MLB owner Lawrence J. Dolan dead at 94

Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of one of its own today.

Lawrence J. Dolan, the owner of the Cleveland Guardians, has passed away.

He was 94 years old.

He’s Gone

Dolan has owned the franchise since 2000.

At one point, the Cleveland Indians were the laughingstock of the league, but that was not the case during Dolan’s time as owner.

After years of floundering, the then-Cleveland Indians dominated the Central Division from 1995 to 2001, winning the division six times during that span.

They would win the division another six times through the 2024 season and have three pennant wins (1995, 1997, and 2016), one with Dolan as the owner.

Sadly, the last title for Cleveland came in 1948, decades before Dolan would take charge of the team.

Dolan purchased the team in 2000 for $323 million from Richard Jacobs.

He has come under fire at times for not spending enough money in salary, but the success of the team under this guidance is undeniable. As I noted, the franchise that was once the worst in the league is now a perennial contender when healthy.

In 2024, the Guardians won the Central with a 92-win season, were second in the American League, and were sixth in baseball overall.

Dolan was also at the helm when the Cleveland Indians were renamed the Cleveland Guardians, a name I still have a problem saying. To me, they will always be the Indians.

The Guardians released a statement after Dolan’s death was announced, stating, "Mr. Dolan invested his entire life in Greater Cleveland and impacted our community on so many levels.

"From his service to our country as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marines, his many philanthropic acts of kindness, career in law, business, education, and sports, many benefited from his engagement, influence, and passion. Especially in the world of sports."

Guardians chairman and CEO Paul Dolan, Larry Dolan's son, added, "We are saddened by the loss of our Dad, but lucky to have him as part of our lives as long as we did.

"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."

Dolan and his family are the longest-tenured ownership group in the history of the Cleveland franchise.

Sports seems to run in this family’s blood. Even though Paul Dolan is the only child to have a role in the Cleveland franchise, his nephew, James Dolan, is the owner of the NHL’s New York Rangers and the NBA’s New York Knicks.

Rest in peace, sir.