Former Reds player, All-Star to be 1st manager of India's 1st pro baseball franchise
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer who won a World Series with the team and was a three-time All-Star has landed a new job in a new pro baseball league.
Baseball United, the first-ever professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, hired Chris Sabo as the first manager of the Mumbai Cobras. Sabo will partner with former Reds teammate Barry Larkin, who was named the team’s Honorary General Manager earlier this week.
The Mumbai Cobras will compete in Baseball United’s Dubai Showcase in November alongside three additional franchises that will be announced in the coming weeks. The league’s first full season will begin in late 2024.
“We continue to be humbled by the quality of world-class leaders and baseball minds that are coming together to build our organization,” said Kash Shaikh, President, CEO, and Co-Owner of Baseball United, in a press release. “Chris Sabo is one of them. He not only had a great playing career that included All-Star games and a World Series Championship, but he’s also dedicated much of his life to teaching and sharing the game at the youth, college, and professional levels. We are very grateful to have Chris represent our first-ever franchise and can’t wait for him to team with Barry Larkin once again as they work to build a winning culture in Mumbai.”
Sabo was selected by the Reds in the third round of the 1983 draft out of the University of Michigan, and played for the team from 1988-93 and again in 1996. He was voted National League Rookie of the Year in 1988 and was the starting third baseman for the 1990 World Championship team. Most recently he was head baseball coach at the University of Akronfor three years, compilng a 31-89 record.
“It’s truly an honor to be named Manager of the Mumbai Cobras,” said Sabo in the release. “I love everything about this game, from the feel of the dirt to the smell of the stadium to the comradery of the clubhouse. I’ve been very impressed with the entire Baseball United organization, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with Lark, Kash (Kash Shaikh, President, CEO, and Co-Owner of Baseball United) and the entire BU team. And I can’t wait to get to know our fans in Mumbai. This opportunity to represent one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world is a significant responsibility, and I’m very grateful.”
