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Draft:Pete Laven

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pete Laven
Born (1969-08-13) August 13, 1969 (age 57)
EducationEastern Illinois University
OccupationBaseball executive
Years active1992–present

Pete Laven (born August 13, 1969)[1] is an American baseball executive who is the general manager of the Columbus Clingstones, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.[2] He previously served as vice president and general manager of the Mississippi Braves, general manager of the Arkansas Travelers, president and general manager of the Schaumburg Boomers, and president of Salvi Sports Enterprises.[3]

Laven has worked in professional baseball since 1992. In 2006, he was named Texas League Executive of the Year and received Minor League Baseball's inaugural Closer Award as its top salesperson.[4][5] He was also selected for Arkansas Business' 40 Under 40 class of 2009.[6]

Early life and education

[edit]

Laven is a native of La Grange, Illinois. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1991 and studied journalism.[7][8]

After graduating, Laven attended a Kane County Cougars game and became interested in pursuing the business side of professional baseball. He subsequently attended a baseball Winter Meetings job fair and began working for the Arkansas Travelers.[1]

Baseball career

[edit]

Early career and Arkansas Travelers

[edit]

Laven began his professional baseball career with the Arkansas Travelers in 1992 as a stadium operations intern and returned in 1993 as director of stadium operations.[9]

He became an account executive for the Kane County Cougars in 1994 and assistant general manager of the Albany Polecats in 1995. From 1996 through 1999, Laven worked for the Piedmont Boll Weevils, where his responsibilities included food and beverage operations and sales.[3][9]

Laven returned to the Travelers in 2000. He worked in promotions, advertising, ticket sales and public relations and became assistant general manager in 2004.[9]

The Travelers' 2006 season was their final year at Ray Winder Field and included the Texas League All-Star Game. Laven was named Texas League Executive of the Year following the season.[4] He also received the inaugural Minor League Baseball Closer Award, which recognized the top salesperson in Minor League Baseball.[5]

Laven was promoted to general manager for the 2007 season, succeeding longtime general manager Bill Valentine in responsibility for the club's day-to-day business operations.[10]

His first season as general manager coincided with the opening of Dickey–Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers drew a then-franchise-record 372,475 fans during the ballpark's inaugural 2007 season and surpassed the mark in 2008, when the club won the Texas League championship.[11]

During Laven's first season as general manager, Tulsa Drillers first-base coach Mike Coolbaugh was fatally struck by a line drive during a game against the Travelers at Dickey–Stephens Park on July 22, 2007.[12] Laven was among the Travelers personnel and medical responders who went onto the field after Coolbaugh collapsed.[13]

As general manager, Laven emphasized promotions, attendance and the fan experience rather than player personnel, which was controlled by the Travelers' Major League affiliate.[10] One of the club's more unusual promotions during his tenure was a sanctioned pregame boxing match in 2010 between former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco and former University of Arkansas at Little Rock baseball coach Gary Hogan. Laven developed the promotion and negotiated with Canseco's representatives.[14]

A 2015 Daily Herald profile later described Laven's Travelers tenure as including the opening of Dickey–Stephens Park, the development of promotions, and the appearance of future major-league star Mike Trout with Arkansas.[7]

Laven served six seasons as general manager, from 2007 through 2012. The Travelers made front-office changes following the 2012 season, with Paul Allen becoming interim general manager.[15]

Salvi Sports Enterprises and Schaumburg Boomers

[edit]

In 2013, Laven became president of Salvi Sports Enterprises, the sports organization owned by Pat and Lindy Salvi.[7]

In that role, Laven oversaw sports properties that included the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball, the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League, the North Shore Navigators and the Martha's Vineyard Sharks.[9] He also served as interim general manager of the RailCats in 2014.[7]

In February 2015, Laven became president and general manager of the Schaumburg Boomers while continuing as president of Salvi Sports Enterprises.[16]

A Daily Herald profile published during his first season in Schaumburg described Laven's responsibilities as including personnel decisions, salary-cap management, advertising, community relations and stadium operations. One of his early changes was bringing the Boomers' food and beverage operation in-house.[7]

The Boomers were named the Frontier League Organization of the Year in 2016 during Laven's tenure. At the time the award was announced, Schaumburg led the league in attendance with an average of 3,557 fans per game.[17]

Laven remained with Salvi Sports Enterprises through 2017.[2]

Chicago Dogs and Mississippi Braves

[edit]

