Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine posted Friday on Twitter that he sent a letter to Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred asking him to reconsider his plan to eliminate 42 minor-league teams, including Cleveland Indians-affiliate Mahoning Valley.
Today I sent a letter to the Commissioner of @MLB about the importance of minor league baseball and urging the reconsideration of eliminating teams. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/h6H7GbeWD5
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) January 17, 2020
In a series of three tweets, DeWine posted a copy of his letter, citing the various minor-league teams in Ohio, including the Toledo Mud Hens, and highlighted the fan attraction and charitable work contributed.
“In addition to the [Mahoning Valley] Scrappers, we have the Dayton Dragons, the Toledo Mud Hens, the Lake County Captains, the Columbus Clippers, and the Akron RubberDucks,” DeWine wrote on page two of three. “These teams give back to their communities through in-kind gifts and tax receipts and are great promoters of tourism to Ohio.”
He then wrote the teams combined to pull in 2.25 million fans and contribute more than $2.4 million locally through charitable work.
“Minor League Baseball has a clear and profound impact on our state,” he continued. “Which is why, as Governor, I also write out of concern for our five other Ohio Minor League teams, whose fans and communities must, by your comments last month, feel threatened that you will take them away in the future.”
DeWine wrote regarding the business side of baseball, and urged Manfred to “grow — not shrink” the minor leagues.
“Baseball runs in the bloodstream of the American people,” he wrote on page three. “It is a game built upon relationships with people — fans, families, communities. There exists, in a very real sense, an unwritten, unspoken social covenant among baseball and the people, uniting us and bringing us together.”
The Mud Hens were not mentioned in the initial plan of teams to be eliminated, although DeWine recalls comments made by Manfred in December implying that it is possible the minor leagues could be done away with in their entirety.
First Published January 17, 2020, 11:09 p.m.
