Beyond the Ballpark: The Role of Minor Leagues in Econonic Growth (House Small Business subcommittee hearing, June 10, 2025)

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Transcript of the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development hearing Beyond the Ballpark: The Role of Minor Leagues in Econonic Growth, convened June 10, 2025 during the 119th Congress, First Session, published as Small Business Committee Document Number 119-014 (GPO 60-589). Opening statements were delivered by Representatives Brian Jack and Hillary Scholten. Witnesses were Pat Battle of Diamond Baseball Holdings, Lou Ciampi Jr. of Independent Graphics, Inc., Reid Ryan of Ryan Sanders Baseball, and Joe Chamberlin of the West Michigan Whitecaps and Traverse City Pit Spitters, with an appendix submission from the Defense Credit Union Council.

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“Beyond the Ballpark: The Role of Minor Leagues in Econonic Growth (House Small Business subcommittee hearing, June 10, 2025).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/beyond-the-ballpark-the-role-of-minor-leagues-in-econonic-growth-house-697be02c22/, SHA-256 9ba0e2267d96fcbff532078a2ae84a4fba08455c84074f28eacc827b7799b704.

Full text

BEYOND THE BALLPARK: THE ROLE OF MINOR
LEAGUES IN ECONONIC GROWTH

HEARING
BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INNOVATION,
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
OF THE

COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION

HEARING HELD
JUNE 10, 2025

Small Business Committee Document Number 119–014
Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
60–589 WASHINGTON : 2025

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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas, Chairman
PETE STAUBER, Minnesota
DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania
BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas
JAKE ELLZEY, Texas
MARK ALFORD, Missouri
NICK LALOTA, New York
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota
TONY WIED, Wisconsin
ROB BRESNAHAN, Pennsylvania
BRIAN JACK, Georgia
TROY DOWNING, Montana
KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS, Northern Marina Islands
DEREK SCHMIDT, Kansas
JIMMY PATRONIS, Florida
NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member
MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
HILLARY SCHOLTEN, Michigan
LAMONICA MCIVER, New Jersey
GIL CISNEROS, California
KELLY MORRISON, Minnesota
GEORGE LATIMER, New York
DEREK TRAN, California
LATEEFAH SIMON, California
JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI, Maryland
HERB CONAWAY, New Jersey
MAGGIE GOODLANDER, New Hampshire

LAUREN HOLMES, Majority Staff Director
MELISSA JUNG, Minority Staff Director

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CONTENTS
OPENING STATEMENTS
Page
Hon. Brian Jack ....................................................................................................... 1
Hon. Hillary Scholten .............................................................................................. 3

WITNESSES
Mr. Pat Battle, Executive Chairman, Diamond Baseball Holdings, New York,
NY ......................................................................................................................... 7
Mr. Lou Ciampi Jr., President, Independent Graphics, Inc., West Wyoming,
PA .......................................................................................................................... 8
Mr. Reid Ryan, Owner/Chief Executive Officer Ryan Sanders Baseball, Round
Rock Express Baseball Club, San Antonio Missions Baseball Club, New
York, NY ............................................................................................................... 10
Mr. Joe Chamberlin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, West
Michigan Whitecaps, Traverse City Pit Spitters, Comstock Park, MI ............ 11

APPENDIX
Prepared Statements:
Mr. Pat Battle, Executive Chairman, Diamond Baseball Holdings, New
York, NY ........................................................................................................ 35
Mr. Lou Ciampi Jr., President, Independent Graphics, Inc., West Wyo-
ming, PA ........................................................................................................ 37
Mr. Reid Ryan, Owner/Chief Executive Officer Ryan Sanders Baseball,
Round Rock Express Baseball Club, San Antonio Missions Baseball
Club, New York, NY ..................................................................................... 39
Mr. Joe Chamberlin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner,
West Michigan Whitecaps, Traverse City Pit Spitters, Comstock Park,
MI ................................................................................................................... 41
Questions for the Record:
None.
Answers for the Record:
None.
Additional Material for the Record:
Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) .......................................................... 43

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BEYOND THE BALLPARK: THE ROLE OF
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN ECONOMIC
GROWTH

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2025

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:29 p.m., in Room
2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Brian Jack [chairman
of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Jack, Wied, Bresnahan, Downing,
Patronis, Scholten, Simon, Olszewski, McGarvey, and McIver.
Also Present: Representatives William, and McDowell.
Chairman JACK. So, before we begin, as is customary for this
Committee, I will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and an open-
ing prayer. If you will stand with me. I pledge allegiance to the
Flag of the United States of American, and to the Republic for
which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
ALL. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of
America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Chairman JACK. For those who wish to do so, will you please
take a moment to pray with me? Dear Heavenly Father, thank you
for bringing us here today, different people from different places
with different perspectives, united under something as simple and
fun as baseball. In a world so often divided, we are grateful for mo-
ments like this where shared love for a game reminds us of what
we have in common. We humbly ask for your blessing over our con-
versations today. May they be filled with respect, openness, and a
spirit of unity. Amen.
Good afternoon, everyone. I now call the Small Business Sub-
committee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Devel-
opment to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to de-
clare a recess of the Committee at any time.
Pursuant to Committee rules, I request unanimous consent for
Representative McDowell to wave onto this hearing for the purpose
of asking questions under the 5-minute rule. Without objection, so
ordered.
I now recognize myself for my opening statement.
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Welcome, everyone, to today’s hearing entitled ‘‘Beyond the Ball-
park: The Role of Minor League Baseball and Economic Growth.’’
With the annual Congressional Baseball Game tomorrow, Capitol
Hill is abuzz about America’s pastime. This is our first hearing of
the Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneur-
ship, and Workforce Development, and I thank Ranking Member
Scholten for her partnership as we planned today’s discussion.
This hearing is focused on the economic benefit Minor League
Baseball brings to communities across America. Almost every
Member of Congress on this panel represents a city that hosts a
professional baseball team operating within Minor League Baseball
or its partner leagues like the Pioneer Baseball League or the
American Association of Professional Baseball. While only 27 of
America’s largest cities host Major League Baseball teams, fans of
America’s pastime are able to enjoy professional baseball in over
200 small- to medium-sized cities across our country.
Minor league ball clubs create significant economic impact oppor-
tunities for local businesses and the teams bring enormous pride
to the communities they call home. Some minor league teams are
owned and operated by their major league affiliate. But the major-
ity of minor league clubs qualify as small businesses and experi-
ence many of the same challenges our full Committee has ad-
dressed, like access to capital, stable employment, and fluctuating
sales. Minor League Baseball organizations are unique in that they
have little to no control over their roster of players and the product
they put on the field. Instead, they must innovate to create afford-
able experiences that draw fans and families to the ballpark.
If you follow MILB promos on Instagram or X, you will see a
steady stream of the innovative promotions Minor League Baseball
teams offer, from bobblehead giveaways to $1 hot dog nights. One
of the more memorable promotions came from the Stockton Ports,
which hosted Asparagus Night replete with an asparagus eating
contest and very healthy asparagus theme uniforms. To be success-
ful in Minor League Baseball, you must have an entrepreneurial
spirit and clearly a great sense of marketing.
As my colleagues know, I am a passionate supporter of profes-
sional baseball and I was very excited last year when my home-
town Atlanta Braves announced Minor League Baseball was re-
turning to Columbus, Georgia, Georgia’s second largest city, for the
first time in 17 years. I represent the northwestern part of Colum-
bus and many of my constituents are proud season ticket owners
and attendees of Columbus’ new ball club.
Last September, I joined hundreds of my now constituents at an
event at the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center at
which the team and mascot were revealed. A video played on the
screen and the Columbus Clingstones were formed with the name
and mascot that immediately went viral. In April, I was honored
to attend the Clingstones’ sold out opening night to see nine-time
Major League Baseball All-Star Craig Kimbrel pitch a scoreless
ending. Later that week I attended another game and was honored
to join the radio and television broadcasts and provide color com-
mentary. At each game the atmosphere was electric, the commu-
nity was vibrant, and the attendance number suggests this trend
will continue.

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Already in just 24 games, over 100,000 fans have attended a Co-
lumbus Clingstones game this season. Prior to the Clingstones
founding, the historic ballpark at which they play was vacant and
its infrastructure was crumbling. But thanks to the public-private
partnership with the Columbus Consolidated Government, the
team’s ownership group, and companies like Synovus, the ballpark
has been completely renovated and the area around it is set to
thrive. Local restaurants and hotels are already experiencing the
positive impact from the Columbus Clingstones and I look forward
to learning more today about how the Clingstones are generating
economic opportunities and memorable experiences for my constitu-
ents.
As was said in the ‘‘Field of Dreams,’’ baseball has been the one
constant through all the years and has a very special way of con-
necting each of us. In the 1970s, my father played baseball in Geor-
gia’s Stan Musial Division of the American Amateur Baseball Con-
gress. After a game, one of his teammates, James Ivey, was signed
by the Atlanta Braves and played one season in its minor league
organization. Mr. Ivey pitched three games for the Wytheville
Braves, a rookie level ball club.
I mentioned this because Mr. Ivey’s teammate on the Wytheville
Braves was a young and up and coming player out of Texas Chris-
tian University named Mr. Roger Williams. Indeed, our Chairman,
Roger Williams, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1971
Major League Baseball draft, is the only former professional base-
ball player in the 119th Congress. He is also the manager of the
Republican Congressional Baseball Team and the distinguished
Chairman of our Small Business Committee. I thank him for pre-
siding over this hearing with me today.
Also joining us in the audience is my friend Kevin Malone, who
was previously the general manager of the Montreal Expos and Los
Angeles Dodgers. Kevin was recognized by USA Today as the best
general manager in the game. And since his baseball career ended,
he has devoted his life to fighting the scourge of human trafficking.
Thank you for joining us, Kevin.
I now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member, Ms. Hillary
Scholten for her opening remarks.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this
hearing. What a great idea.
When the Chairman and I first sat down about where we wanted
to take this Committee and I threw out some ideas, you know, I
said, you know, I am really interested in digital currency, Bitcoin.
And he is like, how about we start with baseball? And I thought
that was a brilliant idea. Nothing brings us together like sports. As
the daughter of our local sports reporter and an athlete myself, I
know how sports can not only bring communities together, but
bring us together across the aisle. I am really looking forward to
today’s hearing and I know, along with so many of my colleagues,
looking forward to tomorrow’s Congressional Baseball Game.
Minor leagues provide so many benefits to our community. Their
players participate in local volunteer activities. Their teams are a
source of pride for their hometowns. Their stadiums serve as com-
munity gathering places, and their games are an affordable enter-
tainment option for families. Over the course of this hearing, I hope

