Tom Whaley

Armed with a passion for the game and the foresight of growth within professional baseball, Marv Goldklang formed the Goldklang Group. A fan himself, Goldklang set out to capitalize on what he felt were the key ingredients to success once the market and venue was established – providing superior customer service, cutting edge ideas, and family entertainment at affordable prices.

The origins of the Goldklang Group date back to September 1989, when investment partnerships headed by Goldklang acquired controlling interests in three affiliated Minor League Baseball franchises – the Single A Charleston, S.C. franchise in the South Atlantic League; the Single A Miami, Fla. franchise in the Florida State League (relocated to Ft. Myers in 1992); and the Double A Williamsport, Pa franchise in the Eastern League. At that time, the Goldklang Group also acquired a substantial minority interest in the Triple A Oklahoma City franchise in the American Association, which subsequently was sold in 1992. In 1990, the Goldklang Group added the Erie, Pa. franchise in the short season A New York-Penn League, which was relocated to the Hudson Valley, N.Y. region in 1994. In December 1990, a new Professional Baseball Agreement was entered into between the Major Leagues and the affiliated Minor Leagues which, among other things, mandated affiliation of the Goldklang Group’s Williamsport franchise with the New York Mets. Goldklang, also a part owner of the New York Yankees, thereupon entered into discussions with the crosstown rival, resulting in sale of the franchise to the Mets in 1991. In 1992, Goldklang and Mike Veeck participated with Miles Wolff and Van Schley in recreating the concept of independent professional baseball and helped establish the Northern League, acquiring rights to St. Paul. The Saints immediately became the league’s premiere franchise, garnering national attention and acclaim on a regular basis. In 1998, Goldklang and Veeck acquired a controlling interest in the Sioux Falls, SD franchise of the same league, which they subsequently sold in 2001.

Over more than a decade, the Group has participated in the construction and financing of three minor league baseball stadiums (Hudson Valley, Charleston and Brockton), as well as a major renovation of the Sioux Falls facility. Goldklang and Veeck were also at the forefront of the formation of the American Association in 2005, a modern independent baseball venture in which the St. Paul and Sioux Falls franchises currently play.