When Dallasites think of Grand Prairie, Texas, a few things likely spring to mind: horse races at Lone Star Park, boating at Joe Pool Lake or concert-going at Verizon (formerly Nokia) Theater. But for Lake Highlands residents, attorneys Scott Berry and Gary Elliston, Grand Prairie means baseball. Specifically, it means Grand Prairie AirHogs American Association of Independent Professional Baseball baseball. Berry and Elliston, president and chairman of the board, respectively, of Southern Independent Baseball, L.L.C, in April purchased the Grand Prairie AirHogs and are now working to promote the sport as a “fun and affordable form of family entertainment,” Berry says. The men already owned baseball teams — the Shreveport-Bossier Captains and the Amarillo Sox — but they say having a team close to home is especially exhilarating. “Gary and I love the fact that we have a team right in our own backyard,” says Berry, a father of four, his youngest at Lake Highlands High School. Berry and Elliston have plans for the AirHogs ballpark, Quik Trip Park, that include booking concerts and college baseball games. “We feel this is a diamond in the rough-type deal with plenty of opportunity for events and to make this area — near Lone Star Park and Verizon Theater — a hub of sports and entertainment for families.” The Grand Prairie mayor, Charles England, is excited to have two Dallas guys operating the team. “We are very proud of our minor league baseball team in Grand Prairie,” England says. “I think it’s very important that Gary and Scott are local guys. They live and work in Dallas County and that means a lot to us. I’ve talked to quite a few AirHogs fans, and they are really excited about the new ownership.”
Scott Berry and Gary Elliston’s Air Hogs
About the Author: Christina Hughes Babb
CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB is editor at large at Advocate Magazines. Email her at chughes@advocatemag.com or follow twitter.com/chughesbabb.