Published July 10, 2020
THE MELROSE AMERICANS won’t be playing ball this summer. The Intercity League announced on Monday that they were cancelling the 2020 season due to concerns over Covid-19. (File Photo)
MELROSE — After weeks of deciding how to potentially return during Phase 3, the Intercity League officially announced on Monday that their 2020 season was cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns.
In addition to many factors in the towns/cities of all nine teams including field permits, the league also had to work with individual teams who had their own decisions to make regarding whether or not they wanted to play.
Three teams dropped out last week.
That left six teams who wanted the season to go on.
The Wakefield Merchants had been practicing in Stoneham during Phase 2 to get ready according to manager Dave Ellegood.
“It’s disappointing,” said Ellegood who has been playing and coaching during every summer for the Merchants since 1988. “It definitely feels strange.” Ellegood said the league had considered playing a shortened season, even with six teams. “We gave it our best shot. We were thinking even into (Sunday) night that we could have an eight-game schedule and a double elimination tournament but there was just too much involved.”
In addition to field permits, leagues have to think about much more during a pandemic, including insurance and liability. In the end, the risk for a worst-case scenario of multiple players, umpires and even fans possibly contracting the virus was not worth it.
“We made this decision out of an abundance of caution and after careful consideration of all factors,” said the ICL’s Board of Directors in a press release. “The safety of our players, their families, managers, coaches, umpires, administrators, and fans, remained paramount in all of our discussions. This was an exceedingly difficult choice, but we felt it was the best decision at this time. Given the ongoing situation and the ever-growing time constraints, we felt the window to conduct a meaningful ICL season this summer had become too narrow.”
Players can still have a chance to get out on the field. The league is hosting a memorial tournament later this summer, organized by the Lexington Blue Sox.
The PF-3/DA-41 Tournament will honor two former Blue Sox players: Pete Frates who passed away in 2019 after a courageous battle with ALS and Dave Ahern who passed away in 2016.
Details on the tournament will be announced at a later date.
