AUBURN, N.Y. — The Auburn Doubledays “stress” that their operations “will be business as usual” during the 2020 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) season.
The Doubledays also have a “strong hope” that they’ll be part of the Auburn community for “many more years to come.”
The team is reacting to a proposal from Major League Baseball (MLB) to eliminate 42 MiLB clubs, including Auburn, for the 2021 season.
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“MLB and MiLB are still early in the negotiations, and thus, nothing has been finalized and may not be for quite some time,” the team said in its Thursday statement.
The Doubledays are the Class A, short-season affiliate of MLB’s Washington Nationals.
The team notes that MLB has said that its main concerns are facility standards, club travel, and proximity to an MLB affiliate. But the Doubledays point out that they currently meet MLB’s facility standards and have “good travel” within the New York Penn League.
Lawmaker support
The MLB proposal would eliminate the major-league affiliations of four teams across New York state, the office of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) said in a news release.
Besides the Doubledays, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Batavia Muckdogs, and Staten Island Yankees would also be eliminated, Schumer’s office said. The plan would also “drastically alter” the business plans of the Tri-City ValleyCats in Troy, Hudson Valley Renegades, and Brooklyn Cyclones.
The Doubledays are also getting support from U.S. Representative John Katko (R–Camillus), who has urged MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred to keep the Doubledays in Auburn. Katko noted that the loss of the team would be a “devastating blow” to the local community and economy.
“Auburn has long been home to the Doubledays, and year after year, families across Central New York are proud to support this hometown team,” Katko said in a separate news release from his office. “From Dollar Nights to family-friendly promotions, this team has always provided affordable entertainment to our community at Falcon Park. The Doubledays help support our local economy in Auburn … and its departure would mean an end for not only fans and players, but for local vendors, businesses and employees who have supported the club for decades.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
