WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the Minor League Baseball Relief Act to help the nine minor league baseball teams in Virginia who are hurting economically after the COVID-19 crisis.
The nine teams receiving financial help include the Salem Red Sox and the Pulaski River Turtles (formerly the Yankees).
The Minor League Baseball Relief Act would provide up to $550 million in federal relief funding for minor league teams, which serve as important economic engines in communities across the commonwealth as baseball fans come to attend games and end up patronizing local businesses like restaurants, hotels, and other attractions. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and David McKinley (R-WV).
“For many working families, catching a weekend minor league baseball game at stadiums across the commonwealth is an affordable and fun family outing,” said Sen. Warner. “Baseball isn’t just America’s pastime; it also represents an economic lifeline for many communities. However, like many small businesses throughout the COVID-19 crisis, our minor league baseball teams in Virginia have struggled mightily to keep the lights on. Since there was no minor league baseball season in 2020 due to the pandemic, many of these teams have sustained heavy financial losses that have not been substantially mitigated by existing small business economic relief programs. I’m pleased to work with my colleagues on this bill that would allow these local treasures access to economic relief.”
“Baseball is not only America’s favorite pastime, bringing friends and families together, it’s also a critical economic engine for the commonwealth,” said Sen. Kaine. “Teams in communities across Virginia support our local economy and create jobs. The pandemic has taken a toll on this beloved sport, and I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help minor league baseball teams through this economic crisis.”
Nine Virginia minor league baseball teams are eligible for financial relief under the Minor League Baseball Relief Act: the Fredericksburg Nationals (formerly Potomac), the Norfolk Tides, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Lynchburg Hillcats, the Danville Otterbots (formerly Braves), the Pulaski River Turtles (formerly Yankees), the Salem Red Sox, the Bluefield Ridge Runners (formerly Blue Jays), and the Bristol State Liners (formerly Pirates).
The Minor League Baseball Relief Act is modeled after the successful Shuttered Venue Operator Grants (SVOG) program, which provided needed assistance to venues like theatres, museums, or concert halls that were forced to shut due to necessary COVID-19 safety measures.
Specifically, the act would repurpose up to $550 million in COVID-19 relief funding for an emergency grant program to be administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that would otherwise be returned to the U.S. Treasury; provide eligible clubs grants up to a maximum of $10 million with allowable expenses including payroll costs, regular business expenses (e.g., rent, utilities), worker protection expenditures, and payments made to independent contractors; provide an opportunity for a second grant at 50 percent of the first if a club’s revenue does not recover and does not significantly exceed its 2019 total; and require strict oversight from SBA through documentation, review of use, and an audit on grant funding. This provision applies to any minor league baseball team previously part of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues but not to any club that is majority-owned by Major League Baseball.
