Doris Matsui touts support for $550 million in federal relief for Minor League Baseball

Sacramento congresswoman Doris Matsui held a news conference Friday morning to tout a bill she introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would provide federal emergency relief to minor league baseball teams.

Matsui touted the importance of her bill, the Minor League Baseball Relief Act, at Sutter Health Park, the home of the Sacramento River Cats.

The bill would allow minor league teams that aren’t owned by an MLB team, like the River Cats, to access $550 million in emergency grants that would be administered by the Small Business Administration. The move would reallocate money from previous COVID-19 relief legislation that would otherwise be returned to the Treasury Department.

The legislation is sorely needed for a league that lost 92% of its revenue in 2020 after canceling the entire season because of COVID-19, according to the Minor League Baseball corporate office.

“It is iconic in this region,” said Matsui, referring to the River Cats. “It is a place that we all come together here. It is really part of our region’s identity, and I think everybody understands it.”

A bipartisan group of congressional officials back the bill, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mark Warner (D-VA); and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV).

The bill, if it passes, would distribute grants up to $10 million for eligible clubs and provide an opportunity for a second grant at 50% of the first if a club’s revenue does not recover in 2021.

Matsui said minor league teams across the country in the 2020 season made commitments planning the season and hiring staff but they had drastically reduced income. She said the past year left many minor league teams with an immense amount of uncertainty.

River Cats President Jeff Savage said it was the first time in 120 years that Minor League Baseball did not have a season. The River Cats were forced to lay off or furlough all of their employees, which was approximately 600 people, Savage said.

Susan Savage, the River Cats owner, has donated at least $1,000 to Matsui’s campaigns nine times in the last 10 years according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks private donations. Savage also twice donated $5,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The River Cats went 20 months without hosting a game before starting the home season May 20 against the Reno Aces. Still, the team faces uncertainty because 20 games were cut from the schedule and played early games with a limit on the number of fans allowed in the stadium.

“And it’s no exaggeration to say that minor league baseball is threatened,” Matsui said. “Now, unfortunately, some teams have gone out of business, and there are others still in jeopardy. So for the communities that depend on teams like the River Cats, we have to step forward. Inaction is not something that we can have.”

Matsui said her bill will provide emergency money with grants that can help support with payroll, worker protection and day-to-day business expenses.

Jeff Savage said the legislation will allow his team to hire more employees, buy more goods and invest more in their stadium and facilities.

Officials like Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero voiced their support for the legislation at the news conference. Testa called the River Cats an important cog in the wheel of Sacramento’s hospitality industry, and Guerrero said the River Cats are a gift to the region that not only injects life into the economy but also into people’s lives and their memories with their families.

“This is very important not only for Sacramento but for the region and the entire country,” Matsui said.

This story was originally published July 9, 2021 at 1:15 PM.