This weekend was supposed to feature parades and first pitches, strikeouts and home runs. Youth baseball and softball fields are quiet throughout Franklin County however, and uncertainty is the word hanging over leagues that continue to hold out hope that kids will have a chance to play ball.
Opening Day for several area youth leagues were slated for this weekend. But the coronavirus pandemic has halted action across the county before it even got started, and leagues are now left monitoring the situation in hopes that baseball and softball can still be played in some way, shape or form this summer.
Opening Day for Greenfield Minor League Baseball was supposed to be Sunday, but Lunt Field will be empty save for a handful of baseballs scattered throughout the grounds. The league has worked on contingency plans for its season, which was postponed indefinitely back in mid-March.
GMLB held a conference call with its Board of Directors on Thursday night, and the league is eyeing a potential July 5 starting date for an abbreviated season. While the league schedule usually runs from late April through mid-June, a shift back toward a summer slate is something GMLB President Matt Zraunig hopes would enable youth baseball players a chance to get some games in for 2020.
“(The league) decided to remain cautiously optimistic that we will get some baseball in this year,” Zraunig said after Thursday’s meeting. “Our Opening Day will potentially be July 5. As the date gets closer and it does not look like we can meet this date due to gathering restrictions, we will re-evaluate our options.”
Zraunig said he’s heard from many parents associated with the league, and while safety is the primary concern, getting to play some form of baseball this summer would be a welcomed sight.
“Obviously we’ve been getting a lot of questions about if there’s a plan,” he explained. “The hardest part is just telling people that we’re just not sure what we can do yet because it’s out of our hands. We won’t do anything without following the guidelines from the (Department of Health) and (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).”
With no practices and games on the horizon, Zraunig said he’s still seen Franklin County youths staying active in the sport of baseball on social media.
“I think kids are still thinking about the sport,” he offered. “I’m sure they don’t quite fathom what’s going on so that’s kind of the hard part for them right now, trying to explain why they can’t play games with their friends.”
Sunday was also supposed to be Opening Day in Turners Falls for the Newt Guilbault Community League, but the status for the 2020 season is uncertain as the league posted on its Facebook page that “The health and safety of our players and community members is our primary concern. We will continue to follow guidelines set forth by Mass. Department of Public Health and the CDC. We are committed to communicating with you. The Board will continue to provide additional information regarding the 2020 season as it becomes available.”
Frontier Cal Ripken and Chuck Stone/Orange Little League have also been postponed, while Mohawk Youth Baseball and its sub-leagues have canceled their 2020 seasons.
On the youth softball front, the Greenfield Girls Softball League was supposed to open its season at Murphy Park with games Saturday, but play has been postponed for the time being due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are still hopeful that we will be able to get a season in this year for the girls and will follow up with updates as they occur,” the league wrote on its Facebook page. “We are following restrictions and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the MA Department of Public Health, USA Softball as well as restrictions that the Governor has in place.”
The GGSL moved its calendar raffle back a month, and will hold it in the month of June rather than May.