- Marc Amicone recently retired after a long career in sports, and reshaping the state's baseball landscape.
- Amicone's relationships helped Utah gain MLB's attention, as the state seeks a expansion franchise.
- He says he'll remain a consultant, as he's confident in Utah's position to secure an MLB team.
SOUTH JORDAN — Baseball has been a part of Marc Amicone's life for almost as long as he can remember.
What began as a shared family activity at the local ballpark and attending ballgames at Derks Field sparked a love of the game that would eventually lead him to become president and general manager of the Salt Lake Bees, and then senior advisor of baseball relations for Larry H. Miller Sports + Entertainment.
But with his wife, Mary Kay, having retired from coaching softball at Weber State, their first grandchild starting to grow, the Bees having successfully moved into their new home in Daybreak and Big League Utah — the state's effort to land an MLB team — in a steady place, Amicone is ready to step aside.
He's not leaving baseball, but he's ready to let the next generation lead the game in Utah.
Amicone recently retired from his role at the Miller Company, ending a career in sports that spanned over four decades.
"It was a hard decision because I love what I do and have, heavens, for my whole career," he told KSL.com. "I'm very lucky. I'm very, very blessed with my family and all of us being involved in the game. I'm thankful for everyone I've ever been associated with through (it)."
He's also leaving with the state now in a position to land an MLB team, which may not have been possible without him.
For the love of the game
Baseball is how Amicone grew up in the Beehive State. His older brother was already playing in youth leagues by the time he could remember, while their parents helped operate the league in the West Valley City area where they lived.
"My mom ran concessions, my dad helped with the league," Amicone said, adding that he first served as a bat boy before playing. "I was always somehow at a ballpark."
By the time he got to playing, Amicone and his teammates would also assist in maintaining the field between games. They'd also try to catch foul balls and goof around during games at Derks Field, home of the local professional team during an era where the team played under different names like the Bees, Giants, Angels and Gulls.
Amicone wanted to play professionally like them, but that wasn't in the cards. He was good enough to play at the University of Utah, where he landed all-conference recognition in 1979, but he chuckles as he reflects on the moment he realized he likely wasn't going pro — at least on the field.
Luckily, there were other avenues available upon graduation.
He had befriended the radio announcer of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, Utah's minor league hockey franchise at the time, through recreational softball. That helped him secure an internship with the team, and he worked his way up the organizational ladder to become general manager of the club. He won International Hockey League executive of the year twice during his tenure.
He then jumped at the opportunity to work at his alma mater, serving as Utah athletics' marketing director for 16 years. Michelle Smith, who is now president of Miller Sports + Entertainment, was among his hires.
She remembers being young and not entirely confident as she started her first job out of college, but his "intense" detail-oriented planning and ability to connect with coworkers eased her nerves. He also had a knack for remaining in touch with everyone, sending cards and following up on everyone's lives.
"That's why at his retirement celebration that we had, there was over 200 people there that had connections with him for literally decades," she said, adding that she took his personability to heart as a key business attribute.
Case in point, Larry H. Miller — another person Amicone had befriended through softball — eventually asked him to be the general manager of what was then the Salt Lake Stingers, the minor league baseball team Miller had acquired.
Amicone remained at the helm of the team for nearly two decades before becoming senior advisor of baseball relations a few seasons ago.
"It just kind of all worked out. ... I mean, I couldn't ask for a better route," he said, pointing to career experiences like winning hockey titles, traveling to the Final Four and gymnastics championships, and seeing the growth of baseball in Utah.
Life away from sports still kept him around the ballpark, too. He met Mary Kay — a star in softball — after they met at a ballpark in the early '80s. While Marc Amicone held key administration roles in Utah's sports scene, Mary Kay Amicone won over 800 games coaching softball at BYU, Weber State and Salt Lake Community College.
Their shared support of each other, he said, was instrumental in both of their careers. Their children have also carried on their legacy in the game. Derek Amicone is now senior director of baseball operations for the Bees, while Trevor Amicone is an assistant hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins.
A major league legacy?
If Salt Lake City lands an MLB expansion team — and it remains an early favorite to do so — Marc Amicone also would have played a significant part in that happening, even if it has been more private.
As the Miller Company explored a bid for MLB a few years ago, Steve Starks, the company's CEO, asked Amicone how he could meet with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred while out in New York for other business.
Amicone contacted the first person he could think of: Tony Reagins, a former Los Angeles Angels general manager who is now MLB's chief baseball development officer, with whom he had remained in contact over the years. That got the wheels in motion, leading to a meeting, which ultimately put Utah on MLB's radar.
The relationships and trust he built over time, along with the way the Bees operated under Amicone in his time, exemplify how Utah got the meeting, Smith said. It's also why she believes Utah made a splash with its opportunity.
"For sure, it created doors for us to be opened," she said. "Marc's relationships absolutely helped influence opportunities."
Amicone might be leaving day-to-day operations, but he said he'll still be available as a consultant as the process continues; however, he also believes Big League Utah is in a "great spot," and he's confident its pitch is good enough to secure a team soon.
Bringing MLB to Utah would be just another notch in a lengthy baseball legacy, but it's an honor he said he'd gladly share with the many people he's worked with over the years.
"There's just an awful lot of people ... that played a role in this," he said. "We all played some kind of role in this."
