Lawrence J. Dolan, owner of Cleveland’s major league baseball team since 2000, has died at age 94.
The Cleveland Guardians put out a statement Monday saying Dolan died Sunday night of natural causes.
“Mr. Dolan invested his entire life in Greater Cleveland and impacted our community on so many levels,” Bob DiBiasio, Guardians senior vice president of public affairs, said in a statement. “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.”
Dolan, a Cleveland native, purchased the team from Richard Jacobs in 2000 for $320 million. The Dolan family has a 75% stake in the club and is the longest-tenured owner in Cleveland franchise history.
Guardians chairman and CEO Paul Dolan, Larry Dolan’s son, took over as the team’s primary control person in 2013.