Why Tom Dickson decided to sell the Lansing Lugnuts to Diamond Baseball Holdings
Tom Dickson wasn’t necessarily looking to move on from his role as owner of the Lansing Lugnuts.
But he also has realized in recent years that he and Take Me Out to the Ballgame, LLC couldn’t own the minor league baseball franchise he brought to town in 1996 forever.
That's why after a months-long negotiation process, Dickson made the decision to sell the Lugnuts to Diamond Baseball Holdings.
“There’s a time to get into things and I think if you’re smart, there’s a time to get out of them,” Dickson told the Lansing State Journal on Wednesday. “We were approached by this group and I am convinced they’re going to pick up where we left off and continue the great tradition of Lugnuts baseball in Lansing.
“I just felt like (this) was the time to do it, but it doesn’t make it any easier. It’s been kind of tough, honestly.”
What comforts Dickson is that he feels he'll be leaving team that he brought to Lansing in 1996 in good hands. He has known Diamond chairman Pat Battle and CEO Peter Freund for a long time through the baseball circle. Battle and Freund have helped Diamond expand their collection of minor league baseball teams since December of 2021 and reached out in the fall about the Lugnuts.
Dickson wanted to make sure the group had no plans of moving the Lugnuts from Lansing and were committed to stepping into the lease at Jackson Field with the City of Lansing through 2034. They convinced him of both and a desire to be a part of the community, which led to Wednesday’s announcement.
“I know these guys and they’re not interested in moving teams,” Dickson said. “They’re interested in buying good teams and continuing to grow them. Both based on the fact they are assuming our lease and the fact that I know them and what they are wanting to accomplish, I feel really confident that everything we’ve done will just continue and it will be another great 30 years, or hopefully more, in Lansing with Lugnuts baseball.”
Dickson said the decision to sell to Diamond was helped by observing what it did with some of the other clubs they purchased in December 2021. He had conversations with some of the previous owners of those teams to ensure they were happy with the Diamond group's approach. The reviews were positive.
"They reassured me that this was a group that you can do business with and trust," Dickson said. "I did do a lot of due diligence on them and I'm convinced they're the right group."
While Dickson's run as owner is over, he still will have a presence in the ballpark. His company Professional Sports Catering has been retained to continue to provide food service at Jackson Field. The Lugnuts are among 35 clients for the company.
"Even though I won't be owning Lansing anymore, I still am committed to staying in the minor league baseball business, which I truly love," Dickson said.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Tom Dickson: Time was right to sell the Lansing Lugnuts
