Oklahoma City Dodgers Join Newly Formed Organization Diamond Baseball Holdings

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Dodgers have entered into an agreement to become a part of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and enhancing the sport of baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment. DBH is a subsidiary of Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company.

Following the closing of the transaction, the OKC Dodgers will continue to be led by President/General Manager Michael Byrnes and remain an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Joining DBH is another step toward furthering our commitment to contributing meaningfully to the Oklahoma City community,” Byrnes said. “Along with DBH, we will continue to deliver a next-level experience in Minor League Baseball, with the same traditions we know and love. I trust that joining DBH will serve everyone well into the future.”

As part of DBH, the Oklahoma City Dodgers will work closely with Diamond Baseball Holdings’ leadership, Pat Battle and Peter B. Freund, to realize the club’s ambitions. Battle is Executive Chairman of DBH, bringing extensive experience at the local and national level, as well as ownership interest in two Professional Development League Clubs. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Learfield and serves as an advisor to Endeavor across multiple companies. Freund is CEO of DBH, bringing a wealth of experience as a longtime Minor League Baseball owner and operator. Freund most recently consulted with the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball on the transition of Major League Baseball’s licensed affiliates while spearheading the formation of the MLB Draft League.

“Diamond Baseball Holdings will be global in our ambitions and hyper-local in our approach, and creating incredible fan experiences will remain our number one priority,” said Battle and Freund. “Additionally, we look forward to providing opportunities for growth to the employees of PDL Clubs whose passion and ingenuity have built the sport through the decades.”

DBH will support the OKC Dodgers with ticket sales, partnerships, naming rights, food and beverage, merchandise, content strategy, and collectibles/authentics/NFTs, tapping into the broader Endeavor network for expertise across the various disciplines.

Since September 2014, the Oklahoma City franchise was owned and operated by Mandalay Baseball LLC – a partnership between Los Angeles Dodgers ownership and an investor group led by Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Peter Guber. Mandalay Baseball LLC’s predecessor, Mandalay Baseball Properties, began operating the Oklahoma City franchise in the fall of 2010.

“For the past 11 seasons it has been an honor for myself and Mandalay Baseball to be associated with Oklahoma City’s Triple-A franchise, including the last seven as a partner with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” said Guber. “We feel our devotion and enthusiasm for both the team and city each and every day has left the franchise in a great position for success going forward and something that has instilled great pride in the Oklahoma City community.”

During Mandalay Baseball’s ownership tenure, nearly 4.2 million fans attended professional baseball games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Mandalay Baseball leadership team also worked closely with the City of Oklahoma City on several upgrades at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, including installing state-of-the-art digital scoreboards and video boards in left field and center field, the complete remodeling of the Oklahoma Fidelity Bank Club and adding new hospitality spaces throughout the facility.

“On behalf of the community, we’d like to thank Peter Guber and Mandalay Baseball for 11 years of dedicated leadership and ownership,” Byrnes said. “Without their commitment and vision, our franchise would not be in the position to succeed that it is today.”

Los Angeles Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman added, “The Oklahoma City Dodgers have been fantastic partners for the past seven seasons and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them for many years to come.”

The Oklahoma City Dodgers will begin the 2022 season Tuesday, April 5. Season ticket packages and group outings are currently on sale. For more information, please visit okcdodgers.com/tickets or call (405) 218-2182.