Mississippi Braves to join newly formed organization Diamond Baseball Holdings
Published 3:19 pm Wednesday, December 8, 2021
PEARL, MS (DECEMBER 8, 2021) — The Atlanta Braves have entered into an agreement to have the Mississippi Braves become a part of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting, and enhancing the sport of baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment. DBH is a subsidiary of Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company. The sale of the Club remains subject to the Professional Development League (PDL) approval process.
Following the closing of the transaction (which remains subject to PDL approval), the Mississippi Braves will continue to be led by General Manager Pete Laven and remain an MLB affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
“Joining DBH is a meaningful step toward furthering our commitment to contributing positively to the Jackson metro community,” said Laven. “Central Mississippi deserves a next-level experience in minor league baseball, with the same ballpark traditions they’ve known and loved. I trust that joining DBH will serve everyone well into the future.”
As part of DBH, Laven will work closely with Diamond Baseball Holdings’ leadership, Pat Battle and Peter B. Freund, to realize the club’s ambitions. Battle is Executive Chairman of DBH, bringing extensive experience at the local and national level, as well as ownership interest in two PDL Clubs. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Learfield and serves as an advisor to Endeavor across multiple companies. Freund is CEO of DBH, also bringing to the plate experience as a longtime Minor League Baseball owner and operator. Freund most recently consulted with the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball on the transition of Major League Baseball’s licensed affiliates while spearheading the formation of the MLB Draft League.
“Diamond Baseball Holdings will be global in our ambitions and hyper-local in our approach, and creating incredible fan experiences will remain our number one priority,” said Battle and Freund. “Additionally, we look forward to providing opportunities for growth to the employees of PDL Clubs whose passion and ingenuity have built the sport through the decades.”
Diamond Baseball Holdings was formed by Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company. DBH will support the Mississippi Braves with ticket sales, partnerships, naming rights, food & beverage, merchandise, content strategy, collectibles/authentics/NFTs and media rights, tapping into the broader Endeavor network for expertise across the various disciplines