“Beyond the Ballpark: The Role of Minor Leagues in Economic Growth”

1[House Hearing, 119 Congress]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34.           BEYOND THE BALLPARK: THE ROLE OF MINOR5                    LEAGUES IN ECONOMIC GROWTH67=======================================================================89                                HEARING1011                               BEFORE THE1213                      SUBCOMMITTEE ON INNOVATION,14              ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT1516                                 OF THE1718                      COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS19                             UNITED STATES20                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES2122                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2324                             FIRST SESSION2526                               __________2728                              HEARING HELD29                             JUNE 10, 20253031                               __________3233[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3435            Small Business Committee Document Number 119-01436             Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov3738                                __________3940                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE4160-589                     WASHINGTON : 20254243-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4445                   HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS4647                    ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas, Chairman48                        PETE STAUBER, Minnesota49                        DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania50                         BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas51                           JAKE ELLZEY, Texas52                         MARK ALFORD, Missouri53                         NICK LALOTA, New York54                        BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota55                          TONY WIED, Wisconsin56                      ROB BRESNAHAN, Pennsylvania57                          BRIAN JACK, Georgia58                         TROY DOWNING, Montana59             KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS, Northern Marina Islands60                         DEREK SCHMIDT, Kansas61                        JIMMY PATRONIS, Florida62               NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member63                       MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky64                       HILLARY SCHOLTEN, Michigan65                      LAMONICA MCIVER, New Jersey66                        GIL CISNEROS, California67                       KELLY MORRISON, Minnesota68                        GEORGE LATIMER, New York69                         DEREK TRAN, California70                       LATEEFAH SIMON, California71                       JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI, Maryland72                        HERB CONAWAY, New Jersey73                    MAGGIE GOODLANDER, New Hampshire7475                 Lauren Holmes, Majority Staff Director76                 Melissa Jung, Minority Staff Director7778                           C O N T E N T S7980                           OPENING STATEMENTS8182                                                                   Page83Hon. Brian Jack..................................................     184Hon. Hillary Scholten............................................     38586                               WITNESSES8788Mr. Pat Battle, Executive Chairman, Diamond Baseball Holdings,89  New York, NY...................................................     790Mr. Lou Ciampi Jr., President, Independent Graphics, Inc., West91  Wyoming, PA....................................................     892Mr. Reid Ryan, Owner/Chief Executive Officer Ryan Sanders93  Baseball, Round Rock Express Baseball Club, San Antonio94  Missions Baseball Club, New York, NY...........................    1095Mr. Joe Chamberlin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner,96  West Michigan Whitecaps, Traverse City Pit Spitters, Comstock97  Park, MI.......................................................    119899                                APPENDIX100101Prepared Statements:102    Mr. Pat Battle, Executive Chairman, Diamond Baseball103      Holdings, New York, NY.....................................    35104    Mr. Lou Ciampi Jr., President, Independent Graphics, Inc.,105      West Wyoming, PA...........................................    37106    Mr. Reid Ryan, Owner/Chief Executive Officer Ryan Sanders107      Baseball, Round Rock Express Baseball Club, San Antonio108      Missions Baseball Club, New York, NY.......................    39109    Mr. Joe Chamberlin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing110      Partner, West Michigan Whitecaps, Traverse City Pit111      Spitters, Comstock Park, MI................................    41112Questions for the Record:113    None.114Answers for the Record:115    None.116Additional Material for the Record:117    Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC)..........................    43118119  BEYOND THE BALLPARK: THE ROLE OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN ECONOMIC120                                 GROWTH121122                              ----------123124                         TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2025125126              House of Representatives,127               Committee on Small Business,128      Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship,129                                 and Workforce Development,130                                                    Washington, DC.131    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:29 p.m., in132Room 2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Brian Jack133[chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.134    Present: Representatives Jack, Wied, Bresnahan, Downing,135Patronis, Scholten, Simon, Olszewski, McGarvey, and McIver.136    Also Present: Representatives William, and McDowell.137    Chairman JACK. So, before we begin, as is customary for138this Committee, I will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and139an opening prayer. If you will stand with me. I pledge140allegiance to the Flag of the United States of American, and to141the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,142indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.143    ALL. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States144of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one145nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for146all.147    Chairman JACK. For those who wish to do so, will you please148take a moment to pray with me? Dear Heavenly Father, thank you149for bringing us here today, different people from different150places with different perspectives, united under something as151simple and fun as baseball. In a world so often divided, we are152grateful for moments like this where shared love for a game153reminds us of what we have in common. We humbly ask for your154blessing over our conversations today. May they be filled with155respect, openness, and a spirit of unity. Amen.156    Good afternoon, everyone. I now call the Small Business157Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce158Development to order. Without objection, the Chair is159authorized to declare a recess of the Committee at any time.160    Pursuant to Committee rules, I request unanimous consent161for Representative McDowell to wave onto this hearing for the162purpose of asking questions under the 5-minute rule. Without163objection, so ordered.164    I now recognize myself for my opening statement.165    Welcome, everyone, to today's hearing entitled ``Beyond the166Ballpark: The Role of Minor League Baseball and Economic167Growth.'' With the annual Congressional Baseball Game tomorrow,168Capitol Hill is abuzz about America's pastime. This is our169first hearing of the Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation,170Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, and I thank171Ranking Member Scholten for her partnership as we planned172today's discussion.173    This hearing is focused on the economic benefit Minor174League Baseball brings to communities across America. Almost175every Member of Congress on this panel represents a city that176hosts a professional baseball team operating within Minor177League Baseball or its partner leagues like the Pioneer178Baseball League or the American Association of Professional179Baseball. While only 27 of America's largest cities host Major180League Baseball teams, fans of America's pastime are able to181enjoy professional baseball in over 200 small- to medium-sized182cities across our country.183    Minor league ball clubs create significant economic impact184opportunities for local businesses and the teams bring enormous185pride to the communities they call home. Some minor league186teams are owned and operated by their major league affiliate.187But the majority of minor league clubs qualify as small188businesses and experience many of the same challenges our full189Committee has addressed, like access to capital, stable190employment, and fluctuating sales. Minor League Baseball191organizations are unique in that they have little to no control192over their roster of players and the product they put on the193field. Instead, they must innovate to create affordable194experiences that draw fans and families to the ballpark.195    If you follow MILB promos on Instagram or X, you will see a196steady stream of the innovative promotions Minor League197Baseball teams offer, from bobblehead giveaways to $1 hot dog198nights. One of the more memorable promotions came from the199Stockton Ports, which hosted Asparagus Night replete with an200asparagus eating contest and very healthy asparagus theme201uniforms. To be successful in Minor League Baseball, you must202have an entrepreneurial spirit and clearly a great sense of203marketing.204    As my colleagues know, I am a passionate supporter of205professional baseball and I was very excited last year when my206hometown Atlanta Braves announced Minor League Baseball was207returning to Columbus, Georgia, Georgia's second largest city,208for the first time in 17 years. I represent the northwestern209part of Columbus and many of my constituents are proud season210ticket owners and attendees of Columbus' new ball club.211    Last September, I joined hundreds of my now constituents at212an event at the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center at213which the team and mascot were revealed. A video played on the214screen and the Columbus Clingstones were formed with the name215and mascot that immediately went viral. In April, I was honored216to attend the Clingstones' sold out opening night to see nine-217time Major League Baseball All-Star Craig Kimbrel pitch a218scoreless ending. Later that week I attended another game and219was honored to join the radio and television broadcasts and220provide color commentary. At each game the atmosphere was221electric, the community was vibrant, and the attendance number222suggests this trend will continue.223    Already in just 24 games, over 100,000 fans have attended a224Columbus Clingstones game this season. Prior to the Clingstones225founding, the historic ballpark at which they play was vacant226and its infrastructure was crumbling. But thanks to the public-227private partnership with the Columbus Consolidated Government,228the team's ownership group, and companies like Synovus, the229ballpark has been completely renovated and the area around it230is set to thrive. Local restaurants and hotels are already231experiencing the positive impact from the Columbus Clingstones232and I look forward to learning more today about how the233Clingstones are generating economic opportunities and memorable234experiences for my constituents.235    As was said in the ``Field of Dreams,'' baseball has been236the one constant through all the years and has a very special237way of connecting each of us. In the 1970s, my father played238baseball in Georgia's Stan Musial Division of the American239Amateur Baseball Congress. After a game, one of his teammates,240James Ivey, was signed by the Atlanta Braves and played one241season in its minor league organization. Mr. Ivey pitched three242games for the Wytheville Braves, a rookie level ball club.243    I mentioned this because Mr. Ivey's teammate on the244Wytheville Braves was a young and up and coming player out of245Texas Christian University named Mr. Roger Williams. Indeed,246our Chairman, Roger Williams, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves247in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft, is the only former248professional baseball player in the 119th Congress. He is also249the manager of the Republican Congressional Baseball Team and250the distinguished Chairman of our Small Business Committee. I251thank him for presiding over this hearing with me today.252    Also joining us in the audience is my friend Kevin Malone,253who was previously the general manager of the Montreal Expos254and Los Angeles Dodgers. Kevin was recognized by USA Today as255the best general manager in the game. And since his baseball256career ended, he has devoted his life to fighting the scourge257of human trafficking. Thank you for joining us, Kevin.258    I now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member, Ms.259Hillary Scholten for her opening remarks.260    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this261hearing. What a great idea.262    When the Chairman and I first sat down about where we263wanted to take this Committee and I threw out some ideas, you264know, I said, you know, I am really interested in digital265currency, Bitcoin. And he is like, how about we start with266baseball? And I thought that was a brilliant idea. Nothing267brings us together like sports. As the daughter of our local268sports reporter and an athlete myself, I know how sports can269not only bring communities together, but bring us together270across the aisle. I am really looking forward to today's271hearing and I know, along with so many of my colleagues,272looking forward to tomorrow's Congressional Baseball Game.273    Minor leagues provide so many benefits to our community.274Their players participate in local volunteer