San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
New Padres majority owner makes good first impression
Sez Me …
From the moment in 2012 when I first met the man behind the green curtain, Peter Seidler had me hooked like an old largemouth bass.
The new Padres majority owner and I didn’t talk much baseball, although he came out of the game’s womb, the umbilical cord never cut.
We didn’t discuss his maternal grandfather, Walter O’malley, who pulled his Dodgers out of Brooklyn, towing the Giants west with him, and changing the sport forever (and not necessarily for the better).
We didn’t talk about his plans as money man to sit back and allow partner Ron Fowler to do most of the talking and MLB legwork as chairman.
We didn’t discuss his success in his investment business outside of baseball, which was and remains considerable.
No. He said: “I want to know everything about Little Italy.”
He had thrown me a 70-mph fastball, smack in my wheelhouse. Spending my first 25 years on India Street, I watched the area go from quaint Italian fishing village to disrepair after the I-5 ravaged it to the place to be and be seen in this city.
I never had met this man, who has taken over day-to-day operations of the team (call him owner, not chairman). But it told me here was somebody who had done his homework, who dips his toe in the water before diving, who cares about something other than money and balls and strikes.
I was not surprised Fowler stepped down, but was when Seidler decided to take over. Not because he isn’t capable. Peter’s had serious health issues — cancer (twice) and diabetes — and has been so committed to his family, getting married and having three children later in life (he just turned 60, and had his first of three children at 50; his youngest is 11⁄2) than most of us.
“I couldn’t have taken this on eight years ago,” he says. “I was undergoing chemo at that time and I didn’t know the city as well as I do now, so I’m glad I asked Ron to do it. I knew in every molecule of my being I’d love it here.
“My health is as good as it’s been in nine years. I go in most every day now, anyway, and I don’t need to put in 10 hours a day. We have great executives. I may not be good at a lot of things, but what I do well is delegate.”
With the exception of acute business acumen, Seidler and Fowler are colonels, not kernels cut from the same ear of corn.
“Style-wise,” Peter says, “we are two different human beings.”
Fowler is outspoken, a man who enters the room with guns blazing. Seidler is laid back, reminding me of a guy leaning on the Haight-ashbury street sign in 1968. Mellow as 50-year-old scotch.
But don’t be fooled. There is a sharp edge to his blade. His interests go far beyond baseball, not the least of which is his relentless commitment to aiding the homeless.
“What I tell everyone is: ‘Keep your eye on the ball,’ ” he says. “We should be good for a decade.”
Steady man at the helm, folks. …
I asked Peter about the rumors of Theo
Epstein becoming a minority owner. “Zero chance of that.” …
Seidler should just go ahead and sign Tommy John .…
A.J. Preller didn’t finish in the top three for Executive of the Year. A masterful job . ...
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Michael Jordan made $93 million over 17
seasons . ...
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Indiana QB Michael Penix is some college player. …
Lucas Johnson isn’t Marshall Faulk, but it did take Aztecs coaches five games to start him . ...
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How screwed up are we? People are sick, dying and unemployed, and South Carolina fires Will Muschamp owing him
$13 million. …
Betting the Gamecocks’ next coach is Liberty’s Hugh Freeze. Because he says he’s not interested. …
Zorro, macho. Batman, macho. Jesse James, macho. Wear a mask . ...
I’d keep my chin up, but there are too many to lift.