AKRON, Ohio — The World Series has come to Northeast Ohio after all, even though the Cleveland Guardians lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series. Two of the most familiar faces from the Akron RubberDucks’ recent past, former owner Ken Babby and former general manager Jim Pfander, are now in Tampa Bay’s front office as the Rays host the Milwaukee Brewers this week at Tropicana Field.
Babby, now chief executive officer of the Rays and a part owner of the club, owned the RubberDucks from 2012 to 2025 and was a longtime Akron resident. Pfander, a Fairlawn resident for 26 years and an Archbishop Hoban graduate, was the RubberDucks’ general manager from 2014 until the spring of this year and now serves as the Rays’ chief experience officer.
The Rays return home trailing the series 2-0, needing a turnaround in what they hope is a three-game set in St. Petersburg. Across the field, the connections continue: Milwaukee’s senior director of player information and personnel, August Fagerstrom, is a Kent native.
“I’m still waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up from this incredible dream I’m having,” Pfander said. “If you ask Ken, or really anybody else, I don’t think the intent was to buy a baseball team and win a World Series in the first year.” Babby recalled his first drive to Akron and nearly 15 years his family spent there, noting that vice president of finance Shawn Carlson and chief of staff Sam Dankoff also came through the Akron organization.
The path to the World Series ran straight through the club they used to run against. In the ALCS, Tampa Bay faced a Guardians roster full of former RubberDucks, including José Ramírez, Brayan Rocchio, Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith and Joey Cantillo — 25 of Cleveland’s 40-man roster had played in Akron, and former Ducks manager Rouglas Odor coaches third base for Cleveland.
On the Rays’ side, former Guardians Yandy Díaz, Richie Palacios, Cole Sulser and Junior Caminero now wear Tampa Bay colors, and manager Kevin Cash was Cleveland’s bullpen coach in 2013 and 2014. “It was an honor to share the ALCS stage with those guys and an even greater honor to be here at the World Series,” Babby said.
A Tampa Bay title would be the first in franchise history. Babby said the run has also answered questions about the club’s future in its home region after the team secured a new ballpark earlier this year — and, for two Akron baseball men, it has brought a wave of good wishes from Northeast Ohio with it.