activities. Their275teams are a source of pride for their hometowns. Their stadiums276serve as community gathering places, and their games are an277affordable entertainment option for families. Over the course278of this hearing, I hope that we can shed light on another279benefit, the team's ability to boost local small businesses. In280my hometown, for example, our minor league team, the West281Michigan Whitecaps, partnered with the Lake Michigan Credit282Union and now play at LMCU Ballpark. LMCU is a proud SBA283lending partner and was recognized as the SBA's International284Trade Lender of the Year.285    Beyond bringing greater visibility to this and other286outstanding local businesses, the Whitecaps and LMCU Ballpark287have been an economic driver for the Comstock Park community in288the greater Grand Rapids area. The park hosts concerts and289movie nights, annual events like the Taste of Grand Rapids, a290car show, a holiday lighting display, charitable events, and291fundraisers and private events like family celebrations. All of292this has helped to lead development in the nearby business park293and supported retail shops and restaurants that would otherwise294not be there. These benefits have been the result of the295Whitecap's long-term investment in our community and our strong296relationship with local small businesses. We are also so297honored to have a representative here today serving as a298witness, who I look forward to introducing in just a moment.299    Their example shows how minor league teams can play a role300in small- and mid-sized cities, local economic systems, and301drive development and economic activity in the surrounding302area. I look forward to learning more from all of our witnesses303today about how minor leagues can be good partners and enormous304assets to local small businesses while bringing their305enthusiastic fans and cultivating a sense of community in their306neighborhoods.307    Thank you. And with that, I yield back.308    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Ranking Member Scholten.309    I now recognize the distinguished Chairman of the House310Committee on Small Business and a great baseball player, Mr.311Roger Williams, for his opening remarks.312    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. I313appreciate that. And I just noticed that we all have this right314here. I want to thank Representative Scholten for these bats315because this is the bat the Democrat will be using tomorrow316night. So I appreciate that.317    I want to thank you again for holding this. I want to thank318both of you for holding this Committee hearing. I would like to319thank all of our four witnesses for being here today to talk320about a sport that is the greatest sport there is. I would like321to thank Chairman Jack. As he mentioned, we are just one day322away from the Congressional Baseball Game and this hearing is323the perfect way to review the importance of it.324    Now, Minor League Baseball plays a significant role in the325lives of families throughout the country. And whether the team326plays in a large metropolitan area or a smaller town, fans can327see some of the best baseball players in the world in action.328As a former player myself, I understood the importance of this.329In 1971, I was drafted by the Atlanta Braves. I played in their330minor league system for 3 years, returned home to run the331family car dealership and coach baseball at Texas Christian332University, and then later bought the San Antonio Missions in333San Antonio, which Reid's very familiar with. And during my334time as a professional player, I saw firsthand the value of335making professional sports accessible to people from all around336the country as well as the community that has built these minor337league systems.338    In addition to making our national pastime more accessible339for fans, Minor League Baseball teams serve as important340fixtures in their local communities. Now, from providing341opportunities to local suppliers to fostering a small business342boom in the surrounding area. Minor league teams support the343economic development of small towns and cities nationwide. This344unique type of small business fosters a self-sustaining345ecosystem in areas fortunate enough to have a minor league346sports teams.347    I look forward to today's discussion. It will be a lot of348fun on the role of minor league teams in building communities.349And we are excited for the big game tomorrow. We are also350excited about all the former players and my friends that are351out here today. So this hearing is an opportunity to highlight352the benefits that Minor League Baseball can bring to local353small businesses.354    With that, I yield back.355    Chairman JACK. I will now introduce our witnesses. Our356first witness is Mr. Pat Battle. Mr. Battle is the Executive357Chairman of Diamond Baseball Holdings, a sports management358group that owns and operates 44 Minor League Baseball teams,359including the Columbus Clingstones; the Wisconsin Timber360Rattlers, Mr. Wied's district; the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre361RailRiders, Mr. Bresnahan's district; and the Louisville Bats362in Mr. McGarvey's district. Mr. Battle was previously the chief363executive officer of Collegiate Licensing Company, the oldest364and largest collegiate licensing company in the United States.365He is a graduate of Georgia State University, a university I366strongly support, and for generations his family has been367involved in sports management.368    Mr. Battle, we are grateful you are testifying before our369subcommittee today.370    And I now recognize my colleague, Representative Bresnahan,371to briefly introduce his constituent who is appearing before us372today.373    Mr. BRESNAHAN. Thank you, Chairman. It is an honor to374introduce our next witness, Mr. Lou Ciampi, Jr. Mr. Ciampi is375the president of Independent Graphics in Wyoming, Pennsylvania,376located in my congressional district and, ironically, the same377borough where I was born and grew up. Independent Graphics was378started by Lou's father, Lou Ciampi, Sr., in 1980. Mr. Ciampi379has been a full-time employee at his family business since3801986, starting as a sales manager and progressing to president.381    Independent Graphics is a proud partner of the Wilkes-382Barre/Scranton Yankees Minor League Baseball team, the383RailRiders. Through his extensive experience and knowledge of384the print process and products, Lou has propelled sales volumes385and has grown Independent Graphics dramatically during his386tenure.387    Mr. Ciampi is also an integral part of our community. He is388involved with charitable efforts such as the Luzerne County389Jump-a-Thon, indoor triathlons, and the Wyoming Area Football390Alumni Association, which has locally raised hundreds of391thousands of dollars for scholarships and equipment for high392schools as well as little league teams.393    Mr. Ciampi graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics394from Dickinson College.395    Thank you for joining us today and I am looking forward to396today's important conversation. I yield.397    Chairman JACK. I now recognize the Chairman of the full398Committee, Chairman Williams, to briefly introduce our next399witness.400    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you, Representative Jack. And I am401excited to welcome Mr. Reid Ryan, my friend who is the owner402and chief executive officer of Ryan Sanders Baseball in Round403Rock, Texas.404    Now, just a real quick story I want to tell you about405baseball history. This may never happen again, but it is a406quick story. You may know who his dad is, Nolan Ryan. Well,4071992, is this right, Ried, 1992, Ried was pitching for the408Texas Longhorns playing an exhibition game against the409Houston--or against the Texas Rangers. Well, he was pitching410for the Longhorns and his opposing pitcher was his 44-year-old411father. Pretty good. I don't know who won the game, though. Who412won it? They did. Okay.413    But anyway, that is a unique part of history that you may414never see again, father against father. Two great men.415    Ried, along with his dad Nolan, his brother Reese, and416former Astros minority owner Don Sanders formed Ryan Sanders417Baseball in 1998. Ryan Sanders Baseball founded two minor418league teams, the Round Rock Express in 2000 and Corpus Christi419Hooks in 2005. Mr. Ryan was drafted by the Texas Rangers during420the 1994 Major League Baseball draft and served as president of421the Houston Astros from May 2013 through May 2019. Mr. Ryan422also serves on the Board of Trustees for Major League Baseball423and is a graduate of Texas Christian University. Go Frogs.424    So we are excited to have you, my friend, and we look425forward to having a conversation today. Mr. Chairman, I yield426back.427    Chairman JACK. I now recognize the Ranking Member from428Michigan, Ms. Scholten, to briefly introduce the last witness429appearing before us today.430    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my honor to431introduce my constituent, Mr. Joe Chamberlin. He joined the432West Michigan Whitecaps in 2013, serving in several roles prior433to becoming CEO and managing partner in 2018. Mr. Chamberlin434has a longer history with the team, however, since his father,435Lew Chamberlin, has been a proud co-owner of the Whitecaps for436over 30 years, a family business.437    Beyond Whitecaps baseball, Mr. Chamberlin and his team438operate one of the largest distributors of Dippin' Dots Ice439Cream in the United States. And in 2018, he founded the440Traverse City Pit Spitters baseball team and led the441acquisition of Turtle Creek Stadium up north in Michigan.442    Mr. Chamberlin is a Member of the Grand Rapids Chamber of443Commerce CEO Council and currently serves as a board member444with the Whitecaps Community Foundation and St. Mary's445Foundation. He earned his master's degree in labor relations446and human resources at Michigan State University and received447his bachelor's degree from the College of Worcester.448    Mr. Chamberlin, welcome. Thank you for making the trip and449thank you for appearing before the subcommittee today.450    I yield back.451    Chairman JACK. Before recognizing the witnesses, I would452like to remind each of you that your spoken testimony is453restricted to 5 minutes in length. If you see the light turn454red in front of you, it means your 5 minutes have concluded and455you should finish your testimony.456    I now recognize Mr. Battle for his 5-minute opening457remarks.458459   STATEMENTS OF MR. PAT BATTLE, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, DIAMOND460 BASEBALL HOLDINGS; MR. LOU CIAMPI JR., PRESIDENT, INDEPENDENT461 GRAPHICS, INC.; MR. REID RYAN, OWNER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER462 RYAN SANDERS BASEBALL, ROUND ROCK EXPRESS BASEBALL CLUB, SAN463 ANTONIO MISSIONS BASEBALL CLUB; AND MR. JOE CHAMBERLIN, CHIEF464     EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND MANAGING PARTNER, WEST MICHIGAN465             WHITECAPS, TRAVERSE CITY PIT SPITTERS466467    STATEMENT OF PAT BATTLE, CEO, DIAMOND BASEBALL HOLDINGS468469    Mr. BATTLE. Thank you, Chairman Jack, Ranking Member470Scholten, Chairman Williams, and distinguished Members of the471Committee for inviting me to testify today about the importance472of Minor League Baseball and helping drive economic growth473across the country. My name is Pat Battle. I am Executive474Chairman of Diamond Baseball Holdings. And DBH is an475organization that owns 44 affiliated Minor League Baseball476clubs, all of which are run as independent organizations by a477passionate group of employees in each of the 44 communities478that we serve. I recently visited one club which has 31 full-479time employees, 26 of them having started their careers as480interns with the team.481    Minor League Baseball exemplifies the best in America. It482is community-focused, rooted in deep tradition, and483representative of the broad cultures and customs across our484country. Most people wouldn't know that Minor League Baseball485is the second most attended sport in the U.S., welcoming more486than 30 million fans through its turnstiles each season, which487is why I am grateful to this Committee for shining the488spotlight on Minor League Baseball today and why I am proud to489share with you our mission, along with my colleagues at the490table, our mission to protect and to preserve and to enhance491Minor League Baseball and through that, to fuel small business492economic development and growth for generations to come.493    Minor League baseball reaches many different constituencies494and represent something uniquely special to each group. For495Major League Baseball and the 30 big league clubs, the minor496leagues serve as a training ground for developing its future497stars. The second group are the professional baseball players498themselves, where Minor League Baseball represents their499opportunity to achieve lifelong dreams as the path to make it500to the Show. DBH relishes its role in supporting those dreams501through close collaboration with Major League Baseball and our502local municipal partners.503    The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is full of great504players who got their start in the minor league system: Willie505Mays played in historic Rickwood in Birmingham, Alabama; David506Ortiz in Appleton, Wisconsin; Aaron Judge in Scranton,507Pennsylvania. I could go on and on about the number and the508thousands of Major League Baseball players that began their509professional journey in the Minor leagues.510    A third group impacted by Minor League Baseball are the 120511communities who host affiliated Minor League Baseball teams.512The stadiums in which the teams play serve as centers of energy513in these communities and represent an important and vibrant514gathering spot for its local citizens. At DBH, it is our desire515for these stadiums, in addition to hosting roughly 70516professional baseball games a year, to also host many events517such as concerts, high school state championships, graduations,518weddings, corporate outings, and the list goes on and on.519    In April, I was proud to attend the opening of the new520minor league stadium in Columbus, Georgia. Columbus has521welcomed, as Chairman Jack said, more than 100,000 fans to the522ballpark in just 2 months. And importantly, we anticipate that523Synovus park will create more than $10 billion in annual524economic impact.525    And the community impact