Fish frozen by pandemic rules
Goldeyes may be left out while American clubs play ball
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2020 (1394 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Sam Katz admits it’s painful to even think about — an American Association season without the Winnipeg Goldeyes. But that’s become a very real possibility as COVID-19 keeps throwing high, hard ones at plans for the Fish to somehow take the field this summer.
League commissioner Josh Schaub told the Free Press they are considering several return-to-play options, including ones that don’t include the Goldeyes.
“To be very blunt, it would be a tough pill to swallow,” Katz, the Goldeyes owner, said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “Obviously being in Canada at this stage of the game is not an asset to being a member of the American Association. It’s becoming a major liability.”
The main hurdle is there doesn’t appear to be any chance of fans being allowed to watch games at Shaw Park prior to September, according to a recent declaration from the provincial government. Unless that somehow changes, turn off the lights.
“No fans, no baseball. End of story,” said Katz.
The other major obstacle is the Canada-U.S. border, which is currently closed, along with the mandatory 14-day quarantine required for any returning travellers to Manitoba. That would be a nightmare for Goldeyes players and staff, not only to get here to start the season, but then to constantly go back and forth to the United States to face the other 11 teams in the league.
“Obviously those are issues that exist on June 3. We’re keeping an eye on any changes that may occur. I have been in touch with your federal government, but these are significant challenges for us to have Winnipeg hosting games at this point. Hopefully that would change in the near future,” Schaub said in a telephone interview from Wisconsin.
The rules are much different south of the border. Schaub believes some, if not all, of the markets may start allowing fans into the parks by mid-July, when an abbreviated schedule of between 60 to 80 games could begin.
“We’re a gate-driven league. I have no ESPN contracts in my back pocket to lean on for revenue. We need fans in some capacity in our ballparks,” said Schaub, who has been speaking regularly with government and health officials on the subject and is keeping all teams informed during weekly conference calls.
“Things are trending in the right direction but it doesn’t mean it’s not going to go back the other way,” he said.
“Obviously being in Canada at this stage of the game is not an asset to being a member of the American Association. It’s becoming a major liability.”
– Winnipeg Goldeyes owner Sam Katz
If so, that could leave Winnipeg on the outside looking in, unless the Goldeyes were willing to play all their games on the road. That would likely involve an enormous cost.
“The U.S. exchange is crazy as well. There are more challenges now than ever before,” said Katz.
“Put it this way, we haven’t done the economics of it. We’re not playing right now, we might not have any revenue for 20 months (the time between last season and next season). In the meantime, we have significant costs every month. So if you want to add on the expense of a travelling team, economically it’s tough enough just to get everything done that has to be done right now. That, in itself, is an immense challenge. You can only handle so much, and we’re pretty much there.”
The Goldeyes are one of the cornerstone franchises of the American Association, routinely sitting second only to the St. Paul Saints in terms of attendance. They are also the most decorated team, with a league-leading three championships (2012, 2016, 2017) since play began in 2006. A lost season in Winnipeg would mean approximately 300 part-time workers would have to look elsewhere for summer income.
“Things are opening up in the city, which is a positive sign, but not impacting us right now. We’re still in the same situation. Might it change in the near future, a month or two months, maybe? Nobody knows right now,” said Katz.
“I think everybody knows that the clock is ticking.”
“We’re a gate-driven league. I have no ESPN contracts in my back pocket to lean on for revenue. We need fans in some capacity in our ballparks.”
– American Association commissioner Josh Schaub
Schaub said a final decision on the 2020 season will likely come in the next 20 days, which would allow teams to begin getting players into camp and ramping up for an abbreviated season. But nothing is set in stone at this point.
“This is like trying to solve a math equation with only variables, no constants. I literally have about six different plans that could play out depending on what happens,” he said.
If the Goldeyes weren’t involved, that would create a massive scheduling headache with the other 11 teams. Essentially, one would always be waiting for an opponent as the other 10 played their traditional three or four-game series. That’s where another unique solution might have to occur, where a team would actually host two opponents at a time and basically play a round-robin type of series.
Of course, fans in those markets might not be willing to shell out their hard-earned money to watch games involving the two visiting clubs.
All of this comes at a time when MLB is still trying to figure out a way to begin its season, and hundreds of previously affiliated players are now looking for new baseball homes after recently being released from minor-league clubs. In that sense, the American Association could get an influx of talent.
“What we do know is the player pool is getting better. The available labour is more plentiful then it’s ever been. Out of the those players being released, it seems like we could find a number of those players who could increase the talent level in our league,” said Schaub.
“I think everybody knows that the clock is ticking.”
– Sam Katz
All of which will be cold comfort to local baseball fans if the season takes off and the Goldeyes remain grounded.
mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg
Mike McIntyre
Sports reporter
Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer.
History
Updated on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 8:21 PM CDT: Adds quotes.