Baseball BC is suspending league seasons indefinitely due to COVID-19.
Therefore, spring baseball in Vernon won’t start immediately on April 15 as planned.
“The Vernon Baseball Association executive’s goal is to, at a minimum, have a partial spring season, if possible,” said president Michael Sanfilippo. “We will follow recommendations from our health experts and Baseball BC throughout this process.
“While we fully understand and agree that it is the right decision at this time, for any of you who love the game as much as myself and my family, this one hurts. Baseball has always been a game meant to bring us together. A game of families and friendships and I want nothing more than to get out there on the fields.”
Sanfilippo is hopeful the pandemic situation improves and that minor baseball can put together a season for the kids.
The typical spring season runs mid-April to mid-June but that could change.
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Should the season be canceled, Vernon Baseball will provide a full refund and provide an option to roll the money forward as a credit for the following season.
“We understand that some families may wish to drop out at this time. For those that would like a refund on this season, we will also provide a full refund with no admin fees,” said Sanfilippo. “This comes at a cost to the organization but we feel it is the right thing to do. For those who would prefer to hold on, we will continue to monitor the situation and if we are only able to put together a partial season we will look to put out a partial refund at a later date.”
Meanwhile, the Okanagan Spring Men’s Baseball League said, following a meeting, that it will abide by whatever Vernon Baseball decides.
“We have faith in their leadership and know that they will make good decisions for the safety and well-being of their players and players’ families - we want to do the same,” said league spokesperson Geoff Cleaveley. “Our goal is to ensure we get a full season in, even if that means delaying the start of the season and playing later into the year than we normally do - we need to make the right decisions for the health of our players and their families.”
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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