The Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) have been sold by Al Gordon to a New York investment group, MFP Real Estate. The sale is subject to regulatory approval by Major League and Minor League Baseball.
The Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) have been sold by Al Gordon to a New York investment group, MFP Real Estate. The sale is subject to regulatory approval by Major League and Minor League Baseball.
Ownership of the Sounds is expected to be transferred prior to the commencement of the 2009 baseball season. Operation of the team will switch to the new owners upon the leagues’ approval.
The group, led by Frank Ward, Masahiro Honzawa and Steve Posner, will need to renew the Greer Stadium lease as a first order of business. After that, we’re assuming discussions regarding a new ballpark will be high on the agenda. The group has extensive experience in real estate — the press announcement from the Sounds highlights Ward’s and Honzawa’s real-estate experience as well as Ward’s 25 years playing rotisserie baseball leagues and collecting baseball cards — and Posner brings in experience as a financial and tax consultant to the New York Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones (short season; NY-Penn League).
"We know we face many challenges," Ward said in a press release. "Assuming the city is agreeable to having us lease the stadium, we will begin renovations aimed at making it more user-friendly. We obviously would be interested at some point in reopening discussions of a downtown stadium site, but our priorities are to gain baseball regulatory approval and then upgrade Greer so that it is comfortable for Sounds fans next season."
Gordon, through AmeriSports Companies, LLC, has owned the Sounds since 1999.