May 15, 20205 yr On 9/18/2019 at 7:10 PM, Columbo said: My last post about the Clippers contained this tweet from the team recapping the Triple-A National Championship game and saying they will see fans in April 2020. Well, because of COVID-19, that didn't happen. And to hear from the Clippers longtime President and GM Ken Schnacke, he is pessimistic that we'll see any minor league games in 2020: https://www.thisweeknews.com/sports/20200513/columbus-clippers-other-minor-league-baseball-teams-face-long-odds-to-hold-season
July 1, 20204 yr Clippers' 2020 season canceled as Minor League Baseball shelves season The Columbus Clippers will not play in 2020 after Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday it has canceled its entire 2020 season. The Clippers were supposed to start their season April 9, but the season was pushed back in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, Clippers General Manager Ken Schnacke said he was "very doubtful" about the status of the season. Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that Major League Baseball has informed the minor league that it will not be providing its affiliated teams their players for the 2020 season. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/06/30/clippers-story.html
February 13, 20214 yr There wasn't any 2020 season for the Columbus Clippers due to the cancellation of the minor league baseball season. MLB just announced there will be a 2021 season - although it will look different, and not just because of the pandemic: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30887636/mlb-announces-changes-minor-league-structure-featuring-120-team-regional-alignment https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/2021/02/12/clippers-see-new-opponents-after-realignment-minor-league-baseball/6738795002/ I posted more about this in the MLB thread, but here's how the changes would effect the Columbus Clippers: Two new Triple-A leagues would have a 20-team Triple-A East league and a 10-team Triple-A West league. The Clippers, Triple-A affiliate of Cleveland, would play in the Midwest division of the East league with three previous opponents from the International League North Division — Louisville Bats (the Cincinnati affiliate), Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh) and Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit) — and would be joined by three new former Pacific Coast League teams — the St. Paul Saints (Minnesota), Iowa Cubs (Chicago) and Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City). Clippers president Ken Schnacke said he expects the 2021 season’s 142-game schedule to be released next week and for it to have very limited travel due to COVID-19 protocols — potentially meaning no games against teams outside the Midwest division and perhaps even restricted travel inside the division. Schnacke said the 2021 season is currently scheduled to run from the beginning of April through the end of September, with the potential of playing into October to make up any postponed games. MLB also allowed all current minor league affiliates to extend their affiliation with their MLB team for 10 years. So the Clippers, who have been affiliated with Cleveland since 2009, are now affiliated with Cleveland through 2030.
February 19, 20214 yr https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/minors/2021/02/18/columbus-clippers-hope-virus-doesnt-heavily-disrupt-their-2021-schedule/4493022001/ The Columbus Clippers’ 2021 season was announced yesterday. Because all of the minor leagues are being operated by MLB, and because of the on-going covid pandemic, all MiLB teams are following a standardized schedule with limited travel. The Clippers are slated to play 23 six-game series — a nod to limiting travel during the pandemic — and one four-game set in a 142-game schedule. Columbus is set to open the 2021 season on April 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota and the Clippers’ home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, against Louisville. As currently constructed, Columbus would a play six-game series each week from April 6 through Sept. 19, with all series running from Tuesday to Sunday, with Mondays off. The lone exception is the second full week of July, when the all-star game would push the start of a four-game series at St. Paul to Thursday, July 15. For 2021, the Clippers would face the all of the other six teams that comprise MiLB's new Midwest division of Triple-A East. A whopping 30 games would be played against the Toledo Mud Hens - a longtime International League rival - twice at home and three times on the road. Columbus would also play 22 games against the St. Paul Saints, 18 against the Omaha Storm Chasers and 12 each against the Louisville Bats, the Indianapolis Indians and the Iowa Cubs. The Clippers are also scheduled to play 12 games in a home-and-home series against three teams from the Southeast division — the Nashville Sounds, the Gwinnett Stripers and the Memphis Redbirds.
February 19, 20214 yr https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/02/16/clippers-2021-season-fans-allowed.html As for fans attending any games in 2021, the Clippers GM is "hopeful" that they might be allowed something in the range that other professional teams have been allowed. Last fall, the Crew were allowed 1,500 fans. Starting in December, the Cavs have been allowed 10% capacity of just under 2,000 fans, and this month the Blue Jackets also asked for the same 10% capacity of just under 2,000 for their home games. Bringing back fans to Huntington Park is important to the Clippers, since minor league teams are heavily reliant on their game-day income from ticket sales and concessions for operating revenue. Although the Clippers are somewhat less reliant - due to Franklin County owning the team and with robust corporate sponsorship - with no earned revenue coming in during 2020, the Clippers have had to furlough staff and dip into cash reserves.
March 3, 20214 yr https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/03/03/columbus-clippers-season-delayed.html The Columbus Clippers season will be delayed about a month as Minor League Baseball hopes that an increase of vaccines becoming available will increase the number of fans allowed at stadiums. The Clippers' home opener is now scheduled for May 11 instead of mid-April. The Clippers will play 120 games, with 60 taking place at Huntington Park. The stadium capacity is 10,100, meaning that a little more than 3,000 fans would be allowed under Gov. DeWine's new 30% capacity rules for outdoor sporting venues. Having as many fans as possible is important for Minor League Baseball as its teams are more dependent on game-day revenue than leagues with lucrative TV contracts, such as Major League Baseball. MLB informed teams on Tuesday that the entire Triple-A season would be delayed.
May 10, 20214 yr https://www.milb.com/news/mount-carmel-and-columbus-clippers-offer-covid-19-vaccine-clinic From Tuesday, May 11 through Sunday, May 16 — the Clippers’ first home stand of the season — the Clippers and Mount Carmel will be offering a week-long COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Huntington Park. Fans ages 18 and over can visit the first-aid center located behind home plate from the time gates open through the end of the third inning to receive the J&J COVID-19 vaccine - which provides full vaccination with a single shot.
May 25, 20214 yr Big news from the Clippers today. Starting in June, Huntington Park will be open to full capacity without a mask mandate! Can't wait to get out to a packed dime-a-dog night! https://www.milb.com/columbus/news/columbus-clippers-announce-full-capacity-at-huntington-park-beginning-in-june
June 17, 20213 yr On 5/25/2021 at 3:21 PM, cbussoccer said: Big news from the Clippers today. Starting in June, Huntington Park will be open to full capacity without a mask mandate! Can't wait to get out to a packed dime-a-dog night! https://www.milb.com/columbus/news/columbus-clippers-announce-full-capacity-at-huntington-park-beginning-in-june The Clippers had their first full capacity game last night: Fans, employees at Huntington Park happy to be back as Clippers opens to full capacity From the above linked article: "Until Tuesday, the Clippers had been allowing restricted capacity and had just over 2,500 fans since the home opener on May 11. So when did Clippers GM Schnacke realize things were starting to get back to somewhat normal? A stadium "beer cup snake" returned during the team's first full capacity game, he said"
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