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that we can shed light on another benefit, the team’s ability to
boost local small businesses. In my hometown, for example, our
minor league team, the West Michigan Whitecaps, partnered with
the Lake Michigan Credit Union and now play at LMCU Ballpark.
LMCU is a proud SBA lending partner and was recognized as the
SBA’s International Trade Lender of the Year.
Beyond bringing greater visibility to this and other outstanding
local businesses, the Whitecaps and LMCU Ballpark have been an
economic driver for the Comstock Park community in the greater
Grand Rapids area. The park hosts concerts and movie nights, an-
nual events like the Taste of Grand Rapids, a car show, a holiday
lighting display, charitable events, and fundraisers and private
events like family celebrations. All of this has helped to lead devel-
opment in the nearby business park and supported retail shops and
restaurants that would otherwise not be there. These benefits have
been the result of the Whitecap’s long-term investment in our com-
munity and our strong relationship with local small businesses. We
are also so honored to have a representative here today serving as
a witness, who I look forward to introducing in just a moment.
Their example shows how minor league teams can play a role in
small- and mid-sized cities, local economic systems, and drive de-
velopment and economic activity in the surrounding area. I look
forward to learning more from all of our witnesses today about how
minor leagues can be good partners and enormous assets to local
small businesses while bringing their enthusiastic fans and culti-
vating a sense of community in their neighborhoods.
Thank you. And with that, I yield back.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Ranking Member Scholten.
I now recognize the distinguished Chairman of the House Com-
mittee on Small Business and a great baseball player, Mr. Roger
Williams, for his opening remarks.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. I ap-
preciate that. And I just noticed that we all have this right here.
I want to thank Representative Scholten for these bats because this
is the bat the Democrat will be using tomorrow night. So I appre-
ciate that.
I want to thank you again for holding this. I want to thank both
of you for holding this Committee hearing. I would like to thank
all of our four witnesses for being here today to talk about a sport
that is the greatest sport there is. I would like to thank Chairman
Jack. As he mentioned, we are just one day away from the Con-
gressional Baseball Game and this hearing is the perfect way to re-
view the importance of it.
Now, Minor League Baseball plays a significant role in the lives
of families throughout the country. And whether the team plays in
a large metropolitan area or a smaller town, fans can see some of
the best baseball players in the world in action. As a former player
myself, I understood the importance of this. In 1971, I was drafted
by the Atlanta Braves. I played in their minor league system for
3 years, returned home to run the family car dealership and coach
baseball at Texas Christian University, and then later bought the
San Antonio Missions in San Antonio, which Reid’s very familiar
with. And during my time as a professional player, I saw firsthand
the value of making professional sports accessible to people from

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all around the country as well as the community that has built
these minor league systems.
In addition to making our national pastime more accessible for
fans, Minor League Baseball teams serve as important fixtures in
their local communities. Now, from providing opportunities to local
suppliers to fostering a small business boom in the surrounding
area. Minor league teams support the economic development of
small towns and cities nationwide. This unique type of small busi-
ness fosters a self-sustaining ecosystem in areas fortunate enough
to have a minor league sports teams.
I look forward to today’s discussion. It will be a lot of fun on the
role of minor league teams in building communities. And we are
excited for the big game tomorrow. We are also excited about all
the former players and my friends that are out here today. So this
hearing is an opportunity to highlight the benefits that Minor
League Baseball can bring to local small businesses.
With that, I yield back.
Chairman JACK. I will now introduce our witnesses. Our first
witness is Mr. Pat Battle. Mr. Battle is the Executive Chairman of
Diamond Baseball Holdings, a sports management group that owns
and operates 44 Minor League Baseball teams, including the Co-
lumbus Clingstones; the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Mr. Wied’s
district; the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Mr. Bresnahan’s
district; and the Louisville Bats in Mr. McGarvey’s district. Mr.
Battle was previously the chief executive officer of Collegiate Li-
censing Company, the oldest and largest collegiate licensing com-
pany in the United States. He is a graduate of Georgia State Uni-
versity, a university I strongly support, and for generations his
family has been involved in sports management.
Mr. Battle, we are grateful you are testifying before our sub-
committee today.
And I now recognize my colleague, Representative Bresnahan, to
briefly introduce his constituent who is appearing before us today.
Mr. BRESNAHAN. Thank you, Chairman. It is an honor to intro-
duce our next witness, Mr. Lou Ciampi, Jr. Mr. Ciampi is the presi-
dent of Independent Graphics in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, located
in my congressional district and, ironically, the same borough
where I was born and grew up. Independent Graphics was started
by Lou’s father, Lou Ciampi, Sr., in 1980. Mr. Ciampi has been a
full-time employee at his family business since 1986, starting as a
sales manager and progressing to president.
Independent Graphics is a proud partner of the Wilkes-Barre/
Scranton Yankees Minor League Baseball team, the RailRiders.
Through his extensive experience and knowledge of the print proc-
ess and products, Lou has propelled sales volumes and has grown
Independent Graphics dramatically during his tenure.
Mr. Ciampi is also an integral part of our community. He is in-
volved with charitable efforts such as the Luzerne County Jump-
a-Thon, indoor triathlons, and the Wyoming Area Football Alumni
Association, which has locally raised hundreds of thousands of dol-
lars for scholarships and equipment for high schools as well as lit-
tle league teams.
Mr. Ciampi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from
Dickinson College.

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Thank you for joining us today and I am looking forward to to-
day’s important conversation. I yield.
Chairman JACK. I now recognize the Chairman of the full Com-
mittee, Chairman Williams, to briefly introduce our next witness.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you, Representative Jack. And I
am excited to welcome Mr. Reid Ryan, my friend who is the owner
and chief executive officer of Ryan Sanders Baseball in Round
Rock, Texas.
Now, just a real quick story I want to tell you about baseball his-
tory. This may never happen again, but it is a quick story. You
may know who his dad is, Nolan Ryan. Well, 1992, is this right,
Ried, 1992, Ried was pitching for the Texas Longhorns playing an
exhibition game against the Houston—or against the Texas Rang-
ers. Well, he was pitching for the Longhorns and his opposing
pitcher was his 44-year-old father. Pretty good. I don’t know who
won the game, though. Who won it? They did. Okay.
But anyway, that is a unique part of history that you may never
see again, father against father. Two great men.
Ried, along with his dad Nolan, his brother Reese, and former
Astros minority owner Don Sanders formed Ryan Sanders Baseball
in 1998. Ryan Sanders Baseball founded two minor league teams,
the Round Rock Express in 2000 and Corpus Christi Hooks in
2005. Mr. Ryan was drafted by the Texas Rangers during the 1994
Major League Baseball draft and served as president of the Hous-
ton Astros from May 2013 through May 2019. Mr. Ryan also serves
on the Board of Trustees for Major League Baseball and is a grad-
uate of Texas Christian University. Go Frogs.
So we are excited to have you, my friend, and we look forward
to having a conversation today. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Chairman JACK. I now recognize the Ranking Member from
Michigan, Ms. Scholten, to briefly introduce the last witness ap-
pearing before us today.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my honor to
introduce my constituent, Mr. Joe Chamberlin. He joined the West
Michigan Whitecaps in 2013, serving in several roles prior to be-
coming CEO and managing partner in 2018. Mr. Chamberlin has
a longer history with the team, however, since his father, Lew
Chamberlin, has been a proud co-owner of the Whitecaps for over
30 years, a family business.
Beyond Whitecaps baseball, Mr. Chamberlin and his team oper-
ate one of the largest distributors of Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream in the
United States. And in 2018, he founded the Traverse City Pit Spit-
ters baseball team and led the acquisition of Turtle Creek Stadium
up north in Michigan.
Mr. Chamberlin is a Member of the Grand Rapids Chamber of
Commerce CEO Council and currently serves as a board member
with the Whitecaps Community Foundation and St. Mary’s Foun-
dation. He earned his master’s degree in labor relations and human
resources at Michigan State University and received his bachelor’s
degree from the College of Worcester.
Mr. Chamberlin, welcome. Thank you for making the trip and
thank you for appearing before the subcommittee today.
I yield back.

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Chairman JACK. Before recognizing the witnesses, I would like
to remind each of you that your spoken testimony is restricted to
5 minutes in length. If you see the light turn red in front of you,
it means your 5 minutes have concluded and you should finish your
testimony.
I now recognize Mr. Battle for his 5-minute opening remarks.
STATEMENTS OF MR. PAT BATTLE, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, DI-
AMOND BASEBALL HOLDINGS; MR. LOU CIAMPI JR., PRESI-
DENT, INDEPENDENT GRAPHICS, INC.; MR. REID RYAN,
OWNER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RYAN SANDERS BASE-
BALL, ROUND ROCK EXPRESS BASEBALL CLUB, SAN ANTO-
NIO MISSIONS BASEBALL CLUB; AND MR. JOE CHAMBERLIN,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND MANAGING PARTNER,
WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS, TRAVERSE CITY PIT SPITTERS

STATEMENT OF PAT BATTLE, CEO, DIAMOND BASEBALL
HOLDINGS
Mr. BATTLE. Thank you, Chairman Jack, Ranking Member
Scholten, Chairman Williams, and distinguished Members of the
Committee for inviting me to testify today about the importance of
Minor League Baseball and helping drive economic growth across
the country. My name is Pat Battle. I am Executive Chairman of
Diamond Baseball Holdings. And DBH is an organization that
owns 44 affiliated Minor League Baseball clubs, all of which are
run as independent organizations by a passionate group of employ-
ees in each of the 44 communities that we serve. I recently visited
one club which has 31 full-time employees, 26 of them having start-
ed their careers as interns with the team.
Minor League Baseball exemplifies the best in America. It is
community-focused, rooted in deep tradition, and representative of
the broad cultures and customs across our country. Most people
wouldn’t know that Minor League Baseball is the second most at-
tended sport in the U.S., welcoming more than 30 million fans
through its turnstiles each season, which is why I am grateful to
this Committee for shining the spotlight on Minor League Baseball
today and why I am proud to share with you our mission, along
with my colleagues at the table, our mission to protect and to pre-
serve and to enhance Minor League Baseball and through that, to
fuel small business economic development and growth for genera-
tions to come.
Minor League baseball reaches many different constituencies and
represent something uniquely special to each group. For Major
League Baseball and the 30 big league clubs, the minor leagues
serve as a training ground for developing its future stars. The sec-
ond group are the professional baseball players themselves, where
Minor League Baseball represents their opportunity to achieve life-
long dreams as the path to make it to the Show. DBH relishes its
role in supporting those dreams through close collaboration with
Major League Baseball and our local municipal partners.
The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is full of great players
who got their start in the minor league system: Willie Mays played
in historic Rickwood in Birmingham, Alabama; David Ortiz in Ap-
pleton, Wisconsin; Aaron Judge in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I could

