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MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. always envisioned his youth baseball empire expanding far beyond his eastern base and establishing a footprint that would affect many children .
Billionaires Josh Harris and David Blitzer, founders of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center, will take control of Ripken baseball, according to sources. The investment was made through the separate family offices of Harris and Blitzer, who own their own baseball brand, a youth tournament and resort outside of Cooperstown, New York. We plan to merge our operations with Cooperstown All Star Village.
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Ripken and his brother Bill remain active with the company, continuing to pursue their goals of increasing access to the sport and providing young players with a big-league experience. After completing their careers, the two brothers, who played for the Baltimore Orioles like their father, Cal Sr., founded a baseball education and tournament experience company.
“This partnership allows us to think a little bigger and grow a little faster,” Cal said in an interview. “Billy and I always dreamed big, but we had limited resources. Now our resources are much bigger and we can start thinking. [new] It’s a way to help more kids enjoy this great game. “
Harris and Blitzer will take over Ripken’s related businesses, including e-commerce of goods, and manage four Ripken sports complexes located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Aberdeen, Maryland. increase. The Orioles’ high-A affiliate, the Aberdeen Ironbirds, despite Harris and Blitzer’s acquisition of adjacent facilities.
The transaction, facilitated by investment bank and Ripken investor Liontree LLC, positions Ripken Baseball and All Star Village for growth. (Harris and Blitzer reportedly bought All-Star Village last year for him for $116 million.) The new owners are planning to expand and add sports such as lacrosse and soccer, with new and existing We expect to invest in facilities. Such a move will allow Harris and Blitzer to expand their presence in the youth sports industry.
Including youth clinics and tournaments, All Star Village and Ripken Baseball together hosted more than 15,000 teams and over 750,000 visitors last year. They now combine his two leading brands in youth baseball with a background in sports and entertainment for added appeal and profitability.
While Harris and Blitzer are becoming bigger players in youth sports, they continue to expand their real estate portfolio to include a mix of projects related to the arts, entertainment and sports.History Located in Jersey City, New Jersey HBSE’s real estate business, including the iconic Loews Jersey Theater, will also take over as the operator of the Wollman Rink in Central Park as a joint venture in 2021. Their real estate strategy known for investing in development projects around sports and entertainment venues.
There are already plans for a partnership with the Cleveland Guardians, who will sponsor underserved teams from the Cleveland area to compete in this year’s All-Star Village. All five major US sports leagues Blitzer, which owns shares in the company, recently purchased a 35% stake in Guardians.
Ripken said the brand is on good terms with the group. Blitzer has been Ripken’s unofficial advisor for years, so it makes sense that the pair have figured out how to play ball.
“When we first started talking, it was exciting to think of the possibilities of how we could come together,” Ripken said. We can help people enjoy sports the way we think they should enjoy them.”
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