Larry Dolan

{{Infobox person

| name = Lawrence J. Dolan

| image = Ray Mabus presents a Distinguished Public Service Award to Larry Dolan (cropped).jpg

| caption = Dolan in 2016

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|02|08}}

| birth_place = Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|02|23|1931|02|08}}

| death_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

| children = 6, including Matt and Paul

| relatives = Charles Dolan (brother)
James L. Dolan (nephew)

| title = Cleveland Guardians principal owner
Founder of SportsTime Ohio

| website =

| spouse = {{Marriage|Eva Haas Dolan|1957}}{{Cite web |date=February 25, 2025 |title=Lawrence Dolan Obituary (1931 – 2025) |url=https://obits.cleveland.com/us/obituaries/cleveland/name/lawrence-dolan-obituary?id=57657766 |access-date=May 2, 2025 |website=The Plain Dealer |publisher=Legacy.com |publication-place=Cleveland, Ohio}}

}}

Lawrence J. Dolan (February 8, 1931 – February 23, 2025) was an American attorney who was the principal owner of the Cleveland Guardians of the Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000 until his death in 2025 and the founder of SportsTime Ohio (now FanDuel Sports Network Great Lakes).

Early life and education

Dolan was born on February 8, 1931, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the son of Corinne (Henson) and David Dolan, an inventor who sold a patent to the Ford Motor Company.{{Cite web |last=Sheeline |first=Will |date=January 10, 2025 |title=HBO and Cablevision founder Charles Dolan dies at 98 |url=https://www.liherald.com/stories/hbo-and-cablevision-founder-charles-dolan-dies-at-98,212408 |access-date=May 2, 2025 |website=Nassau Herald}} He attended St. Ignatius High School and got his law degree from University of Notre Dame in 1956.{{Cite web |title=Larry Dolan {{!}} Cleveland Indians Baseball |url=https://www.clevelandseniors.com/people/larrydolan.htm |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Cleveland Seniors |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425155022/https://www.clevelandseniors.com/people/larrydolan.htm |url-status=live }} He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Cleveland State University.{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Brian |date=May 8, 2009 |title=Spring Commencement Ceremonies are Saturday, May 16 {{!}} News Release #14683 |url=http://www.csuohio.edu/news/releases/2009/05/14683.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114225401/https://www.csuohio.edu/news/releases/2009/05/14683.html |archive-date=November 14, 2012 |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Cleveland State University}}

Professional career

Upon leaving Notre Dame, Dolan served in the United States Marine Corps for two years, where he attained the rank of first lieutenant. Upon leaving the Marine Corps in 1958, Dolan worked as assistant prosecutor in Geauga County, Ohio, before going into private practice. He eventually became president and managing partner of Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan in Chardon, Ohio.

Cleveland Guardians owner

In 2000, Dolan (through a family trust) bought the Cleveland Guardians (then Indians) of Major League Baseball (MLB) for $323 million from Richard E. Jacobs, who, along with his late brother David H. Jacobs, had paid $35 million for the club in 1986. Jacobs had taken the team public in 1997.{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Sandomir |date=November 5, 1999 |title=BASEBALL; A Dolan Agrees to Purchase the Indians for $320 Million |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/05/sports/baseball-a-dolan-agrees-to-purchase-the-indians-for-320-million.html |access-date=October 12, 2017 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113171314/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/05/sports/baseball-a-dolan-agrees-to-purchase-the-indians-for-320-million.html |url-status=live }} As part of the deal, Dolan bought all of the stock at just over $12 a share, making the franchise privately held once again.{{Cite web |date=January 7, 2000 |title=DOLAN'S TRUST OWNERSHIP OF INDIANS REVEALED IN SEC REPORT |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2000/01/7/Franchises/DOLANS-TRUST-OWNERSHIP-OF-INDIANS-REVEALED-IN-SEC-REPORT.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140609013140/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2000/01/7/Franchises/DOLANS-TRUST-OWNERSHIP-OF-INDIANS-REVEALED-IN-SEC-REPORT.aspx |archive-date=June 9, 2014 |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Sports Business Daily}} During his time as owner, the team experienced periods of competitiveness, including playoff runs in 2007 and 2013, and making it to the World Series in 2016, as well as periods without success, including several seasons with over 90 losses.{{cite web |title=Owners {{!}} Cleveland Guardians |url=https://www.mlb.com/guardians/history/owners |website=MLB.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}{{cite web |title=Cleveland Guardians Team History & Encyclopedia |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/index.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}

