O'Malley Family Loss
Kevin O'Malley, Former Padres Part-Owner and Baseball Executive From Noted Family, Dies at 50
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Kevin O'Malley, a former part-owner of the San Diego Padres and a member of one of baseball's most storied families, died on June 30, 2026, at age 50 from complications of sepsis, according to Associated Press. He had been in declining health for nearly three years, entering hospice care in Santa Barbara, California, in late June.
His father, Peter O'Malley, former president of the Los Angeles Dodgers, confirmed the death. "Baseball was important to him," the elder O'Malley said. "Family came first, but baseball was a close second." Kevin's passing came just months after the O'Malley and Seidler families sold the Padres for a record $3.9 billion, effectively ending nearly 80 years of O'Malley family influence in Major League Baseball.
A Baseball Dynasty That Spanned Three Generations
Kevin O'Malley was born into the sport. His grandfather, Walter O'Malley, owned the Brooklyn Dodgers and moved them to Los Angeles in 1958 — one of the most consequential decisions in baseball history. Walter owned the team from 1944 to 1979 and is credited with expanding MLB to the West Coast. Kevin's father, Peter, then ran the Dodgers as president from 1970 to 1998, according to NH Register.
Kevin paid his dues early. He worked as an intern at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida in 1998, hauling boxes and stocking coolers to learn the business from the ground up, according to Yahoo Sports. He later co-founded Top of the Third Inc. alongside his brother Brian and cousins Peter and Tom Seidler. The company owned and operated minor league teams in California, including the Stockton Mudville Nine and the Visalia Rawhide.
O'Malley Family Bought and Sold the Padres for a Huge Profit
In 2012, the O'Malley and Seidler families purchased the San Diego Padres from John Moores for $800 million. The move raised eyebrows — the O'Malleys were synonymous with the rival Dodgers. But under their ownership, the Padres became a high-spending contender, signing stars like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. and landing a $1.2 billion media deal, according to Yahoo Sports.
In April 2026, the family sold the Padres to a group led by private equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones for $3.9 billion — a gain of roughly 387% over 14 years. The sale followed the November 2023 death of Peter Seidler, Kevin's cousin and the team's chairman, who died at age 63. Kevin O'Malley died just weeks after the sale closed, according to KTVB.
A Long Illness That Began in New York in 2023
Kevin O'Malley first fell ill in the fall of 2023 while on a business trip in New York City. He returned to Los Angeles to seek specialized care, according to Associated Press. His health declined gradually over the following years. By late June 2026, he had entered hospice care. He died on June 30 from sepsis complications — sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection that can shut down the body's organs.
Beyond baseball, Kevin ran Carmelina Capital Partners, a private equity firm he founded in 2010. The firm focused on investments in family-owned businesses — a reflection of his own upbringing. His death leaves a leadership gap at the firm, according to Oskaloosa.
The O'Malley Era in Baseball Is Now Officially Over
Kevin O'Malley's death closes the book on a family that shaped professional baseball for eight decades. Walter O'Malley brought the game to California. Peter O'Malley built the Dodgers into a powerhouse. Kevin carried that legacy into minor league development and a new city entirely. The $3.9 billion Padres sale, finalized just before his death, marks the formal exit of the O'Malley name from MLB ownership, according to News-Gazette.
He was 50 years old. The Padres are now controlled by the Feliciano group. And the family that once defined West Coast baseball — from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to San Diego — no longer holds a stake in any Major League team, according to Yakima Herald.
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