extends beyond just what happens526inside the stadium. We are proud of our planned $250 million527mixed-use development in Congressman McGarvey's district in528Louisville, Kentucky. In close partnership with Mayor Craig529Greenberg and the Louisville metro government, the project will530revitalize downtown and create more than 1,000 jobs for the531local economy.532    The fourth constituency impacted by Minor League Baseball533are the fans. At DBH, we believe we are in the memory making534business and we strive to do that in a fun, affordable way for535families, friends, and colleagues. Affordability and536accessibility are a top priority in Minor League Baseball, with537the average ticket price to a game still under $15, that is 1-5385. Our approach is to execute in a hyper local manner,539celebrating the nuances which make each of our communities540special and unique.541    And last, but certainly not least is what Minor League542Baseball represents to the more than 1,000 small businesses who543partner with our teams in a variety of ways. Whether through544advertising, sponsorship, vending, and more, these partnerships545broaden their relationship with fans, with other businesses,546and with the community as a whole.547    I hope I have given you a sense today of why we are so548passionate about Minor League Baseball and its wide-reaching549impact in bringing communities together. Mr. Chairman, thank550you for engaging in this important conversation and for551recognizing what Minor League Baseball means to your552constituents.553    Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Ciampi for554his 5-minute opening remarks.555556 STATEMENT OF LOU CIAMPI, JR., PRESIDENT, INDEPENDENT GRAPHICS557                              INC.558559    Mr. CIAMPI. Try that again. Thank you to all the Members of560the Committee and especially to Mr. Rob Bresnahan for inviting561me here today. It is greatly appreciated.562    My name is Lou Ciampi, Jr. I am the president of563Independent Graphics. We are a family-owned and operated564printing and direct mail company located in Northeastern565Pennsylvania. This year we proudly celebrate our 45th year in566business. The company was founded by my late father Lou Ciampi,567Sr., and Ried, if it is any consolation, he always won, too. It568is now owned by my brother Jim and me. I joined the company569full time in January of 1986 as sales manager and I have since570assumed the role of president. Over those years we have grown571from 5 employees to 35 full-time employees and we run 2 shifts.572    We have been honored to work with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre573RailRiders since 2008. During this partnership we have574completed numerous interesting and time-sensitive projects that575have helped shape our company's reputation and capabilities.576One of the earliest and most memorable projects involved Roger577Clemens. In 2008, Roger came down to Triple-A for a rehab578assignment. When he threw out the first pitch, a photo was579taken. The photo was emailed to Independent. We produced 15580top-quality posters, which we then ran up to the ballpark so581Roger could sign before he left that day, creating instant582memorabilia. And no, my friend John Stevenson at the ballpark583did not give me one of these collector's items. So thank you,584John.585    In 2012, the ballpark underwent major renovations and586opening night of the 2013 season was a milestone event. Once587again, in the first inning, a photo was emailed to Independent588Graphics. This time we produced 5,000 8-by-10 photo-quality589prints, which we printed, threw in the car, and ran up to the590stadium in time to hand out to the fans as they left the field591that night. Same night, a true rush job.592    When we were introduced to the RailRiders, they were owned593by Mandalay Entertainment. I had the great pleasure of meeting594Mr. Jon Spoelstra, who was the architect of the Play Ball595program books. The Play Ball program books were unique for each596game. So Game 1 of the season was played. After the game, the597updated statistics would be emailed to Independent Graphics. We598would print unique program books overnight and deliver the next599day for the game. Today, speed to market is more than a motto,600it is our standard and a RailRiders partnership help us define601it.602    Beyond business, the relationship has held deep personal603meaning for our family. We are both a vendor and a sponsor. Our604signage has proudly been displayed at the ballpark and we have605rented a suite for half the home games each season. Sundays at606the park became a cherished tradition for the entire Ciampi607family. My father, a passionate Yankees fan, especially Yogi608Berra being his favorite, relished every visit. We have had the609pleasure of meeting legends, like Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden,610Daryl Strawberry, and Reggie Jackson, memories that will last a611lifetime.612    This Saturday, June 14th, we will celebrate Independent613Graphics' 45th anniversary in the left field party box at PNC614Field. What a party it is going to be.615    Thank you so much for your time and allowing me to share616our story.617    Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Ryan for his6185-minute opening remarks.619620    STATEMENT OF REID RYAN, CEO, RYAN-SANDERS BASEBALL INC.621622    Mr. RYAN. All right. Thank you, Chairman Jack, Chairman623Williams, Ranking Member Scholten, and the Committee. Hello, my624name is Reid Ryan and I am the CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball.625And I am honored to be here today to discuss the positive626impact that Minor League Baseball has had on communities across627the country.628    Baseball has been a lifelong passion for me. As Roger said,629my father, Nolan Ryan, is Major League Baseball's all-time630strikeout leader, an all-time no-hit leader and a member of the631National Baseball Hall of Fame. When I was born, he was632pitching for the New York Mets and shortly after that he got633traded to the Angels and we spent time in California, and with634the Houston Astros and with the Texas Rangers.635    After playing college baseball at the University of Texas636and then at TCU, I was fortunate enough to get drafted by the637Texas Rangers and assigned to the Hudson Valley Renegades in638Poughkeepsie, New York, a team that Mr. Battle owns today. That639experience marked my very first minor league game. Having grown640up in the big leagues, I was amazed at the fun, family-friendly641environment that Minor League Baseball offered. I couldn't642believe that this type of entertainment existed all over the643country, and yet I had never experienced it until I played in644my very first game.645    Over the next 2 years, I played in the New York Penn646League, the South Atlantic League, and the California League.647Traveling across the country, I got to witness the same thing648in every single market from the East Coast to the West Coast,649families and communities coming together around the game of650baseball. And it wasn't just about the sport, as many people651mentioned here today. It was about affordable family fun,652community pride, and a sense of belonging.653    And so when my playing career ended, I set my sights on654becoming an owner of a minor league team. And in 1998, at 26655years old, I discovered a Houston Astros club in Jackson,656Mississippi, that was for sale. They were playing in an aging657ballpark and they needed to be closer to Houston, Texas. And so658I assembled a group, I secured a loan, and I purchased the ball659club. Little did I know my efforts would help spark a660renaissance in Minor League Baseball and the game of baseball661in our industry.662    So, in 2000, we opened the Dell Diamond in Round Rock,663Texas. We built a major league quality stadium on a minor664league scale. It was one of the first times this had ever665happened to the game. And then since then, I have owned and666operated several clubs across the country, including the Corpus667Christi Hooks, the San Antonio Missions, and the Fayetteville668Woodpeckers. Along the way, I have spent time in the major669leagues, working with the league on various committees and670serving as president of the Houston Astros, as Roger Williams671discussed.672    I share all this to illustrate that I have seen this game673literally from every angle. And I always return to my love of674Minor League Baseball. There is just something truly special675about the fans and the communities we serve that makes our game676such a cherished part of Americana.677    Minor League Baseball at its core is a hyper local small678business. Our games are played in front of fans at the ballpark679and not for people on TV. The fans, the sponsors, the staff,680they are all deeply involved in the local community. And the681ballpark often becomes the front porch of these towns. It is682the place where folks go to watch baseball, but, more683importantly, visit with their neighbors, connect with friends684and loved ones.685    So throughout my career, I have been fortunate to build new686stadiums in four different markets around the country. And I am687currently working on my fifth right now in San Antonio, Texas.688And in every one of these cases, the local community has689benefited. In Round Rock, the ballpark spurred development of690restaurants, hotels, and businesses. And in fact, we have one691of the world's largest indoor water parks, Kalahari, across the692street now. In Corpus Christi, another water park was built, a693concert venue and a restaurant opened. And in Fayetteville,694North Carolina, we had downtown living and a hotel emerge695adjacent to the stadium. And in San Antonio, we are in the696process right now of working with the city and county on a697tours that will include downtown living and hotels as part of698the project. In every instance, the ballpark has revitalized or699spurred growth in the surrounding areas.700    And so one of my favorite sayings has always been from the701former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. And it is derived from702the Bible, to whom much is given, much is expected. That is how703I feel about my role in Minor League Baseball.704    And I will close by saying that it has been my goal and my705family's goal to always leave the game in our communities706better than we found it. And by investing in Minor League707Baseball in the areas around our stadiums, we have improved the708quality of life in our local communities and we have helped709many small businesses grow. Thank you very much.710    Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Chamberlin711for his 5 minute opening remarks.712713   STATEMENT OF JOE CHAMBERLIN, CEO & MANAGING PARTNER, WEST714       MICHIGAN WHITECAPS AND TRAVERSE CITY PIT SPITTERS715716    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. All right. Chairman Jack, Ranking Member717Scholten, and Members of the subcommittee, I am honored to be718before you today to share my story and, most importantly, to719talk a little bit of baseball. This was certainly an exciting,720albeit unexpected, invite for me to receive. And when I721received it, my wife Dana insisted that I make sure you all had722the right guy. Here is to our spouses keeping us humble.723    My name is Joe Chamberlin and I am the CEO and managing724partner of two baseball franchises that call the great state of725Michigan home: the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Traverse726City Pit Spitters. Both Traverse City and West Michigan are727incredible communities and incredible sports markets. For me,728baseball has become the family business. The Whitecaps were729founded by my dad, Lou Chamberlin, and his business partner,730Denny Baxter, in 1994. Lou was the quintessential entrepreneur731and with the help of many along the way, he spent the better732part of 10 years on a journey to make his dream a reality for733his West Michigan community. That day came in 1994 and out of734the gate, the Whitecaps broke every single A attendance record735in Minor League Baseball, consistently drawing over 500,000736fans a year.737    Because of our entrepreneurial origin story, we have always738operated a little differently than most teams. Lou was the idea739guy, not the capital guy. And based on a strong business plan740and proven success in another market, he formed a partnership741and raised the capital needed to purchase a team and build our742ballpark. And because of that history, we own our privately743funded stadium and can proudly say that no taxpayer dollars744were used for its construction in 1994 or for upkeep since. It745is unique for a club to be actively run by its entrepreneurial746founding family and we have always taken pride in being sports747owners who are actively involved at every level of our team's748success.749    The success of the Whitecaps in the early '90s proved that750our community could support professional sports teams and751vibrant stadiums and in the years following our inaugural752season, Grand Rapids has been lucky to see other teams and753amenities added to our city's roster. The collective impact of754all these teams saw Grand Rapids recognized as the best minor755league sports market in the country in 2019. And we are756extremely proud that the Whitecaps proved the thesis that757sports-centric infrastructure investment and economic758development works in West Michigan.759    Today, both the Whitecaps and the Pit Spitters are hyper760local small- to medium-sized companies that have incredibly761symbiotic relationships with their communities. If you want a762barometer on the health of a community's small businesses, look763no further than its stadiums. Our outfield walls are filled764with sponsorship inventory and those are filled with small765businesses advertising what they do. Our hospitality areas are766filled with businesses entertaining employees and their767families. And on game days, our stadiums are full of local768employees of all ages earning competitive wages.769    Our organizations employ over 1,000 seasonal staff members770between the Whitecaps and the Pit Spitters each summer, in771additional to the 65 full-time front office staff members we772have year round. In total, we estimate the local economic773impact of the Pit Spitter exceeds $10 million a year, while the774Whitecaps contribute over $40 million annual to the West775Michigan community.776    While there has been a lot of success, as you all know,777running a small business is hard and our