WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Zoom press conferences are the new normal in 2020, but on Cyber Monday, this is the gift Williamsport Crosscutter fans have been waiting for.
"Today is an exciting day. A new day," Williamsport Crosscutters Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Gabe Sinicropi began. "A new chapter, if you will, in the long and storied history of baseball in Williamsport and more specifically, at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. Today, the Williamsport Crosscutters are proud to announce that we will be continuing our affiliation with Major League Baseball as part of the new MLB Draft League."
The Crosscutters are one of five, former minor league teams to join the MLB Draft League – and this is the first of its kind. No team affiliations, just top, draft-eligible prospects. A 68-game season that will begin this coming May.
”Instead of getting players before right after they’re drafted, we’re getting players right before they’re drafted," Sinicropi explained. "Higher round players on our team than in the past.”
"Our pipeline is now driven by Major League Baseball and all 30 clubs and all 30 scouts will be represented in our stand as apposed to just the Philadelphia Phillies," Williamsport Crosscutters President and Principal Owner Peter Freund added.
”That was everything," Freund continued after being asked how important it was to keep the affiliation with Major League Baseball. "Our options, if we weren’t going to be directly affiliated with a club meant that we would go basically an independent league. It really takes us to a place where the Crosscutters have been prioritized and saved by Major League Baseball.”
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Something most clubs cannot say.
"There are a lot of clubs that are envious today," Freund said. "We’re a very special spot. We’ve got the Little League Classic. We’ve got the home off little league. Williamsport is very important to Major League Baseball. In many senses, this was built around Williamsport."
"Underlined and bolded: this is definitely the best option for Williamsport, for a baseball team to be here for the long-term and succeed," Sinicropi said. "This is the option and we feel it’s a good one."
Fans can learn more about the league next week. The Crosscutters are hosting a Facebook Live event next Tuesday, December 8th, at 7:00 PM.