Former MLB Properties President RICK WHITE has been named President of the Atlantic League, a 16-year-old, eight-member circuit of unaffiliated pro baseball teams with franchises mostly based in the Northeast. White, who worked at MLB’s central offices from '83-'94 and at one point was considered a candidate for MLB Commissioner, succeeds PETER KIRK. Kirk owns four teams in the league. White will be the Atlantic League’s first full-time President. White noted that the league is hoping to expand from eight to 12 teams over the next few years, with eyes on markets in the South and West. White: “Other than that, we’re looking to centralize as many of our commercial activities as makes sense, and attract young fans to the ballparks by finding new ways to integrate technology into our brand of baseball." White said his new job grew out of a consulting assignment with the league. While the Atlantic League HQs have been based in Camden, N.J., White said he will continue to reside in Denver, where he has run a licensing consultancy since '11. After leaving MLB in ‘94, White worked at Nike, where he headed subsidiary brands. He also was President & CEO of Reed Exhibitions, Phoenix Footwear and Imperial Headwear.
