Ken Babby has already been working out of his Canal Park office for eight days as the new owner of the Aeros, but he’ll make it official today when he meets the media and selected suite and season-ticket holders at a news conference at the ballpark at noon.
Babby will discuss new amenities and stadium updates that Aeros fans can look forward to as early as next season. He’s also expected to announce, along with Tribe farm director Ross Atkins, a player development contract with the Indians to keep the Aeros an Indians Double-A affiliate for at least four more years.
“The Indians are responsible for what goes on on the field,” said Babby, who served as the chief revenue officer and general manager of digital at the Washington Post before he left the paper earlier this year after 12 years to pursue his dream of owning a baseball team. “But we’re producing the product around it, everything from food to ticketing, marketing to experience and family engagement to social.”
While meeting with select members of the Beacon Journal last week, Babby, 32, outlined a little bit of the big-picture plans that he’ll expound on more today.
“I’ve been in and around sports my entire life,” he said, referring to growing up with a sports agent for a father. Lon Babby now serves as the president of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. “I’ve had a very unique opportunity to see the inner organization of how fans relate to sports.”
In order to immerse himself in making the Aeros more of an integral part of the community, Babby made the commitment to live in Akron full time.
“This is a great community. I’m learning more about it every day,” Babby said. “I have moved here, so Akron is home now.”
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Aeros blog at http://www.ohio.com/aeros. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SStormABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