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go on and on about the number and the thousands of Major League
Baseball players that began their professional journey in the Minor
leagues.
A third group impacted by Minor League Baseball are the 120
communities who host affiliated Minor League Baseball teams. The
stadiums in which the teams play serve as centers of energy in
these communities and represent an important and vibrant gath-
ering spot for its local citizens. At DBH, it is our desire for these
stadiums, in addition to hosting roughly 70 professional baseball
games a year, to also host many events such as concerts, high
school state championships, graduations, weddings, corporate out-
ings, and the list goes on and on.
In April, I was proud to attend the opening of the new minor
league stadium in Columbus, Georgia. Columbus has welcomed, as
Chairman Jack said, more than 100,000 fans to the ballpark in just
2 months. And importantly, we anticipate that Synovus park will
create more than $10 billion in annual economic impact.
And the community impact extends beyond just what happens
inside the stadium. We are proud of our planned $250 million
mixed-use development in Congressman McGarvey’s district in
Louisville, Kentucky. In close partnership with Mayor Craig Green-
berg and the Louisville metro government, the project will revi-
talize downtown and create more than 1,000 jobs for the local econ-
omy.
The fourth constituency impacted by Minor League Baseball are
the fans. At DBH, we believe we are in the memory making busi-
ness and we strive to do that in a fun, affordable way for families,
friends, and colleagues. Affordability and accessibility are a top pri-
ority in Minor League Baseball, with the average ticket price to a
game still under $15, that is 1-5. Our approach is to execute in a
hyper local manner, celebrating the nuances which make each of
our communities special and unique.
And last, but certainly not least is what Minor League Baseball
represents to the more than 1,000 small businesses who partner
with our teams in a variety of ways. Whether through advertising,
sponsorship, vending, and more, these partnerships broaden their
relationship with fans, with other businesses, and with the commu-
nity as a whole.
I hope I have given you a sense today of why we are so pas-
sionate about Minor League Baseball and its wide-reaching impact
in bringing communities together. Mr. Chairman, thank you for en-
gaging in this important conversation and for recognizing what
Minor League Baseball means to your constituents.
Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Ciampi for his
5-minute opening remarks.
STATEMENT OF LOU CIAMPI, JR., PRESIDENT, INDEPENDENT
GRAPHICS INC.
Mr. CIAMPI. Try that again. Thank you to all the Members of
the Committee and especially to Mr. Rob Bresnahan for inviting
me here today. It is greatly appreciated.
My name is Lou Ciampi, Jr. I am the president of Independent
Graphics. We are a family-owned and operated printing and direct
mail company located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This year we

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proudly celebrate our 45th year in business. The company was
founded by my late father Lou Ciampi, Sr., and Ried, if it is any
consolation, he always won, too. It is now owned by my brother Jim
and me. I joined the company full time in January of 1986 as sales
manager and I have since assumed the role of president. Over
those years we have grown from 5 employees to 35 full-time em-
ployees and we run 2 shifts.
We have been honored to work with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
RailRiders since 2008. During this partnership we have completed
numerous interesting and time-sensitive projects that have helped
shape our company’s reputation and capabilities. One of the ear-
liest and most memorable projects involved Roger Clemens. In
2008, Roger came down to Triple-A for a rehab assignment. When
he threw out the first pitch, a photo was taken. The photo was
emailed to Independent. We produced 15 top-quality posters, which
we then ran up to the ballpark so Roger could sign before he left
that day, creating instant memorabilia. And no, my friend John
Stevenson at the ballpark did not give me one of these collector’s
items. So thank you, John.
In 2012, the ballpark underwent major renovations and opening
night of the 2013 season was a milestone event. Once again, in the
first inning, a photo was emailed to Independent Graphics. This
time we produced 5,000 8-by-10 photo-quality prints, which we
printed, threw in the car, and ran up to the stadium in time to
hand out to the fans as they left the field that night. Same night,
a true rush job.
When we were introduced to the RailRiders, they were owned by
Mandalay Entertainment. I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr.
Jon Spoelstra, who was the architect of the Play Ball program
books. The Play Ball program books were unique for each game. So
Game 1 of the season was played. After the game, the updated sta-
tistics would be emailed to Independent Graphics. We would print
unique program books overnight and deliver the next day for the
game. Today, speed to market is more than a motto, it is our stand-
ard and a RailRiders partnership help us define it.
Beyond business, the relationship has held deep personal mean-
ing for our family. We are both a vendor and a sponsor. Our sign-
age has proudly been displayed at the ballpark and we have rented
a suite for half the home games each season. Sundays at the park
became a cherished tradition for the entire Ciampi family. My fa-
ther, a passionate Yankees fan, especially Yogi Berra being his fa-
vorite, relished every visit. We have had the pleasure of meeting
legends, like Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Daryl Strawberry,
and Reggie Jackson, memories that will last a lifetime.
This Saturday, June 14th, we will celebrate Independent Graph-
ics’ 45th anniversary in the left field party box at PNC Field. What
a party it is going to be.
Thank you so much for your time and allowing me to share our
story.
Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Ryan for his
5-minute opening remarks.

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STATEMENT OF REID RYAN, CEO, RYAN-SANDERS BASEBALL
INC.
Mr. RYAN. All right. Thank you, Chairman Jack, Chairman Wil-
liams, Ranking Member Scholten, and the Committee. Hello, my
name is Reid Ryan and I am the CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball.
And I am honored to be here today to discuss the positive impact
that Minor League Baseball has had on communities across the
country.
Baseball has been a lifelong passion for me. As Roger said, my
father, Nolan Ryan, is Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout
leader, an all-time no-hit leader and a member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame. When I was born, he was pitching for the
New York Mets and shortly after that he got traded to the Angels
and we spent time in California, and with the Houston Astros and
with the Texas Rangers.
After playing college baseball at the University of Texas and
then at TCU, I was fortunate enough to get drafted by the Texas
Rangers and assigned to the Hudson Valley Renegades in Pough-
keepsie, New York, a team that Mr. Battle owns today. That expe-
rience marked my very first minor league game. Having grown up
in the big leagues, I was amazed at the fun, family-friendly envi-
ronment that Minor League Baseball offered. I couldn’t believe that
this type of entertainment existed all over the country, and yet I
had never experienced it until I played in my very first game.
Over the next 2 years, I played in the New York Penn League,
the South Atlantic League, and the California League. Traveling
across the country, I got to witness the same thing in every single
market from the East Coast to the West Coast, families and com-
munities coming together around the game of baseball. And it
wasn’t just about the sport, as many people mentioned here today.
It was about affordable family fun, community pride, and a sense
of belonging.
And so when my playing career ended, I set my sights on becom-
ing an owner of a minor league team. And in 1998, at 26 years old,
I discovered a Houston Astros club in Jackson, Mississippi, that
was for sale. They were playing in an aging ballpark and they
needed to be closer to Houston, Texas. And so I assembled a group,
I secured a loan, and I purchased the ball club. Little did I know
my efforts would help spark a renaissance in Minor League Base-
ball and the game of baseball in our industry.
So, in 2000, we opened the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.
We built a major league quality stadium on a minor league scale.
It was one of the first times this had ever happened to the game.
And then since then, I have owned and operated several clubs
across the country, including the Corpus Christi Hooks, the San
Antonio Missions, and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Along the
way, I have spent time in the major leagues, working with the
league on various committees and serving as president of the Hous-
ton Astros, as Roger Williams discussed.
I share all this to illustrate that I have seen this game literally
from every angle. And I always return to my love of Minor League
Baseball. There is just something truly special about the fans and
the communities we serve that makes our game such a cherished
part of Americana.

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Minor League Baseball at its core is a hyper local small business.
Our games are played in front of fans at the ballpark and not for
people on TV. The fans, the sponsors, the staff, they are all deeply
involved in the local community. And the ballpark often becomes
the front porch of these towns. It is the place where folks go to
watch baseball, but, more importantly, visit with their neighbors,
connect with friends and loved ones.
So throughout my career, I have been fortunate to build new sta-
diums in four different markets around the country. And I am cur-
rently working on my fifth right now in San Antonio, Texas. And
in every one of these cases, the local community has benefited. In
Round Rock, the ballpark spurred development of restaurants, ho-
tels, and businesses. And in fact, we have one of the world’s largest
indoor water parks, Kalahari, across the street now. In Corpus
Christi, another water park was built, a concert venue and a res-
taurant opened. And in Fayetteville, North Carolina, we had down-
town living and a hotel emerge adjacent to the stadium. And in
San Antonio, we are in the process right now of working with the
city and county on a tours that will include downtown living and
hotels as part of the project. In every instance, the ballpark has re-
vitalized or spurred growth in the surrounding areas.
And so one of my favorite sayings has always been from the
former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. And it is derived from the
Bible, to whom much is given, much is expected. That is how I feel
about my role in Minor League Baseball.
And I will close by saying that it has been my goal and my fam-
ily’s goal to always leave the game in our communities better than
we found it. And by investing in Minor League Baseball in the
areas around our stadiums, we have improved the quality of life in
our local communities and we have helped many small businesses
grow. Thank you very much.
Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Chamberlin for
his 5 minute opening remarks.
STATEMENT OF JOE CHAMBERLIN, CEO & MANAGING PART-
NER, WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS AND TRAVERSE CITY PIT
SPITTERS
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. All right. Chairman Jack, Ranking Member
Scholten, and Members of the subcommittee, I am honored to be
before you today to share my story and, most importantly, to talk
a little bit of baseball. This was certainly an exciting, albeit unex-
pected, invite for me to receive. And when I received it, my wife
Dana insisted that I make sure you all had the right guy. Here is
to our spouses keeping us humble.
My name is Joe Chamberlin and I am the CEO and managing
partner of two baseball franchises that call the great state of Michi-
gan home: the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Traverse City Pit
Spitters. Both Traverse City and West Michigan are incredible
communities and incredible sports markets. For me, baseball has
become the family business. The Whitecaps were founded by my
dad, Lou Chamberlin, and his business partner, Denny Baxter, in
1994. Lou was the quintessential entrepreneur and with the help
of many along the way, he spent the better part of 10 years on a
journey to make his dream a reality for his West Michigan commu-

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nity. That day came in 1994 and out of the gate, the Whitecaps
broke every single A attendance record in Minor League Baseball,
consistently drawing over 500,000 fans a year.
Because of our entrepreneurial origin story, we have always op-
erated a little differently than most teams. Lou was the idea guy,
not the capital guy. And based on a strong business plan and prov-
en success in another market, he formed a partnership and raised
the capital needed to purchase a team and build our ballpark. And
because of that history, we own our privately funded stadium and
can proudly say that no taxpayer dollars were used for its construc-
tion in 1994 or for upkeep since. It is unique for a club to be ac-
tively run by its entrepreneurial founding family and we have al-
ways taken pride in being sports owners who are actively involved
at every level of our team’s success.
The success of the Whitecaps in the early ’90s proved that our
community could support professional sports teams and vibrant
stadiums and in the years following our inaugural season, Grand
Rapids has been lucky to see other teams and amenities added to
our city’s roster. The collective impact of all these teams saw Grand
Rapids recognized as the best minor league sports market in the
country in 2019. And we are extremely proud that the Whitecaps
proved the thesis that sports-centric infrastructure investment and
economic development works in West Michigan.
Today, both the Whitecaps and the Pit Spitters are hyper local
small- to medium-sized companies that have incredibly symbiotic
relationships with their communities. If you want a barometer on
the health of a community’s small businesses, look no further than
its stadiums. Our outfield walls are filled with sponsorship inven-
tory and those are filled with small businesses advertising what
they do. Our hospitality areas are filled with businesses enter-
taining employees and their families. And on game days, our sta-
diums are full of local employees of all ages earning competitive
wages.
Our organizations employ over 1,000 seasonal staff members be-
tween the Whitecaps and the Pit Spitters each summer, in addi-
tional to the 65 full-time front office staff members we have year
round. In total, we estimate the local economic impact of the Pit
Spitter exceeds $10 million a year, while the Whitecaps contribute
over $40 million annual to the West Michigan community.
While there has been a lot of success, as you all know, running
a small business is hard and our industry has felt that pressure
over the last few years. Although specific policy issues are not on
my agenda today, I do think it is worth stating a few observations.
First, uncertainty is the enemy of nearly every small business
out there. To the extent that legislators at both the state and fed-
eral levels can steer a steady ship, allowing businesses like mine
to have predictable inputs and consistent regulatory environments,
I can assure you that people like me will thank you and work hard
every day to create more jobs, invest in communities, and spur eco-
nomic development.
On the topic of economic development, which I am working very
hard on at the state level, I think it is also important to recognize
how truly transformational a sports team can be for its community
when done right. As opportunities arise, please continue to consider

