Art Solomon Purchases Columbus Catfish

Columbus, GA- Art Solomon, majority owner of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, today announced that he has purchased the Columbus Catfish, the Single-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, from Main Street Baseball, LLC. Solomon will take controlling interest of the defending SAL Champions, effective immediately.

"As a passionate baseball fan, I have been in the market to purchase another minor league team," said Solomon. "Along with team president Rick Brenner and the Fisher Cats' front office staff, I have worked extremely hard building strong relationships with the business community, non-profit groups and fans throughout New Hampshire. And our staff will be just as active in creating lasting partnerships with this franchise."

"Our track record in New Hampshire shows how dedicated we are to the community, and we look forward to the opportunity to bring our brand of affordable family entertainment to this new team," said Brenner, who will be a minority owner of the Catfish.

"We enjoyed the experience here in Columbus and want to thank all the fans and corporate sponsors who have supported us through the years," said Dave Heller, Managing Partner of Main Street Baseball. "Art Solomon has been a very successful owner in New Hampshire, and I wish him the best of luck with the Catfish."

Ken Clary, the general manager of the Catfish, and the front office staff will remain with the club, Solomon announced.

"Ken and the staff in Columbus have worked hard to make this transition as seamless as possible," said Solomon. "We thank them for all their efforts and look forward to working with them."

The Catfish return home to begin an eight-game homestand on Tuesday, April 15 when they meet the Rome Braves on a Two For Tuesday Night. Anyone purchasing a ticket for full price gets a second ticket free. To purchase tickets, call (706) 571-8866 or visit www.columbuscatfish.com.