Larry Dolan

Lawrence J. Dolan

• School University of Notre Dame
• High School St. Ignatius High School (Cleveland)

• Born February 8, 1931 in Cleveland Heights, OH USA
• Died February 23, 2025 in Cleveland, OH USA

Biographical Information

Attorney Larry Dolan bought the Cleveland Indians from Richard Jacobs for approximately $323 million in 2000. On February 18, 2010, it was announced that his son Paul Dolan, already the team's President, would succeed him as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Indians at the end of the season. In addition to owning the Indians (which later became the Cleveland Guardians, he was a founder of the regional cable network SportsTime Ohio

He served in the United States Marine Corps at the time of the Korean War, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. He had always been a sports fan and after finding success as an attorney, tried to get into professional sports ownership. He first tried to purchase the Cincinnati Reds and the NFL's Cleveland Browns, but came up short both times, before the Indians were put for sale, creating the perfect opportunity for him. He was very present as an owner, regularly attending spring training and meeting regularly with groups of fans. He regularly took players and members of the coaching staff out to dinner to let them know he was connected to the team. He had six children, but Paul was the only one who was interested in being involved with baseball; his oldest son, Matthew, instead became a lead partner in the law firm of Thrasher, Dinsmore and Dolan which his father had founded. The family as a whole was deeply committed to the city of Cleveland and in 2019 they received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Cleveland Sports Association for their dedication to advancing sports in the Cleveland community.

Further Reading

• Mandy Bell: "Guardians owner Larry Dolan, a true fan at heart, dies at 94", mlb.com, February 24, 2025. [1]
• David Bohmer: "Cleveland Indians team ownership history", Team Ownership History Project, SABR. [2]