Travis Kelce, di Kansas City Chiefs tight end, don add new title to im business portfolio: Major League Baseball owner. Di Cleveland Guardians confirm say di Cleveland Heights native don purchase minority stake for di team wey e grow up dey watch. E join di Guardians ownership group as minority investor, reconnecting wit di game wey e once believe offer di clearest path to professional sports career.
“I get so much love for dis city,” Kelce tell ESPN. “I dey always talk am: I just be kid from di Heights wey dey live di dream. I credit every good thing for my life to Cleveland and being raised here wit di values and di people and di work ethic. Cleveland Heights na such diverse and dynamic place. Every friend, neighbor, teacher and teammate—all of dem make me di man wey I be today. E just fuel such deep appreciation for life and community and service. Dat mentality of Cleveland against di world dey run deep.”
Kelce, 36, na di latest active professional athlete to acquire equity stake for MLB team. Oda current athletes wey don become minority investors for baseball teams include LeBron James (Boston Red Sox), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Brewers), Cade Cunningham (Texas Rangers) and Kelce own Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes, wey for July 2020 become minority owner of Kansas City Royals. David Blitzer don purchase stake for di team wey include pathway to majority ownership.
Like Cunningham, Kelce purchase na personal. E grow up during Cleveland baseball renaissance for di 1990s, when di team win five consecutive American League Central titles. E call imself “die-hard,” Kelce say e go take di rapid-transit light rail system downtown and keep score wit im papa, Ed, wey also serve as im baseball coach. “There was nothing like Cleveland baseball for di ’90s,” Kelce tok. “Dat na just core memory for me. Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Jim Thome, Sandy Alomar Jr. I admire how dem just continue to pour into dis city and dis game. E dey resonate wit me, giving back to di places and di people wey give so much to you.”
Before dem recruit am to University of Cincinnati to play football, Kelce na one of di best baseball players for Cleveland metropolitan area. Two years later, e play summer baseball as ultra-physical outfielder wit speed, power and strong throwing arm. “I think I always feel most confident for di diamond,” Kelce tok. “I dey play every sport wey dey grow, but baseball na di only one wey I get early interest from scouts, so I really think e be viable option for me. Di football thing choose me at di end of di day, and when I move to tight end, e really take off for me.”
Kelce, wey join Mahomes to invest for Alpine Formula 1 team, also get stakes for amusement park company, mattress company, beer company, restaurant and lucrative podcast. Dem bring am into Guardians ownership group by Blitzer, also co-owner of Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, wey im pathway to majority ownership of Guardians fit convert as early as after di 2027 season. Rebranded as Guardians for 2022, dem dey first place for Central after winning di division each of di past two seasons. Di Guardians hold nine-game lead over Royals—a fact wey Kelce say no go pass unnoticed for Chiefs locker room when e talk baseball wit Mahomes.
“We both dey as competitive as e get, so you know there go be some bragging rights on di line when we play our division games,” Kelce tok. “But I really get plenty respect for di Royals and dia organization. E be fun time for Kansas City dey cheer dem on for dia World Series win for 2015.”
Di Cleveland Guardians confirm Wednesday morning say Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Cleveland Heights native, Travis Kelce, purchase minority stake for di team. Di Cleveland Guardians say dem go release more information later Wednesday morning. Just last week, Kelce dey alongside im fiancée, Taylor Swift, at Game 3 of di Cavaliers East Finals series. Kelce go dey Progressive Field to celebrate on June 14 when di Guardians face di Detroit Tigers.
Three-time Super Bowl champion and four-time All-Pro Travis Kelce, widely known for im prowess for American football field and im relationship wit music superstar Taylor Swift, don add new line to im CV: minority investor for Cleveland Guardians baseball team. Di Guardians announce on Wednesday, ahead of dia game against Washington Nationals, say di Kansas City Chiefs tight end don acquire minority stake for di franchise. Di Cleveland Heights native purchase small share of David Blitzer 35 per cent holding, wit Blitzer retaining di option to become di controlling owner after di 2027 season.
“Di opportunity come across my desk and I just no fit say no,” Kelce reveal on di New Heights podcast wit im broda, Jason Kelce. “Dese guys (Blitzer and majority owner Paul Dolan) give me di opportunity to show my Cleveland love and plant my roots for Cleveland forever, no matter wetin. E be awesome feeling know say a childhood kid wey grow for di east side now be part-owner of im favorite baseball team.” Kelce connection to baseball dey run deep, wey e excel for football, basketball, and baseball at Cleveland Heights High School. E even be named Cleveland Plain Dealer baseball player of di week for May 2008 during im senior year, wey e boast impressive 14-for-22 record wit two home runs and 12 RBIs. E also play for collegiate summer team for 2010 while e dey attend University of Cincinnati.
For joint statement, Dolan and Blitzer praise Kelce credentials: “Travis Kelce know wetin e take to win at di highest levels and e don exemplify dat throughout im playing career and for di way e show up as community leader and businessman. E care deeply for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio and e dey committed to supporting our mission of building out world-class organization wey go help uplift di communities wey we serve. E dey great to welcome Travis home and we know e go make lasting impact here.”
For di podcast, Kelce, wey dey wear Guardians City Connect jersey, reminisce about attending games as child, wey e cite Albert Belle and Jim Thome as im favorite players. “Dere be so many countless memories of di 1990s and den early 2000s where e dey for me to always root for di Guards and always want to be part of dem from,” e tok. “E be dream come true for Cleveland kid. Any Cleveland kid go dey through di roof right now, and I dey happy to be di honorable one to get to do am for us.”
Kelce and Ms Swift recently dey Cleveland last weekend, dey attend Game 3 of di Eastern Conference finals between di Cavaliers and New York Knicks. Im first official act as part-owner go be to throw ceremonial first pitch on 14 June against di Detroit Tigers, task wey e attempt during Cleveland 2023 home opener, wey result for ball wey spike near di plate. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt express im delight, albeit wit touch of good-natured rivalry. A staunch San Francisco 49ers fan, Vogt admit, “I still dey small bitter because di Chiefs beat di Niners twice for di Super Bowl. But outside of dat, e dey pretty cool to get Kelce on board.”
