Albuquerque –

The Albuquerque Isotopes, in conjunction with their ownership group Diamond Baseball Holdings, announced today that Chrissy Baines has been named the club’s General Manager. John Traub, who served as Albuquerque’s General Manager since September 2003 and has been with the organization since 2002, will transition into an advisory role as the team’s President.

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Baines is the first female General Manager in Albuquerque professional baseball history and the 15th active female General Manager in Minor League Baseball.

Baines, who enters her 25th season in Minor League Baseball, began her career as a ticketing intern with the Savannah Sand Gnats in 2002 before managing retail operations. The following year, she was promoted to Director of Stadium Operations, overseeing the hiring of game day staff and supervising both retail and concessions.

She joined the Isotopes staff in January 2004 as Director of Merchandise and was promoted to Director of Box Office and Retail Operations two years later. In 2015, Baines was named Assistant General Manager of Business Operations. Originally from Rockmart, Georgia, Baines graduated from the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Baines and her wife, Kerry, have two dogs, Toby and Sable.

“I’m honored and excited to be named General Manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes, a role I take great pride in,” Baines said. “I have tremendous respect for the legacy John built here—this organization’s deep roots in the community are the result of years of hard work and a true team effort. I’m grateful to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) for their trust in my experience, leadership, and commitment to the Isotopes. My goal is to honor what’s been built while bringing fresh energy and experienced perspective to the role. At the end of the day, it’s about the people—our staff, our fans, and the City of Albuquerque—and ensuring the Isotopes remain a source of pride for this community and continue to represent the very best across all of MiLB.”

Traub began his career in 1988 as a Public Relations intern with the California Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, and moved to Canada in 1991 to become Public Relations Director and eventual General Manager of the Triple-A Calgary Cannons. In addition to Traub’s advisory duties with the Isotopes, he also begins a similar role with the DBH-owned Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The 2026 season will be Traub’s 39th year in professional baseball.

“I’m very excited for Chrissy and for the future of the Isotopes organization,” Traub said. “We have an outstanding group who continues to raise the bar, and Chrissy is very passionate about seeing us succeed and improve. She is highly respected by the Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball community, and I think it’s fantastic that she’s the first female General Manager in Albuquerque professional baseball history.”

Traub added: “My family was given an amazing opportunity back in 2002 to move to Albuquerque to help start what has been an incredible 23-year journey with the Isotopes. Thank you to all of my co-workers for their loyalty and immense contributions as, together, we’ve built something very special over the years. We’ve become interwoven into the fabric of the community here and are a trusted quality of life option for more than 12-million fans since we started. Thanks to Ken Young and the previous ownership group as well as the Diamond Baseball Holdings group for all the support and confidence they’ve given me. Thanks to all my friends across the baseball industry along with all the managers, coaches, players and trainers for all the cherished memories and stories. Thanks to all the fans, Season Ticket members, game day employees, our sponsors, media, City leaders and other friends of the club for an unforgettable journey. And, of course, I want to thank my wife Liz and my kids Joe and Sophie for being the best teammates anyone could ask for.”

“We are thrilled to have Chrissy step into this historic role as the first female General Manager in Albuquerque professional baseball,” said Pat Battle and Peter Freund, Executive Chairman and CEO of DBH, respectively. “Her decades of experience and tireless commitment position her to continue strengthening the Isotopes’ connection with fans and the community. At the same time, we are incredibly grateful to John for his 23 years of leadership with the Isotopes. His dedication and deep ties to Albuquerque have helped make this organization what it is today, and we look forward to continuing to benefit from his insight and guidance.”

The Isotopes’ 2026 season gets underway March 27 in Oklahoma City while the Home Opener is slated for March 31 against the Reno Aces. Click here for the full 2026 schedule. For information about Season Ticket Memberships, Weekend Plan, Flex & Combo Plans, Suite rentals or booking other hospitality areas, fans may visit abqisotopes.com or call (505) 924-2255. Individual game tickets will go on sale at a later date.

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