Montgomery, AL – The Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, are excited to announce that the sale of the franchise has been finalized by Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and the Southern League to a Lou DiBella-led ownership group. The ownership change will take place immediately.
The new Biscuits ownership group will be spearheaded by experienced minor league operators Lou DiBella, Gary Green, Larry Botel, Peter Huff and Todd “Parney” Parnell.
Green, with his partner Botel, joined DiBella in ownership of the Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2009, acquired the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers in 2012, and recently announced the acquisition of Baseball America, the publication and media company. Parnell, known throughout baseball as Parney, is COO of the Richmond Flying Squirrels and one of the most respected and visionary executives in Minor League Baseball. This 28-year veteran of the baseball business is renowned for his larger than life persona, creativity, and tireless dedication to community service. Parney is a force of nature.
The new owners will mobilize the Montgomery Biscuits staff to increase the organization’s presence and reach throughout the city of Montgomery and surrounding suburbs. One of the great attributes of the Greater Montgomery Area is its diversity, and Biscuit ownership and management know that we must celebrate this diversity as we reenergize the in-game experience and actively interact with our fans and neighbors everyday. The Montgomery Biscuit organization promises you a renewed commitment to affordable family fun at Riverwalk Stadium and we will host a Grand Reopening Weekend, beginning on Thursday, June 22, to show you what we got! The Grand Reopening Weekend will be filled with special activities, concerts and ceremonies to mark the beginning of a new era for the Montgomery franchise. There will be plenty of baseball and great fun before that, as the Biscuits return to Riverwalk Stadium on Monday, May 8, to begin an action-packed five-game homestand. A full list of promotions and details can be found here.
“On behalf of new ownership, we’re thrilled to take the reins of the Montgomery Biscuits from Sherrie Myers. Under Sherrie, the Biscuits have created a legacy that we will proudly build on,” said Managing Owner Lou DiBella. “While we own the franchise, it really belongs to our fans and the Greater Montgomery Area.
“With Parney, Brendon Porter, and Biscuit veterans Scott Trible and Greg Rauch at the helm, we are going to make ourselves indispensable to the community, reinvigorate the ballpark experience for our fans, and facilitate and encourage more of our friends and neighbors to join us at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium. We won’t only be your baseball team during the season; we will be a part of your lives all twelve months of the year. You won’t just come to Riverwalk Stadium to cheer on the Biscuits. The ballpark will be a destination for entertainment, sports and community events all year round.
“These Biscuits are gonna be hot! Come to the ballpark soon. Together, we are going to have fun, get loud and make memories. Expect many announcements in the days and weeks to come and plan on joining us during our Grand Reopening Weekend, from June 22 through June 25.”
About Lou DiBella
Lou DiBella currently serves as the CEO & Managing Owner of the Montgomery Biscuits as well as the President & Managing General Partner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants). Prior to overseeing the relocation of the franchise from Norwich, CT, to Richmond, DiBella served as President & Managing Partner of the Connecticut Defenders and the Norwich Navigators that preceded them. In that role, which he held from 2005-09, he fostered the relationship that continues presently between the Flying Squirrels and the San Francisco Giants.
Outside of baseball, DiBella’s name is synonymous with world championship boxing. He enjoyed an outstanding 11-year run at HBO Sports, where he was a backbone of the division that vaulted HBO Boxing to signature programming status. DiBella recruited and signed a bevy of boxing stars for HBO, including numerous Hall of Famers. He also revolutionized the sport as creator of the critically acclaimed “Boxing After Dark” television series, providing underexposed fighters the opportunity to advance their careers on a national stage. After leaving HBO, he founded DiBella Entertainment, establishing himself as one of the world’s leading boxing promoters, and producing and appearing in numerous documentary and feature films.
DiBella was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Manhattan’s prestigious Regis High School. He was a summa cum laude graduate of Tufts University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a 1985 graduate of Harvard Law School. A tireless advocate of boxing reform, DiBella has been a leader in the movement for federal regulation, uniform health and safety standards and a national boxing commission.
A past recipient of the AHRC’s Thurman Munson Corporate Hero Award, DiBella has also been honored by Council for Unity as a “Champion for Children” and has received several other lifetime achievement and community service awards. He has been inducted to both the New York State and Connecticut Boxing Halls of Fame. In 2016, he was honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America as a recipient of its James A. Farley Award for Honesty and Integrity.