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practical and pragmatic policies and programs that help keep
Minor League Baseball teams thriving across the country. The re-
turns on those kinds of initiatives are significant in so many ways.
And in closing, I want to thank the Committee for this oppor-
tunity and for highlighting our incredible industry. As a family
business owner, I tend to take the long-term view and seek sus-
tainability where I can find it. That philosophy has served us very
well in an industry with such a rich history that has proven for
generations to be one of the best forms of affordable, family-friend-
ly entertainment out there. Who knows if either of my sons,
Crawford or Becker, will ever have an interest in this wonderful
world of Minor League Baseball, but for the foreseeable future, my
job is to ensure these franchises remain vibrant for the next gen-
eration of Whitecaps and Pit Spitters fans, and to ensure that we
keep all the fun Minor League Baseball can offer thriving in our
communities for decades to come. Thank you.
Chairman JACK. We will now move to the Member questions
under the 5-minute rule.
I recognize myself for 5 minutes.
Mr. Battle, thank you for testifying today. The team you have as-
sembled, especially my friend Henry Shepard, represents Diamond
Baseball Holdings incredibly well. With your acquisition of the
Fredericksburg Nationals this week, your portfolio now includes 44
Minor League Baseball teams. How is Diamond Baseball Holdings
providing affordable experiences to fans across each market?
Mr. BATTLE. Thank you, Chairman Jack, for that question. And
thank you for the comment on Henry and the team that we have
assembled at DBH. We are very proud of and they represent our
teams and the sport very well.
You know, I think that everybody has talked about, you know,
providing affordable entertainment. You know, I mentioned in my
opening remarks that the average ticket price to a Minor League
Baseball game is under $15. Minor league is probably the only pro-
fessional sport that you can attend, a family of four can attend for
under $100. And I think that that is very important.
And when we think about our teams and the 44 clubs that we
own that, as I said, operate as independent clubs in each of their
communities, they each have the same mission, and it is to provide
fun, affordable family entertainment to its local fans. And every
community is different. Every community is special. Every commu-
nity has its own nuances. But providing that fun, affordable family
entertainment experience to the fans is what we are all about, and
that is how we win. And so I think that as we think about that
mission, fun and affordable are the first two words that we use and
think of.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Battle.
Mr. Ryan, thank you for testifying today. I am working closely
with your former colleague Derek Schiller on an issue. Since you
both won a World Series ring, I will not ask who is the better team
president. But as with Mr. Battle, I will ask, how is Ryan-Sanders
Baseball approaching affordability and creating memorable experi-
ences for folks across the ballparks you operate?
Mr. RYAN. Yeah. So, you know, we are very blessed to be in two
very large cities in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, market. Be-

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tween the two, you are talking two of the top 20 population cities
in the country. So I think in that situation, for us, there is a lane
that we need to stay in, which a lot of people are priced out by
some of the other, you know, things that have come into the mar-
ket at the major league level. And so we try to make sure that we
continue to be affordable for folks when they come in. But also we
know that being a Triple-A and Double-A, that the travel schedule
is a little bit different than A ball because we are flying people
around the country and we play a few more games. And so it is
a balancing act, but we continue to work hard at it because it is
the lifeblood of this industry.
Chairman JACK. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chamberlin,
for testifying today. The Detroit Tigers are the best team in base-
ball. Many of their players today started their careers in Comstock
Park, Michigan. Tarik Skubal won Major League Baseball’s Cy
Young Award last year, but in 2018, I understand he was pitching
for your West Michigan Whitecaps. How are you approaching af-
fordability with respect to fans in the area?
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Thank you, Chairman. As a Minor League
Baseball club, I think affordability flexibility is paramount to what
we do. As some of the other folks have mentioned, it is very easy
to lose focus on it and start chasing high-dollar ticket prices or in-
creasing food and beverage costs. For us, it is keeping the North
Star, which is can a family of four get in and out of the ballpark
for a very reasonable price? So as a business, it is certainly a push
and pull. You have to create inventory and you have to do things
that keep you moving forward. I think in our business, we are a
little bit unique in that we know we cannot lose sight of that fam-
ily of four and price them out. So it is definitely something that we
are aware of and that we work very hard to maintain on a year-
over-year basis.
Chairman JACK. Thank you. My last question, Mr. Battle, al-
though today’s hearing concentrates, of course, on the economic im-
pact of Minor League Baseball, could you illuminate for this panel
how the facilities at which Minor League Baseball teams play serve
their communities outside of baseball?
Mr. BATTLE. Yeah, it is a great question and it is a, you know,
it is a goal that we have at DBH. We operate, you know, basically
run 70, roughly 70, professional baseball games a year. But these
stadiums are the centers of energy in most of these communities.
And so we are actively involved. And Ranking Member Scholten
talked about several of the things that happen in Minor League
Baseball stadiums, but with concerts, with movie nights, with just
all of the things, with weddings and graduations and corporate out-
ings and, you know, having the opportunity to amplify and to high-
light our stadiums 365 days a year.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, it is the Charlotte Knights, Triple-
A White Sox. There is a 30-day winter wonderland that takes place
from December 1st through January 1st. And last year, you know,
tens of thousands of citizens in Charlotte came into the stadium.
It was lit up, there was an ice rink in center field. That is one ex-
ample of the many ways that we are working beyond baseball to
create these special memories for the citizens and the community.

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Chairman JACK. I now recognize the Ranking Member for 5
minutes of questions.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chamberlin,
my first question is for you. The Whitecaps are a privately owned
team with a three decade history in our community. And I know
that the team is planning to continue being a part of that commu-
nity for decades to come. We certainly hope so. What lessons could
other communities take from the Whitecaps’ experience that might
be good practices for maintaining strong long-term partnerships
with local small businesses around them?
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Thanks for the question. I think it starts
from the top and as an owner, it is our responsibility first to ensure
that that is part of the organization and it needs to trickle down
to the staff. And everyone needs to believe in the importance of a
club being committed to being locally integrated. For the Whitecaps
and the Pit Spitters, I think that process starts for us. We have a
diverse group of minority owners in both markets who are commu-
nity members and, you know, are so proud to be affiliated with our
organization that they help us achieve that local integration.
I think you also have to know the community that you operate
in and operate in a way that encourages collaboration. So many of
these items have been listed here today. But even doing the kinds
of events outside of baseball that allow fans to come into our ball-
parks, experience them in a different way.
In 2014, we had a fire at our ballpark and half of it burned
down. The first few people to arrive at the ballpark were season
ticketholders who just wanted to be there to help in rebuilding the
ballpark. And, you know, that is one of those moments where you
know you are impacting the community.
And finally, I think the pricing structure that we have talked
about a little bit is also an important factor. In both West Michigan
and Traverse City, you look at our outfield boards and you see ev-
erybody in the community. So we intentionally have a way for ev-
eryone in our small business community to play in our ballparks
and that helps us achieve that local integration.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you. Sticking with you briefly, minor
league team affiliations with their major league partners help pay
for players and coaches, but the teams still need to cover costs, in-
cluding costs for the fields, equipment, uniforms, travel. You start-
ed getting to know the business side of the Whitecaps as a college
student and have seen that business grow and diversify. I am won-
dering if you can share any strategies or tips for ensuring minor
league teams are profitable and sustainable as a business.
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Oh, thank you for the question. We have
some great owners and operators up here, so I won’t preach to the
choir. I think every market is a little bit different, but at the end
of the day, one of the things that I love most about Minor League
Baseball is that our business model is relatively straightforward.
We create value by creating a brand that our fans love interacting
with. And the more engaging we can be, the better. We also create
value by inviting fans into our ballparks to enjoy baseball games.
And the more fans we can invite in, the better.
On both of those fronts I think the number one thing that has
been a positive factor for us as a business over the years has been

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having great people doing great work. So just like a lot of busi-
nesses out there, our success is based on the success of our staff.
And the Whitecaps have been incredibly lucky over the course of
30 years to have one of the best staffs in Minor League Baseball
helping us be a fantastic franchise.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you. And that was a great lead-in be-
cause my follow-up is to open the question up to the rest of the
panel and share some of your insights and particularly how we, as
a Small Business Committee and legislators more generally can
both help in that extent even. And most often it is oftentimes stay-
ing out of the way. So what can we do as legislators to help sup-
port?
Mr. BATTLE. I would simply say what you are doing today is ex-
tremely important. Shining the spotlight on Minor League Baseball
and everything that you, Chairman Jack, Chairman Williams, have
talked about, Reid, Joe, Lou have talked about. It is what makes
the sport great, the impact that it has on communities.
And I think that the opportunity—I mean, we are—we like to
partner with the local municipality, with local businesses to create
that great experience for the fans that we have talked about. And
when communities win, we all win. And that is really what we are
about. And so I am very thankful to you and Chairman Jack and
Chairman Williams for shining the spotlight, because I think that
educating businesses and municipalities about the important im-
pact that Minor League Baseball is having and will continue to
have is extremely important. So thank you.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Ms. Scholten.
I now recognize Chairman Williams from the great state of Texas
for 5 minutes.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, I
am very excited that Representative Jack and Scholten are holding
this Subcommittee hearing. And as a former player and owner, I
have a passion at hand and a lot of people know that about base-
ball. The opportunities that professional sports provide for small
local business growth are vital for the communities throughout the
country.
So, Mr. Battle, your organization owns 40 minor league teams
across the country. So could you please explain how your work with
these 40 teams to develop and revitalize each one of those commu-
nities?
Mr. BATTLE. It is a great question, Chairman Williams. Thank
you for that. And, you know, ultimately we see our role as one of
support. We do own 44 teams. As I said earlier, they operate as
independent. You know, we own teams from Portland, Maine, to
Pasco, Washington, down to Rancho Cucamonga, California, all the
way across to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and those four cities
that I mentioned, you can imagine how different and unique that
they are. And our role, we see it as providing to our teams on the
ground, to the 25 to 35 employees that we have on the ground, the
that live there every day, how can we provide them with the re-
sources that they need to accomplish the mission, which is to pro-
vide that fun, affordable, family entertainment experience to their
fans?

