The San Diego Padres are in the middle of a custody battle.
Sheel Kamal Seidler, widow of the team’s deceased owner Peter Seidlerhe filed a lawsuit against his two brothers in an attempt to gain control of the team.
The widow alleged in her complaint that Peter, before his death, revealed that his dying wish was for her to take control of the Padres, then their children, and for her children to hold the majority ownership. She adds that Peter’s two brothers, Matt and Bob, “are trying to erase Peter’s vision and legacy, as well as misrepresenting themselves as Peter’s true heirs.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Bob’s wife made multiple “racist, vulgar and hateful communications directed at Sheel—a woman of Indian descent—in the communications.”
The widow released a statement addressing the complaint on social media.
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San Diego Padres President Peter Seidler and President of Baseball Operations and General Manager AJ Preller talk during the San Diego Padres Fan Fest at PETCO Park on February 4, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
“The complaint alleges claims against Matthew and Robert for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. I urge anyone interested in the details to read the entire complaint. This was not a decision I made lightly. During this difficult time, I have done everything in my power to to avoid unwanted distractions and address the issue privately, I focused on supporting the work of the many dedicated professionals within the Padres organization, as well as the incredible players they have the privilege of watching almost every day during the season.
“I made this decision as a last resort, but I am confident that it is the right and best way to protect the Padres franchise and ensure the continuation of the vision that Peter and I shared for the team.”
Matt released a statement via Sporticclaiming that Sheel’s accusations were “baseless”.
“The lawsuit filed by Sheel Seidler, the widow of Peter Seidler, is completely without merit,” Seidler said. “Peter had a clear estate plan. The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, with whom he had worked closely for decades, as successor trustees of his trust, and Peter himself prohibited Sheela from ever serving as a trustee.”
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San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar, left, is held back by teammates after protesting to the umpire when objects were thrown at him in the outfield during the seventh inning of Game 2 of baseball’s NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Nov. October 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Peter died in November 2023 at the age of 63. He had been ill for months, but it was not revealed what exactly he was dealing with. Seidler is a cancer survivor who had health problems for a long time.
He said in July 2023 that the Padres would remain in his family for generations after his death.
Seidler was the founder of Seidler Equity Partners, which was a key part of the group that bought the Padres in 2012. Seidler’s uncle, also named Peter, and Ron Fowler were also part of the group.
The group’s name comes from Seidler’s grandfather, Walter O’Malley, who owned the Dodgers from 1950, when they first moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, until 1979. Fowler passed the role of chairman to Seidler in 2020, and then Seidler bought part of Fowler’s stake in the organization to make him the team’s largest shareholder.
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San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler watches before the MLB World Tour Mexico City Series between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium on April 29, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Before his death, he handed out a series of expensive contracts to superstars in an effort to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West division and win the World Series.
These deals include Manny Machado’s $350 million deal, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s deal. worth $340 million, Xander Bogaertz’s $280 million contract and Yu Darvish’s $108 million contract.
The Athletic reported in November 2023 that the team had taken out a $50 loan to pay for the contract.
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