Lawrence J. Dolan was an attorney best known as the longtime owner of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, formerly known as the Cleveland Indians.
- Died: February 23, 2025 (Who else died on February 23?)
- Details of death: Died in Cleveland at the age of 94.
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Lawrence J. Dolan’s legacy
Dolan’s ownership of the Major League Baseball team in Cleveland got a mixed reaction from fans who said the law firm partner was too unwilling to spend money on big talent, but the results can’t be denied. Under his tenure, the team was consistently a contender.
Dolan was a Notre Dame graduate who served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps before going into law. After work as a county prosecutor, he started a private practice, becoming president and managing partner of the legal firm Thrasher, Dinsmore, & Dolan.
In 2000, a Dolan family trust purchased the Cleveland Indians for $323 million, scooping up stock and reverting the team, then publicly held, to private ownership. His family held a 75 percent stake in the club, and, as of 2024, had owned it longer than anyone in city history. Dolan’s tenure was marked by consistent success. In his 25 years of ownership, Cleveland went to the postseason nine times, including a 2016 World Series appearance. They won over 90 games four years in a row, from 2016 to 2019, including 102 games in 2017. He was owner when the Indians’ name was changed to the Guardians after the team’s 2021 season.
Dolan was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. He also served on MLB’s Major League Executive Council and the Ownership Committee.
Tributes to Lawrence J. Dolan
Full obituary: NBC Sports
