Baseball Ontario approves some training

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

Baseball Ontario released new information regarding the 2020 baseball season after holding a meeting of the executive on June 11.

The organization prepared a ‘draft protocol' that was prepared and sent to member clubs across the province.

At the same time, they sent a copy to the Sport Law and Strategies Group for a legal review, as well as health authorities for medical advice.

Both organizations provided feedback that was taken into consideration by Baseball Ontario executive.

Baseball Ontario also sent copies of the draft protocol to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport.

“The exciting news came when the province of Ontario indicated that as part of stage 2, that the framework for reopening would include team sports and would allow for outdoor team sports, maintaining physical distancing of course, but for training only and no scrimmage or games,” said Ed Quinlan, president of Baseball Ontario, in a video address. “The protocols were approved by Baseball Ontario's board of management at the June 11, meeting.”

Quinlan added that there was a couple of changes including the sanitizing of baseballs.

“Based on the feedback, the board of management approved that we are going to take our focus, our energy, that went into sanitizing baseballs and put our energy into hand sanitizing and washing. We've introduced that every 30 minutes into practice – hand washing and hand sanitizing - I can't stress that enough.”

There were other rules changed regarding lead-offs on the diamond. The board decided there would be no lead offs to avoid players and coaches meeting at first base.

Quinlan said baseball activities would return to Ontario on June 16.

That date was chosen to give coaches enough time to absorb all the new rules and instruction regarding protocol on the diamond in keeping with current social distancing restrictions.

The fact that teams can now meet in limited numbers for training doesn't mean games or league play will be taking place any time soon, if at all this summer.