Travis Kelce buys minority stake in Cleveland Guardians

Travis Kelce is expanding his business portfolio, crossing from football to baseball.

The 11-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs said he has bought a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians, the baseball team he grew up rooting for in his native Ohio.

Kelce, 36, who is engaged to pop superstar Taylor Swift, confirmed his business move to ESPN.

“I have so much love for this city,” Kelce told the cable sports news outlet. “I say it all the time: I’m just a kid from the (Cleveland) Heights living the dream. I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland and being raised here with the values and the people and the work ethic. Cleveland Heights is such a diverse and dynamic place. Every friend, neighbor, teacher and teammate -- they all made me the man I am today.”

Kelce said he recalls fondly riding the rapid transit to downtown Cleveland as a youth, buying a game program and keeping score at the stadium during the late 1990s and early 2000s, The Athletic reported. Three years ago, Kelce threw out the first pitch at a Guardians game at Progressive Field, bouncing his effort into the turf before the team’s home opener.

If standing on the mound was not a big enough rush, owning a piece of the team and having an office at the stadium is an even bigger thrill.

“This is a way that I can always cement myself back into the east side of Cleveland,” Kelce said on this week’s edition of the New Heights podcast, which he hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce. “It’s a dream come true for a Cleveland kid. Any Cleveland kid would be through the roof right now and I’m happy to be the honorable one to get to do it for us.

“The opportunity came across the desk and I just couldn’t say no. … These guys gave me the opportunity to show my Cleveland love and plant my roots in Cleveland forever, no matter what. It’s an awesome feeling knowing that a childhood kid who grew up on the east side is now part-owner of his favorite baseball team.”

Kelce is the latest active pro athlete to obtain a minority stake in an MLB franchise, ESPN reported. He joins LeBron James (Boston Red Sox), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Brewers), Cade Cunningham (Texas Rangers) and Kelce’s teammate with the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, (Kansas City Royals).

The Guardians said they will welcome Kelce back to Progressive Field on June 14, when Cleveland hosts the Detroit Tigers, WKYC reported.

The team did not elaborate on the details surrounding Kelce’s homecoming or how much he has invested in the team, according to the television station.

The Guardians are valued at around $1.7 billion, ESPN reported.

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