Lansing Lugnuts a 'natural fit' for Diamond Baseball Holdings
When Diamond Baseball Holdings was formed in December 2021, teams like the Lansing Lugnuts were among those that had strong appeal.
Now the ownership group led by executive chairman Pat Battle and CEO Peter Freund has added the Lugnuts to their growing collection of minor league baseball teams after an agreement was reached recently with Tom Dickson and Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Freund is thrilled about acquiring what he believes is one of the premier franchises in the minors.
"Lansing is a really strong market and the team has been very successful,” Freund said in an interview with the Lansing State Journal. “When we consider teams, that’s what we look for along with involvement in the community and the quality of the facility itself, and Jackson Field is excellent. We also recently purchased the Midland RockHounds, which is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s, so this was a natural fit for us.
"We’re just really excited about the prospects and what we can impact in Lansing to build on what Tom Dickson and his group have already created."
The Lugnuts are among the most recent teams added by Diamond Baseball Holdings, which also added the St. Paul Saints and Salem Red Sox this month. In December, the group added the Midland RockHounds, Portland SeaDogs and Wichita Wind Surge.
Diamond also owns the Iowa Cubs, Memphis Redbirds, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Gwinnett Stripers, Mississippi Braves, Hudson Valley Renegades, Rome Braves, Augusta GreenJackets and San Jose Giants.
The same ballpark experience
The ownership change will have no impact on what fans have become accustomed to over the years while attending Lugnuts games. Freund said Jackson Field will remain a place for the community to take in baseball and other events.
“It's still family-friendly and affordable, where we want you to bring your family and your kids and come out for a great night," Freund said. “We don't have any plans to change a brand or change an affiliation or move a club. We're buying it because we love it, and we love what it is already.
“We have new ideas of what we could bring through the stadium, whether it be a concert series or a comedy tour, to activate the ballpark as much as possible and make it a destination beyond just baseball. Ultimately, we're in the baseball business and we want to do the very best thing for the Oakland A's and the fans of the Lansing Lugnuts.”
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Diamond Baseball Holdings sees Lansing Lugnuts as natural fit
