Minor league baseball teams in Michigan could get some federal help to recover from the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic closed ballparks in 2020, and they only recently fully reopened to fans.
Even with fans back in the stands, many of those tickets were purchased as part of 2020 season ticket packages, money that clubs spent last year.
“Just because no games were happening doesn’t mean that there are no expenses,” says Tyler Kring, an Assistant General Manager for the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, “And so those dollars got spent over that period of time.”
The Minor League Baseball Relief Act would offer clubs relief in the form of Small Business Administration grants totaling 45% of their 2019 revenue, with a cap of $10 million.
The money would come from previously approved federal COVID relief funds that have not yet been committed.
