Who are we?

We are long-term business owners that came from the corporate world and understand what it means to be an entrepreneur in todays world.

Twenty years ago, we dove into the world of Minor League Baseball with the Lansing Lugnuts. Since then, we've been dedicated and hands-on owners and operators, learning all the ropes and proudly forging our successes.

Look, nobody's perfect. But through hard work, listening and an unwavering dedication to offering fun, family-friendly entertainment at a fair price, we've learned how to succeed in every aspect of the business.

We've been proud to see the smiles on the faces of those people who use our product.

Of course, Professional Sports Marketing is more than just us. It's our dozens of talented and hard-working employees and, to a large extent, it's our patrons and our partners too. After all, we wouldn't have learned all that we have by buying a team and relaxing in the front row during games. We've earned that knowledge through listening and remaining attentive to their needs.

We'll never claim to have all the answers. But we do have proven, battle-testedstartegies that work for us and that will work for you. From building a ballpark to negotiating a lease to selling a hot dog on a sunny Sunday afternoon, we've been there. And we want to offer you our expertise.
Tom Dickson
Tom started his professional career with Leo Burnett Advertising, the largest advertising agency in the United States. In his 17 years with Burnett, Tom managed several national and multi-national businesses including Kellogg, Procter & Gamble, Nintendo, Hallmark, and Keebler, gaining an extensive knowledge of all marketing disciplines including advertising, sales promotion, database marketing and sports marketing. Tom was an Executive Vice President when he left Leo Burnett in 1996 to pursue a full time baseball career.
Sherrie Myers
Sherrie began her career with the Chicago Tribune in advertising sales. Over the course of the next 20 years, Sherrie progressed through the world of sales management and publishing, working at several national magazines including Smithsonian, Sunset, and Southern Living. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Sherrie was part of start-up teams that launched several national magazines that were later sold to Time-Warner and ABC Cap Cities. In 1999 Sherrie was profiled in Women Entrepreneurs Only, a book featuring 12 prominent female entrepreneurs in the United States.
In 1996, Tom and Sherrie launched their first minor league baseball team, the Lansing Lugnuts. Playing in Oldsmobile Park, a new stadium they developed and constructed in Lansing, Michigan, the Lugnuts have been one of the most successful professional sports franchises in minor league history. The Lugnuts set the Class-A baseball attendance record in 1996 drawing over 535,000 fans. The team’s success is unwavering, as the Lugnuts have averaged more than 400,000 fans per year over the team’s first 11 seasons. Playing a key role in the revitalization of downtown Lansing, the Lugnuts have become an integral part of the mid-Michigan community.

In large part due to the success of the Lugnuts, Tom and Sherrie were named “Entrepreneurs of the Year in the State of Michigan” in 1997.

In 2001, Tom and Sherrie purchased the Charleston Alley Cats in the South Atlantic League and began working with government officials to put together financing for a new ballpark. In October 2002, funding for the new $23.0MM facility was approved. Like its sister team in Lansing, the Charleston club plays in a new state-of-the-art facility designed by Kansas City based architects HNTB that opened in April of 2005.

In 2002, as part of a nationwide competition, Tom and Sherrie were selected by the City of Montgomery, Alabama to bring affiliated baseball to town. Montgomery, as part of its riverfront redevelopment efforts, built a new $26.0MM ballpark that opened in April 2004. Tom & Sherrie announced the team name, “Montgomery Biscuits” a year prior, and received an overwhelming response nationwide. Internet retail sales have brought Biscuits merchandise into 50 states and 7 countries. Attendance in the first three seasons has averaged over 320,000, placing the Biscuits (a AA Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate), as the #2 team in attendance in the Southern League despite playing in one of the League’s smallest markets.

In addition to Lansing, Charleston and Montgomery, Tom and Sherrie have been responsible for the development of over $150MM worth of new minor league ballparks over the past eight years in markets such as Dayton, Ohio; Joliet, Illinois; Gary, Indiana; and Eastlake, Ohio.

