Nick Lachey Plays Ball

Fans of the now-defunct MTV show, The Newlyweds, will remember how much Nick Lachey loves his sports. Whether it was baseball, football, soccer ... you name it ... he was there, in front of the tv or in person. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that he is becoming bart owner of a baseball team, the Tacoma Rainiers franchise, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

He told People magazine, "It had always been a dream of mine to be involved in team sports in general, especially on a local level in your hometown. A couple years ago, the Cincinnati Reds came up for sale, and I made an attempt to become a part of the ownership. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, but it certainly reiterated my interest in having some kind of ownership involvement. So, when this opportunity came around, it felt like a great way to get involved. Sports is - outside of entertainment - my passion. Clearly I'm not going to be playing for anybody in my lifetime, so to be involved on the ownership level is the next best thing."

He will be one-third owner of the team, along with his business partners, Bob Schlegal and Kirby Schlegal. Lachey said, "They are partners in Schlegal Sports and have a lot of experience, especially in minor-league sports."

Photo from People