‘An exciting day for our family.’ Nashville couple buys Lexington Legends baseball team.
The next time the Lexington Legends take the field, they’ll do so under new ownership.
A real estate developer from Tennessee has purchased the city’s minor league baseball team and Wild Health Field from Stands LLC and CEO Andy Shea in a deal announced Friday by Atlantic League of Professional Baseball President Rick White.
The new owners are Nathan and Keri Lyons of Nashville.
Lyons is the founder and CEO of Vintage South Development, which develops, owns and operates commercial and residential properties in Nashville and other markets.
“Today is an exciting day for our family,” Nathan Lyons said in a news release. “Our commitment to the city of Lexington and surrounding areas will allow us to offer a best-in-class fan experience.
“Our investments into the club and Wild Health Field will pay immediate dividends for all Legends fans. This is a great sports town and we look forward to continuing with the winning tradition set by all Lexington teams. We look forward to sharing more details of our vision soon.”
Stands LLC operated two ball clubs during the 2022 Atlantic League season, the Lexington Legends and the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes. The Genomes were believed to merely be a league place-holder for an expansion team joining the ALPB in 2023 and are not expected to return.
The Legends finished 56-76 in 2022, ending up fifth in the ALPB South Division in the first half of the season and second during the second half. The Genomes wound up 67-65, finishing third in both halves.
The Legends won three league championships under the ownership of the Shea family, which bought the team in 2005.
“It’s definitely a unique and special moment for me and our family. We love Lexington and the fans who have supported us throughout the years,” Shea said. “This has been our home and our business for nearly 18 years. This will allow me to spend more time with my family, wife, and kids. Our staff and our employees have been amazing and we are so very appreciative of them. We are confident that our staff will be in good hands with Nathan, as he will do great things for the Legends, Wild Health Field and the city of Lexington.”
Shea said his time will now be focused on the Charleston (W.Va.) Dirty Birds of the ALPB, where he will continue in his role as president and CEO.
The Legends spent 19 years in the South Atlantic League, winning championships in 2001, 2018 and 2019. Lexington then won the ALPB championship in its first season in that league in 2021.
The Legends were forced to leave the South Atlantic League and operate as an independent club when Major League Baseball dropped its affiliation with Lexington in December 2020.
The move was the result of MLB restructuring its minor league system to include only 120 teams — four per major league team. The Legends, one of 40 minor league franchises to lose their affiliations, were a longtime partner of the Kansas City Royals after several years under the watch of the Houston Astros.
For franchises cut out, the change meant they were immediately on their own to roster and pay players and coaches. They also lost the credibility and brand recognition that Major League affiliation provides.
The Legends, for years, served as a launching pad for major league careers and was one of the early stopping points for MLB All-Stars such as Jose Altuve, Mark Foltynewicz, J.D. Martinez, Hunter Pence and Ben Zobrist.
Nathan Lyons’ company, founded in 2011, specializes in turning existing industrial buildings into spaces for retail, restaurants, offices and residences. Lyons is a graduate of the University of Mississippi.
“We are delighted to welcome Nathan and Keri Lyons to the Atlantic League,” White, the ALPB president, said. “They have ambitious plans for the team and the ballpark which will build upon Lexington’s deep professional baseball legacy. We look forward to their contributions to the league for many years to come.”
