Bernie Sanders hits MLB plan to cut minor league teams - gives shout out to Iowa clubs

Maleeha Syed | Burlington Free Press

Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., just called out Major League Baseball for a proposal that would sever ties to 42 minor league affiliate teams.

Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Wednesday stood up for three Iowa-based teams, the Quad City River Bandits, Burlington Bees and Clinton LumberKings all belong to the midwestern Hawkeye State.

Not on the list was the senator's home state team, the Vermont Lake Monsters, which was also at risk of being cut.

Sanders did tweet about the Lake Monsters on Tuesday.

Sean is absolutely right. Closing down Minor League teams, like the Vermont Lake Monsters, would be a disaster for baseball fans, workers, and communities across the country. We must protect these teams from corporate greed. https://t.co/g8BZi6HGeH — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 19, 2019

The Free Press reached out to the senator's office for comment and received the following, attributed to a spokesperson for Sanders.

“Senator Sanders has a long history of fighting for Vermont to have its own professional baseball team. As mayor of Burlington, he created a task force to attract a double A team, and he worked to develop an agreement with the University of Vermont to use Centennial field for baseball games. Since 1983, minor league teams based in Burlington have contributed significantly to our economy. The senator is dismayed to hear the MLB is proposing to eliminate a quarter of its minor league teams, including the Vermont Lake Monsters—this will hurt the players, fans, workers and our wider community."

Iowa Caucuses

Iowa will hold the first-in-the nation contest in the presidential nomination process on Feb. 3, where Sanders is polling fourth.

Major League Baseball wants to cut minor league teams: What that means for the Vermont Lake Monsters

“Closing down Minor League teams like the River Bandits, the Bees and the LumberKings would be a disaster for baseball fans, workers, and communities across Iowa,” Sen. Sanders said in a news release issued by his presidential campaign. “We must protect these teams from corporate greed.”

Bill Neidhardt, the senator's 2020 deputy Iowa director, said the proposed changes are less about what's good for baseball and more about "greedy executives" not sharing their wealth to those who keep their business moving forward.

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Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter @MaleehaSyed89.