Front Office Spotlight - Pete Laven

With the 2020 season just around the corner, we continue to get to know your Mississippi Braves front office staff! Meet Pete Laven, our vice president and general manager!

Name: Pete Laven
Birthday: 8/13/69
Hometown: LaGrange, IL
College: The Cradle of Quarterbacks: Eastern Illinois University
Family/Pets: Wife Holly ; daughter Kellan (9)

Choice of superpower & why: Ability to stop time. Several reasons but two biggest are a) Give us more time to get ready for Opening Day and b) prevent my daughter from becoming a teenager.

Favorite Food:  mustard
Favorite Sports Teams: Chicago Bears, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves
Favorite Athlete: Walter Payton
Favorite Movie: Reservoir Dogs
Favorite Actor: Jack Nicholson
First Car? Yellow Dodge Aspen
Favorite TV Show? Ray Donovan
Favorite Baseball Movie? Moneyball
Favorite website besides mississippibraves.com?  www.jimrome.com
Favorite Food at Trustmark Park? The Walking Taco, debuting in 2020

Most embarrassing moment in sports: Shot a three-pointer at wrong basket out of an in-bounds play in junior high basketball, rimmed out thankfully. Had a good seat for the rest of the game.

Hobbies in the off-season: Painting and not finishing a book I started writing in 1999. See live music whenever possible
Best Moment in Sports: Bears 1985 Super Bowl title and Cubs WS title in 2016
How did you get started working in sports? Attended a Kane County (IL) Cougars game shortly after graduating college in 1991. First minor league game I had ever attended and knew immediately I wanted to work in the industry. Dead broke, I drove to Winter Meetings job fair in Miami from Chicago and ended up with a Stadium Ops internship in Little Rock with the Arkansas Travelers.
What advice do you have for other people who are interested in working in sports? Check your ego at the door and do whatever is asked of you. 27 years later and I still find myself sweeping floors because the stadium feels more like my home than a place of work.
If you didn't work in sports what would you do? Buy season tickets to the Mississippi Braves

One thing people don't know about the M-Braves front office: We each pay part of our monthly salary to Jeff Olson for life advice

Other fun facts about you: Attended first ever night game at Wrigley Field on 8-8-88, rained out in 3rd inning.

The Braves will open their 16th season at Trustmark Park on Thursday, April 9, at 6:35 pm against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and feature Opening Night Fireworks and the first Thirsty Thursday of the season.