I was in the middle of a piece about the San Diego Padres' season, then I read about the sudden passing of their owner and chairman, Peter Seidler and decided to reverse course. Despite this, Seidler had made any contribution to help the Padres have a fun atmosphere to watch baseball in the city of San Diego. While researching this, I decided to read comments from fans and it was unanimous, Peter Seidler wasn't just the owner and chairman of the team, but the father figure and friend to anyone who was employed or had any connection to the franchise. Fans also recall meeting him and saying that he was a great man who was courteous and nice to the people who attended the games. Seidler wouldn't have it any other way.
Peter Seidler was born into baseball royalty as he was the grandson of long-time Dodgers owner, Walter O'Malley. This game was in his blood, so to speak. As he was starting to gain stream to becoming an owner of a baseball like his grandfather, Seidler was just waiting for that opportunity for a sale. In 2012, that dream materialized as he, his uncle Peter O'Malley and Ron Fowler bought the Padres from John Moores. It didn't matter that it was his grandfather's rival, Seidler and his partners had big plans for them.
As much as many would think he was crazy, Peter Seidler lived on the edge and was willing to open the vaults to bring winning baseball to Petco Park. He had a man who was keen to execute moves to ensure that in GM A.J. Preller. In 2018, he shocked the baseball world by snagging one of the top free agents in Manny Machado. They had a franchise-altering talent in tow with Fernando Tatis Jr. and many acquisitions as Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Jake Croenworth, Juan Soto, Josh Hader and Xavier Bogaerts on a roster that will have a high payroll, but they were title contenders.
Outside of the Padres, Seidler was a champion against the homelessness in San Diego as he was a member of the Lucky Duck Foundation, an organization who helps alleviate homelessness, and founded the Tuesday Group where weekly meetings are held to discuss possibilities to reduce the problem of homelessness. Also, Seidler was able to beat cancer twice and did his best to help the community when needed. He and his company, Seidler Equity Partners, were able to partner with MLB to buy the world-famous Rawlings company in 2018. Even to the end, Peter Seidler was a baseball fan.
Sadly, Peter Seidler didn't get to see his Padres win the World Series as he hoped, but one day it will happen, and everyone will point up and say, "This one's for you, Peter."........and rightfully so.
Peter Seidler 1960-2023
(References: Wikipedia, MLB.com, ESPN, San Diego Union-Tribune, KPBS, The Athletic, AP News)
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