Brian MacInnes is the new president of Diamond Sports and Entertainment, which owns the independent Golden Baseball League; he joins the circuit at a time when it’s facing great challenges for the 2011 season and beyond.
MacInnes, a C.P.A., comes to Diamond Sports from Deloitte & Touche, one of the Big Four accounting firms, where he has spent the last six years responsible for financial audits for major corporations. He basically replaces David Kaval, a league founder who left Diamond Sports after the end of the 2010 season; Kevin Outcalt was promoted to chief executive officer at the time.
“We’re excited to be able to attract an executive of Brian’s caliber,” Outcalt said. “He brings tremendous financial management and business development skills which are both vital for DSE at this stage as we continue to grow and expand into new lines of business.”
The immediate challenge for the league: finalizing a lineup for the 2011 season. Yuma and St. George ended the 2010 season with dim prospects of returning for 2011. The league has no lease for Nettleton Stadium, the home of the Chico Outlaws, and Chico State doesn’t sound too thrilled about signing a new deal, especially when there’s some complicating circumstances on the horizon (yes, we hear the rumors are very true). The Orange County Flyers are openly talking about playing at a glorified city park because the rent at Cal-State Fullerton is so high. The Tucson Toros are on the verge of going on hiatus so owner Jay Zucker can run a Pacific Coast League team at Tucson Electric Park. And there are rumblings the two Alberta teams — the Edmonton Capitals and the Calgary Vipers — are dissatisfied with the travel costs incurred by their participation in the league.
These are all huge challenges. Diamond Sports has grown into more than just a Golden League operations: the Arizona Winter League, a pay-to-play circuit, draws well because the league has a pretty good track record in placing players with pro organizations.
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