This weekend's International Series, a first-of-its-kind Mexican Pacific League event at Kino Stadium, will not be played in Tucson.
Organizers sent a letter to fans Monday afternoon blaming "contractual reasons" for the series' suspension. The three-game set between the Yaquis de Obregon and the Aguilas de Mexicali would have been the first-ever Mexican Pacific League regular-season series played in the United States.
The teams said they would say more during a news conference scheduled for Thursday in the Kino Stadium press box. The weekend's series will be instead be played in Obregon.
"We will continue working so fans can experience the best baseball in Mexico with their favorite teams," the letter said.
Organizers had hoped that the Kino Stadium series would be the start of a push into the United States for the Mexican Pacific League, which has teams in Hermosillo, Culiacan and Los Mochis, among other cities. Some remain optimistic that the league will expand in Tucson sometime in the future.
Tucson is already home to the Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta, which is held every October at Kino Stadium. The Fiesta drew 5,000 and 7,000 fans on back-to-back nights last month.
"We are convinced that the internationalization of the league is very important for our future growth," the league said in its letter to fans. "However, this first attempt could not be carried out in a favorable way for the parties involved."
Mike Feder, president of the Mexican Baseball Fiesta, said he was disappointed at news of the cancellation.Β
"This decision had nothing to do with us, the Kino Sports Complex, the Yaquis de Obregon (host team) or the Mexican Winter League," he said in a Facebook post. "We apologize for anyone this might have inconvenienced."
