Very sad news to report from the bigger world of Major League Baseball. San Diego Padres owner and chairman Peter Seidler has passed away at the age of 63.
“The Padres organization mourns the passing of our beloved Chairman and owner, Peter Seidler,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement the team shared to social media. “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.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Seidler had been “battling an illness for months,” and was with his family when he passed peacefully. Peter Seidler had been part of the Padres’ ownership group since 2012, and took on more control a few years later.
There will be a time to contemplate the news as it relates to baseball, but that time is not now. I wouldn’t be prepared to do it on the spot, and it doesn’t feel appropriate in this moment.
Instead, I just pass on my thoughts to Seidler’s family and friends, to the Padres organization, and to anyone else impacted by the news.