Meet the leader of the Atlanta Braves minor league baseball team moving to Columbus

Mark Rice
·3 min read

The leader of the Atlanta Braves’ minor league baseball team expected to come to Columbus has been appointed.

Pete Laven, who has more than 30 years of professional baseball experience, is the general manager of the Braves Double-A affiliate that is expected to start playing in 2025 at Columbus’ historic Golden Park, which is being renovated as part of a planned redevelopment project at South Commons.

Laven has been general manager of the Mississippi Braves since 2019. He will continue in that role through the 2024 season while also planning the Southern League team’s move to Columbus from Pearl, a suburb of the Mississippi capital in Jackson.

“It is truly an honor to be a part of the organization bringing Atlanta Braves affiliated baseball to the city of Columbus,” Laven said in a news release from franchise owner Diamond Baseball Holdings. “We are already planning for the inaugural 2025 season with the fan experience as our number one priority.

Pete Laven Courtesy of Pete Laven
Pete Laven Courtesy of Pete Laven

“Along with industry leaders Jeff Eiseman (who is president of the Augusta GreenJackets, the Atlanta Braves’ Class A affiliate) and the team at DBH, we promise to over-deliver on customer service and entertainment value, while showcasing future MLB talent right here at the site of historic Golden Park.”

This season will be Laven’s 19th as a minor league GM, including 14 at the Class AA level and seven with a Braves affiliate. He also has experience overseeing baseball stadium renovations. He was GM of the Arkansas Travelers in 2007, when Dickey-Stephens Park debuted and was named Ballpark of the Year by Ballpark Digest.

“With the revival of Columbus’ downtown, bringing affiliated baseball back to Golden Park is a career-defining opportunity and we can’t think of anyone better suited to lead the charge than Pete,” DBH executive chairman Pat Battle and DBH CEO Peter Freund said in the news release. “His unwavering dedication, strategic vision and true love for the game make him an invaluable asset to both our organization and the city of Columbus. We are thrilled to watch him lead the charge as GM and galvanize the power of Braves fans in Georgia to create something truly special for the community.”

Eiseman added in the news release, “I’ve known Pete for many years and am excited to work alongside him to create a baseball experience in Columbus the community has never seen before. Considering the near 100-year history of Golden Park, this is a transformational project. The updates to the park, vision for the project and of course the affiliation with the Atlanta Braves will make Columbus a true baseball destination.”

Laven’s career includes the following previous positions and teams:

  • Director of corporate partnerships for the independent Chicago Dogs.

  • President of Salvi Sports Enterprises, overseeing the independent Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Class A Frontier League, where he also was general manager.

  • General manager of the Class AA Arkansas Travelers, where he was named Texas League Executive of the Year and honored as Minor League Baseball’s top salesperson with the Closer Award in 2006.

  • Director of food, beverage and sales for the Class A Piedmont (NC) Boll Weevils.

  • Assistant general manager for the Class A Albany (GA) Polecats.

  • Account executive for the Class A Kane County Cougars.

Laven is a native of LaGrange, Illinois. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1991.