NEWS

The Vermont Mountaineers announced today that they have cancelled their 2020 season out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of their fans, their host families, their volunteers, vendors and their players and coaches.

Brian Gallagher, Mountaineers General Manager and President of the Board, stated “To say this was a difficult decision is an understatement, but it was necessary and it was the right one.  The Board of Directors voted unanimously at our meeting on April 22nd that the Mountaineers will not participate in the New England Collegiate Baseball League this summer.” * 

Gallagher went on to say that as has been the case since the team’s inception in 2003, commitment to their Vermont community has been paramount in all their decisions and this is no different.  “The safety of every member of our community must come before the enjoyment of providing a first-rate summer baseball experience.  We cannot ask our host families to accept players into their homes at a time when we just don’t know what our lives will look like in one or two months time.  We cannot risk the safety of our thousands of fans and our dozens and dozens of volunteers.  We cannot promise the parents and college coaches of our players that we can keep them totally safe when playing baseball involves close interaction with their teammates and opponents on the field, on buses and in a community that is new to them.”  Gallagher noted that some have suggested the Mountaineers might be able to play games without fans in the stands.  “The Board felt that even if we took that extreme step, we would still be potentially compromising the safety of the players and the host families, at a minimum.”

The other major issue the Board confronted was asking local businesses, at a time when they are already hurting financially, to sponsor the team this summer.  “Many local businesses have supported us for years and we need to return that loyalty in these difficult times”, Gallagher said.  He also noted that the Mountaineers are a nonprofit and this decision by the Board will hurt the organization financially due to having fixed operating costs.  “But our local businesses are hurting too and we need to support them in any way we can.”

Gallagher stated that anyone who has purchased 2020 tickets will have them honored for the 2021 season.  “We will be back in 2021 as strong as ever.  We cannot wait to hear the roar of the fans and to bring first rate baseball back to the Central Vermont community.  There really is nothing that compares with the unrivaled beauty of night baseball in historic Montpelier Recreation Field.”

*A NECBL league meeting has been scheduled to decide the future of league-wide summer ball this year.

For further information, contact Brian Gallagher at 802-272-8728.