LINCOLN, Nebraska – The Lincoln Saltdogs are cancelling the 2020 baseball season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the club has announced.
After consultation with healthcare experts, and with other large local events being cancelled, the organization believes it is in the best interest of the fans, players and community to make this decision and focus on 2021.
“We’re very disappointed we can’t play,” President/GM Charlie Meyer said. “We’ve been monitoring this pandemic from the beginning, and after discussing various contingency plans with our league partners, we arrived at the conclusion that we would not be able to provide professional baseball for our fans in Lincoln this year. Now, more than ever, we can’t wait to see fans back in the ballpark for a celebration of our 20th season in 2021.”
The American Association has announced a six-team plan to play a 60-game season operating out of three hubs — Fargo, Milwaukee and Sioux Falls — locations chosen on geography and the local COVID-19 mandates that allow for fans to attend the games. St. Paul, Chicago and Winnipeg will also participate in the six-team plan.
Joining with the Lincoln Saltdogs in making the difficult decision to suspend operations for the 2020 season are the Cleburne Railroaders, Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kansas City T-Bones, Sioux City Explorers and Texas AirHogs. Each team will return to full operations for the 2021 season.
The Saltdogs will host a Q&A session via Facebook Live with President/GM Charlie Meyer joining radio broadcaster Michael Dixon on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. Fans are encouraged to watch for more information regarding the cancellation of the 2020 season.
The 2020 season has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned to the Saltdogs website and social media platforms for the most up-to-date information regarding the 2021 season.