Tom and Sherrie have been very fortunate to have not only received a variety of awards for their entrepreneurial efforts, but have been covered in a long list of national media stories including The Wall Street Journal, ESPN, USA Today, Southern Living Magazine, Smart Money Magazine, Baseball America and most recently featured on CNN.

In addition to Tom and Sherrie’s sports franchises, they own two other companies, Professional Sports Marketing, a sports consulting company, and Professional Sports Catering, a food catering company. These two companies were founded to provide wide-ranging consulting and food services for professional sports franchises around the country.

Tom and Sherrie live in Wilmette, Illinois with their son, Andrew, and Airedale Terrier, Bonz.



     




Our Achievements

1996
  • Lansing Lugnuts set all-time Class A and Class AA attendance record for teams in their inaugural season drawing 538,326 fans.
  • Lansing Lugnuts set all-time minor league retail merchandise sales record also rank #1 in ’97 and ’98.
  • ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, CNN and David Letterman feature the Lansing Lugnuts.

1997
  • Dickson and Myers named Michigan Entrepreneurs of the Year.
  • Dickson and Myers analyze market, develop opportunity with City of Dayton and design $26 MM facility for minor league baseball team to begin play in 2000 in Dayton, Ohio -- Dickson and Myers went on to sell franchise to Mandalay Sports Entertainment.

1998
  • Inc. magazine names Lansing Lugnuts winner of National Customer Service Award – one of seven companies recognized throughout U.S
  • Sports Illustrated features Lansing Lugnuts logo as minor league favorite.
  • GQ magazine features Lugnuts official team cap.

1999
  • Women Entrepreneurs Only by Gregory Erickson features Myers in Chapter 11 -- one of 12 women profiled in the U.S., including creator of Barney and restauranteur responsible for Ruth Chris’ Steak House.
  • CNN’s “Entrepreneurs Only” features Myers.

2000
  • Dayton Dragons, start-up franchise of Dickson and Myers, break Lugnuts inaugural season attendance record drawing 582,623 fans.
  • Sports Illustrated features Lugnuts website.
  • Chicago Tribune Magazine features Dickson and Myers’.

2001
  • ESPN showcases the Lansing Lugnuts on “Outside the Lines.”
  • Home & Garden Television 30 min show is filmed about Dickson and Myers on “The Good Life.”
  • Dickson and Myers purchase the Charleston Alley Cats and work with the City of Charleston, West Virginia to build a new stadium

2002
  • Dickson and Myers selected to bring affiliated baseball to Montgomery, Alabama
  • Charleston, West Virginia secures funding to build a $23MM ballpark in the city’s downtown to open in April, 2005 for Dickson and Myers’ Alley Cats
  • Montgomery, Alabama secures funding to build a $26MM ballpark in
    as part of the city’s Riverwalk Development Plans.

2003
  • Team name is announced for new “AA” team in Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Biscuits.
  • Team breaks records with almost $1M in retail merchandise sales

2004
  • Montgomery Alabama opens new Riverwalk Stadium Park, home of the Montgomery Biscuits, owned by Dickson and Myers on April 16, 2004.
  • Smart Money chooses Dickson and Myers as feature story for April issue.
  • Montgomery breaks AA attendance records drawing 322,000 in inaugural season and out performs city Pro-forma by 35%.
  • USA Today names Lugnuts and Biscuits as #1 and #2 minor league names in country.

2005
  • Voted best operator of stadiums in Alabama by Birmingham News.
  • Charleston, West Virginia opens new Appalachian Power Park. Park developed by Dickson and Myers at a cost of $23MM.
  • CNN selects Dickson and Myers as entrepreneurs to profile for their world tour of unique business viewers. Films show and commercial footage with Dickson and Myers at Riverwalk Stadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuits, in Montgomery, AL.

2006
  • Montgomery Biscuits head office staff win prestigious industry awards including Best GM, Broadcaster of the Year and Most Outstanding Marketing in minor league baseball.
  • Baseball America names Riverwalk Stadium, programmed by Dickson and Myers, best stadium in all of minor league baseball.
 
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2506 N Clark, Suite 163 Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: 847-866-9889