Former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine and his family are buying the Sally League team from Palace Sports and Entertainment.
Former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine and his family are buying the Asheville Tourists (Low Class A; Sally League) team from Palace Sports and Entertainment.
Terms of the deal were not released. However, eagle-eyed readers may remember a reference made last month about a Sally League team on the market for $7 million. That team was Asheville, and Palace Sports officials were peddling the team at the Winter Meetings. So we'd expect the final sales price to be shy of $7 million, given how quickly it was consummated. It is expected to close before the start of the season after the requisite approvals from MiLB and MLB.
It's a good purchase for the DeWines; there's still some potential in the Asheville market and some strong folks already on the payroll. Brian DeWine, a name may of you may recognize from his time with the Carolina Mudcats (Class AA; Southern League), will be the team president.
Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see features before they're posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!