What’s next for Cannon Ballers after inaugural season at new ballpark is scrapped

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — What has seemed inevitable for weeks became official on Tuesday.

Major League Baseball announced that Minor League Baseball’s 2020 season would be canceled, meaning the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers will not play their inaugural season in the new Atrium Health Ballpark this year. The $52 million stadium is at the center of the city’s $500 million downtown revitalization project.

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The loss of the season is a big blow to the team and the city, which was aiming to build momentum around the rebranded franchise and new ballpark.

“Today is a bittersweet and disappointing day for us,” Cannon Ballers General Manager Matt Millward told the Charlotte Business Journal. “There is some closure to it that we can really look forward now but we’re still excited. We’re going to continue that momentum and really make us the destination in the area.”

Millward said the team began bracing for the possibility of a season cancellation several weeks ago, when some organizations started releasing minor-league players. The Cannon Ballers have been exploring other ways to maximize business during Covid-19.

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