Fayetteville’s semi-professional baseball team has been sold to an organization that has ties to multiple minor league franchises across the country.
The city of Fayetteville announced Dec. 9 in a news release that Diamond Baseball Holdings has acquired the Fayetteville Woodpeckers from the Houston Astros. Along with the Woodpeckers, the Astros announced in a release that they will also be selling the Sugar Land Space Cowboys and Corpus Christi Hooks to Diamond Baseball Holdings.
“Diamond Baseball Holdings is the perfect partner for the Astros. Not only do they have a successful track record of investing in communities and Minor League Baseball, they also are committed to a best-in-class local fan experience,” Jim Crane, owner and chairman of the Houston Astros, said in the release. “On behalf of our entire organization, I want to personally thank every employee and fan within each of the clubs for helping make the Astros a championship franchise. We remain committed to these communities as our affiliate partners, and we look forward to continuing to grow the game of baseball together.”
The city of Fayetteville said in its statement that the Woodpeckers will continue to play in Fayetteville at Segra Stadium. The Houston Astros will also continue to be responsible for the development of players and baseball activities, according to the release.
‘The tip of the iceberg of where we can actually take this’
Mayor Colvin spoke with the Observer hours after the transaction was announced and said that after hearing about the potential sale weeks prior, he did research on Diamond Baseball Holdings and was impressed with how it has run its other organizations.
“If it’s anything like the other markets that they run, the ones I’ve been to have been very impressive.”
Colvin said he had previously gone to a Charlotte Knights game and was impressed by the atmosphere.
“Downtown was completely energetic, and that was certainly a contributing factor to it,” he said.
Colvin said that he recognizes that other markets are bringing concerts and other sporting events to their facilities. He said that Segra Stadium was built to be convertible into a soccer and football field and is interested in the possibilities this new ownership may bring.
“Right now, we host the college tournament for college baseball at Segra Stadium,” he said. “Imagine if one of the championship games for some of our football teams were played in our downtown. Imagine the impact.”
Colvin also mentioned that he has already discussed upping the programming for Fayetteville Woodpeckers games.
“They do a great job of fireworks and those kind of things, but I think that’s just the tip of the iceberg of where we can actually take this,” he said.
The city of Fayetteville release said fans can continue to expect the same game-day atmosphere, community events and family-friendly entertainment the Woodpeckers have brought to the city since the team was established in 2019.
Other minor league teams owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings include: the Charlotte Knights, a Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox; the Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, California, a Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels; the Brooklyn Cyclones, a High-A affiliate of the New York Mets; and the Memphis Redbirds, a Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The release said that Fayetteville’s inclusion alongside markets like Charlotte and Brooklyn underscores the city’s strengths as a destination for professional baseball.
The release said that Diamond Baseball Holdings and the Houston Astros expect to close the transaction in the next couple of weeks, pending the completion of all standard league and regulatory approvals. Additional details about the ownership group and upcoming season promotions will be shared in the coming weeks.
Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.