The Appalachian League became the first minor league to be eliminated by Major League Baseball.
The Appalachian League will be converted to a collegiate summer league for rising freshmen and sophomores. It will be part of the Prospect Development Pipeline, a collaborative endeavor between MLB and USA Baseball.
There is expected to be a 54-game regular season and an annual All-Star Game.
The Appalachian League has been part of professional baseball since 1911.
The 10 teams that were scheduled to be in the Appalachian League this past summer included Bluefield (W. Va.) Blue Jays, Bristol (Va.) Pirates, Burlington (N.C,) Royals, Danville (Va.) Braves, Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins, Greeneville (Tenn.) Reds, Johnson City (Tenn.) Cardinals, Kingsport (Tenn.) Mets, Princeton (W.Va.) Rays and Pulaski (Va.) Yankees.
New nicknames will be selected for these teams.
A similar arrangement is expected for teams in the Pioneer League and the New York-Penn League.
Click here to view full USA Baseball release.