Larry Dolan, Uncle of Knicks Owner, Dies at 94

Larry Dolan, uncle of Knicks owner James, was the primary owner of MLB's Cleveland Guardians.

Tribe owner Larry Dolan acknowledges the crowd after catching the first pitch from former owner Dick Jacobs on Opening Day 2000. / Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians announced the passing of principal owner Larry Dolan at the age of 94 on Monday. Dolan was the uncle of New York Knicks owner James.

“I am saddened by the passing of Cleveland native Larry Dolan, whose family’s quarter-century ownership has made their hometown team a consistent winner and a staple of their community," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com. "Larry was a lifelong baseball fan who served our country as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marines. He strongly believed in mentoring young people and using the Guardians as a way to impact Greater Cleveland."

An attorney born and raised in the Cleveland area, Larry Dolan purchased the local MLB club, then known as the Indians, from the Jacobs family in 2000. Under his watch, Cleveland lingered in constant contention: the Indians/Guardians are one of 11 teams to win at least 2,000 games and they have the third-best record in the American League behind only the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The club won the AL pennant in 2016, reaching its first World Series in nearly two decades.

New Cleveland baseball owner Larry Dolan makes a point during a press conference at Jacobs Field that announced the sale of the team yesterday. / Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In addition to his work with the team, Dolan also founded SportsTime Ohio (now known as FanDuel Sports Network Great Lakes) in 2006, which took over local baseball broadcasts rights upon its introduction. For his efforts with the team, Dolan was elected to the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

“We are saddened by the loss of our Dad, but lucky to have him as part of our lives as long as we did,” Larry Doland's son Paul said in a statement from the Guardians. “He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who was passionate about his family, work, our community and his love of our local sports teams, including owning the Cleveland Guardians.”

Dolan is pre-deceased by his brother and James' father Charles, who passed away in December. He is survived by his wife Eva and their six children.

The Guardians, coming off the seventh and final AL Central division title under Dolan's watch, open their 2025 season on March 27 against the Kansas City Royals.

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