Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Mr. Allan H. (Bud) Selig Commissioner of Major League Baseball

Mr. Allan H. (Bud) Selig
Commissioner of Major League Baseball
245 Park Avenue, 31st floor
New York, NY 10167

Dear Mr. Selig.

I am writing today in support of Puerto Rico getting its own permanent Major League Baseball team.

The strong ticket sales and exuberant crowd reaction to the four-game Mets-Expos series that ended Monday shows that Puerto Rico could support its own Major League Baseball team. Even for those of us who could only watch the games on television, the intensity of the fans at Hiram Bithorn Stadium came through loud and clear.

Over 65,000 tickets we sold to people who were eager to see a Canadian team play a team from New York. The crowd went wild for players from both sides, which bodes very well for the future of a team in Puerto Rico. As you know, baseball teams typically take years to build fan loyalty and ticket sales. Crowds coming out to see their favorite players on visiting teams will boost ticket sales in the crucial first years in the Puerto Rican market.

The experiment of playing big league games in Puerto Rico succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, and Major League Baseball now should give very serious consideration to giving Puerto Rico a team of its own.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator