By CBJ News Staff
news@corridorbusiness.com
The Cedar Rapids Kernels, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, has announced layoffs to its front office staff.
“Today is a sad day at Veterans Memorial Stadium,” the Kernels said in an online tweet earlier this week. “With the Kernels 2020 season postponed indefinitely, half of our Kernels front office were laid off today. This decision was a difficult one. We are required to change and evolve in order to survive the effects of COVID-19.”
According to a press release from the organization, seven people were laid off.
The layoffs come as rumors swirled this week that minor league baseball would be cancelled for the season, a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball owners and players are struggling to find consensus on a financial plan that would allow them to restart the season.
“This was a very difficult decision, but with the Kernels’ season postponed indefinitely, we had no choice,” said Cedar Rapids Ball Club Inc. CEO Doug Nelson in a statement. “The majority of the organization’s revenues come from Kernels games and fans in the stands. With the potential of going 18 months between Kernels games, we must reduce all costs including payroll expense. I thank our staff for all of their efforts and dedication to the organization and hope to work with them again during the 2021 season.” CBJ
