SAN DIEGO — Peter Seidler loved to dream out loud about a World Series parade for his San Diego Padres and their long-suffering fans. He spent that way, too, fearlessly committing hundreds of millions of dollars toward trying to bring his adopted hometown its first major title.
The owner and chairman of the club, Seidler dismissed the notion that San Diego was a small market and constantly redirected questions about how the Padres could sustain their big-spending ways on players like Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr.
He was sure the baseball gods would one day smile on San Diego and there would be a championship parade for a franchise that lost its only two World Series appearances, the last one coming in 1998.
“Do I believe our parade is going to be on land or on water or on both?” Seidler said earlier this year. “Putting a great and winning team on the field in San Diego year after year is sustainable.”
Seidler, a third-generation member of the O’Malley family who used to own the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, died on Tuesday, the Padres announced. He was 63.
A cause of death wasn’t disclosed. Seidler 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.
“Peter was an extraordinary leader and had the confidence and support of everyone in the Padre organization and the San Diego community,” Seidler’s uncle, Peter O’Malley, said in an email to The Associated Press. “When he moved to San Diego to lead the Padres he was one hundred percent committed to bring to San Diego its first World Championship. He was all in and the Padres never had a bigger fan. Our family will miss his passion, optimism and friendship.”
Peter Seidler and his brother Tom, as well as cousins Kevin and Brian O’Malley, bought into the Padres in 2012 with advice and support from Peter O’Malley, who owned the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1979-1998. Peter O’Malley’s father, Walter, moved the franchise from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.
The Padres planned to open Petco Park on Tuesday afternoon for fans who wished to gather and pay respects.
“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 statement. “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,” Greupner said. “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 loved his players, and they loved him back.
“My heart hurts with the unfortunate news of Peter Seidler’s passing,” right-hander Yu Darvish posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I’m sure everyone that knew him would agree with me when I say Peter was a truly wonderful human being, and being in his presence was always a blessing. He was a teacher of life, and taught me countless lessons from all the interactions we had. May his beautiful soul rest in peace.”
Seidler was part of a group that purchased the Padres in 2012, and he bought out Ron Fowler’s majority stake in November 2020.