Peter Seidler (November 7, 1960 – November 14, 2023) was an American businessman. He was the chairman of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Peter Seidler | |
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| Born | November 7, 1960 Alhambra, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 14, 2023 (aged 63) San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| Spouse | Sheel Seidler |
| Children | 3 |
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Early life
Seidler was born in Alhambra, California, on November 7, 1960, to Roland Seidler Jr. and Terry O'Malley Seidler.[1][2] He was the grandson of Walter O'Malley, who had owned the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) and relocated them to the West Coast to become the Los Angeles Dodgers,[3] and nephew of Peter O'Malley who inherited the team, along with Seidler's mother.[2]
Seidler earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles.[2] While at Virginia, he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity.[4]
Career
In 1992 Seidler founded Seidler Equity Partners, a private equity firm, in Marina del Rey, California, which he served as managing partner.[1][3] Among the companies in which the partnership has invested is LA Fitness[5] and music publishing company Hal Leonard, acquiring a majority ownership in June 2016.[6] In 2018, the firm partnered with MLB to purchase Rawlings for $395 million.[7] The firm had an estimated $1.8 billion in assets under management in 2020[8] and $3.5 billion in 2023.[9]
San Diego Padres
In 2012, Seidler, his uncle Peter O'Malley, and Ron Fowler formed the O'Malley Group, which purchased MLB's San Diego Padres from John Moores for $800 million.[10] The team increased spending in an attempt to contend for a championship, acquiring Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, and James Shields.[5] On November 18, 2020, MLB approved the transfer of the role of chairman from Fowler to Seidler, who purchased part of Fowler's stake in the team to become the largest stakeholder.[3]
Seidler increased the Padres' payroll to $214 million for the 2022 season, which was the sixth-highest in MLB. The Padres reached the 2022 National League (NL) Championship Series.[11] Payroll was increased to $237 million for the 2023 MLB season, the third-highest in MLB. He authorized the acquisitions and contract extensions to star players, including Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatís Jr., Juan Soto, Josh Hader, and Joe Musgrove.[12] The team went 82–80 and finished third in the NL West.[13]
Personal life and death
[[File:RTR Color Guard (8310187).jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|"Celebration of life ceremony" in honor of Seidler at Petco Park in March 2024. Seidler and his wife, Sheel, had three children.[14] They lived in La Jolla, California.[15]
Seidler had type 1 diabetes. He also survived two bouts with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.[14]
In September 2023, Seidler announced that he had undergone a medical procedure which would prevent him from attending any further games in the 2023 season.[16] He died in San Diego on November 14, 2023, at age 63.[17][18] His brother, John, succeeded him as the team's control person.[19]
See also
References
- ^ a b Lin, Dennis (November 14, 2023). "Padres owner Peter Seidler dies at 63: A look at his legacy both on and off the field". The Athletic. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c Jiménez, Jesus (November 14, 2023). "Peter Seidler, Big-Spending San Diego Padres Owner, Dies at 63". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Padres chairman Ron Fowler steps down; Peter Seidler to take over". San Diego Union-Tribune. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Showley, Roger. "San Diego's pitchmen for pro soccer". dailypress.com.
- ^ a b Acee, Kevin (April 3, 2015). "Seidler is quiet, quite excited owner". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Dill, Molly (June 29, 2016). "Majority of Hal Leonard shares sold to private equity firm". BizTimes.
- ^ "Major League Baseball buys stake in Rawlings, seeking 'input and direction' on production of baseballs".
- ^ Louch, William (March 26, 2020). "Seidler Equity Raises $800 Million for New Private-Equity Deals". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
- ^ Ewen, Beth (February 7, 2023). "Seidler Equity Buys Unleashed Brands Amid Lawsuits Aimed at Kid-Focused Franchisor". franchisetimes.com.
- ^ "Padres sold to group headed by O'Malley heirs". San Diego Union-Tribune. August 7, 2012.
- ^ Acee, Kevin (October 26, 2022). "Seidler, Padres feel obligation to maintain commitment to winning". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Acee, Kevin (March 24, 2023). "Stacked with superstars, the Padres have a team built to win like no other before it". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ 2023 San Diego Padres Statistics baseball-ref.com
- ^ a b "Column: Padres optimist Peter Seidler balances his health with uncertainty of the times". The San Diego Union-Tribune. March 24, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ Flynn, Gillian (June 1, 2020). "Sheel and Peter Seidler". Ranch & Coast Magazine. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "Seidler, Padres chairman and owner, dies at 63". ESPN.com. November 14, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ Friarwire (November 14, 2023). "Padres Chairman & Owner Peter Seidler Passes Away". Medium. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Acee, Kevin (November 14, 2023). "Padres Chairman Peter Seidler passes away". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/12/21/peter-seidlers-brother-john-set-to-take-control-of-padres/