industry has felt that778pressure over the last few years. Although specific policy779issues are not on my agenda today, I do think it is worth780stating a few observations.781    First, uncertainty is the enemy of nearly every small782business out there. To the extent that legislators at both the783state and federal levels can steer a steady ship, allowing784businesses like mine to have predictable inputs and consistent785regulatory environments, I can assure you that people like me786will thank you and work hard every day to create more jobs,787invest in communities, and spur economic development.788    On the topic of economic development, which I am working789very hard on at the state level, I think it is also important790to recognize how truly transformational a sports team can be791for its community when done right. As opportunities arise,792please continue to consider practical and pragmatic policies793and programs that help keep Minor League Baseball teams794thriving across the country. The returns on those kinds of795initiatives are significant in so many ways.796    And in closing, I want to thank the Committee for this797opportunity and for highlighting our incredible industry. As a798family business owner, I tend to take the long-term view and799seek sustainability where I can find it. That philosophy has800served us very well in an industry with such a rich history801that has proven for generations to be one of the best forms of802affordable, family-friendly entertainment out there. Who knows803if either of my sons, Crawford or Becker, will ever have an804interest in this wonderful world of Minor League Baseball, but805for the foreseeable future, my job is to ensure these806franchises remain vibrant for the next generation of Whitecaps807and Pit Spitters fans, and to ensure that we keep all the fun808Minor League Baseball can offer thriving in our communities for809decades to come. Thank you.810    Chairman JACK. We will now move to the Member questions811under the 5-minute rule.812    I recognize myself for 5 minutes.813    Mr. Battle, thank you for testifying today. The team you814have assembled, especially my friend Henry Shepard, represents815Diamond Baseball Holdings incredibly well. With your816acquisition of the Fredericksburg Nationals this week, your817portfolio now includes 44 Minor League Baseball teams. How is818Diamond Baseball Holdings providing affordable experiences to819fans across each market?820    Mr. BATTLE. Thank you, Chairman Jack, for that question.821And thank you for the comment on Henry and the team that we822have assembled at DBH. We are very proud of and they represent823our teams and the sport very well.824    You know, I think that everybody has talked about, you825know, providing affordable entertainment. You know, I mentioned826in my opening remarks that the average ticket price to a Minor827League Baseball game is under $15. Minor league is probably the828only professional sport that you can attend, a family of four829can attend for under $100. And I think that that is very830important.831    And when we think about our teams and the 44 clubs that we832own that, as I said, operate as independent clubs in each of833their communities, they each have the same mission, and it is834to provide fun, affordable family entertainment to its local835fans. And every community is different. Every community is836special. Every community has its own nuances. But providing837that fun, affordable family entertainment experience to the838fans is what we are all about, and that is how we win. And so I839think that as we think about that mission, fun and affordable840are the first two words that we use and think of.841    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Battle.842    Mr. Ryan, thank you for testifying today. I am working843closely with your former colleague Derek Schiller on an issue.844Since you both won a World Series ring, I will not ask who is845the better team president. But as with Mr. Battle, I will ask,846how is Ryan-Sanders Baseball approaching affordability and847creating memorable experiences for folks across the ballparks848you operate?849    Mr. RYAN. Yeah. So, you know, we are very blessed to be in850two very large cities in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, market.851Between the two, you are talking two of the top 20 population852cities in the country. So I think in that situation, for us,853there is a lane that we need to stay in, which a lot of people854are priced out by some of the other, you know, things that have855come into the market at the major league level. And so we try856to make sure that we continue to be affordable for folks when857they come in. But also we know that being a Triple-A and858Double-A, that the travel schedule is a little bit different859than A ball because we are flying people around the country and860we play a few more games. And so it is a balancing act, but we861continue to work hard at it because it is the lifeblood of this862industry.863    Chairman JACK. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chamberlin,864for testifying today. The Detroit Tigers are the best team in865baseball. Many of their players today started their careers in866Comstock Park, Michigan. Tarik Skubal won Major League867Baseball's Cy Young Award last year, but in 2018, I understand868he was pitching for your West Michigan Whitecaps. How are you869approaching affordability with respect to fans in the area?870    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Thank you, Chairman. As a Minor League871Baseball club, I think affordability flexibility is paramount872to what we do. As some of the other folks have mentioned, it is873very easy to lose focus on it and start chasing high-dollar874ticket prices or increasing food and beverage costs. For us, it875is keeping the North Star, which is can a family of four get in876and out of the ballpark for a very reasonable price? So as a877business, it is certainly a push and pull. You have to create878inventory and you have to do things that keep you moving879forward. I think in our business, we are a little bit unique in880that we know we cannot lose sight of that family of four and881price them out. So it is definitely something that we are aware882of and that we work very hard to maintain on a year-over-year883basis.884    Chairman JACK. Thank you. My last question, Mr. Battle,885although today's hearing concentrates, of course, on the886economic impact of Minor League Baseball, could you illuminate887for this panel how the facilities at which Minor League888Baseball teams play serve their communities outside of889baseball?890    Mr. BATTLE. Yeah, it is a great question and it is a, you891know, it is a goal that we have at DBH. We operate, you know,892basically run 70, roughly 70, professional baseball games a893year. But these stadiums are the centers of energy in most of894these communities. And so we are actively involved. And Ranking895Member Scholten talked about several of the things that happen896in Minor League Baseball stadiums, but with concerts, with897movie nights, with just all of the things, with weddings and898graduations and corporate outings and, you know, having the899opportunity to amplify and to highlight our stadiums 365 days a900year.901    In Charlotte, North Carolina, it is the Charlotte Knights,902Triple-A White Sox. There is a 30-day winter wonderland that903takes place from December 1st through January 1st. And last904year, you know, tens of thousands of citizens in Charlotte came905into the stadium. It was lit up, there was an ice rink in906center field. That is one example of the many ways that we are907working beyond baseball to create these special memories for908the citizens and the community.909    Chairman JACK. I now recognize the Ranking Member for 5910minutes of questions.911    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chamberlin, my912first question is for you. The Whitecaps are a privately owned913team with a three decade history in our community. And I know914that the team is planning to continue being a part of that915community for decades to come. We certainly hope so. What916lessons could other communities take from the Whitecaps'917experience that might be good practices for maintaining strong918long-term partnerships with local small businesses around them?919    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Thanks for the question. I think it starts920from the top and as an owner, it is our responsibility first to921ensure that that is part of the organization and it needs to922trickle down to the staff. And everyone needs to believe in the923importance of a club being committed to being locally924integrated. For the Whitecaps and the Pit Spitters, I think925that process starts for us. We have a diverse group of minority926owners in both markets who are community members and, you know,927are so proud to be affiliated with our organization that they928help us achieve that local integration.929    I think you also have to know the community that you930operate in and operate in a way that encourages collaboration.931So many of these items have been listed here today. But even932doing the kinds of events outside of baseball that allow fans933to come into our ballparks, experience them in a different way.934    In 2014, we had a fire at our ballpark and half of it935burned down. The first few people to arrive at the ballpark936were season ticketholders who just wanted to be there to help937in rebuilding the ballpark. And, you know, that is one of those938moments where you know you are impacting the community.939    And finally, I think the pricing structure that we have940talked about a little bit is also an important factor. In both941West Michigan and Traverse City, you look at our outfield942boards and you see everybody in the community. So we943intentionally have a way for everyone in our small business944community to play in our ballparks and that helps us achieve945that local integration.946    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you. Sticking with you briefly, minor947league team affiliations with their major league partners help948pay for players and coaches, but the teams still need to cover949costs, including costs for the fields, equipment, uniforms,950travel. You started getting to know the business side of the951Whitecaps as a college student and have seen that business grow952and diversify. I am wondering if you can share any strategies953or tips for ensuring minor league teams are profitable and954sustainable as a business.955    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Oh, thank you for the question. We have956some great owners and operators up here, so I won't preach to957the choir. I think every market is a little bit different, but958at the end of the day, one of the things that I love most about959Minor League Baseball is that our business model is relatively960straightforward. We create value by creating a brand that our961fans love interacting with. And the more engaging we can be,962the better. We also create value by inviting fans into our963ballparks to enjoy baseball games. And the more fans we can964invite in, the better.965    On both of those fronts I think the number one thing that966has been a positive factor for us as a business over the years967has been having great people doing great work. So just like a968lot of businesses out there, our success is based on the969success of our staff. And the Whitecaps have been incredibly970lucky over the course of 30 years to have one of the best971staffs in Minor League Baseball helping us be a fantastic972franchise.973    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you. And that was a great lead-in974because my follow-up is to open the question up to the rest of975the panel and share some of your insights and particularly how976we, as a Small Business Committee and legislators more977generally can both help in that extent even. And most often it978is oftentimes staying out of the way. So what can we do as979legislators to help support?980    Mr. BATTLE. I would simply say what you are doing today is981extremely important. Shining the spotlight on Minor League982Baseball and everything that you, Chairman Jack, Chairman983Williams, have talked about, Reid, Joe, Lou have talked about.984It is what makes the sport great, the impact that it has on985communities.986    And I think that the opportunity--I mean, we are--we like987to partner with the local municipality, with local businesses988to create that great experience for the fans that we have989talked about. And when communities win, we all win. And that is990really what we are about. And so I am very thankful to you and991Chairman Jack and Chairman Williams for shining the spotlight,992because I think that educating businesses and municipalities993about the important impact that Minor League Baseball is having994and will continue to have is extremely important. So thank you.995    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you. I yield back.996    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Ms. Scholten.997    I now recognize Chairman Williams from the great state of998Texas for 5 minutes.999    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, I am1000very excited that Representative Jack and Scholten are holding1001this Subcommittee hearing. And as a former player and owner, I1002have a passion at hand and a lot of people know that about1003baseball. The opportunities that professional sports provide1004for small local business growth are vital for the communities1005throughout the country.1006    So, Mr. Battle, your organization owns 40 minor league1007teams across the country. So could you please explain how your1008work with these 40 teams to develop and revitalize each one of1009those communities?1010    Mr. BATTLE. It is a great question, Chairman Williams.1011Thank you for that. And, you know, ultimately we see our role1012as one of support. We do own 44 teams. As I said earlier, they1013operate as independent. You know, we own teams from Portland,1014Maine, to Pasco, Washington, down to Rancho Cucamonga,1015California, all the way across to Spartanburg, South Carolina,1016and those four cities that I mentioned, you can imagine how1017different and unique that they are. And our role, we see it as1018providing to our teams on the ground, to the 25 to 35 employees1019that we have on the ground, the that live there every day, how1020can we provide them with the resources that they need