Congresswoman Lori Trahan has been at the forefront of a bipartisan effort to save Minor League Baseball teams across this country, including the Lowell Spinners right here in the Third District.

In recent weeks, Congresswoman Trahan introduced a bipartisan resolution to continue to articulate that Congress must have its voice heard on this matter. She also organized a Save the Spinners community meeting in Lowell in which leaders from the city and MiLB, as well as local business leaders, came together to discuss the importance of protecting our team and the Minor Leagues. 

“Every corner of our community voiced support for saving the Spinners. Why? Because they are a cultural and economic pillar of our community, and we need to make sure they are here to stay,” Congresswoman Trahan said.

Harry Smith from NBC’s Today Show recently profiled Congresswoman Trahan’s efforts to Save the Spinners.

In a Feb. 12, 2020 letter to the Lowell Sun, former Lowell City Manager Brian Martin wrote:

Over 25 years ago as Lowell’s City Manager, I had the privilege of working with Sen. Paul Tsongas and many community leaders to bring professional baseball to Lowell. These leaders include Congressman Marty Meehan, Jack and Alex Costello of the Lowell Sun, Jim Cook of the Lowell Plan and Mayor Richard Howe to name a few. Imagine, a minor league team for THE Boston Red Sox in Lowell!

Fast forward to 2020. After years of magical nights watching the Spinners play at LeLacheur Park, all of this is in jeopardy. Major League Baseball (MLB) is proposing drastic changes to the minor league system, possibly eliminating the short-season leagues, which includes the Lowell Spinners.

I am optimistic, however, because we have new leaders like Congresswoman Lori Trahan. She was the first member of Congress to speak out on the floor of the U.S. House on how harmful MLB’s plan would be for the Lowell Spinners and dozens of communities across the country who may be impacted by this decision. Her efforts have made this proposal a national news story covered by The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.

Amazingly, in today’s incredibly polarizing political climate she has built a coalition of bipartisan support. Lori partnered with West Virginia Republican Rep. David McKinley and convinced 106 members to sign on to this effort. She is now a co-chair of the “Save Minor League Baseball Task Force” with a simple goal, “to ensure a level playing field in the negotiations between MLB and Minor League Baseball to yield a fair resolution and protect minor league baseball in communities across the country.” 

Minor League Baseball clubs are vital components of their communities. They provide affordable, family friendly entertainment to thousands of families and attract new visitors to those communities. They support scores of local businesses, employ thousands of individuals, and donate millions of dollars in charitable funds. Minor League Baseball games also bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, fans of the sport and those who may become fans, to share old memories and build new ones — a few hours of respite from the world outside the park.

In Lowell, we should be proud that LeLacheur Park is rated as one of the best facilities in Minor League Baseball. This investment in partnership with the city, state and federal government along with a strong affiliation with the Boston Red Sox has become a regional asset. Fans can now follow Red Sox players and have a sense of continuity as players progress on their way to the Major Leagues. Over the years, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jackie Bradley Jr, Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts played at LeLacheur Park for the Lowell Spinners!

Roger Angell, an essayist who frequently writes about baseball, once wrote, “Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly, keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time. You remain forever young.”

Thanks to Congresswoman Lori Trahan for keeping the Lowell Spinners’ rally alive. She deserves our support and gratitude for her outstanding work.

LOWELL, Mass. (Feb. 4, 2020) –  Democrat Lori Trahan proudly announced the endorsement of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35 in her re-election bid to represent Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District. IUPAT DC #35 represents nearly 4,000 workers in the New England area.

In a statement of support for Rep. Trahan, IUPAT DC #35’s Business Manager Jeffrey Sullivan stated:

“Lori has hit the ground running in her first term as a Member of Congress and carries the issues of working families to Capitol Hill every day. She understands the important role organized labor plays in providing opportunities,” Sullivan said. “Lori’s work on the House Education and Labor Committee has brought an important light to critical issues, such as our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, the need for pension reform, and the vital role that apprenticeship training provides for countless young people seeking an entry to the middle class.”

Trahan, who is seeking her second term in Congress, said she was both honored and humbled by the support of IUPAT DC #35.

“The 2020 election is an opportunity for us to do what is right and put our families first,” Trahan said. “IUPAT DC #35 has always stood strong for workers and their families. I am proud to partner with them to ensure a better future for all.”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN JAN. 27, 2020 EDITION OF THE LOWELL SUN:

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan’s first year in Congress started with a government shutdown and ended with a vote to impeach the president.

Amid what the Westford Democrat described Monday as some “divisive waters you have to navigate,” Trahan said she’s still been able to find opportunities for bipartisanship on issues like trade, fighting the opioid crisis — and minor league baseball.

“Even in these times of division, we have to figure out a way on how we’re going to rebuild the muscle for working together again, and I do think that’s something that’s unique about even this class, because we had so many members of Congress who won in these tough red districts that there is a feeling of looking beyond 2021 and how we’re going to actually make Congress work together,” Trahan said at a New England Council roundtable.

Elected in 2018 to an open Congressional seat after coming out on top in a 10-way Democratic primary, Trahan said she’s found “you do have to be proactive and scrappy about finding where you can achieve common ground, and with whom.” 

“I know I’ve had to prove to myself that Congress could actually have a future where reasonable Democrats are working with reasonable Republicans to get things done,” Trahan said.

Trahan said one of the first groups she joined as a new member of Congress was a bipartisan freshmen working group on addiction that meets weekly.

She said cities in her district, like Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill and Fitchburg, have been “incredibly hard hit with opioid overdose deaths.” In looking to address that issue, she said she’s “forged some relationships with some pretty unsuspecting colleagues” — including Republican Congressmen Hal Rogers of Kentucky, Buddy Carter of Georgia and Jack Bergman of Michigan — on issues like safe prescribing practices and medication-assisted treatment.

The recent passage of a U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal provides a lesson that’s applicable to efforts to move forward with an infrastructure bill, Trahan said. Last week, U.S. House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal said he thinks it’s “doable” to pass an infrastructure bill this year.

Trahan said that at town hall meetings she would often field a version of the question, “Why the heck are you going to pass USMCA? You’re going to give him a win,” referring to the trade deal and President Donald Trump.