Former MLB All-Star Vida Blue Joins Ownership Group for Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Baseball Team"

Former MLB All-Star pitcher Vida Blue is part of a group set to purchase a majority stake in the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp minor league baseball team.

The Jumbo Shrimp are currently the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and play in the Southern League. The team has been owned by Ken Babby since 2015.

The sale is pending approval by Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball.

Blue, who played for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals over a 17-year career, said in a statement that he is excited to be part of the Jumbo Shrimp organization.

"I have always loved the game of baseball and have been looking for a way to get back involved in the sport," Blue said. "I believe that the Jumbo Shrimp are a great organization with a bright future, and I am thrilled to be part of the team."

The Jumbo Shrimp have had success on and off the field in recent years, winning the Southern League championship in 2019 and drawing record crowds to their stadium in downtown Jacksonville.

Babby, who also owns the Akron RubberDucks and the Bowie Baysox, said in a statement that he is proud of what the Jumbo Shrimp have accomplished and is confident that the new ownership group will continue to build on that success.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.