NYTimes names sports business reporter

The New York Times appointed Ken Belson as a business of sports reporter on the sports desk, according to a memo Tuesday from sports editor Tom Jolly.

Jolly writes, “For years, Ken Belson has made no secret of his passion for the business of sports, at least to those silly enough to ask him about ticket prices and the relative ‘value’ of sitting in Shea Stadium’s upper deck. Happily, we can now put his idle fascinations to work. Starting on Feb. 23, Ken will join the sports desk to write about everything having to do with the dollars and cents of players, teams and leagues, and the vast array of companies that try to make millions of dollars by glomming on to them. Together with Rich Sandomir, Ken will help us maintain and grow our strong coverage of sports business and media.

“Ken is no stranger to the sports desk. While working in the Tokyo Bureau from 2001 to 2004, he wrote frequently about baseball, the World Cup, K-1 and, on one New Year’s Day, a collegiate long-distance relay race up Mount Fuji. He wrote most recently on how major league baseball teams weather the Depression.

“After returning from Japan, Ken covered telecommunications in BizDay and transportation, energy and an array of other topics for Metro. Before joining the Times, he worked at Business Week, Reuters and Bloomberg.

“He has also managed to persuade his wife, a Tokyo native who grew up across the street from the Yomiuri Giants’ old stadium, to find it in herself to root for the Mets.”