The Cleveland Guardians have announced the death of their owner Larry Dolan at the age of 94.
Dolan purchased the MLB team in February 2000 for a then-record $320million and oversaw ‘the longest and one of the most successful tenures in franchise history,’ per the team.
A year after his arrival, the team returned to the playoffs and then appeared a further eight times during his tenure, most notably in 2016 when they went all the way to the World Series and lost in Game 7 to the Chicago Cubs.
He also oversaw the team’s name change from the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians in November 2021.
Dolan’s nephew is James Dolan, who owns the New York Knicks, New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden.
In a statement, the team announced he died on Sunday night due to natural causes.
Larry Dolan speaks at a press conference after buying the Cleveland Indians back in 2000
Dolan (right) bought the then-Indians for $360million from previous owner Dick Jacobs (C)
Dolan (R) watches his new team work out shortly after buying them ahead of the 2000 season
Dolan is survived by his wife Eva, six children and 21 grandchildren.
The Cleveland, Ohio native built most of his wealth through ownership of stock in Cablevision, founded by his brother Charles, who was previously ranked No. 312 in Forbes’ rich list.
Dolan went to college at Notre Dame and played halfback on the freshman team, before deciding to concentrate on his studies.
As owner of the Guardians, he endured a topsy-turvy reputation with the fans, viewed by some as a hero but by others as miserly.
