Jay Miller has been named president of Wichita Baseball, a hiring that comes ahead of the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) move to a new Wichita ballpark in 2020.
Entering his 38th season in professional baseball, Miller spent the last three years as President of the Sugar Land Skeeters (independent; Atlantic League), overseeing two Atlantic League championships and successive attendance increases, highlighted by a league-record single- game mark in 2016.
“I am so excited and blessed to be in Wichita, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” Miller said. “The people of Wichita have been so welcoming and we look forward to providing them with an amazing ballpark.”
The veteran baseball executive was named Senior Vice President of the Texas Rangers in 2010 and was promoted to Executive Vice President for Rangers Enterprises, Customer Service and Sales in 2012. During his five seasons with the Rangers, which included two World Series appearances, he was involved with Rangers business operations, including sponsorship sales and customer experience.
In 2015, Miller returned to the Round Rock Express as team president, where he had overseen one of Minor League Baseball’s most successful franchises from 1999-2010. The Express established a new Double-A attendance record in their inaugural season in 2000 by drawing more than 660,000 fans and Miller was named Texas League Executive of the Year.
Miller was awarded The Sporting News’ Minor League Executive of the Year in 2001 and 2003, and was named Baseball America’s Minor League Executive of the Year in 2005, when he oversaw Round Rock’s move to Triple-A and the club eclipsed 700,000 in attendance.
Prior to coming to Round Rock, the Chicago native was General Manager of the New Orleans Zephyrs from 1996-98, when he oversaw the construction of a new stadium and led the franchise to record attendance totals in 1997 and 1998, the latter of which was capped by the Zephyrs winning the first-ever Triple-A World Series championship.
A 1981 graduate of Wheaton College, Miller began his baseball career in 1982 as Assistant General Manager with the Eugene Emeralds (Short Season A; Northwest League). After serving as General Manager of the Salem Redbirds (High A; Carolina League), Miller accepted a position with the Texas Rangers, eventually becoming the team’s Director of Customer Relations during a 12-year stay with the franchise.
In 1997, Miller was named to the Wheaton College Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also named to the East Aurora (IL) High School Hall of Fame in 2003, the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2009 and entered the New Orleans Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.
“Jay Miller is truly one of the most universally respected executives in all of Major League and Minor League Baseball,” said Lou Schwechheimer, Wichita Managing General Partner. “He has set the standard for the fan-friendly experience at the ballpark for nearly four decades. Under his direction, the new Wichita Stadium will come alive as the place to be in 2020.”
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