A group of Minor League Baseball team owners has purchased Baseball America, with plans to reshape and expand the veteran industry publication, including staging events.
Alliance Baseball LLC, involving investors in the Class AAA Omaha (Neb.) Storm Chasers and Class AA Richmond (Va.) Flying Squirrels, has acquired the Durham, N.C.-based title from The Enthusiast Network, which had owned Baseball America since 2011 and was formerly known as Source Interlink Media.
The new group will keep Baseball America’s headquarters and staff, led by editor-in-chief John Manuel, intact. But the new ownership intends to expand the magazine’s coverage of high school and college baseball and of the annual MLB draft, as well as create and stage their own events such as preseason college baseball tournaments. Other planned changes include the introduction of color to inside pages in the 37-year-old publication, and a redesign of baseballamerica.com.
“We like to think of ourselves as custodians of the game, and bringing Baseball America into the fold deepens our positions as custodians of the game,” said Gary Green, chief executive of Alliance Baseball and a general partner of the Flying Squirrels. “There’s a tremendous presence and equity in the Baseball America name, but there are some things we can do to build this up and reach a younger audience.”
Beyond the flagship biweekly magazine, Baseball America produces baseball almanacs, directories and handbooks.
Financial terms were not disclosed, though The Enthusiast Network has had Baseball America up for sale for much of the past year. Green and Alliance Baseball partner and president Larry Botel are joined in the venture by David Geaslen, founder and chief executive of Massachusetts-based media and event company 3Step Sports. The group was aided by sports attorney Matthew Pace, who joined New York-based law firm Rimon last summer from Arent Fox.
