CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Akron RubberDucks have new owners, but fans can expect the same “affordable family fun” experience that has defined the franchise for more than a decade.
Prospector Baseball Group co-founders John Abbamondi and Ben Boyer have acquired the Double-A affiliate of the Guardians from Ken Babby, describing the team as “one of the iconic franchises in all of Minor League Baseball.”
“First of all, you have a beautiful ballpark there in downtown Akron and a rabid fan base. The support that the community gives this ball club is really extraordinary,” Abbamondi said Tuesday during a Zoom meeting with media. “When the opportunity came along to acquire the franchise, it was a pretty quick decision for us.”
The RubberDucks represent the third minor league team acquisition for Prospector Baseball Group, alongside the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Stormers. While the group has plans for further expansion, Abbamondi emphasized the strategic importance of starting with premier franchises.
“When we were starting this business and looking at the first few clubs that we wanted to acquire, it was really important that those be what we think of as crown jewels in Minor League Baseball,” Abbamondi explained. “As we continue to build the portfolio, we can point to a club like the RubberDucks and say, this is what excellent looks like. This is what supporting your community looks like.”
Fans worried about changes under new ownership can rest easy. The new owners have committed to maintaining the affordable pricing structure that made the RubberDucks accessible to families throughout Northeast Ohio.
“I think that the catchphrase of affordable family fun really sums up what (Babby) stood for, and he’s allowing us to continue using that phrase because it embodies everything that we think as well when it comes to minor league baseball,” said Abbamondi. “The hot dog is $2.50. That’s not changing. And we’re going to continue to make this the best entertainment dollar in Northeast Ohio.”
Both owners bring diverse backgrounds to their new roles. Abbamondi has spent over 20 years in professional sports, including positions with Major League Baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the San Diego Padres. Boyer comes from technology and venture capital, having been an early investor in Lyft and other technology companies.
While technology improvements are planned, Boyer clarified they will mostly be behind-the-scenes. “A lot of the technology probably won’t change the ballpark experience, but will enable the team operating the club to work maybe a little more efficiently,” he explained. “For the fans’ purposes, you’re not going to see a bunch of robots. It’s still going to be people and hopefully those people have smiles.”
The new owners stressed that continuity is their primary goal. Jim Pfander will remain as president and general manager, with Abbamondi emphasizing, “Jim’s the face of this franchise as far as I’m concerned. And we view our role as supporting Jim and supporting his staff, giving them the resources that they need to deliver for our fans.”
Looking ahead, Prospector Baseball Group plans to increase the ballpark’s use as a community asset beyond the baseball season, though specific plans weren’t yet revealed. Abbamondi noted that in Lancaster, “we had paying guests on site this year 331 days,” suggesting similar ambitions for Akron.
“We view these as more than just ballparks, they’re really community centers,” Abbamondi said. “There’s a lot of work that we can do going forward to build on the success we’ve already had in Akron to make this even more of a community asset and really engage with the public outside of the baseball season.”
The RubberDucks name, which replaced the Akron Aeros in 2014, will remain unchanged. As Abbamondi put it: “We love it. I think it’s one of the best names in all sports. We’re not screwing that up.”
Prospector’s leadership summarized their approach with a simple philosophy: “Our first mantra is do no harm. We don’t view this as an organization that needs drastic change. We want to just continue building upon the success that you’ve already had.”