to1021accomplish the mission, which is to provide that fun,1022affordable, family entertainment experience to their fans?1023    And so we work very closely with our teams to amplify best1024practices across the portfolio to provide advanced1025technologies, including common point of sale systems and food1026and beverage, and our merchandising that allow customers to go1027through lines quicker and to make it easier. So those are1028examples of the things that we can provide to our teams to help1029make them more successful in achieving their mission.1030    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. I think one of the most1031important aspects of Minor League Baseball is it makes our1032nation's pastime available to more people and communities1033outside of the few cities that host major league teams. So, Mr.1034Ryan, you were the CEO and founder of both the Corpus Christi1035Hooks and the Round Rock Express minor league franchise, which1036you talked about. Both teams brought baseball to communities1037that lacked easy access to sports. So how have these1038communities changed now that a minor league team has been1039established in them and is part of the community?1040    Mr. RYAN. Yeah, you know, I think people don't realize what1041they are missing until they get a team in their community. And1042it is really about quality of life. And I think, you know, as1043Pat was saying, every market is very different. And so in1044Corpus Christi, they had never been able to sort of get1045something that could bring the community together. And1046unfortunately, in a divided, you know, society today, in a lot1047of ways, there are few things that do bring everyone together.1048Sports teams do that. Teams win a championship and everybody is1049high fiving and hugging each other on the street. And that is1050really what we saw in Corpus Christi is, first and foremost, it1051brought the community together in a way that had never been1052done before.1053    And then it was fun to see the development around the1054stadium. The city really jumped on the ballpark and created a1055SEA District, which was sports, entertainment, and arts. And1056they have now clustered all of their amenities into one area of1057town and really created a unique destination. The city was1058known for being sort of a regional summertime vacation place,1059but they lacked anything really to do at night. People would go1060to the beach or go to the aquarium, the USS Lexington, but then1061at night, they didn't really have anything to do. And now you1062are seeing that with a concert venue and the stadium and some1063other stuff.1064    In Round Rock, which is 15 miles from downtown Austin, it1065was a bedroom community, you know, very much like here in D.C.,1066that a lot of people have to live outside of the city. And so1067people were wanting amenities for kids and families in their1068community because folks would go downtown, go to work, they1069would fight traffic back home. And then if they wanted to go1070back to, you know, a game at UT or something, they were1071fighting traffic again, and they were spending hours in the1072car. And so for the city of Round Rock, this was a way to1073anchor people to their community, to have a quality of life1074aspect that they had missed. And what came out of that was, you1075know, a big growth with the water park and with concert venues1076and with their own Old Settlers Park. So it has been fun to1077watch.1078    Chairman WILLIAMS. You have done a great job. And in my1079last time I have got here, in addition to the community1080renovation that often occurs around minor league stadiums,1081minor league teams also strive to build meaningful1082relationships with local small businesses like yours, Mr.1083Ciampi. So, real quick, if you have been successfully with the1084Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for now over a decade, how is1085working with RailRiders growing your business? And also you1086talked about printing 5,000--you never told us who that was.1087Was that Jim Sundberg that you----1088    Mr. CIAMPI. The photo was just a photo of the ballpark, so,1089no, it wasn't Mr. Sundberg. Being a part of the RailRiders, and1090it is a family, it has become such a large part of our brand.1091We are celebrating our 45th anniversary, and I had one of our1092layout people do a little brochure. And almost kind of to my1093surprise, one full page is dedicated to stuff that happened up1094at PNC Field. So it just brings nothing but good vibes for the1095champions.1096    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. My time is up. I yield back.1097    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Chairman Williams.1098    I now recognize Mr. Olszewski from Maryland for 5 minutes.1099    Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Thank you very much, Chairman Jack and to1100Ranking Member Scholten, for convening this. I want to thank1101all of our witnesses as well for being here today.1102    Been in training myself for my first Congressional Baseball1103Game. I have my friend and colleague Representative McGarvey to1104thank for that. He is a recruiter in addition to being one heck1105of a catcher and team player on the Democrat side. So looking1106forward to being part of the tradition here on Capitol Hill and1107excited to be part of this conversation on Minor League1108Baseball.1109    Mr. Chairman, Chairman Williams, I wish you luck tomorrow.1110I am really hoping that you are going to need it though, so.1111Oh, I think my bat is going to be a little bigger than that, my1112friend.1113    So we are proud in Maryland, which I am lucky enough to1114represent, represent to have three Minor League Baseball teams.1115We have the Chesapeake Baysox, we have the Aberdeen IronBirds,1116and we have the Delmarva Shorebirds, all of which are1117affiliates of my hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles. We are1118excited about the ways in which our teams generate tourism1119revenue and boost our local economy outside of Camden Yards and1120at a better, more convenient price point for a lot of our1121families as well. This partnership supports Maryland and the1122Mid-Atlantic region as one of the most economically vibrant and1123budget-friendly regions in the U.S.1124    We know that you all are not strangers to America's1125pastime, nor the opportunity that is created when we make1126baseball more accessible for all to enjoy. The teams that you1127help manage and help develop provide a large cultural and1128economic benefit to the communities they call home. So I want1129to thank you again for your work in this space and for1130supporting small businesses. I will see many of you in the1131field tomorrow. Go Dems. Go O's.1132    I do have two quick questions and I don't want to be1133redundant, so just building on some of the points earlier. Mr.1134Ryan, you mentioned SEA Districts in regards to community1135revitalization and infrastructure, building around the stadium.1136There was also some conversation about how these are meeting1137grounds of bringing the community together, particularly in1138these divided times. Just wanted to give any of you the1139opportunity to speak a little bit more about what actions you1140take to specifically help cultivate maybe specific programs or1141outreach efforts to build that sense of community in your1142spaces. And then also if there are any other like-minded1143development or infrastructure projects like the SEA District1144that you mentioned, I would love to hear about that.1145    Mr. RYAN. Yeah, well, I will take that one to start. You1146know, as I said in my opening statement, you know, we look at1147our role in the community as the community betting on us and1148our expertise to come in and, you know, be the people that are1149entrusted in this great game of baseball. We all own teams, but1150really we don't own anything. You can't own the game of1151baseball. You are just entrusted with it for a time period. And1152one of the things we try to do is make sure that everyone in1153the community gets to use the stadium.1154    So in Corpus Christi we played a lot of high school1155baseball games there. In fact, we drew 21,000 fans to see two1156teams from each side of the town. Who is going to go to the1157state championship? We had a local business, Myra Sports, who1158played a high school tournament every year. You know, in Round1159Rock, Texas, we have the state high school championships there.1160But we have also worked with the Austin Rodeo to do bulls in1161the ballpark where we do bull riding.1162    And so I think it is making the facility available to1163everyone in the community helps because everyone supported the1164community, especially in our state where we are a property tax1165heavy state. And so having a municipal partner makes the1166affordability aspect like a must. If you don't have a partner,1167if you did what Joe did, it would be really hard to keep prices1168affordable. And so we owe it to the constituents that we have1169to make sure that the venue is available for them for all kinds1170of things.1171    Mr. CIAMPI. One of the things that the RailRiders do on1172Sunday mornings before the game, they will host challengers1173baseball in right field, like special needs children. And I1174used to bring up my little league team to volunteer and to be1175umpires and run the bases with the kids. And for me, the whole1176time we have been there, I think that was about the most1177special community thing I have seen and it is a testament to1178the kind of outfit they are running up there in Scranton.1179    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Yeah. I will reiterate something that Reid1180said and that is just it truly is a mantra of our organization1181to make sure that our stadium and our ballpark is a place where1182everyone in the West Michigan community feels comfortable1183coming. That is not always the case in society today. And I1184think it is a common theme of all the 120 clubs that that is1185something at the front of how they operate things and really1186important in our communities.1187    Mr. OLSZEWSKI. I appreciate that all very much and thanks1188again to our Chair and Ranking Member for this great1189conversation. Thanks again for your great work and I yield1190back.1191    Chairman JACK. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Bresnahan1192from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 5 minutes.1193    Mr. BRESNAHAN. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman,1194and to the Ranking Member and to our witnesses. It means a lot1195that you were able to sacrifice a day in the middle of June1196with warming temperatures and all of the scuttlebutt relating1197to baseball. So thank you all for being here.1198    And I am especially grateful for Lou Ciampi to come out1199here. Not only is Lou a constituent, we have similar1200backgrounds. We both come from multigenerational family1201businesses.1202    And going back to the RailRiders, some of the most1203meaningful moments that I ever spent with my grandfather was1204going to a baseball game or catching a doubleheader. And it1205really was very instrumental into my upbringing and determining1206who I am today. So I appreciate the investment that you make1207into small communities like ours. Not every different media1208market has the opportunity to attract a Major League Baseball1209team, specifically in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We really are1210proud of our Triple-A baseball teams and it is something that1211really binds us together, even if we went from a Phillies1212organization to a New York Yankees organization over the1213duration of time.1214    But I guess my first question, Lou, you recently mentioned1215that you are celebrating your 45th anniversary at PNC Park. Can1216you speak more about the partnership with the team and what it1217means to Independent Graphics?1218    Mr. CIAMPI. So, you know, I don't want to be redundant, but1219as I said before, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are very1220much a part of the Independent Graphics brand. To be able to go1221out on a sales call and say, we are a proud partner of the New1222York Yankees, like them or not like them, Triple-A team, it is1223certainly a conversation starter.1224    Some of the unbelievable memories, one in particular, the1225day that we met Reggie Jackson. Now, I have heard that some1226days are not so great to meet Mr. Jackson, but on this1227particular day, we caught him on a good day. And the vision of1228Reggie and my old man shaking hands like they were two old Army1229buddies, that is never going to leave me. That is never going1230to leave me. Where does a company started 45 years ago by one1231man get the chance to go up to the ballpark and meet all of our1232baseball heroes?1233    So, I mean, that is coming straight from the heart. That is1234one of the biggest things for me about the ballpark. They are1235part of our family.1236    Mr. BRESNAHAN. Thank you. Mr. Battle, I would like to kind1237of invert the question and ask why, I mean, I think I know the1238answer, but I don't want to speculate, but why is it so1239important, important for organizations like Independent1240Graphics to partner with organizations like yours?1241    Mr. BATTLE. Well, you know, as we have talked about, we1242are, you know, we are operating, you know, not in the 30 major1243markets. And this is small and middle town America and there1244are thousands of small businesses that we work with. And Minor1245League Baseball wouldn't work without the partnership with1246small businesses like Lou's and what they are doing for the1247community. And it really is a partnership to create that win-1248win situation. And we take a lot of pride in every community in1249working with companies like Lou.1250    And as Lou said, he is not just an advertiser, but he is a1251vendor in the ballpark. And we find that over and over and over1252again. And it is just part of the lifeblood of Minor League1253Baseball and it is the only way that it can work. And it, you1254know, it allows these businesses to connect with the community1255in a way that would probably otherwise be impossible. And so I1256think that it, you know, it is very important, and we are very1257excited to be part of it.1258    Mr. BRESNAHAN. Well, perhaps you don't hear this enough,1259but thank you for investing into Northeastern Pennsylvania and1260taking a chance on our community. And we are very