About Middle Third

Middle Third exists because the people growing the game deserve a communications partner who’s lived it. Here’s the path that led Dave Haller here.

Founder & President
Headshot of smiling man with short hair and beard, wearing a checkered shirt, standing in front of a brick wall.

Dave Haller

Hi, I’m Dave. For nearly two decades, I’ve worked where composure, clarity, and sound judgment decide the outcome. Clubhouses under postseason pressure. Organizations navigating change. Leaders making decisions with no room for error.

Here’s my story—from a small town to the World Series, and everything after.

  • Black and white photo of nine young men in matching sports uniforms with 'OWU' on their shirts, posed in two rows for a team portrait.

    Catching the bug

    For a kid growing up in Delaware, Ohio, baseball was everywhere—yet felt just out of reach. The game came to me through generations of Cleveland Indians fans, amplified by the mid-1990s energy of Jacobs Field and Tom Hamilton on the radio. Delaware is also home to Ohio Wesleyan University, alma mater of Branch Rickey, with a campus gym that bears his name.

    Baseball became something I wanted to understand, not just play. Early jobs as a paper carrier and Little League umpire built responsibility and people skills. I studied the game obsessively, tracked roster moves by hand, and became determined, against all odds, to find a way in.

  • View of a baseball game at Globe Life Field, with players at bat and on the field, seen through a protective net at night.

    The climb

    I paid my dues through internships with the Columbus Clippers, Baseball Prospectus, Padres, and Indians, absorbing everything I could from the seasoned communicators, baseball lifers, and sharp executives around me.

    That led to 15 years in Major League Baseball, and 13 with the Rays, rising from entry level to Vice President of Communications. Across rebuilds, rebrands, a colorful trip to Cuba, 10 postseasons, and two World Series, I built a reputation for preparation, storytelling, and steady judgment when the stakes were highest.

  • Scenic view of multiple mountain ridges covered in green forests under a partly cloudy sky.

    Widening the lens

    By 2021, with young kids at home, the baseball lifestyle no longer felt sustainable. Around that same time, I was given a rare opportunity to work alongside my brother at a high-end Northern Virginia company entering a critical phase of growth.

    At Independence Landscape, I partnered closely with ownership to guide the company through a period of modernization. I led brand and marketing efforts, strengthened internal and external communications, and implemented our first enterprise software system—moving daily operations from paper spreadsheets to a structure built for scale. It reinforced a lesson I’d learned in baseball: meaningful progress starts with better communication.

  • Aerial view of a baseball stadium with the name James Scott Farrin, filled with spectators. The field is under a clear sky, with seven planes flying overhead leaving contrails.

    Building on purpose

    After leaving Independence, my family and I relocated to Concord, North Carolina. With space to reflect, one thing became clear fast: I missed the game. Not just baseball itself, but the people, the conversations, and the moments where communication and judgment matter.

    In late 2025, I founded Middle Third Communications to bring that experience back to the game in a focused, hands-on way. Today I advise baseball and softball organizations on communications, marketing, and leadership challenges—working directly with clients as a senior partner who understands their world.

    Off the field, you’ll find me running, hiking, and exploring North Carolina with my wife, Chelsea, and our three kids.

Why Middle Third?

The name Middle Third comes from a simple idea: great hitters don’t guess—they prepare. They train hard and study tendencies to recognize opportunities, putting themselves in position to drive the ball when their pitch arrives.

Off the field, the same is true. Advantage is created through preparation: anticipating what’s coming, making better decisions, and communicating clearly when it matters most.

That’s the work Middle Third is built for—the preparation that helps baseball and softball leaders seize their moment.

What about the logo? It’s inspired by Ted Williams’ The Science of Hitting, a book I discovered years ago when my uncle handed me a well-worn first edition. The colors are drawn from its iconic strike-zone diagram, honoring a standard of discipline, focus, and excellence.

Middle Third visual identity »