Laven joined the Chicago Dogs of the American Association as director of corporate partnerships for the club's inaugural 2018 season.[3]

In November 2018, the Mississippi Braves, then the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, named Laven vice president and general manager. He became the second general manager in the franchise's Mississippi history and began overseeing business operations at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi, with the 2019 season.[9]

Laven remained general manager through the franchise's final season in Mississippi in 2024.[3]

In addition to his baseball duties, Laven became involved in local civic organizations and served as president of the Pearl Chamber of Commerce.[18]

Columbus Clingstones

[edit]

In early 2024, Laven was appointed general manager of the Atlanta Braves' Double-A operation in Columbus, Georgia, while continuing to run the Mississippi Braves during their final season in Pearl. He was tasked with helping oversee the franchise's relocation and preparation for its 2025 debut in Columbus.[3]

The relocation included a $50 million renovation of historic Golden Park, later renamed Synovus Park. Laven represented the organization during the redevelopment and publicly discussed the ballpark project with the Ledger-Enquirer in April 2024.[19]

Laven announced the Synovus Park name during a June 2024 groundbreaking ceremony.[20]

In September 2024, the franchise unveiled the name Columbus Clingstones. Laven represented the organization at the announcement, which connected the team's identity with Georgia's peach-growing heritage.[21]

The Clingstones began play in 2025, returning affiliated professional baseball to Columbus for the first time since 2008. The club drew nearly 230,000 paid fans during its inaugural season, almost 60,000 more than any previous professional baseball club in the city, according to WRBL.[22]

Laven remained general manager for the 2026 season.[2] During that season, the organization also introduced the alternate identity Columbus Scrambled Dogs, based on the local scrambled dog food tradition. Laven announced the identity at Dinglewood Pharmacy, where the dish originated.[23]

Awards and recognition

[edit]
  • Texas League Executive of the Year, 2006[4]
  • Minor League Baseball Closer Award, 2006[5]
  • Arkansas Business 40 Under 40, 2009[6]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Front Office Spotlight - Pete Laven". Mississippi Braves. Minor League Baseball. March 9, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Front Office Staff". Columbus Clingstones. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Rice, Mark (March 21, 2024). "Meet the leader of the Atlanta Braves minor league baseball team moving to Columbus". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Czerwinski, Kevin (December 5, 2006). "Moore offers MiLB his vision of the future". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "R-Phils presented two national awards at seminar". OurSports Central. September 29, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "40 Under 40 Class of 2009" (PDF). Arkansas Business. June 17, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Griffin, Renee (June 23, 2015). "Boomers GM brings pro baseball background to job". Daily Herald. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Division of Journalism Retention and Graduation Rates". Eastern Illinois University. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Harris, Chris (November 28, 2018). "Pete Laven Named Mississippi Braves' Vice President and General Manager". Mississippi Braves. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Traub, Todd (March 9, 2010). "Travs' exec makes pitch". The Arkansas Leader. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Travs Named NLR Chamber Business of the Year". OurSports Central. August 25, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Coolbaugh, 35, dies after being struck by ball". ESPN. July 23, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  13. ↑ Price, S. L. (September 24, 2007). "A Death in the Baseball Family". Sports Illustrated.
  14. ↑ Hill, Benjamin (June 29, 2010). "Ex-college coach to fight Canseco". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  15. ↑ Reichard, Kevin (November 14, 2012). "Travelers make front-office changes for 2013". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  16. ↑ "New GM/president to run Schaumburg Boomers". Daily Herald. February 12, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Schaumburg Named Frontier League Organization of the Year". Ballpark Digest. September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  18. ↑ "The Great Chatt 2024". United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley. 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  19. ↑ Rice, Mark (April 19, 2024). "Atlanta Braves' minor league progress, tickets info in GA". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  20. ↑ Rice, Mark (June 11, 2024). "Golden Park gets a new name as Columbus baseball stadium goes through $50M renovations". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  21. ↑ Rice, Mark (September 6, 2024). "Atlanta Braves' Double-A baseball team moving to Columbus gets new name". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  22. ↑ Williams, Chuck (April 5, 2026). "This season the Clingstones look to build on off-the-field success of inaugural season". WRBL. Retrieved September 20, 2026 – via Yahoo Sports.
  23. ↑ Hutchison, Kelby (April 9, 2026). "Columbus Clingstones announce new alternate identity, paying homage to local delicacy". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved September 20, 2026.

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