An effort to bring America’s Pastime back to the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution appears caught in a rundown between the Massachusetts House and Senate, with Lowell’s Congressional representative trying to drive the effort across home plate.

InsideLowell has learned the issue centers on a $6-million cash appropriation for LeLacheur Park that passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives, but never made it out of the State Senate. That money, combined with about $3.5-million UMass Lowell has already allocated for ballpark repairs and another $750,000 in a federal earmark, could be enough to secure a long-season, Single-A affiliated baseball team for the Mill City.

Third-District Congresswoman Lori Trahan is deeply invested in the effort and was reportedly able to convince Massachusetts Speaker Ron Mariano to include the money on the House side as “hard cash” and not part of a bond bill. However, if the Senate doesn’t reverse course and include the appropriation as part of the State Legislature’s end of year “close out” budget, the window of opportunity could slam shut on Lowell’s field of dreams.

This is where the politics get interesting.

Sources working to bring baseball back to Lowell worry if the funding doesn’t get the necessary last-minute push on the Senate side, particularly from State Senator Ed Kennedy (D-Lowell), the $6-million disappears and the chances of landing a Major League Baseball affiliate disappear with it. One person we spoke with invoked a football analogy of “being at the two-yard line, but it’s fourth down and the clock is ticking down to zero.”

When contacted about the situation, Kennedy indicated he wasn’t made aware of the $6-million until it popped up in the House bill and that nobody reached out to him or the Senate Ways and Means Committee at that time to include it in the Senate version.

“I will be happy to meet with everyone involved to map out a realistic path forward,” Kennedy said. “I believe next session might be a more advantageous time to seek funding on the Senate side.”

From the Congresswoman’s perspective, January might be too late. The return of professional baseball to LeLacheur is a priority for her and an important connection to the LINC development on East Campus.

“LeLacheur Park is woven into the fabric of Lowell, and bringing MLB-affiliated baseball back to the park will be a massive boost for families, for small businesses, and for the growth of our local economy,” said Congresswoman Trahan when contacted. “This project has required a partnership that spans every level of government – from the city to the State House to Congress – working in coordination with UMass Lowell and the business community. Together, we’re committed to the work ahead to deliver the investments necessary to bring baseball back to Lowell.”

Timing could be critical, because an often discussed option for baseball’s return to the Mill City is the Boston Red Sox long-season, Single A affiliate in Salem, Virginia. The team’s current lease expires at the end of the 2025 season, meaning they could be in the market for a new home for the 2026 season.

Interestingly enough, the team was purchased in the Spring of 2023 by Diamond Baseball Holdings, which currently operates 35-minor league teams across America and Canada. In December of 2022, DBH also purchased the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox Double-A team in Portland, Maine. In December of 2023, they bought a majority interest in the Red Sox Worcester Triple-A squad, as well as acquiring the Fisher Cats, the Manchester, NH Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Another key player in this lineup is former UMass Lowell Chancellor and current UMass President, Marty Meehan.

UML bought LeLacheur Park from the City of Lowell in 2022, but observers say the park is in sad shape and in need of major renovations just to get it to a level acceptable for Division 1 college baseball. To underscore the point, when the city’s July 4th fireworks show returned to the facility this past summer, only 750 tickets were allowed to be sold. Given the size of the field, and the stadium’s 4,700 seat capacity, it’s clear that most of the structure isn’t deemed safe for use in its current condition.

When contacted by InsideLowell, Meehan focused on the ballpark’s deterioration. As Lowell’s Congressman at the time, he played an integral role in securing the funding that led to the stadium’s opening in 1998 and expressed sadness at its current condition.

“I’m concerned about the viability of LeLacheur Park and that’s why we’ve committed over $3-million dollars just to keep it from crumbling,” Meehan said. “I want to make it clear the University did not seek the additional $6-million from the state or the Federal earmark. However, given the facility’s condition, it would be beneficial to take advantage of these additional funding opportunities before they’re gone.”

People familiar with the effort to bring minor league baseball back to Lowell acknowledge that even the $10-million combined funding won’t be enough to entice a Red Sox, or any affiliate, to the banks of the Merrimack River. A $20-$30 million investment is the figure being batted around.

Still, one source close to Congresswoman Trahan says “conversations are happening” with interested parties and that the combined $10-million in funding between UMass Lowell, the state and the federal government “is enough to get the commitments necessary.”