SAN DIEGO — Padres owner Peter Seidler, who spent loads of tens of millions of bucks seeking to convey a long-elusive World (*63*) championship to San Diego, died on Tuesday, the staff introduced. He used to be 63.
A reason behind demise wasn’t disclosed. Seidler, who grew up across the recreation as a third-generation member of the O’Malley circle of relatives that used to possess the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, used to be a two-time most cancers survivor. The staff introduced in mid-September that Seidler had an unspecified scientific process in August and would not be again at the ballpark the remainder of the yr.
“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, in addition to cousins Kevin and Brian O’Malley, purchased into the Padres in 2012 with recommendation and reinforce 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 deliberate to open Petco Park on Tuesday afternoon for enthusiasts who needed to assemble 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 mentioned. “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 and was founder and managing partner of Seidler Equity Partners.
It was with Seidler’s blessing that the Padres boosted their payroll to about $258 million on opening day, 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.
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.
“Do I believe our parade is going to be on land or on water or on both?” he said. “Putting a super and profitable staff at the box in San Diego yr after yr is sustainable.”
Seidler scoffed at the perception that San Diego used to be a small marketplace. He seen it as a novel town the place the Padres had been the one primary professional sports activities franchise after the Chargers left for Los Angeles in 2017. Fans packed Petco Park final yr, the place the Padres set a franchise attendance file of three,232,310 in 79 video games, together with 59 sellouts. The Padres had been the house staff in two video games in opposition to 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.”
Machado was a personal favorite of Seidler, and the slugger received a new $350 million, 11-year deal last spring training despite saying he would opt out of the original $300 million deal he signed in 2019.
The Padres gave Bogaerts a $280 million, 11-year deal last December. In 2021, the Padres signed Fernando Tatis Jr. to a $340 million, 14-year deal. They traded for young star Juan Soto at the deadline in 2022.
Seidler’s death comes at a critical time for the franchise. The Padres are closing in on hiring a manager to replace Bob Melvin, who left for San Francisco last month after clashing with general manager A.J. Preller. The Padres also are debating whether to keep or trade Soto, who is under control for just one more season.
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AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
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