Ripken Holdings LLC, the parent company of Ripken Baseball, has brought on global investment and merchant bank LionTree as a “significant minority investor,” a move designed to jumpstart an expansion of Ripken’s youth baseball operations. LionTree has invested an undisclosed amount into the company, run by Baseball HOFer Cal Ripken Jr. and former MLBer Bill Ripken, who is also an MLB Net analyst. LionTree Founder & CEO Aryeh Bourkoff will join the Ripken Baseball BOD as part of the deal. Ripken Baseball currently operates youth baseball complexes in Aberdeen, Md.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., that host a variety of tournaments, camps and clinics. Cal Ripken Jr. said the intent is to develop more such facilities around the country. “Adding a minority partner gives us an infusion of capital where we can now really expand the model,” he said. “And with LionTree, this is also a firm that has a lot of digital expertise and allow us to grow that part of that online content and teaching business, too.” LionTree previously has invested in The Athletic, Second Spectrum, and FuboTV. It also advised Gamechanger on its sale to Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as the Drone Racing League on its more than $20M Series B funding round last year. The LionTree deal does not include the Single-A New York-Penn League Aberdeen IronBirds, and Ripken said he remains in a slow process to sell a majority stake in the club in order to focus more on the youth baseball efforts. “With the youth sports business, there’s almost a philanthropic view where you’re helping to grow the game and are providing experiences for young people. But there’s also a real, growing business there where we feel we can have an even bigger role,” he said.