excited to1261have you interwoven into the fabric of who we are.1262    My last question, Lou. We have seen devastating flooding in12632011, which ultimately, like you just said before, put six feet1264of water on the first floor of your building. What does it mean1265to have the continuity and the promise of the relationship with1266the RailRiders, so you were able to bounce back from that1267devastating experience?1268    Mr. CIAMPI. So it was a great coincidence, we got flooded1269at the end of the season in '11. And during 2012, the ballpark1270was renovated, so no home games. So we were in no great shape1271to be producing program books in 2013. And it was kind of a1272tough time for us, and, you know, it was a little tenuous with1273the ballpark and our business model and everything. And then1274that Fourth of July, Derek Jeter came down for a rehab visit.1275And we print those program books, and Derek Jeter's on the1276cover, I wanted to run out onto the field and slide into home1277plate.1278    So I don't know, Rob, if that answers your question.1279    Mr. BRESNAHAN. Absolutely. With that, I yield my time.1280    Mr. CIAMPI. Thank you so much.1281    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Bresnahan.1282    I now recognize Mr. McGarvey from the Commonwealth of1283Kentucky for 5 minutes.1284    Mr. MCGARVEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Ciampi, you have1285got me fired up. I am ready to go out there myself right now. I1286love it.1287    What is baseball? And look, I am from Louisville, Kentucky,1288and Louisville is a baseball town. Whether it is the stars of1289today, like Will Smith, the catcher for the Dodgers, won the1290World Series last year. Whether it is the stars of our game,1291Peter Reese, his hometown is Louisville, Kentucky. And we all1292know what he did on the field, in particular with his play, but1293it is what he did with his leadership, the moment when he went1294up to Jackie Robinson and didn't just tell Jackie Robinson it1295was okay, but told the whole country it was okay.1296    I got to know Pee Wee a little bit when I was a pool guard1297for a summer in high school. And he was doing exercises in the1298pool and he would come out and talk to me about all things. He1299wanted to know what I was doing in school, I wanted to know1300what spring training was like in Dodger Town. And he gave me1301that picture of him with his arm around Jackie Robinson in the1302locker room and he signed it to me. I keep it in my office to1303this day because it says it is always the right time to do the1304right thing. And baseball can teach us those types of lessons.1305    Of course, we have more than stars. Baseball is key to1306Louisville and our identity. One of the most iconic things1307about baseball is the Louisville Slugger. And Mr. Chairman, I1308brought these Louisville Slugger bats here today for everybody,1309not to show what the Democrats will use in this game, but what1310I hope the Republicans will use in this game. You guys could1311score a few dozen fewer runs and the game would still be1312competitive. So we are hoping there is the torpedo bat. Maybe1313you will use this one for bat speed.1314    But baseball is important to who we are. But we haven't had1315a major league team in Louisville since 1891. We have filled1316that gap with Minor League Baseball. And what a wonderful thing1317Minor League Baseball is. When I was a kid going to Redbirds1318games at the old Cardinals' stadium, when we could load up the1319family station wagon with our three kids and whatever neighbors1320jumped in and not break the bank and go out there, see who1321could throw the fastest pitch in the little thing outside the1322alleyway. Go watch the games. Maybe you got something lucky in1323a Cracker Jack box. Of course, not only did you get to1324experience baseball, but you get to see the guys who would go1325up and play in the Show and see them in those close confines.1326It is where so many of us not just got to experience baseball,1327it is where we saw our first concerts. It is where we went with1328our families. It has those great memories.1329    And now the Minor League Baseball in Louisville is1330continuing. And I will tell you that when we moved from1331Cardinal Stadium to the Bats new stadium in a blighted part of1332Louisville, it reignited that area of downtown Louisville in a1333way that people didn't think was possible. It was an act of1334faith to go to this area and build a top-notch baseball1335facility. But it sort of proved the baseball adage true: if you1336build it, they will come. So, and fans did come. And better1337yet, they are still coming.1338    Mr. Battle, I know you are here with us from the Louisville1339Bats. The Bats are already an anchor for our downtown and our1340local economy, and I know you are working with the city and1341state to grow that footprint even more. How will DBH's planned1342investment in Louisville help grow our local economy and1343benefit small businesses in the city?1344    Mr. BATTLE. Thank you for that question. And you are a1345baseball town. Congratulations also on the College World1346Series, apparently.1347    Mr. MCGARVEY. That is right.1348    Mr. BATTLE. Louisville Cardinals.1349    Mr. MCGARVEY. Louisville Cardinals going to the College1350World Series. And Murray State down in Western Kentucky going.1351    Mr. BATTLE. Very impressive. Yes, thank you for the1352question. And you know, when we announced the acquisition of1353the Louisville Bats, probably 18 months ago, Mayor Greenberg1354pulled us aside at the press conference. In fact, he pulled1355Henry Shepard, who Chairman Jack mentioned earlier, aside and1356said, we have been waiting on DBH to acquire the team. The city1357owns eight acres of land adjacent to the stadium, and we would1358like to sit down as quickly as possible and figure out how we1359can partner to help to continue to revitalize that part of1360Louisville. And so we have done that.1361    We have partnered very closely with the Louisville metro1362government. As you know, Congressman McGarvey, you know, we1363have talked about a $250 million investment in building1364condominium, hotel, entertainment district, all of the things1365that we think will continue to energize that part of1366Louisville. And we couldn't be more excited to do that. And,1367you know, Reid has done it, he said four times, and now is1368working in San Antonio. And those kinds of projects are really1369important. The stadium and the team is one thing, but how you1370can continue to invest in the community in order to have that1371kind of impact on the citizens is extremely important.1372    And it takes public-private partnership. And I can think of1373no better partnership than we have had since I have been with1374DBH than we have had with the city of Louisville.1375    Mr. MCGARVEY. Thank you. We love going to those games. I1376love taking my own kids.1377    Very quickly in the time I have got left, one thing that1378makes me worry is what happens when baseball goes away. And a1379few years ago, contraction significantly reduced the number of1380affiliated minor league teams down all the way to 120.1381    Mr. Chamberlin, do you see any good reason for MLB to1382further contract when the PDLs expire?1383    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Well, I don't think I will necessarily have1384the answer on that one. I think it was a tough time for our1385industry when we experienced that contraction from 160 down to1386120. And, you know, one of the hardest parts of it was seeing a1387few affiliated baseball leave 40 markets. There were certainly1388some reasons for who stayed and who didn't go. The way I would1389answer your question, even in those markets that lost baseball,1390what you see is that baseball is coming back in some way,1391shape, or form. And I think that is a testament to what this1392sport can do. It will find a way, and that is a great thing for1393communities just to keep it in some way, shape, or form.1394    Mr. MCGARVEY. Mr. Chairman, my time has expired. Thank you.1395    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. McGarvey.1396    I now recognize Mr. Wied from the great state of Wisconsin1397for 5 minutes.1398    Mr. WIED. Thank you, Chairman Jack, and to all of the1399witnesses for testifying before us today.1400    When many of us think of baseball, we think of playing at1401the local sandlot as kids or of our favorite major league1402player. However, for tens of millions of Americans, Minor1403League Baseball is the most accessible way to watch1404professional baseball. Families can watch professional athletes1405play America's pastime at a more affordable price in their1406local community without having to drive several hours to a1407major city.1408    My district, I am honored to represent Wisconsin's Eighth1409Congressional District, is home to the Wisconsin Timber1410Rattlers. During the Minor League Baseball season, thousands of1411fans gather to watch the Timber Rattlers play at their home1412stadium in Appleton. This creates an environment for small1413businesses to thrive, whether a local restaurant or landscaping1414company, a facility maintenance company, or even the team1415itself, minor league teams across our nation foster hundreds of1416millions of dollars of investment for their local economy.1417    So, Mr. Battle, earlier this year, your company, Diamond1418Sports Holding, purchased the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from my1419good friend Craig Dickman. Thank you very much for investing1420and believing in Northeast Wisconsin. What does your company1421take into consideration when making decisions to add another1422team to its portfolio?1423    Mr. BATTLE. Yeah, great, great question. Thank you for1424that. And we are very excited to be in Appleton and to now be1425the proud owner of the Timber Rattlers. I was recently there. I1426am sorry that I missed you, but I was there 2 weeks ago and sat1427with Craig Dickman and we talked about, you know, through the1428game, all the way through the fireworks show at the end of the1429game, just what a great job that they did a the previous1430owners, the investment that they made in the stadium, the1431investment that they made in the locker room that have made,1432you know, this.1433    So when we look at a team, we are looking at the community,1434we are looking at the team that runs--we are looking at the1435team on the ground, the general manager and the staff. We are1436looking at the support of the fans in the community and the1437opportunity to grow. So we look at all of the factors. But, you1438know, we are--I mean, when we started this 4 years ago, I never1439thought that we would own 44 baseball teams. It has just1440happened a lot faster than we ever imagined that it could.1441    And you know, I would also say that, you know, with, with1442Reid and Joe, we are all in this together. You know, Reid owns1443his team, Joe owns his teams, we own our teams, but we1444celebrate each other. And Minor League Baseball is about, you1445know, how do we work together, how do we share best practices?1446If Reid or Joe are doing something that work, you can bet that1447the next game we are going to copy it and we are going to be1448looking at that as well. And so we look at every community, but1449we also work together across all of the ownership groups to1450make sure that we can take and learn and apply best practices.1451    Mr. WIED. One of the other things that everyone notices is,1452you know, the community partnerships that you all do,1453developing that and helping out in the community is so1454invaluable for our town for sure. What efforts has your company1455undertaken to support, you know, its minor league team, I mean,1456of the Appleton area and the development with the community?1457    Mr. BATTLE. Well, we have only owned the Timber Rattlers1458for about a month, so, you know, more to come on that. But, you1459know, as we think about investing in the communities, whether1460it is through advanced technology--you know, one of the things1461that we are trying to do is to provide a major league1462experience to minor league fans. And as you think about, you1463know, when you go to a big league ballpark and the grab-and-go1464and all of the technology that exists, if we can invest in that1465infrastructure and provide that to our teams, to our stadiums,1466and to our fans, it only enhances the experience. And so that1467those are the kinds of--in addition to the investment in1468infrastructure and real estate and stadium improvements that we1469make, but how can we invest in technology and other things that1470only enhance the experience of the fans?1471    Mr. WIED. Thank you. Mr. Ciampi, it is great to see1472businesses being, you know, a part of the Minor League Baseball1473and, obviously, I love your passion. I was ready to go play1474some baseball after listening to you there. But how does having1475a minor league team in your hometown, how does that impact your1476business in the community at large from your perspective?1477    Mr. CIAMPI. Another good example of the way that the1478Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders impacts the business is that1479they do a lot of things for the youth groups. So the Little1480Leaguers will come up and they will go position by position,1481and when the RailRiders get announced, they run onto the field1482with the players to their position. What could be better than1483that? And like I alluded to before, bringing the kids up there1484to volunteer, to help the community a little bit, the people a1485little less fortunate than them. That is what I love about1486Minor League Baseball.1487    Mr. WIED. Very good. Again, thank you all. And I yield1488back.1489    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Wied.1490    I now recognize Mrs. McIver from New Jersey for 5 minutes.1491    Mrs. MCIVER. Thank you so much, Chairman and Ranking1492Member, for convening this hearing. And thank you to our1493witnesses for being here today.1494    Minor League Baseball teams play a critical role in1495connecting communities, supporting local businesses, and1496preserving the cultural fabric of cities across America. Minor1497league teams such as New Jersey's own Sussex County Miners,1498Somerset Patriots, and the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, just to name1499a few, have played just as important a role in families1500developing lifelong memories at their games