Sod Poodles founder, owner David Elmore dies at 88
David Elmore, Founder of the Elmore Sports Group which brought the Sod Poodles to Amarillo, has died, the team announced Friday. He was 88 years old.
ESG owns a conglomerate of Minor League Baseball teams, professional hockey clubs, athletic facilities and more. Over the span of his ownership and involvement with the group, Elmore came to own an abundance of minor league sports teams in addition to the Sod Poodles.
At one point or another, Elmore and ESG were owners of the Eugene Emeralds, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Inland Empire 66ers, San Antonio Missions, Idaho Falls Chukars, Lynchburg Hillcats, Hawaiian Islanders and Birmingham Barons. He was inducted into the Pacific Coast League and Texas League Halls of Fame and was recognized as King of Baseball in 2016.
"David Elmore's passion for professional baseball was exemplified through his ownership of numerous minor league teams across the country," read a statement from the Sod Poodles. "His entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to sports transformed communities and brought the joy of baseball and hockey to fans of all ages."
In addition to baseball, Elmore was also the owner of the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL and the Idaho Falls Spud Kings of the USPHL. He and his wife Donna were instrumental in the development of the Maverick Center in Salt Lake City, which hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.
"Baseball has lost a true legend in our industry and on a personal level I've lost a very dear friend," Sod Poodles President & General Manager Tony Ensor said. "Dave, to so many of us, was a bigger-than-life personality. He was a leader, mentor, friend, and rare personality who always made others his priority. He took genuine joy in making others happy and that made him very special.
"Dave taught so many of us that our teams were more than businesses, but our stadiums were meant to be places for our communities to celebrate together and create lasting joyful memories. I will miss him dearly, and his memory will never fade as we work tirelessly to continue his legacy."
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Sod Poodles founder, owner David Elmore dies at 88
