Phillies World Series champ joins Baseball United startup as co-owner
The world’s newest international baseball league features a list of Major League legends, including one familiar face.
Philadelphia Phillies legend Ryan Howard has joined the decorated ownership group of Baseball United.
Baseball United is a brand new, Middle-East and Indian baseball league that begins in November of this year. Currently, there are four teams that comprise the league, with the first draft being September 19th in Cincinnati. The player pool for the first draft features players from leagues across the world, including the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) out of Japan, the Mexican Baseball League (LMB), Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), and leagues from throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
Among other Major League Baseball legends who have pledged their support, Ryan Howard will serve as a co-owner of the Abu Dhabi Falcons. Additionally, he will serve as an ambassador for the league focusing on the entrepreneurial side of the operations.
Howard, now 43, spent his entire prestigious career with the Phillies. He won the 2005 NL Rookie of the year, set the record for fastest player to 100 and 200 home runs, the 2008 World Series, three time all-star and NLCS MVP, among other accolades.
Since his retirement, Howard has been both an author and an entrepreneur as well as being named to the MLB Commissioner's Ambassador Program (CAP). The CAP group, featuring both Jimmy Rollins and Shane “Flyin’ Hawaiian” Victorino, is designed to help grow the game of baseball both inside and outside the country, much like what Chase Utley has been able to accomplish in England.
Howard becomes the first former Philadelphia athlete to endorse and sign onto Baseball United’s new group of owners and ambassadors. He joins the ownership group that features Mariano Rivera, Adrian Beltre, Barry Larkin, Felix Hernandez, and others led by founder and CEO Kash Shaikh.
The league serves to grow the game of baseball beyond the borders of the United States.
Where MLB has dragged its feet in terms of international growth, Baseball United has decided to take the cricket world head-on bringing baseball to India, Pakistan and the Middle East.
Baseball United and Ryan Howard are sure to grow the best game in the world as it so deserves, giving more attention to professional and semi-professional players from all leagues.
As always, read more Phillies news below:
Changing the national narrative about Philadelphia (thatballsouttahere.com)
Kyle Schwarber weighs in on "weird" season he's had at the plate (thatballsouttahere.com)
Phillies' latest playoff odds are in perfect shape as September rolls on (thatballsouttahere.com)