Locals not sure what’s in store for summer
Alex Condello was looking particularly forward to the upcoming baseball season.
Condello had been named to take over the Norchester Bulldogs American Legion team. It was another connection to his roots for the 2016 Owen J. Roberts High graduate, who had played for both programs and served two seasons as assistant to outgoing manager Rick Harrison.
Those plans have been stalled by the coronavirus outbreak that has put spring sports on hold. But he may not have to wait until 2021 to debut in his new capacity.
Talks have been going on between a number of communities — those fielding Legion baseball programs in the past — in Berks County to conduct youth baseball once the COVID-19 pandemic’s stay-at-home and social-distancing requirements are lifted by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. Norchester has observed enough interest in playing ball to be in the conversation.
“We’re trying to do anything we can to get together,” Condello said.
“Particularly for the (high school) seniors, representing one last time for them to get together.
“I’ve had players reach out saying they’re devastated. We feel we have enough of a following to field a team.”
It would definitely suit Condello, for whom baseball is a year-round endeavor. He coaches fall ball and in the winter, and he was supposed to head Owen J’s junior-varsity program this spring.
“I’m itching to get out there with my whole staff,” he said. “For sure, I’m excited and confident. I hope to be coaching for many years. And our seniors deserve it. We have countless players who’ve worked so hard.”
As a result of the pandemic, American Legion baseball originally cancelled its 2020 World Series and the eight national-regional tournaments leading up to it several weeks ago. That eventually evolved into a complete shutdown of Legion ball for the year.
“I understand them making the call,” Berks County League President Jay Vaughan said at the time. “Is it disappointing? Absolutely it’s disappointing, but there’s been a lot of disappointments this year.
“I think they made the decision because they thought it was the right thing to do, and I wouldn’t argue that with anybody upstairs at Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball.”
While teams can be organized to play this summer, they will not be under the purview of American Legion baseball. They can not use the Legion name, emblem or logos.
“The possibility exists,” Vaughan said at the time. “I’m not going to say definitely, but it exists to have some games. Could there be a game between teams? Yeah, there could be once things are safe.”
“If teams want to get together and play once things are deemed somewhat safe, or safer, or totally safe, I would not be a bit surprised if we don’t try to accomplish that so the kids have something to do this summer and get to play some baseball,” he added. “I have a feeling that may occur.”
That hope is alive and well in the Upper Perkiomen Valley, where the Perkiomen Post franchise calls home. Manager Mike Fitzgerald noted he got text messages from several players about the possibility of alternate baseball when the cancellation of the Legion’s 2020 season was announced.
He estimates having a full roster of 18 players available if and when a season is established.
“Everybody is anxious to play,” Fitzgerald said. “Right now, we have to wait and see. More than likely, we’ll have practices and play games.”
Reports point to July 1 as being the latest possible date a viable season could start. The most recent extension of the state’s stay-at-home and social-distancing edicts now runs to May 8.
Montgomery County reportedly extended the edict to 60 days, but it could rescind that if the situation develops in such a way that the restrictions are lifted.
“We’re all hoping for that,” Fitzgerald said.
For other Legion baseball programs in the region, the disappointment of not having a season has been accompanied by the decision to not field teams under an alternate setup.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is just a horrible disease,” Todd Clemens, Director of Baseball Operations for Spring City Legion, said, “and my heart breaks for those who lost loved ones because of this, and for those families that have been negatively affected by the global shutdowns.
“Baseball seems to be very unimportant when you are talking about people losing their lives because of a virus. The Pa. Legion Department’s call to cancel the Legion baseball season is sad, because I don’t know when this action has ever taken place ... certainly not during the 34 years I have been involved in the organization. My heart also breaks for the kids who put a lot of effort to better themselves to play this great game and not be able to get out there.”
“Baseball will be back at some point, and we will get past this thing,” Clemens added, “but keeping kids, parents, grandparents and volunteers out of harm’s way is extremely serious, and we will abide by this cancellation.”
The Red Sox have been both a perennial power in the Chester County League and frequent host of Legion and Junior American Legion post-season tournaments at the state-regional and state levels. But that will not be the case this summer.