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And so we work very closely with our teams to amplify best prac-
tices across the portfolio to provide advanced technologies, includ-
ing common point of sale systems and food and beverage, and our
merchandising that allow customers to go through lines quicker
and to make it easier. So those are examples of the things that we
can provide to our teams to help make them more successful in
achieving their mission.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. I think one of the most im-
portant aspects of Minor League Baseball is it makes our nation’s
pastime available to more people and communities outside of the
few cities that host major league teams. So, Mr. Ryan, you were
the CEO and founder of both the Corpus Christi Hooks and the
Round Rock Express minor league franchise, which you talked
about. Both teams brought baseball to communities that lacked
easy access to sports. So how have these communities changed now
that a minor league team has been established in them and is part
of the community?
Mr. RYAN. Yeah, you know, I think people don’t realize what
they are missing until they get a team in their community. And it
is really about quality of life. And I think, you know, as Pat was
saying, every market is very different. And so in Corpus Christi,
they had never been able to sort of get something that could bring
the community together. And unfortunately, in a divided, you
know, society today, in a lot of ways, there are few things that do
bring everyone together. Sports teams do that. Teams win a cham-
pionship and everybody is high fiving and hugging each other on
the street. And that is really what we saw in Corpus Christi is,
first and foremost, it brought the community together in a way
that had never been done before.
And then it was fun to see the development around the stadium.
The city really jumped on the ballpark and created a SEA District,
which was sports, entertainment, and arts. And they have now
clustered all of their amenities into one area of town and really cre-
ated a unique destination. The city was known for being sort of a
regional summertime vacation place, but they lacked anything real-
ly to do at night. People would go to the beach or go to the aquar-
ium, the USS Lexington, but then at night, they didn’t really have
anything to do. And now you are seeing that with a concert venue
and the stadium and some other stuff.
In Round Rock, which is 15 miles from downtown Austin, it was
a bedroom community, you know, very much like here in D.C., that
a lot of people have to live outside of the city. And so people were
wanting amenities for kids and families in their community be-
cause folks would go downtown, go to work, they would fight traffic
back home. And then if they wanted to go back to, you know, a
game at UT or something, they were fighting traffic again, and
they were spending hours in the car. And so for the city of Round
Rock, this was a way to anchor people to their community, to have
a quality of life aspect that they had missed. And what came out
of that was, you know, a big growth with the water park and with
concert venues and with their own Old Settlers Park. So it has
been fun to watch.
Chairman WILLIAMS. You have done a great job. And in my
last time I have got here, in addition to the community renovation

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that often occurs around minor league stadiums, minor league
teams also strive to build meaningful relationships with local small
businesses like yours, Mr. Ciampi. So, real quick, if you have been
successfully with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for now
over a decade, how is working with RailRiders growing your busi-
ness? And also you talked about printing 5,000—you never told us
who that was. Was that Jim Sundberg that you——
Mr. CIAMPI. The photo was just a photo of the ballpark, so, no,
it wasn’t Mr. Sundberg. Being a part of the RailRiders, and it is
a family, it has become such a large part of our brand. We are cele-
brating our 45th anniversary, and I had one of our layout people
do a little brochure. And almost kind of to my surprise, one full
page is dedicated to stuff that happened up at PNC Field. So it just
brings nothing but good vibes for the champions.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. My time is up. I yield back.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Chairman Williams.
I now recognize Mr. Olszewski from Maryland for 5 minutes.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Thank you very much, Chairman Jack and to
Ranking Member Scholten, for convening this. I want to thank all
of our witnesses as well for being here today.
Been in training myself for my first Congressional Baseball
Game. I have my friend and colleague Representative McGarvey to
thank for that. He is a recruiter in addition to being one heck of
a catcher and team player on the Democrat side. So looking for-
ward to being part of the tradition here on Capitol Hill and excited
to be part of this conversation on Minor League Baseball.
Mr. Chairman, Chairman Williams, I wish you luck tomorrow. I
am really hoping that you are going to need it though, so. Oh, I
think my bat is going to be a little bigger than that, my friend.
So we are proud in Maryland, which I am lucky enough to rep-
resent, represent to have three Minor League Baseball teams. We
have the Chesapeake Baysox, we have the Aberdeen IronBirds, and
we have the Delmarva Shorebirds, all of which are affiliates of my
hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles. We are excited about the
ways in which our teams generate tourism revenue and boost our
local economy outside of Camden Yards and at a better, more con-
venient price point for a lot of our families as well. This partner-
ship supports Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region as one of the
most economically vibrant and budget-friendly regions in the U.S.
We know that you all are not strangers to America’s pastime, nor
the opportunity that is created when we make baseball more acces-
sible for all to enjoy. The teams that you help manage and help de-
velop provide a large cultural and economic benefit to the commu-
nities they call home. So I want to thank you again for your work
in this space and for supporting small businesses. I will see many
of you in the field tomorrow. Go Dems. Go O’s.
I do have two quick questions and I don’t want to be redundant,
so just building on some of the points earlier. Mr. Ryan, you men-
tioned SEA Districts in regards to community revitalization and in-
frastructure, building around the stadium. There was also some
conversation about how these are meeting grounds of bringing the
community together, particularly in these divided times. Just want-
ed to give any of you the opportunity to speak a little bit more
about what actions you take to specifically help cultivate maybe

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specific programs or outreach efforts to build that sense of commu-
nity in your spaces. And then also if there are any other like-mind-
ed development or infrastructure projects like the SEA District
that you mentioned, I would love to hear about that.
Mr. RYAN. Yeah, well, I will take that one to start. You know,
as I said in my opening statement, you know, we look at our role
in the community as the community betting on us and our exper-
tise to come in and, you know, be the people that are entrusted in
this great game of baseball. We all own teams, but really we don’t
own anything. You can’t own the game of baseball. You are just en-
trusted with it for a time period. And one of the things we try to
do is make sure that everyone in the community gets to use the
stadium.
So in Corpus Christi we played a lot of high school baseball
games there. In fact, we drew 21,000 fans to see two teams from
each side of the town. Who is going to go to the state champion-
ship? We had a local business, Myra Sports, who played a high
school tournament every year. You know, in Round Rock, Texas, we
have the state high school championships there. But we have also
worked with the Austin Rodeo to do bulls in the ballpark where we
do bull riding.
And so I think it is making the facility available to everyone in
the community helps because everyone supported the community,
especially in our state where we are a property tax heavy state.
And so having a municipal partner makes the affordability aspect
like a must. If you don’t have a partner, if you did what Joe did,
it would be really hard to keep prices affordable. And so we owe
it to the constituents that we have to make sure that the venue is
available for them for all kinds of things.
Mr. CIAMPI. One of the things that the RailRiders do on Sunday
mornings before the game, they will host challengers baseball in
right field, like special needs children. And I used to bring up my
little league team to volunteer and to be umpires and run the bases
with the kids. And for me, the whole time we have been there, I
think that was about the most special community thing I have seen
and it is a testament to the kind of outfit they are running up
there in Scranton.
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Yeah. I will reiterate something that Reid
said and that is just it truly is a mantra of our organization to
make sure that our stadium and our ballpark is a place where ev-
eryone in the West Michigan community feels comfortable coming.
That is not always the case in society today. And I think it is a
common theme of all the 120 clubs that that is something at the
front of how they operate things and really important in our com-
munities.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. I appreciate that all very much and thanks
again to our Chair and Ranking Member for this great conversa-
tion. Thanks again for your great work and I yield back.
Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Bresnahan
from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 5 minutes.
Mr. BRESNAHAN. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chair-
man, and to the Ranking Member and to our witnesses. It means
a lot that you were able to sacrifice a day in the middle of June

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with warming temperatures and all of the scuttlebutt relating to
baseball. So thank you all for being here.
And I am especially grateful for Lou Ciampi to come out here.
Not only is Lou a constituent, we have similar backgrounds. We
both come from multigenerational family businesses.
And going back to the RailRiders, some of the most meaningful
moments that I ever spent with my grandfather was going to a
baseball game or catching a doubleheader. And it really was very
instrumental into my upbringing and determining who I am today.
So I appreciate the investment that you make into small commu-
nities like ours. Not every different media market has the oppor-
tunity to attract a Major League Baseball team, specifically in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. We really are proud of our Triple-A
baseball teams and it is something that really binds us together,
even if we went from a Phillies organization to a New York Yan-
kees organization over the duration of time.
But I guess my first question, Lou, you recently mentioned that
you are celebrating your 45th anniversary at PNC Park. Can you
speak more about the partnership with the team and what it
means to Independent Graphics?
Mr. CIAMPI. So, you know, I don’t want to be redundant, but as
I said before, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are very much
a part of the Independent Graphics brand. To be able to go out on
a sales call and say, we are a proud partner of the New York Yan-
kees, like them or not like them, Triple-A team, it is certainly a
conversation starter.
Some of the unbelievable memories, one in particular, the day
that we met Reggie Jackson. Now, I have heard that some days are
not so great to meet Mr. Jackson, but on this particular day, we
caught him on a good day. And the vision of Reggie and my old
man shaking hands like they were two old Army buddies, that is
never going to leave me. That is never going to leave me. Where
does a company started 45 years ago by one man get the chance
to go up to the ballpark and meet all of our baseball heroes?
So, I mean, that is coming straight from the heart. That is one
of the biggest things for me about the ballpark. They are part of
our family.
Mr. BRESNAHAN. Thank you. Mr. Battle, I would like to kind
of invert the question and ask why, I mean, I think I know the an-
swer, but I don’t want to speculate, but why is it so important, im-
portant for organizations like Independent Graphics to partner
with organizations like yours?
Mr. BATTLE. Well, you know, as we have talked about, we are,
you know, we are operating, you know, not in the 30 major mar-
kets. And this is small and middle town America and there are
thousands of small businesses that we work with. And Minor
League Baseball wouldn’t work without the partnership with small
businesses like Lou’s and what they are doing for the community.
And it really is a partnership to create that win-win situation. And
we take a lot of pride in every community in working with compa-
nies like Lou.
And as Lou said, he is not just an advertiser, but he is a vendor
in the ballpark. And we find that over and over and over again.
And it is just part of the lifeblood of Minor League Baseball and

