Boyd company gets third TN base in minor league baseball management

Boyd Sports, owned by Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd, is taking over management of the Greeneville Reds. It will be the third minor league baseball team in Tennessee to have an agreement with the Knoxville company, reports the Greeneville Sun.

“We are extremely excited to take the next step towards producing a high quality baseball experience for fans and believe that this partnership with Boyd Sports will do just that,” said Jeff Graupe, senior director of Player Development for the Cincinnati Reds, in a statement released Thursday. “Their understanding of the Appalachian League and the surrounding markets are unparalleled.”

Boyd Sports already operates the Tennessee Smokies in Sevier County, which is a Class Double A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, and the Johnson City Cardinals, a rookie level affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Greeneville Reds will assume the former Greeneville Astros’ spot in the Appalachian League. The Cardinals are also in the Appalachian League.

“We are extremely excited to add the Greeneville Reds to our Boyd Sports team,” President and COO Chris Allen said in the statement. “The facility at Tusculum College will provide us with a great opportunity to do some really great things in Greeneville. We are thrilled to be working with the Reds, and we can’t wait to get started to make a big impact in the Greeneville community.”

Allen said in an interview Wednesday that Paul Kleinhans-Schulz — who has been acting as general manager for the Greeneville Reds for weeks — will remain on board, though his exact role with Boyd Sports has not been finalized.

…Boyd Sports officials already have an idea about things to focus on in Greeneville, which includes the concessions prices at Pioneer Park. Allen said that’s the issue he’s heard the most about in Greeneville. “We’ve got to drive [prices] down and make it more reasonable,” he said. “The No. 1 thing we have to do now is listen to the fanbase.”