Dave Heller, owner of the Modesto Roadsters, the region’s new Pioneer Baseball League franchise, announced that the club has named Lathrop resident Michael Neis as its inaugural General Manager.
Neis has deep ties to Northern California; he spent seven seasons with the Oakland A’s, where he rose to become Director of Membership and Premium Services. He brings more than 15 years of sports management experience to the Roadsters, including GM experience at the Double-A level, along with a deep-seated love of the game.
In 2022, Neis became General Manager for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays). Guiding both a major ballpark renovation and the creation of unique fan-first areas, in 2023 the Fisher Cats’ home ballpark, Delta Dental Stadium, was voted “Best Double-A Ballpark” by Ballpark Digest.
In 2024, Neis, his wife Jackie, a Manteca native and chemist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and their growing family moved back to California’s Central Valley. Neis was named General Manager of Sponsorship and Ticket Sales with the Pacific Tigers Athletics in Stockton through Playfly Sports. He had previously served as Regional Director of Sales for NASCAR, overseeing sales for multiple tracks, including the iconic Talladega Superspeedway, before moving back to baseball.
“I could not be more delighted to announce Michael Neis as the Roadsters’ first general manager,” said team owner Dave Heller. “Michael has that incredibly rare combination of Central Valley roots and minor league baseball GM experience at one of the highest levels. I met Michael on my first trip to Modesto and from that first meeting, he was my first, second, and third choice to be our club’s general manager. He’s an incredibly talented, friendly and dedicated person who shares my vision to make Roadsters baseball the most fun, family-friendly and fan-centric organization in Northern California – all while keeping ticket and concessions prices among the lowest in the region. We haven’t even played a game yet, but getting Michael Neis and our manager, J.T. Snow, on board are two huge wins.”
“I am incredibly humbled to accept this opportunity; my family and I are thrilled to be part of such a special project,” said Neis. “It was immediately apparent that ownership, the City of Modesto, and the passionate baseball supporters of the Central Valley are all aligned around the same goal – building something that truly reflects this community and gives back both on and off the field. We are here for the long run and are committed to creating a family-friendly, competitive organization rooted in local pride. With Dave Heller, a local legend in J.T. Snow, and a growing group of wildly talented front office staff members, Opening Day can’t come soon enough.”
“We’re so excited to welcome Michael Neis, along with his wife Jackie and their two children, to the Roadster family,” said Roadsters manager J.T. Snow. “Michael brings a wealth of knowledge to the team from his extensive experience in professional baseball and the broader sports world. I know he’s going to create wonderful memories and experiences for both our players and our fans.”
The Modesto Roadsters are the fourth professional Minor League Baseball club managed by Main Street Baseball; the others are the Quad Cities River Bandits, Advanced-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals; the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Advanced-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals; and the Billings Mustangs, also in the Pioneer Baseball League. Main Street Baseball’s teams are dedicated to delivering high-quality family-friendly entertainment while strengthening local communities. The organization has earned a myriad of championships and awards, including being named Minor League Baseball’s “Organization of the Year” by Ballpark Digest, “Team of the Year” by Ballpark Digest, and its ballpark in Davenport, Iowa, Modern Woodmen Park, has three times in a row been voted “the Best Minor League Ballpark in America” by USA Today. Main Street Baseball’s teams are widely recognized for their fun, innovative promotions, as well as for making significant ballpark improvements benefiting both fans and players and giving back generously to each club’s home community.
