Longtime Cleveland Guardians owner Larry Dolan has passed away at the age of 94, the team announced on Monday. Dolan, a native Clevelander, purchased the then-Cleveland Indians franchise from brothers Richard and David Jacobs in February of 2000 for a sales price of $323 million. Today, Forbes estimates the franchise to be worth $1.35 billion.
The Cleveland Guardians are saddened to announce the passing of Lawrence Dolan, owner of the Cleveland Guardians.
Larry purchased the Cleveland Baseball Club on February 15, 2000, from Richard Jacobs. The 2025 season is the 26th year of ownership for the Dolan family, the… pic.twitter.com/NrUYg62mtg
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) February 24, 2025
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Dolan was an attorney who made his fortune as president and managing partner of the law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore, & Dolan. He had tried to purchase the Cincinnati Reds and the NFL’s Cleveland Browns before the opportunity to buy the Cleveland franchise came about. In 2006, Dolan started the regional sports network SportsTime Ohio to broadcast the team’s games before ultimately selling the network to Fox in 2012. Cleveland had 15 owners over the previous 100 years before its purchase by the Dolan family, which holds the longest ownership tenure in franchise history.
Guardians Owner Larry Dolan Dies at Age 94
At the time of the purchase, the Indians were coming off of their fifth consecutive postseason appearance and their fifth consecutive season of nightly sellout crowds. Over the next decade, the club endured multiple losing seasons but still managed to experience some success in between. Cleveland won the American League Central twice during Dolan’s first 11 seasons of ownership and advanced to the ALCS in 2007. During that same run, both Cliff Lee and Hall of Famer CC Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award. Dolan’s goal as owner was to bring a championship back to Cleveland, their first World Series since 1948. But despite advancing to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, that dream did not come true during his lifetime.
In 2010, Dolan handed his title as chairman and CEO and most of his everyday duties to his son, Paul. Paul was the only one of Dolan’s six children involved with the team, having previously served as the club’s president. After becoming the team’s control person, he helped usher in the “Guardians era,” a historic transformation that ended years of controversy. On the field, Cleveland has had success in recent years, making the postseason in six of the last nine seasons. Over the past 12 seasons, only the Dodgers (1,129) and the Yankees (1,034) have more wins than the Guardians (1,013).
“We are saddened by the loss of our dad, but lucky to have him as part of our lives as long as we did,” Paul said on behalf of the Dolan family. “He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who was passionate about his family, work, our community, and his love of our local sports teams, including owning the Cleveland Guardians.”
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