BISCUITS UPDATE: New ownership brings new perspective, ideas for fan improvement
New Montgomery Biscuits owner Mike Carney likes what the franchise has done but will focus on ways to bring more fans to the ballpark. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
New Biscuits’ owner Mike Carney may bring a Major League perspective to the Capital City’s minor league franchise but he doesn’t see the need for any changes in the organization.
“We’re not trying to disrupt anything the Montgomery team is doing locally here,” he said. “They’re doing a great job and we love the (administrative) team. There will be no changes on the team. There will be certain areas that we’re going to focus on -- the military is one such example of that -- but if we’re doing our jobs the right way, we’re bringing capabilities and best practices and technologies to be able to reach out to the Montgomery market in ways that hasn’t been done before or at least not at the scale that we can bring.”
Carney grew up in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and has remained there for much of his life. He served the last 10 years with the Washington Nationals, most recently as the executive vice president of business operations and chief revenue officer. The last eight months, he has served as the chief executive officer of OnDeck Partners, the newly established sports ownership group within the Avenue Sports Fund.
“On Deck Partners is backed by Avenue Capital and I have the support of Avenue Capital but we are running the company,” he said. “I had an opportunity to meet with (Avenue Sports Fund CEO) Marc Lasry, who leads the Avenue Capital Group and I felt there was a very strong, both professional and personal, line. It has to start there. We had to be an authentic brand. We had to support the community and the more we support the community and drive family-friendly, fun, affordable entertainment options, the more the city is going to be excited about the venue and coming to games and coming to concerts and everything that comes along with it.”
If it sounds like Carney is excited to be a part of the Montgomery Biscuits, it’s because he understands the importance of minor league baseball at the community level, probably more than most.
“I’ve always had a passion for minor league baseball,” he said. “Minor league baseball is very different from Major League Baseball and, frankly, it was more personally fulfilling to get into minor league baseball, given the impact minor league baseball has on its communities.
“Montgomery, in particular, was exciting for us because the Biscuits’ ballpark here at Riverwalk really is the central entertainment hub of the city. For us to have the greatest impact, that has to be true. On a personal note, Montgomery also has something that is very unique and important to me and that’s the connection to the military.”
Carney feels he can make the biggest impact -- and increase attendance -- through expansion of the organization’s outreach program.
“What we need to do, especially in the first year, is demonstrate our seriousness to the Montgomery market,” he said. “We need quick wins. We need to make sure the actions follow the words. If we’re trying something new that we think is going to have a great impact and it doesn’t have quite the impact we want it to have, that’s OK. You live, you learn and you try it better the next time.”
OnDeck Partners is currently awaiting Major League Baseball approval of its purchase of the Montgomery Biscuits and the Visalia (Calif.) Rawhide and while future plans likely would include the purchase of additional franchises, Carney said there is a need to work on the Biscuits and the Rawhide before thinking of anyone else.
“We won’t be focused on anything outside of minor league baseball, at least for the foreseeable future,” he said. “Minor league baseball is what we’re doing. What we want to do is make sure we get Montgomery and Visalia right. If we are insincere about what we say we’re going to do in Montgomery, the other owners are going to know about that. And the owners care deeply about the legacy they leave in their communities
“There are going to be some mistakes and we have to have open lines of communication and learn from it. We’re a new business and these are our first two clubs.”
Outside of baseball, Carney said his first goal is to bring in concerts and similar types of entertainment to Riverwalk Stadium, although that won’t happen before Opening Day in April, 2026. As far as the Biscuits, upgrades to the newly created Negro League Museum and the facility itself are top priorities, but another concern is to improve the conccessions on game day.
“You’re going to see from us a focus on the food and beverage experience,” he said. “Food and beverage was a priority of mine at the Nationals and it will continue to be a priority here. We’re going to deliver great food and beverage at a great price. We want to make sure we maintain the family-friendly affordable entertainment experience here. Are there ways we can deliver that and even improve the quality just because we have more scale? And the answer to that is yes.”
Carney toured the facility on Thursday and while there are facility upgrades planned, he remains impressed with Riverwalk Stadium.
“The new clubhouse, out beyond center field, is phenomenal,” Carney said. “I would put the first-base side of the Biscuits’ ballpark up against any minor league ballpark in the country -- the way the history of the train station was preserved, the way the suites were created, the premium feel of those suites is truly unmatched. It’s managed to maintain the historical integrity of Montgomery while still having all the modern amenities of a ballpark.”
He will return to the Capital City on Jan. 22 when the Biscuits host their annual FanFest. He encourages the River Region residents to drop by Riverwalk and talk to the staff.
“We believe that baseball is a platform to be able to develop communities,” Carney said. “So where you will see us investing our time and resources is in the core operation. You’re going to see us making ballpark improvements, you’re going to be seeing us launch new events, you’re going to see us reach out to customers in new ways.
“We encourage people to come down to our FanFest and get to know us. My team will be there. Come introduce yourself.”
Carney encouraged River Region residents to contact him with concerns and suggestions at mike@ondeckpartners.com.