DUBAI: Baseball United, the first-ever professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, has announced that former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman Nick Swisher has joined its investment and ownership group.
Swisher’s 12-year career included a champion season with the New York Yankees in 2009.
The Ohio native hit at least 20 home runs in each of nine consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2013 and earned an All-Star selection in 2010. He hit 245 total home runs during his career.
“Our team and I are so grateful and excited to welcome Nick into our ownership team,” said Kash Shaikh, president, CEO, and majority owner of Baseball United. “He not only was an All-Star and a champion on the field, but he’s also one of the most charismatic baseball personalities of this generation. You can feel his passion for the game each time he speaks, and I can’t wait for him to share that love for the game with our fans in the Middle East and South Asia.”
Baseball United’s Dubai-based league launches this November with a showcase event hosted at Dubai International Stadium. The showcase will include the league’s first four franchises, two representing the UAE, as well as the Mumbai Cobras and Karachi Monarchs, which were revealed in recent weeks. The Mumbai and Karachi franchises are the first professional baseball franchises in the history of India and Pakistan, respectively. The names of the UAE-based franchises will be announced on Thursday in Dubai.
“It’s such an honor to be able to grow the game of baseball alongside Kash and this legendary ownership group,” said Swisher. “I’ve spent my entire life in and around the game, and I truly believe that Baseball United is a game-changing opportunity to transform baseball into a global sport. We have the right team, the right plan, and the right culture in place to go make history."
