Play ball! Coastal Plain League teams announce plan for games this summer
There will be baseball this summer in the Coastal Plain League.
The summer wooden bat league, which features teams such as the Lexington Blowfish and Macon Bacon, will begin July 1.
The league’s teams made the announcement Wednesday on the their social media pages, and the CPL released a statement confirming the news.
Opening Day for the league was scheduled for May 28 but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are playing July 1 based on safety,” Lexington co-owner/president Bill Shanahan said. “... That is what we are excited about and it’s great news. We have been monitoring everything, what is going on nationally and what our governor says we can or can’t do. July 1 is a date that I believe people are ready to come and see the game of baseball.”
There are more than 30 summer college baseball leagues in the country and some, including the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League, announced their seasons were canceled. The summer leagues carry added importance this year with college baseball season ending early because of the coronavirus.
While the CPL is going ahead with tentative start dates, minor league teams such as the Columbia Fireflies are still waiting before they can proceed with planning a season.
The CPL’s Macon Bacon announced a plan for playing 53 games (28 at home). Those home games at Luther Williams Field will max out at about a third normal capacity if social distancing rules are still in place — or about 1,300 fans allowed. Families can sit together. Otherwise fans will be spaced out appropriately.
“We are very aware of the times we are in, and we are every mindful of the sensitivity of businesses opening back up and crowds gathering together,” said Brandon Raphael, president of the Macon Bacon. “The safety of our fans, staff players and coaches is the highest priority.”
Expect social distancing to be enforced in ticket lines and for concessions, Raphael said. Gameday staff members will wear masks, and there will be changes in how food is prepared and distributed.
The Blowfish plan calls for a 46 game home-and-away schedule, with 25 home games at Lexington County Baseball Stadium. Shanahan said the league will formulate guidelines for the safety of players, staff and fans in the coming weeks. The Blowfish are already selling home games tickets on their website.
“We’re probably going to have to space everybody out. ... We will follow all the guidelines,” Shanahan said. “Be assured, if you come out to Lexington County Baseball Stadium, we’re going to be doing everything we can to keep you, the fan, safe, for you and your family to be out here at the ballpark.”
The CPL said they will allow teams to begin practice in mid-June and might play some exhibition games before the season begins. There will be no all-star game this year. The season would end in mid-August before players report back to school.
“We just have to be calm and follow what the health officers, our president and our governor are telling us what to do. I feel like we are going in the right direction,” Shanahan said. “We want to bring baseball back and provide family entertainment. But it will all be based on what the health restrictions are.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 11:42 AM.
