After a long tenure in the post, Louisville Bats (Class AAA; International League) president Gary Ulmer will step down at the end of this season and transition into an advisory role. The Bats made this announcement Thursday.
Ulmer is preparing to step down after serving as team president since 1993, a stretch that has been marked by some major milestones for the franchise. Among those was the opening of Louisville Slugger Field in 2000, a move that has proven to help bolster the franchise over the long haul. More recently, Ulmer played a key role in securing a 20-year lease extension at the ballpark that will include upcoming renovations.
Vic Gregovits, the team’s current chief operating officer, will move into the role of president. Ulmer’s decision to step down comes after helping to secure the lease extension and ballpark improvements, and he will have a presence within the organization going forward as a senior advisor. More from the Courier-Journal:
“We are very grateful for the years that Gary dedicated building the Bats into one of the finest minor league organizations,” said Bats owner Stuart Katzoff in a statement. “He was the catalyst in having Louisville Slugger Field built, as well as securing the most recent lease with renovations to come.”
Ulmer has been president of Louisville’s minor-league franchise since 1993 when the team was still under the Redbirds moniker. During his time as an executive, he oversaw the team’s move from Old Cardinal Stadium to Louisville Slugger Field, was named the International League’s executive of the year in 2007 and played “an integral part” in negotiating a 20-year lease extension for the Bats to continue to play at Slugger Field….
Now that the Bats have the lease extension and renovation money, Ulmer told the Courier Journal that it was a good time for him to step away.
“Well, I’m ready to cut back,” Ulmer said. “I’m pretty much ready to head towards retirement. I’ve been here for 26 years and I’m ready to relax a little bit.
In his senior advisor post, Ulmer is expected to play a role in the upcoming Louisville Slugger Field renovations.
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