Minor league baseball, hockey teams seeking COVID-19 relief

WASHINGTON — Laying off 17 people in the Charlotte Checkers front office of 25 felt like gutting a team for chief operating officer Tera Black. Two years in and countless jobs and millions of dollars lost, over a hundred minor league baseball and more than a dozen minor league hockey teams are hoping to finally receive some COVID-19 relief from the U.S. government along with restaurant, gyms and other industries hard hit by the pandemic after being left out of the first round of small business subsidies. “Everybody who’s in our situation really is deserving of and needs some of this relief,” said Jason Frier, chairman and CEO of Hardball Capital, which owns and operates minor league baseball teams in Columbia, South Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee and Fort Wayne, Indiana. After cautious optimism earlier in the year, AHL president and CEO Scott Howson now said, “We’re trying to get it to the finish line.” The relief could mean about $500 million spread across the minor league teams involved. “In a situation like we are in with high inflation and people might not have money to be able to do lots of things, minor league sports could offer a very nice way for an enjoyable evening, an enjoyable afternoon for people, for families, friends at a pretty low cost,” Paul said.