PAWTUCKET --- Minor League Baseball’s board of trustees announced the cancellation of its 2020 season Tuesday, casting serious doubt as to whether or not the Pawtucket Red Sox will ever take the field again.
No games will be played during what was supposed to be the 50th and final year for the club at McCoy Stadium. Worcester is preparing to welcome the franchise when it relocates for 2021, with the 10,000-seat Polar Park currently under construction.
Nearly three [...]
PAWTUCKET --- Minor League Baseball’s board of trustees announced the cancellation of its 2020 season Tuesday, casting serious doubt as to whether or not the Pawtucket Red Sox will ever take the field again.
No games will be played during what was supposed to be the 50th and final year for the club at McCoy Stadium. Worcester is preparing to welcome the franchise when it relocates for 2021, with the 10,000-seat Polar Park currently under construction.
Nearly three months have passed since what was supposed to be the PawSox home opener April 9. The coronavirus pandemic forced spring training sites in Florida and Arizona to close in March, a decision that left minor leaguers with uncertain immediate futures.
"This is the first time in our history that we’ve had a summer without Minor League Baseball played," said Pat O’Connor, president and CEO of MiLB, in a statement. "While this is a sad day for many, this announcement removes the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season and allows our teams to begin planning for an exciting 2021 season of affordable family entertainment."
Momentum has been building toward this outcome for several weeks. There was little to no mention of minor league affiliates during the acrimonious discussions between Major League Baseball owners and the MLB Players Association while attempting to salvage their 2020 campaign. The return of the big leagues in late July will ensure a portion of lucrative national and local television contracts remains available to teams.
There is no such outside revenue stream available in the minor leagues. Clubs rely on gate receipts and local sponsorships to balance their books, and Rhode Island is one of few states combating the pandemic effectively enough to even consider allowing a limited number of fans in the seats. The PawSox and other franchises were in danger of facing significant financial losses whether or not games were played.
The majority of those same MLB owners were initially reluctant to continue paying their minor league players throughout baseball’s industry-wide shutdown. Several eventually agreed to offer $400 per month, a number that falls well below the poverty line. Minor leaguers were released by the dozens as it became clear the pandemic would linger through the entirety of the 2020 season.
Player pools of up to 60 will gather this week as MLB teams begin their second version of spring training. Opening Day rosters will feature 30 players, and the rest of the pool will continue workouts at an alternate site. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and PawSox executive vice president Dan Rea confirmed last week Boston and Pawtucket have been in discussions about basing the organization’s minor leaguers at McCoy.
That decision could ultimately affect the PawSox pivot to a restaurant model, which launched in early June. Dining on the playing field and curbside pickup are on offer via reservation, and a club official told The Journal more than 2,500 families are currently on the waiting list. Several of the club’s full-time employees have been retained to aide in those operations, including radio play-by-play voice Josh Maurer.
Construction in Worcester was halted for seven weeks beginning April 1, as Massachusetts government officials instituted a statewide shutdown to slow the spread of the pandemic. Worcester city manager Edward Augustus Jr. said in April he was hopeful any delay of less than two months could eventually be overcome.
Polar Park is part of a $240-million downtown redevelopment project that includes Kelley Square and the Canal District. Two hotels, an office building, various retail locations and 250 apartments were all part of the initial plans. The PawSox announced their intention to move in August 2018, and Worcester broke ground on the new ballpark in July 2019.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
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On Twitter: @BillKoch25