Minor League Baseball officially announced at 5 p.m. Eastern on June 30 that the season had been canceled because Major League Baseball would not be providing players.
The focus shifted quickly to what comes next. First, teams had to unravel as much as they could from the 2020 season. Fans and advertisers asked for refunds for tickets or deals they had purchased for games that had merely been suspended and not officially canceled.
Some of those fans and advertisers will choose to roll their dollars toward 2021, but others will want to replenish their own cash flow as best as possible. The stagnation of the economy has negatively affected nearly every industry, and some people and businesses will want to reclaim as much as they can to stay afloat.
For the rest of what would have been the minor league season, teams will likely keep doing what they’ve been doing. They will continue making the most of what they have. For weeks and months, teams have been using their ballparks to bring in as many people as possible while staying within their municipality’s social-distancing guidelines.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Salem-Keizer Volcanoes had turned their ballparks into Airbnb properties for fans to rent overnight. Others had begun hosting in-park restaurants, farmers’ markets, drive-in movies and anything else they could dream up to get a few drops of revenue in an otherwise arid season.
Teams across the Texas and Pacific Coast leagues were hosting the Texas Collegiate League, one of a smattering of summer college leagues across the country that played games despite the coronavirus pandemic. Other stadiums were hosting high school tournaments and showcases, while one had planned on hosting an adult softball league.
Denne historien er fra August 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra August 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
