Notebook: Cal League could drop to Low-A; CCAA cancels sports season
The Modesto Nuts are expected to remain in the California League for the 2021 Minor League Baseball season but who will be in their league and what level they will compete in is not known.
According to multiple reports. including Ballpark Digest, the California League is expected to move from High-A to Low-A and the Athletic’s Keith Law wrote one of the reasons is that all MLB West Coast teams had no Low-A affiliation clubs “west of the Central time zone.”
The Nuts didn’t respond for comment.
“Amicable negotiations between Major and Minor League negotiating committees are continuing, and nothing definitive has been agreed upon or decided in these areas,” Cal League president Charlie Blaney said in an email to GV Wire.
The Lancaster JetHawks, a Cal League member, are one of 40 minor league teams the MLB is rumored to be eliminating.
If the JetHawks leave, the Nuts could have a new league opponent an hour to the south: The Fresno Grizzlies.
After the Washington Nationals announced in late November they would be ending their alliance with the Grizzlies, the MLB said last week the organization will be demoted from High-A to Low-A.
The city of Fresno hasn’t agreed to that, according to the Fresno Bee. If they don’t, there is a chance Fresno won’t have affiliation with an MLB club next year.
“The city of Fresno is in communications with Major League Baseball and the owners of the Fresno Grizzlies, and we now have additional time to explore keeping professional baseball in Fresno,” Fresno City Attorney Doug Sloan said. “We are optimistic we will reach an agreement that keeps baseball in Fresno for our residents to enjoy.”
The Grizzlies have played in Triple-A since 1998, its first season.
CCAA cancels winter and spring sports seasons: There won’t be any athletic competition on the Stanislaus State campus after the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) announced Thursday it was canceling conference play and championships for all sports.
“Speaking for our student-athletes, staff, and coaches, the news is heartbreaking but understandable,” Stanislaus State Athletic Director Terry Donovan said in a statement. “By most health experts’ accounts, we are entering an 8 week phase of what is expected to be the toughest test yet from COVID-19. While we are all disappointed and want to compete, we understand the very difficult decision the 12 CCAA Presidents made in canceling competition.”
Teams are still allowed to practice per school and county health policies and compete in nonconference events but Donovan said Stanislaus State is not “planning” to.
Donovan also said the Warriors are one of the leaders in the conference in attendance and the cancellation won’t help the athletic department that has already experienced a “double-digit” budget cut.
Merced College cancels football, other sports seasons: In large part due to the high cost of COVID-19 testing of athletes, coaching, and staff, Merced College canceled five sports seasons on Friday, including football.
According to the Merced Sun Star, the college won’t have football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s water polo this year.
The cost of COVID-19 testing could cost anywhere from $300,000 to $900,000 according to the school.
“I wasn’t surprised, but you always have that glimmer of hope,” said Merced College football coach Bob Casey. “I was hoping we could find a better, cheaper option for testing. I knew the numbers that had been thrown around the past two weeks so I knew it was a long shot.”
All five sports are high risk COVID-19 transmission but the school voted Tuesday to authorize the use of block grant money to support low and immediate risk sports.
That will include women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track.
Modesto Junior College football coach Rusty Stivers said there has been no decision with regard to the Pirates’ season.
As for the rest of the sports, MJC Athletic Director Nick Stavrianoudakis said the same.
“(There are) still lots of unknowns, including the cost of testing, frequency of testing and potential travel restrictions with regard to who you can play,” he said.