While the team's player salaries were among the highest in MLB during Jacobs's final years as owner, at times they have been among the lowest under Dolan.{{cite web |last=Roth |first=Phil |title=MLB Past and Future Payrolls |url=http://mlbpayrolls.info/ |access-date=April 18, 2015 |website=mlbpayrolls.info |archive-date=August 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805181918/http://mlbpayrolls.info/ |url-status=live }} This led some fans to regard Dolan as miserly,{{cite book |first=Terry |last=Pluto |author-link=Terry Pluto |title=Dealing: The Cleveland Indians' New Ballgame: How a Small-Market Team Reinvented Itself as a Major League Contender |url=http://www.grayco.com/cleveland/books/10492/index.shtml |publisher=Gray & Company |isbn=978-1-59851-049-2 |date=2008}} although other fans dispute the reputation.{{cite news |first=Todd |last=Dery |title=How the Indians Were Built Through a Series of Nifty Trades |url=http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/how-the-indians-were-built-through-a-series-of-nifty-trades/Content?oid=4555536 |work=Cleveland Scene |date=April 8, 2015 |access-date=April 18, 2015 |archive-date=April 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418215441/http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/how-the-indians-were-built-through-a-series-of-nifty-trades/Content?oid=4555536 |url-status=live }} After the team reached the 2016 World Series, the team acquired free agents Edwin Encarnación and Boone Logan.{{cite news |url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/01/cleveland_indians_edwin_encarn_6.html |title=Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan, on Edwin Encarnación's hefty contract: 'There's no better time than now' |first=Zack |last=Meisel |work=Cleveland Plain Dealer |date=January 27, 2017 |access-date=February 10, 2017}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2017/02/cleveland_indians_have_terry_t_85.html |title=Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' Boone Logan, ownership spending |first=Terry |last=Pluto |work=Cleveland Plain Dealer |date=February 4, 2017 |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-date=May 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505045505/http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2017/02/cleveland_indians_have_terry_t_85.html |url-status=live }} However, both of these players were with other teams by 2019 in an attempt to reduce payroll, thus adding to both sides of the “miserly” argument between fans.{{Cite web |last=Pluto |first=Terry |date=March 15, 2019 |title=Cleveland Indians: Paul Dolan talks payroll, pitching and contention |url=https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2019/03/cleveland-indians-paul-dolan-talks-payroll-pitching-and-contention-terry-pluto.html |access-date=March 15, 2019 |website=Cleveland.com |archive-date=March 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319122036/https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2019/03/cleveland-indians-paul-dolan-talks-payroll-pitching-and-contention-terry-pluto.html |url-status=live }}

In 2006, Dolan started SportsTime Ohio to broadcast the team's games; in 2012, it was sold to Fox Entertainment Group.{{Cite web |last=Emmet |first=James |date=January 2, 2013 |title=News Corp confirms SportsTime Ohio takeover |url=https://www.sportspro.com/news/news_corp_confirms_sportstime_ohio_takeover/ |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=SportsPro}}

In November 2021, the baseball team officially changed its name to the Cleveland Guardians.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/cleveland-guardians-era-begins |title=Guardians era officially arrives in Cleveland |first=Mandy |last=Bell |website=MLB.com |date=November 19, 2021 |accessdate=November 20, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120172255/https://www.mlb.com/news/cleveland-guardians-era-begins |url-status=live }}

At the time of his death in February 2025, Dolan and his family were the longest tenured ownership group in the team's franchise history.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/guardians-owner-dolan-dies-obit-428005e9ad5b435aa41127547a4a7e2a|title=Cleveland Guardians owner Lawrence J. Dolan dies at 94|publisher=Associated Press|date=February 24, 2025|accessdate=February 25, 2025}} His son Paul J., who has held ownership duties and the title of "Owner/CEO/Chairman" of the Cleveland Guardians since 2013, is also the only one of Larry J. Dolan's six children to have held major leadership roles with the team.{{cite news|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/larry-dolan-dies|title=Guardians owner Larry Dolan, a true fan at heart, dies at 94|first=Mandy|last=Bell|work=MLB.com|date=February 24, 2025|accessdate=February 25, 2025}}

Personal life and death

Dolan married Eva Haas Dolan in 1957{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 12, 2014 |title=Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan to get St. Thomas More Award |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2014/10/12/cleveland-indians-owner-larry-dolan/10682549007/ |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Akron Beacon Journal |archive-date=May 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528051834/https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2014/10/12/cleveland-indians-owner-larry-dolan/10682549007/ |url-status=live }} and they went on to have six children; among them are Matt who was an Ohio state senator and is now an economic development leader in Northeast Ohio,{{Cite web |title=Matt Dolan, 45 / Republican |url=https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/politics/articles/matt-dolan-45-republican |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Cleveland Magazine |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715022337/https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/politics/articles/matt-dolan-45-republican |url-status=live }} and Paul J. who worked for his law firm and was since named as president, and later chairman, CEO, and controlling owner of the baseball team.{{Cite web |title=Larry Dolan '50 and Family Earn Lifetime Achievement Award |url=https://www.ignatius.edu/news/january-2020/larry-dolan-50-and-family-earn-award-from-greater |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Saint Ignatius High School |archive-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710005512/https://www.ignatius.edu/news/january-2020/larry-dolan-50-and-family-earn-award-from-greater |url-status=live }}

Dolan had three brothers, including businessman Charles Dolan. His nephew James L. Dolan owns the New York Knicks of the NBA and the New York Rangers of the NHL.

Dolan died in Cleveland on February 23, 2025, at the age of 94.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/press-release-cleveland-guardians-owner-larry-dolan-passes-away-at-94|title=Cleveland Guardians owner Larry Dolan passes away at 94|website=MLB.com |date=February 24, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Meisel |first1=Zack |date=February 24, 2025 |title=Cleveland Guardians owner Larry Dolan dies at 94 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6156901/2025/02/24/cleveland-guardians-owner-larry-dolan-dies/? |access-date=February 24, 2025 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=February 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225161451/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6156901/2025/02/24/cleveland-guardians-owner-larry-dolan-dies/ |url-status=live }}

Awards and honors

Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2014){{Cite web |title=2014 Archives |url=https://www.clevelandsportshall.com/category/year/2014/ |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame}}