(RepublicanDaily.org) – Peter Seidler, the owner and chairman of the San Diego Padres baseball team, has died at the age of 63. The Padres confirmed that Seidler had passed away on a statement and tribute posted online.
Padres CEO Erik Greupner extended the team’s condolences to Seidler’s family, calling the late owner “a kind and generous man” whose impact on San Diego and the rest of the baseball world “will be felt for generations.” The team has opened the gate at Home Plate Gate at Petco Park for fans who would like to pay their respects.
The cause of Seidler’s death was not disclosed, but the Padres’ chairman reportedly underwent an unspecified medical procedure in August this year, and had also previously battled and survived two bouts with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Seidler has a deep history with baseball, with his grandfather, Walter O’Malley, owning the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1979. Seidler was initially part of a group bought the Padres in 2012 from John Moores, and subsequently bought the majority stake in the team in 2020 from Ron Fowler.
Seidler also had the distinction of working aggressively towards securing a World Series title for the team, spending as much as $280 million for a deal to acquire Xander Bogaerts and another $350 million to bring on Manny Machado. Under his ownership, the Padres became third in the league in terms of player payroll.
He was also beloved by both players and fans — “My heart hurts with the unfortunate news,” right-hander Yu Darvish said in a statement online. “Peter was a truly wonderful human being… and taught me countless lessons from all the interactions we had,” he wrote. Fans, on the other hand, appreciated his commitment to the team and thousands cheered him earlier in the year when he discussed his plans – and dreams — for the Padres.
Eric Kutsenda, who is a co-founder and managing partner in the private equity firm owned by Seider, will temporarily serve as the Padres’ control person.
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