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it is the only way that it can work. And it, you know, it allows
these businesses to connect with the community in a way that
would probably otherwise be impossible. And so I think that it, you
know, it is very important, and we are very excited to be part of
it.
Mr. BRESNAHAN. Well, perhaps you don’t hear this enough, but
thank you for investing into Northeastern Pennsylvania and taking
a chance on our community. And we are very excited to have you
interwoven into the fabric of who we are.
My last question, Lou. We have seen devastating flooding in
2011, which ultimately, like you just said before, put six feet of
water on the first floor of your building. What does it mean to have
the continuity and the promise of the relationship with the
RailRiders, so you were able to bounce back from that devastating
experience?
Mr. CIAMPI. So it was a great coincidence, we got flooded at the
end of the season in ’11. And during 2012, the ballpark was ren-
ovated, so no home games. So we were in no great shape to be pro-
ducing program books in 2013. And it was kind of a tough time for
us, and, you know, it was a little tenuous with the ballpark and
our business model and everything. And then that Fourth of July,
Derek Jeter came down for a rehab visit. And we print those pro-
gram books, and Derek Jeter’s on the cover, I wanted to run out
onto the field and slide into home plate.
So I don’t know, Rob, if that answers your question.
Mr. BRESNAHAN. Absolutely. With that, I yield my time.
Mr. CIAMPI. Thank you so much.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Bresnahan.
I now recognize Mr. McGarvey from the Commonwealth of Ken-
tucky for 5 minutes.
Mr. MCGARVEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Ciampi, you
have got me fired up. I am ready to go out there myself right now.
I love it.
What is baseball? And look, I am from Louisville, Kentucky, and
Louisville is a baseball town. Whether it is the stars of today, like
Will Smith, the catcher for the Dodgers, won the World Series last
year. Whether it is the stars of our game, Peter Reese, his home-
town is Louisville, Kentucky. And we all know what he did on the
field, in particular with his play, but it is what he did with his
leadership, the moment when he went up to Jackie Robinson and
didn’t just tell Jackie Robinson it was okay, but told the whole
country it was okay.
I got to know Pee Wee a little bit when I was a pool guard for
a summer in high school. And he was doing exercises in the pool
and he would come out and talk to me about all things. He wanted
to know what I was doing in school, I wanted to know what spring
training was like in Dodger Town. And he gave me that picture of
him with his arm around Jackie Robinson in the locker room and
he signed it to me. I keep it in my office to this day because it says
it is always the right time to do the right thing. And baseball can
teach us those types of lessons.
Of course, we have more than stars. Baseball is key to Louisville
and our identity. One of the most iconic things about baseball is
the Louisville Slugger. And Mr. Chairman, I brought these Louis-

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ville Slugger bats here today for everybody, not to show what the
Democrats will use in this game, but what I hope the Republicans
will use in this game. You guys could score a few dozen fewer runs
and the game would still be competitive. So we are hoping there
is the torpedo bat. Maybe you will use this one for bat speed.
But baseball is important to who we are. But we haven’t had a
major league team in Louisville since 1891. We have filled that gap
with Minor League Baseball. And what a wonderful thing Minor
League Baseball is. When I was a kid going to Redbirds games at
the old Cardinals’ stadium, when we could load up the family sta-
tion wagon with our three kids and whatever neighbors jumped in
and not break the bank and go out there, see who could throw the
fastest pitch in the little thing outside the alleyway. Go watch the
games. Maybe you got something lucky in a Cracker Jack box. Of
course, not only did you get to experience baseball, but you get to
see the guys who would go up and play in the Show and see them
in those close confines. It is where so many of us not just got to
experience baseball, it is where we saw our first concerts. It is
where we went with our families. It has those great memories.
And now the Minor League Baseball in Louisville is continuing.
And I will tell you that when we moved from Cardinal Stadium to
the Bats new stadium in a blighted part of Louisville, it reignited
that area of downtown Louisville in a way that people didn’t think
was possible. It was an act of faith to go to this area and build a
top-notch baseball facility. But it sort of proved the baseball adage
true: if you build it, they will come. So, and fans did come. And bet-
ter yet, they are still coming.
Mr. Battle, I know you are here with us from the Louisville Bats.
The Bats are already an anchor for our downtown and our local
economy, and I know you are working with the city and state to
grow that footprint even more. How will DBH’s planned investment
in Louisville help grow our local economy and benefit small busi-
nesses in the city?
Mr. BATTLE. Thank you for that question. And you are a base-
ball town. Congratulations also on the College World Series, appar-
ently.
Mr. MCGARVEY. That is right.
Mr. BATTLE. Louisville Cardinals.
Mr. MCGARVEY. Louisville Cardinals going to the College
World Series. And Murray State down in Western Kentucky going.
Mr. BATTLE. Very impressive. Yes, thank you for the question.
And you know, when we announced the acquisition of the Louis-
ville Bats, probably 18 months ago, Mayor Greenberg pulled us
aside at the press conference. In fact, he pulled Henry Shepard,
who Chairman Jack mentioned earlier, aside and said, we have
been waiting on DBH to acquire the team. The city owns eight
acres of land adjacent to the stadium, and we would like to sit
down as quickly as possible and figure out how we can partner to
help to continue to revitalize that part of Louisville. And so we
have done that.
We have partnered very closely with the Louisville metro govern-
ment. As you know, Congressman McGarvey, you know, we have
talked about a $250 million investment in building condominium,
hotel, entertainment district, all of the things that we think will

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continue to energize that part of Louisville. And we couldn’t be
more excited to do that. And, you know, Reid has done it, he said
four times, and now is working in San Antonio. And those kinds
of projects are really important. The stadium and the team is one
thing, but how you can continue to invest in the community in
order to have that kind of impact on the citizens is extremely im-
portant.
And it takes public-private partnership. And I can think of no
better partnership than we have had since I have been with DBH
than we have had with the city of Louisville.
Mr. MCGARVEY. Thank you. We love going to those games. I
love taking my own kids.
Very quickly in the time I have got left, one thing that makes
me worry is what happens when baseball goes away. And a few
years ago, contraction significantly reduced the number of affiliated
minor league teams down all the way to 120.
Mr. Chamberlin, do you see any good reason for MLB to further
contract when the PDLs expire?
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Well, I don’t think I will necessarily have
the answer on that one. I think it was a tough time for our indus-
try when we experienced that contraction from 160 down to 120.
And, you know, one of the hardest parts of it was seeing a few af-
filiated baseball leave 40 markets. There were certainly some rea-
sons for who stayed and who didn’t go. The way I would answer
your question, even in those markets that lost baseball, what you
see is that baseball is coming back in some way, shape, or form.
And I think that is a testament to what this sport can do. It will
find a way, and that is a great thing for communities just to keep
it in some way, shape, or form.
Mr. MCGARVEY. Mr. Chairman, my time has expired. Thank
you.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. McGarvey.
I now recognize Mr. Wied from the great state of Wisconsin for
5 minutes.
Mr. WIED. Thank you, Chairman Jack, and to all of the wit-
nesses for testifying before us today.
When many of us think of baseball, we think of playing at the
local sandlot as kids or of our favorite major league player. How-
ever, for tens of millions of Americans, Minor League Baseball is
the most accessible way to watch professional baseball. Families
can watch professional athletes play America’s pastime at a more
affordable price in their local community without having to drive
several hours to a major city.
My district, I am honored to represent Wisconsin’s Eighth Con-
gressional District, is home to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Dur-
ing the Minor League Baseball season, thousands of fans gather to
watch the Timber Rattlers play at their home stadium in Appleton.
This creates an environment for small businesses to thrive, wheth-
er a local restaurant or landscaping company, a facility mainte-
nance company, or even the team itself, minor league teams across
our nation foster hundreds of millions of dollars of investment for
their local economy.
So, Mr. Battle, earlier this year, your company, Diamond Sports
Holding, purchased the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from my good

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friend Craig Dickman. Thank you very much for investing and be-
lieving in Northeast Wisconsin. What does your company take into
consideration when making decisions to add another team to its
portfolio?
Mr. BATTLE. Yeah, great, great question. Thank you for that.
And we are very excited to be in Appleton and to now be the proud
owner of the Timber Rattlers. I was recently there. I am sorry that
I missed you, but I was there 2 weeks ago and sat with Craig
Dickman and we talked about, you know, through the game, all the
way through the fireworks show at the end of the game, just what
a great job that they did a the previous owners, the investment
that they made in the stadium, the investment that they made in
the locker room that have made, you know, this.
So when we look at a team, we are looking at the community,
we are looking at the team that runs—we are looking at the team
on the ground, the general manager and the staff. We are looking
at the support of the fans in the community and the opportunity
to grow. So we look at all of the factors. But, you know, we are—
I mean, when we started this 4 years ago, I never thought that we
would own 44 baseball teams. It has just happened a lot faster
than we ever imagined that it could.
And you know, I would also say that, you know, with, with Reid
and Joe, we are all in this together. You know, Reid owns his team,
Joe owns his teams, we own our teams, but we celebrate each
other. And Minor League Baseball is about, you know, how do we
work together, how do we share best practices? If Reid or Joe are
doing something that work, you can bet that the next game we are
going to copy it and we are going to be looking at that as well. And
so we look at every community, but we also work together across
all of the ownership groups to make sure that we can take and
learn and apply best practices.
Mr. WIED. One of the other things that everyone notices is, you
know, the community partnerships that you all do, developing that
and helping out in the community is so invaluable for our town for
sure. What efforts has your company undertaken to support, you
know, its minor league team, I mean, of the Appleton area and the
development with the community?
Mr. BATTLE. Well, we have only owned the Timber Rattlers for
about a month, so, you know, more to come on that. But, you know,
as we think about investing in the communities, whether it is
through advanced technology—you know, one of the things that we
are trying to do is to provide a major league experience to minor
league fans. And as you think about, you know, when you go to a
big league ballpark and the grab-and-go and all of the technology
that exists, if we can invest in that infrastructure and provide that
to our teams, to our stadiums, and to our fans, it only enhances
the experience. And so that those are the kinds of—in addition to
the investment in infrastructure and real estate and stadium im-
provements that we make, but how can we invest in technology
and other things that only enhance the experience of the fans?
Mr. WIED. Thank you. Mr. Ciampi, it is great to see businesses
being, you know, a part of the Minor League Baseball and, obvi-
ously, I love your passion. I was ready to go play some baseball
after listening to you there. But how does having a minor league

