Some sad news to pass along: San Diego Padres chairman Peter Seidler has passed away. He was 63.
“The Padres organization mourns the passing of our beloved Chairman and owner, Peter Seidler,” said Padres CEO Erik Greupner via press release. “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.”
Seidler comes from baseball royalty: he was the grandson of Walter O’Malley and the nephew of Peter O’Malley. After co-founding Seidler Equity Partners in 1992–now with some $5 billion in assets under management–in 2012 he created the O’Malley Group with Peter O’Malley and Ron Fowler to buy the Padres from John Moores. He bought out Fowler in 2020 and assumed the chairmanship of the team.
Since then the team has heavily invested in talent, operating like a team from a much larger market than the relatively modest San Diego market.