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Minor League Seasons Over
By Will Kimmey
The Texas League this morning announced the cancelation of its championship series between Round Rock and Arkansas, according to a news release. It was the last of 10 minor leagues to have ended its postseason early in response to terrorist attacks in the United States on Tuesday. The Texas League board of directors will meet this weekend to determine if the championship is shared. Thursday afternoon the Double-A Eastern and Southern leagues, plus Class A Florida State and Miwdwest leagues canceled their games. The decisions came after Minor League Baseball president Mike Moore gave each league the option to continue with its playoffs on Friday, to alter the lengths of the series or to cancel them altogether. "While our hearts and minds are still on the victims and their families, we believe it is important for our country to return to normal activity as soon as reasonably prudent," Moore said. "Based on local scrutiny and transportation issues, each league will make its own judgment regarding resumption of play." The sweep of canceled games in the minors is perhaps unprecedented, said Minor League Baseball director of media relations Jim Ferguson. "We've had weather affect playoffs and they've been shortened, and we've had co-champs declared," Ferguson said. "But as far as I know that's the only time something like this has happened. I don't know if in history we've followed the major leagues and canceled an entire day's worth of games on the times they did, because that was a long time ago and I haven't checked that." In 1998 the the Pacific Coast League championship was shortened from a best-in-five series to a best-in-three. The fixed dates of the Triple-A World Series in Las Vegas was the reason the PCL champion–which ended up being New Orleans–had to rush to Nevada. Ferguson said Minor League Baseball's director of marketing, Rod Meadows, was the only person associated with the minor league offices who was in Manhattan during the destruction Tuesday. Meadows was uninjured. "The cancellation of Major League games until Monday leaves us no alternative but to cancel the championship series," Eastern League President Bill Troubh said. "Due to the national tragedy, there are far to many variables to realistically hold the games. Players and staff need to get home to both mourn and heal from the recent events. In addition, we can't expect our Major League affiliates to grant extensions for play beyond what they have already provided. Our hats go off to both teams for successful seasons, while our thoughts remain with the victims and rescuers of the horrific tragedy striking this country." The New York-Penn League announced its intentions first among all leagues on Wednesday, as the final two games of its championship series between Brooklyn and Williamsport were scheduled for KeySpan Park in Brooklyn, less than 15 miles from the World Trade Center. "Due to the emergency situations in the New York metropolitan area, and out of respect to the friends and families of those who lost their lives or were injured in yesterday's tragic events, we are canceling the remainder of the championship series," league president Ben Hayes said. The California League, the only league that had not reached its championship round, also decided to cancel the rest of its playoffs. "I feel with all the delays and this situation it serves no particular purpose to go any further," president Joe Gagliardi said. "We are done." "Our hearts and minds are with the victims and their families as we continue to mourn and grieve the tragic events of Tuesday," South Atlantic League president John Moss said. "South Atlantic League officials urge our three million fans to pray for the victims, their families, and our nation as we recover from this despicable act that effects us all." Neither Triple-A championship series will be completed because of the gravity of the national tragedies, and to a lesser extent, because the distances between the competitors would require air travel. The International League canceled the rest of the Governors' Cup series and awarded the title to Louisville, which won the first game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The finals had not begun in the Pacific Coast League, and never will. New Orleans and Tacoma, which were to start their series on Tuesday, will share the championship. It's just the second time in 99 years that the league title has been shared. The other was in 1978, when Albuquerque and Tacoma had their series canceled because of weather. "We were looking seriously at travel issues," president Branch Rickey said, acknowledging the 2,700 miles between Tacoma, Wash., and New Orleans. "There seem to be such uncertainties with air travel in the near future." Two of the Double-A playoff participants could be back on the diamond Friday. "One of the reasons we are going on is we can't let people break the spirit of the country, and we're giving people a chance to mourn publicly if they want to," Eastern League president Bill Troubh said. The FSL changed it's mind Thursday about resuming Friday, but a tropical depression off Florida's Gulf Coast helped in the decision. Brevard County and Tampa were declared co-champions. Round Rock media-relations director J.J. Gottsch put the situation in perspective. "I think it's kind of a two-way deal," he said. "You've got to have some time for people to recover from this, but you've got to have something for the players and fans to keep their minds off it." Results International League: Lousiville, which won Game One of the finals, was awarded the Governors' Cup. The last time series was shortened came in 1981, when Columbus defeated Richmond in a three-game set that was shortened by weather. Pacific Coast League: New Orleans and Tacoma will share the crown. Eastern League: New Britain will host Reading on Friday and Saturday. The best-of-five series shifts to Reading on Sunday. Southern League: Huntsville will host Jacksonville on Friday and Saturday. The best-of-five series shifts to Jacksonville on Sunday. Texas League: The series resumes with Game Three in Round Rock on Friday. Arkansas leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 and will host the remaining games. California League: Lake Elsinore and San Jose will share the championship. Lake Elsinore swept its semifinal series against High Desert, and San Jose led Bakersfield 2-1 in a best-of-three series. Florida State League: Brevard County and Tampa are tied at one game each. The series will be decided Friday, with Saturday set as a rain date. If the game has not been played by Saturday, the series will be cancelled and co-champs will be named. Midwest League: Kane County, which defeated South Bend in the series opener, was named the league champion. South Atlantic League: Lexington, which led Asheville 2-0 in a best-of-five series, has been awarded the title. New York-Penn League: Williamsport and Brooklyn, which won the opener of the three-game series, were named co-champions.
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