DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Players and coaches say they’re ready to be back on the diamond as a new baseball league prepares to play games while taking precautions during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Massachusetts Independent Baseball League is taking the field, after American Legion games and high school seasons were canceled due to the pandemic. Liam Hines, 16, said he was glad to step up to the plate.
“I’m very excited,” Hines said. “Missing out on the high school season was a big disappointment, we worked really hard.”
Football, basketball and hockey are all higher-risk sports, according to state re-opening guidelines, and players can only participate in non-contact workouts and drills. But baseball is listed as a moderate-risk sport and while tournaments aren’t allowed, teams can still play games — as long as they follow safety protocols.
“You can’t share equipment, that’s number one,” said MIBL co-founder Steve Maze. “You can’t share water bottles, you have to social distance.”
Gov. Charlie Baker said he’s remaining cautious about sports spreading the coronavirus.
“It’s very hard to put the genie back in the bottle, which is why we’ve tended to be pretty careful about how we’ve gone about dealing with a lot of this stuff,” Baker said.
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