U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is asking Major League Baseball to reconsider a plan to eliminate 42 minor league teams, including two in Colorado and three in Iowa, where the Democrat has been campaigning for president.

“For most Americans, a minor league park is where they get their first glimpse of professional players and their first taste of the thrill of watching America’s pastime,” Bennet wrote in a Dec. 2 letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.

“Baseball is our national pastime because generations of Americans have been able to enjoy it. Without that accessibility, the sport – and the communities who love it – will lose something essential,” Bennet added.

Manfred last month announced a proposal to cut the number of player development contracts between MLB teams and minor league franchises, which would lead to 42 of baseball’s 160 minor league teams being dropped.

Among the teams that could be dissolved are the Rocky Mountain Vibes, a rookie-level Colorado Springs team affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Grand Junction Rockies, a rookie-level team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. Both play in the Pioneer League.

Bennet, who took his White House bid to eastern Iowa earlier this week, also noted that three minor league teams in Iowa – the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Burlington Bees and the Clinton LumberKings – could be eliminated.

“Many of the cities targeted for contraction have invested millions of taxpayer dollars in their teams, at the behest of MLB, to build quality facilities for developing players,” Bennet said in his letter to Manfred. “These teams have given a lot to their communities, and we should think seriously about the costs of giving up on their players and fans alike. Americans will see through attempts to frame the destruction of beloved local institutions under the guise of reform.”

He called the MLB proposal “as unwise as it is unfair” and predicted it will lead to lawsuits.

Bennet’s letter follows similar pleas from governors and lawmakers who argued the move could harm economies in communities with teams on the chopping block.

Six of Colorado’s seven members of Congress signed a Nov. 21 letter asking the owner of the Colorado Rockies to “preserve opportunities” for minor league teams like the ones in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction.

“Having access to minor league teams not only has unmatched economic benefits to the areas, but they allow for families to enjoy professional baseball games in their hometowns,” reads the letter, which was signed by U.S. Reps. Scott Tipton, Jason Crow, Doug Lamborn, Joe Neguse, Ed Perlmutter and Ken Buck.