Hardball Capital
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Industry | Sports management |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006; 20 years ago (2006) |
| Founder | Jason Freier |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | https://www.hardballcapital.com/ |
Hardball Capital is an American sports ownership and management company, which owns several Minor League Baseball teams.
Jason Freier is the chairman and Chief executive officer of Hardball Capital, which is based in Atlanta.[1]
On February 20, 2006, Hardball Capital purchased the Fort Wayne Wizards.[2] Following the 2008 season, the Wizards were renamed to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, in reference to Johnny Appleseed who lived in Fort Wayne and was buried in the city.[2][3]
In July 2006, Hardball Capital purchased the Salem Avalanche.[4] The team was bought for $8 million from Kelvin Bowles who had owned the team for 20 years.[5] In December 2007, Hardball sold the team to Fenway Sports Group.[6]
On March 20, 2008, Hardball Capital purchased the Savannah Sand Gnats of the South Atlantic League.[7][8][9] In August 2015, Hardball moved the Savannah Sand Gnats to Columbia, South Carolina and they became the Columbia Fireflies and moved to the Carolina League.[10]
In March 2015, Hardball purchased the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Double-A (baseball) Southern League.[11] There were over 15 members of the ownership group.
Sports properties
| Team | League | Year acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Lookouts[12] | Southern League (Double-A) | 2015 | |
| Columbia Fireflies | Carolina League (Single-A) | 2015 | Rebranded from Savannah Sand Gnats |
| Fort Wayne TinCaps | Midwest League (High-A) | 2006 |
| Team | League | Years owned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Avalanche[4] | Carolina League (Class A-Advanced) | 2006-2007[6] | Sold to Fenway Sports Group |
| Savannah Sand Gnats[8] | South Atlantic League (Class A) | 2008-2015 | Became the Columbia Fireflies |
References
- ↑ "Jason Freier | ALSD". www.alsd.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- 1 2 "Fort Wayne Franchise History". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Caputo, Paul (2015-01-10). "The Apple of Our Eye: The Story Behind the Fort Wayne TinCaps". Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- 1 2 "Lawyer, company to buy second baseball team". Law.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Anderson, Robert (2025-08-29). "Salem honors 'the savior of baseball' in the Roanoke Valley". Cardinal News. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- 1 2 Bauer, A. J. "Fenway Sports Group gets minor league team". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Manasso, John (2008-03-20). "Savannah Sand Gnats sold to Hardball Capital - Atlanta Business Chronicle". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- 1 2 "Gnats announce ownership change". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Dominitz, Nathan. "Sand Gnats to change ownership". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ "New for 2016: Columbia Fireflies | Ballpark Digest". 2015-08-04. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ "Group Completes Purchase of Chattanooga Lookouts". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ "Freier, locals close on Lookouts purchase | Ballpark Digest". Baseball Digest. 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2026-02-07.