As 47,705 fans erupted into euphoria Wednesday night at Petco Park, it was hard to think of anything but one man and his vision.
This is what Peter Seidler built.
Once catcher Kyle Higashioka secured the final out of the San Diego Padres' 5–4 victory over the Atlanta Braves to finish off a sweep of their National League wild-card series, America's Finest City exploded with joy. A little less than a year ago, San Diego was draped in sadness, mourning the loss of the Padres' beloved owner after he died at the age of 63. His memory and mission have been with the team as it fought to a 93–69 record, then dispatched the Braves, earning a date with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL division series.
While Seidler has been gone since November, this team embodies his plan for the franchise. All season, huge crowds cheered on a gritty Padres team that surged down the stretch. With their late owner's initials inscribed on a heart-shaped patch on each player’s jersey, the Padres played in celebration of his memory. Manager Mike Shildt says Seidler is and always will be part of what they do.
"That's in our fabric," Shildt said. "It's in that clubhouse fabric, the organization's fabric. Rightfully so. Peter's with us in spirit and he's with us in his legacy of what he left for us to uphold."
Seidler wasn't just about winning. He prioritized creating a bond with fans. In the process he not only galvanized the Padres as an organization, but saved San Diego as a sports city.
After the NFL’s Chargers left for Los Angeles in 2017, San Diego's days as a premier sports city appeared behind it. The heart of the city's sports scene had been ripped out by an owner in Dean Spanos who was notoriously cheap. Seidler, who became a co-owner in '12 and increased his involvement with the team until becoming chairman in ‘20, stepped in to fill the void.
The rare billionaire who realized he couldn't take his money with him, Seidler spent lavishly to build a winner for San Diego. He handed out nine-figure contracts to Manny Machado (twice), Eric Hosmer, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. He approved multiple massive blockbuster trades in the relentless pursuit of a championship. Most importantly, he provided an exciting product fans wanted to see. To Seidler, being a small market franchise was a mindset, not an actual constraint.
The results spoke for themselves as the Padres became a contender and saw their attendance skyrocket in the process. After breaking through on the field in 2022 by defeating the Dodgers to play in their first NL championship series since 1998, the franchise broke its attendance record in ’23, welcoming 3.27 million fans through the turnstiles. They topped that number this season as 3.33 million fans showed up, good enough for third best in Major League Baseball. This was what Seidler envisioned, a competitive team playing in front of packed crowds in downtown San Diego.
In addition to spending on his franchise, Seidler fostered relationships with his players and his city that transcended sports. He was heavily involved in trying to reduce the area's homeless epidemic through the Lucky Duck Foundation, donated lavishly to local organizations, and truly seemed to care about improving the lives of others.
"He set the bar so high, but he also showed the way about it, being about caring for each other and loving each other," Shildt said. "Being part of the community and just being a special human being."
When asked where in his mind Seidler's memory has been during this season, Tatis said, "He's in front of it. Me and Peter definitely had a relationship, like stuff that probably nobody knew. What he asked for the city and the love he had for all of us, it was unconditional."
Seidler never stopped thinking about winning. He vowed to bring San Diego its first major sports championship and pushed for that until the day he died. Back in spring training before the 2023 season, Seidler said, "Our full intent is to be right there at the end and, like we talk about, one year soon the baseball gods will smile on the San Diego Padres and we will have a parade."
The 2024 version of the franchise Seidler rebuilt has a chance to make that a reality. The Padres know who and what they are playing for.
"We're definitely doing this for him and we're definitely pushing harder for him," Tatis said.
The memory of the Padres' beloved owner continues to loom large over the Padres and the city. In a beautiful bit of symmetry, Seidler used to dream of winning a championship for San Diego. Now the Padres and their fans want to win one for him.
This Padres team wants more than victories. It's driven by the desire to live up to the ideals Seidler embodied and to win the championship he so deeply desired.
They're one step closer to realizing his dream and bringing a parade to San Diego.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NLDS-Bound Padres Driven by Peter Seidler’s Memory.
