San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler dead at 63 after surviving two bouts of cancer: Team release statement paying tribute to 'a generous man devoted to his wife and children'

San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to bring a long-elusive World Series championship to the city, died on Tuesday at the age of 63.

A cause of death wasn't disclosed. Seidler, a third-generation member of the O'Malley family that used to own the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, was a two-time cancer survivor. 

The team announced in mid-September that Seidler had an unspecified medical procedure in August and wouldn't be back at the ballpark the rest of the year.

Seidler was part of a group that purchased the Padres in 2012 and bought out Ron Fowler's majority stake in November 2020. Seidler also bought Rawlings in conjunction with MLB in 2018.

It was with Seidler's blessing that the Padres boosted their payroll to about $258 million on opening day, third-highest in the majors, after making a stirring run to the NL Championship Series the previous fall.

Seidler often shrugged off questions about whether the Padres' big spending on players like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts was sustainable and mentioned how badly he wanted a championship parade for a city that has never had one.

'Do I believe our parade is going to be on land or on water or on both?' he said.

In a statement, Padres CEO Erik Greupner said: 'The Padres organization mourns the passing of our beloved Chairman and owner, Peter Seidler. 

'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.'