WASHINGTON, February 12 – Today, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement in response to Major League Baseball’s decision to eliminate Vermont’s minor-league team, the Lake Monsters:

“Let’s be clear. Major League Baseball’s announcement to eliminate the Vermont Lake Monsters and 39 other Minor League teams has nothing to do with what is good for baseball and has everything to do with greed.  If the multi-billionaire owners of Major League Baseball have enough money to pay hundreds of millions in compensation to a single superstar baseball player, they have enough money to prevent 40 minor league teams from shutting down in Vermont and all over this country.  I am very proud to have helped bring minor league baseball to Vermont over 30 years ago and I will do everything I can to encourage Major League Baseball to reverse this disastrous decision.  If Major League Baseball does not reconsider this proposal, I think it’s time for Congress to reconsider its anti-trust exemption and rescind the huge tax breaks it has received to build massive baseball stadiums in some of our largest cities.”