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team in your hometown, how does that impact your business in the
community at large from your perspective?
Mr. CIAMPI. Another good example of the way that the Scran-
ton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders impacts the business is that they do a
lot of things for the youth groups. So the Little Leaguers will come
up and they will go position by position, and when the RailRiders
get announced, they run onto the field with the players to their po-
sition. What could be better than that? And like I alluded to before,
bringing the kids up there to volunteer, to help the community a
little bit, the people a little less fortunate than them. That is what
I love about Minor League Baseball.
Mr. WIED. Very good. Again, thank you all. And I yield back.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Wied.
I now recognize Mrs. McIver from New Jersey for 5 minutes.
Mrs. MCIVER. Thank you so much, Chairman and Ranking
Member, for convening this hearing. And thank you to our wit-
nesses for being here today.
Minor League Baseball teams play a critical role in connecting
communities, supporting local businesses, and preserving the cul-
tural fabric of cities across America. Minor league teams such as
New Jersey’s own Sussex County Miners, Somerset Patriots, and
the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, just to name a few, have played just
as important a role in families developing lifelong memories at
their games as their major league counterparts. It is essential that
federal policies create an environment where these teams and the
small businesses that rely on them can thrive. These teams and
the bustling small businesses that grow around them represent
jobs and community pride. They deserve our support and partner-
ship.
With that being said, I have one question to the entire panel. We
have seen that smaller, independent, and affiliated minor league
teams often struggle with access to capital, particularly when com-
pared to their major league counterparts. What traditional financ-
ing strategies do minor league teams currently use for funding, and
how can these funding streams be improved?
Mr. RYAN. I will jump on that. So we have always had a portion
of private money that has been part of our municipal deal with the
local municipality and our portion of the capital. And we have al-
ways used a local bank, just community banks. And we have car-
ried bank debt, you know, as any other business would on our
teams. And so I think, as everyone here has said, you know, wheth-
er it is Value Bank in Corpus Christi or our bank in Round Rock,
we always try to find a local banking partner to be affiliated with
and to actually keep the money in the community.
Mrs. MCIVER. Thank you so much for that.
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Yeah, I would agree with that. In West
Michigan, our naming rights partner is Lake Michigan Credit
Union, and they also happen to be our lending partner. We are a
little bit unique in that we own the team in addition to owning the
ballpark and the real estate. So in a way, we own our own house
and have always been able to leverage that house to help get
projects done.
We are at a unique place right now where we are 30-some years
in and working on an infrastructure project that could be upwards

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of $65 million when all is said and done. So I am working on very
pragmatic and practical economic development solutions at the
state level to help privately owned venues get those sorts of
projects done, especially if they spur value-added economic develop-
ment. So I think it is a really important topic, and thank you for
the question.
Mrs. MCIVER. Thank you. Thank you so much for that. Anybody
else care to chime in?
Well, I just want to thank each of you for being here. And I will
say this has been one of, in my time in Congress, one of the most
joyful Committee hearings that I have been in since I have been
here. So thank you all so much for coming here and being with us
today.
With that, I yield.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Ms. McIver.
I now recognize Mr. Patronis from the great state of Florida for
5 minutes.
Mr. PATRONIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, you know, Mr.
Chairman, thank you very much for doing this. Thank you to the
Clingstones for breaking the Wahoos’ 11-game losing streak, 9 to
2. A little bit of bragging rights for the Wahoos.
But, you know, this isn’t about me. This is about this guy sitting
on the front row, my son Theo. I was a horrible athlete in school.
I never understood what coordination was. But now my life is con-
trolled by his baseball and where we go and what we do in our
schedule. And he is eat up with it. And however you are commu-
nicating to this generation, you know, he is definitely—he is an ex-
cited part and consumer of the sport, the products, the support, the
fanfare. And it keeps him out of trouble. It keeps him out of trou-
ble.
So I really appreciate, you know, Coach, you giving the flexibility
to the Ranking Member—I mean, the Chairman, in order—the
Sub-Chairman to be able to pull this off and to be able to let us
have this opportunity to kind of just talk about something that is
not as really much of a partisan issue, but it is a great way to put
aside our differences and talk about what I think is the exciting
part is the economic development. So I am a hospitality guy at
heart.
And, you know, and then you get those fights. It is kind of like
an open question. We get those fights in our community. Years ago,
we tried to recruit the Sand Gnats to my hometown. And so then
you get the finger-pointing because there was bad tax dollars and
all these different ways, you have the way to bring in resources to
bring this in for a landing. And so now I am in Congress. The Wa-
hoos is part of my district over in Pensacola, and I am excited. But,
you know, again, being able to take that opportunity of that invest-
ment, that commitment to be in Pensacola, other suggestions how
we take it to the next level in order to encourage more economic
opportunity, we try to be versatile with the facility to do other
things with it. But, you know, I got a bunch of experts sitting in
the room. I would love to hear what else I should be, you know,
advocating for in this position to help my support at home. Thank
you, Mr. Chairman.

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Mr. RYAN. Well, I will jump in there because our company, one
of the things I didn’t mention is we also do strategic hospitality for
several teams around the country, including Beloit and Pensacola
with Quint Studer. And so I will be in Pensacola in a couple of
weeks. And we have done—as you know, Quint is very involved. He
is the owner of the Wahoos along with Bubba Watson, and they are
very involved local communities. So we cater a lot of events out of
that stadium. And then we had the football team playing there
until they got their new stadium. But he does a lot of stuff with,
you know, concerts in the facility. In fact, he put artificial turf in
because he was running so many community events on the field.
And so our staff there works 365 for Quint and the local ownership
group to service the community.
Mr. CIAMPI. So I will jump in with a story. Surprise. My wife
never wants to go to a game. I am not sure if she doesn’t like base-
ball or she doesn’t want to go with me. So one night a bunch of
years ago, you know, we are in Scranton, and they had the office
party up at PNC Field. And, you know, I had access to the suite,
but I figured my wife wouldn’t want to go. Well, let me tell you,
she wanted to go, and I was in big trouble when she found out that
night. So you could arrange some events, like an office party, up
at your field, the wives are going to want to go, so.
Mr. RYAN. Sounds good.
Mr. PATRONIS. Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you for indulging
us, to allow us to have this open dialogue. Again, just I think you
are all sensitive to it, but there’s young guys like—well, stand up,
Theo, let everybody see you. He was texting me, wanting to know
if he could get pictures of the mascots. I told him of course he
could. So, anyway, I’m just going to let the mascots know he is
going to get some selfies before he takes off. Anyway, it is just real-
ly cool. Thank you all for doing this.
Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Patronis. I now recognize my
colleague, Ms. Simon from California, for 5 minutes.
Ms. SIMON. We have smiled more in this hearing than I have
seen smiles in the last 5 months that I have been in Congress.
Thank you all so much for being here.
And if you would have told me 2 years ago that I would be in
the Small Business Committee in Congress or talking about base-
ball with a big old smile, I would not have believed you. But, but,
I am from the city of Oakland, and you know who I am going to
talk about. I am going to talk about the Oakland Ballers. I am sure
you are familiar, and if you are not, I actually want to tell you a
little bit about the origin story.
Three guys I met less than 2 years ago, one from tech, one from
show business, the other guy is just a smart business nerd, they
used their own money. They did town and gown. They called folks
in government, community organizers, folks from culture. And they
said, we have this idea that we want to bring Minor League Base-
ball to West Oakland, which is a Black community that has been
under-resourced. And now we have an exhilarating community that
is just—it is so incredible. The Oakland Ballers is more than a
sports team. They have literally become a catalyst. They are com-
munity builders, much like you all. And it is so exciting to actually

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talk about something that we can all say yes to, America and base-
ball and apple pie and literally some good politics.
In their first season, the Ballers brought nearly 100,000 fans to
Raimondi Park, a baseball field that was literally in disrepair. No
one could practice or even go on the field. They spent literally tens
of thousands of dollars in the first 6 months, engaging community
and figuring out a way forward. Like many of you have done, going
to city council meetings and talking to planning commissions and,
again, figuring what is in your savings and drawing down from
your 401(k)’s. Baller founders, we see you.
The park is now used for Little League championships, high
school tournaments, and movie nights, which none of us could have
thought possible. This kind of community investment breathes new
life into neighborhoods. It has created opportunities for local small
businesses and has built something that my city so desperately has
needed: community pride.
The team is now community-driven and fan-owned, like we have
talked about today. They have raised $3 million from over 4,000
fan investors, including Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Go
Green Day, and hip-hop and Oakland native superstar Too Short.
You wouldn’t have thought about that, right? This community-driv-
en model, its ownership model, continues to challenge the notion
that communities can’t come together particularly to support minor
baseball. In Oakland, we have. We are giving fans an opportunity
to have real voice in community entrepreneurship, but also just a
good old time.
I know very little about baseball, but I love to dance with the
mascots, eat hot dogs. Minor League Baseball games, if you haven’t
been, it is some of the best times that you will ever have. Right?
Exactly. Good music, good people. And again, folks, regardless if
you are red or blue, we come and we want our teams to win. And
it is just an amazing experience.
Oakland’s past is rich with championship teams, as you all know,
but in recent years we have seen professional teams move away
from our community. The Ballers, those three guys, 4,000 sub-own-
ers, came in together to preserve baseball and provide a safe and
affordable and fun gathering space for residents.
I can talk on and on about the Ballers because you can tell that
I am so blessed that we have again the entrepreneurship spirit
here that we are seeing on this panel in our community. But I have
learned a lot, you know, watching the Ballers work, watching them
work with communities.
And Mr. Chamberlin, I have just a quick question for you. You
talked about, again, the innovation opportunities in communities
when Minor League Baseball comes into town, to community. What
are some of the lessons that folks can take away from this commu-
nity-centered model of Minor League Baseball and how they can
better support small businesses? We talked a little bit about this
today, but a couple of lessons that, that we can take on.
Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Yeah, I would—thank you for the question.
And I don’t know a lot about the Ballers, but I have read a little
bit and it is an incredibly cool story and it is a great example of
organic baseball finding a way to survive in a market that is truly
an incredible baseball market. For us, being a very community-cen-

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tric team, I think it starts with truly just being a place where ev-
eryone wants to be. We don’t view LMCU Ballpark as our ballpark.
We view it as the community’s ballpark.
And, again, I don’t want to go back to the same story I already
told, but, you know, when you have a tragedy like the fire that we
had in 2014 and literally have season ticketholders coming to do-
nate to the rebuild, you know that you have struck a chord in the
community. And if I would offer any advice to your district and to
Oakland, it would be, hey, they have struck fire and let’s help them
be successful because they have proven that they have got some-
thing that can work and with some community support it is going
to be an incredible thing.
Ms. SIMON. Thank you. My time is up and I yield back. Thank
you all for being here today.
Chairman JACK. Well, thank you, Ms. Simon. And I appreciate
you mentioning the Ballers. They play in the Pioneer League,
which features quite a few teams from the great state of Montana.
So I now recognize Mr. Downing from the great state of Montana
for 5 minutes.
Mr. DOWNING. Thank you, Chairman Jack, and thank you to
the witnesses being here today. I just want to say I am looking for-
ward tomorrow to participating in this nation’s great pastime as we
see the congressional baseball team once again dominate on the Re-
publican side with the leadership of Skip—I mean, Chairman Wil-
liams here. So looking forward to that.
And just one thing I want to, you know, suggest to the witnesses,
if you have any scouts, pay close attention. If you are looking for
a new shortstop, give me a call.
So back in my home district of Central and Eastern Montana, we
have no local Major League Baseball sports teams. For context, the
nearest Major League Baseball stadium, the Colorado Rockies’
Coors Field is 550 miles away from Billings. Minor League Base-
ball is our only opportunity to take our families out to the ballpark
to watch a professional baseball team.
I am going to start with Mr. Battle. Your company, Diamond
Baseball Holdings, operates over 40 teams across the country, in-
cluding in small cities in middle America, like Des Moines, Omaha,
Wichita. Can you speak to the important role that Minor League
Baseball plays in bringing professional sports league locations in
middle America that are overlooked by major sports leagues?.
Mr. BATTLE. No, it is a great question. And I think that that
is, you know, one of the, you know, the real benefit to Minor
League Baseball is to bring life to those communities. We talked
about the centers of energy that those stadiums represent. And I
can’t remember if Reid or Joe talked about it, you know, we rep-
resent affiliated Minor League Baseball teams, and there are 120
of those. But there are so many different leagues, like the Ballers
that we just talked about, so many different leagues and so any
minor league professional teams that are playing in communities
around the country and they are equally important in terms of the
impact that they have on their communities and bringing the com-
munities together.

