With the Major League Baseball regular season coming to a close this week, it afforded an opportunity to sit down with Gabe Sinicropi, the director of marketing & public relations for the Williamsport Crosscutters, to discuss his assessment of the team’s initial season in the MLB Draft League.

WW: From your perspective, what is your overall reaction to the Draft League?

Gabe: “The best thing about it above everything else was that we were open and operating and able to have a season. We were pleased with the number of players that we had drafted from our team (8) and throughout the league. So, I think that bodes well as we move towards year two.

“This was not an experiment. The Draft league is going full steam ahead. Certainly, there will be some adjustments made behind the scenes. Many people have wondered if we are coming back next year. This was never proposed to be an experiment. This is something MLB believes in and, in their mind, is part of the pipeline to prepare players to eventually play in the Majors. Folks need to please understand this is not an experiment and is something MLB is fully invested in.”

WW: What were the attendance numbers compared to the NY-Penn League in 2019?

Gabe: “It is no secret. We were down in attendance. This year we averaged 1,127 fans per game as compared to 1,988 in 2019. But, last year, attendance was down throughout all of baseball. For us, I don’t believe it had anything to do with us being in a different league. Quite simply, our season tickets were what they have always been. Our walk-up day of game sales were consistent with what they always are. Where we lacked was in group sales. The simple reason for that is we weren’t selling groups from January until June.

“We do a lot of group sales each season. At the beginning of the calendar year, with all the social distancing guidelines, we were looking at having to operate with a limited stadium attendance of 600. As a result, we weren’t out selling tickets. We had reached a point where we had to tell folks interested in season and group tickets that they couldn’t buy them. When things finally opened up on Memorial Day, it was a surprise to us, but we had lost several months of ticket sales. As a result, all baseball teams are experiencing attendance numbers that are way below what they achieved in 2019.”

WW: How was your business operation affected?

Gabe: “It was a tough year. With attendance being down so much and us quite frankly digging out from not having a season in 2020, we, along with all baseball teams, are still in the dig-out stage. There are no ifs and or buts about that. That part of it has been a struggle and probably will continue to be for another year or two before we get back to level ground.

“Thank goodness we have incredible owners and a great ownership group that is fully committed to this team and to this city. Without that kind of deep commitment, we possibly wouldn’t be here. Think about it. We basically had zero income in 2020 and still suffering from the effects of the pandemic in 2021. It has left us with a big hole to climb out of.”

WW: The Draft League instituted some different operational changes. What was your reaction?

Gabe: “I think that we will continue to see some seven-inning games on a very limited basis. I also don’t see any change in the league regarding extra-inning games. Fans like to see a conclusion of a game, and I get that. But we are dealing with players who are still amateurs and, if they are not drafted, still have college eligibility remaining. We have to tread lightly on their use, especially with regard to pitchers and the wear on their arms. The way pitchers are handled today as compared to twenty years ago is totally different. If there were to be a change in the extra-inning rule, I think it would be very limited, possibly just one inning.

“As operators, we tried to get away without having seven-inning games. That is what we really wanted. Towards the end of the season, it got more difficult, so we ended up having seven-inning games twice a week. With the makeup of the rosters, there were some occasions with nine-inning games that position players were called upon to pitch, and that was something we wanted to avoid. We want to have quality games. So based upon the intentions of our league, we’ll continue to have some seven-inning games in some shape or form.”

WW: Were there any negative fan reactions to seven-inning games?

Gabe: “Not that I noticed. For some baseball purists, maybe. But the baseball purists in our crowd are an incredibly small fraction of those who come to the ballpark. A lot of fans leave after seven innings on a normal night. By the ninth inning, there were often half or less than half of the fans who were there for the beginning of the game.

WW: Will there be changes made to the unbalanced schedule?

Gabe: “I think we will see a change in the type of schedule we will play going forward. A lot of the unbalanced schedule was due to COVID with the league trying to reduce travel for the teams.”

WW: Do you anticipate any changes in the league membership?

Gabe: “It remains to be seen. The one team in question would be Trenton. Their stated preference is to be back in Minor League Baseball. At some point, that could happen, and over the next few years, there could be a shuffling of teams that are a part of Minor League Baseball, and that could change the makeup of the Draft League, but I would suspect our league will still have six teams in 2022.”