EASTLAKE, Ohio — With the start of Spring Training approaching, the Cleveland Guardians' High-A affiliate has announced a change in ownership.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the Lake County Captains announced that an ownership group led by Alan Miller and former NFL punter Jon Ryan have purchased the majority stake in the club from the Carfagna family. Peter Carfagna Rita Murphy-Carfagna had owned the Captains since they first moved to Lake County in 2003.
Miller and Ryan serve as the principal partners at COLLiDE Sport and previously purchased the Portland Pickles, a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. Miller will serve as the Captains' president, with Peter Carfagna remaining a minority owner in the franchise.
During Tuesday's press conference, Miller emphasized that the team will be celebrating its 20th season in Lake County in 2023. The plan teams to celebrate the occasion with throwback uniforms and various promotions paying homage to the team's history throughout the season.
Prior to moving to Lake County 20 years ago, the Captains first played in Columbus, Georgia, as the Indians and then as the RedStixx. After serving as the then Indians' Class-A affiliate from 1991-2019, the Captains became the franchise's High-A affiliate in 2021.
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