BusinessWeek softball team folds

TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

The BusinessWeek softball team, which won the New York media league championship as recently as 2008, has folded for the current season because layoffs and departures have decimated its ranks.

The magazine was acquired by Bloomberg in December. Since then, dozens of staffers have left due to buyouts, layoffs and finding other jobs as Bloomberg molds the magazine into its desired content. At one point, the BusinessWeek team had won a league record 49 games in a row.

Tom Lowry, who covered media and marketing for the magazine and managed the softball team for the past decade, was laid off last month. He confirmed to Talking Biz News that the magazine will not have a team this year. Five other teams — High Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, DC Comics and WNYC — will carry on.

Other key players on the BusinessWeek team who are no long with the magazine due to layoffs and buyouts include photo editor Scott Mlyn (2B), associate editor Spencer Ante (LF), economics writer James Mehring (OF). and librarian Fred Katzenberg (infield). Ante’s skills on the diamond are likely to be coveted by The Journal, his new employer. Lowry played everywhere from catcher to outfield.

Those that resigned from the magazine include BusinessWeek.com editor John Byrne (pitcher) and copy editor Zoe Galland (3B and 2B), who resigned earlier this year to join the Chicago Tribune.

The Wall Street Journal won the 2009 championship of the New York Media Softball League, defeating BusinessWeek 5-1.