Longtime MiLB front-office exec Steve DeSalvo is the General Manager/Vice President of the summer-collegiate Prospect League team launching in 2023 at The Ballpark at Jackson.
DeSalvo brings 36 years of minor league baseball experience to the plate. He spent 31 years working for the Atlanta Braves as the General Manager of the Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League), winning Executive of the Year four times. He has overseen hundreds of special events, festivals, and concerts with the organizations he has managed. He will lead the day-to-day operations and sales force of the Play Ball Jackson operation.
“I have known Steve for over 30 years and highly respect and admire his accomplishments and career. Steve brings a treasure trove of background and experience to Jackson, and we could not be more pleased to have him on board. He will hit the ground running and be a vital cog in the stadium operation and our new 2023 Jackson team, working with sponsors, events, and partnerships,” said Dennis Bastien, President and CEO of the team and In The Big Inning, LLC, via press release.
In the Big Inning, LLC (operating as Play Ball Jackson until a team name is selected) will launch a Name Your Team Contest for the Prospect League team in early March. The Big Inning, LLC–owned by league commissioner Dennis Bastien and wife Lisa Bastien–took occupancy of the ballpark on Jan. 1, 2022, and will spend the first year operating events and developing a marketing plan for the Prospect League team, which will launch in 2023.
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