This somber and dramatic cover of the April edition of Baseball America speaks volumes. Its simplicity strikes a perfect chord as the lone baseball appears lost and alone in the vastness of the Coronavirus aftermath.
It’s the first time BA has ever run a cover without any type. A beautiful cover with two of the Dodgers’ top prospects was originally planned but then scrapped when baseball was suspended because of the coronavirus.
”This was our publisher B.J. Schecter’s idea,” said Baseball America managing partner Gary Green, who also owns the minor league teams Omaha Storm Chasers, Montgomery Biscuits and the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
“We ripped up our original preview cover. Opening day for baseball is such a ceremonial day; there is no better opening day in sports in this country than baseball, and we wanted to match the feelings that the industry and our fans were feeling.”
In an interview with FOX 5’s Tina Cervasio on SportsXtra, Green also weighed in on the recent announcements by Major League Baseball on upcoming charges to the potentially shortened season.
”I was very happy to hear that [minor league players would be paid], but I was unhappy that MLB was cutting the draft from 20 rounds to 5 rounds; that crushes the dreams of 15 rounds of players.”
Responding to whether minor league baseball would be able to survive the current climate and work stoppage, Green emphasized that there is no danger of folding.
“Minor league baseball is strong, minor league baseball is not going anywhere. We will be fine as an industry.”
“It’s difficult, it couldn’t have come at a worse time, as we ramped up with staff and overhead; However the legislation that came last Friday, especially the payroll protection act will really help big time.”
Brilliant job, guys. We applaud you.
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B.J. Schecter is editor and publisher at Baseball America and a Sports Media professor at SSetonHall. He has extensive experience at the highest levels of media, having also spent 20 years as a reporter, writer and editor at Sports Illustrated.
Gary Green is the CEO of Alliance Building Services. In 2009 he channeled his passion for baseball into Alliance Baseball LLC and has become a prominent franchise owner in Minor League Baseball. A celebrated New York Mets historian, Gary was awarded the Humanitarian Award at the 39th Annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner in 2019 for his philanthropy.
