In the fall of 2022, San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler headed the group taking a trip party that went to check out Trea Turner as Turner weighed deals in totally free company. Turner had actually been prepared by San Diego in 2014, and, eight years later on, the time he spent with Seidler affirmed what Turner felt back then: What a fantastic guy, Turner thought, warm and interesting.
Seidler wasn’t just there to go to; he was serious about signing the shortstop: He OKed a deal in the series of $350 million, well beyond the competing proposal of the Philadelphia Phillies. A few days later, the Padres made it clear that if Turner needed a greater deal, well, Seidler would make that occur, too.
Turner remembered being greatly impressed by him on Tuesday afternoon when he found that Seidler had actually passed away at the age of 63. According to Turner, Seidler’s decision to prosper was exceptional; he was figured out to exhaust all possibilities in order to achieve triumph.
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Turner had actually already been leaning toward making a deal with the Phillies, however Seidler’s humankind and his interest for bringing a championship to the Padres weighed on him. The idea of turning down Seidler felt heartbreaking to Turner, who eventually communicated this message: Please don’t make another offer.
Seidler had a profound influence on those around him, thanks to his warm and unassuming demeanor, his credibility, and his enthusiasm for the sport he loved. As the grand son of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, Seidler was raised with a deep appreciation for baseball and a desire to make a favorable effect on the community. He attained this by investing his own cash in the San Diego Padres, with the ultimate objective of bringing a champion title to the group’s devoted fans. Seidler’s dedication to the cause was admirable, and his commitment to the fans was unwavering. His approach was a revitalizing contrast to the similarity Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher, who is currently considering moving his team away from its devoted fan base in the East Bay. Seidler’s legacy serves as a pointer of the significance of putting fans first, and his effect will be felt for years to come.
Mark Sweeney, a previous gamer for the Padres who becomes part of the team’s broadcasts, said in a text message, “Today, we all lost an incredible male that left a legacy that reached way beyond the game of baseball and this great city that he liked. His enthusiasm and dedication to the game will never be forgotten!”
A couple of years ago, Seidler stood against the backstop behind home base in Petco Park and in his gentle voice, he talked with a press reporter about baseball, sharing stories about the Dodger teams and gamers that Seidler matured viewing, about Padres legend Tony Gwynn. At one point, the press reporter asked Seidler about the sustainability of what the Padres were doing, spending huge on gamers like Manny Machado, and Seidler smiled somewhat. “We’ll be fine,” he stated.
The Padres made a series of relocate to boost their lineup, consisting of the acquisition of Yu Darvish, a local of San Diego County, from the Washington Nationals in exchange for a group of promising young players. Additionally, they obtained Josh Hader, a dominant closer, from the Milwaukee Brewers. The team’s owner, Seidler, was not concerned with the long-term worth of the potential customers he traded away, however rather concentrated on constructing a championship-winning team that would delight the franchise’s devoted fan base. The Padres’ efforts have actually been rewarded with increased attendance and season ticket sales, as they’ve balanced over 40,000 fans per video game from 2018 to 2023, a significant dive from the approximately 26,000 they drew in previous seasons.
Thanks to Seidler, the Padres came close to the last objective. After knocking out the New York Mets in the wild-card round of the 2022 playoffs, San Diego faced the Dodgers– “They are the dragon up the freeway we’re attempting to slay,” Seidler had actually stated previously in the season, on a mic ‘d up look on “Sunday Night Baseball”– and beat L.A. The Padres’ ride ended when they lost to the Phillies in the National League Champion Series.
Regardless of that final frustration, Seidler had actually related in texts and over the phone just how much enjoyable it was to see the profusion of Padres fans. “The crowds are beyond incredible,” he stated in May. “A real credit to our gamers and fans who together and naturally pushed their relationship to this fun, amazing and intense level.”
After pointing out a couple of gamers, he all of a sudden stopped. “I expect I could continue indefinitely. It truly gives me goosebumps when I reflect on the abundance of uplifting vibes.”
” A good man, a terrific heart,” among his ownership peers said shortly after the news broke. “This just breaks my heart. He had such a big heart.”
” Individuals [in the sport] were upset with him since he spent his own cash, but he wanted to win the World Series and he wasn’t stressed over the cost. He did it properly– he paid into revenue-sharing, rather than being a recipient.”
Seidler was a two-time cancer survivor, and his health problems were widely understood within the industry, though very little was shared publicly outside a statement by the Padres this fall that he had undergone a medical procedure that would keep him far from the ballpark.
Now, there are questions about whether the franchise will have the ability to match its current level of costs without Seidler stimulating it on. In the last few years, the team brought a payroll of almost $100 million in 2019, more than doubled it in 2022, to $221 million, and then climbed again in 2023 to an estimated $296 million. Machado, Darvish, Musgrove and Jake Cronenworth have actually signed long-lasting extensions, and executives with other groups have quietly speculated whether it can continue. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in September that the Padres require to cut their payroll considerably before the 2024 season, to something closer to $200 million, and if that’s the case, then San Diego might be required to trade Soto and/or other expensive stars.
But there is no doubt about the legacy of Seidler, who was willing to trade revenues for the fun. For the fans.
When Trea Turner made his final decision to sign with the Phillies over the Padres, he felt he owed it to Seidler to call him directly, and the shortstop braced for the response. But Seidler worked to make Turner feel much better, warmly and happily accepting his choice, offering some parting words that showed the viewpoint of someone who had actually remained in a love affair with baseball his whole life.
” We remain in this together,” Turner stated Seidler told him, “to grow this great game.”
