We have more personnel news to pass along: Tyler Parsons is the new Durham Bulls general manager, with Zac Clark named as his replacement as Lansing Lugnuts GM.
Parsons joins the Triple-A International League team after serving as General Manger with the Lugnuts (High-A; Midwest League) for five years.
“I’m tremendously excited to join an iconic organization like the Durham Bulls,” Parsons said via press release. “I’m thankful to the Goodmon family and Mike Birling for this amazing opportunity. The Bulls have been a dream job for me since I started my career in Minor League Baseball and I’m eager to join a talented and hard working staff that has set the bar extremely high. I have no doubt that 2023 is going to be another amazing season and I can’t wait to get started and meet everyone in the Durham community”
“We are thrilled to welcome Tyler and his family to the Bull City,” said Durham Bulls Vice President, Baseball Operations Mike Birling via press release. “Tyler brings a wealth of experience, a strong track record of success, and will be a great addition to our staff as we look forward to another incredible season at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2023.”
During his tenure in Lansing, Parsons helped usher in a new affiliation with the Oakland Athletics in 2021, as well as a promotion to the High-A Midwest League. He was named the league’s Executive of the Year in 2021. Prior to his time in Lansing, Parsons served as Vice President and General Manager of the rookie Appalachian League’s Johnson City Cardinals from 2014-17, with the organization seeing increases in attendance, ticket sales, and corporate sales in each of his four seasons. The Cardinals also set single-season attendance records in 2016 and again the following year.
Before arriving in Johnson City, Parsons spent two years in the summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League as General Manager of the Martinsville Mustangs and Director of Fun with the Forest City Owls. He also served as the Ticket Sales Coordinator at Central Michigan and Sports Information Director at Mid Michigan Community College. He is a graduate of Central Michigan University.
Replacing him in Lansing: Lugnuts assistant general manager Zac Clark.
Clark and Parsons, fellow natives of Dansville, both graduated from Central Michigan University and went on to work together for the Johnson City Cardinals, where Clark similarly succeeded Parsons as Cardinals general manager after Parsons joined the Lugnuts as GM in 2018. Clark went on to be named the 2018 and 2019 Appalachian League Executive of the Year before joining the Lugnuts in 2021.
“Getting the chance to be the GM of the Lugnuts is the one goal I set for myself when I started out in this industry for many reasons, but primarily because this is my hometown team,” said Clark via press release. “I cannot thank Tyler enough for everything he has done for me and the Lansing community. I know he will continue to do big things in Durham. I’m grateful to our owner, Tom Dickson, for believing in me to continue all of the success that the Lugnuts have built here in Lansing.
“It’s bittersweet to leave the Lugnuts and the Lansing community,” Parsons said via press release. “I can’t thank Tom Dickson enough for the opportunity. I’m extremely proud of what our organization accomplished these past five years. I grew up in the 517 and this place will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone in this community who embraced me and to everyone who supported the Lugnuts. This organization has a bright future and I know they are in great hands with Zac Clark moving forward.
“I am so proud for Tyler to be handed the keys for such a prestigious franchise as Durham, and I know he will run the Bulls with the same energy and success that he brought to the Lugnuts,” said Lansing Lugnuts owner Tom Dickson via press release. “Meanwhile, I could not be more excited for Zac, who has excelled at directing our sales department and is fully prepared to direct the Lugnuts into our 27th season and beyond.”