HILLSBORO, Ore. — The Hillsboro Hops will not play ball in 2020.
Major League Baseball informed its minor league affiliates that they will not be provided with players for the 2020 season, shutting the door for Minor League Baseball this year.
"While we are extremely disappointed to lose a season of baseball and time with our fans this summer, we understand that this was not an easy decision for anyone to have to make,” said Hillsboro Hops president K.L. Wombacher in a release from the team. “Although there will be no Hops games at Ron Tonkin Field this summer, our front office is working hard to find new, alternative ways to provide safe entertainment options for our fans. We can also share with you that we are very confident in our long-term future in Oregon and that the changes resulting from the new PBA (Professional Baseball Agreement) will be very positive for the Hops organization and for Hops fans.”
Under the agreement, minor leagues provide the infrastructure and MLB sends its players to minor league clubs to develop their skills. The Hillsboro Hops are an affiliate (short season class A) of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Just like many businesses across the country, the Hops were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Wombacher says everyone within the Hops organization took paycuts, but there were no layoffs.
"We did more of a shared, sacrifice philosophy where we didn't have to lay off anyone. We've been able to keep our team involved, but we've all had to take pretty substantial paycuts to get through it," Wombacher told KGW. "We're essentially a seasonal business. Losing a season is like losing 12 months worth of revenue. Fortunately, our fans have been tremendous, our sponsors have been tremendous and a lot of the funds that we've collected, we're pushing forward to 2021. That's really what's going to save us."
