The Fresno Grizzlies (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are cleaning house this offseason, dismissing three front-office executives and bringing in Richard Fleming as new CEO of the franchise.
It’s an interesting choice for the Grizzlies: Fleming is a business consultant who has worked with the likes of Monsanto and Microsoft, but not with a professional sports team.
“We are very pleased to have Richard join our team here in Fresno,” Grizzlies managing general partner Chris Cummings said om a press release. “We believe that he will be instrumental in leading us in an even more community-focused direction and will help the Grizzlies in our efforts to engage more directly with the people of the Central Valley.”
Meanwhile, the team has reportedly laid off three front-office executives: GM Andrew Stuebner, senior vice president of marketing Scott Carter and vice president of tickets Shaun Northup. Under their guidance the team used some pretty advanced marketing and promotional strategies to bring fans to the ballpark, earning awards from Ballpark Digest the past two years for their promotions. However, they were operating at a severe disadvantage: despite several changes over the years, the lease for Chukchansi Park is one of the most onerous in baseball.
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