by Charlie O. Mallonee
Major leadership transition announced
The Oakland Athletics announced on Thursday a major leadership change will be taking place within the organization. Managing partner Lew Wolff will become Chairman Emeritus and majority owner John Fisher will become the managing partner. This management/ownership change was approved by the MLB owners in Chicago today. Wolff will sell most of his shares of the team to the remaining owners with the exception of a small stake.
“It has been an honor serving as Managing Partner and I thank our fans, staff, and players for the opportunity I’ve had to lead this great organization,” said Wolff. “John and I have talked in great length about the future of this club and I am ready to pass the reins to him.”
“I want to thank Lew for his leadership over the last 11 years,” said Fisher. “His initiative and love of the game of baseball brought my family to the A’s, and we would not be involved without him. Lew has given the organization all of his energy and experience for the last 11 years and I look forward to a new chapter in our working relationship and friendship. It is a privilege for me to steward the A’s at this important moment for the franchise.”
There will also be a new club president
A’s president Michael Crowley will also be stepping down from his position and to become a senior advisor to the ownership group. Crowley has been the club president since 1998.
Dave Kaval will replace Crowley as president of the Athletics. Kaval is currently the president of the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. The Earthquakes built the $100-million privately financed Avaya Stadium which opened in March of 2015.
Kaval also has a baseball background. He was the founder of the independent Golden Baseball League in 2003.
What does this mean for the A’s
The first major change is the managing partner will be based in the Bay Area and not in Southern California where Wolff bases his business efforts. Fisher is San Francisco based and Bay Area connected. He is also 25-years younger than Wolff, so there may also be a higher energy level.
Since the A’s are in desperate need of a new stadium and that effort is still at square one, a new, younger ownership voice with Bay Area ties may be helpful in moving the project forward. Fisher is also involved in the financial world and may be able to attract local, private investment in a stadium project.
Kaval’s experience in seeing the Avaya Stadium project through to completion has to bring a fresh perspective to Athletics’ stadium push. With Kaval in the president’s office, there may well be some other changes particularly on the business side of the organization.
* some of the information used in this report was supplied by the Oakland Athletics
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