No El Paso Chihuahuas baseball as minor leagues cancel 2020 season
EL PASO, Texas – Baseball's minor leagues canceled their seasons on Tuesday after Major League Baseball decided not to provide any players to its affiliated teams amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The El Paso Chihuahuas home opener was originally slated for Tuesday, April 14 and had been delayed ever since.
"While the tradition of Chihuahuas baseball will take a hiatus this summer... we are preparing for the return of Triple-A baseball to Southwest University Park in 2021," the team said in a statement. "We look forward to the time when Southwest University Park will once again serve as a symbolic town square for El Paso."
The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the minor league governing body, made the long-expected announcement Tuesday of the season cancellation.
“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 played,” said National Association president Pat O’Conner.
The Professional Baseball Agreement between the majors and the minors expires after this season, and MLB has proposed reducing the minimum affiliates from 160 to 120.
MLB already had told clubs to retain expanded 60-player pools, of which 30 players can be active during the first two weeks of the season starting in late July.
Official Statement regarding the cancellation of the 2020 MiLB Season
— epchihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) June 30, 2020
For information regarding purchased 2020 Game Tickets please contact info@epchihuahuas.com or text (915) 533-BASE (2273) pic.twitter.com/lY5H6Wc7ag
