Jim Bruner

A mover and shaker in every sense of those words, Jim Bruner has certainly achieved legendary status in Arizona’s baseball history.

Pursuing his interest in bringing a Major League Baseball franchise to Arizona, Bruner worked his influence as a member of both the Scottsdale City Council and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to persuade sports mogul Jerry Colangelo to form an ownership group. And, it was Bruner’s deciding vote that implemented the funding mechanism for a county-owned stadium, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bruner served for three and a half years as chairman of the Maricopa County Stadium District. He was a key player in developing a plan with then-governor Rose Mofford to stabilize and expand the Arizona Cactus League in the late 1980s when Florida was threatening to lure Cactus League teams to the Grapefruit League. Thanks to him, fifteen MLB teams and their fans come to Arizona every spring to begin another exciting season.