US Senator Mark Robert Warner provides financial aid to minor league baseball franchises

Yukta Samvedi — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 17:43:44 +0000

American businessman and politician Mark Robert Warner serving as the senior United States senator from Virginia is pushing a bipartisan plan to use $550 million in unspent federal emergency aid to help minor league teams in Virginia and other states due to the financial crisis after the pandemic, cancelled their 2020 seasons and shortened this year’s schedule of games.

“In many of these communities, if we don’t see this kind of relief, these teams might go out of existence,” Warner said during a media call on Tuesday.

Minor league franchises such as the Richmond Flying Squirrels had lost 90% of their revenue last year. They are among five Virginia teams in the Minor League Baseball system that lost their seasons last year COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily ended large public gatherings. Small and medium-sized Virginia communities with teams had also lost their affiliations with major league clubs as part of a painful contraction of baseball’s professional farm system last year. Warner wants to help minor league teams and the communities they serve. The proposed bill also which would include four Virginia teams in the Appalachian League — the Danville Otterbots, the Pulaski River Turtles, the Bristol State Liners and the Bluefield Ridge Runners would give them an opportunity to apply for federal grants of up to $10 million each to replace as much as 45% of the revenues they made in 2019, the year before the pandemic.

“The Richmond Flying Squirrels are extremely grateful to Senator Warner for his leadership role in supporting our ball club and franchises across the commonwealth and country. The help provided by the bill Senator Warner is co-sponsoring will be critical for us in many ways as we hire back employees, continue to ramp up operations and provide family-friendly entertainment, and year-round community impact, our fans and partners are used to seeing”, Flying Squirrels CEO Todd “Parney” Parnell said in a statement on Tuesday.

Obama wishes former MBL player Willie Mays happy birthday

Yukta Samvedi — Thu, 06 May 2021 19:07:42 +0000

Former President Barack Obama tweeted praising American former professional baseball player Willie Mays on his 90th birthday, so much as giving him credit for him and Jackie Robinson also a former major baseball league player paving the way for his presidency.

Happy 90th birthday to Willie Mays! If it wasn't for folks like Willie and Jackie Robinson, I might never have made it to the White House. The spirit he played with and the way he carried himself changed the game and people’s attitudes. I’m glad he’s still going strong. pic.twitter.com/DTlRlart5U

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 6, 2021

A two-time MVP Mays is one of the greatest athletes of all time with a career spanning over 25 years marked with him becoming a seminal figure in the sport’s history by making 24 All-Star teams.

It is difficult to not be swayed by his gifts and charismatic persona as described by the former President himself describing the time the two met first time on Air Force 1 in 2009 saying jokingly, “Very rarely when I’m on Air Force 1 am the second-most important guy on there. Everybody was just passing me by, ‘Can I get you something, Mr. Mays?”

The two famously rode together to visit the MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis.

In 2015, Barack himself awarded the 12-time Gold Glove winner with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

baseball | USA Newshour

US Senator Mark Robert Warner provides financial aid to minor league baseball franchises

Obama wishes former MBL player Willie Mays happy birthday