Talks about our Minor League Baseball team, the San Antonio Missions have been in play for quite awhile. Well, on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 moves were made and we’re talking big moves.

Designated Bidders, LLC, a local San Antonio based group of business executives as well as professional athletes agreed to acquire the San Antonio professional baseball team from Dave Elmore and the Elmore Group. Elmore had owned the team since the 1980’s.

This move will bring the franchise under local ownership with Designated Bidders, LLC, which are founded by Bruce Hill, Randy Smith, and Graham Weston of Weston Urban. Also joining them are Bob Cohen of Bob Cohen Strategies and Peter J. Holt. Additionally, Ryan Sanders Baseball, which we’ll get to in a little bit and has Nolan Ryan, Reid Ryan and Don Sanders apart of their group who’ll be joining the operations and owners of the San Antonio Missions baseball club.

Let’s talk about Ryan Sanders Baseball. They’ve been around for quite sometime and let’s say they know how to build and operate a team. This organization is no stranger to the game. They’ve built the Dell Diamond for the Round Rock Express in 2000 and developed Whataburger Field for the Corpus Christi Hooks back in 2005. Both very successful clubs. Their stadiums bring ambiance and fan experience that San Antonio lacks. Nolan Ryan has big connections with Major League Baseball as he was the CEO for the Texas Rangers from 2008 till 2013. Reid Ryan is no amateur either, he had served as the Houston Astros president of Business Operations 2013 through 2019.

Altogether Designated Bidders is made up of business executives and also Spurs legends that include Manu Ginobili and David Robinson, who’re proudly part of the organization. It doesn’t stop there, there’s city civic leaders that are apart of this as well including Henry Cisneros, Hope Andrade, Berto Guerra, Max Navarro and La Familia Cortez, including sports legends Roger Clemens and Craig Biggio serving their part of the Missions.

“Local ownership is essential to ensure the long term success of the Missions for our community,” said Hill, who will serve as the point person in the Mission’s relationship with Major League Baseball. “Our group is excited to bring passionate and experienced local ownership to our professional baseball team in San Antonio and carry on the tradition of baseball in San Antonio that started in the 1880s. The investor group is pursuing this challenge out of our collective desire to keep San Antonio the vibrant, diverse and unique city that we all love. We will work hard to continue building the San Antonio Missions as an important part of the quality of life in San Antonio and an affordable family entertainment option in South Texas. Partnering with Ryan Sanders Baseball adds great strength to our efforts as we embark on this new era of professional baseball in San Antonio.”

“Ryan Sanders Baseball and the Ryan family have 25 years of experience, leadership, and success in the industry at both the minor league and major league levels,” said Reid Ryan, CEO/Owner of Ryan Sanders Baseball. “Our team’s dedication to excellence and the fan experience is in great alignment with the Designated Bidders group of investors, their vision and energy. This partnership will ensure the future of professional baseball in San Antonio for generations to come, and we couldn’t be happier to be on board for the journey.”

We believe that this will bring major opportunities and economic growth to our beautiful city and build a foundation that will expand for the years to come. Many will truly endear the baseball experience this operation is about to bring.

The group are aware that the aging Nelson Wolff Stadium needs major repairs and additions to meet the standards set by the Major League Baseball for professional development. It has been said that Designated Bidders, LLC will handle and address those issues to ensure that San Antonio keeps the Missions here in town for generations to come.

The San Antonio Missions are part of the Double-A Texas League as an affiliate of the MLB team San Diego Padres.