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Mr. DOWNING. Well, can you speak to that? How do minor
league teams that you operate engage with local schools, with
youth baseball teams to promote the sport?
Mr. BATTLE. Yeah. Again, great question. And you know I can’t
say that this is across the board, but, you know, if you go to a typ-
ical Minor League Baseball game there is probably a youth group
from a local church or a local school that is singing the National
Anthem. There are, you know, every night teachers are honored,
veterans are honored, and the opportunity to bring the stadium to
the community and the community to the stadium is extremely im-
portant. And, you know, I think that in many cases they are one
and the same and they really do work together. And that is how,
you know, our teams are trying to promote that in each local mar-
ket.
Mr. DOWNING. And so how do you not just entrench each team
in their local communities, but build out the relationships with,
you know, local businesses, with fans? How are you doing now?
Mr. BATTLE. Yeah. We have, you know, great staffs on the
ground that I have talked about. In many cases, I mentioned the
example earlier in, you know, one of our communities that up to
31 full-time employees, 26 started as interns, and there is just a
passion. You know, one of the things that I have always loved, even
in the time that I spent in the college space, I have always loved
the passion of the employees in Minor League Baseball. It is just
different. You know, it is not easy.
You know, if you are in the pro leagues, there are a lot of in-
bound calls. In the minor leagues, you have to go out into the com-
munity. You are going into the local businesses, into the schools,
into the churches, and you are engaging with the local citizens, and
that is what it is all about. And so in all of our teams we have a
general manager, we have a ticket seller, we have sponsorship sell-
ers, we have people that operate the park.
One of the other things about Minor League Baseball employees
that is so amazing is they, in many cases, wear four or five hats.
They could be selling tickets during the day and pulling tarp at
night when it rains or behind the concession stand. And there is
just an esprit de corps at Minor League Baseball that is very spe-
cial.
Mr. DOWNING. Before I run out of time I have got to change
hats too. So here you go. So Montana is home and I have got a lit-
tle swag here, the Billings Mustangs. Montana is home to five
Minor League Baseball teams, including the Billings Mustangs in
my home district. The Mustangs provide affordable family-friendly
entertainment throughout the summer, attracting over 105,000
fans annually to Dehler Park.
So Mr. Battle or Mr. Ryan, in your respective roles you have ex-
perienced running minor league teams in small or medium mar-
kets. What have you found works best in keeping fans engaged and
bringing them back to the ballpark throughout the season? I will
start with Mr. Ryan.
Mr. RYAN. Yeah. I think the promotions that we talked about
earlier is always fun to have those things. But also, it is knowing
the history of the club. I think, you know, some of the people in
Billings, they were Reds-affiliated forever, had had so many of

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those guys go to the major league, ,start their pro career in Bil-
lings. And people build deep relationships with those players and
they keep them for a lifetime. And so I think just the game itself
is and will always be the draw because it brings people together.
Mr. DOWNING. Outstanding. Unfortunately, I have run out of
time, so we will get back to you. And Mr. Chairman, I yield.
Chairman JACK. Thank you very much.
And I now recognize my good friend, Mr. Addison McDowell from
North Carolina for 5 minutes.
Mr. MCDOWELL. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank
you, also, to the witnesses for being here today.
I want to talk a little bit about what Minor League Baseball
meant to me. As someone that grew up right around the Winston-
Salem Warthogs, which has since become the Winston-Salem Dash
that is owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings. And some of my most
favorite memories with my dad are going to watch the Warthogs
as a kid. And I have passed the Winston-Salem Dash stadium
every day after church. And my two year old, I ask her every Sun-
day, would you like to go see a baseball game with Daddy? She
says no every single week. But eventually, she is going to say yes.
I am going to carry that tradition on with my children.
And so I am grateful to each of you for the role that you play
in Minor and Major League Baseball and baseball in general. Be-
cause what you do doesn’t just spur economic growth. It spurs
memories with fathers and sons and fathers and daughters and
mothers and sons and mothers and daughters. And that is a great
thing. And that is exactly why we have seen today in this Com-
mittee folks say things like this is the happiest committee I have
been in in Congress. And it is not just because there is mascots sit-
ting in here, which is a first for me, but it is because sports bring
people together in a way that very few, if any things do. And I
wanted to begin with that. And I am grateful for what you all do
in creating memories for the families. It means a lot.
But, Mr. Battle, how would you say that—you know, you touched
on the Charlotte Knights, which I have actually been to the Winter
Wonderland in Charlotte with my family. But what are some of—
outside of that, what are some of the more creative promotional
campaigns that you have seen these teams do in small- to medium-
sized cities and towns that really foster community engagement?
Mr. BATTLE. Yeah. It is a great question, and I am sure the oth-
ers can answer that as well. And hopefully, one of the great pro-
motions that we will run soon is your daughter can either sing the
National Anthem at a game or throw out the first pitch. We would
love to have that at the Dash game. Maybe that will entice her to
go.
But, yes, as we have talked about a lot today, you know, there
are so many promotions that are fun. You know, one of the things
that I have just seen recently that I love and want to amplify
across, you know, so many of our communities is in Dayton, Ohio,
the Dayton Dragons, which is one of the great stories in Minor
League Baseball. They had a campaign called Celebrate Dayton.
And, you know, three or four times a week they are celebrating,
again, teachers, veterans, kids K through 5 that make good grades,

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whatever gives them a reason to celebrate the community. And,
you know, a lot of people have touched on this today.
I mean, this is the opportunity that we have and what Minor
League Baseball represented. It is the opportunity to bring citizens
together and businesses together and to make it work. And so, you
know, there are so many—one of the things I love about Minor
League Baseball, to your point, is that there are so many crazy pro-
motions that you couldn’t run in the pro leagues, you know, what-
ever it is. Ranking Member Scholten talked about some of the, you
know, funny promotions that are running. Every night in a minor
league ballpark those are happening. And everybody enjoys it and
it is fun and it is one of the things that makes Minor League Base-
ball so unique and special.
Mr. MCDOWELL. Thank you. Mr. Ryan, you were with the
Astros when you secured the major league affiliate for the Fayette-
ville Woodpeckers. And I touched on my dad there earlier. My dad
was actually the PA announcer for the Woodpeckers when they
came to Fayetteville, which is not in my district, but it is in my
home state. And I am curious, can you touch on how having the
backing of a major league team impacts both the success of the
team and then by extension the economic development in the sur-
rounding community?
Mr. RYAN. Yeah. So, one of the things that happened was that
Major League Baseball put a mandate out that we had to bring all
of these facilities up to a certain standard, which was a really good
thing. And that forced operators like those at the table, especially
Diamond Baseball because they have so many teams, but also the
major league affiliates to make decisions on where they wanted
their long-term home to be and finding out could they partner with
the community.
And so I went all over North Carolina, who wanted to be in that
league. We really fell in love with the Fayetteville area because,
you know, once again, there wasn’t anything to do at night. We
heard a lot of the guys on base got in trouble and the local commu-
nity wanted something not just for the families, but for them as
well. And it has been a big success. And, you know, it has been
neat to see that part of downtown which has so much history actu-
ally develop and get people down there. And they have the Special
Forces Museum and everything right there.
So, yeah, if it wouldn’t have been for the Astros ownership and
the Texas Rangers because they now are in one of the new Dia-
mond Baseball facilities in the Southeast, as well buying those
clubs and making that move, it would have never happened. So, it
was basically from the top to the bottom.
Mr. MCDOWELL. Got it. Well, Mr. Chairman, my time has ex-
pired.
Chairman JACK. Well, thank you very much, Mr. McDowell,
and, again, thank you for waving on today.
I will now recognize our Ranking Member, Ms. Scholten, for brief
closing remarks.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. And brief-
ly, just to conclude and thank you to all of our witnesses for coming
here today to elevate the importance of Minor League Baseball.
Your work in our community really serves to strengthen the small

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business economies that surround them and bring our communities
together. Play ball.
Chairman JACK. Thank you very much.
I will now recognize the Chairman of our full Committee, Chair-
man Roger Williams, for brief closing remarks.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Well, I want to thank all of you for being
here. This has been great. You know, we talk about stories. Base-
ball is one of the—is the only sport, actually, that has stories. I
would venture to say you could ask anybody in this room and ev-
erybody will have a baseball story. Not everybody is going to have
a football story or a basketball story, but they got a baseball story,
and we have heard that. And that is what makes it special.
Also, I am always remembering that baseball, you know, you go
back—well, right now we have got—we see what is happening in
Los Angeles today. It is a mess. But we are also talking about the
Congressional Baseball Game tomorrow. You go back to World War
I, baseball drew us out of World War I. Baseball kept going in
World War II. Baseball and President Bush kept us going on 9-11.
So, that is the kind of sport it is. It is the American sport and no
other sport has got that.
And then the other thing I always remind people, baseball is the
only sport that has a play in it called the sacrifice. And that is
what America is about.
So, I am glad to have all of you here and see my friends. Baseball
is the greatest game. It is the hardest thing to do. Of course, your
dad is in the Hall of Fame. He was a pitcher. But going in the Hall
of Fame, you got to fail 70 percent of the time, don’t you? What
other business allows you to fail 70 percent of the time and you go
to the Hall of Fame? That is because hitting a round ball with a
round bat and hitting it square is the hardest thing to do.
So, anyway, I want to thank you all for being here. It has been
a great hearing. You may be in trouble. We may make this an an-
nual event.
Chairman JACK. Without objection. Thank you to Ranking Mem-
ber Scholten and Chairman Williams and each Member of this
Subcommittee for your questions. And thank you to our witnesses
for your testimony today.
Without objection, Members have 5 legislative days to submit ad-
ditional materials or written questions for the witnesses to the
Chairman, which will be forwarded to the witnesses. I ask the wit-
nesses to please respond promptly.
Thirty minutes after we adjourn, we will host a reception in this
room honoring America’s pastime. The reception will feature three
beloved mascots in costume behind you today: Fuzzy from the Co-
lumbus Clingstones, Buddy Bat from the Louisville Bats, and Gus
from the Fredericksburg Nationals. The reception will also feature
autograph stations with former major leagues Jim Sundberg and
Larry Hardy, baseball coach Johnny Watson, and our Chairman
Roger Williams. Baseball souvenirs and ballpark food will be pro-
vided, and all are welcome to attend.
Thank you to our incredible staff, led by Staff Director Lauren
Holmes, for helping produce today’s hearing and reception. We
hope to see all of you at the Congressional Baseball Game tomor-
row night.

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And if there is no further business, without objection, this Sub-
committee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:09 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

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APPENDIX

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