Tuesday in San Diego. He was 63.

A cause of death wasn't disclosed. Seidler, a third-generation member of the O'Malley family, which 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.

“Today, our love and prayers encircle Peter’s family as they grieve the loss of an extraordinary husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend," Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a news release.

"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.

It was with Seidler’s blessing that the Padres boosted their payroll to about $258 million on opening day, the third-highest in the majors, after making a stirring run to the NL Championship Series the previous fall. The Padres underwhelmed most of the season despite having a star-studded lineup and missed the playoffs.

"Peter Seidler will be sorely missed but remembered as a man who loved this team, this city, and the people in it," KUSI sports reporter Allison Edmonds said in a social media post. "We will never forget the impact he made."

Seidler shrugged off questions about whether the Padres' big spending on players like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts was sustainable and mentioned how badly he wanted a championship parade for a city that has never had one.

"He changed baseball in San Diego forever," ESPN baseball reporter Alden González said in a social media post. "And he did it with an uncommon level of kindness and empathy. He is simply irreplaceable."

Seidler scoffed at the notion that San Diego was a small market. He viewed it as a unique city where the Padres were the only major pro sports franchise after the Chargers left for Los Angeles in 2017. Fans packed Petco Park last year, where the Padres set a franchise attendance record of 3,232,310 in 79 games, including 59 sellouts. The Padres were the home team in two games against San Francisco in Mexico City.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of Peter’s passing," Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement from Arlington, Texas, where Major League Baseball owners are holding league meetings this week. “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.”

The Padres will open the Home Plate Gate at Petco Park beginning Tuesday afternoon for those who wish to gather to pay their respects, according to the team. Free parking will be available at Tailgate Lot.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.