John Hughes, owner of the New York Mets’ Double-A affiliate Binghamton Rumble Ponies, was hoping for a statement year in 2020 — now, that's not happening.


What You Need To Know


  • The Minor League Baseball season was canceled Tuesday.
  • Binghamton and Auburn have been rumored to be eliminated from the minor league system.
  • Fans will either be refunded or have season tickets roll over to 2021.

"It's that much greater of a loss, knowing all the work we put into it and all the great things that we've done. It just makes it that much more significant," said Hughes.

Binghamton was slated to host the Eastern League All-Star game. The city, state, and team also put millions of dollars into rebuilding NYSEG Stadium. Now, millions and millions of dollars will be lost without a season.

"We're going to go essentially 18 months without any revenue and that's very difficult for any business to sustain. We've got a strong financial plan in place to go ahead and do just that, financially we're going to be OK," said Hughes.

Hughes says fans will get season tickets reimbursed or rolled over into next season — but the Ponies aren't the only organization with an uncertain future.

As part of a realignment plan, the Auburn Doubledays could be eliminated from the minor league system all together.

"Right now we're just taking it day by day and seeing where everything goes for that," said Doubledays general manager David Lindberg.

And the financial impact hurts just as much.

"Not just for ourselves here but also all the local businesses. Whether it's the Holiday Inn right down the street that hosts the visiting teams or various restaurants here in the community," said Lindberg.

Both organizations say they plan on having pro baseball in 2021.