Ken Babby, the new owner of the Akron Aeros (Class AA; Eastern League), made his first public appearance after buying the team and negotiating a new lease for Canal Park.
“I want to create a memorable, unique, affordable and enjoyable fan experience, and also maximize the opportunity to create change in the community through charitable, wellness and education initiatives,” Babby said. “We have the ability to be difference-makers in Northeast Ohio, and we want to seize that challenge.”
Babby’s already made his mark on the team: besides negotiating a new lease that calls for ballpark improvements, he named Jim Pfander — a former team VP — as the new general manager.
Babby, 32, spent the last 13 years in various marketing positions with the Washington Post newspaper, and its online and social media counterpart, Washington Post Digital. After starting as a summer intern with the newspaper in 1999, Babby rose through the ranks, eventually attaining the position of Vice President of Advertising, and most recently, Chief Revenue Officer of Washington Post Media and General Manager of Washington Post Digital.