‘We Love You, Peter’ – Seidler Remembered for Passion for Padres, Helping the Homeless

The Padres celebrated the life and legacy of late owner and chairman Peter Seidler Saturday with a ceremony open to the public at Petco Park.

“The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful,” Eric Kutsenda, Seidler’s longtime business partner and his successor as the team’s chairman, said at the memorial, according to MLB.com.

Seidler, 63, the Padres’ owner since 2012, died Nov. 14. But he was more than the owner of a professional sports team. He won civic honors, including being named 2022 San Diegan of the Year by the San Diego Union-Tribune and the 2023 Herb Klein Spirit of San Diego Award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

His biggest community impact may have been in his care for those without shelter.

Bob McElroy, CEO of the Alpha Project, recalled a moment in which he pushed Seidler to explain his interest in homelessness.

“I asked him, ‘Why do you care about homeless folks?’” McElroy recalled at the memorial. “He said, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ He could tell from my blank stare that I was waiting for an answer. He said, ‘Bob, everyone has value. Everyone matters. My goal is to make them believe it.’”

His goal also was to bring a World Series championship to San Diego, a dream Padre All-Star Manny Machado promised to pursue.

“We will continue to work hard to fulfill your longtime dream, which is to bring a parade to the city while we hold up the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of the year,” Machado said. “We love you, Peter.”

Other team salutes to Seidler include the “PS” patches on team uniforms in 2024. The “PS” logo, inside a heart-shaped design, was revealed Saturday as part of a façade which will serve as an ongoing memorial to Seidler at Petco Park.

In addition, Mayor Todd Gloria, in attendance Saturday, reiterated the city’s promise to name a street near Petco after Seidler.

– Staff and wire reports