Hillcats Receive Invitation from Indians

Lynchburg, Va.- The Lynchburg Hillcats are pleased to announce they have been formally invited by the Cleveland Indians to become their new Low-A affiliate. Once full details are revealed, the Hillcats will be evaluating the proposal to confirm it meets the necessary criteria for the team, the fans, and the Lynchburg community before the invitation is accepted.

This announcement comes after a lengthy negotiation period in which Major League Baseball has engaged with clubs in an effort to modernize the traditional Minor League structure. The 2021 game schedule will be announced at a later date and is expected to consist of 132 games.

"Although the last nine months has featured many unknowns, we are excited at the prospect of remaining with the Indians, a team we've been affiliated with since 2015 and an organization that helped deliver a championship to the Hill City in 2017," said Hillcats President and General Manager Chris Jones. "We appreciate Cleveland's commitment to top-notch player development and working with us to keep professional baseball in Lynchburg for years to come. We can't wait to host baseball games again at Bank of the James Stadium and do what we do best -- provide affordable family fun to our passionate fans."

The pending move to Low-A ends a 30-year run as an A-Adv. affiliate, when the Hillcats were members of the Carolina League. Lynchburg was last a Low-A club in 1989 as a Boston Red Sox affiliate. The new league name for 2021 and beyond is still being finalized.

The Lynchburg Hillcats are the Advanced-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Hillcats are eight-time Carolina League Champions, having most recently won the Mills Cup Championship in 2017. The Hillcats play their home games at Bank of the James Stadium, which has been home to Minor League Baseball in Lynchburg since 1940. Visit the Hillcats online at <a href="http://lynchburg-hillcats.com/" target="blank" >Lynchburg-hillcats.com_, and follow the Hillcats on Twitter (@LynHillcats), Instagram (@LynHillcats) and Facebook (Lynchburg Hillcats). For more information about the Lynchburg Hillcats, please contact Chris Jones at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="blank" >[email protected]_.