Former Spokane Indians general manager Tom Leip dies at 65

From staff reports

Tom Leip, general manager of the Spokane Indians from 1985-92, died Thursday from cancer. He was 65.

“Tom Leip was my first hire after we purchased the Spokane Indians baseball team,” managing partner Bobby Brett said. “He is also the guy who convinced me to buy the Spokane Chiefs hockey team. So, in a very real sense, Tom is the one who got the whole ball rolling for us here in Spokane.”

Brett and partners purchased the baseball team in the fall of 1985. Leip remained with the Indians until leaving to become the executive director of the Northern League. The Indians’ attendance jumped by more than 32,000 his first year, and increased 84% over six seasons.

Leip spent more than 30 years working in minor league professional sports, including stops in Portland, Eugene, Nashville, Tennessee, and Kansas City, Missouri.

He most recently was affiliated with Sports Management Worldwide.