Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that its season is canceled for 2020. But the Peoria Chiefs are already looking ahead to next season.Peoria Chiefs General Manager Jason Mott said it’s sad, but he’s grateful to the fans, season ticket holders, suite holders, and sponsors for sticking with the team.
Mott said nothing can replace kids making memories with their parents at the ballpark.
“I think that’s what probably makes it the toughest. You know having two boys, telling them yesterday was tough," he said. "Sorry, I shouldn’t let this bother me… but it uh.. they asked about Homer. What’s Homer gonna do?”
Mott remains positive and is looking ahead to 2021.
“We’ll cram two years of fun into one in ’21. Make it a big party and have a lot of fun. We look forward to having fans back here," he said.
Mott said he’s grateful for the patience of the fans and sponsors and asks that they remain patient as they begin prepping for 2021. They’re in it for the long haul and the Chiefs are excited to remain a part of the Peoria community.
Mott also said that the team's contract with the St Louis Cardinals is due to end soon, but he's optimistic about a renewal.
“We’ve got a great relationship. They love being here, we love having them," Mott said. "I expect us to be together for a long time.”
Due to COVID-19, the team was forced to lay off and furlough several employees, and currently has a staff of three. Mott said there are a lot of staffing decisions to be made in the coming months as the ballpark deals with six-figure revenue losses.
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