By Ronnie Tellalian

A little over a month ago, the Akron Aeros won 51 games at home en route to their ninth playoff appearance. They went on to win the 2012 Eastern League Championship. In a year that saw success on and off the field, the Aeros today introduced Ken Babby as their new owner.

Babby is the former chief revenue officer and general manager of digital operations at The Washington Post. Akron citizens and Aeros fans that suffered under the Greg Agganis regime have a reason for hope moving forward. Fans should be excited by the changes coming to the Akron Aeros. While several improvements will be made to Canal Park, the big change is the $1M renovation to the scoreboard. The new ownership also kicked off a new 25 year lease for Canal Park, and a four year PDC (Player Development Contract) extension. The PDC extension insures that the Akron Aeros will remain a Cleveland Indians affiliate.

Babby, who is the son of former NBA agent and executive Lon Babby, is dedicated to the fans of the Akron Aeros.

“I love the experience, the feeling and the magic of walking into the ballpark,” Babby said. “Our goal is to create memorable experiences for every fan and every family member that comes to Canal Park.”

Major Don Plusquellic, who reportedly butted heads with former owner Agganis, seconds that emotion.

“Success for us means bringing people here to enjoy two or three hours of time with their families,” Plusquellic said.

Aeros fans can be assured that with the focus on fans and community, Babby will bring great times and great things to the city of Akron. His goal is for Canal Park to be the center of activity from April to September, and bring the Aeros and the community of Akron together.

Joe McEacharn, the President of the Eastern League, recognizes the commitment that Babby and Major Plusquellic are making.

“The investment being made in the community has paid off,” McEacharn said. “Now it’s going to grow better, larger, and impact the community even more.”

That investment in the city and fans is a theme repeatedly banged out by all parties involved.

“[Babby] wants to do everything right,” Plusquellic said. “He wants to do things to make this the exciting place that it once was. This is our team. The importance is on bringing people in and having an enjoyable time that is family oriented.”

Babby’s commitment goes beyond just buying the Aeros, he moved to Akron, and registered to vote in Summit County. Babby speaks passionately about his love of baseball, and his love of the city of Akron. When asked why he chose Akron when he began looking for a team to buy, Babby felt it met his ideals.

“Akron aligns with the core values of family, hard work, and community.”

Be sure that Babby is taking the steps necessary to make Canal Park and the city of Akron a better place. An environment is being created where the fans can take a break form hard work, from the problems and challenges faced in life. They can come to the stadium, forget all of that for a few hours, relax, rewind, and have a fun memorable experience at Canal Park.

Photo: Ed Suba/Ohio.com