How SC’s minor league baseball teams are preparing for a season that might not happen
Ryan Moore couldn’t have asked for a better Opening Day forecast.
It was a sunny 88 degrees back on April 9, the day the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, were supposed to open up the 2020 season. The Pelicans general manager said that kind of weather combined with spring break and tourists descending on Myrtle Beach usually means a good chance at a sellout at TicketReturn.com Park.
Instead of a jam-packed stadium that night, Moore sat in an empty stadium by himself thinking of what might have been.
“It was cruel irony,” Moore said this week. “It would have been 88 degrees and sunny. To not have fans is a downer. Our staff that works from September to April and didn’t get to see the fruits of our labor.”
The coronavirus pandemic has halted sports in the United States since March 12, a shutdown that continues as April turns to May. It’s unclear when teams like the Pelicans, Columbia Fireflies and South Carolina’s other minor league teams — the Greenville Drive and Charleston RiverDogs — will return to the field in front of fans.
Major League Baseball is plotting the start of its season in late June or early July, according to reports. The reported plan calls a shorter season (100 games), three temporary 10-team divisions (based on geography) and games likely played with no fans in attendance.
But there’s been no similar reports about a plan for minor league baseball. In fact, a report surfaced Wednesday that the minor league season would be canceled. MiLB refuted that, saying: “Minor League Baseball has confirmed with Major League Baseball that no such statement was made. No decision has been made as to when it will be safe to begin the 2020 season.”
For minor league teams in South Carolina and across the country, there’s nothing to do except wait and hope.
Columbia Fireflies general manager John Katz is staying positive that some minor league season can be salvaged. Katz has been going to work at his office at Segra Park each day and said the team’s playing surface has never looked better.
Segra Park hosted a Clemson-South Carolina baseball game, which drew a record 8,986 fans on March 6. But the park has been closed except for employees since March 19.
And unlike the major leagues, both Katz and Moore say playing without fans isn’t a viable option for minor league teams.
According to statitsa.com, only 30% of MLB teams’ revenue come from ticket sales with a large portion coming from the league’s TV revenue. Minor League Baseball is the opposite — there’s no league TV deal and a club’s revenue is determined by ticket sales, concessions and souvenir sales.
Last year, the Fireflies drew 245,522 fans and the Pelicans had 226,247. The Fireflies have ranked in the Top 25 in minor league merchandise sale every year since the team moved to Columbia from Savannah, Georgia in 2016.
“Without fans, minor league baseball doesn’t work,” Katz said. “It is all about the experience. Trying to be glass half-full guy and remain cautiously optimistic about the season. There has to be some good on the other side of this.
“Biggest thing is managing the health and safety of the fans, staff, players. We want to see minor league baseball come back as soon as possible, but only if it is safe and prudent to do so.”
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster is lifting a mandatory “home or work” order Monday, but restrictions remain on large crowd gatherings and sporting events.
The Coastal Plain League, a summer wooden bat league with teams in the Carolinas and Georgia, announced plans this past week for a season that starts July 1. At least two Coastal Plain teams said they’ll have reduced stadium capacity that meets social distancing rules. That league features college players.
Even before the minor league season was put on hold, Katz said the Columbia Fireflies were taking on more safety measures, including ordering 40 sanitizing stations to be placed around the stadium to make the environment safer. Other measures like that will continue, even if baseball doesn’t come back until next season.
The Pelicans’ Moore said no baseball this year would be a “devastating” blow to minor league teams, especially with the possibility of some clubs being eliminated under a proposal that was sent out in October. Under that plan, 42 minor league teams would be eliminated but no team from South Carolina was on that list.
Still, no baseball would mean refunding fans for tickets and lost sponsorship revenue, although clubs would work sponsorships to roll over for next year.
With no baseball for the moment, the Pelicans and Fireflies are doing their best to try and engage with fans. Both have hosted trivia or movie nights on social media. The Fireflies are selling “Wash Your Wings” shirts and Pelicans offering “Wash Your Palms” shirts with proceeds going toward first responders and COVID-19 relief efforts.
The Fireflies also are partnering with Minor League Baseball and Feeding America to raise funds for local food banks. For every $10 donated, the Fireflies will donate one ticket to a future home game — either this season or for 2021 — to a local hero of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Baseball has played a big role through the years coming out of tragedies,” Katz said. “You look at the impact of baseball after 9/11. We will be ready when it comes back and do everything recommended to ensure everything will be as safe as possible.”
