FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The Fort Wayne TinCaps have come out in support of the Minor League Baseball Relief Act to generate revenue for struggling minor league baseball teams.
Minor league teams suffered a tremendous financial blow when the pandemic hit causing the 2020 baseball season to be called off. According to our partners in news at ABC 21, revenues for minor league teams were cut close to 90 percent.
Though the 2021 minor league season is underway, revenue is still down due to attendance restrictions which means fewer tickets and concessions are being sold.
The Minor League Baseball Act calls for leftover funds from the CARES Act, or American Rescue Plan be given to minor league teams to help with lost revenue.
So far, federal aid has been given to theatres, museums, comedy clubs, and concert venues.
The TinCaps Vice-President of Marketing, Michael Limmer said “There are well over 60 or 70 percent of minor league teams that had to take a tremendous amount of debt on over the last 15 months to be able to continue on. And we’re just hopeful that this funding source can stabilize that.”
The TinCaps are asking their fans for support by going to minorleaguebaseballrelief.com and fill out a form. Once the form is completed, a letter will generate and be sent to U.S. Senators Mike Braun and Todd Young, and Congressman Jim Banks asking them to vote for the bill.
Congressman Banks has come out in support of the bill. Banks had his office release this statement, “Similarly situated entertainment venues across the country received funds from Congress. I am cosponsoring this bill to give unspent COVID relief funds to the TinCaps and other minor league organizations at no extra cost to taxpayers so that Hoosiers can continue to enjoy our national pastime for years to come.”
