The Fredericksburg Nationals will be sold to an organization that owns more than 40 Minor League Baseball clubs.
Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) will purchase the team from the Silber family in the coming weeks, according to a news release sent out Monday afternoon. DBH already owns 43 of the 120 Minor League Baseball teams that are affiliated with Major League Baseball, according to its website. That includes the Salem Red Sox, Norfolk Tides and Harrisburg Senators (the latter of which is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals).
The FredNats will remain the Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals and stay in Fredericksburg at the Virginia Credit Union Stadium. DBH will retain the FredNats’ existing front office staff, led by General Manager Robert Perry, who called joining the organization “an exciting step for the FredNats.”
Seth Silber, who will remain with the club as its president and a minority shareholder, said it was important to him to “continue in a key role in operating the business and maintaining his family’s commitment to Fredericksburg.” His father and sister, Art Silber and Lani Weiss, respectively, will no longer have ownership stakes with the team.
“Our family’s experience in Fredericksburg since first coming to the community in 2018 has been nothing short of a dream come true,” current majority owner Art Silber said in the news release. “Together with the local community, we have created one of the best atmospheres for Minor League Baseball in the country. DBH prioritizes honoring community ties and lifting clubs to new heights, making them the perfect organization to build on our existing momentum. Our family is very confident that the club’s impact on the community will only grow under their stewardship.” (See below for the full text of a letter the Silber family penned to the Fredericksburg community).
“I’d like to thank Art, Seth and Lani for their longtime partnership and their dedication to the Washington Nationals,” said Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo in the news release. “We are proud of the success the FredNats have had under their leadership, and we look forward to continued growth as we enter a new relationship with Diamond Baseball Holdings.”
Photos courtesy Fredericksburg Nationals
The FredNats have thrived at the Fredericksburg ballpark since their relocation from Woodbridge in 2021. The club has ranked in the top five nationally in attendance among Single-A teams every year since, and last year the team won the Carolina League title.
“We are thrilled to welcome the FredNats to the DBH family,” said Pat Battle and Peter Freund, Executive Chairman and CEO of DBH, respectively, in the news release. “This is a team that has quickly become a cornerstone of the Fredericksburg community. They play in a beautiful ballpark that has welcomed nearly one million fans since its debut in 2021 and established itself as a hub for family-friendly entertainment and local pride. We’re excited to build on that foundation by delivering even more year-round fun for fans, deepening our community ties, and continuing our strong partnership with the Nationals.”
Letter from the Silber family
Dear FredNats Fans,
Nearly seven years ago, the City of Fredericksburg approached us to consider moving our team to the region. It was truly a monumental moment for us that changed our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Before even breaking ground, the support from our fans was apparent from the hundreds of people who became members of our Founders Club and the numerous founding sponsors who helped make the financing and building of our ballpark possible.
Two years later in 2021 the ballpark opened, and despite a restricted crowd due to COVID, we all celebrated having baseball together in Fredericksburg. Since then, nearly one million fans have attended our games and last September we all celebrated an incredible Carolina League Championship together. Most importantly, we as a family found a new home in Fredericksburg surrounded by a community of incredible people, and together we have created the best atmosphere for minor league baseball in our country.
We now are at a point for the exciting next chapter of the Fredericksburg Nationals. We made a decision to sell the team in order to ensure its growth and continued vitality in our community. Due to a combination of family considerations, evolution of the industry and growth of the Team, we made the determination that it was time to turn over the ownership to an entity that could ensure the great promise of this franchise for decades to come.
So today we are announcing the purchase of the team by Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH). DBH is the premier operator of minor league teams across our country. They own and operate the Salem Red Sox nearby, the Harrisburg Senators who are part of the Nationals system, and dozens of other teams in communities around our country that enjoy all of the benefits of minor league baseball. We are confident that their expertise, resources, and ability to invest in this team and the community will ensure that our fans enjoy the best product in baseball. They have a strong understanding of how meaningful the relationship that a minor league baseball team has with its community and stakeholders is, and have maintained strong relations with the local communities in which they operate. Our family is very confident that the team’s impact on the community will only grow under their stewardship.
Please be assured, though, that we are not leaving Fredericksburg. Seth and his family are remaining as minority shareholders of the team and will continue to have a strong presence at the ballpark and in the community. Seth will also take on the role of President of the team, have a meaningful role in day-to-day operations, and continue to provide strategic direction for the business and its continued deep involvement in the community. Lani and her family are remaining in Fredericksburg and will continue to be at games and to play a huge part in the community. Art is going to be spending more of his time in Florida, but his heart and soul remain here in this ballpark which is his lifetime dream fulfilled. Our staff likewise will remain in place in Fredericksburg, under the stewardship of our great GM Robbie Perry and the incredibly talented staff that works with him.
We know that this change will raise some questions. Please be assured that we very thoughtfully chose to put this franchise in the hands of DBH. We believe they are the best situated organization to continue what has become the great meeting place and venue that is the Fredericksburg Nationals, as well as the wonderful impact in the community and continuing to build its legacy well into the future.
We very much look forward to seeing you all at the ballpark and continuing to enjoy baseball and so much more together.
Thank you for making our dreams come true!
The Silber Family
Disclaimer: FredNats president Seth Silber is a co-founder of the Free Press and serves on the publication’s board.
