Latest news with #KenBabby
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WATCH Action Sports Jax's Storytellers of the 904: Former Jacksonville Suns owner Pedro Bragan Jr.
If you think about baseball in Jacksonville, then the Bragan family name has to be top of mind. The boys from Birmingham, Alabama, rejuvenated minor league baseball in Jacksonville for over four decades before giving way to the current owner of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Ken Babby. Advertisement The new name still doesn't sit well with Pedro Bragan, Jr. but he also never imagined he would receive such a handsome sum of money to sell the Jacksonville Suns back in 2015. Bragan shares the journey of the early days when his family was operating in the red. He talks about the transition from Wolfson Park to the Baseball Grounds and why it was the right time to sell the team when he did. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Bragan has stories for days and a wonderful way of telling them. You can watch the full episode in the video player above. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rays begin ‘exclusive discussions' to possibly sell team to group led by Florida developer
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly in the process of finding a new buyer for the team. A report by Sportico cited multiple unnamed sources that the Rays were negotiating a deal to sell the team to a group led by home developer and UF Board of Trustees member, Patrick Zalupski of Ponte Vedra Beach. Advertisement In a statement to WFLA News Channel 8, the Rays confirmed the negotiations. 'The Tampa Bay Rays announced that the team has recently commenced exclusive discussions with a group led by Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, Ken Babby and prominent Tampa Bay investors concerning a possible sale of the team. Neither the Rays nor the group will have further comment during the discussions.' Video above: What's next for St. Pete after Rays pull stadium deal? This came after the Rays' deal to build a new stadium at Tropicana Field and help redevelop the Gas Plant District fell through due to the damage caused by Hurricane Milton. During the hurricane, the current stadium's roof was torn by high-speed winds that left devastation on the Rays' home base. Advertisement As a result, the Rays moved to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to play during the 2025 season. According to St. Petersburg and county spokespeople, the Rays did not speak to them about the sale. 'It definitely appears that if the sale goes through that the Rays will be in Tampa Bay for the long term,' said Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala. 'Today is definitely a good day for Rays fans.' Latvala admits to being critical of the current Rays ownership because of how Latvala said they conducted themselves after the hurricane and who they blamed and what they were trying to get after the hurricane. He says it's all in the past now. Advertisement 'But I think also there should be credit to Mr. Sternberg for, you know, if he goes through with the sale, and selling the team to folks that will keep it in Tampa Bay,' Latvala said. Fans at Steinbrenner Field Wednesday said they don't want to see the team leave the area. 'The best move is to build a new stadium in Tampa where we feel like people will come,' said Dori Simpson, a Rays fan. Latvala said he would be open to revising a stadium deal with new owners. 'I think it's really up to the new owners where they want the stadium,' Latvala said. 'From what I've heard, it's probably on the Tampa side. I don't want to speak for them.' Advertisement He said he would ask whoever became the new owners to care about the Tampa Bay community. This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Tampa Bay Rays are in advanced talks to sell team
The Tampa Bay Rays are in advanced talks to sell team A group of investors led by a Jacksonville developer is in exclusive talks to buy the Tampa Bay Rays, the team said Wednesday. In a two-sentence statement, the Rays said the team is discussing a possible sale with Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, Ken Babby 'and prominent Tampa Bay investors.' Advertisement Zalupski, 44, is the founder, president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes in Jacksonville. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida. 'Neither the Rays nor the group will have further comment during the discussions,' the statement concluded. The news comes at a critical time for the Rays, who were forced to play home games this season at the New York Yankees' spring training stadium in Tampa after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg last year. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Axios
18-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Tampa Bay Rays in talks to sell team
The Tampa Bay Rays are in discussions to sell the team, officials confirmed in a statement Wednesday. Why it matters: The potential sale raises more questions about the future of the team just a few months after plans to build a new stadium in downtown St. Petersburg fell apart. State of play: The discussions, first reported by Sportico, are with a group led by Patrick Zalupski, a Jacksonville home builder; Ken Babby, who owns the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp minor league baseball team; and Bill Cosgrove, the CEO of an Ohio-based mortgage firm. Unnamed "prominent Tampa Bay investors" are also part of the group, per the Rays' statement. "Neither the Rays nor the group will have further comment during the discussions," it goes on to say. The intrigue: The potential deal values the team at $1.7 billion, per the Sportico report. The sports business news outlet also reported that Zalupski had signed a letter of intent to buy the team. Current owner Stuart Sternberg bought the team in 2004 for $200 million. Between the lines: The stadium plan's unraveling put Sternberg at odds with local elected officials, making the odds of a deal revival appear slim to none.
Reuters
18-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Rays' owner discussing sale of team to Florida developer
June 18 - Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg is in talks to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based residential developer. Patrick Zalupski, a home builder in Jacksonville, was identified as the potential lead buyer in a deal that values the team at about $1.7 billion, according to a report Wednesday by Sportico. He already has executed a letter of intent to purchase the team, per the report. Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million. The Rays issued a statement responding to the report, confirming that the team has "recently commenced exclusive discussions with a group led by Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, Ken Babby and prominent Tampa Bay investors concerning a possible sale of the team." According to the Rays' statement, neither side will have further comment during the discussions. According to Zalupski's online bio, he is the founder, president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes. The company was founded in December 2008 and closed on 27 homes in Jacksonville the following year. Now, with an expanded footprint to many parts of the United States, Dream Finders has closed on more than 31,100 homes since its founding. He also is a member of the board of trustees at the University of Florida. A year ago, Sternberg had a deal in place to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District, a reimagined recreational, retail and residential district in St. Petersburg to replace Tropicana Field. However, after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays into temporary quarters, Sternberg's commitment has been less than resolute, saying the team would have to bear excess costs that were not in the budget. In March, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners began to privately push Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported. It is unclear what Zalupski's group, if it ultimately goes through with the purchase and is approved by MLB owners, would do for a permanent stadium. The Rays currently are playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, located at the site of the New York Yankees' spring training facility and home of their Single-A Tampa Tarpons. --Field Level Media
