2024 Program_Proof

COMMISSIONER’S LETTER

To Our Fans: Major League Baseball is delighted to welcome you to the 2024 season of the Appalachian League, a baseball tradition that dates back to 1911. The 10 teams of the Appalachian League are grateful for your loyal support, as am I. We value the memories that Appalachian League teams are creating on and off the field. The Appalachian League is a strong illustration of our sport’s unique player development model. MLB’s longtime partnership with USA Baseball has resulted in an elite summer collegiate league and a gateway to our country’s national teams. Since 2021, many of the nation’s top collegiate student-athletes have become a part of Appalachian communities along their journeys to professional baseball. This year, players from schools across the nation will thrill fans and grow as individuals in what will be an unforgettable summer for everyone involved. Utilizing technology originally developed for the Major Leagues, participants will be aided by resources that will help hone their skills and develop their careers – all under the tutelage of former Major League players as managers and coaches. These up-and-coming players will have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Appalachian League alumni like Cal Ripken Jr., Greg Maddux, Kirby Puckett, CC Sabathia and Salvador Perez. This season, former Elizabethton pitcher Jordan Leasure made his Major League debut for the Chicago White Sox, becoming the first Appalachian League alumnus to reach the Majors under the new format. The reach of the Appalachian League is not limited to high-caliber baseball and family-friendly entertainment. Corporate citizenship is a fundamental tenet of the Appalachian League. In 2023, the 10 teams and the league combined to provide more than $3.5 million in charitable contributions to worthy causes. In addition, the members of the Appalachian League put in more 10,000 hours of community service, benefitting local schools, organizations that combat food insecurity, literacy programs, cancer screening initiations and more. Thank you for welcoming these athletes into your communities and helping strengthen our player development system. We appreciate the opportunity to build on the rich tradition of baseball in this region. All of us at MLB look forward to the continued success of the Appalachian League this season and in the years ahead. Sincerely,

Robert D. Manfred, Jr. Commissioner of Baseball

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