Minor League Teams Pitch In For Harvey Relief

The southeastern portion of Texas was drenched this weekend by Hurricane Harvey, which dropped north of 50 inches of rain on some parts of the state and led to widespread damage and destruction. At least eight people have died as a result, and thousands of others have had their homes and businesses destroyed by rising floodwater. Now, minor league teams across the country are pitching in to help.

The Tri-City ValleyCats, the Astros’ affiliate in the New York-Penn League, are donating $1 from each ticket sold between Monday and Saturday to the American Red Cross. The ValleyCats average just more than 4,100 fans per game, which means the Red Cross should expect a donation of roughly $24,600 from the team.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those currently dealing with the horrendous situation in Texas, including the entire Houston Astros organization, those with the Corpus Christi Hooks, their friends, family, and fans,” ValleyCats general manager Matt Callahan said. “We stand by them during this tough time, and want to do what we can to assist in the ongoing relief efforts.”

The Harrisburg Senators, the Nationals’ Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League, are also finding a way to help out. The team announced on Monday it would donate $4 from every $10 box seat sold online over the next three games (all but one of its remaining home games) to the Red Cross. To take advantage of the offer, fans are advised to visit the team website, senatorsbaseball.com, and use the promo code “RELIEF” when purchasing a ticket in the designated areas.

On the other side of the country, the Boise Hawks, the Rockies’ short-season affiliate in the Northwest League, have made plans to help out those affected. From noon Tuesday through noon Wednesday, tickets in the reserved section of the first-base stands will be reduced to $5 each and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross. The Hawks are also planning to set up a cash donation table at each of their remaining games.

The team is also planning to auction a game-worn jersey during Friday’s game. Raffle tickets are $1 apiece and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross. During Sunday’s game, the Hawks will raffle off a team-signed bat under the same conditions as the jersey raffle.

“It’s unfortunate to see so many lives disrupted from this massive storm,” Hawks general manager Bob Flannery said. “By using our game of baseball and the community it creates, we will be able to do some good for those who need our assistance right now.”

Major League Baseball also announced on Monday that the Astros’ series with the Rangers was being moved to the Rays’ home of Tropicana Field. The league and the players association will donate $1 million to the Red Cross to help with the recovery efforts in Houston and the affected surrounding areas.