Peter Seidler’s Heartwarming ‘Box Office’ Gesture During the Pandemic – A Look Back at Why the Late Owner Was So Greatly Loved

The San Diego Padres are in tears. The Friars slow down and maintain a moment of silence for the lovely soul that departed on Tuesday. Peter Seidler, the owner of the Padres, was a man with a big heart. During his time, he has earnestly grabbed every opportunity that came his way to display an act of kindness. With Seidler’s passing, the heart-touching anecdote from a Padres superfan has surfaced. 

As the 63-year-old breathed his last, the dominant emotion in San Diego was grief. While processing the loss of the man who “..kind of like(ed) spending money”, one can’t help but reminisce about the greatly loved man. His gestures spoke volumes of his dedication to his team and his commitment to his words, even during the pandemic a couple of years ago. 

Peter Seidler Was a Man of His Words

The Friars superfan @RyanCohen24 narrated “A quick Peter Seidler story” that gave the world yet another glimpse of what an incredible man he was. The story goes, right before the pandemic, Seidler made arrangements for Cohen to watch a Padres game in the owner’s box. But then the 2020 season witnessed empty stands despite being a fun season. Cohen, who was quite grateful for the gesture itself, was under the impression that the opportunity was lost. Seidler, however, remembered to invite Cohen again in 2021 and fulfilled his promise and the wish of the fan. 

Although the cause of death is unknown, one knows that Seidler was a two-time non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor. He announced in September that he’d miss the rest of the 2023 season recuperating from a medical procedure. The Alhambra-born would often dream aloud about celebrating a World Series win, honoring his beloved San Diego Padres and their supporters.

He was also never shy to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on his goal. Seidler admitted to The San Diego Union-Tribune that he liked spending money, “You can’t take it with you“. Apart from the unmatched business acumen he had as the 1992-co-founder of Seidler Equity Partners, that helped him manage more than $5 billion worth of assets, he was an amazing human being.

As he “grew up in a baseball family” he established a reputation for being devoted and kind in the MLB community and beyond. He spoke frequently about seeing the good in people and adopt an optimistic outlook in the face of adversity.

He instated the ‘Tuesday Group’ seven years ago, which met weekly with the purpose of discussing homelessness in San Diego. Moreover, he contributed to the Padres’ ‘Pedal the Cause’ campaign, raising over $18 million for regional cancer research, one year. All these initiatives further fueled his desire to see San Diego win its first significant championship.

Peter Seidler Correcting The San Diego Padres’ Course

Seidler, who earned Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles, had begun steering the Padres in the right direction. The 1969-born San Diego Padres, in 2019, signed a $300 million, 10-year contract with third baseman Manny Machado. The biggest contract ever offered to a free agent at the time. Additionally, the Padres broke their 14-year playoff drought the following season, in 2020. In 2022, they advanced to the National League Championship Series. The rest is history!

Read More : MLB Fans Mourn the Death of Former Yankees and Mets Star as He Passes Away at 78

To allow fans to pay their respects, the Padres will open the Home Plate Gate at Petco Park. The team will be in mourning for the remainder of this week, but possibly before Thanksgiving, a new field manager will be named. Peter is survived by Sheel, his wife, three children, his mother, Terry Seidler and his nine siblings.

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