(Media release from the Rome Braves):
The Rome Braves and Diamond Baseball Holdings are proud to announce David Lane as the newest General Manager of the Rome Braves, High-A affiliate of the 2021 World Champion Atlanta Braves.
Lane becomes just the fourth General Manager of the Rome club since its inception in 2003, following Mike Dunn, Jim Bishop, and David Cross.
“We are thrilled to welcome David to the Diamond Baseball Family as we celebrate the Rome Braves upcoming 20th Anniversary season in 2023,” said Peter Freund, CEO of Diamond Baseball Holdings. “David’s experience in the sports industry, specifically Minor League Baseball, will enable him to hit the ground running and continue to build on the best fan experience in baseball at AdventHealth Stadium.”
Lane brings over twenty years of experience to the Braves’ front office, including stops with minor league organizations such as the Charleston RiverDogs, Greenville Drive, Greeneville Astros, and Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Lane was crowned Appalachian League Executive of the year in both 2009 and 2010. Lane is also a three-time recipient of the Appalachian League’s Promotional Award of Excellence, receiving the award in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
When the Astros chose Fayetteville, NC, as the home of their newest Single-A affiliate, they chose Lane as the team’s first GM. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers averaged 3,632 fans per-game in their inaugural season under Lane in 2019. The Woodpeckers were also awarded the 2019 Patriot Award, an award presented to a team in Minor League Baseball for outstanding support of the United States Armed Forces and veterans, both at the ballpark and in the community.
In 2021, Lane helped launch the Birmingham Squadron, an NBA G-League franchise affiliated with the New Orleans Pelicans, as the General Manager. Most recently, Lane served as the General Manager for Van Wagner College at Samford University in Birmingham, AL where he was in charge of Samford University’s Corporate Partnership Program.
“Rome is a fantastic community with a tremendous history of support for Braves baseball,” says Lane. “I am excited to become engrained in such a great community and look forward to transitioning my family to Rome.”
Lane is a native of Spartanburg, SC and a graduate of Clemson University. While at Clemson, he earned a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.
Lane joins the Rome Braves just in time for their twentieth anniversary season.