Boys of Summer are ready to play in Delco
For the summer baseball leagues in Delaware County, green means go.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement last week that Delco will be among the counties on Friday to enter the green phase of the state’s re-opening plan has set the Mid-County League (formerly EDCO) in motion. It’s time to round up the troops and get back on the field.
In two weeks, the MidCounty League will play its first games of the summer. The 10-game regular season calls for two games per week from July
6 until Aug. 3. The singlegame elimination playoffs will begin the week of Aug. 10. The Senior division consists of Marple
1 and 2, Haverford, Ridley and Narberth. The Junior division comprises Media, Broomall-Newtown, Aldan and Clifton Heights.
Finally, baseball is back.
“We had teams that backed out when this all started. They just told us that we’ll see you in
2021, which is fine,” said John McDevitt, president of the Mid-County League. “We are pleased with the amount of teams we do have. This is obviously a very different, very unique year . ... The one thing that I’ve done over the past two or three months is that every week I would be in contact with the organizations. And I was letting everyone know that when we do get approval, it’s going to happen fast.
“We don’t have a big window to get this done, so you’ve got to build your rosters and you’ve got to check on your fields to see if they’re available when the time comes. I feel pretty comfortable about that.”
Months ago McDevitt devised a plan to play this summer in the event sports leagues could resume in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. He made several suggestions, that all players sans the pitcher would wear masks and latex gloves over their throwing hand. However, those we merely ideas and not set-in-stone rules. After further consideration, the league will not require that players wear masks and gloves. Regarding the masks, there was concern about oxygen flow. The gloves, meanwhile, are not necessary according to CDC guidelines.
But one can expect to see changes and new preventive measures implemented this summer in the Mid-County League. The coronavirus isn’t magically disappearing. The advice of doctors and scientists has been made loud and clear. Play it safe and anticipate there will be a spike in cases, which has already been the case in several states.
In Delco, there are good people making good decisions when it comes to athletics. McDevitt is one of them.
If you do plan to attend a Mid-County League game, expect to see players on the outside of the dugout, spread across in foul territory. Players and fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and maintain social distancing. Moreover, you can expect to see the home plate umpire ... well, not in his usual position.
‘I don’t want the umpire behind the plate, I don’t want him breathing on the catcher. I won’t let the kids in the dugout; they’ll have to be spread apart along the baseline,” McDevitt said. “Anything else, any kind of requirements that the school districts and/or the municipalities have, we will have to follow. There’s no doubt about that. Marple, for instance, did say that we’ll have to follow the CDC guidelines.
“I’m more concerned about the spacing. I just don’t want an umpire, especially someone who is louder and more animated. They’re good umpires, I just don’t want them right over the ear of the catchers.”
It will look weird at first, but everything is done to ensure the safety and good health of those in attendance. McDevitt reiterated that, yes, fans are allowed to show up and cheer on the teams. Just be smart.
The Mid-County
League should be celebrated for stepping up and doing the logical thing when it comes to having an abbreviated baseball season in the era of coronavirus. McDevitt lost a loved one to COVID-19, so he knows firsthand the impact it can have on friends and family. He isn’t taking any shortcuts.
Other baseball leagues — notably the longest-active semi-professional baseball league in the country, the Delco League — are taking similar measures to guarantee baseball will be played this summer.
“We want these guys to get outside and play baseball,” McDevitt said. “I think that’s important. These kids want to play again. So many of these kids didn’t get to play their high school seasons, and we want to give them that opportunity, even if it’s for a few weeks.”
Other little rules that will be implemented are no extra-inning games during the regular season. All teams must keep rosters for insurance purposes and no player can compete without completing a registration form on the Marple Newtown recreation website, mnrecreation.org. Players can be added or dropped throughout the regular season. Playoffs are voluntary for players, but to be eligible they must have played in at least three regular season games.
Soon, it will be time to play ball again in Delco.