Along the way

  • A group of children and adults standing in line on a baseball field, holding flowers and American flags with Cuba flags, during a baseball game or ceremony with a crowd in the stands.
  • Man wearing a face mask, holding a phone and notebook, making a peace sign, standing in a baseball dugout with MLB Postseason 2020 and MLB Network signage, with cardboard cutouts of fans visible in the stands behind.
  • Group of five men standing on a baseball field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, celebrating an award ceremony with a trophy on a stand in front of them. The background shows the scoreboard and advertisements.
  • A man standing on a baseball field holding a baseball and wearing a baseball glove, smiling, with stadium seating and banners in the background.
  • Group of four celebrating baseball victory, two men wearing Tampa Bay Rays T-shirts and two individuals, one man and one woman, dressed casually, standing together inside a sports facility with blue tiled walls and a fan on the floor.
  • A family of five taking a selfie in the woods on a foggy day. The family includes a woman, a man, and three young children, all smiling at the camera.
  • A group of sports commentators holding ESPN microphones at a stadium during a sports event, with a large crowd in the background.
  • Three men smiling and sitting close together at a table in an indoor setting, with water bottles in the background and one man wearing an MLB lanyard.
  • A man in a baseball uniform leaning against a dugout, another man in a suit holding a briefcase, and a crowd watching a baseball game in the background.
  • Five men standing on a baseball field at night, smiling and posing for a photo. Four of them are wearing black t-shirts with the text 'LET'S GO RAYS,' and one man is dressed in a blazer and khakis. The stadium lights are on, and there is a large screen in the background.
  • Baseball players and staff celebrating on the field after a game, with some wearing 'American League' shirts and hats, and a player at the center laughing and covering his face.
  • A press conference or interview with a man in a blue Rays hoodie, wearing glasses, sitting in front of a backdrop with Rays and Bayfront Health logos. A reporter holding a microphone with a Fox Sports logo is interviewing him. Another man stands nearby holding a photo, and a person in a red shirt is in the background.
  • Four people sitting at a table in an office, smiling at the camera, with office supplies, a laptop, a bottle of water, and documents on the table.
  • Three children, two boys and a girl, looking into a store window decorated for Christmas, with holiday books and decorations inside.
  • Two young men sitting in brown armchairs on a baseball field, enjoying snacks and drinks, with a small table between them holding popcorn, candy, and drinks. One is holding a book and smiling, the other has a green drink. There is a large digital screen and various advertisements in the background.
  • A young man in casual clothing standing between three men dressed in black with blue painted faces, who are wearing gloves and holding a baseball bat and a framed picture, inside a room with potted plants.
  • Group of six people dressed in formal attire standing on a baseball field at a stadium, with a large '
  • Three men in a festive office, with framed sports memorabilia on the wall. Two men are laughing, one dressed in a purple vest and white shirt, and the other in a blue jacket with colorful stripes, both sitting in chairs. The third man, wearing a vest and bow tie, is seated at a desk with papers, drinks, and office supplies.
  • People practicing baseball on a field with empty stands in the background.
  • Group of eight people taking a selfie outdoors near water, smiling, with some wearing sunglasses and casual clothing.
  • A young child sitting on a blue table in a stadium box seat, reading a book titled 'Official Baseball Rules 2017 Edition' while watching a baseball game on the field outside.

Dave’s track record

  • A stylized tree with leaves shaped like the American flag, featuring white stars on a blue background and red and white stripes.
  • Logo with large dark blue uppercase letter T overlapping a large dark blue uppercase letter B on a white background.
  • Red and blue letter C logo with a navy blue outline.
  • San Diego Padres logo with overlapping stylized letters S and D in black on a white background.
  • BP logo with red circular swirl around black 'BP' letters on a white background.
  • Stylized blue and gray letter C with an arrow integrated into the design.

  • “In more than 30 years covering Major League Baseball, I’ve never met a public relations executive better at his job than Dave Haller. He commands respect and earns trust from both players and media—in good times and bad—with unfailing professionalism, courtesy, promptness and reliability.”

    – Tyler Kepner, author and senior MLB writer for The Athletic

  • “Dave’s leadership qualities start with the fact that he is a good listener, which leads to honest feedback and thoughtful, effective game planning. His ideas and attention to detail were central to building our communications strategy both on and off the field.”

    – Rick Vaughn, author and former VP of communications, Tampa Bay Rays

  • “Dave Haller’s professionalism, creativity and instinct for the game made him the gold standard of Major League Baseball public relations. My job was always easier when Dave was in the press box.”

    – Tim Brown, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning sports journalist

  • “Dave raised the bar across our entire organization. He elevated our brand, modernized our operations, and improved how we communicate—with clients and with each other.”

    – Curt Greene, co-founder and owner, Independence Landscape

Ready to talk?

Book a confidential discovery call with Dave.

Our Double Play Pledge

The best way to carry the game forward is to protect its full history for the generations who will inherit it. When you work with Middle Third, you’re part of that too. Middle Third commits 2% of gross revenue to be split evenly between the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.

These institutions safeguard the game’s story—all of it. Learn more about their work, and if you’re able, please consider supporting them.

Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues legend Buck O'Neil wearing a black hat, black suit, striped tie and glasses standing next to a bronze statue of himself as a Kansas City Monarchs ballplayer.
SUPPORT THE NLBM
Collection of vintage baseball and sports trading cards and photographs displayed on a wall and a shelf in a sports museum or collectible exhibit.
SUPPORT THE HALL