Just six days before the Tucson Baseball Team was supposed to take the field for their home opener at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, the team has abruptly cancelled their home series against the Naranjeros de Hermosillo.
In an official statement posted to the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico’s website on Friday evening, the team announced it would play games scheduled to be played in Tucson on the road while the team continues to sort out issues regarding immigration.
“The Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico officially announces that the start of Tucson Baseball Team activities at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium will be postponed until further notice due to ongoing legal proceedings with U.S. authorities,” the statement on the LAMP website said, translated from Spanish. “The ARCO League and the Tucson Baseball Team have prioritized compliance with all necessary legal procedures; however, we are adjusting to requests made to us by the same authorities, in addition to what was previously established.”
A statement issued by the team cited “ongoing immigration processes” as the reason for the delay.
Generally, foreign athletes playing for U.S.-based professional teams enter the country on P-1A visas, a class of visa issued to professional athletes, including, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, “an athlete or coach, as part of a team or franchise that is located in the United States and a member of a foreign league or association.”
Players and coaches for the Tucson Baseball Team who do not hold U.S. citizenship or residency would need to secure a P-1A visa before entering the country to work.
“The decision has been extremely difficult for our entire organization. We share the same excitement and passion as all of you in seeing our team proudly represent Tucson on the field,” a statement sent to World Baseball Network by a team representative said. “However, the current circumstances require us to prioritize full compliance with all necessary legal and regulatory procedures before resuming our sporting operations in the United States.”
The Tucson Baseball Team had been working out and playing preseason games in Arizona, including last weekend’s Mexican Baseball Fiesta in Tucson.
“On the sporting front, the Tucson Baseball Team will continue with its established schedule, playing at home in the stadiums of the teams it was scheduled to host at Kino Stadium, hoping to find a solution as soon as possible so we can return to playing on U.S. soil,” the statement issued via the LAMP website said.
The TBT’s home opener, scheduled for Oct. 16 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, was part of a four-game home series against Hermosillo that will now be played at Estadio Fernando Valenzuela in Hermosillo. Tucson was also scheduled to host a three-game set against the Yaquis de Obregon Oct. 24-26, and a three-game set against the Caneros de Los Mochis Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
Fans who purchased tickets for the opening series, as well as season ticket holders, will receive refunds, the team’s statement said.
Photo: Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium will be the home of the Tucson Baseball Team in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico, but their home opener will be postponed. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
