House committee approves study of Major League Baseball proposal

Washington — The House Oversight and Reform Committee approved legislation Wednesday to have the comptroller general of the U.S. study baseball’s minor leagues, which are trying to fend off a contraction proposal from major league clubs.

The committee by voice vote approved the bill, which calls on the comptroller general to “evaluate the social, economic, and historic contributions that minor league baseball has made to American life and culture.” Major League Baseball and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, which governs the minors, are negotiating a Professional Baseball Agreement to replace the deal that expires after the 2020 season.

MLB’s proposal would drop the big league affiliation of 42 minor league teams, including the Norwich Sea Unicorns, and eliminate short-season leagues not held at major league training complexes. The New YorkPenn League in which the Sea Unicorns play would be eliminated in the proposal. The current PBA guarantees a minimum 160 affiliations.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd

District, is a founding member of the congressional Save Minor League Baseball Task Force that has worked on proposed legislation to urge Major League Baseball to scrap the plan.

“I am grateful that the House Oversight and Reform Committee voted to approve our legislation supporting Minor League Baseball,” Courtney said in a statement Wednesday. “Congress has historically afforded support to Major League Baseball on a wide variety of issues, but the proposal to eliminate 42 Minor League teams, including our Norwich Sea Unicorns, would have a serious negative impact on small cities and towns across the country.”

“These teams are beloved by the cities they call ‘home’ — they’ve never stolen any signs, only the hearts of our communities,” Courtney said in the statement. “Eliminating them will cost us in terms of jobs, and more importantly in quality of life, and (Major League Baseball) Commissioner (Rob) Manfred and his team need to take a hard second look at their proposal.”

“We deserve to have our voices heard in any conversation regarding Minor League Baseball with such potentially devastating consequences for the communities we represent,” Lori Trahan, a Massachusetts Democrat and co-founder of the task force, said in a statement.

MLB and the minors last met Feb. 20, and talks are expected to continue into the summer. The majors already have unilaterally announced increases in the pay of players with minor league contracts starting in 2021.

Several mayors, including Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom, formed a task force in January aimed at protecting teams and affiliations.

“MLB is confident that we can simultaneously keep baseball in the communities in which it is currently being played and modernize our player development system so that it fits the 21st century, improves playing conditions and increases opportunities for players,” MLB said in a statement. “The most constructive role Congress can play in these negotiations is to encourage minor league baseball to continue working with MLB to address the real issues impacting minor league players and communities across the country.”