BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Owners of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Friday announced they have entered into an agreement to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH). New York City–based DBH is a company that owns and operates select minor-leaguebaseball clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB), per the team’s Friday announcement, which didn’t include […]
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Owners of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Friday announced they have entered into an agreement to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH). New York City–based DBH is a company that owns and operates select minor-leaguebaseball clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB), per the team’s Friday announcement, which didn’t include any financial details of the sale.
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are the Double-A minor-league affiliate of MLB’s New York Mets.
Besides the sale, the Rumble Ponies also announced that Richard Tylicki will continue on as the club’s general manager (GM). Tylicki — a long-time member of the Rumble Ponies front office — has served as acting GM since last November,
David Sobotka, current president of the Rumble Ponies, and Karen Sobotka, current VP, will remain in their positions throughout the transition.
“Owning the Rumble Ponies has been a dream come true for us, but the real reward has been seeing firsthand its impact on the Binghamton community,” David Sobotka said in the announcement. “Keeping the team in Binghamton was a priority when we bought the team, and we are confident that DBH, based on their reputation for investing in communities like Binghamton, will ensure that the minor league baseball experience will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.”
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies will continue playing at Mirabito Stadium, located at 211 Henry St. in Binghamton, as all front-office staff remain in place. The stadium seats about 6,000.
“At its best, minor league baseball fully embodies and reflects the culture and local identity of the community it’s played in, and that is exactly what ownership and the front office staff here have done so successfully in Binghamton,” Pat Battle and Peter Freund, executive chairman and CEO of DBH, respectively, said in the Rumble Ponies announcement. “We are thrilled to have a supportive partner in the New York Mets, and we are steadfast in our commitment to the city of Binghamton and Rumble Ponies fans to ensure professional baseball — and much more — will be enjoyed at Mirabito Stadium for many years.”