Minor League Baseball 2020 Season Cancelled Due to Pandemic

On Tuesday, Minor League Baseball announced that they would be canceling the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. In their statement, Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner stated, “These are unprecedented times for our country and our organization as this is the first time in our history that we’ve had a summer without Minor League Baseball being played.” O’Conner finished the release by stating that the teams are excited for a 2021 season of “affordable family entertainment.”

This comes several weeks after MiLB revealed that 42 teams would be folding. While it was first reported near the end of April, this is a cut that many have been expecting for some time now.

The good news; however, is that no Alabama-based teams are in trouble. That being said, both the Chattanooga Lookouts and the Jackson Generals of the Southern League are among the list of teams that could potentially be cut.

This is tragic.

Regardless, all three Alabama clubs are trying to stay positive and remained motivated for next season.

As previously stated by O’Conner, this is the first time since 1901 that the MiLB has not had a season. Since I was very young, going to Minor League Baseball games has been a summer tradition for my father and me. While the hometown Birmingham Barons have not had an above-.500 season since 2013, I have fond memories of going to both the Hoover Met in Hoover and Regions Field in Birmingham to see the Barons play. I even got to attend the Rickwood Classic at historic Rickwood Field several times. In Madison County, I was looking forward to the debut season of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, but their christening into the Southern League will have to be postponed until next year.

While many around the country are saddened by this news, this will make the first season of next year very special for all teams.