as their major1501league counterparts. It is essential that federal policies1502create an environment where these teams and the small1503businesses that rely on them can thrive. These teams and the1504bustling small businesses that grow around them represent jobs1505and community pride. They deserve our support and partnership.1506    With that being said, I have one question to the entire1507panel. We have seen that smaller, independent, and affiliated1508minor league teams often struggle with access to capital,1509particularly when compared to their major league counterparts.1510What traditional financing strategies do minor league teams1511currently use for funding, and how can these funding streams be1512improved?1513    Mr. RYAN. I will jump on that. So we have always had a1514portion of private money that has been part of our municipal1515deal with the local municipality and our portion of the1516capital. And we have always used a local bank, just community1517banks. And we have carried bank debt, you know, as any other1518business would on our teams. And so I think, as everyone here1519has said, you know, whether it is Value Bank in Corpus Christi1520or our bank in Round Rock, we always try to find a local1521banking partner to be affiliated with and to actually keep the1522money in the community.1523    Mrs. MCIVER. Thank you so much for that.1524    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Yeah, I would agree with that. In West1525Michigan, our naming rights partner is Lake Michigan Credit1526Union, and they also happen to be our lending partner. We are a1527little bit unique in that we own the team in addition to owning1528the ballpark and the real estate. So in a way, we own our own1529house and have always been able to leverage that house to help1530get projects done.1531    We are at a unique place right now where we are 30-some1532years in and working on an infrastructure project that could be1533upwards of $65 million when all is said and done. So I am1534working on very pragmatic and practical economic development1535solutions at the state level to help privately owned venues get1536those sorts of projects done, especially if they spur value-1537added economic development. So I think it is a really important1538topic, and thank you for the question.1539    Mrs. MCIVER. Thank you. Thank you so much for that. Anybody1540else care to chime in?1541    Well, I just want to thank each of you for being here. And1542I will say this has been one of, in my time in Congress, one of1543the most joyful Committee hearings that I have been in since I1544have been here. So thank you all so much for coming here and1545being with us today.1546    With that, I yield.1547    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Ms. McIver.1548    I now recognize Mr. Patronis from the great state of1549Florida for 5 minutes.1550    Mr. PATRONIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, you know, Mr.1551Chairman, thank you very much for doing this. Thank you to the1552Clingstones for breaking the Wahoos' 11-game losing streak, 91553to 2. A little bit of bragging rights for the Wahoos.1554    But, you know, this isn't about me. This is about this guy1555sitting on the front row, my son Theo. I was a horrible athlete1556in school. I never understood what coordination was. But now my1557life is controlled by his baseball and where we go and what we1558do in our schedule. And he is eat up with it. And however you1559are communicating to this generation, you know, he is1560definitely--he is an excited part and consumer of the sport,1561the products, the support, the fanfare. And it keeps him out of1562trouble. It keeps him out of trouble.1563    So I really appreciate, you know, Coach, you giving the1564flexibility to the Ranking Member--I mean, the Chairman, in1565order--the Sub-Chairman to be able to pull this off and to be1566able to let us have this opportunity to kind of just talk about1567something that is not as really much of a partisan issue, but1568it is a great way to put aside our differences and talk about1569what I think is the exciting part is the economic development.1570So I am a hospitality guy at heart.1571    And, you know, and then you get those fights. It is kind of1572like an open question. We get those fights in our community.1573Years ago, we tried to recruit the Sand Gnats to my hometown.1574And so then you get the finger-pointing because there was bad1575tax dollars and all these different ways, you have the way to1576bring in resources to bring this in for a landing. And so now I1577am in Congress. The Wahoos is part of my district over in1578Pensacola, and I am excited. But, you know, again, being able1579to take that opportunity of that investment, that commitment to1580be in Pensacola, other suggestions how we take it to the next1581level in order to encourage more economic opportunity, we try1582to be versatile with the facility to do other things with it.1583But, you know, I got a bunch of experts sitting in the room. I1584would love to hear what else I should be, you know, advocating1585for in this position to help my support at home. Thank you, Mr.1586Chairman.1587    Mr. RYAN. Well, I will jump in there because our company,1588one of the things I didn't mention is we also do strategic1589hospitality for several teams around the country, including1590Beloit and Pensacola with Quint Studer. And so I will be in1591Pensacola in a couple of weeks. And we have done--as you know,1592Quint is very involved. He is the owner of the Wahoos along1593with Bubba Watson, and they are very involved local1594communities. So we cater a lot of events out of that stadium.1595And then we had the football team playing there until they got1596their new stadium. But he does a lot of stuff with, you know,1597concerts in the facility. In fact, he put artificial turf in1598because he was running so many community events on the field.1599And so our staff there works 365 for Quint and the local1600ownership group to service the community.1601    Mr. CIAMPI. So I will jump in with a story. Surprise. My1602wife never wants to go to a game. I am not sure if she doesn't1603like baseball or she doesn't want to go with me. So one night a1604bunch of years ago, you know, we are in Scranton, and they had1605the office party up at PNC Field. And, you know, I had access1606to the suite, but I figured my wife wouldn't want to go. Well,1607let me tell you, she wanted to go, and I was in big trouble1608when she found out that night. So you could arrange some1609events, like an office party, up at your field, the wives are1610going to want to go, so.1611    Mr. RYAN. Sounds good.1612    Mr. PATRONIS. Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you for indulging1613us, to allow us to have this open dialogue. Again, just I think1614you are all sensitive to it, but there's young guys like--well,1615stand up, Theo, let everybody see you. He was texting me,1616wanting to know if he could get pictures of the mascots. I told1617him of course he could. So, anyway, I'm just going to let the1618mascots know he is going to get some selfies before he takes1619off. Anyway, it is just really cool. Thank you all for doing1620this.1621    Chairman JACK. Thank you, Mr. Patronis. I now recognize my1622colleague, Ms. Simon from California, for 5 minutes.1623    Ms. SIMON. We have smiled more in this hearing than I have1624seen smiles in the last 5 months that I have been in Congress.1625Thank you all so much for being here.1626    And if you would have told me 2 years ago that I would be1627in the Small Business Committee in Congress or talking about1628baseball with a big old smile, I would not have believed you.1629But, but, I am from the city of Oakland, and you know who I am1630going to talk about. I am going to talk about the Oakland1631Ballers. I am sure you are familiar, and if you are not, I1632actually want to tell you a little bit about the origin story.1633    Three guys I met less than 2 years ago, one from tech, one1634from show business, the other guy is just a smart business1635nerd, they used their own money. They did town and gown. They1636called folks in government, community organizers, folks from1637culture. And they said, we have this idea that we want to bring1638Minor League Baseball to West Oakland, which is a Black1639community that has been under-resourced. And now we have an1640exhilarating community that is just--it is so incredible. The1641Oakland Ballers is more than a sports team. They have literally1642become a catalyst. They are community builders, much like you1643all. And it is so exciting to actually talk about something1644that we can all say yes to, America and baseball and apple pie1645and literally some good politics.1646    In their first season, the Ballers brought nearly 100,0001647fans to Raimondi Park, a baseball field that was literally in1648disrepair. No one could practice or even go on the field. They1649spent literally tens of thousands of dollars in the first 61650months, engaging community and figuring out a way forward. Like1651many of you have done, going to city council meetings and1652talking to planning commissions and, again, figuring what is in1653your savings and drawing down from your 401(k)'s. Baller1654founders, we see you.1655    The park is now used for Little League championships, high1656school tournaments, and movie nights, which none of us could1657have thought possible. This kind of community investment1658breathes new life into neighborhoods. It has created1659opportunities for local small businesses and has built1660something that my city so desperately has needed: community1661pride.1662    The team is now community-driven and fan-owned, like we1663have talked about today. They have raised $3 million from over16644,000 fan investors, including Billy Joe Armstrong of Green1665Day, Go Green Day, and hip-hop and Oakland native superstar Too1666Short. You wouldn't have thought about that, right? This1667community-driven model, its ownership model, continues to1668challenge the notion that communities can't come together1669particularly to support minor baseball. In Oakland, we have. We1670are giving fans an opportunity to have real voice in community1671entrepreneurship, but also just a good old time.1672    I know very little about baseball, but I love to dance with1673the mascots, eat hot dogs. Minor League Baseball games, if you1674haven't been, it is some of the best times that you will ever1675have. Right? Exactly. Good music, good people. And again,1676folks, regardless if you are red or blue, we come and we want1677our teams to win. And it is just an amazing experience.1678    Oakland's past is rich with championship teams, as you all1679know, but in recent years we have seen professional teams move1680away from our community. The Ballers, those three guys, 4,0001681sub-owners, came in together to preserve baseball and provide a1682safe and affordable and fun gathering space for residents.1683    I can talk on and on about the Ballers because you can tell1684that I am so blessed that we have again the entrepreneurship1685spirit here that we are seeing on this panel in our community.1686But I have learned a lot, you know, watching the Ballers work,1687watching them work with communities.1688    And Mr. Chamberlin, I have just a quick question for you.1689You talked about, again, the innovation opportunities in1690communities when Minor League Baseball comes into town, to1691community. What are some of the lessons that folks can take1692away from this community-centered model of Minor League1693Baseball and how they can better support small businesses? We1694talked a little bit about this today, but a couple of lessons1695that, that we can take on.1696    Mr. CHAMBERLIN. Yeah, I would--thank you for the question.1697And I don't know a lot about the Ballers, but I have read a1698little bit and it is an incredibly cool story and it is a great1699example of organic baseball finding a way to survive in a1700market that is truly an incredible baseball market. For us,1701being a very community-centric team, I think it starts with1702truly just being a place where everyone wants to be. We don't1703view LMCU Ballpark as our ballpark. We view it as the1704community's ballpark.1705    And, again, I don't want to go back to the same story I1706already told, but, you know, when you have a tragedy like the1707fire that we had in 2014 and literally have season1708ticketholders coming to donate to the rebuild, you know that1709you have struck a chord in the community. And if I would offer1710any advice to your district and to Oakland, it would be, hey,1711they have struck fire and let's help them be successful because1712they have proven that they have got something that can work and1713with some community support it is going to be an incredible1714thing.1715    Ms. SIMON. Thank you. My time is up and I yield back. Thank1716you all for being here today.1717    Chairman JACK. Well, thank you, Ms. Simon. And I appreciate1718you mentioning the Ballers. They play in the Pioneer League,1719which features quite a few teams from the great state of1720Montana.1721    So I now recognize Mr. Downing from the great state of1722Montana for 5 minutes.1723    Mr. DOWNING. Thank you, Chairman Jack, and thank you to the1724witnesses being here today. I just want to say I am looking1725forward tomorrow to participating in this nation's great1726pastime as we see the congressional baseball team once again1727dominate on the Republican side with the leadership of Skip--I1728mean, Chairman Williams here. So looking forward to that.1729    And just one thing I want to, you know, suggest to the1730witnesses, if you have any scouts, pay close attention. If you1731are looking for a new shortstop, give me a call.1732    So back in my home district of Central and Eastern Montana,1733we have no local Major League Baseball sports teams. For1734context, the nearest Major League Baseball stadium, the1735Colorado Rockies' Coors Field is 550 miles away from Billings.1736Minor League Baseball is our only opportunity to take our1737families out to the ballpark to watch a professional baseball1738team.1739    I am going to start with Mr. Battle. Your company, Diamond1740Baseball Holdings, operates over 40 teams across the country,1741including in small cities in middle America, like Des Moines,1742Omaha, Wichita. Can you speak to the important role that Minor1743League Baseball plays in bringing professional sports league1744locations in middle America that are overlooked