The Arizona Diamondbacks have been a household name in the Major League Baseball franchise since its addition as an expansion team. The Phoenix-based team was established in 1995 and began to play in 1998.
The Arizona Diamondbacks' ownership history
The Diamondbacks were awarded an expansion franchise on March 9, 1995, to begin play for the 1998 season. An about $130 million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball (MLB).
Jerry Colangelo (1995-2004)
Jerry Colangelo assembled a group of investors that includes Jeffrey Royer, Michael Chipman, and Dale Jensen in 1994 to buy an MLB franchise. The group was later granted an expansion team which was named the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks MLB franchise began to play in 1998. Colangelo made some changes, including hiring a new general manager, which proved to be vital to the expansion franchise's success in the MLB.
The significant changes that were made by Jerry Colangelo helped the Arizona Diamondbacks win the World Series, beating the Yankees in seven games.
Additionally, the Arizona Diamondbacks also won the National League and National League West Division titles. Colangelo left the Arizona Diamondbacks in the summer of 2004 and later sold his interest. Ken Kendrick.
Ken Kendrick (2004-present)
Ken Kendrick Jr is an American businessman who is the principal owner and managing general partner of the Diamondbacks. He was a part-owner of the team from its inception in 1995 and later became a managing general partner in 2004.
Ken oversees the daily operations of the Arizona Diamondbacks and acts as the franchise's designated representative during MLB executive gatherings.
During Kendrick's tenure as the Diamondbacks' general partner, the franchise won two National League West Division Championships between 2007 and 2011. The team competed in two NLCS series in 2007 and 2023 as well as the World Series.
Ken helped to restructure the team's debt profile. The team also hosted an All-Star Game at Chase Field in 2011. His performance earned him an apprenticeship to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Board of Directors in 2020