by major sports1745leagues?.1746    Mr. BATTLE. No, it is a great question. And I think that1747that is, you know, one of the, you know, the real benefit to1748Minor League Baseball is to bring life to those communities. We1749talked about the centers of energy that those stadiums1750represent. And I can't remember if Reid or Joe talked about it,1751you know, we represent affiliated Minor League Baseball teams,1752and there are 120 of those. But there are so many different1753leagues, like the Ballers that we just talked about, so many1754different leagues and so any minor league professional teams1755that are playing in communities around the country and they are1756equally important in terms of the impact that they have on1757their communities and bringing the communities together.1758    Mr. DOWNING. Well, can you speak to that? How do minor1759league teams that you operate engage with local schools, with1760youth baseball teams to promote the sport?1761    Mr. BATTLE. Yeah. Again, great question. And you know I1762can't say that this is across the board, but, you know, if you1763go to a typical Minor League Baseball game there is probably a1764youth group from a local church or a local school that is1765singing the National Anthem. There are, you know, every night1766teachers are honored, veterans are honored, and the opportunity1767to bring the stadium to the community and the community to the1768stadium is extremely important. And, you know, I think that in1769many cases they are one and the same and they really do work1770together. And that is how, you know, our teams are trying to1771promote that in each local market.1772    Mr. DOWNING. And so how do you not just entrench each team1773in their local communities, but build out the relationships1774with, you know, local businesses, with fans? How are you doing1775now?1776    Mr. BATTLE. Yeah. We have, you know, great staffs on the1777ground that I have talked about. In many cases, I mentioned the1778example earlier in, you know, one of our communities that up to177931 full-time employees, 26 started as interns, and there is1780just a passion. You know, one of the things that I have always1781loved, even in the time that I spent in the college space, I1782have always loved the passion of the employees in Minor League1783Baseball. It is just different. You know, it is not easy.1784    You know, if you are in the pro leagues, there are a lot of1785inbound calls. In the minor leagues, you have to go out into1786the community. You are going into the local businesses, into1787the schools, into the churches, and you are engaging with the1788local citizens, and that is what it is all about. And so in all1789of our teams we have a general manager, we have a ticket1790seller, we have sponsorship sellers, we have people that1791operate the park.1792    One of the other things about Minor League Baseball1793employees that is so amazing is they, in many cases, wear four1794or five hats. They could be selling tickets during the day and1795pulling tarp at night when it rains or behind the concession1796stand. And there is just an esprit de corps at Minor League1797Baseball that is very special.1798    Mr. DOWNING. Before I run out of time I have got to change1799hats too. So here you go. So Montana is home and I have got a1800little swag here, the Billings Mustangs. Montana is home to1801five Minor League Baseball teams, including the Billings1802Mustangs in my home district. The Mustangs provide affordable1803family-friendly entertainment throughout the summer, attracting1804over 105,000 fans annually to Dehler Park.1805    So Mr. Battle or Mr. Ryan, in your respective roles you1806have experienced running minor league teams in small or medium1807markets. What have you found works best in keeping fans engaged1808and bringing them back to the ballpark throughout the season? I1809will start with Mr. Ryan.1810    Mr. RYAN. Yeah. I think the promotions that we talked about1811earlier is always fun to have those things. But also, it is1812knowing the history of the club. I think, you know, some of the1813people in Billings, they were Reds-affiliated forever, had had1814so many of those guys go to the major league, ,start their pro1815career in Billings. And people build deep relationships with1816those players and they keep them for a lifetime. And so I think1817just the game itself is and will always be the draw because it1818brings people together.1819    Mr. DOWNING. Outstanding. Unfortunately, I have run out of1820time, so we will get back to you. And Mr. Chairman, I yield.1821    Chairman JACK. Thank you very much.1822    And I now recognize my good friend, Mr. Addison McDowell1823from North Carolina for 5 minutes.1824    Mr. MCDOWELL. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,1825also, to the witnesses for being here today.1826    I want to talk a little bit about what Minor League1827Baseball meant to me. As someone that grew up right around the1828Winston-Salem Warthogs, which has since become the Winston-1829Salem Dash that is owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings. And some1830of my most favorite memories with my dad are going to watch the1831Warthogs as a kid. And I have passed the Winston-Salem Dash1832stadium every day after church. And my two year old, I ask her1833every Sunday, would you like to go see a baseball game with1834Daddy? She says no every single week. But eventually, she is1835going to say yes. I am going to carry that tradition on with my1836children.1837    And so I am grateful to each of you for the role that you1838play in Minor and Major League Baseball and baseball in1839general. Because what you do doesn't just spur economic growth.1840It spurs memories with fathers and sons and fathers and1841daughters and mothers and sons and mothers and daughters. And1842that is a great thing. And that is exactly why we have seen1843today in this Committee folks say things like this is the1844happiest committee I have been in in Congress. And it is not1845just because there is mascots sitting in here, which is a first1846for me, but it is because sports bring people together in a way1847that very few, if any things do. And I wanted to begin with1848that. And I am grateful for what you all do in creating1849memories for the families. It means a lot.1850    But, Mr. Battle, how would you say that--you know, you1851touched on the Charlotte Knights, which I have actually been to1852the Winter Wonderland in Charlotte with my family. But what are1853some of--outside of that, what are some of the more creative1854promotional campaigns that you have seen these teams do in1855small- to medium-sized cities and towns that really foster1856community engagement?1857    Mr. BATTLE. Yeah. It is a great question, and I am sure the1858others can answer that as well. And hopefully, one of the great1859promotions that we will run soon is your daughter can either1860sing the National Anthem at a game or throw out the first1861pitch. We would love to have that at the Dash game. Maybe that1862will entice her to go.1863    But, yes, as we have talked about a lot today, you know,1864there are so many promotions that are fun. You know, one of the1865things that I have just seen recently that I love and want to1866amplify across, you know, so many of our communities is in1867Dayton, Ohio, the Dayton Dragons, which is one of the great1868stories in Minor League Baseball. They had a campaign called1869Celebrate Dayton. And, you know, three or four times a week1870they are celebrating, again, teachers, veterans, kids K through18715 that make good grades, whatever gives them a reason to1872celebrate the community. And, you know, a lot of people have1873touched on this today.1874    I mean, this is the opportunity that we have and what Minor1875League Baseball represented. It is the opportunity to bring1876citizens together and businesses together and to make it work.1877And so, you know, there are so many--one of the things I love1878about Minor League Baseball, to your point, is that there are1879so many crazy promotions that you couldn't run in the pro1880leagues, you know, whatever it is. Ranking Member Scholten1881talked about some of the, you know, funny promotions that are1882running. Every night in a minor league ballpark those are1883happening. And everybody enjoys it and it is fun and it is one1884of the things that makes Minor League Baseball so unique and1885special.1886    Mr. MCDOWELL. Thank you. Mr. Ryan, you were with the Astros1887when you secured the major league affiliate for the1888Fayetteville Woodpeckers. And I touched on my dad there1889earlier. My dad was actually the PA announcer for the1890Woodpeckers when they came to Fayetteville, which is not in my1891district, but it is in my home state. And I am curious, can you1892touch on how having the backing of a major league team impacts1893both the success of the team and then by extension the economic1894development in the surrounding community?1895    Mr. RYAN. Yeah. So, one of the things that happened was1896that Major League Baseball put a mandate out that we had to1897bring all of these facilities up to a certain standard, which1898was a really good thing. And that forced operators like those1899at the table, especially Diamond Baseball because they have so1900many teams, but also the major league affiliates to make1901decisions on where they wanted their long-term home to be and1902finding out could they partner with the community.1903    And so I went all over North Carolina, who wanted to be in1904that league. We really fell in love with the Fayetteville area1905because, you know, once again, there wasn't anything to do at1906night. We heard a lot of the guys on base got in trouble and1907the local community wanted something not just for the families,1908but for them as well. And it has been a big success. And, you1909know, it has been neat to see that part of downtown which has1910so much history actually develop and get people down there. And1911they have the Special Forces Museum and everything right there.1912    So, yeah, if it wouldn't have been for the Astros ownership1913and the Texas Rangers because they now are in one of the new1914Diamond Baseball facilities in the Southeast, as well buying1915those clubs and making that move, it would have never happened.1916So, it was basically from the top to the bottom.1917    Mr. MCDOWELL. Got it. Well, Mr. Chairman, my time has1918expired.1919    Chairman JACK. Well, thank you very much, Mr. McDowell,1920and, again, thank you for waving on today.1921    I will now recognize our Ranking Member, Ms. Scholten, for1922brief closing remarks.1923    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. And briefly,1924just to conclude and thank you to all of our witnesses for1925coming here today to elevate the importance of Minor League1926Baseball. Your work in our community really serves to1927strengthen the small business economies that surround them and1928bring our communities together. Play ball.1929    Chairman JACK. Thank you very much.1930    I will now recognize the Chairman of our full Committee,1931Chairman Roger Williams, for brief closing remarks.1932    Chairman WILLIAMS. Well, I want to thank all of you for1933being here. This has been great. You know, we talk about1934stories. Baseball is one of the--is the only sport, actually,1935that has stories. I would venture to say you could ask anybody1936in this room and everybody will have a baseball story. Not1937everybody is going to have a football story or a basketball1938story, but they got a baseball story, and we have heard that.1939And that is what makes it special.1940    Also, I am always remembering that baseball, you know, you1941go back--well, right now we have got--we see what is happening1942in Los Angeles today. It is a mess. But we are also talking1943about the Congressional Baseball Game tomorrow. You go back to1944World War I, baseball drew us out of World War I. Baseball kept1945going in World War II. Baseball and President Bush kept us1946going on 9-11. So, that is the kind of sport it is. It is the1947American sport and no other sport has got that.1948    And then the other thing I always remind people, baseball1949is the only sport that has a play in it called the sacrifice.1950And that is what America is about.1951    So, I am glad to have all of you here and see my friends.1952Baseball is the greatest game. It is the hardest thing to do.1953Of course, your dad is in the Hall of Fame. He was a pitcher.1954But going in the Hall of Fame, you got to fail 70 percent of1955the time, don't you? What other business allows you to fail 701956percent of the time and you go to the Hall of Fame? That is1957because hitting a round ball with a round bat and hitting it1958square is the hardest thing to do.1959    So, anyway, I want to thank you all for being here. It has1960been a great hearing. You may be in trouble. We may make this1961an annual event.1962    Chairman JACK. Without objection. Thank you to Ranking1963Member Scholten and Chairman Williams and each Member of this1964Subcommittee for your questions. And thank you to our witnesses1965for your testimony today.1966    Without objection, Members have 5 legislative days to1967submit additional materials or written questions for the1968witnesses to the Chairman, which will be forwarded to the1969witnesses. I ask the witnesses to please respond promptly.1970    Thirty minutes after we adjourn, we will host a reception1971in this room honoring America's pastime. The reception will1972feature three beloved mascots in costume behind you today:1973Fuzzy from the Columbus Clingstones, Buddy Bat from the1974Louisville Bats, and Gus from the Fredericksburg Nationals. The1975reception will also feature autograph stations with former1976major leagues Jim Sundberg and Larry Hardy, baseball coach1977Johnny Watson, and our Chairman Roger Williams. Baseball1978souvenirs and ballpark food will be provided, and all are1979welcome to attend.1980    Thank you to our incredible staff, led by Staff Director1981Lauren Holmes, for helping produce today's hearing and1982reception. We hope to see all of you at the Congressional1983Baseball Game tomorrow night.1984    And if there is no further business, without objection,1985this Subcommittee is adjourned.1986    [Whereupon, at 4:09 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]19871988                           A P P E N D I X19891990[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]19911992                                 [all]